Articles - Page 84

Agentic AI Is Coming. Is Your DXP Ready?

dsfaltudo

If you are in the market for an easy to use, yet powerful E-commerce solution with which to build your online presence, you may come across a product called Zoey Commerce. Built on the popular Magento platform, Zoey Commerce is a very slick solution that makes the whole experience of building an online store painless.In this Zoey Commerce review, I’ll take you on a tour of the product to give you an idea as to what you can expect should you choose to give it a much recommended try.Signing up for Zoey Commerce is simple, just navigate to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.zoey.com/">their website</a> and sign up for a a free 14-day trial. You don’t need a credit card or any commitment to try it out so please make sure to do so if you are searching for an E-commerce solution (in fact, even if you aren’t, I recommend trying it anyway).Your store will be created virtually instantly and you’ll be prompted to fill in some basic information such as your address, company name as well as given the opportunity to select a theme for your site.Zoey comes with quite a few options as far as themes are concerned, so you shouldn’t have any issues finding something you can customize to your liking:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-13-1024x902.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-13" />Once you’ve completed the initial welcome wizard and selected a theme, you will be taken to this screen:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-1-1-1024x681.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-1" />From here, you can see a list of steps you need to take to prepare your new store for launch.Editing your design is likely going to be the first step you will want to take so let’s click on that. Once you’ve done so, you’ll see that the theme for your site is loaded and everything that can be edited (which is pretty much anything) has edit controls around it so you can simply click and edit anything you wish quickly and easily:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-2-1-1024x726.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-2" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-3-1-1024x720.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-3" />As you can see, making changes is extremely simple, granted, it’s tough for me to show you how easy it is in a written post so, as mentioned earlier, be sure to try it out for yourself by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.zoey.com/">signing up for a free trial</a>.Once you’ve made the necessary changes to your theme to make it yours, it’s time to add your first product. Zoey let’s you use the interface built into the get started wizard or, you can use the left pane and navigate to the more extensive product management page. Whichever you choose to use, the process is simple and elegant.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-4-1-1024x825.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-4" />The last few requirements are to set shipping, taxes, payment providers and an email for your store.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-5-1-1024x843.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-5" />Setting up taxes sometimes can be daunting but not to worry, Zoey will redirect you to a more extensive page and give you a tour of the process to help simplify things.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-14-1024x696.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-14" />That takes care of the Getting started piece of the setup process. Let’s now take a deeper look at the product.How you manage your products is incredibly important and Zoey Commerce makes the process easy. Navigating to the Products tab, you’ll be able to not only add products but edit existing ones through a simple and clean interface.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-9-1-1024x756.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-9" />As you can see, you have a significant number of options you can modify for each product but the interface doesn’t overwhelm with too much info too soon, which I like.Managing customers is equally simple.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-10-1-1024x505.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-10" />You can view and create groups for customers, modify existing ones and even add new customers manually if you wish.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-15-1024x840.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-15" />Additional configuration options can be found on the Setup tab and within the various categories on the sidebar. Zoey also comes with the ability to extend your store using additional functionality in the form of Apps. To browse and add any of these, simply click on the Apps tab and you’ll be presented with a selection of options.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-11-1-1024x976.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-11" />Once you’ve completed the setup process and have finalized your configuration, you’ll want to run a couple of tests by submitting test orders, etc. You can view all orders that come in through the Orders tab. Below is an example of a test one I submitted.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-8-1-1024x900.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-8" />Zoey comes with an impressive analytics package built in as well, including real-time reporting any many others.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-16-1024x581.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-16" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoey-commerce-review-7-1-1024x714.png" alt="zoey-commerce-review-7" />There are plenty of other options to explore with Zoey Commerce but in essence, this gives you a very good idea as to what you can expect should you choose it for your online store.In my time using the product, I was impressed with how quickly it responded and how easy it was to use. The best part is that if you get stuck at any time, you can click on the small “?” icon in the bottom right (seen in the last screenshot above) and it will open a help guide with tips and links to resources as well as the support forum.While I can’t personally speak to how solid their support is or how responsive the product is once it’s loaded up with a significant amount of products, they do have some pretty big brands running their platform without issue so I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I am sure it’s equally as good.My final thoughts? Zoey does a great job of presenting the user with a powerful E-Commerce solution without overwhelming them. It’s easy to use, it’s not daunting and the interface feels well architected.<h3>Pros</h3><ul><li>Easy to use</li><li>Simplified but powerful</li><li>Well priced</li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul><li>Not as well known as some larger brands, yet.</li></ul><h2>Final Remarks</h2>Zoey does a great job of presenting the user with a powerful E-Commerce solution without overwhelming them. It's easy to use, it's not daunting and the interface feels well architected. The only thing I think that I could consider a bad point would be that they are not as well known as some of the larger brands. I do however, expect this to change quickly.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.zoey.com/">Learn more about Zoey Commerce</a>

Zoey Commerce Review

mike-johnston

<a href="https://lemonstand.com">LemonStand</a>, the cloud-hosted ecommerce solution, has just announced the arrival of $1.25M worth of seed funding from; BDC Capital, Hank Massey, Paul Rochester, Silicon Valley based angel investors Barry X Lynn, and others.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lemonstand.png" alt="lemonstand" />
The platform is aimed primarily at businesses, from small all the way up to enterprise level, rather than to first-time online merchants.
LemonStand intends to use the proceeds to invest in continued product development and to accelerate its recruitment of new web design and agency partners.
<h2>“Breaking The Mold”</h2>
According to Matt Roberts, the Associate Director of the IT Venture Fund at BDC Capital, LemonStand are going places:
<blockquote>
“LemonStand has broken the mold for cloud based eCommerce platforms.
They give web designers and agencies full control over the online shopping experience. Through a highly customizable solution they provide the tools and support needed to drive better results for the retailers they work with.” 
</blockquote>
The target in LemonStand's crosshairs is the trillion dollar online retail market that is growing more rapidly than ever.
As I mentioned, LemonStand's focus is on small and medium-sized online retailers who often work with web design agencies on their brand and marketing strategy.  
Built on a secure and scalable cloud-based architecture, LemonStand endeavours to combine the ease of use and operational benefits of the cloud, along with the power and flexibility web designers usually only find with open source and enterprise platforms.
<h2>Built for Web Designers</h2>
LemonStand's Founder and CEO Danny Halarewich also chimed in with his views on the product's position in the ecommerce industry:
<blockquote>
“We built LemonStand for web designers and their fast growing clients. They no longer want to work with outdated, complex, and high maintenance server based platforms, but have been frustrated with the limited flexibility of the many cloud based ‘do-it-yourself’ solutions out there.
Anyone who’s had success growing an eCommerce business knows that slapping up an online store in 15 minutes that looks just like hundreds of others out there isn’t good enough.”
</blockquote>
With a growing base of hundreds of web design and agency partners in over 15 countries, LemonStand’s investment plans center around continuing to build the best solution, tools and community for web designers, agencies and fast growing retail brands.
For more information or a free trial, visit LemonStand at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lemonstand.com&amp;sa=D&amp;ust=1462355557888000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGJE4DY7NoIWOVQyPpw7thyTvH8Eg">lemonstand.com</a>
And as usual, you can explore more through the <a href="/lemonstand/">LemonStand Hub on our CMS Directory</a>.

LemonStand Secures Additional $1.25M in Funding

Liferay, Inc., the enterprise software vendor, has announced the arrival of the <a href="https://www.liferay.com/platform/overview">Liferay Digital Experience Platform</a> (DXP).
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elcomcms9_5-1_prvhxm.jpg" alt="2014_liferay_logo.400x0" />
This new platform has been designed by Liferay to help companies create and manage experiences that support the end-to-end customer relationship. 
This includes giving organizations a full view of their digital customers, and also to manage consistent, personalized customer experiences across; websites, mobile sites, social channels and in-store touch-points.
<h2>The Evolution of Marketing</h2>
Ambitious businesses of today understand that marketing has indeed evolved.
Customers now demand an optimized experience from start to finish, and Liferay is attempting to help brands facilitate that with this release.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/digital-bank-single-customer-view-teller-view.png" alt="Digital Bank - Single Customer View - Teller view" />
Edwin Chung, Liferay's VP of Product Management, discusses this further:
<blockquote>
“Businesses today are moving beyond a narrow focus on marketing to look at the whole experience of their customers.
Liferay DXP helps companies present the right personalized experience for the moment: frustrated customers need help, not targeted offers, while a great service experience is an opportunity to upsell. 
By deeply integrating with the systems that support business units and processes, companies can act on customer sentiment and history to give customers the right resource or offer when they’re ready for it.”
</blockquote>
<h2>Liferay DXP: A Summary</h2>
With Liferay DXP, sales, marketing, support and service teams can truly work together for the good of customer experiences.
Liferay's new platform assembles a comprehensive view of the customer from separate systems, uses that insight to improve customer interactions, and integrates those interactions to the company’s operations.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/digital-bank-financial-dashboard-consumer-view.png" alt="Digital Bank - Financial Dashboard - Consumer view" />
Liferay DXP also enables partners and employees to interact with customers to influence sentiment and support the relationship.
Here's how it all works:
<ul>
<li>Flexible architecture for transformation: Liferay allows you to quickly implement digital strategy and adapt to new digital technologies with reusable microservices and integration with existing applications. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Experience management: Customer-facing business units that touch customers can design highly personalized experiences, from marketing campaigns to customer service processes, by targeting useful information, offers, and resources to user segments and individuals.</li>
<li>Single view of the customer: Liferay DXP creates a single customer profile aggregated from all of the customer’s interactions with the company, along with important data points such as customer sentiment, interests and significant conversions.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Engagement data: Improve customer experiences with access to engagement data such as video content views, click-throughs on targeted content, community activity and social metadata.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Support for innovative interfaces: DXP is designed to be used with modern UI and app frameworks favored by savvy front-end and mobile developers.</li>
</ul>
Additionally, Liferay's approach to their Digital Experience Platform, is three-fold:
<ol>
<li>To really cover the (complete) customer journey: Liferay's portal heritage makes Liferay DXP much more adept at serving the entire customer lifecycle from prospect (anonymous website visitor) to customer (signed into website) to advocate (inside the customer portal, inside the customer support system, etc). Other products with more CMS heritages result in more focus on just the prospects part of it. Liferay's banking that it's uniquely capable here because of that portal legacy. .</li>
<li>To target all audiences, not just customers: In addition to customers, Liferay DXP is for an organization's partners and employees. Purpose of making sure Liferay DXP was capable of this is to enable better internal collaboration and efficiency within. .</li>
<li>To be a complete business platform: Liferay DXP facilitates collaboration and frees up previously siloed information between business units, on the strength of its integration into backend systems.</li>
</ol>
For more information about the Liferay Digital Experience Platform, <a href="http://liferay.com/liferay-dxp">check out their website</a>.
And as always, you can explore more via the <a href="/liferay">Liferay Hub on our CMs Directory</a>.

Liferay Digital Experience Platform Unveiled: End-to-End Customer Experiences

The Google Analytics App for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-analytics/id881599038?mt=8">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.giant&amp;hl=en_GB">Android</a> just got an update; and it looks pretty damn good.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5.png" alt="sshot-5" />
Although the app has been well received on Android devices, Google has struggled to please iOS users, achieving a meagre 1.5 star rating on Apple's App Store.
This update though, should change that.
Here's a total video walk-through of the newly improved app, led by Ajay Nainani, Google's Product Manager for Google Analytics:
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5mrlrWcvHqg" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Google Analytics On Mobile Just Got Sexier</h2>
If you can't check out the video, You'll be pleased to know that the Google Analytics app now has a sleeker user interface:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen322x572-1.jpeg" alt="screen322x572 (1)" />
The tidier interface puts reports on scorecards, making them easier to view, and easy to swipe past. Each one shows a few top metrics on the fly, allowing you to tap for more details.
Users can delve into segments, configure their own segments, view data by date range, and create their own reports before saving them to the dashboard.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen322x572-3.jpeg" alt="screen322x572 (3)" />
<h2>Share Your Data</h2>
Furthermore, each individual scorecard can now be shared with others via text and email.
So, you can forward important metrics and discoveries to other team members through your favorite email client, all from your mobile device.
This feature is probably the best part of the update.
After all, the goal for all mobile analytics apps should be to make it simpler to view and act on new data. Google seems to have recognised that with this update by making it easy for teams to share information directly from the app, no matter where they are.
I'm happy with this update On top of making it easy to communicate new finds with other team members, it's going to streamline the act of checking your website data on the go; and if you're an obsessive stat-checker like me, you'll likely be excited to try it out.
To do so, you can download Google Analytics 3.0 <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-analytics/id881599038?mt=8">here for iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.giant&amp;hl=en_GB">here for Android</a>.

Google Analytics App 3.0: Shareable, Customizable, & a Whole Lot Cleaner

<a href="https://getgrav.org/">Grav</a> is a relatively new open source flat-file CMS. And it looks exciting.
Although <a href="https://getgrav.org/blog/grav-1.0-released">Grav 1.0</a> was released late into 2015, it was voted in as the winner of <a href="/announcing-the-2015-winner-for-best-free-cms/">Best Free CMS in our 2015 CMS Awards</a>, which is commendable in and of itself.
<a href="https://getgrav.org"><img style="max-width:685px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gravcms1.png" alt="gravcms1" /></a>
But there's another good reason for my excitement over Grav.
Despite its youth, Grav is the <a href="https://github.com/search?l=PHP&amp;o=desc&amp;q=cms&amp;s=stars&amp;type=Repositories&amp;utf8=✓">second most starred PHP-based CMS platform on GitHub</a>, and it looks like it's just a matter of time before it's the first.
So what has fuelled this meteoric rise? Let's take a look.
<h2>Grav CMS: Free, Flexible &amp; Feature-filled</h2>
Grav has an ethos of simplicity.
It runs on PHP 5.5.9 and greater, and requires no configuration during installation; it's just about unzipping it and uploading it to your server.
The flat-file architecture makes Grav a very quick and lightweight platform, while performance and security boosting features like; smart caching, SEO-friendly URLs and configurable user roles, all come bundled.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/grav-10.jpg" alt="grav-10" />
And yet, Grav's ingrained simplicity doesn't limit it. It runs on modern technology like Twig, Markdown, YAML, Symfony, and one install of Grav can run multiple websites.
At the time of writing, Grav boasts 58 themes are 102 plugins, all of which are free.
Plus, Grav offers up Skeletons, which are pre-packaged foundations for different website types. Each Skeleton comes with a theme and a selection of plugins that are suited to different industries. Think of it as a way of getting a head start on a project.
But to be honest, I'm only sampling a tip of the iceberg here, so I encourage you to <a href="https://getgrav.org/features">find out more about Grav's feature set through their website</a>.
<h2>Grav in 2016</h2>
The second version of Grav (<a href="https://getgrav.org/blog/grav-beta-1.1-available">Grav 1.1</a>) is slated for release some time before July 2016. But there's more on the way this year, too.
Their Admin Plugin for example, which gives users a sleek admin panel to manage their Grav website(s), already exists. But an expansion of the plugin is coming soon.
That expansion is set to include things like; color scheme and logo customization, WYSIWYG editing, media management, enhanced statistics, and even a built-in backup manager.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/001-dashboard.png" alt="001-dashboard" />
Furthermore, 2016 should also see the introduction of a form building plugin, a Grav marketplace for third-party themes and plugins, and an API.
Those last two in particular are essential to the growth of any open source project, in my opinion.
<h2>“Grav is Getting a lot of Converts”</h2>
I recently had the chance to speak with Grav's Co-founder Andy Miller, and he was full of enthusiasm about the growing platform.
Here's what he said to me:
<blockquote>“Grav itself has quickly established itself as a go-to open source CMS platform in the past year.
It's getting a lot of converts from WordPress, Drupal and Joomla users who are looking for a faster platform with more flexibility and adaptability compared to traditional content management systems.”</blockquote>
Andy Miller is also the CEO of <a href="https://rockettheme.com/">RocketTheme</a>, and it's no coincidence that the <a href="http://gantry.org">Gantry 5 Theme Framework</a>, which is the brainchild of RocketTheme, is on its way to Grav. That'll be piquing the interest of a few theme developers, I'm sure.
All in all, there seems to be lots of bubbling pots and pans over at the Grav headquarters, and I know that I'll be keeping tabs on it throughout the rest of 2016 and beyond.
To find out more about Grav, and to download it, <a href="https://getgrav.org">check out their website</a>.
And as always, you can check out the <a href="/products/grav">Grav Hub on our CMS Directory</a>.

Getting to Grips with Grav

<a href="https://ghost.org">Ghost</a>, the open source blogging platform, has just released a desktop app.
<a href="https://ghost.org/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ghost_logo_big_400x0.png" alt="ghost_logo_big_400x0" /></a>
Since its launch in late 2013, Ghost has attracted well over 500,000 registered users, many of whom see it as a worthy alternative to WordPress, if blogging is your main aim.
Ghost is available for download and can be self-hosted. But they also offer Ghost Pro, a hosted solution that charges from $29 a month.
<h2>Ghost From Your Desktop</h2>
The <a href="https://blog.ghost.org/desktop/">Ghost desktop app is available for download</a> on Windows, Mac and Linux. And it's totally open source, too.
<a href="https://ghost.org/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot-2016-04-27-15-05-09.png" alt="Screenshot-2016-04-27-15-05-09" /></a>
I suppose this is a way for Ghost to further hone the experience of their users beyond just sleek interfaces. Their desktop app makes it so that users can focus on their Ghost-powered blogs and websites without distraction of other browser tabs.
There's no indication that the app works offline, though. Which is a shame, because I think being able to add to your blog directly when on a plane journey, for example, would be a great additional feature.
On a side note, Ghost also recently appealed to its broad user base to help <a href="https://blog.ghost.org/translate-ghost-org/">translate the platform</a>.
It's needed, since 10% of Ghost's most active users are spread across 7,505 cities and 176 countries.
Despite that evident popularity, Ghost is still a relatively young platform with plenty of potential, and I for one am quite enjoying their growth. So, if you know a language or two, lend them a hand.
To find out more about Ghost, <a href="https://ghost.org">check out their website</a>.
And as always you can explore more on the <a href="/ghost/">Ghost Hub on our CMS Directory</a>.

Ghost Desktop Lets You Blog Outside Your Web Browser

If you think that once your website is created you are done forever, you are dead wrong. With customers, services and web technology changing so fast, building an up-to-date website with relevant content is a never-ending story.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/how-to-cut-website-maintenance-costs-with-cmss-reusable-blocks.png" alt="How to cut website maintenance costs with CMSs reusable blocks" />
To help visitors consume information easier, and thus convert into leads, you will oftentimes need to change the way your pages looks, be it a different layout of a new product/service page or simply a CTA button moved to another place. 
<h2>Calling for Developers vs. DIY Maintenance </h2>
Are you going to call in tech guys every time you want to make even a slight change to your website design? You can, but think about the time and money you’ll spend. 
Let’s do the math. 
Hiring dedicated developers and paying for their idle time in between mostly minor layout tweaks can be costly. Then, if you set out to commission your website maintenance to a vendor, how much will it take you to find the right guys? Days, weeks? And even when you come to terms with supposedly a reliable vendor, how this company manages processes and communication might be at odds with your often time-sensitive needs. 
For example, you came up with a special offer and need to create a promo page no later than today. However, even an 8-hour task can stretch for as much as 3 weeks until they process the request, discuss the requirements with you, do the development and finally rework when you realize you missed some important details. 
Besides, as developers are going to touch code, probably testing will be needed, which means another dime added to the overall cost (or maybe even more if you risk to skip testing). In other words, why living this nightmare for the sake of minor changes on your website? 
We’ve got a solution for you.
<h2>Predeveloped Building Blocks for More Flexibility </h2>
To ensure the needed level of flexibility, think of your website as a set of editable building blocks that are maintained in one place and reused across multiple pages:
<ul>
<li>Page templates with basic, predefined layouts – for example, a template with the side menu for product/service pages and a template without the side menu for case study pages.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Widgets – your main building blocks including formatted text fields, pictures, videos, responsive tables and forms, and other content that you drag onto a page and place in a way that works best.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Implementing Building Blocks on your New Website</h2>
What CMS you choose determines whether you can stick to this concept and how heavy it will be on your <a href="https://www.scnsoft.com/website-development">website development</a> budget. 
For example, Pimcore has widgets grounded on the architectural level, whereas in WordPress they are fixed only in some themes, meaning that once you change your theme all widgets may be gone. Drupal is also in the widget game, yet with few out-of-the-box elements so far. 
The commercial Episerver CMS offers campaign teasers and banners, news feeds, videos, contact forms and other blocks that can be personalized for selected visitor groups. 
<h2>Summing Up</h2>
The concept of building blocks helps you depend less on developers when you need to tweak your webpage design in the way how pages are laid out on your website. Involving massive work on the architectural level, its implementation on the existing website will probably be too expensive. 
However, choosing the right CMS for your new website will make it a far more feasible idea.
* * *
This post is sponsored by ScienceSoft. Find out more at <a href="https://www.scnsoft.com/" target="_blank">ScnSoft.com</a>.

How to Cut Website Maintenance Costs with CMS' Reusable Blocks

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?

#ffffff

<a href="https://selz.com">Selz</a>, the ecommerce solution that can be added to existing websites and social media profiles, has unveiled store-wide discounts and free stock images for its users.
<a href="https://selz.com"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/og-image.png" alt="og-image" /></a>
Selz enables you to add a fully fledged store, or simply buy buttons to existing web pages, including WordPress and Wix websites. They offer a free plan to help you do it, too.
<h2>Store-wide Discounts &amp; Free Images for Premium Users</h2>
Before this update, Selz users could only set item-specific discounts. If you wanted to give your customers a discount on all items, you would have to assign the discount to each item individually.
Now, those same discounts (which remain as; $ off, % off, totally free, or free shipping) can be applied across entire Selz stores.
Furthermore, Selz users who are benefiting from their <a href="https://selz.com/pricing/">Starter, Plus, or Pro plans</a>, or have the Design and Pages app installed, will have access to a range of free stock photos.
The photo library will come bundled as part of their Selz Theme.
I've been a fan of the relatively small yet charming project that is Selz for a while now. They've steadily improved over the last year or so, and I applaud them for that.
For more information on these two updates, check out Selz <a href="https://selz.com/blog/new-feature-free-stock-images-for-design-and-pages/">announcement for the stock images</a>, and their <a href="https://selz.com/blog/update-storewide-discounts-are-a-go/">announcement of the store-wide discounts</a>.
And as usual, you can explore more by visiting our <a href="/selz">Selz hub on our eCommerce Directory</a>.

Selz Rolls Out Free Stock Images & Store-wide Discounts

Mia is your new marketing assistant, according to <a href="http://www.signpost.com/">Signpost</a>.
Signpost is a marketing automation and CRM solution with out 6,000 customers, all of which are about to sample artificial intelligence in a new area of their business.
<a href="http://www.signpost.com/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/signpost_logo_navy-1.png" alt="signpost_logo_navy" /></a>
Mia, their latest feature, uses “machine learning to eliminate the need for a traditional CRM and other forms of manual marketing.”
Given Mia's perceived intelligence, Signpost has been referring to her as a person, and apparently, she's set to change the way marketers interact with customers.
<h2>How She Works</h2>
Mia gets stuff done all by herself. Here's how:
<ul>
<li>Creates Contact Records: Mia collects email, phone, and purchase data to create contact records. She tracks customer behaviour and updates their engagement in real-time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Automates CRM: Users just need to set objectives, such as; five-star reviews, customer referrals, generating new customers and driving loyalty. Once set, Mia endeavours to make them happen by learning and changing her behaviour with every customer interaction. She takes care of follow-up and ongoing communication through email and SMS which saves users from manually creating or managing their own campaigns.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Makes Data-Driven Decisions: Mia has data on more than 16 million US consumers across more than 6,000 Signpost customers. From this proprietary data set, she learns what types of communication work best and applies that to her email or SMS–driven targeted communication.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Displaces Existing Systems: Mia is comprehensive, so Signpost say that she can replace technologies such as Salesforce, Infusionsoft, ExactTarget, Mailchimp, Constant Contact and Square.</li>
</ul>
That last claim is a bold one indeed, but it seems as though Mia may be up to the task in some respects.
Stuart Wall, Signpost's CEO, has identified Mia as the future of CRM:
<blockquote>
“Mia is the future of communication between businesses and consumers.
B2C companies have long shied away from CRM systems, because they’re complicated, time consuming, and built for companies with dedicated sales teams. The average CRM forces users to manually upload leads, cross-reference data streams like email, text and purchases; and perhaps most onerous, they require users to curate email marketing campaigns.
Mia removes that friction by automatically capturing and optimizing every customer interaction with zero effort from the user.”
</blockquote>
<h2>The Beginnings of ACRM?</h2>
Essentially, we seem to be looking at the beginnings of ACRM (Automated Customer Relationship Management).
Yes, I know the acronyms are becoming tiresome, but sometimes they're necessary. Just as marketing automation emerged, so too will CRM automation, apparently.
However, with the lines becoming increasing blurred between the two platform types, I can see expanded ACRM becoming a standard fixture within marketing automation systems before too long. Just how much that will affect traditional power-house CRM systems is hard to tell at this stage.
In any case, it looks like Signpost is the platform to take the first plunge. I'll be keeping tabs on how it all pans out for them, and for Mia.
To find out more about Mia, check out the <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160420005272/en/Signpost-Unveils-Mia-AI-Driven-CRM">official press release</a>, and the <a href="http://www.signpost.com/testimonials/">Signpost website</a>.
And as usual, you can explore more through the <a href="/signpost/">Signpost hub on our CRM Directory</a>.

Signpost Unveils Mia: Artificial Intelligence Meets CRM

<a href="https://themeforest.net/">ThemeForest</a> is no longer just a great place to find website themes. They now have a dedicated section for courses where expert developers can share their web design wisdom.
<a href="https://envato.com/">Envato</a>, the company behind ThemeForest (as well as CodeCanyon, PhotoDune, and others) has decided to open this new section to promote some of the material they offer over at <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/themeforest/">TutsPlus.</a>
TutsPlus is Envato's hub of short courses for budding developers, and as of right now, there are 85 of their short courses available on Themeforest. All sale for just $5 each.
But that's not the exciting part.
<h2>Beyond Code</h2>
Although the courses provided by TutsPlus seem beneficial, you can expect to see a lot more content in coming weeks and months as more experts publish their tutorials.
As a result of this move, ThemeForest users will be buying something other than just code for the first time. Instead, they'll be purchasing the guides that can teach them how to build their very own themes and plugins.
For now, only two sections exist; code and web design. But that's another areas that you can expect to expand.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/themeforest/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3-1.png" alt="sshot-3" /></a>
Personally, I think this could be a more focused, and potentially cheaper alternative to online code courses, which typically take a more generic approach to learning code, and also cost a pretty penny.
For example, one existing course is titled, “Get Started With Django”, while another is called, “Build a CMS With ASP.NET and Git”. Both sell for just $5.
It all looks like a potential gold mine for aspiring developers, so I hope the content starts to really flow before too long.
<h2>A Winning Formula</h2>
For Envato, this is a win-win.
Existing web developers can sell their tutorials on ThemeForest, which in turn will breed more web developers who – you guessed it – can then sell their wares on ThemeForest.
Essentially, they're turning consumers into vendors (who will in turn provide more content for other consumers) in a rather ingenious way.
To get your hands on a short course, <a href="https://themeforest.net/">check out ThemeForest</a>.

Learn to Code With ThemeForest Short Courses

The latest release of MODX Revolution is now available. Version 2.5 brings PHP7 compatibility, ability to have faster performance for anonymous users, improved Manager interface when accessing from mobile or tablet devices, enhanced accessibility and much more.Some of the key improvements in this release are:<ul><li>PHP 7 compatibility (it’s coming soon to a server near you). PHP 7 performs significantly faster than any previous release before it so your sites should be able to handle more visitors and serve them more quickly, keeping them engaged and returning for more.</li><li>Accessibility improvements worked into the core Manager experience including screen reader and keyboard navigation on the Login screen. The work that is going on for the Accessible Manager theme that takes this much further, works in MODX Revolution 2.5, too.</li></ul>Additionally, some UX improvements have been made such as:<ul><li>New default content for new installs provides helpful resources and information. Instead of the empty blank page in all previous versions of MODX Revolution, you now get a nice intro page with some important links to assist and orient new users..</li><li>Much more mobile-friendly Manager. As a stepping stone towards a new Manager in the future, this allows you to make edits and access the Manager much more easily than was possible before, thanks to the <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/modxcms/revolution/pull/12776">intense efforts of JP Devries</a>.</li><li>Add ability to unpack zip files in the file tree / media manager</li></ul><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/25-mobile-sim-collage.png" alt="25-mobile-sim-collage" />You can also expect improved performance with this release thanks to the following enhancements:<ul><li>Parser optimizations which improve pre-caching performance. This means visitors will be served more quickly, and Google will give your site a little more respect, which it clearly deserves.</li><li>A new anonymous_sessions setting can significantly speed up the performance for sites that don’t need to have PHP sessions or logged in users. When this setting is enabled, and a page is fully cached, having sessionless anonymous visitors eliminates the need for a database connection for that visitor on each request. If your site serves even moderate traffic, this can significantly reduce the amount of processor required to operate. This setting is enabled by default.</li></ul>For a full detailed breakdown of this release, visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://modx.com/blog/2016/04/21/modx-revolution-2.5/">announcement</a> and be sure to check out MODX in our <a href="/products">CMS directory</a>.

MODX Revolution 2.5 Released

DotCMS has announced the release of version 3.5 of their popular java based open source content management system. In keeping with the customer experience management trend, this new release brings numerous personalization tools such as personas, targeted content and more to their customers.
“We designed our Rule Builder, personas, targeted content and personalization capabilities fully intending them to be readily usable by everyday digital marketing teams, without requiring developer muscle,” said dotCMS CTO, Will Ezell. “At the same time we didn't forget developers. Supporting our everything-is-content philosophy, targeted content, rules and personalized digital experiences can be fully customized or extended using dotCMS built in APIs for more complex interactions or integrations with third party systems.”
“With dotCMS 3.5, we're breaking down traditional barriers in digital experience management. We're now delivering features that are not usually available or easily accessible to marketers in other systems,” said, Tim Brigham, dotCMS, CEO. “We have a proven track record of being able to balance dependencies among technical and non-technical stakeholders in digital experience management. The flexible features sets presented in dotCMS 3.5 are a demonstration and proof of our commitment to empowering the entire digital team with the tools they need to get results.”
Check out the video below showcasing some of these new features:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p1cH0HNePuA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As DotCMS is an open source product, you can download this release and test these new features out for yourself from here: <a href="http://dotcms.com/content-management-system/targeted-personalization-cms">http://dotcms.com/content-management-system/targeted-personalization-cms</a>

DotCMS 3.5 Brings Targeted Content, Personas, Personalization Tools and More

<a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/">elcomCMS</a> is a <a href="/elcomcms-cms-lms-intranets/">CMS, LMS and intranet solution</a> suited to enterprise and large-scale companies.
<a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/"><img alt="Elcom_13" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elcom_13-1.jpg" /></a>
The Australia-based software giant powers over 1,000 global site deployments, including Hyundai and Woolworths.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Tim Kirkman, elcomCMS' Product Director. He walked me through the core features and functions of ElcomCMS, and I got it all on video.
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/l2nuvn9hYQo"></iframe>
To find out more about elcomCMS, <a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/">check out their website</a>.

A Video Walkthrough of elcomCMS

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

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

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads