Articles - Page 64

Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions

matt-garrepy

Now in our second year, we're reminded how lucky we are here at CMS Critic to be able to work with such great people and such an awesome community.
In the first year of our awards, we were fortunate enough to be sponsored by SiteGround, and this year, we've got a new sponsor joining us to help with the Critics Choice CMS Awards, <a href="http://craftersoftware.com/lp/g2013?s=cmscritic">Crafter Software</a>!
<img style="max-width:400px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/crafter-software-notm400x0.jpg" alt="crafter software" />
Their main product, Crafter Studio is a content authoring, management and publishing application that allows marketers and content editors to create rich web experiences. Some of the features of this platform include:
<ul>
<li>Dashboards for tracking content tasks and workflow</li>
<li>WYSIWYG authoring</li>
<li>In context preview for the web and all mobile devices</li>
<li>Workflow</li>
<li>Integrated Web Analytics</li>
<li>Multi-channel publishing</li>
<li>Hooks for language translations services</li>
<li>Site blueprints to rapidly create new mini- and micro-sites from pre-defined templates</li>
</ul>
Here's a video showcasing some of the highlights in their product:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mSJ_7rvqMic?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Interested in learning more? <a href="http://craftersoftware.com/lp/g2013?s=cmscritic">Visit them </a>&amp; be sure to get your nominations in for the Critics Choice <a href="/cms-critic-awards/">CMS Awards</a>.

Welcome to our Sponsor for the Critics Choice CMS Awards: Crafter Software

mike-johnston

Penzu is a private, 100% customizable online journal that is used by millions of people across the world. In this Penzu Review we're going to take you through the various features and functionality of the product to provide you with an overall idea of the strengths and weakness of the offering.<h2>Penzu Pricing</h2>There are three tiers of pricing for Penzu – each offering a different set of features but for the majority of people, the free offering is going to be more than enough. Here's a breakdown of the current pricing from their website.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-pricing-table_kpyp6y.png" />Penzu Pricing TableIn the grand scheme of things, if you do decide you want the full selection of features, $50 / year is pretty darn cheap so it's definitely NOT out of reach for the average person which is nice.<h2>Penzu Features</h2>Each pricing tier offers a different selection of features and while I feel that for the average user, the free option is quite extensive in it's feature set.. the Pro and Pro+ both have quite an impressive set of features as well.Here's a screenshot of the feature breakdown in each tier:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-feature-chart_rrnfsn.png" />Penzu Feature Chart<h2>Getting Started with Penzu</h2>Getting started is easy, just click the Get Started button and fill in the information required and an account will be instantly created for you.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-getting-started_zaysi3.png" />Penzu – Getting StartedOnce you've filled in the info above, you'll be taken to a wizard that has been designed to help you begin your writing experience with Penzu.The first item the wizard prompts you for is your first entry, which suggests that you write about why you are starting a journal in the first place. You can skip this if you choose using the Skip this Step link underneath the entry box.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-getting-started-wizard_zwz4mr.png" />Penzu Getting Started WizardOnce you've filled in your first entry (or clicked Skip) you'll be taken to the next screen where you can customize the font (or other options if you've purchased Pro or Pro+).<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-customizing-your-entries_q6foix.png" />Penzu Customizing your EntriesNext up, you are asked if you want to change the Journal cover color and if you wish to password protect your journal.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/customizing-your-journal_tibpe7.png" />Customizing your JournalFinally, once you've finished all of your customizations (which are pretty basic in the free version) the wizard will complete and you'll be taken to the main screen of your journal.<h2>Your Penzu Journal</h2>This will be the main screen where you write all of your entries and manage your journal.There are limited options here but that's OK because Penzu was not designed to waste your time with themes, plugins and such that other tools like WordPress offer. It was designed first and foremost as a writing tool to help you gather and share your thoughts.<h2>Settings</h2>You can access basic settings (such as the few that you saw in the wizard) by clicking on the gear icon on the left.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-settings_kzu2yx.png" />Penzu Settings<h2>Using the Penzu Editor</h2>The editor is very nice and easy to use with a few interesting options. You can click on the paintbrush icon to open up a background selection tool which allows you to choose a background (if so desired).<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-background-selection_cwe8i5.png" />Penzu Background SelectionYou can also choose pad styles which will change how your journal entries themselves look. For example:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-pad-styles_z98c7l.png" />Penzu Pad Styles<h2>Journal Prompts</h2>You may notice within the editor there are a number of icons you can choose from. The light bulb icon within the editor inserts a <a target="_blank" href="https://penzu.com/journal-prompts">Journal Prompt</a> which is described in the help section as:<blockquote>a simple statement designed to inspire you or offer you an idea of what to write about.</blockquote>This is an example of what a prompt looks like:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-journal-prompts_bczpw6.png" />Penzu Journal PromptsYou can switch prompts by clicking on the refresh icon (two arrows in a circle) or, if you are a Pro user, you can click Select and browse the prompts to find some inspiration. For Pro users, there are over 1,000 hand picked prompts to choose from – which is a pretty impressive amount!<h2>Penzu Time Capsule</h2>The next icon you'll see is an hour glass and activates a feature called Time Capsule. This cool feature allows you to email an entry to your future self and is a pretty neat option to have if, for instance, you set goals for yourself in your journal and want to send yourself a note 3 months down the road to see if you achieved them (for example).<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-time-capsule_xvdwto.png" />Penzu Time CapsuleThere are lots of things this can be used for. You can use Penzu as a way to set reminders and notify yourself on a certain day to do something or perhaps you want to send yourself motivational content down the road. Either way, it's an interesting and handy feature.<h2>Other Editor Icons</h2>The remaining icons allow you to tag your content (pro users only), upload images, format text, view entry versions or activate Zen Mode (distraction free writing – for pro users only).<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-editor-icons_dwgqnq.png" />Penzu Editor Icons<h2>Support / Help Options</h2>There are plenty of support options available which can be located by clicking on your name in the top right of the screen. Their FAQs are quite extension as is their help section and given the simplicity of the tool, there shouldn't be much support needed to use it. It is, however, nice to know it's there.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-support-help-options_u7zpvh.png" />Penzu Support &amp; Help Options<h2>Conclusion</h2>Penzu is an impressive and interesting journaling platform. I found myself drawn to the simplicity of the tool and how it removes the user from the sometimes overwhelming feature overload found in some modern tools. I like the pricing of the tool and think it's more than reasonable for the features offered and the integrated features such as Time Shift, Journal Prompts and more really add to the uniqueness of the platform.I'm giving it a 5/5 on the basis that it not only serves it's purpose as an excellent journaling platform but also because it goes one step further with thoughtful features and options that you might not even realize you need.You can learn more about Penzu or sign up for an account here: <a target="_blank" href="https://penzu.com/">Penzu Website</a>If you found this review helpful, check out our other reviews such as this: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/ghost-pro-review/">Ghost Pro review.</a>

Penzu Review

Fostering a successful online discussion forum is no easy feat.
There’s a whole host of things that need to work just right both on and off your website in order for a community to form and thrive. It’s far from a simple process.
So, choosing the right forum platform to host your community is pretty damn important. The last thing you need is shoddy software piling on more issues.
<a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/" target="_blank"> Ninja Post</a> has been in business since 2009, and now supports a range of online forums bringing in thousands of visitors a month.
Built to integrate with existing websites, Ninja Post is a mobile-friendly forum software hosted completely in the cloud. It boasts a focus on real-time updates, helping members feel like they are participating in a live, thriving community.
Before I begin looking under the hood, here’s a Ninja Post introductory video to get you started:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hNc7cUgEuhE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Initial Thoughts</h2>
For those of you who don’t already know, I like to start my reviews off from the place every customer and client will begin their journey. The vendor website.
Ninja Post’s site is clean, simple and tells you everything you need to know about the product.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/np700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Core software features are nicely laid out and explained, whilst the pricing page is easy to understand.
There’s also a regularly updated blog, which many software vendors undervalue as a sign of good health.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
I wasn’t browsing for very long before the live-chat window popped up on the side of my screen. Somebody was asking if I needed any help looking around. It was none other than Mike Wilt – founder of Ninja Post.
Although he knew somebody was going to be reviewing his software, I never announced when I’d be browsing through his site. In other words, Ninja Post’s founder is still very much in touch with the grassroots of his business – the new website visitor.
Impressed, I began asking Mike Wilt about his involvement with Ninja Post, and he gave me a thorough breakdown of the software’s history, mentioning how he still, “Loves bringing communities to life”.
<h2>Feature Overview</h2>
After a helpful chat with Mike Wilt, I continued digging around Ninja Post’s features found both on the website, and within the admin panel – which I will assess in due time.
I soon realised just how much Ninja Post offers out of the box. It looks a little something like this:
<ul>
<li>Custom &amp; responsive design to suit existing websites</li>
<li>Real-time updates</li>
<li>Photo galleries</li>
<li>Rich media support</li>
<li>User profiles, rewards, reputation and rankings (Gamification)</li>
<li>Free updates and backups</li>
<li>Monetization through banner ads and member subscriptions</li>
<li>Single Sign On (Forum can be bridged to existing user databases)</li>
<li>Newsletter management</li>
<li>Analytics</li>
<li>Privatization option</li>
<li>WordPress Plugin to display recent content</li>
</ul>
And that’s not even all of it. There’s more to be seen on <a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/features/" target="_blank"> Ninja Post’s features page</a>. Needless to say, I was once again impressed by what I was seeing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Perhaps the most interesting dimension of Ninja Post is its real-time updating feature.
Not only are new threads automatically updated like a newsfeed, but subtle alerts within threads let you know when other members are typing replies. This is probably best illustrated with a video, so here's Ninja Post's real-time updating feature in action:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJ0oTDQMAGc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This inclusion of live feed updates and typing notifications makes Ninja Post feel organic and alive.
I can definitely see how they can help nurture a growing online community. It’s a forum and chat room hybrid, taking the best of both worlds and rolling them into one solution. I think that’s pretty damn cool.
<h2>The Front End</h2>
Okay, so the website, friendly founder and extensive features list had got me excited. But I know all too well that the phrase, “Never judge a book by its cover”, applies heavily to the world of software.
It was time to have a look around some live Ninja Post examples, to see exactly how things fit together – if at all.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3_700x0.png" />
Thankfully, I found Ninja Post’s interface to be quite charming.
The live-feed forum is neatly laid out, adjacent to a bold, “Compose Thread” button, which sits on top of a sidebar menu. 
 Within the menu can be found image and video galleries, groups, subscribed threads, a search option and a list of existing tags. These tags can be added to threads by their authors, helping other members find relevant conversations quickly and easily using the sidebar. Having the tags so visible and accessible will undoubtedly help the flow of engagement across the forum. 
 Inside a thread, things are kept simple once again.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-4_700x0.png" /> The familiar forum thread layout is employed, with avatars and user information on the left, and post content on the right.  
 Options within threads allow you to up-vote comments (which adds to the authors reputation), quote posts, @ members and even send private messages without leaving the thread in question. Members can also choose to subscribe to threads, and receive email updates. It all works very well, too. 
 Admins and moderators also have the added ability to delete and edit posts on the spot.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> 
 The interface is clean and quick, but not particularly dazzling, which is no big deal in my book, as I'd take functionality over glitter any day of the week, and NinjaPost gives you just that. 
 So, overall, I’m happy to report that things do indeed fit together, and quite nicely at that.
<h2>The Admin Panel</h2>
After a self-guided tour of the front end, it was time to get my hands on Ninja Post’s admin panel, the home of every Ninja Post forum owner.
Housed within the forum itself, admins will never feel too far away from the community. All you have to do is click “Admin Panel”, which is located via the drop-down menu within the top navigation bar.  
Then, the main forum section will be replaced by the admin panel, keeping the left-hand sidebar menu in place. The admin panel itself is made up of eight pages.
<h4>Forum Info</h4>
The main page of the admin panel, is Forum Info.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-7700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> It's a fairly simple page, displaying some basic information and contact details. In fact, it's a little too basic, and I'd suggest Ninja Post integrate this page, and the following page – Overview &amp; Stats – into one. 
<h4>Overview &amp; Stats</h4>
As the page name suggests, this is where all the analytical data and statistics are kept, all of which are nicely laid out.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6_700x0.png" /> This page gives you an outlook of how your forum has been doing over the last fifteen minutes, so far today, and the last twenty-four hours, which I think could be really helpful for those with large, active communities.  
 Furthermore, daily site visits are shown, along with new post frequencies, devices used by visitors, new member information, external links to Google Analytics, and so forth.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-8-1.png" />
<h4>Review Accounts</h4>
This page allows you to search for users, view their profiles, find contact information, location, and so on. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-9-1.png" /> The Review Accounts page is also where you can edit such information, remove posts and ban users. It's simple enough to understand, so it shouldn't be difficult for anybody to use.
<h4>Moderation Queue</h4>
Here is where deleted threads and posts go for evaluation. Admins can assess incidents, see which moderator took which actions, and read/add/edit notes and moderator comments. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-10.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> Threads and posts which have been deleted can also be restored via this section.
<h4>Manage Groups</h4>
As the name implies, here is where groups can be created, edited and deleted. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-11-1.png" /> Admins can see a list of all groups, along with which members are a part of which groups. 
<h4>Tagger</h4>
The Tagger page lets admins add, remove and edit tags added to threads. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-12.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> Like the Forum Info page, I think this page could be replaced by allowing admins and moderators to add, remove and edit tags within each thread when they enter upon it. 
<h4>Trending Content &amp; Analytics</h4>
This page displayed which threads are being visited, by how many visitors and for how long. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-13-1.png" />
 Other useful metrics like bounce rate and average visit duration exist, alongside organic search terms used by visitors to access the forum. A handy tool to have in any admin dashboard.
<h4>Design</h4>
Finally, we come to the design page. I was excited to see how far the forum could be tweaked, but I was dissapointed to find only a handful of colour options. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-14.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> Headers, buttons, links and so forth can all be customized as far as colour goes, but that's about it. Personally, I think Ninja Post is crying out for some more design customization features. 
<h2>Notable Extras</h2>
Ninja Post offers more than a simple forum script. There are some some notable exras that come out of the box, 
<h4>Gamification</h4>
If you know what gamification is, you’ll know how much it can help keep a community bubbling over. Thankfully, Ninja Post can accomodate.
Gamification means implementing game mechanics in a non-gaming environment.
In an online community, that means giving your community members a virtual (and sometimes material) incentive to interact more.
Ninja Post gives each member a user profile, along with a reputation system. Other users can up-vote comments, contributing to the commenters reputation which is displayed under their avatar.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-15-1.png" />
Furthermore, badges have recently been introduced, giving members another incentive to post and interact more.  
 Badges act as rewards for reaching certain reputation benchmarks and can also be given out by administrators, whilst other sets can be freely handed out by other members. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/forum_badges.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
<h4>Membership &amp; Monetization</h4>
With Ninja Post, you can restrict your forum to be seen only by (paying) members.
This places a simple landing page on your homepage, prompting visitors to either sign up, or sign in.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-16700x0.png" alt="http://whitepebble.ninjapost.net/" />
This is a handy feature, especially if you’re looking to make use of Ninja Post’s option to introduce member subscription fees.
Or, you may just be looking to create a forum for a controlled number of people within a corporate or social setting. Either way, Ninja Post has you covered.
<h4>Groups</h4>
Groups can be set up for users to join.
This allows a private forum to exist, away from the public one located on the main page. Group members can post and mingle privately together, discussing their own agendas.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-17.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Groups can only be set up by admins, and members need to be added manually.
This would work well in most cases, although it would have been nice to see a list of groups appear publically, allowing members to request permission to join.
<h4>Photo &amp; Video Galleries</h4>
Ninja Post also supports image and video galleries.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-18700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Photos can be presented above the main forum, or they can be given a separate page, accessible via the left-hand sidebar.
Images and videos can be added by members, who only need to provide a valid YouTube link or upload images from their computers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-19.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
<h2>Getting Help</h2>
As mentioned earlier, Ninja Post founder Mike Wilt and his team seem focused on delivering a personal touch when it comes to helping new customers and clients.
They help hone design, integrate the software with existing websites and databases, and so forth. On top of this, there is a small FAQ section along with a live-chat feature, phone number and email address to help get problems seen to.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-20700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Contacting support for help is great, but not if it’s your only option. Having some dedicated support pages can really help clear up confusion for new and learning customers faster.
The FAQ section needs expanding, and some documentation and/or video tutorials could also be used to help new admins get to grips with their forum software.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
Ninja Post offers three price plans, starting from $99 per month.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-21700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
For what you get, the pricing is justified. As previously mentioned, you get cloud hosting, a ton of features out of the box, plus a helping hand to get your community buzzing.
However, I do think that having your lowest plan start from $99 per month cuts out a large chunk of aspiring forum owners. Startups would find it difficult to cough up that kind of cash every month.
Having said that, Ninja Post’s competitors Vanilla Forums have very similar pricing plans, also starting from $99.
But I’ll stick to my guns. Both platforms – although fairly priced for what they offer – could do with a stripped down plan to bridge the gap for those looking to invest less to begin with.
For now though, Ninja Post is reserved for those with some fairly decent cash flow.
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
NinjaPost is a clean, simple and efficient forum software. 
 The hands on approach taken by the Ninja Post team will without doubt help when it comes to technicalities and design, leaving forum owners to focus on actually building a community.  
 There truly is a wide, wide range of features ready to roll straight away, and they all seem to work seamlessly. Real-time updates, thread subscriptions, reputation sharing and the neat tagging system all come together to create an atmosphere of organic activity.  
 Sure, I've picked out a few areas which need adding to, as you will see below, but all in all, I'm very happy with the functionality, speed and user friendliness of Ninja Post. 
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>Ninja Post offers an extremely user-friendly forum software for both administrators and end users.</li>
<li>Real-time updates to the forum feed and threads makes the forum feel alive.</li>
<li>Looks neat and tidy on all devices.</li>
<li>Cloud-hosting, Single Sign On, automatic backups and automatic updates makes things a little easier for forum owners when it comes to the technical stuff.</li>
<li>Ninja Post founder Mike Wilt and his team seem to take a hands-on approach to helping users set up their online communities, which means help is never too far away.</li>
<li>Private groups can be set up to keep certain conversations for a select few members.</li>
<li>Threads can be tagged by users, moderators and admins to maximise visibility. These tags are then displayed neatly via the sidebar menu.</li>
<li>Photo &amp; video galleries are nice additions, with the former coming with the option to display images above the forum itself.</li>
<li>Built-in gamification features work well.</li>
<li>Images, videos and GIFs can all be embedded into threads and replies.</li>
<li>Fair amount of analytics and stats to be found within the admin panel.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>Small things like a slight lack of emoticons, no polling features and a missing “Who’s Online” section means that there is room for Ninja Post to improve. </li>
<li>A dedicated help/documentation/FAQ section would be handy.</li>
<li>Ninja Post focuses on presenting one live-feed type stream of threads, which is great. But the added ability to bring in forum sections and sub-forums would be useful too.</li>
<li>Although the default look of Ninja Post is clean, simple and mildly customizable, I think some further design options are needed.</li>
<li>Ninja Post’s prices are fair when you consider what’s being offered. However, a lighter, cheaper plan would be extremely welcome for smaller communities.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Final Remarks</h2>
I like Ninja Post. It has a humble charm about it.
There’s nothing too fancy about it generally speaking, and the forum layout itself isn’t going to blow anyone's mind, but it works – and it works well.
The real-time posting feature – made up by the live-feed updates and member typing alerts – is refreshing, and yet it remains only one of a huge list of features and tools to help forum owners succeed. From gamification to analytics, and pretty much everything in between.
The fact that I could only muster up cons regarding what could be added to Ninja Post tells its own story. Sure it can be improved, but it’s also pretty damn good as it is.
All in all, Ninja Post has impressed me, and if I was building an online community, I would definitely add it to my list of forum platforms to consider.
But don’t just take my word for it. <a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/" target="_blank"> Ninja Post offers a 15-day free trial </a> , so check it out for yourself.

Ninja Post Review

How do you figure out whether a CMS is good or bad? More to the point, how do you know whether the CMS you're using at this selfsame moment is hurting your business or harming it? Selecting the right CMS is a really, really big decision. It's no overstatement to say that your CMS choice can either propel your business to success or drive it to the ground in abysmal failure. Rather than scare you with doomsday tails of people who made bad decisions, I want you to provide a measuring stick by which you can determine whether your CMS is tall enough for your needs.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/shutterstock_88875994600x0.jpg" />
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-88875994/stock-photo-final-exam-marked-with-isolated-on-white.html"> Exam picture </a> by Shutterstock
Here are five questions that you can ask yourself right now to figure out if your CMS is good enough.
<h2>1. How does the user interface make you feel?</h2>
Okay, this is a subjective question, but CMS choices aren't always cut-and-dried. When it comes to the UI, it's an intuitive thing. You can get a sense pretty quickly — I'm talking seconds, not days — if the interface is helping you out or slowing you down. Here are a few sample questions you can ask.
<ul>
<li>Do you have trouble figuring out how to complete a simple operation?</li>
<li>Is there something that should be easy to do, but you have to click 14 times and open 5 menus just to get to it?</li>
<li>Do you avoid certain CMS tasks because they take too long, or “it's just a hassle.”</li>
</ul>
Are you getting a sense of things? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then your CMS may have a user interface problem. I've asked this question first, because without a clear and clean user interface, you're going to have a really rough time with your CMS going forward. Simplicity, clarity, and functionality are important here.
<h2>2. Does the CMS have a healthy and responsive support network?</h2>
One day, you're going to face a problem you can't fix on your own, unless you're the Chuck Norris of CMSes. In this case, you need help. There are some CMSes out there (I've used them) where zero help exists. Whether the CMS developer was running a solo operation from his parent's basement, had retired, or had passed away, I know not. All I know is that a CMS without a help network is like a hot air balloon without a gondola.
Check to make sure that the CMS of your choice has the following. One or more will suffice. You don't need all four.
<ul>
<li>You can pick up the phone and talk to a live human being.</li>
<li>You can hop on a forum and get an answer within 24 hours.</li>
<li>You can email a problem ticket, and receive a response within 48 hours.</li>
<li>You can attend a class to gain additional information.</li>
</ul>
Don't simply rely on a fat documentation PDF to help you through your struggles. You'll need more.
<h2>3.  Is the hosting customizable and/or rock-solid?</h2>
One of the biggest oversights in selecting a CMS is the hosting issue. Often, users and testers tend to gaze at the CMS itself without remembering that everything needs to be hosted somewhere, somehow. To complicate issues, when you test a CMS, you're often doing so in a web-based environment, meaning that hosting is going to look a lot different once you've paid up and get all situated with the shiny new CMS in its hosting environment.
Many businesses use Windows VPS hosting. If this is your choice, make sure the CMS supports it. Otherwise, ensure that the CMS offers a hosting solution that guarantees uptime, can maintain traffic surges, and gives you control and flexibility as needed, such as <a href="https://www.inmotionhosting.com/">InMotion Hosting</a> or <a href="https://www.servint.net/">Servint.net</a>.
<h2>4. Does the CMS have active developers?</h2>
When I look at a CMS, I try to notice something really simple — the version number. When a CMS has a name like “Sitesuper v. 6.1.5, ” I consider that a good thing, based on the string of numbers alone. Why?
<ul>
<li>It's been around for a while, and will probably be around for a little while longer.</li>
<li>It's changing, most likely for the better.</li>
<li>It has people who are actively developing it.</li>
</ul>
That last point is clutch. If a CMS is left to survive on its own merits apart from the constant work of team of developers, it will die within a matter of months. The turbulent and ever-changing nature of the web demands that a CMS be constantly changing in order to adapt.
Let me get specific here about what kind of developmental changes should be present and/or available in your CMS:
<ul>
<li>Responsive design adaptations. If they don't already have one, most businesses will need a responsive or mobile site within the next 12 months.</li>
<li>Social capability. This is a must-have.</li>
</ul>
A team of developers is the lifeblood of a CMS.
<h2>5. Does the CMS offer extensive customizations?</h2>
Finally, you're going to need a CMS that meets your needs. In other words, you want your CMS to give you options — design options, user options, plugin options, color options, video upload options, analytics options, ecommerce options, etc., etc. Some CMSs attempt to place every user within a box, usually a very small box, that dictates how the site looks, feels, and works. This may work for some people, but if you want a scalable and robust online presence for years to come, look for something that offers a bounty of options.
If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, it may be time for you to go shopping for a new CMS. By way of disclaimer, the fewer CMS needs you have, the less important these qualifications are. If, for example, you're a photographer who's happy with a nice-looking site, you probably won't need a big enterprise CMS. For most businesses who depend on publishing, ecommerce, web traffic, or web solutions, each one of these points above is imperative for long-term success.
So, what about those qualifications of your CMS that didn't quite measure up? The good news is that here on CMS Critic, the Internet's best source of CMS critiques, you're in the right place.

Is Your CMS Good Enough?

daniel-threlfall

elcomCMS 8.2 was released on June 12th, 2013 and with it come a number of enhancements, specifically in the areas of collaboration and social. Let's run through what you can expect from this latest release.
<h2>Meeting Manager</h2>
A new meeting manager module has been added to elcomCMS. This tool allows users to scheduled meetings, upload agendas, create meeting packs, invite participants and more. If you are an attendee, its gives you a portal to view calendars, meeting info and documentation in preparation for upcoming meetings. What's especially cool, however, is that is also lets the person running the meeting record minutes against agenda items in real time and keep track of the time taken. We can see this capability being useful for boards, project teams and for a myriad of others uses.
<h2>Single Social Sign-on</h2>
Also in place with this new release is the introduction of Social Sign-on to the CMS, allowing users to authenticated via OAuth with elcomCMS. Supported networks include: Facebook, Windows Live, Twitter and Google.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/oauth.jpg" />
Other capabilities introduced include the ability to track the number of page ‘shares’ and ‘likes’ individual members have made; and the ability to push and promote events managed through the elcomCMS into Facebook Events.
<h2>Responsive Images</h2>
elcomCMS now creates several sizes of the images you upload to best present them for the varying screen sizes in use nowadays. These new responsive images help ensure better quality and the serving of the appropriately sized image to the devices visiting your site.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/responsive_images.jpg" />
This prevents “squashing” of images (or scaling) and delivers a better visual experience to the end user.
<h2>Dropbox, SkyDrive &amp; Google Drive Connector</h2>
With so much data being stored in the cloud nowadays, it's nice to see that elcomCMS has added connectors for the most popular cloud storage services; Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive &amp; Box. You can now list, navigate and search your cloud storage from a dedicated page inside the CMS.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dropboxintegration1.jpg" />
<h2>Additional Features</h2>
In addition to the features highlighted above, you will also find Responsive Image management, PayPal Connector, SCORM management, built-in Image editing and geo-location template switching. within the new CMS.
To read more about elcomCMS 8.2, review screenshots or to arrange a 1-on-1 demo, <a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/Latest-Release-8-2">http://www.elcomcms.com/Latest-Release-8-2</a>

A Look at the New Features in elcomCMS 8.2

On December 29th, 2000, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.drupal.org/">Drupal</a> was born into the world of web content management.Today, over fifteen years later, not only is it one of the biggest players in the industry, but it's also still growing.Drupal powers millions of websites, some of which are high profile. For example, Weather.com, NBC, Tesla and many other big brands all make use of the capable platform.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/drupal_logo-blue-1_400x0.png" /> With the passing of this massive milestone, <a target="_blank" href="http://buytaert.net/">Dries Buytaert</a>, the Founder of Drupal, recently <a target="_blank" href="http://buytaert.net/drupal-15-years-old-and-still-gaining-momentum">published a blog post on his personal website</a> reminiscing over his open source project's history.<h2>Little Drupal, All Grown Up</h2>The blog post revolves around the context of Drupal's conception, as well as the platform's successes, failures and future plans.<blockquote>“Drupal is now 15 years old. In internet terms, that is an eternity.In 2001, only 7 percent of the world's population had internet access. The mobile internet had not entered the picture, less than 50% of the people in the United States had a mobile phone, and AT&amp;T had just introduced text messaging.People searched the web with Lycos, Infoseek, AltaVista and Hot Bot. Google — launched in 1998 as a Stanford University research project — was still a small, private company just beginning its rise to prominence. “</blockquote>Dries Buytaert even touches on some of the changes in his own life over the last fifteen years, aligning his own journey with that of Drupal's.<blockquote>“I've undergone a lot of personal reinvention over the past 15 years too. In the early days, I spent all my time writing code and building <a target="_blank" href="http://drupal.org/">Drupal.org</a>. I quickly learned that a successful open source project requires much more than writing code.”</blockquote>He even turns his attention to the current political and social factors impacting on the web today.<blockquote>“Today we risk losing much of the privacy, serendipity and freedom of the web we know. As the web evolves from a luxury to a basic human right, it's important that we treat it that way.To increase our impact, we have to continue to make Drupal easier to use.”</blockquote>I personally love to see this typically hidden dimension of large CMS vendors.The humble beginnings, the initial years of growth, and the human effort behind it all. It can be fascinating.We often forget that the biggest content management systems that we all know and love today were once just a simple code commit. And before that, a mere idea inside the mind of a future software mogul.<h2>Years of Global Recognition</h2>Drupal can be positively proud of its strong history.It's a platform with a thriving community that's also recognized across the world as a leading open source CMS. Here on CMS Critic, we've contributed to that recognition with CMS Awards <a href="/drupal-wins-2009-open-source-php-cms-award/">from 2009</a> right up <a href="/2014-best-enterprise-php-cms/">until 2015</a>.Such awards have been for; Best Enterprise PHP CMS (2015), Best Free CMS (2013), and Best Open Source PHP CMS (2009)In any case, I think we can all agree that as Drupal 8 will surely leave its mark on 2016, the rest of Drupal's teen years (and beyond) are well worth keeping tabs on.Congratulations to Fifteen years, Drupal! Here's to many, many more.To find out more about Drupal, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.drupal.org/">check out their website</a>. Or, explore more of <a href="/products/drupal">Drupal through our CMS Directory</a>.

Fifteen Years of Drupal

Shopify - The global commerce platform

Build your business with Shopify to sell online, offline, and everywhere in between.

The global commerce platform

#ffffff

If you want your shiny new CRM to actually work for your business, then you have to get your employees onboard.
But sales teams traditionally enjoy dealing with actual humans – not technology. So, what if they’re not interested?
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/apple-606761_1280550x0-is.jpg" />
The truth is that motivating employees to embrace your new CRM can be a tricky endeavour for many businesses, but it can be done.
The key is to show them that the new software will make their working day easier and not harder. Once your team can see the benefits of the new system, they’ll be happy to embrace it.
So how do you make your employees fall in love with your CRM?
<h2>1. Involve The Whole Team From Day One</h2>
If your employees feel like they’ve been involved in the decision making process, they’ll be far more willing to accept this new development.
It’s essential to gain their input right from the beginning, to ensure that your choose the best CRM option for your business. After all, they’re the people who will be using it everyday.
<h2>2. What’s In It For Them?</h2>
You need to portray the new CRM system as the solution to their problems, and not a problem in itself.
You can do this by arranging demo’s and Q&amp;A’s to run through the benefits of the software. Once your team can see how the CRM system will help them to streamline their working day, they’ll be much more receptive to the idea.
<h2>3.Provide Sufficient Training</h2>
Depending on how complex your new CRM system is, you may need to dedicate a few training sessions to ensure your staff are up to scratch.
It’s important that you commit to proper training or your team will get frustrated and lose interest pretty quickly.
<h2>4. Consider A Trial Period</h2>
Even if you’re convinced that you’ve chosen the right CRM system, your staff may not agree.
If possible, consider trying it out on a trial basis to ensure that they’re comfortable using it.
<h2>5. Don’t Bombard Them With Features</h2>
Give your team some time to get to grips with the basic features of the CRM first, otherwise you risk scaring them off completely.
This phased implementation approach will allow them to gradually get on board with the new system and also identify any issues that crop up in advance.
<h2>6. Celebrate Successes</h2>
If your initial users share their experiences and success metrics with the rest of the team, this will show them that the CRM does actually work – rather than simply telling them that it does.
Additionally, when certain milestones are passed, be sure that the whole team knows about it.
<h2>7. Incentivize Employees To Use The CRM</h2>
Everyone loves an incentive, and your sales team definitely will. Whether it’s a free vacation day, a cash bonus, or a mystery prize – providing an incentive will definitely get your team motivated to start using your CRM properly.
Some CRM systems also use gamification to boost sales performance and morale.
<h2>8. Spring Clean Your Data</h2>
Your employees definitely aren’t going to want to use your new CRM if it’s jampacked with incorrect and duplicate data; it’s no fun trawling through 5 listings for one customer, and they won’t do it twice.
Simply assign someone to keep your data up-to-date and this won’t be an issue.
<h2>9. Integrate Your Systems</h2>
Your employees probably already use a number of applications on a daily basis, and by integrating these with your CRM you can avoid creating extra work for your team.
This can really be a massive time-saver and your employees will thank you for it.
<h2>10. Stick To Your Guns</h2>
Whilst it’s important to listen to input from your team, it’s also important not to pander to one or two individuals refuse to adapt to the new CRM.
As soon as you give one person special treatment, the rest will follow suit and no-one will be using it.
I once had a manager who refused to acknowledge any sales unless they were logged in the CRM, so reps had no choice other than to use it. Something like that may seem a bit sneaky, but it worked for him.
By adopting a company-wide ‘no exception’ rule, you can ensure that everyone gets on board and gives the CRM system a chance.
<h2>Give And Take</h2>
Once you work with your employees, rather than against them, you should have no problem winning them over. Remember, they just want to get their work done in the most efficient way possible – so it’s your job to prove that your new CRM will help them with that.
Have you recently implemented a new CRM in your business? Why not use the comments section below to let us know what worked for you.

10 Ways To Make Your Sales Team Love Your CRM

grainne-logue

Starting out your career in any creative field is quite challenging. Whether you are looking to get hired or to try your luck freelancing, you will need a solid portfolio. I won’t get into detail on what that should include or how you will find the first projects to display, but I will guide you on your <a href="http://dashboard.webydo.com/landingpages/starta.aspx?campaign=CMSCritic">website design</a> step by step using <a href="http://dashboard.webydo.com/landingpages/starta.aspx?campaign=CMSCritic">Webydo</a>. Furthermore we won’t write a single line of code to achieve that!
Hope you are eager to get started!
<h2>First Steps</h2>
Setting up an account at Webydo is a very easy and fast process. And after you finish you will be prompted to select how you’d like to begin:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-1918x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
For the purposes of this tutorial we’ll select “Layout”. That will give us 4 layout templates to begin our project with.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-2918x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Go ahead and select the portfolio layout. This will load for us the editor we’ll be working on, with the standard portfolio structure ready.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-3918x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
<h2>Customizing your Portfolio</h2>
Let’s begin customizing our portfolio website by visiting “Site presets”.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-4918x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Through here we can select some site wide options for our portfolio.
Let’s leave the site size and alignment as is. We’ll go select a favicon, by clicking the small image icon, next to “Favicon Image”.
Next we can select a background for our page. Click on the pull down menu next to color, and select “Solid Color”, also click on the color swatch and set it to #e9e9e9.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-5918x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
To set a background you can click on the small image icon, next to the text image, and select the image you will use for the background. I selected a small pattern image with diagonal lines, which we can repeat to fill out the whole background.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-6.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Here we can also set the generic color styles. I changed my main color to #333333 by clicking on the swatch next to it, and the secondary to #222222. You can create 4 additional color styles if you like.
After you finish, click “ok” to close these settings. We can come back to them if necessary at any time of the process, by visiting the “site presets” menu option.
<h2>Adding your content</h2>
Let’s now place our logo. Click on the logo rectangle, and then the interface will change to give you a property bar on top of your page. From there we can set the image dimensions, and add our image.
Click “Change” and that will prompt you to select the image file.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo_tutorial-7_jpg902x0.png" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Here we can also specify a title and alt attribute to our image, as well as if it links to a page of our website or not.
Let’s now set the menu. Click on any menu item. This will give some new options both in the top and right panel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-81250x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
From the top panel you can choose options that affect the whole menu, and from the right panel affect each menu item individually.
I will leave the menu alone for now. And we get back to it after we finish with our homepage.
Double Click on the Text “Insert your slogan”.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-9.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Here we can modify the text and add our slogan. Notice how the top panel adjusted to give us options that relate to the selected object. So always keep that in mind as you explore the editor’s interface.
Try to find a catchy slogan to use here. You can easily adjust font, size and colors from the top panel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-10.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
When you finish you can click outside and the changes will take effect. You can move any element on the page with the mouse or the arrow keys. Now let’s add our portfolio projects!
To do that, we simply double click at an image placeholder. Then select the image. Notice that the placeholders are 300x150px so you might think to crop your thumbnails at this size. Don’t!
If you use a larger image, you can change its dimensions from the top panel after it is placed to fit or match the container size. Clicking any of these thumbnails after the site is launched will open the full image in lightbox mode.
In order to edit the captions and the text below your thumbnails you simply double click them. And to delete elements you don’t need simply hit the delete key. The choices for editing these texts are similar with those on the slogan we set not long ago.
You can preview your website at any time by clicking “Preview” on the black top menu. Then click “Design” to get back to editing your website.
After all the thumbnail slots have been filled, If you need to add more projects to the home page you can create some space by moving the footer.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-11.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Simply move your mouse to the blue line, till your pointer turns to a bi-directional arrow, and then click and drag to create more space.
To add more thumbnails Shift+Click the 3 last projects, right click on them and select copy and then paste. Or simply alt-drag them in the spot you’d like to copy them.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-12.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
After the new row is created you can double click the images, and add more of your projects.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-13.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
<h2>Adding more pages</h2>
Now we have finished with the home page, let’s see how we can create the rest of the 3 pages!
Click on any menu item and then from the top panel choose “Manage”. (You can access the same menu by clicking on “Pages” on the top menu.)
Then double click on “About Us”.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-14.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
That will generate for us the template for the about us page. By now you should feel comfortable enough, to fill on your own.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-151250x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
You can generate and fill the Gallery page the same way. Or create your own pages. Perhaps you want each project in the home page to have its own page displaying more images and details. You can add those pages from this menu. But for our tutorial purposes, let’s also generate the “Contact Us” page to see a fine detail you need to pay attention as far as the form is concerned.
Click on the “Pages” menu, and then double click “Contact Us” to generate the page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-161250x0.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Select the whole contact form, as in screenshot and from the right panel set your email. Otherwise the form data won’t reach you! If you want to add an additional email simply click on the add email button.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-17.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
<h2>Tweak your SEO</h2>
Before we publish our website, it’s a good idea to visit the “Pages” menu once more and add some SEO details and descriptions to our pages.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-18.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-19.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
Fill in the details for each page and the click “Ok” to save your changes.
<h2>Publish your website</h2>
Simply hit publish and you are done! Your site is now live. You can upgrade your plan or edit your site name and other important settings (like adding Google analytics code, web master tools verification etc.) through your dashboard.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webydo-tutoral-20.jpg" alt="webydo tutorial" />
You can access your dashboard at any time through the main menu on top, while you are on the design view.
I hope you enjoyed and found this tutorial useful! If you have any questions feel free to comment below!
<a href="http://dashboard.webydo.com/landingpages/starta.aspx?campaign=CMSCritic">Head on over to Webydo</a> to get started building your Portfolio (or Business, Personal) website today.

How to: Build your portfolio website fast with Webydo

More and more photographers are using the web as a showcase for their work and, as a result, there have been numerous products released to make this easier. Today, we're going to announce which of these products you selected as the winner of the 2015 Award for Best CMS for Photographers. This year, the competition was between Format, <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> and Zenfolio but, of course, only one product can be crowned winner.
It's with great pleasure that I announce the winner of the 2015 Best CMS for Photographers award is…
<a href="http://format.com/" target="_blank">Format</a>!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-cms-for-photographers300x0-is.png" />
Congratulations to the team at Format for all of their hard work. It's clear you've made an excellent product that's garnered the attention of our readers. Format has an amazing interface that integrates everything you need for your website from blogging to portfolios to any layout you could want. Check it out today, they have a 14 day free trial (no CC required) that you can use to see if it's the right fit for you.
Check them out at <a href="http://format.com/" target="_blank">Format.com</a>

Announcing the 2015 Winner of Best CMS for Photographers

The 2015 CMS Awards were the most broad yet, with new categories being added into the mix to reflect the dynamic world of web content management. The award, “Best CMS for Marketers” was one such addition.
Following the nominations stage, it was a closely fought battle between three big players; <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/" target="_blank">Sitecore</a>, <a href="http://www.kentico.com/" target="_blank">Kentico</a> and <a href="http://www.sitefinity.com/product/overview" target="_blank">Sitefinity</a>. All worthy candidates of course, but the people could choose only one winner.
I'm pleased to announce that the Best CMS for Marketers 2015 is…
<a href="http://www.sitefinity.com/product/overview" target="_blank">Sitefinity</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-cms-for-marketers326x0-is.png" />
A big congratulations goes out to the Sitefinity team!
After <a href="https://www.progress.com/" target="_blank">Progress</a>‘ acquisition of <a href="http://www.sitefinity.com/product/overview" target="_blank">Telerik Sitefinity</a> on the cusp of 2015, changes were expected, and they were indeed made. <a href="/progress-unites-telerik-sitefinity-cms-telerik-sitefinity-digital-experience-cloud/" target="_blank">The unification of Sitefinity CMS and Sitefinity Digital Experience Cloud</a> for example, was one such change for the enterprise-grade platform.
2015 also saw CMS Critic host a <a href="/featured-weeks-start-tomorrow/" target="_blank">featured week</a> for Sitefinity, where I personally <a href="/search/?q=sitefinity+featured&amp;sort=-date" target="_blank">got to grips with the product and its core features</a>.
Be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.sitefinity.com/product/overview" target="_blank">Sitefinity website for more information about them</a>.

Announcing the 2015 Winner of Best CMS For Marketers

<a href="https://mobirise.com/" target="_blank">Mobirise</a>, the offline website builder for Windows and Mac, has unveiled a new update.
<a href="https://mobirise.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1tawul94_409x0-is365x0-is.png" /></a>
My <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">Mobirise review</a> was published not too long ago, and I remember clearly how impressed I was with the Netherlands-based platform.
<blockquote>“If a website building novice asks me to point them in the direction of a totally free website builder, Mobirise will now be high on my list of recommendations. I'm that impressed.” – <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">Read the full review</a>.</blockquote>
This latest update, Mobirise 2.8, brings about a fair amount of changes. Let's take a closer look.
<h2>A New Theme &amp; More Extensions</h2>
One of my concerns about Mobirise during my review was the lack of extensions on offer. With this update, three new extensions come in; Facebook Comments, Icons and Soundcloud. Plus, an existing extension has been improved. Not too shabby.
Furthermore, a new theme, <a href="https://mobirise.com/extensions/puritym/?utm_source=mob_28_email_mc_gc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=mob_28_iconext" target="_blank">PurityM</a>, has been introduced, which will help to shake things up in terms of design.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-12864x0-is.png" />
Although Mobirise originally had plenty of building blocks to work with, they were only suited to one theme. PurityM is a welcome addition to that default Mobirise look.
Here's a full summary of Mobirise 2.8:
<ul>
<li>New <a href="http://apycom.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=94df596a350418d6a86a17f95&amp;id=c5f45d86be&amp;e=f4068ae7db" target="_blank">“PurityM” theme</a> – experimental, Bootstrap 4 based theme</li>
<li>New <a href="http://apycom.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=94df596a350418d6a86a17f95&amp;id=da37b5516d&amp;e=f4068ae7db" target="_blank">Icons extension</a> – add colorful icons to buttons, menu or instead of images.</li>
<li>Updated <a href="http://apycom.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=94df596a350418d6a86a17f95&amp;id=a4171040ae&amp;e=f4068ae7db" target="_blank">Code Editor extension</a>.</li>
<li>New “Facebook Comments” extension.</li>
<li>Images can now be given a link, title, alt text.</li>
<li>Added “Use menu logo as favicon” option</li>
<li>New “Soundcloud” extension</li>
<li>Various bug fixes</li>
</ul>
Overall, this looks like a solid update from an improving website builder.
To find out more about Mobirise, <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">check out my review</a>, and <a href="https://mobirise.com/" target="_blank">their website</a>.

Mobirise 2.8 Lands With New Themes & Extensions

When it comes to photo editing, there are plenty of great software options out there from online photo editing software to downloadable options. In this post, we're going to break down all of these choices for you in one ultimate list of the best photo editing software available today (in no particular order).
<h2>CorelDraw</h2>
CorelDraw produces some of the best photo editing software out there. Not only has CorelDraw been around for a very long time but they also produce exceptional software that stands the test of time.
<div class="section-intro col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1">
Find all the professional vector illustration, layout, photo editing and design tools you need to work faster, smarter, and in more places with this superior graphic design software.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-photo-editing-software-coreldraw_l39dfq.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - coreldraw" />
</div>
Video:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zjVWcw_lJw8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="/coreldraw" target="_blank">Learn more about CorelDraw</a>
<h2>Fotor</h2>
What I call “Photoshop Online”, Fotor is a super powerful online graphics editor that is definitely some of the best photo editing software out there. I love the interface, how easy it is to use and the fact that it's entirely in the cloud. This also makes it super useful for those of us that function solely on Chromebooks (I use a Chromebook Pixel exclusively).
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fotor_hugi36.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - fotor" />
Video: 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PyJ4OvTdtLM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.fotor.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Fotor</a>
<h2>Adobe Lightroom</h2>
Believe it or not, Adobe Lightroom is, to me, like an easier version of Photoshop for photo editing. Where Photoshop is excellent for the professional that likes complete control over things.. the interface can be a bit overwhelming. With Adobe Lightroom, things are more simplified and it feels more intuitive.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4272-what-is-lightroom_step-3_bjc7a6.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - adobe lightroom" />
<a href="https://lightroom.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Lightroom</a>
<h2>Aurora HDR</h2>
Aurora HDR 2019 contains every imaginable tool needed to produce high-quality “next-generation” dramatic images. It has been developed in conjunction with one of the world's most reknowned HDR phtoographers to offer the best features available. It also includes Aurora HDR Looks and a library of video training developed by professional photographers that will appeal to every photographer.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11_fsrl8c.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - aurora hdr" />
Video: 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P85_xN5ne84?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://skylum.com/aurorahdr" target="_blank">Learn more about Aurora HDR</a>
<h2>Picktorial</h2>
Picktorial deserves a place in any list of the best photo editing software. It's a great product for Mac that offers a huge array of capabilities such as seamless raw conversion, integrated digital asset management and more. From quick enhancements to detailed retouching work, you will find the tools you need together with organizing and exporting functions. All in an inspiring, intuitive interface.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-photo-editing-software-picktorial-for-mac_xlgrw8.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - picktorial for mac" />
Video:
https://youtu.be/Jq3QKTCKKj4
<a href="https://www.picktorial.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Picktorial</a>
<h2>Xara Photo and Graphic Designer</h2>
Photo &amp; Graphic Designer includes a revolutionary integrated, ultra-fast, non-destructive photo editing tool. It offers both automatic real-time photo enhance and manual controls (brightness, contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, temperature and a new cross process option) plus real-time scaling and rotation even on very high res images. Other features include flexible cropping, red eye removal, advanced shadow &amp; highlights and brightness levels controls, perspective correction.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mustang_ygkaey.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - xara" />
Combine this with features such as vector masking, layer blending, feathering – all in the non-destructive, memory efficient way – and you have something that no other photo tool can provide.
Video:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kzNtYHM-mB4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.xara.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Xara Photo and Graphic Designer</a>
There you have it, our list of the best photo editing software. These products were carefully selected from the available options because they provide the best set of features for photographers and photo editors alike. While products like Photoshop still are the most popular tools out there, that doesn't mean it's the best option and that there aren't other good products. We hope you find the product you are looking for in our list.

The Best Photo Editing Software that's not Photoshop

Blogging has become very popular lately. And there are many reasons for that. Firstly, people start to realize that sharing their personal experience can actually help them earn money. And secondly, a blog is a very effective way to attract more visitors to a website. The more original content is published on a website, the higher search engine rankings this website is more likely to get. 
So, if the main reasons for starting a blog are clear, the only question that remains is how. This question is especially important if you have no idea about coding and web programming, let alone web design. 
MotoCMS Stands for Simplicity
MotoCMS can be your #1 CMS choice for starting a blog if you belong to newcomers to the blogging world. Starting a blog with MotoCMS is maximally simplified. Beginners will definitely appreciate little question marks one can find next to all the structural elements on a blog. You click on these question marks and get a clear explanation on a particular element and how to work with it.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/10.jpg" />
Moreover, MotoCMS does its best to ensure that everyone gets the smooth experience when trying their products for the first time. Via chatting, calling the Help Center, or addressing the “Quick help” option (which, by the way, includes short video tutorials about the page you are currently viewing!) you can get as much support as needed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/16.jpg" />
Creating a New Post
If you want to start a blog with MotoCMS, you first visit the <a href="https://www.motocms.com/website-templates/" target="_blank">MotoCMS website builder</a> site that offers quite a number of different website templates. By the way, MotoCMS gives you a chance to try the template you find attractive for free within 14 days. This way you can work on your future online project having no worries about its cost. Although the prices for MotoCMS templates are already quite reasonable, the free trial definitely facilitates the whole pre-purchase process.
Having chosen the template you like, you can get the immediate access to the admin panel of this template. The first thing you will see on the admin panel is the MotoCMS dashboard. Right there, at the dashboard, you can find the Edit Blog button that redirects you to the Blog section. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1.jpg" />
This is where you find the Posts tab, a yellow Add button, and a pop-up window. Right here you mention your post name and its URL for the first time. Of course, you can change these elements later if there is need to do so. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2.jpg" />
Once you are done with a name for your post and its URL, MotoCMS offers you to start working on your content. The main principle here would be to drag elements from the left panel. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4a.jpg" />
This left panel includes two tabs. The first one is Blocks. This is where you find content blocks of different kinds: headers, galleries, general content, partners &amp; clients, testimonials, contacts, footers. In short, completely everything you need for your blog post. So what you do now is simply play around (meaning you drag and drop) with these content blocks till you get the layout you need. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/5.jpg" />
The latter tab is Widgets. Here you find widgets that can add dynamics to your storytelling, for example, a contact form widget, social buttons, video and audio players, and many other useful widgets. One of the most powerful widgets that MotoCMS offers is MailChimp. This tool is perfect for generating new leads and facilitates sending emails to your subscribers. MailChimp can definitely boost your communication with the target audience. Extremely important for any blogger, right?
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/6a.jpg" />
Specifying the Main Page and the Post Templates
Now that you know almost everything about the Posts tab, it is time to move on to explore the Templates section. Here you can easily shape your Main Page. The hidden panel on the right will help you to work on the settings of your main page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/8.jpg" />
It is right there that you can provide more details about your page settings, mentioning the post name &amp; its URL. You may also choose the publishing mode for your posts, i.e. public or password-protected one. SEO-settings are right here at your disposal too. Do not forget to mention your page title, specify your indexation preferences, and provide the page description and the keywords.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/9.jpg" />
Right below the SEO-settings, you can see the Code Injection tab. It is one of the most fascinating features that you can find in the MotoCMS settings. The Code Injection is a unique tool that helps you add any widget to your blog in 2 clicks. What you need is to find a widget you like. Then you simply copy the embed code for the widget into the Header or Footer text field and click “Save”. Two clicks and the widget is active on your blog! Amazing, right? 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11.jpg" />
Also, when you click on a post on your main page, you are automatically redirected to the Post List tab. Here you work with settings and design for your posts list. For example, you can choose how many posts you want to see on your main page, change spacing, and decide whether you need a “Read more” or just “More” button. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/12.jpg" />
The Design tab allows you to play around with a number of options, like date style, button size etc.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/13.jpg" />
Another special area of your MotoCMS blog is located in the Templates tab – Post section. It is a template of the layout and design that will be applied for all of your posts. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/14.jpg" />
And finally, the Settings tab. This is probably the most basic settings tab you have ever seen, with only 2 options to choose from. These options are to enable comments and to choose the date format. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/15.jpg" />
So, MotoCMS has high chances to get popular among bloggers. It is approachable, fun to deal with, and definitely worth a try. Most buttons are right there where you expect them to be. Most buttons function the way they are supposed to. Start a blog with <a href="https://www.motocms.com/" target="_blank">MotoCMS</a> now and enjoy the blogging world!

How to Start Your Personal Blog with MotoCMS

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