Articles - Page 82

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

matt-garrepy

<a href="https://appinstitute.com/">AppInstitute</a> was founded in 2011 by CEO Ian Naylor and is now one of the largest app builders in the UK. During this time it has acquired a number of startup awards and is now making big waves in the US/Canadian market.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appinstitute-review-1_csohse.png" alt="appinstitute review - 1" />
Known as the “Wordpress for apps”, AppInstitute is a welcome addition to the App Maker CMS. The app builder guides users with no design expertise to create their own applications via the Software-as-a-Service platform. This gives SMEs and individuals the chance to minimize business costs by keeping app development and maintenance in-house.
AppInstitute’s core value “Deliver Wow” is a bold statement for any business to make but it suggests that the company has complete confidence in its product. So the question is: “does it deliver”? Check out our review below to find out.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
Setting up an account is a breeze and you’ll receive a friendly “Welcome” email straightaway. Once you sign up, you’ll see an option to extract your business information from your Facebook account by simply typing in your page name. Total convenience.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appinstitute-review-2_az9kyb.png" alt="appinstitute review - 2" />
On the next screen you’ll be asked to name your app and follow these steps:
<ul>
<li>Choose a category to find the best template for your app</li>
<li>Select your industry</li>
<li>Enter your website address to create a colour scheme that works with the app.</li>
</ul>
The app builder will then bring you to the next stage of the process where you can edit your design, add content, and publish your app.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appinstitute-review-3_h02crl.png" alt="appinstitute review - 3" />
<h2>Design</h2>
Design options are a bit limited but the available templates are good – with some better than others. Once you’ve chosen a theme you have to stick with it unless you want to start over which is a bit irritating, so it’s advisable to take some time in choosing the right one for your business from the start.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appinstitute-review-4_dzbr3m.png" alt="appinstitute review - 4" />
<h2>Usability and Support</h2>
One of the best things about this app is the support you receive whilst navigating it. The online demo/video tutorials are great for users who aren’t at all familiar with the app building process (which likely accounts for a large portion of AppInsitute demographic) and this is important because the interface has a very cluttered look that may deter newcomers.
Once you look past that, though, the drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to edit or change various app elements and the addition or deletion of functions is also just a process of a few clicks.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appinstitute-review-5_d83lkm.png" alt="appinstitute review - 5" />
<h2>Key Features</h2>
In addition to the app templates available, there are more than 20 modules available to add more app functionality. Some key modules include:
<ul>
<li>In-app calendar and booking system including the use of rich media for the events you create</li>
<li>eCommerce module: create your own menu and check-out features so that users can pay within the app</li>
<li>Loyalty program: coupons, stamps, and loyalty point available</li>
<li>Maps and other location-based features</li>
</ul>
Marketing resources and analytics, push notifications, and a Content Management System are also available to give you even more insight into how your customers are interacting with your app.
<h2>Languages</h2>
As the company is based in the UK, I expected at least 2 language options. However English is the only available option at the moment.
<h2>Compatibility</h2>
AppInstitute is compatible with iOS 6.0 or later on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and 4.0.3 upwards is required for the Android version.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
After your free trial, there are 4 subscription tiers available to suit your needs. The AppInstitute starter plan at $35 p/m is definitely affordable but it may not be enough for some companies. Things start to get a little pricey as you move up the tier ranks, but the AppBuilder Pro+ for $84 monthly is a solid middle-ground option that’s both cost-effective and feature-rich.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appinstitute-review-6_lj8q9q.png" alt="appinstitute review - 6" />
<h2>Pros</h2>
<ul>
<li>100% free trial with no credit card required</li>
<li>Drag-drop builder and instant preview</li>
<li>Possible to hire a developer to assist with the design</li>
<li>Great online support</li>
</ul>
<h2>Cons</h2>
<ul>
<li>Limited template options</li>
<li>Once you cancel your subscription, your app is automatically unpublished from all stores</li>
<li>Can be pricey</li>
<li>Cluttered UI</li>
</ul>
<h2>Final Verdict &amp; Rating: ⅘</h2>
Overall, AppInstitute is a solid App Builder for app design newbies and the price factor isn’t a massive issue in comparison to outsourcing your app development. The busy interface means that it may take complete beginners a while to get their bearings, but the features available more than compensate for that.
If you’re a small to medium business in need of an app, I definitely recommend giving AppInstitute a try.

AppInstitute Review

mike-johnston

<img title="Changes in the web industry" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/webchanges.jpg" alt="Changes in the web industry" />
The web world is always changing. Always. For anyone whose livelihood is tied to the web, it's important to keep an ear to the ground to find out what's changing and how it might affect you. To save you the trouble of putting your own ear to the ground, we've done some listening ourselves. Here's the rumble on the biggest changes in the web industry. Whatever your role on the web, we suggest you take heed.

<h2>1. Responsive Design</h2>
As discussed in a previous CMS Critic article, <a href="/why-responsive-design-is-so-important/" target="_blank">responsive design</a> is huge. Right now, we're facing a sea change in the web design world bigger than anything since the Web 2.0 revolution nearly ten years ago. Sites without a responsive component are a step behind. Responsive is an integral component of any web strategy. Forsake this major trend at your own peril.
<h2>2. The Domination of Mobile</h2>
It is cliché to say anything about “the rise of mobile.” It already happened. That's old news. However, mobile domination is different from the rise of mobile. At the close of last year, CNN cited the presence of five billion mobile users on the planet. That's a huge percentage of the world's population toting mobile gadgets. It represents a gigantic demand for mobile information. The mobile monster demands the attention of designers, programmers, developers, writers, marketers, and anyone else whose life is touched by the web. (Which is, uh, everyone.) Mobile is the modus operandi for accessing the web and for doing our jobs. Like it or not, it's changing how you live your life in 2013.
<h2>3. The Demand for Instant</h2>
Due in part to our mobile addiction, we want everything now. Maybe that's why <a href="http://www.google.com/landing/now/" target="_blank">Google Now</a> is a standard fixture on all Android devices. It's more than just information —  stock tickers in website sidebars or weather widgets in our calendars. It's more than just blazing connection speeds. No, we want instant activity, instant direction, instant access, and instant everything right now. Whether you're crafting a site architecture or managing a website, think about the speed issue. How can we get even faster?
<h2>4. The Growth of Online Shopping</h2>
I'm an online shopping junkie. I even buy food online. (The fifteen-minute drive to Trader Joe's is just too much. Thanks, Amazon Prime.) The world's move to online shopping is on an upward swing. We're watching rising rates of online shoppers flock to the shopping websites across Europe and Asia, and pretty much everywhere in the developed world. More online shoppers means more online stores, bigger online stores, and heightened demand for the tightened integration of CMS, CXM, and CRM. More money is being spent online. A lot of someones are going to get a lot of money.
<h2>5. The Decline of SEO</h2>
The domination of SEO is fading. Sure, SEO is going to stick around for a while, but it will no longer have the immense clout that it once had. There are two major reasons for this; both reasons are rooted in search engine algorithms. First, search engines are becoming prescient. They know what words you're going to type in the search bar before you do. This goes beyond autocomplete. Search engines have the ability to anticipate searches based on your search history, geographical locale, demographic, and other features. Anticipated searches and user-specific results means that SEO is getting weaker by the minute. Search results are at once, far more nuanced and yet less malleable. We can't force rank shifts as easily as we once could. Second, the algorithms are adept at weeding out junk pages, content farms, spammy sites, and irrelevant information. (I'm looking at you Google Penguin.) Rankings have less value when a search engine acts more like a human than a search bot. And that's what we're dealing with now — search algorithms with humanoid complexity. Yes, SEO is declining, yet his is not the decade-old declaration that “SEO is dead!” Nobody's dead yet. SEO is just changing just like everything else in the web world. SEO is shifting in style and approach, and therefore its influence is waning.
<h2>6. The Rise of Personal Influence</h2>
Rushing in to fill this void is the rise of personal influence. We all know that Web 2.0 is an intensely personal and interactive web experience. With personal blogs aplenty, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and social media overkill, there is no longer any reason to feel like the web is an impersonal entity. The social trend is coming to maturity. Personal influence is going to matter more and more. For example, a single tweet from one individual can create a massive ripple in the Twitter pool. Likewise, the more prolific and skilled a blogger, the more you'll see his smiling mug in the search results of Google, thanks to Google+. It's less likely that a company will command your attention, and far more likely that an individual will carry that company's flag to the front lines. Personal influence is much more than just hiring managers checking out your Facebook page and LinkedIn profile. The rise of personal influence admits that the Internet is full of people writing information, people selling goods, people selling services, people sharing their lives, people uploading photos, people communicating with other people….people, people, people. Internet equals people. Therefore, it is no wonder that the web will ride on the wave of personal influence.
These trends are not just changing the web industry; they're changing the world. Although this article doesn't chase down the various ramifications of these changes, you'll probably want to do some thinking about how to respond in your own unique situation. Change is happening. We must learn to accept it, embrace it, and thrive.

Six Major Trends that Are Changing the Web Industry Right Now

daniel-threlfall

PDFFiller is an online PDF form filler and editor that has been on the market since 2006. It allows you to not only fill out PDF documents, sign them and send them out but also to host them on your own website complete with the ability for people to do the same. Today, I'm going to share with you my PDFFiller Review.
I first came across PDFFiller when they reached out to me to ask if I was interested in taking a look at their software. Being a long time Docusign user, I was eager to check out an alternative and see if it met my needs. I'm glad I did. PDFFiller is significantly easier to use and felt far faster in my time using the software. For the purposes of this PDFFiller review, I've used a W8 form from the IRS (something I often have to fill out being Canadian and working with US companies).
When you first log into PDFFiller, you'll be greeted with this screen:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-1.png" />
To add a document, simply click on the Add New Form button.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-2.png" />Now upload your document to PDFFiller and it will instantly be available for you to fill out.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-31398x0-is.png" />Now that you've uploaded your PDF document, just click in the fields and fill out the information required. It's as easy as clicking and typing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-4.png" />Once you've filled out the form, it's time to move to the signature stage. Adding a signature is incredibly easy, you can type one out, draw it with your mouse, use a touch screen device (if you have one), capture a signature or upload one.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-5.png" />In my case, I chose to draw one with my mouse, which I find is as close as I can get to real life. In this instance, I'm using a fake name so I'll just sign the document as “Joe”.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-6.png" />That's all there is to the signing and filling out process. Pretty simply isn't it? Let's take a quick look at a few other slick features you get with PDFFiller. Adding a watermark to documents is always handy and doing so simply requires you clicking on the watermark tab on the right side of the screen and creating yours.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-71398x0-is.png" />This is incredibly handy for those of us who want to show people how a form should be completed but don't want it to be re-used somewhere else. Adding in a SAMPLE or VOID watermark is useful.
Adding even more features, PDFFiller also allows you to spell check your document. Of course, it can only spell check the information you've typed out but it's a great feature to make sure you haven't made any mistakes on your form. To enable it, simply flick the switch as shown below.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-8.png" />Once you've finished with your document, it's time to send it off. You have a slew of options such as printing it, saving it as Word or PDF, emailing, faxing, SMS and more.

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdf-fillter-review-9.png" />
There you have it, as you can see, it's a very easy to use piece of software and incredibly handy for busy professionals who don't have printers with them on the road. Last but not least, they have one feature I can see people using on their websites that is incredibly handy, the ability to share a document that can be filled out and signed by visitors to your website. Check out the video below to see how it works:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gpfKOYynDnc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Simply <a href="https://www.pdffiller.com" target="_blank">sign up for an account with PDFFiller</a> and you'll be well on your way to signing contracts, PDFs and more. They also have handy iOS and Android apps that are just as easy to use.

PDFFiller Review - A Must Have in your Arsenal

SquareSpace has been getting alot of attention of late for their revolutionary CMS. SquareSpace is an incredibly powerful and unique, hosted solution that gives the designer/developer unprecedented control over the look of their site and it's content. Today we're going to take a look at it in this SquareSpace review.
SquareSpace is available with a number of plans ranging from $8/month to $50/month (more details on their<a href="http://www.squarespace.com" target="_blank"> pricing page</a>).
When you first log into your account, you will notice a menu along the top of the site that offers a number of options:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace1-580x104_egtoha.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" /> 
Clicking on the overview option provides a number of statistics for your website using some nicely rendered charts (it's nice to see some well done integrated analytics):
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace2-580x308_uajfu5.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" /> 
Squarespace CMS also has inline editing which you can access directly from the site.
You can see the links once you log into the CMS:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace3-580x309_peyxdu.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" /> 
Clicking the “Post new entry” button overlays an very well designed editor that has literally every function you could want (and more) including video embedding, photo embedding and much more. Using their editor is a snap and works beautifully. Embedding a YouTube video into a post, for example, is as easy as pasting the URL.. the editor will then provide a preview and give you a number of options for sizing and alignment.
Here's a screenshot of the editor:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace4-580x426_rfyj7g.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" />
Entering Tags and Categories within the editor is just a click and type function and works exactly as one might expect.
Article references can also be inserted with ease thanks to a handy References button within the editor:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace5-580x365_kadawj.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" />
The editor in the top right of the screen (shown below) allows you to switch between modes such as content editing, structure editing, style editing and preview mode.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace6_enfg5a.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" />
We've already shown you content editing mode, let's move on to Structure Editing mode.. (the 4 square blocks shown in the menu above).
Structure editing mode allows you to add and insert sections, add/modify widgets, edit the headers and more. Clicking on this mode will show a number of options as well as page configuration:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace7-580x410_zdye76.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" />
Clicking on configure this page will bring up the dialog below which lets you make modifications to the individual page itself. There are far too many options to possibly show with screenshots so we'd recommend trying out their demo if you'd like to see the options and play around. You can get a demo for 14 days (no credit card required) from their website.
Switching to style editing mode (yes, the options never end with this software..) provides you with even more functionality. Now you can switch templates using this screen:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace8-580x165_ey9tnc.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" />
Once you've found the right template, you can copy it into your own style and make whatever changes you want. Clicking on Banner &amp; Navigation provides the following functions (column configuration, customized banners, etc):
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/squarespace9-580x210_t8h0xt.jpg" alt="Squarespace 5 Review" />
Once you've made the necessary changes on this page, you can take them ever further by modifying individual CSS, fonts, sizes and more all from a number of handy menus.
There really are far too many options to possibly cover in one review, but this SquareSpace Review should give you a good idea of what to expect from SquareSpace.
For those of you who are thinking that with all of these positives, there must be something wrong, surely support must be poor or something is lacking… the short answer is No.
Support responses were the fastest we have ever had from any support ticket we have filed. Literally within 5 minutes of submitting a request, we had a reply back.. they are fast, polite and efficient and we highly recommend them. Now, having said that, we don't expect this fast of a response all of the time but it certainly was a pleasant first experience.
One thing is for certain, SquareSpace rivals most installed CMS systems when it comes to ease of use, beauty and functionality and this SquareSpace Review was a pleasure to write.
<h3>Pro's:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Beautifully designed interface that is both snappy and well designed.</li>
<li>Huge number of options and configuration possibilities.</li>
<li>Images are uploaded and hosted on super fast Amazon S3 servers.</li>
<li>Cost is incredibly inexpensive for such a powerful system.</li>
<li>Support from SquareSpace is remarkably fast.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Con's:</h3>
<ul>
<li>It won't do your laundry.</li>
</ul>
Website: <a href="http://www.squarespace.com" target="_blank">http://www.squarespace.com</a>
Do you have any comments about this CMS? Have you found this SquareSpace review helpful? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Squarespace 5 Review

If there's one thing that's a sure thing in the world of CMS, it's that there is almost always a product for every individual need if you look hard enough. Today, I'm going to introduce you to a fairly new CMS to the market called CollectiveAccess.
<h2>Let's start with the basics, what is CollectiveAccess?</h2>
Well, it's a CMS that is best described (according to their website) as software for describing all manner of things, and allows you to create catalogues that closely conform to your needs without custom programming. In other words, It is free open-source software for managing and publishing museum and archival collections.
If that's still not descriptive enough for you, it's basically a CMS that you can use to build all kinds of different types of websites but specifically focused on websites to display things such as online catalogues, libraries, production and broadcast footage, special collections and more. To get an idea of the types of projects it has been used for, <a href="http://www.collectiveaccess.org/#projects" target="_blank">visit this link</a>.
<h2>Features</h2>
<ul>
<li>Runs on any modern web browser</li>
<li>Pre-configured with several library standards including Dublin Core, PBCore, VRA Core and more</li>
<li>Customizable through simple user interfaces — no complex programming required</li>
<li>Reporting tools easily generate finding aids and exports to PDF or spreadsheet-readable formats</li>
<li>Supports multilingual cataloging</li>
<li>Mapping tools allow you to georeference any asset</li>
<li>Integrated with Library of Congress subject headings, Getty vocabularies, GeoNames, and more</li>
<li>Plugins extend the software's core functionality to support timelines, visualizations, image licensing and more</li>
<li>Import frameworks allow for the batch migration and transformation of media and data</li>
<li>Free online documentation and support</li>
</ul>
This is, of course, just a subset of the features available. <a href="http://www.collectiveaccess.org/features" target="_blank">Check here for a full set of features</a>.
<h2>Screenshots</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot_2015-07-08_at_12_53_26_pm766x0-is.png" />
Interested? <a href="http://www.collectiveaccess.org/" target="_blank">Visit their website</a> or <a href="http://demo.collectiveaccess.org/index.php/system/auth/login" target="_blank">check out a demo</a> and play around with it a bit to see if it fits your needs.

CollectiveAccess - A CMS for Catalogues, Libraries, Museums and More

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.magnolia-cms.com">Magnolia CMS</a>, the open source Java platform, has unveiled its newest version.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/magnoliacmslogo-1409x0-is.jpg" /> With two awards (<a href="/2014-best-open-source-java-cms/">People's Choice Award for Best Open Source Java CMS</a> &amp; <a href="/2014-best-free-java-cms/">People's Choice Award for Best Free Java CMS</a>) under its belt from the 2014 CMS Awards, Magnolia is a platform that's moving in the right direction. <a href="/magnolia-5-3-blends-cxm-with-cms-to-deliver-best-of-breed-software">The release of Magnolia 5.3 played a part</a>, bringing greater personalization features to the product.Magnolia 5.4 introduces a number of interesting changes and additions. Here's a summary.<h2>Light Modules, Magnolia Templating Essentials &amp; Amazon S3</h2>Magnolia's introduction of light modules allows developers to customize Magnolia by using frontend technologies and HTML on the file system.They can quickly and easily develop light modules and apps without Java know-how and by using their favorite tools, including CSS and HTML editors, instead of Java IDEs and build tools.Furthermore, the new Magnolia Templating Essentials (MTE) provides a set of 32 reusable component templates that allows developers to quickly build templates for their projects.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lightmodule_png_2015-07-07-17-26-51.png" />Because it is front-end framework agnostic, it enables front-end developers to build powerful integrations with front-end frameworks like Bootstrap and Foundation.Magnolia 5.4 also brings about Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) support. This enables users to optionally manage assets in Amazon S3 while using them in Magnolia. This move brings unlimited asset management scalability to Magnolia projects.<h2>YAML-based Configuration By File &amp; A New Demo Site</h2>Magnolia 5.4 also enables a consistent, straightforward workflow for editing templates, resources (like Javascript and CSS) and configuration directly on the file system.Developers can now develop powerful extensions using simple YAML files. Configuration by file has a number of advantages, including increased transparency, ease of editing and better collaboration for developer teams.To illustrate how the latest version makes things faster and easier for developers, and to show the easy-to-use author experience, Magnolia has even designed a stunning new demo site.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/demo_png_2015-07-08-14-43-08.png" />Upon the announcement of Magnolia 5.4, Philipp Bärfuss, Magnolia's CTO, made these comments:<blockquote>“Magnolia 5.4 is a significant step forward for developers because of the increased capabilities and agility it enables. The result is improved collaboration among teams and faster work with less input.The new release significantly lowers the entry barrier for developers, who are now able to configure by file and use light java-free modules, in addition to having access to a powerful and easy-to-use templating kit. This makes Magnolia much more accessible.”</blockquote>To find out more about Magnolia 5.4, check out the official announcement.Also, you can get acquainted with <a href="/products/magnolia">Magnolia CMS through our CMS Directory</a>.

Magnolia 5.4: Light Modules, Templating Essentials & Amazon S3 Support

The <a href="https://contao.org/" target="_blank">Contao CMS</a> team have released version 3.3.0 of their platform, following four months of development and two months of testing.
Formerly known as TYPOlight, Contao is an open-source content management system offering a sleek interface and a number of useful content publishing tools.
The development stage of Contao 3.3.0 saw one beta release followed by two separate release candidates – all leading up to this release. In fact, 120 tickets and pull requests have been completed during the six months of development and testing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/contao.png" alt="Contao 3.3.0" />
<h2>TinyMCE 4, Responsive Back End Themes &amp; More</h2>
Contao has integrated a host of improvements and additions to their platform with the release of version 3.3.0. These include evident front-end changes and less apparent framework tweaks.
Here is an overview of what's new with Contao 3.3.0:
<ul>
<li>Flexible &amp; responsive back-end theme.</li>
<li>Drag-and-drop file uploading.</li>
<li>Theme import/export permissions.</li>
<li>TinyMCE 4.</li>
<li>Front End Preview as a member.</li>
<li>File content versioning.</li>
<li>SCSS and LESS integration.</li>
<li>And much more.</li>
</ul>
For the details of each of these updates, check out Contao's feature announcements <a href="https://contao.org/en/news/contao-3_3_RC1.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://contao.org/en/news/contao-3_3_beta1.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
To find out more about Contao CMS, <a href="https://contao.org" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/contao/" target="_blank">Contao via our CMS Directory</a>.

Contao 3.3.0 Released With Numerous Enhancements

So WordPress and Wix are fighting one another – and I'm not talking about them competing for customers. Instead, the two website building heavyweights are having a brawl via the blogosphere.
Here's everything you need to know:
<h2>Matt Mullenweg Calls Out Wix</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_wix.png" />
A few days ago, WordPress' Founder Matt Mullenweg took to his blog to <a href="https://ma.tt/2016/10/wix-and-the-gpl/" target="_blank">directly attack Wix</a>. Here's why.
Mullenweg wrote that he downloaded <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wixcom-launches-wix-app-providing-a-powerful-mobile-operating-system-for-small-business-owners-store-owners-hoteliers-and-bloggers-around-the-world-300339448.html" target="_blank">Wix's new mobile app</a>, which boasts a blog post editor. To cut a long story short, he first claimed to feel a sense of déjà vu before outright accusing Wix of stealing WordPress' code. Yeah, it escalated quickly.
To be more specific, he accused Wix of stealing open source code that WordPress and the WordPress community had crafted for WordPress' own mobile editor.
How can you steal open source code, you ask? Well, Matt Mullenweg pointed out that although open source code is free to take and modify, the borrower must then release the finished product under the GPL license, making it (you guessed it!) open source.
But Wix didn't do that.
They took the code and integrated it into their proprietary mobile app, sealing the open source code behind closed doors. Obviously, that grinded the gears of WordPress' Founder.
In fact, it even led him to take digs at Wix for their WordPress-inspired beginnings (they used to be called WixPress). It was a tad brutal at times, actually:
<blockquote>
“If I were being charitable, I’d say, “The app’s editor is based on the WordPress mobile app’s editor.” If I were being honest, I’d say that Wix copied WordPress without attribution, credit, or following the license.”
</blockquote>
<h2>Avishai Abrahami Responds</h2>
Wix's Co-Founder and CEO Avishai Abrahami read Matt Mullenweg's rant, <a href="http://www.wix.com/blog/2016/10/dear-matt-mullenweg-an-open-letter-from-wix-coms-ceo-avishai-abrahami/" target="_blank">and responded</a>.
He retorted by saying that Wix has a <a href="https://github.com/wix" target="_blank">GitHub page</a> full of open source projects, and also by admitting that they did indeed delve into some of WordPress' open source code in order to build their app (which there's nothing wrong with).
He also had some nice things to say about WordPress' contribution to the internet, alluding to the point that Wix and WordPress should be on the same page, rather than at odds with one another.
Abrahami also indicated that the source code for Wix's new app will be released, although he didn't explicityly say that:
<blockquote>
“We always shared and admired your commitment to give back, which is exactly why we have those 224 open source projects, and thousands more bugs/improvements available to the open source community and we will release the app you saw as well.”
</blockquote>
At the same time, Abrahami defended his company. He made it clear that Wix had always been about website building, and that WordPress (in its original form) was about blogging alone:
<blockquote>
“…your business model changed to almost exactly the one we had for years. Can it be that you guys are borrowing from us? If so, again, you are welcome to it.”
</blockquote>
<h2>Matt Mullenweg Hits Back</h2>
In response to Abrahami, Matt Mullenweg updated his original blog post. Suffice it to say, he wasn't exactly satisfied with what Wix's CEO had to say.
There were some niceties in play, but you can sense the passive aggressive tone seeping between every line of Mullenweg's second swipe at Wix. He jibed at Mr Abrahami's lack of comments on his post, reiterated his points about GPL license violations, and
<blockquote>
“I said the app includes stolen code. It doesn’t matter if it’s 30 lines or 30 million lines: because it includes GPL code and you distributed the app, the entire thing needs to be GPL. If you release the entire app’s code, as I think you said you would, then that resolves the license violation.”
</blockquote>
<h2>What's Next?</h2>
Well, Mr Abrahami did offer to take Matt Mullenweg out for a coffee. I hope that happens, although I won't be holding my breath.
Mullenweg seems adamant that cordial relations will only resume once Wix release their app under the GPL license, freeing up all the code to to be accessed by everyone and anyone. Until that happens, I think we can expect these strained relations to remain as they are.
What's your take on the beef between WordPress and Wix?

WordPress and Wix Are Fighting About Open Source Software

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<a href="http://www.nuxeo.com/" target="_blank"> Nuxeo</a> have announced the release of a beta for their new hosting service, Nuxeo.io.
Nuxeo is an open source enterprise content management system used by professionals such as architects and developers to build, deploy, and run content-centric business applications.
Nuxeo.io, Nuxeo's latest offering, is a hosting service for building and managing Nuxeo Platform clusters in the cloud.
As a service of <a href="https://connect.nuxeo.com/nuxeo/site/connect/trial/form" target="_blank">Nuxeo Connect</a> – the subscription service providing support, maintenance and access to Nuxeo Studio – Nuxeo.io is a development environment offering quick and easy access to lightweight Nuxeo Platform instances on demand.
<img style="max-width:345px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/nuxeo_logo-1.png" alt="Nuxeo" />
<h2>Arken Built, Docker Based</h2>
The cloud-based development environment offered by Nuxeo.io makes for quick and easy access to lightweight Nuxeo Platform instances on demand.
The technology used to build and prop up Nuxeo's new hosting service is as follows:
<ul>
<li> Built with Arken:  nuxeo.io is built with Arken, an open source software infrastructure for instantiation, provisioning and resilience of application instances, on premises or on the Cloud. Arken was developed by Nuxeo.</li>
<li> Uses Docker:  Docker is a lightweight virtualization engine, or container. It provides the isolation of a VM, without the overhead of a machine, OS or hypervisor. Arken organizes Docker containers using CoreOS.</li>
<li> Runs on Amazon AWS/EC2:  nuxeo.io runs on Amazon AWS, but Arken is infrastructure independent;  it can run anywhere, so you can deploy nuxeo.io on premises as a private cloud installation or in the cloud in any IaaS environment.</li>
</ul>
Naturally, Nuxeo.io was built with developers with content-centric apps in mind. However, Nuxeo have claimed that Nuxeo.io is also a perfect fit for Nuxeo-based SaaS (Software as a Service) providers. This is thanks to the ease Nuxeo.io brings when it comes to building an environment to help manage services for your customers, while also managing your application infrastructure.
Additionally, because Nuxeo.io uses Docker – which relies on low-level features of Linux – SaaS providers can measure CPU usage for each customer, delegate isolation to the kernel and benefit from an environment which is far more secure.
The CEO of Nuxeo, Eric Barroca, made these comments regarding the release of Nuxeo.io:
<blockquote>“In a typical Nuxeo project lifecycle, dozens of instances of the Nuxeo Platform can be started and stopped: development, test, plugins, sandboxes, QA, and so on. Nuxeo.io provides Nuxeo customers easy and quick access to development instances that can be used for the entire lifecycle of a project from development to production.
The digital services­based economy is driving enterprises to provide solutions faster than ever before. Project teams need to be able to provision new environments quickly to build and adapt content­centric business applications that support their customers’ needs. SaaS providers have the same challenge, needing to offer new or enhanced services for their customers quickly. nuxeo.io is a great way to provide both a cloud­based infrastructure and application environment for the Nuxeo Platform to help them do this.
It’s lightweight and flexible, with low overhead required to get a new hosted Nuxeo Platform environment up and running. You can start and stop an instance in 20 seconds ­ now that’s quick.”</blockquote>
Existing Nuxeo Connect subscribers can sign up for the Nuxeo.io beta as of right now. If you aren’t yet a Nuxeo Connect subscriber, you can <a href="https://connect.nuxeo.com/nuxeo/site/connect/trial/form" target="_blank">sign up for a trial account</a> and give Nuxeo.io a whirl.
To find out more about Nuxeo, <a href="http://www.nuxeo.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/nuxeo/" target="_blank"> Nuxeo via our CMS Directory</a>.

Nuxeo Rolls Out Beta of Hosting Service Nuxeo.io

In a recent email sent to subscribers and in a <a href="https://medium.com/@tdominey/we-re-selling-koken-e1193c019f2f" target="_blank">blog post on Medium</a>, Koken Co-founder, Todd Dominey has announced that the team behind the Photography based CMS wants out and is actively looking for buyers.
Here's the email that was sent out to those subscribed to their mailing list a few minutes ago:
<blockquote>
Newsletter / July 2015
We're selling Koken
After considerable time and contemplation, we've decided it's time for a new team to take over.
We are actively looking for an outside company or group of individuals to acquire the CMS and all related assets.
<a href="http://koken.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a9619ef4b3fd333f807011fef&amp;id=d30cd18394&amp;e=63f7818315" target="_blank">This detailed blog post</a> contains everything there is to know. Our hope is that by being completely transparent with our business we can find the perfect team to provide Koken the leadership and resources it deserves. 
To our dedicated followers and supporters, we thank you. We will do everything we can to ensure this isn't the end but rather the start of something new.
During this transitionary period your Koken installation, web site, and the Koken Store will continue to function normally. New installations may still be created as well.
We promise to share any news or updates concerning this sale that may affect you as soon as we're able to.
Building Koken was a dream come true for us all, and we're so incredibly proud of what we accomplished together. Thank you for anything you did to support our endeavor.
Inquiries regarding this sale may be directed to Todd Dominey (Product Designer and Co-Founder) at <a href="mailto:todd@koken.me" target="_blank">todd@koken.me</a>
</blockquote>
Part of me is sad that they've chosen to sell it as it's got some serious potential but another part of me is hopeful that someone who can put the right amount of time and effort behind the project picks it up and makes something amazing happen. I think Koken is a great product and certainly offers something great to those who want a solid photography CMS but while it remains in limbo, I don't know that I'd be actively considering signing up for a new account.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1-9dy2ovftqyjoar97ue5llq878x0-is.jpeg" />For those who haven't seen <a href="http://koken.me/" target="_blank">Koken</a>, go check it out. For a list of alternatives, see our recently updated post: <a href="/top-8-cms-for-photographers/" target="_blank">Top 8 CMS for Photographers</a>.
<hr />

Koken, the Photography CMS goes up for sale as Co-Founders announce they want out

<a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Weebly</a>, the website builder, has released some features that befit a marketing automation system.
The website builder recently ran into trouble with some hackers who reportedly <a href="/weebly-hacked-43m-customer-records-stolen/" target="_blank">stole 43 million Weebly customer credentials</a>. Weebly acknowledged the breach and urged their customers to change their passwords.
But that fiasco hasn't stopped them from working on new features in the meantime. Here's what's new with Weebly.
<address>
<h2>Automated Emails</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/emails_orig653x0-is.png" />
First up, Weebly users can now schedule and automate emails that get sent when a user interacts with your website in a specific way.
Here are some examples of how that can help:
<ul>
<li>Send a thank you when someone buys something from your store.</li>
<li>Send a happy birthday message (and discount) on a user's birthday.</li>
<li>Say hello to a customer who hasn't visited your store in a while.</li>
<li>Welcome new customers who sign up for your email list.</li>
<li>Send a survey to ask shoppers about their online experience.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Pop-up Lead Capture Forms</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lead-capture_orig.jpg" />
Next, Weebly have rolled out lead capture forms to help you collect emails and contact information from your website's visitors. Once again, we're very much in marketing automation territory here.
According to Weebly, this new feature syncs with the platform's ‘Promote' list to capture emails and make it easy for visitors to join your mailng list. You can control the design, layout and timing of the promotion that pops up over pages or from the bottom corner when new users visit your website.
<h2>Abandoned Shopping Cart Tracking</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cart_orig598x0-is.jpg" />
Weebly also unveiled a feature that lets you track the number of abandoned shopping carts on your website. That means every time a visitor leaves your site during the checkout process – but before handing over their cash – you'll know about it.
Also, this new Abandoned Cart feature saves the cart for every registered user and creates a link for you to email them a reminder to complete their purchase. Plus, the email can be automatically sent (thanks, automated emails!).
In fact, after a customer has made it to your checkout flow and entered an email, you can configure the amount of time that elapses before sending the customer an abandoned cart email.
<h2>Weebly: Blurred Lines?</h2>
Just a year ago, I would have been quite shocked to find a website builder like Weebly – which prides itself on simplicity – releasing features like the ones detailed above. .
Lead capture forms and abandoned shopping cart tracking? Those are relatively advanced webmaster tools that are typically reserved for enterprise-grade platforms. Or at least, they used to be.
Perhaps now we're looking at the new face of website building, where marketing automation comes as part of even the most basic package.
For me, it's exciting, but I'm not sure how well this all suits the newbie who just wants to make a simple website for a new business. It feels like the lines are getting blurred over at Weebly.
What's your take on the situation? Let me know in the comments below.
</address>

Weebly Unveils Marketing Automation Features

<a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank">Wix</a> users have been spoilt for choice this month, thanks to the popular website builder unveiling a whopping 50 new features.
As one of the world's leading website builders, Wix offers a user-friendly interface and a huge range of templates to help individuals and companies create simple, good-looking, and functional websites.
These 50 new features have been, “specially developed to help grow your business”, and so I'm sure Wix's 46 million-strong user base will want to get to grips with what's new.
<a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wix700x0.png" alt="Wix Update" /></a>
<h2>From ShoutOut Newsletters to Mobile HTML Editing</h2>
From amongst the long list of tools, apps and templates listed by Wix, you'll find the following new Apps:
<ul>
<li> ShoutOut Newsletters: Send beautiful newsletters to your audience and increase customer engagement. You can also share eye-catching updates, news items, promotions and more.</li>
<li> Visit Virtual Tour: Give your website visitors a tour of any location with an interactive, 360° view.</li>
<li> Poll Generator: Add a fully customizable, mobile-responsive Poll to any webpage in seconds.</li>
<li> POWr Mailing List: Manage your email subscribers, collect user information, and grow your audience with this easy-to-use, fully-customizable Mailing List signup app.</li>
<li>Google Events Calendar: Organize your schedule and share important events with visitors directly on your site.</li>
</ul>
And those are just the tip of the iceburg. Further new features include mobile HTML editing to resize and reorder elements in your mobile site, store product image zooming, mobile page hiding, new button designs and much more.
Not to mention, Wix users can enjoy browsing through a over 30 new templates relating to business, sports, entertainment and food.
The full list of 50 tools, apps, and templates <a href="http://www.wix.com/lphtml/june-features?" target="_blank">can be found here</a>.
Sign up to create your <a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank">free Wix website today</a>.
Also, you can explore more of  <a href="/products/wix/" target="_blank"> Wix via our CMS Directory</a>.

Wix Reveals 50 New Tools, Apps & Templates

Need a form with an embedded YouTube video and PayPal integration? <a href="http://www.jotform.com/" target="_blank">JotForm</a> can do that.
<a href="http://www.jotform.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/logo_4x.png" /></a>The web browser based form builder lets you build a highly functional form right on their website's homepage. You can then embed the form on your website, access the source code, or even save it for later. It's a very clever and very accessible form building solution, and there's even a free plan to make use of.
Now though, to round off their feature set even further, JotForm has unveiled <a href="http://www.jotform.com/form-analytics/" target="_blank">Form Analytics</a>.
<h2>Feature-rich Forms, Tracked &amp; Analyzed</h2>
JotForm has been around since 2006, and it boasts a feature set to reflect that.
With over 8,000 form templates, 380 widgets and 100 integration options, JotForm offers every user a wealth of creative avenues.
Not to mention, This new release is following up from several previous ones in quick succession, including an advanced Form Designer, Theme Store, migration tool for displaced Adobe FormsCentral users, and a Fillable PDF Form Creator.
As for the new <a href="http://www.jotform.com/form-analytics/" target="_blank">Form Analytics</a> tool itself, it comes bearing data regarding impressions, conversion rates, devices, and more. Plus, the tool presents all numbers visually, as any good analytics system should.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/formanalyticsscreen615x0-is.png" />JotForm's founder and CEO, Aytekin Tank, had this to say upon the announcement:
<blockquote>
“This feature is really going to help our users discover how to make their forms more effective. Having this kind of data is going to go a long way toward improving any form’s performance.
Knowing how well your forms are performing is a key step for businesses everywhere.
This is the kind of tool that can help save or make a company a lot of money.”
</blockquote>
To get started with JotForm, <a href="http://www.jotform.com/" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.

Browser Based Form Builder JotForm Unveils Analytics

Best Video Experience

Give your audience the best video experience

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