Articles - Page 59

Agentic AI for Agencies in 2026

bmckeiver

Most managers understand that communicating regularly with team members is important. However, with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/us/remote-workers-work-from-home.html">more and more people working remotely</a>, it can become easy to neglect employees who aren’t in the office every day.
You need to guard against this. Communicating with your workers on an everyday basis is still essential, even if you’re not in the same physical space. Implement the right tools, like a <a href="https://www.15five.com/continuous-performance-management/">continuous performance management system</a>. Doing so will allow you to remain in contact with every member of your team every day, no matter where they work. The following are key reasons you should make daily communication a priority:
Higher Engagement
Engaged employees care about performing at the highest level possible. They believe in the company’s values and want to help the organization as a whole achieve its goals.
Unfortunately, Gallup has found that most of today’s workforce is not actively engaged. However, Gallup surveys also indicate that regular communication between workers and managers boosts engagement levels. Simply providing feedback, direction, and recognition on a daily basis is an easy, but effective, way to keep your team motivated.
Lower Turnover
Losing an employee is extremely costly for a business. Luckily, <a href="https://www.adp.com/boost/articles/2017/07/manager-relationships-with-employees-can-boost-retention.aspx">surveys show</a> that retention rates increase when employees feel they have relationships with their managers. When provided with regular direction and feedback, as well as signs of personal empathy, they’re more likely to stay at a company.
Better Insights
Even though you’re a manager, odds are good there is still room for improvement within your own position. Odds are also good your employees are the ones best equipped to identify where you can make improvements.
Of course, if you don’t have a relationship that involves communication, they’re not likely to offer their own insights without prompting. On the other hand, if you stay in touch on a daily basis, team members will be more comfortable offering suggestions.
Problem Solving
Some team members are reluctant to ask questions or request extra help with a task because they don’t want to appear incompetent. However, if you communicate with them on a daily basis and give them opportunities to ask for support, they’ll be more inclined to take you up on those offers. This makes it easier to identify and solve problems early on, before they have a major impact on a project.
Efficiency
Managers and employees who share an office and work together directly on a daily basis often develop similar mindsets that make it easier to work efficiently.
Teams begin to develop a shared language for discussing tasks, and they learn to anticipate when a manager or other team member will need assistance with a task. This eventually shapes an efficient team that knows how to get tasks done and move to the next step without waiting for immediate instruction.
That’s the kind of team you want. Luckily, you don’t need to sacrifice it simply because your employees don’t work in the same physical office. With the right tools, you can enjoy all the rewards that come from keeping in touch with your workers on a daily basis.

Why Maintaining Daily Contact with Employees Is Essential

mike-johnston

As a business owner, the most important technology you will use for your website is the Content Management System (CMS), which is the system you will use to create, manage, and edit the content that is on your website. It’s what gives you control over your website.
The best types of CMS are able to accommodate necessary updates in a timely manner, as well as the management of the entire website without you requiring help from an outside source.
Without a CMS in place, you will need to rely solely on your website developer to make any content adjustments to your website. This can create massive roadblocks, as you do not have control over your own website and cannot make the changes as you need them, when you need them.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/key-website-builders/">There are plenty of content management systems </a>available, depending on the purpose of your website, your needs, budget, and the platform you’ve chosen. It can be daunting to narrow your options down enough to pick one, but the following checklist will help you make that decision and pick the CMS that will best fit your brand, organization, and needs.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/macbook-laptop-ipad-apple-38519.jpeg" alt="apple, business, computer" />
<h2>Picking the Right CMS for Your Website</h2>
The right content management system depends on your needs and your budget. Go through the list of features outlined in this section, and then narrow your choices based on that.
If you’re working with a web developer, ask them which CMS they will be using for your website. If you’re using it on your own, request a demo from the vendor. Most of them will offer a free trial, so you can get a feel for the platform and determine if it’s the best choice for you.
<h3>1 . Is the CMS easy to use?</h3>
The more popular platforms boast complete ease-of-use, and many of them make it possible for website owners to use them without having to have advanced technical knowledge, like coding. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/weebly">Weebly</a> and Strikingly are examples of user-friendly platforms that don’t require much technical knowledge.
You want to make sure the content management system you choose makes it easy to upload and update text, add images and video, insert links, and make other content updates. It should be easy to add, customize, or remove web pages.
Your CMS should be intuitive and user-friendly for both your most tech-savvy and least tech-savvy members of your staff. If it’s just you, you want to make sure you can use it quickly and without frustration, so you can concentrate the majority of your efforts on other aspects of the business and its marketing.
<h3>2 . Is the CMS SEO-friendly?</h3>
It won’t do you a single bit of good to purchase a CMS that adversely affects your search engine optimization efforts or your rankings.
You want to check out SEO-related features, such as:
<ul>
<li>How does the platform go about creating new URLs?
<ul>
<li>The URLs should show up as: www.thisisanexample.com/page/subpage , rather than gibberish–www.thisisanexample.com/page123wasd_12?id=xyz .</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Does the platform allow users to write unique titles and page descriptions?</li>
<li>Does the CMS come with or integrate any SEO tools?
<ul>
<li>The vast majority of CMS have plugins or extensions that allow the user to fully manage the website’s SEO, including page descriptions, titles, etc. Some platforms handle the technical SEO aspects for you.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>3 . Is the CMS within your budget?</h3>
Most content management system vendors will have the prices and packages listed on their websites, but there may be additional costs that need to be considered.
Some CMS have licensing fees, such as a one-time fee for purchasing the software license. Others have fees for updating, upgrading, or adding extensions / plugins.
When considering a CMS, ask the vendor what all of the fees are.
<h3>4 . How secure is the CMS platform?</h3>
Content management systems are one of the biggest targets for hackers and other types of cyber criminals, and the most popular ones have some serious security issues that need to be taken into account.
Do some research into the platform and the vendor’s past security issues. Find out what security features the CMS has in place, and learn <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/how-to-secure-your-cms-in-5-steps/">how to secure your CMS</a>.
In the event that the CMS does actually get hacked, what does the vendor do to rectify the issue and prevent further attacks? Find out what others users have to say about the security of the platform. If they are required to make regular upgrades before they can install security patches, you are better off going with a different CMS.
<h3>5 . Does the CMS allow integration of web analytics?</h3>
Regardless of which CMS you go with, you want to ensure the platform grants users the ability to track key <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/business-intelligence-and-analytics-what-you-need-to-know/">metrics and analytics</a>, such as conversions, page times, site visits, and more. You want to be sure your content management system integrates with analytics tools like <a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/">Google Analytics</a>. Some platforms, like WordPress, also have their own metrics and analytics systems to use in addition to these.
<h3>6 . Does the CMS platform offer technical support?</h3>
While there are many popular content management systems out there that may have all the features you're looking for, not all of them are the best when it comes to providing technical support to their customers.
Look for one that has multiple ways of contacting them, from email to phone numbers. You want one that offers support 24 / 7, or at least responds in a timely manner. You also want to look for one that has does not have a history of hacking, pages being lost, content being deleted, or site crashes.
<h3>7 . Does the CMS allow the use of multiple websites or pages?</h3>
If your business manages multiple websites, you want to pick a CMS that will allow you to integrate and manage all of them from one place.
This will allow you to edit these websites from that one dashboard, rather than having to log into multiple sites to get things done. Not only is this obnoxious, but it’s also time-consuming and takes away from you being able to conduct other business or do other types of marketing.
Additionally, you will likely want a website that allows users to have multiple pages and blogs, rather than just one static site.
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
There are hundreds of content management systems available, all with their own unique features and benefits. This checklist is a good place to start, and will help you narrow down your options when it comes to choosing the right CMS and vendor for your business and needs.

How to Choose a CMS in 7 Easy Steps

WP Engine, the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wpengine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WordPress digital experience platform</a>, today announced it has acquired StudioPress, creators of the Genesis Framework (“Genesis”), the world’s most popular theme framework for the millions of WordPress sites that comprise 30 percent of the Web. Genesis, and its accompanying suite of themes, helps enterprises, startups, and agencies to accelerate the building of amazing digital experiences. Previously owned by Rainmaker Digital LLC, the acquisition of the StudioPress product line strengthens WP Engine’s WordPress Digital Experience Platform, allowing faster time-to-market with greater ease and agility.
The StudioPress Suite for WordPress
StudioPress is a suite of WordPress solutions that includes:
<ul>
<li>Genesis – the world’s most popular WordPress theme framework combining design, layouts, SEO, performance, interoperability/modularity and support. It offers important benefits such as allowing brands to switch safely and easily between themes, even when doing so at scale. The framework also allows brands to incorporate new technologies more simply.</li>
<li>StudioPress Themes – a collection of over 60 professionally designed, SEO-optimized, mobile-responsive themes built with Genesis that support a number of vertical use cases.</li>
</ul>
The Genesis Community
WP Engine’s acquisition of StudioPress further underscores its commitment and investment in the WordPress open source community. It’s thanks to the tireless efforts of this vibrant and devoted community of tens of thousands of Genesis developers around the world that it has become the world’s most popular framework unrivaled in the WordPress space. Some of the most beautiful websites in the world have been created by this community. The upcoming release of Gutenberg promises to bring even more engaging and beloved digital experiences. WP Engine plans to expand support for contributors and the community by providing meaningful opportunities for continued collaboration for the ongoing betterment of the Genesis Framework.
“The Genesis Framework is the world’s favorite way to build breakthrough WordPress sites,” said Heather Brunner, Chairwoman and CEO of WP Engine. “We welcome this incredible community who has contributed to this success and we will invest in its continued expansion. We firmly believe this combination of our engine, the world’s leading digital experience platform, with the Genesis framework will power the next generation of world-class websites for our customers.”
Strengthening the WordPress Digital Experience
The acquisition of StudioPress strengthens and extends WP Engine’s WordPress Digital Experience Platform.
<ul>
<li>Investment and integration: WP Engine plans to invest in the continued development of the open source Genesis Framework as well as build future solutions that leverage the framework. Further, the Genesis Framework will be integrated tightly into the WP Engine Digital Experience Platform so it performs better here than anywhere else.</li>
<li>Faster, more elegant digital experiences: StudioPress Themes allows WP Engine to offer dozens of highly optimized and responsive themes that look great right out of the box.</li>
<li>Ecosystem expansion: The addition of StudioPress expands WP Engine’s support for third-party plugins and products created to add functionality or support for the use of the Genesis Framework. It also provides additional content in support of the framework and the ecosystem on WP Engine’s publications like Torque and the WP Engine blog.</li>
</ul>

WP Engine Acquires StudioPress WordPress Solutions Including Genesis Framework

Shopify Inc.  has announced the launch of Shopify Ping, a free mobile app that brings business conversations and tasks all within one interface. With Shopify Ping, merchants will be able to manage their tasks through messaging on their mobile phones, spend more time serving their customers and grow their businesses without having to fumble between apps and tools.Shopify Ping is a free iOS app available to Shopify merchants in the App Store. It consolidates messages from other apps used to interact with customers through social media, a merchant’s online storefront, email and more in one single interface, making it easier to manage conversations and respond in real-time. In addition, it comes built-in with Shopify’s free virtual assistant, Kit, which helps merchants plan, create and manage marketing activities through a conversational interface. With these integrations, Shopify Ping will support actions like running Facebook and Instagram ads, email campaigns and retargeting campaigns, as well as quicker customer conversations.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ping_email_banner_eqkvyx.png" />“Shopify merchants are conducting many business conversations across multiple apps every day, not only to run their day-to-day operations, but also to manage customer inquiries. Shopify Ping was created to make all of this easier to manage,” said Michael Perry, Director of Product at Shopify. “It’s a one-stop messaging app that lets them spend more time on what matters most – running their businesses seamlessly and deepening customer relationships.”With almost half (45%) of Shopify’s entrepreneurs running their businesses and engaging shoppers on their mobile devices, flexibility and timeliness are key success factors. Ensuring that entrepreneurs have the tools to keep up is critical to minimizing redundancies and saving time.At launch, integration partners include Facebook Messenger, Rep.ai and Chatkit. Shopify Ping is now available in the iOS App Store for all Shopify merchants. For more information visit: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/shopify-ping">https://www.shopify.com/blog/shopify-ping</a>

Shopify Introduces a New Way to Work on Mobile

Umbraco has a new release out with version 7.1.1. Most of the changes involve a slew of bug fixes but there are also some improvements made in this release such as:
<ul>
<li>The ability to see where compositions are used.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/compositions1_yjr7fw.png" /></li>
<li>The dictionary tree has been revamped and its functionality has now been converted to Angular.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dictionary-tree_rsifuu.png" /></li>
<li>Administrators can now create multilingual tours for users.</li>
</ul>
Some of the bugfixes taken care of in this release include:
<ul>
<li>Checkboxes on content items are now nice looking toggle buttons</li>
<li>Hovering over the document type name in the Info tab shows the alias of the document type</li>
<li>The saving animation on the Save &amp; Publish button now works every time</li>
<li>When you can’t upload a media item, the upload button is disabled</li>
<li>When you have an event handler cancelling an Unpublish event, the notification now gets shown to the editor</li>
<li>The menu items for content in the recycle bin now don’t show unnecessary buttons any more</li>
</ul>
To get a full breakdown of the release, visit <a href="https://our.umbraco.org/download/releases/7110/">https://our.umbraco.org/download/releases/7110/</a>

Umbraco version 7.11 released

I recently received an email letting me know about a new CMS for Bootstrap Templates that is on the market. It's called Natoma and if you are using Bootstrap today for any of your websites, you should give it a try.
<div style="width:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:63%;position:relative"><iframe style="position:absolute" src="https://giphy.com/embed/l1J9wkRHQXBh0vJja" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/l1J9wkRHQXBh0vJja">via GIPHY</a>
Designed specifically for Bootstrap websites, Natoma is a quick and easy to integrate CMS that offers easy management of your websites from a single dashboard. It's perfect for agencies and you can even invite teammates or clients to join and be able to edit projects with it.
You can give it a try or sign up to use it here: <a href="https://www.getnatoma.com/">https://www.getnatoma.com/</a>

Natoma, the CMS for Bootstrap Templates

Semrush - Be an SEO hero

Be an SEO hero with Semrush

#ffffff

Pop OS by System76 has been around for a while but for the longest time, I hadn't tried it simply based on the fact that I had heard (incorrectly) that it was basically Ubuntu with some themes applied. Recently, however, I've discovered this is not just an Ubuntu distro with themes applied and I wanted to share my experiences in this Pop OS Review.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-1_rpyrri.png" alt="pop-os-review-1" /><figcaption>Pop OS Review – The Desktop</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Installing Pop OS</h2>
The installation process is straight forward and involves pretty much the same process as you'd expect from most installations nowadays with a few exceptions. Where most installations involve going through the entire process immediately, Pop OS goes through the partitioning and installing process and then reboots to allow you to create users, select your time zone, etc. By doing so, it feels like a faster install (whether this is true or not, I'm not sure as I haven't tried to time in it comparison to anything else).
Another interesting change to the process is the option to enable full-disk encryption out-of-the box during the installation, another hint that Pop OS is geared towards those who use their computer for work and not necessarily play (not to say that it couldn't function fine there as well).
Once you've completed the install, you are greeted with the desktop you see above (although I did change the wallpaper to one of their other choices). It's rather simple looking isn't it?
<h2>Pop OS Review – The Desktop</h2>
Pop OS takes the elegant and simplistic Gnome desktop environment and adds a number of improvements to improve workflow, further secure the desktop and give it a more functional and beautiful appearance. In essence, it's what the Gnome experience should be.
Hitting the Super Key or clicking in the top left will present you with the Gnome dock and show you the available workspaces.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-2_mtbuwf.png" alt="pop-os-review-2" />
Initially, there are only a few items such pinned to the dock such as Firefox, Nautilus (file manager), Gnome terminal and the Pop! Shop (System76's version of the software store).
The Pop! Shop is where users can install new software and adjust software sources, etc. In addition, for those who prefer to use a GUI over the terminal, updates can also be installed from within it.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-3_qaeqci.png" alt="pop-os-review-3" /><figcaption>Pop OS Review – The Pop! Shop</figcaption></figure>
There's a good selection of software available to install and from my testing, everything seemed to work well without issue.
<h2>Pop OS Review – Installing Third Party Drivers</h2>
One thing I did notice that was disappointing was that there is no easy way for users to install drivers, something that is present in most other Ubuntu based distros.
While you can drop to the terminal and run ubuntu-drivers autoinstall it would be nicer to have an icon to launch the driver manager and run it as well.
I'm not 100% sure why this was not included but perhaps it's an assumption that developers don't want a GUI and while that's a perfectly fine assumption, I think Pop OS should cater to a wider audience, but that's just my opinion.
<h2>Pop OS Review – The Menu</h2>
One thing Pop OS does very well is beautify the Gnome experience. The icons (basically their version of the popular Papirus icon set) are all in sync and everything feels clean and well presented, as you can see below.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-4_hhslpt.png" alt="pop-os-review-4" /><figcaption>Pop OS – The Menu</figcaption></figure>
Installed by default, we have the essentials; Firefox, Geary and LibreOffice to get things started and I think that's a reasonable selection to begin with.
For utilities, we have a few others such as Eddy for easy package installation and USB Flasher which is a quick and efficient tool for, you guessed it, flashing USB's.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-5_lsqarq.png" alt="pop-os-review-5" /><figcaption>Pop OS – Utilities</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Pop OS Review – The Tweaks and Improvements</h2>
I'm not 100% sure if USB Flasher was developed by System76 or someone else it as I couldn't find anything from a quick Google search but it's definitely a great tool and since I tend to flash USB's like it's nobody's business, I appreciate the simplicity of the app.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-6_v12cji.png" alt="pop-os-review-6" />
As I mentioned, Pop OS has all sorts of little tweaks to make life easier and improve the functionality of the desktop and improve workflow… another one of these is the ability to quick-switch between power management profiles as shown above. This is just one of the many little tweaks that you will quickly realize you miss when trying other distros.
In addition, there's a handy Do Not Disturb feature hidden in the notifications (found by clicking on the date / time) that will prevent notifications from popping up and interrupting your workflow.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-8_m9pm8l.png" alt="pop-os-review-8" /><figcaption>Pop OS – Do Not Disturb Feature</figcaption></figure>
The main reason I love this distro (and it has since become my daily driver) is the window management additions and keyboard shortcuts that have been added.
Hitting the Super Key (or windows key) launches the window management display shown below where you can quickly drag and drop windows between workspaces and / or switch to them with the click of a mouse.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-7_qfstvl.png" alt="pop-os-review-7" />
In addition, however, there are tons of shortcuts that have been added to allow users to navigate the entire desktop with keyboard shortcuts, something that my fellow Linux geeks are sure to love.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
While there may be one or two missing features such as the aforementioned Drivers GUI, Pop OS has proven itself to be worthy of being my daily driver. I've installed numerous distros, one after the other, as soon as they are released but I always come back to Pop OS to get my work done and because I can't work as well without it's tweaks. I've begun to rely on them in my day to day computer usage and I do feel as though they make my work easier to do. I love the look and feel of the distro so much that I've changed nothing but the wallpaper. In the past, I'd spend hours tweaking things and not actually getting my work done but with Pop OS, I feel at home and that I don't actually need to change anything as it's beautiful as is.
If you haven't given it a go yet, I recommend doing so. Their website has a few good videos showing off the improvements that may do a better job of showcasing them than my explanations so be sure to check that out as well. Overall, I think it's the perfect distro for my needs (In fact I'm writing this post from it right now).
Check out Pop OS here: <a href="https://system76.com/pop">https://system76.com/pop</a>

Pop OS Review - Elegant, Functional, Well Done

Here's a bit of a shocker for the day, I just received notification that Adobe has entered into an agreement to purchase Magento Commerce for $1.68 billion! Adobe has a history of sucking companies into their Adobe Experience Cloud (or Dark Experience Cloud as I call it), effectively making the brand disappear which is no doubt the plan here according to the release.
Here's a quote from the press release that marks the death sentence for Magento as a brand:
<blockquote>“Adobe is the only company with leadership in content creation, marketing, advertising, analytics and now commerce – enabling real-time experiences across the entire customer journey,” said Brad Rencher, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Experience, Adobe. “Embedding commerce into the Adobe Experience Cloud with Magento enables Adobe to make every moment personal and every experience shoppable.”</blockquote>
The obvious drawback here are that companies currently using Magento in some form or another, whether through integrations or otherwise. are going to have to find another solution fast or risk being badgered to death by Adobe Sales for eternity (and nobody wants that to happen). Take heed customers! Now is the time to flee before the behemoth descends! I kid, I kid (or do I?).
Here are some alternatives to consider if you are in this predicament:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/">BigCommerce Enterprise</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.prestashop.com">PrestaShop Enterprise</a></li>
</ul>
What are your thoughts on the purchase?

Adobe Sucks Magento into their Dark Experience Cloud

If you are looking to start a food blog and have no clue how to go about making that happen, this article may be for you. Today, I'm going to share with you the process I used to kick start my wife's successful food blog, The Kitchen Magpie. So, want to learn how to start a food blog? Let's begin.
It doesn't matter if you are looking to share recipes, restaurant reviews, or generally just want to spread your passion (and pictures) of the wonderful food you've eaten or enjoy.. you can do so with a food blog. You can even, with the right amount of effort and patience, make a living doing it if you so choose. I know because my wife does and we made that happen by applying the process below.
To start your food blog, you need to decide which method suits you best. You can either:
 Hire a Designer and Developer. There's nothing wrong with going this route, just be prepared to spend a few thousand dollars for a quality design and to hire the developer to take that design and convert it into a well-coded food blog. A great place to find inexpensive designers and developers is <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/" target="_blank">Fiverr</a>.
 Build it yourself.  My personal preference. I am a coder at heart so I prefer to learn by doing. When we first kicked off Karlynn's blog, I built it on WordPress using the method below and got it up and running. Once it became successful and she started getting crazy amounts of traffic and earning money from it, we then hired a designer and a WordPress development team to create a unique look for her site. Feel free to go check it out:  <a href="https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/" target="_blank"> The Kitchen Magpie </a> .
<h2>How to Start a Food Blog: The Steps Involved</h2>
These are the steps I'm going to cover in detail, for those of you who can't wait to find out the process. I'll cover them in more detail as you read on.
<ol>
<li> Come up with a name for your food blog and register it as a domain name. 
Before you can start a food blog, you need to consider what your blog will be about. Will you be sharing recipes, posting pictures of food you've eaten, writing restaurant reviews? Once you know the general concept, you can start thinking of what name you want to use for your food blog. Then you'll need to register this name as a domain.</li>
<li> Find a website hosting company that offers a well-priced, affordable hosting package with excellent support. 
I've written before about who I think are the best web hosts out there but I'll outline which ones are the best ones to use to get started with and then, once you have some decent numbers under your belt (visitors to your website that is), which option you should switch to.</li>
<li> Install WordPress 
Yes, there are other options but realistically, WordPress is the best choice if you are looking for a food blog. There's no better option when it comes to building up solid SEO and getting ranking well in the search engines; both of which are critical to being successful.</li>
<li> Configure WordPress 
I'll touch on a few minor settings changes you should make once you have it up and running.</li>
<li> Find and Install a WordPress Theme 
While there are some decent free themes for WordPress out there, I'd recommend choosing a well-known WordPress theme developer and purchasing a premium theme. This way, you get support as well as regular updates.</li>
<li> Install and Configure WordPress Plugins 
There are a few plugins that are absolute must haves when it comes to WordPress, I'll explain which ones you should be using as well as point you to a few food blog specific plugins you should be installing.</li>
<li> Other Services and Tools 
Once you have WordPress running and configured, there are a few other tools you may wish to consider setting up and signing up for.  I'll break them down for you and offer both free options and premium ones. You can then choose which suit your needs the most.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Step 1 – Decide on a Name an Register the Domain </h2>
This is perhaps the toughest part, coming up with a name. You want to make sure that the name you come up with fits what the food blog is about, so think carefully about what you plan to write about before you decide on a name.
You want something that is:
<ul>
<li>Easy to remember.</li>
<li>Catchy and fun.</li>
<li>Won't be confused with another business or brand.</li>
<li>Isn't too long.</li>
<li>Describes your food blog.</li>
</ul>
If you've ever had a nick name or somebody has said something to you that sounded like a good idea, this might be a good place to start. Perhaps you are writing about desserts? Then maybe you should try to incorporate that into the name. Good food blogs have names that describe the personality of the author and the topic of the blog (or a blend of both). The Kitchen Magpie monicker that my wife goes by was a combination of her love to be in the kitchen and her desire to collect pretty, shiny things. We combined two things into the name and now it's a catchy name people remember.
Coming up with a name can be tough but once you've done so, you'll need to register it as a domain name. Contrary to what people say, and the opinions vary heavily on this, a .COM is the best domain name you can get and it's always the best option.
Once you have a list of potential ideas, you'll need to see if any of them are available for you to use.
Most of the time, a domain name will cost you between $10 to $15 per year but when you purchase a hosting package together with it, it's usually cheaper or free. I recommend somewhere inexpensive like <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/" target="_blank">GoDaddy</a> for cheap hosting to get you started.
To do so, enter the potential domain name (complete with the .COM part) into the box below and check its availability. If it's available, it will let you register it immediately. If not, it'll tell you it's taken. Nice and simple.
If you prefer to register your domain separately, you can do so at <a href="https://www.namecheap.com/" target="_blank">Namecheap</a>. They are one of the least expensive registrars and they offer easy to use domain management tools. Believe me, domains registered through other services tend to be difficult to configure and set up.
<h2>Step 2 – Find a web host for your food blog</h2>
If you've already registered your domain above, then this step is already complete and you've got this hosting package already. If you haven't, it's very important to make sure you select an affordable hosting package from a reputable hosting provider that offers excellent support. We've had plenty of experience with the good ones and the bad ones and when it comes to reliability and cost, I think GoDaddy likely is the better option.
GoDaddy is one of the largest and most popular web hosts out there. They offer a very reasonably priced hosting package and have a great support team that can help you resolve any issues you might have down the road. GoDaddy has a slick managed WordPress offering (which basically means the site is built quickly for you without having to install WordPress yourself.
I've had poor experiences with Hostgator and others in the past, so I'd personally recommend avoiding them at all costs.
<h2>Step 3 – Install WordPress</h2>
This is one of the reasons I recommended hosting through GoDaddy, to begin with. For those new to food blogs or blogging in general, installing an application (even one as simple as WordPress) can be a bit daunting. GoDaddy does this automatically if you buy their managed WordPress offering which is priced between $2 and $15 per month (which is crazy cheap).
If you are not on GoDaddy, installing WordPress is still pretty simple. Here's the official installation guide: <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress"> Installing WordPress. </a>
<h2>Step 4 – Configure WordPress</h2>
WordPress comes pre-configured to be pretty much ready to go minus a few simple things. The only real setting change you need to make is to change the permalinks. These determine how your posts will look on the web.
Follow these steps to change them from the default setting:
<ul>
<li>Log into the WordPress Dashboard.</li>
<li>Go to Settings -&gt; Permalinks and select Post name.</li>
<li>Click save</li>
</ul>
Once this is done, you are good to go.
<h2>Step 5 – Find and Install a WordPress Theme</h2>
The ideal WordPress theme should be:
<ul>
<li> Responsive 
 Responsive themes are simply designed to work on every type of screen from your laptop or desktop all the way down to your smartphone. A proper responsive theme will make it easy for the reader to still read the content (without squinting) and access menus, etc no matter what device they are using. This is very important nowadays. You’d be surprised how many people will read your website on their phone or tablet!</li>
<li> Well Supported 
Finding a WordPress theme is easy. Finding a WordPress theme with great support can be a challenge. There are all kinds of free ones out there but you will be out of luck if you need help unless you are willing to pay for it. I personally recommend going with one of the options I’m going to list below. This way, you’ll get an amazing theme that also offers great support and fits all of these requirements.</li>
<li> Beautifully Designed 
 It goes without saying that you want a theme for your food blog that not only matches the look and feel you want to achieve but that is also good looking, easy on the eyes and designed by a professional that knows their stuff.</li>
<li> Search Engine Optimized 
 It’s a bit of a daunting term but in a nutshell it means that the theme you are using has been coded so that search engines understand it and will rank your site well. You don’t want a theme with sloppy code because it will prevent you from achieving a good ranking on Google in comparison to one that is well coded. A cleanly designed theme can do wonders for your visibility on the web.</li>
<li> Easy to use 
 You are going to be the one using your theme the most so you might as well make sure its going to be easy for you to use and offers the features you want. Unless you understand code, you won’t want to have to mess around with it in order to achieve simple tasks. Choose a theme that comes with easy to configure options (changing colors, adding a logo, etc) in order to save yourself some headaches early on.</li>
<li> Updated regularly 
 With WordPress, there are regular security updates released. As a result, you’ll want to make sure the theme you choose is updated regularly (easiest way to do this is to go with a reputable theme firm like the ones I’ll outline below) in order to make sure it remains compatible with future updates of WordPress.</li>
</ul>
With Karlynn's website we use the amazing Genesis Framework and built a custom design on top of it. When we first started out, however, we used one of their many <a href="https://www.studiopress.com/">beautiful themes</a> as a starting point. The thing with themes based on Genesis is that they are fast, well coded and Google loves them. All of these things are critical to a well performing food blog.
Any of their themes would be a great choice but if you want a really solid head start, try out one of these ones:
<h3>Foodie Pro</h3>
<a href="https://www.studiopress.com/themes/foodie/" target="_blank">Foodie Pro</a> is pretty much THE go-to for someone starting a food blog. It's very well designed and developed and contains everything you need to perform well on Google (while also being nice to look at). It showcases photography nicely which is also the key to a successful food blog.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/foodie-pro_vnsjiq.jpg" alt="start a food blog with foodie pro" /><figcaption>start a food blog with foodie pro</figcaption></figure>
 
If these don't work, you can always look through their other themes to see if one of their others fit your needs.
I'm also a big fan of <a href="https://envato.com/">Envato</a>. It's one of the largest marketplaces for themes and plugins for WordPress so if you can't find something here, you aren't looking hard enough ;).
<h2>Step 6 – Recommended plugins for your Food Blog</h2>
There are four plugins that I recommend installing right away on your blog in order to maximize the value of your blog for your future readers. They are:
<ul>
<li> AddThis. AddThis gives you buttons on your posts so people can share them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social networks. It’s critical to have this capability and definitely a top notch plugin that you should install on any blog you have.</li>
<li> Akismet. This is an important plugin to install. It helps prevent spam comments from appearing on your blog by blocking them entirely.</li>
<li> WP Recipe Maker. WP Recipe Maker makes recipe entry a breeze. It’s quick. It’s easy. The recipes look great. Your recipes will have ratings and print features and most importantly you have a much better chance for your recipes showing up in Google’s Recipe View search results. It's also pretty much mandatory if you want to start a food blog. Without it, don't expect your site to do well.</li>
<li> Yoast SEO. This is probably the most important plugin you can install. It automatically does all of the things you need in order to make your website show up in Google and other search engines in the best possible way. Take your time and go through the wizard to learn how to set it up and you’ll be well-positioned to succeed!</li>
</ul>
To install a plugin:
<ul>
<li>Log into your WordPress dashboard</li>
<li>Go to Plugins -&gt; Add new</li>
<li>Type the name of the plugin in the search box and hit enter</li>
<li>Find the plugin and click Install now</li>
<li>Once the plugin is installed, click Activate</li>
</ul>
( <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Managing_Plugins"> Read this how to article on installing plugins</a> if you need help. Each of these plugins has a configuration setting that it will add to your dashboard. Some will show up under Settings and some may create new menu entries. Be sure to visit their settings and configure them to your needs. If you need help, use Google to find recommended settings or leave your questions in the comments here and I'll do my best to assist.
<h2>Step 7 – Other Services and Tools</h2>
To use most of the free services that Google has available, you’ll need a Google account and potentially, a Gmail account for your food blog. If you don’t have one, set one up here first: <a href="https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?service=mail&amp;continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F&amp;ltmpl=default&amp;hl=en"> Set up a Gmail account. </a>
 Once you have done this, head to these places to log in and set up these free tools: 
<ul>
<li> Google Webmaster Tools: This free service will make sure your food blog isn’t down and alert you of any issues Google finds with it. This is critical for any blog or website. You can install the code it provides you within the settings for the WordPress SEO plugin I recommended above.</li>
<li> Google Analytics: Google Analytics will provide you with statistics on who is visiting your blog, how many visitors you are getting and where they are coming from. It’s a free service and most websites use it for this reason so be sure to set it up.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Get Blogging!</h2>
Once you've followed all of these steps, you'll be ready to start blogging so get going and please let me know if you found this article helpful. If you did, please share it so others can find it too and leave a comment with any questions you may have. If you've used this article to help create a blog, let me know, I'd love to hear about it.

How to Start a Food Blog

A common question that often gets asked by those who've installed WordPress for the first time or been given a brand new WordPress website from their developer is “How do I log in to my WordPress site?” In this gude, I'm not only going to tell you how to do it but I'm also going to show you how to customize and protect your WordPress Login. Scroll down for a quick video showing the process as well if you find that easier.  <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/wordpress-login_ixy7xu.jpg" alt="wordpress login" /><h2>So What Is My WordPress Login?</h2>WordPress, by default, has several ways you can log in to the back-end or dashboard where you administer your WordPress website. To access it, you'll want to go to one of the following addresses. Keep in mind, you need to replace the words YourDomain with your website URL (for instance, www.cmscritic.com).Now keep in mind that, aside from #1 and #2 in the list below, some of the others may be disabled for security purposes and may not work.<h3>The WordPress Login URLs:</h3><ol><li>www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin</li><li>www.yourdomain.com/wp-login.php</li></ol>These are the most commonly used URL's used to access the dashboard and you will find them most often referenced in guides, installation manuals and other articles that ask you to log in to WordPress.<h3>Quick Shortcuts to the WordPress Login URL:</h3><ol><li>www.yourdomain.com/dashboard</li><li>www.yourdomain.com/admin</li><li>www.yourdomain.com/login</li></ol>These are basically just quick shortcuts that literally redirect to the default URLs. They are in place to make it easier to remember how to get to the dashboard but do be aware that they could be disabled and may not work so test them first before bookmarking them.In the case of this website, the URL would be https://www.cmscritic.com/wp-admin for instance, since I have disabled the shortcut options.Quick Note:If your website URL is something like this: www.yourdomain.com/blog or similar, make sure you prepend the URL with that full path. In other words, to log in, you should use the following: www.yourdomain.com/blog/wp-admin or one of the other shortcuts listed above. The same applies if your URL is blog.yourdomain.com. In this case, you'd login with blog.yourdomain.com/wp-admin.<h2>A Brief Video Showing You How to Login to WordPress:</h2>Here's a brief video I put together showing you how to login since some people (myself included) prefer them over reading. I hope it helps!Now that you know how to login, we'll move to the next step of this guide.<h2>How Do You Customize Your WordPress Login?</h2>There are lots of different methods of customizing your WordPress login screen. As mentioned in the video above, you can swap out the WordPress logo on the login screen to your own and lots of other enhancements. Here are some of the most common ways to make these changes.<h3>Using a Plugin</h3>There are tons of plugins you can install that will let you customize the login. Some of my favorites include:<ul><li>White Label Login for WordPress (affiliate link) I personally like this one as it includes some great features like ReCaptcha and you can literally change the URL for your WordPress Login. It costs a couple of dollars but I personally think it's one of the easiest to use and well worth the price (I'm not just saying that because I am using an affiliate link, I truly do believe this is a great choice). If you prefer free, there are two below that work as well. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/02-white-label-branding-options-advanced_ftarip.jpg" alt="white label wordpress login" /></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/bm-custom-login/">Custom Login</a> Lets you fully customize your Login screen allowing for lots of changes including logo, background, etc.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/admin-custom-login/">Admin Custom Login </a> This plugin lets you make lots of customizations such as changing the logo and the background and literally restyling the whole login screen to look completely different.</li></ul><h3>Editing the Code</h3>You can also customize the WordPress login by directly editing the code. The documentation on WordPress,org explains how to make the necessary modifications.You can read about the process here: <a target="_blank" href="https://codex.wordpress.org/Customizing_the_Login_Form">https://codex.wordpress.org/Customizing_the_Login_Form</a>Only do this if you are experienced when it comes to editing code. Making changes without experience can often lead to all sorts of errors and can cause you quite the headache.<h2>Securing your WordPress Login</h2>It's one thing to know how to get to your dashboard but it's also important to consider the fact that other people know how to get to it as well. For this reason, securing it is an important thing to consider and there are multiple ways you can do this.<h4><a target="_blank" href="http://cleantalk.org/?pid=130404">CleanTalk</a></h4>One of the best methods to secure your WordPress website both against spam and hacking attempts is to use an anti-spam and security plugin like CleanTalk.This is the very same plugin I use on CMS Critic to keep the site secure and prevent spam. It's an excellent plugin and I install it on all of my client's websites. It's also super cheap as well, which helps.Here are some of the features of the CleanTalk Security service:<ul><li>Brute Force Protection</li><li>User Actions Log (Audit)</li><li>Blocking access to your website by countries</li><li>Security FireWall with the database of the most active IP addresses</li><li>Malware Scanner</li><li>Technical Support 24/7</li><li>Login Attempts and Password Searching Log</li><li>Blocking access to your website by IP, e-mail (Black &amp; White Lists)</li><li>Email Notifications when admin is logged</li><li>Security Traffic Control</li></ul>CleanTalk Anti-Spam is another of their products and it is exceptional at blocking spam attacks and works wonderfully in conjunction with Akismet if you use this as well.Here are some of the features of the CleanTalk Anti-Spam service:<ul><li>100% protection against spam bots</li><li>No Captcha, no questions, no puzzles, etc.</li><li>Regular updates</li><li>Detailed statistics</li></ul><h4><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wordfence.com/">WordFence</a></h4>WordFence is another popular option. They offer both free and premium options with similar features to CleanTalk. Here's a breakdown of what you get in the free version:<ul><li>Web Application Firewall</li><li>Block Brute Force Attacks</li><li>Advanced Manual Blocking</li><li>Malware Scanner</li></ul>The premium version, approximately $99 yearly offers the following:<ul><li>Real-Time Threat Defense Feed</li><li>Country Blocking</li><li>Check if Site IP is Generating Spam</li><li>Check if Site is Spamvertized</li><li>Cell Phone Sign In</li><li>Advanced Comment Spam Filter</li><li>Web Application Firewall</li><li>Block Brute Force Attacks</li><li>Advanced Manual Blocking</li><li>Malware Scanner</li></ul><h2>Thanks for reading!</h2>I hope you find this article useful. If you do, please share it on social media to help us spread the word.

Your WordPress Login - A Guide on Finding It, Customizing it and Keeping it Protected

When it comes to building a website, it can be confusing trying to distinguish between all of the possible solutions and technologies that are laid out before us. As such, I wanted to write this article to help clear up the mistakes made by others who've written about this topic. I'll be reaching out and referencing a number of sources within this article in the hopes that it helps you, the reader, gain a better understanding of how Static Site Generators vs Flat File CMS.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/static_site_generator_or_flat_file_cms.jpg" alt="Static Site Generators vs Flat File CMS" />
<h2>Static Site Generators</h2>
<h3>How does a static website work?</h3>
Static websites do not generate content on the fly. This means that when a users visits the page, the content that is displayed is pulled directly from a file and does not require compilation or generation prior to showing up in the browser.
A great analogy that I read over on <a href="https://davidwalsh.name/introduction-static-site-generators" target="_blank">David Walsh's blog</a> is to consider a static website like a newspaper. Once it's printed, you simply open it and read it exactly as intended with no need to wait. The newspaper is already on your step, waiting to be read whenever you choose to pick it up.
This is essentially how a static site generator works. The content is usually stored in a flat file format as opposed to a database and uses templates to generate the structure of the page. This means you receive a pure HTML file when visiting the page as opposed to waiting for the database to generate it on the fly.
<h3>So what does a Static Site Generator do?</h3>
Static site generators expand on static websites to make them more appealing to developers and offer several benefits. In a nutshell, most static site generators offer the following features:
<h4>Templates</h4>
Most static site generators offer an easy means of templating a website by allowing it to be built more easily using layouts and templating engines. <a href="http://jekyllrb.com/" target="_blank">Jekyll</a>, for instance, uses the <a href="https://shopify.github.io/liquid/">Liquid</a> templating language to process templates.
<h4>Markdown Languange or reStructuredText (or alternatives)</h4>
Instead of having to write your content in HTML, most static site generators offer the ability to write it using <a href="https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/" target="_blank">Markdown</a> or <a href="http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html" target="_blank">reStructuredText</a>. Markdown is incredibly popular and tends to be used by the majority of the top <a href="https://www.staticgen.com/" target="_blank">static site generators</a> due to how easy it is to compose content with and has increasingly grown in popularity over the years.
The obvious advantage to Markdown is explained best in this excerpt from Daring Fireball (linked above):
<blockquote>
Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML).
</blockquote>
This basically means you are not changing from the plain text format but rather adding basic formatting which is translated quickly into HTML.
<h4>Other Functions</h4>
Static site generators also perform a host of other functions such as integrating meta data into content and often incorporating minification functionality and other capabilities.
<h3>How do you use a Static Site Generator?</h3>
Most static site generators that I am aware of use a command line user interface. There is always a possibility to add on a Headless CMS to the fray should you wish to use a more traditional style admin interface that you might be accustomed to if you are moving from WordPress or another similar CMS. The important thing to remember here is that a Static Site Generator is NOT a CMS. It offers you a command line interface to edit files and push them to your site.
There are plenty of ways to get started with a Static Site Generator. <a href="https://pages.github.com/" target="_blank">Github Pages</a>; for example; offers a relatively straight forward means to get a website up and running with Jekyll, one of the most popular Static Site Generators.
<h2>Flat File CMS</h2>
<h3>How does a Flat File CMS work?</h3>
<a href="/flat-file-cms/" target="_blank">Flat-File CMS</a>‘ do not require a database but rather, they save their data to a set of text files which are, in turn, organized into folders. You simply create Markdown files in the content folder and those files become your pages. (Note: not all flat file CMS use Markdown, some use other languages but Markdown is the most common).
<h3>So what does a Flat-File CMS do?</h3>
A Flat-File CMS provides you with an administrative interface that allows you to manage your data in a manner similar to what you'd come to expect from products like WordPress or other popular database driven CMS.
For example, here's a quick look at <a href="https://getgrav.org/" target="_blank">Grav's</a> interface, which is a flat file CMS:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/001-dashboard.png" alt="Static Site Generators vs Flat File CMS" />
You'll notice that the interfaces are quite similar to what you'd expect. The difference, however, is that these CMS do not require any connection to a database but rather just a set of folders on a host or on your local machine.
<h4>Admin Dashboards</h4>
Most Flat-File CMS provide a dashboard or administrative interface with which users can manage their websites. This means there is typically a configuration section which provides an interface to modify configuration files, amongst other things.
<h4>Writing and Editing Content</h4>
Another common function of a Flat-File CMS is to provide an interface for users to write and edit content within the CMS. Typically, a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor is provided to work in either Markdown or similar structured content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/capture1143x0-is.png" alt="Static Site Generators vs Flat File CMS" />
To summarize, I think it's safe to say that they provide a means by which you can work with your flat file structure and content if you prefer not to edit files directly yourself using a text / code editor (whether that makes them better alternatives to editing directly is entirely based upon personal preference).
<h2>How do you use a Flat-File CMS?</h2>
You download them from the website and unzip and upload them to your web host just like you would a standard self hosted CMS (unless of course you are using a cloud based flat file CMS, in which case you would simply sign up on their website).
Here is a <a href="/flat-file-cms/">list of some popular Flat-File CMS</a>.

Static Site Generators vs Flat File CMS - Is there a Difference?

<a href="https://www.duda.co/">Duda</a> is a comprehensive digital platform for agencies that promises to do more than just help them build professional-looking websites.
Unlike blogging platforms, content management systems, and other cloud-based site builders, <a href="/duda-website-builder">Duda</a> focuses on technology that encompasses brand-building, client management, and team collaboration for businesses and digital agencies.
To help determine if the platform is right for you, here’s a closer look at some of the key features of <a href="/duda-website-builder">Duda</a>:
<h2>1. Custom Branding for Back-End Tools</h2>
When building a website for your client, Duda can help you incorporate custom branding elements to your back end’s admin interface.
Doing so is also essential if you want to package and resell the Duda platform as your own system. It can also help foster brand loyalty — assuming that you provide clients with a satisfactory user experience.
In some cases, white labeling gives web design agencies the option to insert visual elements that assist inexperienced users through notes and contact details.
Some of the elements you can modify include the logo, text colors, buttons, and background images.
You can also use HTML and CSS for more advanced customizations.
To access Duda’s custom branding features, simply navigate to the “White Label” tab and select “Custom Branding.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-review-2_jytxmx.png" alt="duda review - 2" />
Here, you can use the visual editor to customize different areas of the website builder’s interface, such as the login screen, main dashboard, and website preview.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-3_ibznue.png" alt="duda review - 3" />
<h2>2. Client Communications</h2>
As a website design agency, it’s your duty to educate and inform clients with regards to project benchmarks and division of labor. If it’s your goal to enable clients to manage their own website once it launches, Duda’s powerful collaboration, communication and role governance tools can make it happen.
You can start by configuring the default sender and signature for client emails in the “Communications” section under the “White Label” tab.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-review-4_sjcaj5.png" alt="duda review - 4" />
Take note that these settings apply to the “welcome” email that informs clients that their site is up and running. This email also prompts them that the website is now ready for their content submissions.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-5_dby6ki.png" alt="duda review - 5" />
In addition to the welcome email, you can also schedule a “Statistics Digest” that automatically sends performance reports to clients. You can also <a href="https://www.duda.co/developers/rest-api/pull-analytics">manually pull site statistics</a> with the Duda API found using the link: https://api.duda.co/api/analytics/site/(site_name). 
<h2><a name="_8mnxv3qo3vob"></a> 3. Smart Asset Collection</h2>
Appropriating existing assets from clients can be a tedious task. But with Duda, the process can be expedited with a “Content Collection Form,” which makes it effortless for clients to submit images, files, and important business details.
To view the link to your form, launch the Duda Site Editor, select “Content” from the left menu, and then click “Collect from client.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-review-6_pebdjz.png" alt="duda review - 6" />
You can then preview your Content Collection Form by copying the URL and pasting it into your browser.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-7_r5bg5a.png" alt="duda review - 7" />
If, however, you’re trying to import assets from another website, you can use the “Import Content” to automatically scrape them into your database. All you need to do is enter the website or Facebook page URL and click “Import.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-8_lltdzr.png" alt="duda review - 8" />
With these asset collection features, you can significantly reduce the build time of websites, allowing you to take on more work, grow your business, and maximize your revenue.
<h2>4. Website Admin Roles and Permissions</h2>
When it comes to account permissions for clients and team members, Duda lets you manage both in one place.
It may seem like they’re two different sections, but the “Team Permissions” and “Client Management” tabs will direct you to the “Users &amp; Permissions” page. Here, you can view specific access privileges granted to all user groups.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-review-9_vtvnat.png" alt="duda review - 9" />
Some of the permissions include creating pages, publishing blog posts, managing other team members, editing the website’s HTML/CSS, and purchasing images. If you want to create a new user group with a unique set of permissions, click “Add Custom Group” and then select all the access privileges you want to apply.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-review-10_aouwj8.png" alt="duda review - 10" />
<h2>5. Resell Your Branded Duda Portal</h2>
For web design agencies, Duda is more than capable to help you build a resellable website platform.
Using white label customization, permissions management, and the Duda API, you can empower other customers to use Duda’s features with the experience you’ve tailored for them.
The traditional approach is via a DIY onboarding flow. This requires your Duda API key, password, and workable knowledge with REST API.
For the first two requirements, you can obtain them by going to the “White Label” tab and clicking “API Access.” You then have to issue a request to obtain access to the Duda API, which is normally processed within 72 hours.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-review-11_yjsqqq.png" alt="duda review - 11" />
<h2>6. Integrated Widget Builder</h2>
To help clients and team members build faster through your Duda portal, you can take advantage of the powerful Widget Builder to design custom interactive experiences for site users. You can build a FAQ accordion, interactive calendars, a sidebar Facebook Messenger integration, and more.
The Duda widget builder offers a drag-and-drop interface that can help you manage your widget codes as well as directly modify the output and input elements.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-12_okxs0r.png" alt="duda review - 12" />
Of course, experience with JavaScript, CSS, and some HTML is important if you want custom widgets to run properly and safely in the Duda platform.
But because all widgets are built within Duda, you know that they won’t break your site or cause any conflicts with each other, like plugins and apps are known to do on other platforms. And once you’ve got a set of widgets that you like for one client, it’s easy to duplicate and customize them for subsequent projects.
You can refer to <a href="https://www.duda.co/developers/widget-builder/getting-started">this documentation</a> for more information on how to start with the Duda Widget Builder.
<h2>7. Modular Site “Sections”</h2>
Finally, Duda provides modular content sections that serve as the building blocks of your website.
These dynamic sections can be added anywhere on your website and can contain anything from testimonials, text blocks, logos, and various other content types that make sense for the current page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-12_okxs0r.png" alt="duda review -13" />
Duda also allows you to easily create new sections using the page builder, which lets you mix together elements like text, images, columns, and more.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-14_z938t7.png" alt="duda review - 14" />
You can also compile a “Team Sections” library, where you can assign them to various team members, be it a designer or widget developer. These sections can then be easily added to different web pages, allowing you to save a great deal of time with new builds.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/duda-review-15_yswqez.png" alt="duda review - 15" />
Lastly, sections can be duplicated if you need to tailor multiple versions for different website projects. You don’t have to start over from scratch if you want variations with the same template.
<h2>Verdict</h2>
Overall, Duda proves to be a platform that’s worth any web design agency’s time and money.
Not only is it jam-packed with tools that agencies can use to skyrocket their growth, but it even has branding and automation features to it that other platforms do not have.
The best part is, Duda comes with a free trial version that you can use to get a first-hand look at all the features outlined above. It may not be for everyone, but since anyone can take it out for a spin at zero cost, it’s definitely a platform worth looking into.

Duda Review: A Powerful Platform for Web Design Agencies

Is screen tearing while using Nvidia drivers in Linux driving you nuts? Do you have an Optimus laptop? I believe we may have a solution for you!
I experienced this issue for quite some time before finally finding a fix. This would happen in Ubuntu Mate, Ubuntu and similar distributions where Prime was used as a method to switch between Nvidia and Intel drivers.
Typically on the Intel side of things, everything was fine but as soon as I switched to using my Nvidia driver, all hell would break loose. That was, until I found this solution buried in the Ubuntu forums.
In terminal –
<pre>sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/zz-nvidia-modeset.conf</pre>
<div class="bbcode_container">
<div>Now, you're going to add a line such as the one below, replacing 384 with whichever driver version you are using, Add this line, adjust 375 if using newer driver, ex. 381 or 384 ect.</div>
<pre>options nvidia_375_drm modeset=1</pre>
</div>
Updated for Ubuntu 18.04: I took me a while to find this but if you are using Ubuntu 18.04 or any of it's derivatives and finding the above does not work, it's because prime synchronization does not require the driver number. The proper command should be:
<pre>options nvidia_drm modeset=1</pre>
Save and exit nano
<div class="bbcode_container">
<div class="bbcode_description">Now type:</div>
<pre>sudo update-initramfs -u</pre>
</div>
Reboot and keep your fingers crossed. If all goes well, things should be fixed.
Update for Solus users:
<div>
<div>
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr">Go to /usr/lib/modprobe.d and make a file called zz-nvidia-modeset.conf. You then put the following code within it:</div>
</div>
<div>
<pre>options nvidia_drm modeset=1</pre>
</div>
<div>
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr">then run </div>
<pre>clr-boot-manager update</pre>
</div>
</div>
Let me know if this works for you or if you have another workaround that has been successful.

Stop Screen Tearing with Optimus Laptops using Nvidia Drivers in Linux (Including Ubuntu 18.04 and Solus)

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