Articles - Page 78

The Top 10 AI Tools for Small Business: From Automation to a Coordinated Team of AI Agents

matt-garrepy

<a href="/strikingly-websitebuilder">Strikingly</a>, the website builder that specializes in responsive one-pagers, has introduced a number of noteworthy updates.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/strikingly-1.png" /> Chosen as one of the few website builders to be covered by Website Builders Critic, <a href="/strikingly-websitebuilder">Strikingly</a> has grown into a very effective website builder, taking charge of the need for one-pager business and portfolio websites.
Here's what's new with Strinkingly.
<h2>Perspective, MailChimp &amp; RSS</h2>
Firstly, there's a new template for Strikingly users to personalize. Perspective is a masonry-style theme, perfect for those with high quality images to show off.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/unnamed.gif" />
Strikingly Pro users now get MailChimp support. The update means that users can collect emails from their Strikingly website, which links directly with a configurable MailChimp email list.
Furthermore, Strikingly have added an RSS feed for all Strikingly blogs, allowing readers to subscribe far more easily.
To find out more about Strikingly, <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/out/strikingly" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
You can also check out our <a href="https://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/search/?q=strikingly" target="_blank">Strikingly video tutorials on Website Builders Critic</a>.

Strikingly Introduces New Template, Mailchimp & RSS Support

mike-johnston

Open source is the future
In 2016, any person who is well-informed about tech space will no longer engage in open source vs. proprietary arguments. While he or she can still take the side of proprietary software the trend is clearly seen: open source becomes mainstream, such IT giants as Google, Facebook, Apple use open source infrastructure; companies trust their content management to open source systems; at the same time its quality outpaces the one of proprietary code.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/opensourcelogo.png" />As of 2016 the following companies are investing deeply in open source: IBM, Cisco, VMware, Intel, Huawei, NEC, HPE, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Red Hat, Citrix, Oracle, EMC, AT&amp;T, Google, Facebook, China Unicom, China Mobile and Telefonica. (Source networkworld.com) 
Open source software advantages are numerous: the product is being constantly improved by thousands of developers all across the world, a business owner can clearly see “what’s in the trunk” and adapt the product to his or her eCommerce store needs anytime.
Nevertheless, for those who consider eCommerce systems to be just a tool for selling their goods or services, open source products can be still suspicious. Read on to see how we dispel doubts about open source by examining concerns related to it.
Open source doesn't mean free
Open source does not always mean free. There are paid open source solutions and so-called “freemium” products. “Freemium” models are used as a bait: they act as gateways to paid versions.
Some platforms come for free but have growing hidden fees like payment percentage, paid bandwidth, and cancellation fees. Moreover, the chosen plans tend to grow when the number of orders or revenue of your web-store increases, so expect something unexpected in your bills at the end of the month.
But be sure: nopCommerce is both free and open source. The only fee we accept is for removing “powered by nopCommerce” notice from the footer. And even this is a pure aesthetical decision not affecting the performance of the webstore in case of either presence or absence.
What should I look at in open source platforms
The head of CMS Critic, Mike Johnston, wrote a great article <a href="/how-to-select-the-best-open-source-cms/">“How to select best open source CMS</a>”, highlighting five points:
<ul>
<li>Stability: Is the CMS stable? Will it last for the long-term?</li>
<li>Support: Can I get the help I need?</li>
<li>Cost: What’s it going to cost me?</li>
<li>Flexibility: Can I move it, change it, or tweak it?</li>
<li>Security: Will my sensitive material be safe?</li>
</ul>
We think that the same points are equally fair for open source eCommerce platforms, so we will examine how nopCommerce fulfills these requirements.
Stability
nopCommerce is around since 2008 and is not going to leave the eCommerce scene. At the moment the system powers more than 27.000 sites all over the world and aims for more exposure. nopCommerce is being steadily developed and has a new version released every half a year. The system is developed in ASP.NET stack and closely follows Microsoft trends. Yet the nopCommerce team is well-aware that new technologies must be compatible with all old components, as well as secure and mature. That’s why nopCommerce is using latest technologies only when they become well-tested, connected and reliable, always keeping end users in mind.
Support
nopCommerce has two means of support, paid premium support in two languages, and free support from the product team and community on the forum. The premium support can be purchased separately and is also included in a Gold Solution partnership. As for the free support on the forums, it is also quite active with 1,700 new forum posts and 400 new topics per month.
nopCommerce also runs its own developer certification program, so there is a warranty of hiring a qualified person even for small projects. The nopCommerce team hosts an annual conference called nopCommerce Days since 2015 gathering partners and store owners from all over the world in order to exchange new ideas and support each other. The platform is far more than stable, it is rapidly developing and conquering new grounds.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EDji0uDBcQY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Security
We believe that an eCommerce platform must be secure both from external attacks as well as guarantee internal confidentiality, i.e. it must not store or collect shop-owners’ data.
Concerning the first point, nopCommerce immediately reacts with a free security patch for the community in case of any threat. Concerning the second one , nopCommerce, being a hosted solution, technically does not have access to platform’s merchants’ sensitive data like revenue and personal information.
Flexibility 
nopCommerce is a very flexible out of the box solution. It suits small businesses, yet store owners can have an access to the whole functionality close to enterprise shopping cart for free. That means they can manage the advanced catalog with no limits on a number of products and their attributes, apply different inventory methods, use a great variety of promotional tools like cross-marketing and tier prices, adjust local tax settings and much more. To switch between the advanced functionality and a simplified mode, it only requires to flick the “basic” and “advanced” switch. So no matter whether you are just a beginner in eCommerce or already managing a million-a-day visitors store, you can adapt all nopCommerce features according to your store needs.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZN5uZAW8K48?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
We also see no limits for custom work that can be done in nopCommerce. Just check out our <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/showcaseliveshops.aspx?utm_source=how-to-stop-worrying&amp;utm_medium=showcase-link&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic">showcase</a> to find the deeply-customized corporate sites and sophisticated governmental portals, or watch the videos from nopCommerce Days 2016, where our solution partners present complex cases they solved with nopCommerce.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bXIK4tN4vJ0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
nopCommerce supports a lot of country-specific features out of the box, like RTL-support or local EU taxation or specific country requirements like PanGv. If some extras seem to be missing in nopCommerce, they can always be found in our <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/marketplace.aspx?utm_source=how-to-stop-worrying&amp;utm_medium=marketplace-link-1&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic">marketplace</a> with more than 1400 plugins and themes being supplemented daily.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PwsmWVaCgI0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Price
Okay, let us give you a full picture. nopCommerce is free itself, but the price of running a store is also comprised of platform implementation prices and the price of plugins and themes you want to use. Yet, if one checks <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/marketplace.aspx?utm_source=how-to-stop-worrying&amp;utm_medium=marketplace-link-2&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic" target="_blank">nopCommerce marketplace</a> and compares the prices with those of other popular eCommerce platforms, he/she would notice that nopCommerce can boast of generally lower prices on plugins and same prices for graphic themes. And we don’t even take into account enterprise carts with their far higher prices. nopCommerce paid services are also not that costly compared to competitors – premium support price, for instance, varies from $66 to $99 per month.
Conclusion
So, after this short journey into the world of open source software, we hope that it is well-seen that switching to or starting with nopCommerce is a wise choice, a well-made bet on the global open source trend. It is time for all business people to shrug off the prejudice that open source is done by “scruffy guys coding in their basements” and everything that is free is amateur-made. Running a business costs, but we can ease you from the burden of eCommerce platform fees and make you forget about what does “vendor lock-up” mean.
Explore the features of nopCommerce yourself on our <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=how-to-stop-worrying&amp;utm_medium=bottom-link&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic" target="_blank">official website</a>.

How to Stop Worrying and Start Using Open Source Software

<img style="max-width:710px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cmsswitch.jpg" alt="switching CMSs" />
Your CMS is not going to last forever. Just face it. At some point, you may need to switch your CMS. Hopefully, you've made the right CMS choice from the start and won't have to go through the dreaded task of a data migration. Nonetheless, you may be experience the vague, stomach-churning misgiving that your CMS is failing you. Here's how to know for sure.

<h2>“It won't let us do that.”</h2>
This is the mother of all CMS complaints:  “It won't let us do that.” There are a couple of reasons why “it won't let us do that,” so be sure to inspect the potential causes:
<ul>
<li>Is the developer not capable? Is it a really a CMS limitation, or is it a skills limitation on the part of the CMS operator? With a bit of coding magic, much that was thought “impossible” suddenly because realistic. When you confront this complaint, try to investigate all the possible causes. There may indeed be a way forward.</li>
<li>Is the CMS incapable? Some CMSs do have legitimate limitations. If your CMS does not allow you to do something, it could be time for an upgrade.</li>
</ul>
Still, it pays to ask a few more questions. Don't get too switcheroo-happy, because changing CMSs is a gargantuan undertaking. Here's what you should find out before deciding to switch.
<ul>
<li>Is there a way around? If you want to complete a certain action with your content or site, first find out if there are fixes. Is there a plugin or extension that will let you do that? Have you searched forums to see if anyone else has encountered (or solved) the problem? What about contacting support and just asking them if they will add this functionality?</li>
<li>Is this action really necessary to your core operation? If all you wanted to do was make a miniscule aesthetic tweak, it's probably not worth switching CMSs over. If, however, you're wanting to, say, accept payments or something — yeah, you probably want to switch to a system that makes it possible.</li>
</ul>
You don't ever want to be held back by your CMS. This is 2013. Defy limitations.
<h2>“That's going to cost us extra.”</h2>
The extra-cost barrier is usually levied by proprietary CMSs. The problem arises when you want to expand operations or capability, but keep bumping into price jumps. To be sure, some price increases are legitimate, but some may actually hold you back.
It's like this. When a restaurant waiter asks you, “Do you want bacon with that?” you automatically answer “Yes.” Of course you want bacon. Bacon goes with anything, even creme brûlée. (Bacon in creme brûlée is legit.) Then you ask, “How much is it going to cost?”
That's the scenario that some businesses experience when they want an extra bell or whistle on their CMS. Of course you want the bigger more powerful widget, but the cost of upgrading comes as a coffee-spurting shock.
Herein is the danger of a proprietary CMS. These people are in the business for the money (duh). The more you want, the more you have to pay. There is nothing wrong with a solid, reputable, and robust proprietary CMS. There's no problem with paying for it. The problem, however, comes when your budget says “can't do it,” while operations say “gotta have it”
If you are getting nickel-and-dimed for every color change, added user, uploads, new page, or whatnot, it's time to start thinking:  Do I really want to keep paying for every minor tweak?
You may need to call an IT meeting this afternoon to talk about switching your CMS. Your tech budget may be draining like a sieve due to a money-grubbing proprietary CMS.
<h2>“It hasn't really had an overhaul in a few years.”</h2>
&lt;Gulp.&gt;
“A few years” in this earthly sojourn is like “a few centuries” in CMS-speak. A CMS is a living, breathing, sweating, working, pulsating living being. (Enough organism gerunds?) A CMS must evolve with the rest of the tech world, keeping pace as new technology rolls out and transforms the entire landscape of content, data, web, search, and design.
A CMS without regular upgrades is doomed to failure. It will drown every one of its users the vortex of its demise.
You cannot survive long on a CMS that fails to adapt. In “a few years,” it's going to die. Start preparing your eulogy now. A CMS that isn't updated in a few years is a CMS that's probably never going to get updated again. You have been warned.
Time for the ol' CMS switcheroo.
<h2>“We can't switch our CMS.”</h2>
If you want to switch your CMS, but “can't,” then do it anyway. If you've read any of my <a href="/" target="_blank">CMS Critic</a> articles, you've probably discovered that I lack fondness for most proprietary CMSs. It's nothing personal. One of my biggest pet peeves about the proprietary CMS industry is the fact that they want to “trap” — yes, I've heard that very term — clients for life.
You don't want to be trapped.
If you suspect or know that your CMS is holding you hostage, get out while you can. The earlier, the better. You're only going to get bigger and more complicated from this point onward. Try to extricate yourself from the clutches when you have an opportunity to do so. It's only going to get harder the longer you wait.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
The best way to avoid nightmares, migration all-nighters, and nervous tremors not induced by caffeine intake is to get the best CMS as early as possible. The answer to “the best CMS” just depends on who you are, what you need, and how you're going to go about it. It pays to read CMS reviews. It also pays to think long and hard before making a final decision.

Four Signs It's Time to Change Your CMS

daniel-threlfall

ZorinOS is an up and coming Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that has begun to really catch on with users everywhere. With a visually attractive appearance and plenty of personalization options, it is quickly becoming the next best thing since Linux Mint hit the scene. Today, I'm going to take a look at ZorinOS 12 – Ultimate Edition from a user perspective.
Before I get into this review, let me just say that this is not intended to be a review from a system administrator point of view but rather that of a user. I've been using Linux for over 20 years but I am no sysadmin so I won't pretend to be one and I want to make that clear from the get go. If, however, you are looking to see what ZorinOS has to offer from a user perspective, read on.
Installation is identical to that of Ubuntu so I'm not going to bore you by showing a bunch of screenshots of it, rather I'll just tell you that it's identical and worked without a hitch for me. One thing I did find surprising was that during installation I selected the “Install alongside Windows 10” option which, in the past, has never worked successfully for me on this machine. I was pleasantly surprised to see that upon reboot after installation, I had the option to either boot Zorin or Windows 10. Whether that's a fluke or whether the Zorin developers managed to get it to work a bit better, I was pleased to see I can now dual boot successfully. (On a side note, if the developers have indeed improved this functionality, let me know and I'll of course update this review accordingly).
Upon first boot, I was greeted with the screen below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorinos_12_review_-_1_1323x0-is.png" />
As you can see, it's a nice, clean desktop with a single bar across the bottom. The menu, when clicked on looks like this:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorinos_12_review_-_2_1323x0-is.png" />
Zorin is powered by the Gnome Shell and as such has <a href="http://zoringroup.com/blog/2016/11/18/zorin-os-12-core-and-ultimate-are-here-our-biggest-release-ever-2/" target="_blank">similar functionality</a> with regards to window management, hot keys etc. Where it differs, however, is in the variety of customizations that have been integrated. Specifically, items such as desktop extensions to view thumbnails when hovering over minimized windows and music integration within the notifications panel, to name a few.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/familiarity.png" />
From a design aesthetics point of view, it's a beautiful desktop. Integration with one of my personal favorite icon themes, Paper, also helps give Zorin OS a modern, beautiful look.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/icons_1.png" /> 
Some Zorin OS specific apps are also included within the distribution such as Zorin Appearance which lets you customize panel arrangement, color schemes and a ton of other options allowing you to create a truly “uniquely yours” desktop experience.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/zorin_os_review_6-1_bbgnex.png" alt="zorin os 12 review" />
Here's a look at a couple of the other layouts available:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin_os_review_7.png" alt="Zorin OS 12 Review" /> 
Or perhaps you prefer a dock style, similar to Mac OS:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin_os_review_8.png" alt="Zorin OS 12 Review" /> 
What's also interesting about this release is the offering of both an Ultimate edition and a Core edition, a move that I think is a smart one. The Ultimate edition offers additional business apps, over 20 games, some additional layout options for your panels, video background wallpapers (which are very cool) AND premium support. The total cost of €19 make it a reasonable investment.
Some of the games included in the Ultimate Edition:
<ul>
<li>Airstrike</li>
<li>Armagetron Advanced</li>
<li>Brutal Chess</li>
<li>Extreme Tux Racer</li>
<li>Frets on Fire</li>
<li>Frozen-Bubble</li>
<li>Gweled</li>
<li>Minetest</li>
<li>Neverball</li>
<li>Neverputt</li>
<li>Pingus</li>
<li>Quadrapassel</li>
<li>SuperTux 2</li>
<li>SuperTuxKart and more.</li>
</ul>
All of these, during my testing, have run flawlessly and looked very good on my Alienware box that I use for testing. Of course, if you don't have the cash or don't want to support the developer without testing it first, you can always download the Core edition and try things out for free before upgrading to the Ultimate edition.
Overall in my testing, I've found the system to be very smooth and impressively functional. No major bugs have reared their ugly heads as of yet and in general, it feels like a solid release. I'd encourage anyone on the fence to give this distribution a try and see if it's something that may appeal. Being based on Ubuntu, you've got some helpful inclusions such as the driver manager and excellent hardware support. Leave a comment below with your experiences, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this release as well.
Website: <a href="https://zorinos.com/" target="_blank">https://zorinos.com/ </a>

Zorin OS 12 Review

<img style="max-width:150px" title="silverstripe" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/silverstripe_yzr0ya.png" />The first release candidate of what will become SilverStripe 2.4 is now available for testing. For a full breakdown of the new features, you can read the following blog post regarding beta 1 which highlights the new options built into 2.4: <a href="http://silverstripe.org/silverstripe-2-4-beta-release-brings-hierarchical-urls-sql-server-support-and-much-more/">http://silverstripe.org/silverstripe-2-4-beta-release-brings-hierarchical-urls-sql-server-support-and-much-more/</a>.
From the blog post:
<blockquote>Today we've moved significantly closer to a final and stable version of SilverStripe v2.4. You can now download <a href="http://www.silverstripe.org/assets/downloads/SilverStripe-v2.4.0-rc1.tar.gz">SilverStripe v2.4 Release Candidate 1</a>, which fixes bugs and incorporates feedback from the community since our Beta releases.
We'd appreciate you testing this release, and seeing whether your existing sites upgrade smoothly to this version. Version 2.4 does represent a major version update, providing a number of new features needed to run larger and more complex websites. Whether you're needing to run on SilverStripe on another database, make use of nested URLs, or keen to take advantage of improved performance or wider unit-test coverage, there's something in this release that will help everyone who uses SilverStripe.</blockquote>
You can grab a copy from:<a href="http://www.silverstripe.org"> http://www.silverstripe.org</a>

SilverStripe 2.4 release candidate 1 available

According to <a href="http://www.radicati.com/">Radicati Group</a>, a technology research center, the online world will boast 5 billion email accounts by 2017. It also predicts that email marketers will enjoy an average return of $44 for every dollar spent on (good) marketing techniques.
In other words, email marketing is here to stay.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/spider-monkey-637062_1280-1487x0-is.jpg" />
Today, there are tons of bulk-email service providers that save you time and effort when reaching out to your email subscriber list.
These services differ from each other in terms of the free email usage limits, trial periods and the number of free email campaigns. If you own a startup and your business is at its infant stage, it is important for you to choose the solution that's right for you.
Back in 2013, <a href="/top-five-email-marketing-platforms/" target="_blank">CMS Critic compiled a list of the top five email marketing platforms</a>, but we think that some of those top five spots may have shifted in the last two years or so. So, here's a guide to help you find your way in 2015 and beyond.
<h2>1. AWeber</h2>
AWeber has been around for some time now and is one of the best options if you are looking for an affordable and user-friendly service. Not exactly feature-heavy, but it has got all the important functions required for comprehensive email marketing.
For starters, AWeber features great reporting system that helps you determine what works and what doesn’t. It also features an email campaign creator that helps in educating users on how to create newsletters and signup forms.
AWeber also has some cool features like <a href="https://www.optimizely.com/split-testing/">split testing</a> for advanced users. Other features include RSS feeds, auto-responding and the ability to integrate with WordPress and WordPress Plugins.
<a href="http://www.aweber.com/">More About Aweber</a>
<h2>2. MailChimp</h2>
MailChimp is often regarded as a powerhouse service provider for email marketers. The service allows users to send billions of emails every month and offers free plans forever for up to 12,000 emails and 2000 subscribers every month.
Features like spam filtering tools and auto-responding abilities are absent in MiniChimp. However, the service excels in terms of its pricing. It’s got seven million users under its belt and is extremely easy to use. MailChimp’s mobile application can be used both on Android and iPhone platforms. It is also easy to integrate MailChimp with Google Analytics, which helps you study your campaign’s success in terms of revenue.
<a href="http://mailchimp.com/">More about MailChimp</a>
<h2>3. Emma</h2>
This service is very different from other email marketing platforms. Emma’s website is visually very appealing and there is a sense of modern design, innovation and functionality. It features 6 different editions:
<ol>
<li>
Professional Edition
</li>
<li>
Franchise Edition
</li>
<li>
Agency Edition
</li>
<li>
University Edition
</li>
<li>
Nonprofit Edition and
</li>
<li>
Customized Edition
</li>
</ol>
Along with its different editions, Emma also boosts different packages starting from 45 dollars per month. Emma features an iPhone App that lets you access and share your campaign results with your team. The software is your best pick if you have been looking for personalized customer service, stylish design and a proven satisfaction record.
<a href="http://myemma.com/">More about Emma</a>
<h2>4. iContact</h2>
Similar to AWeber, iContact features a trial package that lasts for one month. From there onwards, you can opt for monthly billing or yearly billing and choose your plan depending on your subscriber’s list.
Apart from its regular plans, iContact offers interactive strategic advices to develop your marketing ambitions. iContact’s advisors will work with you to research and determine the success level of your marketing strategy and your competitor’s activities to help you be more effective in your marketing strategy.
Thanks to its dedicated services, today iContact is one among the most invested and popular email marketing service providers. The only downside about this committed email marketing service provider is that its social media interaction tools are limited. They only work with Twitter and Facebook. If your business is one that has more to do with Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ or LinkedIn, you may have to look for alternative option.
<a href="http://go.icontact.com/banners1212-dco-affiliate/get-started-398XX-4619BT.html?ic_ecmpid=IC_US_AF?utm_source=cj&amp;respondentkey=1NM4FVZD&amp;aid=10528069&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;afid=228024&amp;currentyear=2015&amp;utm_campaign=textlink-better_together_tryforfree1&amp;pid=7402814&amp;trafficsourcequerystring=afid=228024&amp;ic_ecmpid=IC_US_AF%3Futm_source%3Dcj&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=textlink-better_together_tryforfree1&amp;AID=10528069&amp;PID=7402814&amp;timestampkey=130819811497286120">More about iContact</a>
<h2>5. MailUp</h2>
Apart from its free trial period, MailUp has introduced a unique way of pricing for its services. MailUp’s charges not only depend on the list of recipients; it also includes the speed at which your emails are sent. That means – the quicker your mails are delivered, the more expensive. For example, if you intend to send emails to 5000 recipients within three hours, the charges are $49 and if you want to do the same in one hour, the charges bump up to $76.
This kind of pricing and plan is extremely useful if you are a big, international business operator with multi-channel marketing. MailUp offers email marketing, SMS marketing and social media marketing all in one. What’s more, you can send SMS to customers in more than 200 nations worldwide.
MailUp is no newbie to email marketing; the service has been around for more than 10 years now. It started its domination in Italy and is now popular in San Francisco as well. The service provider is powered with advanced filtering options that allow you to target audiences based on different personal information like gender, age, historical location etc.
<a href="http://www.mailup.com/">More About MailUp</a> 
<h2>Email Marketing: Here to Stay</h2>
Email is a marketing medium that refuses to stop growing. Selecting the right platform for your business can be tricky, but we're confident that as we move past the half-way mark of 2015, the five options above offer the most.
Did we miss your favourite email marketing solution? Tell us about it in the comments below, or get at us via the CMS Forum.

Top 5 Email Marketing Platforms (For 2015 & Beyond)

Semrush - Be an SEO hero

Be found everywhere search happens

#ffffff

<a href="http://impresspages.org/" target="_blank">ImpressPages</a> have just announced the release of version 4.1of their platform, coming with a much anticipated <a href="http://market.impresspages.org/" target="_blank">Plugin Market</a>.
Founded in 2007, ImpressPages has grown into a popular open-source “drag-and-drop” and “in-line” editing-based CMS, powering just under 50,000 websites worldwide.
After the <a href="/impresspages-4.0-released/" target="_blank">major release of ImpressPages 4.0 back in April</a>, this update contains an important tweak in the software, enabling plugin installation from within the CMS. With ImpressPages 4.1, the whole plugin installation process have been moved from GitHub to inside the ImpressPages CMS itself.
This means that users can install plugins without leaving the CMS, making plugin installation a smooth and speedy process.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/unnamed700x0.jpg" alt="ImpressPages CMS 4.1" /> 
The complete list of active ImpressPages plugins can be found at the <a href="http://market.impresspages.org/plugins/" target="_blank">Plugin Market directory</a>.
ImpressPages also encourages developers to contribute and sell plugins within the <a href="http://market.impresspages.org/dev/" target="_blank">developers section of the ImpressPages market.</a>
In addition, be sure to also explore more of ImpressPages via our CMS Directory.

ImpressPages 4.1 Released Alongside Plugin Market

<h3>Contents</h3>
<a>Introducing Monstroid2 Update</a>
<a>New Exciting Features You Get</a>
<ol>
<li><a> It’s Simpler With Elementor</a></li>
<li><a> Power Content on the Go with 500+ Sections </a></li>
<li><a> Make the Most of 20 Skins </a></li>
<li><a> Lighter &amp; Faster </a></li>
<li><a> Powerful UX with Jet Plugins </a></li>
<li><a> Get WooCommerce and Elementor Work Together </a></li>
</ol>
<a>Conclusions </a>
<h2>Introducing Monstroid2 Update</h2>
Does something like ‘Monstroid 2’ ring a bell to you? This is one of the most famous and widely recognized WordPress themes of 2017. Many developers call the theme an all-in-one toolkit to build a website. And the sweeping number of 7260 sales up to date proves <a href="https://www.templatemonster.com/wordpress-themes/monstroid2.html?aff=cmscritics" target="_blank">Monstroid2</a> exclusivity.
So, what if we tell you that this August Monstroid2 gets its first large update? The team of <a href="https://www.templatemonster.com?aff=cmscritics" target="_blank">TemplateMonster</a> has worked on it for months to provide you the finest 2018 web design possibilities. Now, Monstroid2 is even more incredibly functional, rich and speedy. And, it’s even faster to build a website with this awesome multi-purpose template!
Don’t take our word for that right now? It’s time we show you all the greatness of the new updated Monstroid2.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img1_ym54za.png" />
<h2>New Exciting Features You Get</h2>
When we first saw Monstroid2 back in 2017, we couldn’t think of how it may be better. It already had everything and that was true. However, the fruitful year of 2018 brought around higher demands, new connection points with the audience, and, of course, new technologies. To stay on the verge of web innovation, Monstroid2 gladly brings you the hottest features with its new update.
<h3>#1: It’s Simpler With Elementor</h3>
Monstroid2 has always been a WYSIWYG-friendly template. Before the update, it had PowerBuilder editor on board. It was actually a good option until the groundbreaking Elementor took visual editing to a whole different level.
These days, Elementor builder holds the palm of supremacy among visual builders in terms of flexibility and speed it provides. Moreover, this builder is considered the most comprehensive one for WordPress. Well-thought element categories, comprehensive interface, live preview, all this makes Elementor the #1 WordPress visual builder of 2018.
With the new update, Monstroid2 goes for Elementor. It plays hard and offers you the free Elementor on board, as well as tons of pre-made customization blocks and Elementor-oriented plugins. So, now, you can create a website of any degree of visual complexity faster than ever before!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img2_b9mytd.png" />
<h3>#2: Power Content on the Go with 500+ Sections</h3>
In fact, the team behind Monstroid2 went all-in switching to Elementor. They created a huge collection of over 500 Elementor-based UI elements for different purposes. All of these UI blocks are inside your Monstroid2 admin panel and let you create exactly the interface you dream.
For example, let’s say you want to power an accordion FAQ section. With Monstroid2, you just drop by the library of pre-sets and pick you design among a bunch of highly-professional options. Then, you just have to drag the chosen preset to the right place, style with options and add content.
Moreover, if you want a neat adjustment on top of that, feel free to modify the preset further on and even save it as your own UI element.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img3_xhpg0x.png" />
<h3>#3: Make the Most of 20 Skins</h3>
If a multipurpose theme has 20 skins, that’s pretty impressive. With 20 unique hand-crafted designs Monstroid 2 offers you, you’ll find the match for your company, personal or e-commerce website.
However, life is life, and you may like certain pages or blocks of another skin more. With the updated Monstroid2, you’re no longer limited to using just 1 skin. On top of 20 skins, Monstroid 2 adds a Magic Button to Elementor. Just click it to add any page or section of another skin to your one. Exciting, isn’t it?
By the way, new skins are released on the weekly basis. So, you’ll never fall out of customer’s grace by going for shiny and new Monstroid2 skins. They will all be available for you.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img4_tzzhyg.png" />
<h3>#4: Lighter &amp; Faster</h3>
With the update, Monstroid2 shed a lot of its digital weight. Now, its files are sleeker and a few times lighter than before (only 250kb).
What does this mean to you? In the past, Monstroid2 required a medium or more advanced hosting. And, of course, you had to pay extra for it. Now, Monstroid2 is so lightweight and swift, you can run it on any cheap hosting without a hitch.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img5_unfqk2.png" />
What’s more, with the weight reduced, the speed of Monstroid2 grew tremendously. Now, it takes only 1.2 second to load Monstroid2. Test the <a href="https://www.templatemonster.com/demo/62222.html?aff=cmscritics" target="_blank">Live Demo</a> to experience!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img6_latwr5.png" />
<h3>#5: Powerful UX with Jet Plugins</h3>
With the new Monstroid2 update, you get not only a myriad of pre-built Elementor blocks, but also unique set of plugins. These plugins, called Jet Plugins, let you add custom content types and power the functionality that is unavailable in Elementor by default.
Fortunately, the developers were really generous and included 9 premium Jet Plugins free. Here they go:
<ol>
<li>JetBlocks</li>
<li>JetTricks</li>
<li>JetWooBuilder</li>
<li>JetTabs</li>
<li>JetParallax</li>
<li>JetReviews</li>
<li>JetMenu</li>
<li>JetElements</li>
<li>JetBlog</li>
</ol>
If you’re interested what each plugin lets you do, please check the <a href="https://www.templatemonster.com/wordpress-elementor-plugins/?aff=cmscritics" target="_blank">Jet Plugins</a> page in the <a href="https://www.templatemonster.com/elementor-marketplace/?aff=cmscritics" target="_blank">Elementor Marketplace</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img8-1024x381.png" />
<h3>#6: Bring WooCommerce and Elementor Together</h3>
When many templates just claim to be WooCommerce-compatible, Monstroid2 has WooCommerce on board. Moreover, it brings you custom e-commerce skins, pages and functionality.
Most excitingly, you can work with your store pages just the same you work with the regular ones! Thanks to JetWooBuilder plugin, you get a chance to customize e-commerce pages within Elementor, tapping into a rich set of e-store-related functionality on board.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/img9_pkvm8l.png" />
<h2>Conclusions</h2>
It’s impossible not to welcome the new Monstroid2 update, with which this template gets to the forefront of web design innovation in 2018. With Monstroid2, you get a robust universal template, fully editable within a comprehensive Elementor interface. Do not hesitate to go for it when powering your website and launch one if the leading WordPress websites in your niche!
Stay tuned for more!

Sweeping Monstroid 2 Update: More Features, More Freedom

Recently FlashMoto.com introduced an arsenal of new <a href="http://templates.flashmoto.com">Flash CMS templates</a> that impress with their site structure, content presentation and unusual design approaches. These Flash CMS designs embody the most effective methods of putting form and content together. Brilliant technique and professional animation help the visitors focus on the most significant elements of the website.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/flashmoto_templates_jwgtzu.jpg" />
These Flash CMS websites are designed for being used with an advanced FlashMoto Flash content management system and are equipped with a convenient WYSIWYG editor, video and image gallery components, rich media library, video and MP3 player components, info module component, all necessary SEO tools (Google Analytics &amp; Webmaster Tools integration, deep linking), etc.

FlashMoto Design Collection Updated with New Flash CMS Templates

<a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.progress.com%2F&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Progress&amp;index=1&amp;md5=cc113aefe089e8ec7976006d0b1de8c4">Progress</a>, the company now behind <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telerik.com&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Telerik&amp;index=2&amp;md5=0793eb0d8f4ddd4aaee058ae99d6f5b9">Telerik</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sitefinity.com&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Sitefinity&amp;index=3&amp;md5=ae3343b33c80db43b16f312723849234">Sitefinity</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sitefinity.com%2Fproduct%2Fsee-also%2Fwhat%27s-new&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=CMS+and+Digital+Experience+Cloud+%28DEC%29&amp;index=4&amp;md5=17c2c1827228fe31951237095b7efb9a">CMS &amp; Digital Experience Cloud (DEC)</a>, has announced a new release with improved translation, multi-site synchronization and predictive analytics.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sitefinitylogo_wtagline_rgb_400x0.png" />Aiming to provide developers with richer tools, extended content tracking and personalization to mobile apps, Progress also announced a new strategic alliance with <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lionbridge.com%2F&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Lionbridge&amp;index=5&amp;md5=149609736688ca985aa17e5deb095c3e">Lionbridge</a>, specialists in translation and localization.<h2>Cross-site Content Syncing</h2>When an organization is made up of various departments and teams, it is often difficult to schedule and sync projects, operations and tasks efficiently.This latest release enables Sitefinity administrators to schedule content syncing to different sites at set times, with notifications and automatic retries if syncs fail. This feature has been designed to reduce effort and improve site and workflow quality.<h2>Enhanced Translation Management</h2>As global content proliferating continues to grow exponentially, the ability to speak with customers in their preferred language is a must for any enterprise.<a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sitefinity.com%2Fweb-content-management&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Telerik+Sitefinity+CMS&amp;index=6&amp;md5=e77abd7913fbb739206eca64cb328831">Telerik Sitefinity CMS</a> is now equipped with powerful translation management features to simplify and automate the content translation process when working with third-party translation agencies.The platform now automatically integrates with <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lionbridge.com&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Lionbridge+Freeway&amp;index=7&amp;md5=db507fb6fbe849a1815e378493504932">Lionbridge Freeway</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.translations.com&amp;esheet=51145478&amp;newsitemid=20150721005173&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=translations.com&amp;index=8&amp;md5=69bea3c8516ddc30062ace1406496d73">translations.com</a>, while other translation services can also be added if desired.In addition, with Telerik Sitefinity CMS, content authors can easily determine which content items to send for translation, and to which languages. They can then review the status of all sent translations; preview all returned translations before publishing; and handle any errors or conflicts prior to publication.<h2>Improved Predictive &amp; Prescriptive Analytics, Mobile Personalization &amp; Campaign Support</h2>Also with this new release, Telerik Sitefinity CMS users will benefit from the following improvements:<ul><li>Conversion recommendation ranking based on the estimated likelihood of assumed outcomes</li><li>Tracking and personalization of mobile apps, based on website behavior and CRM data for efficient real-time marketing</li><li>Greater granularity in defining segments, leveraging demographic data such as job title, location and more</li><li>More tracking control—enables site administrators to easily track visitors across sub-domains, configure tracking for multiple Telerik Sitefinity CMS websites, mobile apps and/or exclude traffic from specific IP addresses</li><li>Easier integration with Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce.com and Oracle Eloqua with improved data merging</li><li>Enhancements to online marketing campaigns to support large email campaigns, integration capabilities with cloud hosted mail services such as SendGrid and usability improvement.</li></ul>Svetozar Georgiev, Progess' Senior Vice President of App Dev, made the following comments upon the arrival of this new release:<blockquote>“More than ever before, the global enterprise needs to support all manners of customer engagement–from first time site visitors to repeat buyers.The latest release of Telerik Sitefinity CMS and DEC further strengthens support for the global enterprise. It enhances the customer experience, ensuring that organizations can create a personalized, seamless experience across languages, sites, mobile apps and geographies.”</blockquote>More details on this relase can be with the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150721005173/en/#.Va9vQ_lViko">official press release</a>.And of course, you can delve further into <a href="/products/progress-sitefinity">Sitefinity via our CMS directory</a>.

Telerik Sitefinity Gets Enhanced Multi-site Synchronization, Translation & Analytics Features

Document management systems are a mainstay for business everywhere and sometimes finding the right one can be a bit of a challenge. As such, I've decided to share with you my list of the top 5 document management systems, based on my experience.
These are listed in no particular order but rather as they come to mind. They are all equally excellent choices and I'd recommend exploring each before making a selection as your needs should be what determines the choice you make.
<h2>LogicalDOC</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/logicaldoc.jpg" />
LogicalDOC are the <a href="/awards/">recent winners</a> of our 2016 CMS Critic Awards – People's Choice for Best Document Management System. LogicalDOC is an easy to use, intuitive document management system that offers a wide breadth of features worth investigating.
Learn more at <a href="https://www.logicaldoc.com/" target="_blank">https://www.logicaldoc.com/</a>
<h2>eFileCabinet</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/efilecabinet-review-31137x0-is.png" />
When it comes to ease of use and beauty, nothing beats out eFileCabinet's document management system. It has perhaps one of the most intuitive interfaces I've ever seen and has been designed to function just like a filing cabinet, making it incredibly easy to adapt to for those who are not as apt with technology.
Learn more at <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/" target="_blank">http://www.efilecabinet.com/</a>
<h2>M-Files</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mfiles1478x0-is.jpg" />M-Files enterprise information management (EIM) solutions transform how businesses manage, secure and share information with a unique metadata-driven approach that organizes and processes document and other content based on what it is, rather than where it is.
Learn more at <a href="https://www.m-files.com/" target="_blank">https://www.m-files.com/</a>
<h2>Ademero Content Central</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/unnamed.png" />
Content Central gives organizations like yours quick and easy access to your information. The all-in-one, browser-based document management system provides what matters most to you: Access, Speed, Process Automation, and Security.
Learn more at <a href="https://www.ademero.com/" target="_blank">https://www.ademero.com/</a>
<h2>Dokmee</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dokmee_6.png" />
Dokmee is a secure, easy to use document management system designed for a variety of purposes including document capture and storage, search and retrieval, and file sharing. It adapts to any business model by maximizing accessibility and functionality in repositories of all sizes and has a user friendly interface available in 19 languages.
Learn more at <a href="https://www.dokmee.com/" target="_blank">https://www.dokmee.com/</a>
Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to share your favorites as well and perhaps I will expand this list to include them.

Monstroid: A Multipurpose WordPress Theme from TemplateMonster

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

If you are, like me, always eager to test the latest and greatest that the CMS world has to offer, you'll be excited to know that there's a new beta available for the upcoming 3.6 release of WordPress. Just released today, this new beta includes a host of new features, outlined below. I'd suggest that if you are a theme or plugin developer, you start testing right away in order to ensure your code is going to function properly with the changes in this release.
Here’s what’s new in 3.6:
<ul>
<li>Post Formats:  Post Formats now have their own UI, and theme authors have access to templating functions to access the structured data.</li>
<li>Twenty Thirteen: We’re shipping this year’s default theme in our first release of the year. Twenty Thirteen is an opinionated, color-rich, blog-centric theme that makes full use of the new Post Formats support.</li>
<li>Audio/Video: You can embed audio and video files into your posts without relying on a plugin or a third party media hosting service.</li>
<li>Autosave:  Posts are now autosaved locally. If your browser crashes, your computer dies, or the server goes offline as you’re saving, you won’t lose the your post.</li>
<li>Post Locking:  See when someone is currently editing a post, and kick them out of it if they fall asleep at the keyboard.</li>
<li>Nav Menus:  Nav menus have been simplified with an accordion-based UI, and a separate tab for bulk-assigning menus to locations.</li>
<li>Revisions: The all-new revisions UI features avatars, a slider that “scrubs” through history, and two-slider range comparisons.</li>
</ul>
Don't have time to download but you're dying to know what the changes look like?
Here's what the new post formats interface looks like in WordPress 3.6:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/new-post-format-ui-wordpress-36-620x447.jpg" alt="new-post-format-ui-wordpress-36" />
 
Here is the new default theme, entitled “Twenty Thirteen” for those who haven't seen it:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/twenty-thirteen-wordpress-36-620x448.jpg" alt="twenty-thirteen-wordpress-36" />
Eager to test it out? Here you go: <a href="http://wordpress.org/news/2013/04/wordpress-3-6-beta-1/">http://wordpress.org/news/2013/04/wordpress-3-6-beta-1/</a>

WordPress 3.6 Beta 1 is out! (With Screenshots)

Shopify - The global commerce platform

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

The global commerce platform

Explore a wide range of informative articles, insights, and industry updates. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our diverse collection of news and posts covering the latest trends and developments in the industry. Page - 78

News

Be found everywhere search happens

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

The global commerce platform