Articles - Page 81

Brightspot Illuminates the Future of CMS with Human-Controlled, AI-Powered Storytelling 

matt-garrepy

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/softwareexp2549x0-is.jpg" />
Another week, another episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdYIRZAO8llwAipfWWujTHsqH-2x3Qwwu" target="_blank">Software Explorer</a>. Today, I'm checking out <a href="https://elementor.com/" target="_blank">Elementor</a> – a free and open source WordPress plugin that brings drag-and-drop page building to WordPress any website.
I'm not the biggest fan of their drag-and-drop interface, and I think the lack of inline editing is a real shame – but despite that, I think Elementor is excellent for a free plugin.
But don't just take my word for it, see Elementor in action for yourself:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zSCXCwJZOjA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Get started for free with <a href="https://elementor.com/" target="_blank">Elementor</a>.

Software Explorer Ep 3: Elementor

mike-johnston

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mobirise722x0-is.png" />
When I first got my hands on <a href="https://mobirise.com/" target="_blank">Mobirise</a> (and published my <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">Mobirise Review</a>), I was impressed by the just how sleek and approachable the desktop-based website builder was.
I used the Bootstrap website builder offline to drag-and-drop elements into place, edit content inline and publish via FTP. It was so pleasant to use, I even selected it to help me finish a small personal project a few weeks after the review was published.
But things have changed a bit since then.
Today, Mobirise 3.0 stands as a far more rounded version of its former self.
<h2>A Video Walkthrough of Mobirise 3.0</h2>
Recently, I dedicated <a href="/software-explorer-mobirise/" target="_blank">episode one of Software Explorer</a> – CMS Critic’s first YouTube series – to none other than Mobirise.
I tinkered with many of the new features found in Mobirise 3.0, and I found it to be an excellent update.
Check it out for yourself:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M9Xr9yFMLLY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>What’s New With Mobirise 3.0</h2>
Where do I begin?
First up, the brand new default theme for Mobirise kicks the old theme’s butt. And the old theme wasn’t even bad.
The new theme comes with a darker color scheme (which can be customized), new blocks, and new fonts.
Here’s a summary of the other Mobirise 3.0 features:
<ul>
<li>A new dropdown menu</li>
<li>Over 40 new page blocks</li>
<li>Accordions, toggles, and tabs</li>
<li>Progress bars &amp; cycles</li>
<li>Icons are now available in default theme</li>
<li>New slider and gallery which includes video slides</li>
<li>Many new block parameters</li>
<li>The inline editor is now faster</li>
<li>Animation on scroll</li>
<li>‘Cookies Alert' extension</li>
<li>‘PayPal Shopping Cart’ extension</li>
<li>Image gallery with a tag filter</li>
<li>A ‘<a href="https://mobirise.com/extensions/blockpack/" target="_blank">BlockPack</a>‘ with 50+ unique blocks including sliders, animated backgrounds, ‘typed’ text effect, and countdowns.</li>
</ul>
The inclusion of a PayPal shopping cart adds a new dimension to Mobirise. It makes it more than just a simple website builder – it makes it an eCommerce solution, too.
In an exclusive interview, Mobirise told CMS Critic that, “the concept of the new Shopping Cart was devised a long time ago, since we got large numbers of requests from our customers. Now, we are very pleased to introduce this new [eCommerce] extension that will enable our customers to create modern looking e-store websites straight in the application, without coding and server-side integration.”
Interestingly, I’ve also noticed that the Mobirise team has already busied themselves with building upon Mobirise 3.0. In fact, there have already been five additional updates to Mobirise 3.0 in the space of three months. Now that’s what I call work ethic.
<h2>Third Party Development</h2>
The mobirise community is already forming on the official Mobirise Forums. But what’s more exciting is the fact that third party development has started to take shape.
Despite Mobirise announcing that their API for themes and extension is still not publicly available, third party themes like Unicore have already sprung up.
Mobirise say they will be unveiling their first API release, and they hope it will spark even greater third party development projects. Which is awesome news.
I also sincerely hope to see the Mobirise team continue with the same enthusiasm, because if Mobirise 3.0 is anything to go by, Mobirise has a bright future.
Get started with <a href="https://mobirise.com/" target="_blank">Mobirise</a>.

Mobirise 3.0: A Strong Step for the Simple Website Builder

After realizing that some of my personal websites had been infiltrated by malware, I decided to use the services of <a href="http://wpfixit.com/" target="_blank">WP Fix It</a>, a company that pledges to quickly remove malware and fix any issue on a WordPress website.
Founded in 2011, WP Fix It have been cleaning WordPress websites for five years, and they have a fairly good reputation for it.
To date, they have serviced over 43,000 tickets from almost 6,000 customers, and they promise to fix any WordPress issue, or give you your money back. You can't say fairer than that.
So after reviewing their website and reputation, I decided to go with their <a href="http://wpfixit.com/product/malware-virus-removal/" target="_blank">malware removal service</a>. Plus, I thought I'd document my experience in order to review WP Fix It. Here goes.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
Instead of going straight to the checkout, I wanted to chat to a WP Fix It representative to explain my situation. I emailed them using their website's live chat system (all their support staff were busy, so email was my only option).
Thankfully, I received a response quite quickly (within forty-five minutes), and had all my queries answered. The support staff I dealt with were polite and responsive throughout our email discussion, which ended with me processing my payment for their malware removal service.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wpfixit5.png" />
To kick start my malware removal process, I paid through their website and was directed to a ticketing service, where I filled out some details along with the login credentials to my hosting account. They wanted my WordPress login details too, but after I explained to them that access to the website had been totally restricted, they got to work without those passwords without flinching.
WP Fix It kept me posted through emails, asking me questions about specific files, and telling me what they were working on. It was all very professional, and very reassuring.
At one stage, they saw fit to delete some files which I saw no use for – but they still added them all to DropBox and gave me seven days of access in case I wanted them back – which was thoughtful of them.
<h2>The Results</h2>
Eventually, they told me that their final infection scan was underway – and although it would take a while – everything came back clean. I also checked my sites using the renowned <a href="https://sitecheck.sucuri.net//" target="_blank">Securi website security scanner</a> website security scanner and received the all clear. Score.
They had cleaned up my sites, and they also installed the <a href="https://sucuri.net/wordpress-security/wordpress-security-plugin-installation" target="_blank">Securi WordPress plugin</a> to keep it that way. To finish off the job, they sent me an email with a list of highly recommended tasks (including password changes for my FTP and hosting panel) that would help ensure the security of my sites.
At the time of writing, days have passed since the guys at WP Fix It healed my websites, and they're still going strong.
Plus, the WP Fix It website ensures a re-clean should the malware return within 90 days. So, I feel like my websites are pretty safe and sound right now.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
For malware reoval, WP Fix It charges $87 per WordPress install, which is quite reasonable, considering that they ensure a clean website and 90 days worth of support/re-cleaning if necessary.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wpfixit31080x0-is.png" />
Rival malware removal service providers like <a href="https://wpsecuritylock.com/services/wordpress-malware-removal/" target="_blank">WP Security Lock</a> charged a whopping $497 per WordPress website. <a href="http://securepress.org/malwareremoval.php" target="_blank">SecurePress</a> on the other hand, charges $79 per website. My own website hosting company also quoted me $249.99.
So if you ask me, WP Fix It is ticking all the boxes in terms of pricing, too.
For more general WordPress website fixes, WP Fix It charges a fee of $37 per website, which is also very reasonable.
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
Removing malware from any website can be a nightmarish process. Thankfully for me on this occasion, WP Fix It made it sublimely simple.
In the past, it's a task that has either consumed days of my time, or way too much of my money. But WP Fix It did the job in less than 24 hours for a very decent price.
WP Fix It's support staff were polite, helpful and quickly to respond to my queries – and their helpful advice after the cleanup process was also came in handy.
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>WP Fix It remove malware from WordrRess websites within hours</li>
<li>They keep you posted every step of the way via email</li>
<li>If files need deleting, they'll back them up for you on DropBox</li>
<li>They install the <a href="https://sucuri.net/wordpress-security/wordpress-security-plugin-installation" target="_blank">Securi WordPress Plugin</a> to maintain your site's security</li>
<li>They send you an email with tips and recommendations that they encourage you to follow in order to preserve their security work.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>They don't seem to offer a multi-site discount, which may sting you if you have run multiple websites on the same hosting account.</li>
<li>Their website is a little on the tacky side, which is a shame, because their service is impeccable.</li>
</ul>
Overall, it's a giant thumbs up from me. Kudos to the guys over at <a href="http://wpfixit.com/" target="_blank">WP Fix It</a>!

WP Fix It Review

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/workspace-820315_12801280x611-cropx0y241-is830x0-is.jpg" style="text-align:center" />
Just two decades ago, businesses the world over were scurrying to go digital by launching websites and using email. Today, going paperless is what's highest on the agenda.
As many brands have already come to realize, DMS (Document Management Systems) provide the simplest route to that paperless future.
Here are ten steps detailing exactly how businesses should go about that process.
<h2>1. Patience on Route to ROI</h2>
A successful DMS implementation is as mental as it is technological.
Although ROI can be seen in less than a month from DMS implementation, it’s also important to understand that the return on investment for most DMS is a long term process.
Even when you factor in the costs of implementation and the annual product fee (which ranges anywhere from $500 to $900 per user for high quality, mid-grade packages), it's all a very small price to pay for the efficiency, organization, and long-term operational cost reductions DMS provides.
<h2>2. Draft a Document Needs Assessment for the Organization</h2>
In order to draft a needs assessment, all employees must first <a>understand what DMS is</a>, and why it’s needed.
Discuss the DMS initiative with all organizational leaders in charge of specific departments’ paper files, including whether other office locations (if any) should be taken into consideration for needs assessment—particularly when it comes to satellite and remote access features and Online, Cloud-Based DMS. Once needs are written, discuss guidelines for work allocation and planning according to the selected needs, and ensure these milestones are understood and adhered to by all department leaders.
<h2>3. Involve Employees in the Early Stages of DMS Adoption &amp; Utilize Vendor Training</h2>
As soon-to-be DMS users, it’s important to inform employees about and involve them in the adoption and training process of the new technology—even before the DMS is purchased. In order to better understand an organization’s preexisting <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/pinpointing-hang-ups-current-workflow/">workflow</a> and how it is best replicated through DMS, a specific process is needed:
Asking employees to diagram their workflow cycle, including group projects and other tasks, and then synthesizing and condensing each of the diagrams into one intuitive structure for each department can reduce DMS startup times. This will not only help employees understand what workflow is, but also how their workflow may change in relation to others’.
A widespread problem with current DMS users is underutilizing the workflow feature inherent to most DMS products, raising questions about whether many DMS users were urged by their vendors to follow certain behavioral processes in relation to the new technology. Discussing which DMS product is most intuitive to the employees who will either preside over it (such as those in the IT department) or who will use it most is also imperative to successful use. The easiest facets of DMS technologies are their storing, scanning, and searching capacities, whereas the most difficult to learn or frequently overlooked features tend to be templates and role-based user permissions.
It’s also important to note that nobody trains product users better than the product’s vendor. Therefore, reliance on initial training sessions, whether in one-on-one format or for groups, is crucial for successful DMS deployment.
<h2>4. Assemble Information for Scanning and Uploading Documents to the DMS</h2>
Organize the paper in a unified, intuitive way that mirrors either how documents are currently organized, or, better yet, how the organization should have or would like to have them organized. This step allows organizational leadership to not just change the medium by which information is stored, managed, and collaborated upon, but also the process by which different departments complete the workflow cycle.
Part of redefining this workflow cycle is throwing away files that are no longer needed, focusing specifically on compliance and operational efficiency as the main determinants of whether files should be kept or discarded. Be sure to also inform employees who frequent file cabinets for information about how the structure has changed; this will ensure business continuity during the implementation process.
<a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/automating-document-deletion-and-retention-why-it-should-be-viewed-through-a-legal-lens-and-not-a-storage-capacity-lens/">Determine expiration dates</a> for files and who will be responsible within each department (preferably the manager who will become the DMS administrator for that department) for automating these expiration dates within the DMS solution once files are uploaded. Otherwise, the clutter-reducing power of automated document deletion, one of DMS’s most useful features, will go unutilized.
Be sure to check whether your organization already has an enterprise-grade scanner with file loading capacity and sufficient OCR, or purchase a scanner from your DMS vendor. DMS vendors tend to have discounted prices for high-powered, enterprise-grade scanners.
<h2>5. Set Implementation Deadlines for Each Department</h2>
Departments with more paper files to scan and upload should be allotted more time to complete the scanning and uploading process. Implementation deadlines should also depend on whether temporary third parties are hired to scan and upload documents in order to sustain business operations.
It should be noted, however, that temporary hires should not be given the task of deciding which files should be discarded or kept for uploading to the DMS. A way to accomplish this would be having temporary hires scan every document, then having knowledgeable workers filter unnecessary documents out of the desktop and into the waste bin prior to uploading necessary files to the DMS solution.
<h2>6. Establish File Hierarchy and Order within the DMS</h2>
The best file hierarchy and order for an organization is one that can be replicated via templates across the greatest number of the DMS’s cabinets, ensuring intuitiveness and consistent structure in as many realms of operation as possible.
This also brings role-based user permissions for viewing files and other relevant documents into question: Ideally, an organization’s IT Director should become the system’s head administrator and be given access to all levels of the DMS.
<h2>7. Scan and Electronically File to DMS</h2>
Scan the documents and upload them to the selected DMS, adhering to predetermined file structure. Make sure the <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/recommended-scanners/">DMS scanner</a> you’ve selected is equipped to handle adequate amounts of throughput and document volume in a timely manner.
<h2>8. Create an Official Cut-Off Date for Paper Use by Department</h2>
Once all files are scanned and uploaded, ensuring that every new paper file mailed to the organization is uploaded properly to the DMS is important, too, and create a protocol to ensure this process is useful.
In addition to scanning preexisting paper files to the DMS solution, it’s equally important to remember that documents received in the future must be scanned, uploaded, and placed within the DMS according to a predetermined, enduring structure.
This structure must be taught and understood by all departments within an organization that will rely upon the DMS. This will eliminate the possibility of duplicate efforts (in retrieving and storing both digital and paper documents) and dependence on paper in general. Although it is acceptable for each department to have its own scanning and uploading process, a good filing process will involve department-by-department foresight from the management team—for these structures must account for potential changes during growth.
<h2>9. Inform Clients and Customers about the Transition to Paperless Operations</h2>
Although the process of transacting business may not change, in some cases, the medium will.
For instance, the digital/electronic signature and encrypted file-sending features of DMS products should be mentioned to customers and clients not only because they have to be informed of process changes, but also how these process changes will better meet their security and convenience needs.
<h2>10. Develop New Employee Training Plans and Reevaluate Current Employees’ Grasp of DMS</h2>
As organizations grow, so do their number of employees.
Therefore, failing to create a process roadmap for new employees about how to utilize the DMS itself and how it functions within the organization, will reduce ROI. In the re-training process, focus on traditionally under-utilized features like role-based user permissions and workflow features.

How to Go Paperless With a DMS: 10 Critical Steps for Businesses

LightCMS, the website builder designed for web design agencies, has unveiled a new version that includes a recycling bin feature as well as full compliance with <a target="_blank" href="http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/Section-508">Section 508</a>, a new US law pertaining to online disabled access.Section 508 is an amendment to the United States Workforce Rehabilitation Act (1973) that mandates that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government must be accessible to people with disabilities.<h2>LightCMS &amp; Section 508 Compliance</h2>To help their users conform to the new law, LightCMS' native HTML and CSS code is all compliant with Section 508. The compliance is diabled by default, although it can be switched on via LightCMS' Site Settings. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/section_508_setting.jpg" />To aid you in transitioning to Section 508 compliance, we have also created a new compliant template – Liberty 508, which is based on the popular Liberty template.Some of the HTML changes include:<ul><li>Changed on captcha code to a . (evite &amp; blog post comments)</li><li>Changed tags on sign up element to <h4>.</h4></li><li>Added tags to sign up element inputs.</li><li>Changed tags on ResetPassword.aspx to tags.</li><li>– See more at: https://www.lightcms.com/new-features-recycle-bin-and-more?utm_source=LightCMS+Blog&amp;utm_campaign=06fb835b19-LightCMS_Blog_Update_Test_36_15_2015&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_a5ecf7d93a-06fb835b19-86110825#sthash.3QHvDH3W.dpuf</li></ul><h2>Recycling Bin</h2>Another notable feature of this LightCMS release, is the recycling bin.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/recyclebin.png" />Thanks to this feature, LightCMS will retain deleted pages and elements for thirty days, allowing you to restore them as and when you need to. So, gone are the days when deleting something meant that it was gone forever.This latest version of LightCMS also brings about text editor and user interface enhancements, all of which you can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lightcms.com/blog">read about on the LightCMS blog</a>.

LightCMS Gets Recycling Bin, Becomes Section 508 Compliant

<a href="https://www.ucraft.com/" target="_blank">ucraft</a> is a new entry in the website builder market. It's touted as being simple and easy to use with a user interface that is unique. Today, I'm going to take a look at it in this Ucraft Review.
Before we begin, I'd highly recommend watching this quick video which gives an excellent overview of the interface and how easy it is to use. It's not a long video but well worth the time to watch and I'm going to assume you've watched this before you start reading below:
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/179479422?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
You can get started for free as ucraft also offers a free plan for those in need of a simple 1 page website.
<h2>ucraft Pricing</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/download_fssucs.png" />
ucraft offers a host of features including:
<ul>
<li>1 Website</li>
<li>Unlimited Pages</li>
<li>Edit Content</li>
<li>Add Content</li>
<li>Custom Domain</li>
<li>Articles App</li>
<li>SEO App</li>
<li>Call your team</li>
<li>Free Hosting</li>
<li>24/7 Support</li>
<li>Your Brand</li>
</ul>
When you first log into ucraft, you'll be greeted with your homepage. Along the left side of the browser is the menu which consists of a number of icons that expand to display menus as you click on them.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ucraft-review-11556x0-is.png" />Let's take a look through some of them now. The first menu item lets you preview your website as it would appear on desktop, tablet and phone.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ucraft-review-5.png" />
Moving down, the next icon allows you to launch new apps:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ucraft-review-2-1.png" />Pages allows you to manage and add pages to your website, designer tools lets you design and create buttons, typography and layout options, media lets you manage your media library and so on.
Next in line is the blocks icon which allows you to drag and drop predefined blocks of content (sliders, hero content, etc) into your website to make building something out incredibly quick and efficient.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ucraft-review-31117x0-is.png" />
The blocks of content that are available are pretty extensive and should serve the majority of users. I found the experience of adding them to a page pretty seamless and they were all quite easy to edit.
Next comes elements. Elements are things such as images, titles and other chunks of content which can be quickly dragged and dropped wherever you want on your new site. There's a very solid selection of options here that you can work with.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ucraft-review-61140x0-is.png" />
It's funny how if you make something simple, it makes it more fun to use. For some reason, I'm in love with the simple drag and drop color icon which is next in line on the sidebar. The fact that you can pre-select a bunch of colours to match your scheme and then simple drag and drop them onto any element to change it instantly is simply brilliant and one of my favourite features of ucraft.
Last but not least is the FX button which lets you drag and drop special effects onto your content blocks such as fade in and other animations.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ucraft-review-81067x0-is.png" /> 
UI wise, the developers have done a great job of giving the system powerful capabilities without overwhelming the user. The entire experience of using ucraft screams ease of use and somehow, makes building your website fun to do. Sure, this isn't something you'd use for an insanely huge website but that's also not the target audience of most website builders. They are there to give you all of the tools you need to get online efficiently and at a low price point and ucraft does just that and more.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
My experience with ucraft just in writing this review and going through the various elements of the builder was nothing but positive. This is truly an excellent tool and I'm very excited by how simple and easy to use it is. Things feel like they were put together given a lot of thought and the user interface is one of the best I've seen to date. It's quick, easy and fluid while at the same time staying out of your way so you can get what you need done.
In fact, given how simple it is, I was surprised by how extensive the features are. The logo design tools that are integrated do the job nicely and the ability to use UiKit to build out buttons very easily is brilliant.
I highly recommend checking out ucraft and giving it a try for your next website, I'd be surprised if you didn't fall in love with it like I have. If I was going to give this a rating out of 10, I'd probably give it a 9 which is not something I do very often and the only reason I'd give it a 9 is because there isn't an easy way to get to their knowledge base from within the interface. To access it, you have to go to their home page and then to their menu to find it. While there is a live help feature, it makes more sense to have the knowledge base easy to get to from the interface. In my opinion, it should be linked as one of the icons within the left menu.
Aside from this small gripe, I think this literally is one of the best tools and interfaces I've seen in a long time and I've been reviewing these things since 2008. It's just that good. Give it a try for yourself, I'll be surprised if you don't end up falling in love as well.
Check it out for yourself here: <a href="/ucraft-cms" target="_blank">ucraft.com</a>.

ucraft Review: Simple, Efficient Website Building with a Beautiful Interface

Weglot - The easiest way to translate a website

The easiest way to translate a website

#18164c

GoDaddy is one of the biggest hosting and domain providers in the world and with millions of customers worldwide, they offer a huge array of services to keep their customers happy. One such service is the <a href="/products/godaddy">GoDaddy Online Store</a> which is a quick and easy way to get an online store up and running with minimal effort. Today, we're going to take a look at how it holds up.Here's a quick video overview of the GoDaddy Online Store Builder: Getting started is quick and easy, just sign up on the GoDaddy website. GoDaddy offers a free trial followed by a price tag of around $30 / month for their online store solution.Once you've signed up for a free trial, you'll select a name for your online store and come to this screen:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_1-11119x0-is.png" alt="godaddy online store review" />Here you will fill in some information about your business, add some products, set up your paypal information, shipping info and more. Once you've completed filling in the basic information section, it will be time to add your first product.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_21031x0-is.png" alt="godaddy online store review" />Filling this in is incredibly straight forward, you can add individual product or import a list of products from a CSV file. For those with a large list of products, this is incredibly handy and to their credit, GoDaddy provides you with a starter template so you know how the CSV file should look before importing.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_3.png" alt="godaddy online store review" />Once you've added your products, you can move on to the next stage which is setting up how you'd like to be paid. GoDaddy's online store builder has integrations with Stripe (for credit card payments), PayPal and other (bank transfer, etc) which should be adequate for the majority of people.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_4.png" />You will then configure your shipping options (if needed):<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_5.png" />Last but not least, you'll set up your tax options and then you get to move on to the fun part, selecting a design to begin with. By default, there is already a theme applied which incorporate a header, drop down navigation and a slider on the home page. To configure, just go through the options on the store design page.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_6792x0-is.png" />You aren't stuck with this particular theme though. GoDaddy offers approximately 20 or so themes all of which are easy on the eyes and visually appealing.Now it's time to go live. Just click the green “Go Live” button and your store will be launched and accessible to everyone.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_7778x0-is.png" />You will then be able to access your dashboard which, once you start receiving orders and getting traffic, will give you a basic overview of how well your store is performing.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/godaddy_online_store_review_-_81085x0-is.png" />There are numerous ways you can promote your store now that you have launched. A handy “Promote your Store” link on your dashboard will allow you to set up the following:<ul><li>Sell on Facebook Automatically sync your store with Facebook and sell your products to the masses. Powered by Shopial.</li><li>Like and Share Buttons Add social media buttons to let happy customers like, share, or email about your store in just one click! Powered by AddThis.</li><li>Social Follow Buttons Let customers follow you on social networks to keep them informed about store news and promotions. Powered by AddThis.</li><li>Product Reviews Trust customers to post shining reviews telling the world just how great your store is. Powered by Yotpo.</li><li>Email Signups Collect email addresses so you can market to your customers. Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing.</li></ul>Of course, in typical GoDaddy fashion, there are tons of upsells buried in here including the email signups piece (once you get over 50 customers anyway) so expect to pay extra for a large number of these options but to their credit, they do provide you with the basics, at least, for free.<h3>Conclusion</h3>For those who are looking for a basic online store solution that is easy to set up and get running with minimal effort, GoDaddy's solution is a decent one to consider, especially if you are tied to them for hosting and a domain. However, when compared with other solutions like <a href="/products/shopify">Shopify</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ecwid.com/">Ecwid</a> (which is far more extensive feature wise), it doesn't hold up. The biggest reason is the price. At $30 / month it just isn't something that I can recommend when there are far more feature rich options available for less, unless of course you prefer to stick with one company for all of your needs.Interested in trying it for yourself? Check it out here: <a href="/products/godaddy">GoDaddy Online Store Builder</a>

GoDaddy Online Store Review

In episode two of Software Explorer, I'm taking a look at <a href="http://www.appypie.com/">Appypie</a>, the ‘free' app builder. However, unlike with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/software-explorer-mobirise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">my experience with Mobirise from episode one</a>, it's not all sunshine and rainbows this time around.
Despite some decent functionality, Appypie threw me a curveball that would make me hesitant to use it again in future. Small businesses looking for a simple app presence will find a use for Appypie. but check out the video to find out why I'd suggest exploring other app makers first.
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EoWiE73DmpI?feature=oembed"></iframe>
To learn more about Appypie, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com">check out their website</a>.
What do you think of Appypie? Let me know in the comments section below!

[Video] Software Explorer Episode 2: Appypie

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/macbook-667280_1280-1-e1472221090906.jpg" />
Some of America’s most lucrative business locales draw commercial real estate costs that capitalize on the wealth companies bring to these regions: Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Utah’s Silicon Slopes, to name a few.
In result, many of the companies (particularly fast-followers to the industry giants) are looking for new ways to cut spending to drive innovation.
Although there are numerous ways to achieve this end, one needn’t look further than the collaborative technologies many of these companies have created to justify nixing office space altogether.
Smaller organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, financial advisory services, and accounting stand to benefit most from doing away with commercial real estate and the unnecessary costs it brings—all thanks to <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/efilecabinet-online/">document management software</a> (DMS).
Although few large organizations have followed suit in implementing cloud-based document management software to enable the remote working and reduced operating costs of document management software, they can look to their smaller counterparts for inspiration (and proof) that working remotely no longer interferes with the collaboration efforts that many once believed could only be facilitated by an in-office team environment.
For instance, The Wall Street Journal reports that 85% of small businesses will increase their spending on software within the next five years, and for good reason: SMB thought leaders are scaling back on office costs by eliminating the need for filing cabinets, and, therefore, office space.
For example, manufacturing company <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/success-story-north-carolina/">North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug </a> retired 25 filing cabinets through document management software, freeing up office space and drawing into question whether they could relocate to a smaller office, or eventually overthrow the need for an office entirely.
Here are four ways a DMS helps cut down on costs for commercial real estate agents.
<h2>1. Remote Collaboration</h2>
But office size aside, another important factor to consider is whether document management software offers the kind of collaboration that an entirely remote workforce would demand. Not only does it provide this, the security levels of in-office work create many potential non-compliance costs. With document management software, file sharing of sensitive information with bank-grade encryption leaves no room for security hiccups, and given that document management software conquers the perils of workers bringing their own devices to work, also called the <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/conquering-byod-phenomenon-dms-slideshow/">BYOD Phenomenon</a>, document management software provides not only the security needed for workers to work remotely without the organization’s IT personnel losing sleep over it, but also the accessibility of information that great collaboration demands.
Still, some suggest that removing the physical office from the workforce’s equation is a bad idea, as it will only impinge collaboration—even with sophisticated technology to replace its walls. However, Psychology Today reports that meetings, often viewed as the first-rate form of collaboration for in-office environments, merely <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201204/why-meetings-kill-productivity">kill productivity</a>. Although many employees swear by meetings, the reasons for doing so may have more to do with getting a “break” midday than they do gaining ground on projects. Sure, some may view working from home as a place rife with distractions, but that doesn’t mean one can’t venture to a nearby library or other remote space with little distractions. In fact, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/opinion/sunday/working-from-home-vs-the-office.html?_r=1">The New York Times</a> reports that employees are more productive when they work from home.
<h2>2. DMS Makes Information Highly Retrievable</h2>
What’s more, the conversations we have in office over “finding information” are what document management software precludes. We oftentimes feel we need to work in office so we can collaborate over items that may seem otherwise confusing via email, but with the organizational capacity that document management software brings to organizations, these “what the heck is going on?” conversations and searches for certain files are eliminated entirely. Document management software takes what would otherwise be a conversation requiring physical, in office-presence, and simplifies it into a quick email (in the worst case scenario).
Confound this with the fact that the post office is a dying service, which businesses no longer rely upon as frequently as they used to, and the necessity of office walls is further proven to be a faulty premise. With the exception of shipping and purchasing trade show materials for marketing purposes, businesses needn’t rely on the post office to transact business. In fact, over the last 5 years, reliance on the post office has been reduced by 22% according to Gizmodo.com.
<h2>3. DMS Facilitates the Accountability Bosses Need from Remote Workers</h2>
One of the greatest fears many organizational leaders have with going remote and doing away with an office (even if to cut costs dramatically), is that remote workers will not actually work, but rather dawdle away their time. Document management software, however, makes it much easier to identify and track workers’ contributions through workflow cycles, role-based user permissions, and the number of mediums on which the software is available: Macs, mobile phones, and desktop computers with various operating systems.
<h2>4. DMS Help Cut Salary Expenditures &amp; Boost Workers’ Quality of Life</h2>
Not only has cloud based document management software received positive feedback for being more environmentally friendly as it requires far less electrical input when compared with typical computing and on premises solutions—it also offers the potential to no longer need in-office work and the myriad costs associated with it, and it all starts with reducing (and potentially eliminating) employees commute to work.
Employees needn’t be paid as much to accommodate commuting costs if they are no longer commuting to work. Given that the average worker spends anywhere from $1,500-$2,000 annually on gas commuting to work, small organizations with 15-20 employees can let HR managers entertain the possibility of reducing payroll costs by $20,000-$40,000 without cutting into employees’ standard of living. Many small businesses could leverage this extra cash flow to accomplish much in the way of innovation and reduced operating costs.
Thus, this has the potential to improve public image of SMBs by way of reduced environmental footprint that vehicle emissions would otherwise contribute to. Not only are emissions bad for the environment—but cities are incentivizing carpooling efforts to accommodate the commute to offices. What’s more, the majority of psychological research concludes that commutes (especially when they are long) drastically detract from quality of life and therefore, workers’ productivity.
It also stands to figure that if we save time spent on commuting, we can spend that extra hour, half-hour, or even 15 minutes working on something that actually contributes to the success of our organizations. Although it may seem like a little bit of time in one day, when compounded over the course of a year, these time slots can add up to massive increases in productivity, output, and profit. sitting in traffic and commuting to work.
Sure, some may view working from home as a place rife with distractions, but that doesn’t mean one can’t venture to a nearby library or other remote space with little distractions. In fact, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/opinion/sunday/working-from-home-vs-the-office.html?_r=1">The New York Times</a> reports that employees were are more productive when they worked from home.
<h2>Has Document Management Software Helped Your Business?</h2>
With all the above benefits of having a DMS to hand, I'd like to know how much of an impact document management software had on your business. Share your story in the comments section below!

How to Cut Commercial Real Estate Costs With a DMS

Corel has released <a href="http://www.coreldraw.com/en/product/home-student/?topNav=en?utm_source=CORPnewsRelease&amp;utm_medium=media&amp;utm_campaign=SMPRDRAW&amp;utm_content=HS" rel="nofollow">CorelDRAW® Home and Student Suite X8</a>, the latest edition of its graphic design and photo editing software suite for hobbyists and students that delivers pro-quality graphics tools at a highly affordable price. CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 features user-friendly tools for design, layout, and tracing, along with the powerful photo-editing capabilities of Corel® PHOTO-PAINT® Home and Student X8 and now Corel® AfterShot™ 3. Already known to be easier to use than other pro graphics software, the suite also comes with the new Interactive Startup Tour, a Quick Start Guide, Hints Docker, training videos and templates that make it quick and easy to get started.
CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 ensures you're making the most of the latest Windows 10 technologies and hardware. Boost your creativity and go hands-on with new support for Windows Real-Time Stylus pen-compatible tablets, such as the Microsoft Surface, as well as support for Wacom tablets and devices. Take advantage of multi-monitor viewing and see your work look its best on stunning 4K displays. Enhance your photos with new Corel PHOTO-PAINT Home and Student X8 features including Straighten Image and the Healing Clone tool, plus now take advantage of the power of Corel AfterShot 3 for photo management and image adjustment.
<blockquote>“Whether you want to create amazing graphics for a school project or you're a hobbyist with an eye for design, CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 gives you the creative graphics capabilities you want without the cost of a commercial package,” said Sobia Hameed, Product Manager for CorelDRAW. “Go ahead and design your new kitchen, impress the class with a remarkable presentation, or volunteer to promote your community's next big event. This complete package will help you create everything from flyers and newsletters to photos and social media graphics that look great.”</blockquote>
CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 offers a comprehensive and high-value graphics package complete with the following applications and useful extras:
<ul>
<li>CorelDRAW® Home &amp; Student X8: Intuitive vector illustration and page layout</li>
<li>Corel® PHOTO-PAINT® Home &amp; Student X8: Powerful image editing</li>
<li>Corel® PowerTRACE® X8: Accurate bitmap-to-vector tracing</li>
<li>Corel® CONNECT™: Instant content finder</li>
<li>Corel® CAPTURE™ X8: Simple screen capture utility</li>
<li>Corel® AfterShot™ 3: Fast photo management and adjustment</li>
<li>PhotoZoom Pro 4: Easy-to-use plug-in to export and enlarge digital images</li>
</ul>
CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 also offers valuable content including 1,300 high-quality clipart and digital images, 100 royalty-free, high resolution photos, 125 fonts, 75 photo frames, 100 fills and over 100 professionally designed templates, including certificates, flyers, posters and more.
The CorelDRAW family of products are long-trusted by professionals and students for their power and ease of use. Student and CorelDRAW International Design Contest winner Kseniya Morgunova states:
Learn more here: <a href="https://www.coreldraw.com/">CorelDRAW</a>

CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8: Pro-Quality Graphics and Photo Editing Power at an Affordable Price

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/softwareexp2-1-e1471869265706.jpg" style="text-align:center" />

Last week, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/software-explorer/" target="_blank">I launched Software Explorer</a>, the YouTube series dedicated to exploring business software.
Today, I'm very pleased to present episode one, where I walk you through the free desktop-based website builder, <a href="https://mobirise.com/">Mobirise</a>.
So without any further adieu, enjoy!
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M9Xr9yFMLLY?feature=oembed"></iframe>
You can find out more about<a href="https://mobirise.com/"> Mobirise via their website</a>, as well as through my <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mobirise-review/">Mobirise Review</a>.
Do you want me to feature a particular business software on Software Explorer? Let me know in the comments section below!

[Video] Software Explorer Episode 1: Mobirise

<img alt="streamlined-updates" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/streamlined-updates-1-e1471435122911.png" />
<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2016/08/pepper/">WordPress 4.6</a> is finally here, and <a href="/wordpress-4-4-beta-bare-bones/">this time</a>, it actually has some features that are worth updating for.
Named ‘Pepper' after the musician Pepper Adams, WordPress 4.6 improves theme and plugin management by allowing you to update, install, and delete directly from the Plugins and Themes interfaces.
It also boasts native (and thus faster) fonts, a better content recovery feature, and an automatic inline broken link checker. Not too shabby, WordPress.
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://videopress.com/embed/GbdhpGF3"></iframe> 
<h2>Theme &amp; Plugin Management and Inline Link Checking</h2>
The ability to update and delete plugins and themes without leaving the Plugins and Themes interfaces makes it a lot easier to manage your site. I'm a big fan of this feature, because it's those extra few seconds that were taken up by page redirects that made WordPress so tiring to use at times.
As for the automatic inline link checker, WordPress now alerts you to the fact that you have inserted a broken link into your page or article. A small, but intelligent upgrade to the inline linking feature introduced in version 4.5
<h2>Better Content Recovery and Faster Fonts</h2>
In the case of a lost internet connection while writing a post, WordPress has been saving and recovering work for a while now. But with WordPress 4.6, the platform now stores unsaved work to your browser, making data loss ever rarer.
Finally, WordPress 4.6 now uses fonts that your browser already has to hand, meaning that pages load (fractionally) faster. I doubt this will impact the average WordPress user at all, but when it comes to speed, every little helps.
Is this a mind-blowingly awesome WordPress update? No – but it isn't a bad one either.
<a href="/how-not-to-show-your-support-for-wordpress/">I ruffled a few feathers</a> when I spoke out about the <a href="/wordpress-4-4-beta-bare-bones/">lacklustre nature of WordPress 4.4</a>, but I can already see the benefits emanating from the new features found in WordPress 4.6, so kudos to the WordPress dev team and community for this one.
For more information, <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2016/08/pepper/">check out the official announcement</a>.

WordPress 4.6 Improves Theme & Plugin Management

<img alt="Act-On_logo-2016_two-tone" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/act-on_logo-2016_two-tone.png" />
<a href="https://www.act-on.com/">Act-On Software</a>, the marketing automation system aimed at small and medium sized businesses, has announced its ‘Advanced Social Media Module', which will help segment audiences based on their social media activity.
The new module brings about scheduled social publishing, social analytics, content recommendations, and more.
Act-On have pointed to the opinion of Augie Ray, an analyst at Gartner, as one of their reasons for releasing this new feature:
<blockquote>
“Marketers have focused much of their social media efforts in the Buy cycle, but they can create greater benefit by optimizing social media throughout the entire customer journey to capture loyal customers and activate advocates.
No single social media metric can encompass the many ways social media contributes to a business's top line and bottom lines. To measure the impact of social media, marketers need to identify their brand's opportunities in the Buy, Own, and Advocate cycles, and select the measures that best fit those opportunities to fulfill attribution requirement.”
</blockquote>
<h1>Advanced Social Media Module</h1>
Act-On's new Advanced Social Media Module is a serious upgrade in the social department. Here's a breakdown of how it empowers marketers.
<h3>Advanced Social Publishing</h3>
<img alt="scr-acton-oktopost-calendar-view" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/scr-acton-oktopost-calendar-view.png" />
Act-On’s advanced social publishing allows you to create, curate, and schedule your content in advance. It then automatically publishes your content based on your targeted schedule for Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. 
This feature alone replaces apps like Buffer and Hootsuite to unite marketing efforts under one roof.
<h3>Social Analytics</h3>
<img alt="scr-acton-oktopost-analytics" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/scr-acton-oktopost-analytics.png" />
Act-On’s Advanced Social Media Module features a simplified analytics dashboard, where you can see how your social media marketing efforts are driving leads and conversions.
With it, you can track acquisitions, engagement, audience, content, and advocacy.
<h3>Content Curation</h3>
<img alt="scr-acton-oktopost-content-curation" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/scr-acton-oktopost-content-curation.png" />
Not sure what you content to share? Act-On's built-in content curation engine gives you content recommendations based on your audience’s engagement with what you’ve already been sharing.
The more engagement a post generates (such as clicks, comments, likes, and conversions) the more the engine will recommend similar content.
<h3>Roles &amp; Permissions</h3>
<img alt="scr-acton-oktopost-roles-permissions" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/scr-acton-oktopost-roles-permissions.png" />
Act-On allows you to easily manage cross-functional roles with the Advanced Social Media Module. You will be able to assign team members to selected campaigns and social profiles, allow them to be a publisher, or just work behind-the-scenes.
All in all, this seems like a fantastic upgrade which should play right into the hands of marketers – particularly since <a href="http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=11G109728-001&amp;id=9182167&amp;type=0&amp;url=http%3a%2f%2fcontentmarketinginstitute.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2015%2f09%2f2016_B2B_Report_Final.pdf" target="_blank">93 percent of B2B marketers report </a>using social media as a marketing channel.
For more information, <a href="https://www.act-on.com/products/platform/inbound/social-media/advanced-social-media-module/">check out the Act-On website</a>.

Act-On's Marketing Automation System Just Got Super Social

CMS Kickoff 26

Find out at CMS Kickoff 26, January 13 - 14, St. Pete FL

What's the future of CMS in the AI era?

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