Articles - Page 87

Agentic AI Is Coming. Is Your DXP Ready?

dsfaltudo

As the name aptly implies, <a href="/products/bigcommerce" target="_blank">Bigcommerce</a> has had a big role to play in the eCommerce industry over the last few years, and it's just undergone a massive rebranding process that pushed it to new, highly professional heights.
Bigcommerce covers all the bases by offering an inclusive range of price plans, as well as a 15-day free trial. Their user base consists of small businesses, enterprise-grade companies, and everything in between.
According to a Bigcommerce statement, their new brand, “reﬂects our long-term commitment to powering growth, removing complexity and supporting businesses around the world.”
<h2>Bigcommerce's Big Makeover</h2>
Bigcommerce now sports a new (and very slick) logo, which sends out a far more executive vibe than its predecessor. Their website has undergone a total makeover too, with new fonts, colors, shapes, and messaging.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-15857x0-is.png" />
Here's what Bigcommerce had to say on the matter:
<blockquote>“This new brand helps better convey our story, and the story of our merchants. Just as with the businesses that rely on our platform, design plays a vital role in how customers interact with and experience our brand.
The changes to our website and control panel were informed directly by our customers and partners, and are designed to make interacting with and discovering information easier and more efficient. This is represented in our new logo — an ode to the “growth chart” used in boardrooms and offices around the world to quantify progress.
At its core, our logo is a dramatically simple composition of elements that convey our brand’s promise to help merchants grow “up and to the right”.”</blockquote>
Although this “update” is primarily aesthetic, I feel it's a big milestone in Bigcommerce's history. And I think it will shape the way it approaches its future, too. As far as I can see, this rebranding event seems to be an attempt to push Bigcommerce in the direction of higher-end clients.
The previous branding was welcoming and happy-go-lucky. But now, Bigcommerce looks like it means serious business.
It may not directly impact user experience, but I'm sure it will help attract more large and enterprise-scale companies (which Bigcommerce seems to be chasing more ardently than ever) towards the platform.
More details can be found on the <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/bigcommerce-rebrand/" target="_blank">Bigcommerce blog</a>.
Additionally, you can explore more of <a href="/products/bigcommerce/" target="_blank">Bigcommerce via our CMS Directory</a>.

Bigcommerce Undergoes Rebranding, And Now They Mean Serious Business

mike-johnston

Joomla is one of the biggest names in the world of CMS, and they've just rolled out version 3.5, along with 34 new features.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/joomla35graphic487x0-is.png" /> Some of those 34 new features include support for the recently released PHP 7 scripting language (PHP is one of the the most popular programming languages for web applications), which in turn, should significantly increase web site speed.So in other words, Joomla should now be a lot faster out of the box.<h2>Pacey PHP</h2>The big news here is Joomla's PHP 7 support. It will bring significant performance improvements to Joomla's general public. But there's more to this update.For example, a new email update notification plugin checks for available Joomla updates and bug fixes, and then emails the designated administrator to make sure they know what the latest news is.Other notable aspects of the Joomla 3.5 release include:<ul><li>Download system &amp; environment information: gives users the option to download system/environment information for support purposes.</li><li>Ability to add a user CSS file to Protostar: currently it is impossible to use a custom.css file when using the Protostar template. This update adds a check to see if the file user.css exists and loads the file to allow for user customization.</li><li>Added site and admin links to module user: adds switches to the mod_status module to show/hide links to the front-end and back-end of the site.</li><li>Article counts: a set of updates that allows the visual presentation of published, unpublished and trashed articles in the Category Manager for articles, banners, contacts and newsfeeds.</li><li>Random category blog and list order: this update answers a common user request to add a random ordering option for articles in the blog category and category list view.</li><li>Editor Buttons added to the Toolbar: You no longer need to scroll down the page to find the “readmore” or “insert image” buttons. Editor extension buttons that used to be placed below the text area can now be found in the toolbar where they belong.</li><li>Easily Insert Modules in Articles: allows users to easily add a module into an article with a button directly on the editor toolbar. Users don’t need to learn any syntax or remember the module details as the user interface does it for them.</li><li>Drag and Drop Images: Adding an image is now as easy as dragging and dropping it from your computer directly into the content. This works anywhere that you are using the default TinyMCE WYSIWYG editor.</li></ul>For full feature details, visit Joomla's <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/pulls?q=is%3Apr+milestone%3A%22Joomla%21+3.5.0%22+is%3Aclosed+label%3A%22New+Feature%22">GitHub Repository</a>.<h2>A Strong Move Forward for Joomla</h2>I for one, like this Joomla update.Editor buttons becoming more accessible, modules becoming easier to implement, and drag-and-drop image placement, are all features that the modern CMS user would want.Juggernauts like Joomla aren't really in need of never-before-seen features. Instead, they should be focusing on improving the features they already have. And I think they've done that with Joomla 3.5For more information on this update, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5654-joomla-3-5-is-here.html">check out Joomla's blog announcement</a>.And as usual, you can explore more of <a href="/products/joomla">Joomla via our CMS Directory</a>.

A Look At The Newly Released Joomla 3.5

Previously known as Edicy, <a href="http://www.voog.com/">Voog</a> is Berlin based multilingual website builder that offers an extremely simplistic way for users to create their own site.
Whilst it’s not known as the most sophisticated website builder around, it does have a reasonable price tag attached, so I decided to check it out.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
To get set up with Voog, simply click the ‘Get Started’ button on the homepage – which will bring you to the screen for selecting a template.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/getting_started679x0-is.png" />
From here you select your theme, add in a few personal details (like your name and phone number), and you’re taken to the editor.
Voog doesn’t have a ‘free’ version but there’s a 30-day free trial that you can access without entering any credit card details.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sign_up_1437x0-is.png" />
<h2>Design</h2>
The theme of simplicity runs through all of Voog’s UI and UX. Everything is very clearly labeled and laid out. The Voog team have streamlined their process down to the bare bones of functionality and it works quite well.
The site is extremely easy to use and there’s no real learning curve involved.
Their template choice is contemporary but quite limited and there’s a very ‘samey’ feel to what’s on offer. All of the templates have a very sparse, European arthouse style, and seem to be geared more towards artists, designers, or boutiques. If you’re running a more ‘corporate’ business, you may not be happy with the selection available.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/templates_2602x0-is.png" />
All of the templates are responsive by default, which is a plus. However, some of the templates that I tried out on iPad weren’t retina compatible and looked a little blurry as a result.
Voog do have a very tasteful selection of fonts to choose from and I found it very hard to make an ‘ugly’ site with their system.
<h2>Editor</h2>
Voog’s WYSIWYG editor is definitely easy to use, but it’s completely rigid. Everything is drag-and-drop based and any text that’s visible on the page can be clicked on and edited with the Rich Text Format toolbar.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/editor_1636x0-is.png" />
Features are pretty limited, and the elements you see at the bottom of the page – ‘Text’, ‘Gallery’, ‘Form’, ‘Movie’, ‘Map’, and ‘Custom’ – are all you have to work with.
If you want to add social media apps or anything beyond what you see here, you have to enter custom code through the ‘Custom’ box.
<h2>Rigid</h2>
Each design comes in two flavors – front page and common page – and you can’t edit these in any way.
When I tried to add an element to my theme, I dragged it into the picture area and then discovered that I couldn’t move it. It had a fixed spot on the design and I could only edit what was inside it, not where it was.
This applies to all of their other elements also.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/text675x0-is.png" />
You can edit the themes if you know coding and CSS, but not everyone is going to be clued in on that side of things, and it’s especially unlikely that people using a website builder this basic would be uber savvy about coding.
This is a bit of a let down from Voog and it leaves them trailing behind the current trend of site editors that allow complete control over your design right out of the box.
There are only 11 templates available, which means you don’t have that much choice either.
<h2>Features</h2>
If you’re looking for a site builder with a ton of apps, widgets, and features built-in, Voog is not for you. It’s quite sparse, to say the least.
Their custom app allows you to insert script or raw HTML from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/login">Twitter</a>, but I found that complexity to be out of step with how basic everything else was.
One of Voog’s key selling points is the multilingual feature. Everything can be listed in multiple languages (15 in total), which will definitely appeal to users selling items in multiple regions.
Everything on Voog is automatically optimized for SEO and there is a decent analytics package set up as standard also.
<h2>Blogging</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/blog_sample492x0-is.png" />
Voog’s blogging platform is completely native and extremely basic. It’s simple to implement on your page with the drag-and-drop functionality but seemed a little too simplistic to me.
If your business plans to utilize a comprehensive blog as part of your marketing plan, I’d think twice before basing your system on this.
If you need a basic blogging platform, this is about as basic as it gets.
<h2>eCommerce</h2>
There isn’t any option to insert a web store or a web store element on the trial version, but the site says that you can insert a ‘simple’ web store by contacting them directly.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
Voog has a very simple and fair <a href="http://www.voog.com/pricing" target="_blank">pricing structure</a> that is completely in line with the site’s philosophy.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-27_at_16_24_21816x0-is.png" />
They have a Standard package for €8 a month that allows for 2 GB storage, 3 users, 30 pages, 3 languages, a custom domain, password protected pages, a fully customizable design (via code), and API access and developer tools.
This is quite a comprehensive package of Voog’s core features and it’s decent value too.
Their Plus version is available for €14 a month with all the Standard features plus 10 GB storage, unlimited pages, a free custom domain, and a database tool.
They also have a Premium version for €49 a month that gives you full features plus the ability to host Voog’s system on your own hosting.
Voog doesn’t have a free version outside of a 30-day demo.
<h2>Overall</h2>
Voog will be the perfect site builder for some users but it will probably be too sparse and basic for the majority of businesses. It would suit someone with a very basic understanding of web design who wants to insert their text in a nicely designed template.
The editor is as simple as it can be and very easily navigated.
Voog is a good option for the novice user who wants to build a simple site, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for anything more than that.
The templates are nice but rigid, the features are limited, and the blogging and eCommerce functions are ultra basic.
This is a decent site builder that works well – but doesn’t really measure up against the top competition in this field.
To check Voog out for yourself, just follow this <a href="http://www.voog.com/">link</a>.
<h3>Pros:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Excellent multilingual features
</li>
<li>
Nice templates
</li>
<li>
Good font selection
</li>
<li>
Intuitive WYSIWYG editor
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Completely rigid templates unless you know code
</li>
<li>
No free version
</li>
<li>
Ultra basic blogging
</li>
<li>
Very simple eCommerce
</li>
</ul>

Voog Review

grainne-logue

Over the course of this featured week, I’ve explored <a href="/a-look-at-motocms-as-an-ecommerce-solution/">MotoCMS as an eCommerce solution</a>, had a look at its <a href="/how-web-designers-save-money-with-the-motocms-developer-program/">Developer Program</a>, and grabbed an <a href="/an-interview-with-motocms-ceo-demetrio-fortman/">interview with their CEO, Demetrio Fortman</a>.Now, to wrap it all up, I’m taking another good look at the website builders flexibility.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled-3.jpg" />Although <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS</a> enables you to get quite detailed with the customization of pages, the real flexibility of the platform lies within its vast library of templates.<h2>HTML or Moto 3?</h2>One thing you may notice when <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/">browsing for MotoCMS templates</a>, is that you have a selection of HTML templates, and Moto 3 templates.If you opt for a HTML theme, you’ll be getting a cheaper deal, but without the added features of MotoCMS version 3, like an improved WYSIWYG editor and extra plugin options.Moto3 templates on the other hand, are reserved for those who want those added benefits, albeit at a slightly higher fee..<h2>Any Industry. Seriously.</h2>If the plethora of MotoCMS template categories manage to miss the industry you want to work in, I’ll be amazed.It’s home to a total of 58 industry-specific categories, including:Alternative PowerMilitaryFlowersSecurityReal estateCarsInterior &amp; FurniturePlus, the more generic categories like “Business” and “Personal Pages” help fill any gaps. Suffice it to say, every major industry is covered, and then some.And I must also point out, to MotoCMS’ credit, that those categories are relatively well filled. So, no matter what industry you want to delve into, you’ve got a healthy choice of templates to browse through.<h2>MotoCMS Template Examples</h2>Here are some of my personal favourite MotoCMS templates, picked out from their <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/">website template library</a>.Industry: Web Design<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/54628.html">A single-page theme</a>, ideal for a web design agency.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/54628.html"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/rocket434x0-is.png" /></a>Industry: Fishing<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/58427.html#1">A bold and rather comprehensive template</a>, built ideally for a fishing company.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/58427.html#1"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fishing440x0-is.png" /></a>Industry: Interior Design<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/58609.html">A sleek and simple theme</a>, designed with interior decorators in mind.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/58609.html"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/design439x0-is.png" /></a>Each of the above themes come bundled with a MotoCMS backend, are 100% responsive, and boats extra features like; stock photos, Google Maps integration, sliders and grid galleries.Buyers also get free 24/7 support, along with free CMS updates.

MotoCMS: Suited to Every Industry

A website builder is primarily designed for the aspiring webmaster who possess limited knowledge of web design and development.But that hasn’t stopped <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS</a> from catering to the developer community.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled-3.jpg" />So far during this featured week, <a href="/getting-to-grips-with-motocms-3-0/">I’ve given an overview of the platform</a>, touched on <a href="/a-look-at-motocms-as-an-ecommerce-solution/">MotoCMS as eCommerce solution</a>, and <a href="/an-interview-with-motocms-ceo-demetrio-fortman/">interviewed MotoCMS CEO Demetrio Fortman</a>.Let’s now delve into how developers can make the most of this website builder.<h2>Developer Discounts</h2>The MotoCMS for Developers system puts those who want to purchase templates in bulk at an advantage.The idea is, you purchase a discount code, which can be used at any time to purchase either; 10, 15, 20, 30 or 50 templates. Every pack of Templates at the Exclusive price comes with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 months of Paid support for free.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-10746x0-is.png" />To give you an example regarding the kind of savings a developer could make, a Guru Pack buyer would save up to $3,500 after buying all 50 of his or her discounted MotoCMS 3 templates.Furthermore, it’s also worth noting that those expenditures (and those savings) come as and when they’re needed. Since you only purchase the discount code, you’re free to buy your set of templates whenever you like.So, you don’t need to invest until your next client rolls in. Not too shabby.On another note, MotoCMS also has an affiliate program, where developers and marketers alike can earn a commission by referring people to MotoCMS.

How Web Designers Save Money With The MotoCMS Developer Program

The team behind <a href="http://www.imcreator.com/" target="_blank">IM Creator</a> claim that it's ‘not your typical drag-and-drop website builder’- which is a bit of a bold statement in a DIY website creation market that’s practically bursting at the seams.
But, after having a good look through the <a href="http://xprs.imcreator.com/">site</a>, they just might be onto something.
<h2>XPRS</h2>
IM Creator have turned their website into something very special with their XPRS system and their new proprietary Polydom web building software. Unlike other website builders, IM Creator builds its sites using dynamic objects that are automatically responsive. These objects shift to match the screen they are displayed on, so they’re about as responsive as you can get.
Whilst other sites are still using a combination of HTML and CSS, IM Creator have skipped ahead of the field with this innovation and it really is something to behold.
The system allows for near infinite variations on their templates and it seems like it’s a big step ahead of most other CMS web builders I’ve reviewed so far.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
When you first <a href="http://xprs.imcreator.com/">log on to the site</a> the very first thing that strikes you is the design aesthetic. Everything is extremely sleek, smooth, and ‘alive’. The site pops off the screen and all of the elements on the screen are moveable. It really shows the Polydom system's advantages over CSS and HTML.
Logging in, or signing up, is a very simple process.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/account_screen644x0-is.png" />
Clicking on ‘Login’ takes you to a very simple and sleekly designed window that allows you to create a new profile in a matter of seconds. It’s an extremely streamlined process that gets right down to business. You can access the site in any number of languages too, which is a great feature.
The very next screen takes you to the Theme Selection page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/themes622x0-is.png" />
There are a wide range of beautiful themes available and all of the sites have an extremely modern, contemporary, and ‘premium’ feel that makes them barely seem like templates at all.
The selection shows you the desktop version and the responsive version – which is a nice feature. You can also scroll down through the preview to get a better look as it isn't just a static element.
A single click takes you straight to the site editor.
<h2>The Editor</h2>
The XPRS editor is excellently designed. You can view the site exactly as it would be displayed online – whether that’s via the browser or on a smart device.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/editor697x0-is.png" />
There’s also a handy tool tip function that guides you through the intricacies of the site in a non-intrusive way.
From here, you can access their apps, web elements, and other features. And the drag-and-drop feature is smooth and high end. One thing I did note is that the system is a bit of a resource hog if you’re on an older browser or an older machine, which slows it up quite significantly. But on a new machine, it runs like a dream – smooth and lag free.
IM Creator makes it simple to add new sections or edit the ones that are already there. You simply click on the blue ‘+’ signs to add a new section or click on an existing element to change it.
When you want to add a new element, there’s a wide selection available.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elements691x0-is.png" />
All of their elements are superbly designed and will fit your theme like a glove.
The social media section is a little lacking – as you can only add links to your pages and nothing else, and I’d like to see custom <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/?lang=en">Twitter </a>feed widgets included. But it’s not a massive issue.
All of their features are ‘native’, which means you’re a little limited in your choices but the choices you do have are pretty decent.
I did find that some of the back-end elements were difficult to navigate, and I was unsure of what was free and what was premium. The access to the back-end was also a bit confusing at times, and I felt that certain elements of this were a little outside my grasp.
Another thing that really tripped me up was the process for changing templates. If you’ve already built a site, changing templates means you wipe your existing work and start from scratch – which would probably get a bit tiresome.
Aside from those minor issues, it’s a beautifully designed editor that stacks up well against their competitors on both ease of use and functionality.
<h2>Features</h2>
IM Creator is a little light on apps and widgets. On their main editing page, you only add the very basics to each ‘stripe’ and there isn’t much on offer in terms of third party extensions. This fits with their design aesthetic but might leave the uber-customizers amongst you a bit disappointed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elements_2592x0-is.png" />
One feature that really caught my attention was the 4min site creator. This option, which is available on their theme startup page, gives you a range of pre-built and pre-populated templates that are ready to go straight out of the box. You simply click, edit some text and contact details, and you have a beautiful site ready to go.
This Surf School (hey, a girl can dream) theme I picked is absolutely gorgeous, modern, and practically ready to go live.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/site_sample651x0-is.png" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/instagram_sample629x0-is.png" />
These themes come pre-populated with guide text, video, photographs, and custom fields like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a> and others. It’s a fantastic feature for businesses or individuals in a rush with getting their site up and running. You can quickly and easily add a sign-up sheet, a contact form, or other apps to these ‘pre-built’ sites.
<h2>Design</h2>
As I’ve already mentioned, everything on this site is superbly designed, right down to the My Account Page. It really is one of the most aesthetically pleasing sites out there.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/account_screen644x0-is.png" />
Their templates are fantastic too, and I’d rate them as some of the best I’ve seen.
Everything seems to be very focused on the user experience and driven towards getting you to the site editor as quickly as possible.
One negative that comes to mind is that the site is a tad overpopulated with content. Their front page is packed full of promotional material, videos, and webm files, which is fine – but it was a little overkill. There was so much to take in that I didn’t really take in any of it, and I felt like I was being pitched a little too hard.
<h2>eCommerce</h2>
The ecommerce integration is very well done. With just a few clicks, you can have a web store added to your site in a matter of seconds. The layout is clear, clean, and very nicely designed. They have a decent range of payment options also. The ecommerce functionality is available on their basic premium package and it’s well worth it.
<h2>Blogging</h2>
The blogging section can be easily added to the site with just a few small clicks on the element page. Users have a range of font choices and different styles to choose from, and it's simple to add media files, embedded video, and images.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
IM Creator has a lot of pricing options for a wide range of possible customers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing697x0-is.png" />
Their first paid option is for the regular, hosted business customer and it seems quite reasonable.
$7.95 gets you full access to all their themes, their eCommerce plugins, and the ability to hook up your own custom domain. It’s a really good price for the quality of themes you get access to. The pricing is pretty competitive in comparison to other website builders on the market. There's a free plan for students, artists, and non-profit organizations, which I thought was a nice touch.
IM Creator also has a white label function that would be perfect for web designers and other creatives to ‘resell’ their templates on their own servers, and it’s available for $250 a year.
The Pros and Resellers tab is a little confusing for the new user – and may put some businesses off. It’s the first menu item that looks like it might be about prices (it’s got Pro in the name, which led me to think ‘Premium').
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing_2685x0-is.png" />
Prices range from $250 a year to $25,000 a year and they allow users to have full control over the entire Polysom system.
Is the free plan worth a try? I don’t know. The UI design made it difficult to discern what the free option actually was. So I can’t really recommend it.
<h2>Overall</h2>
IM Creator have done a fantastic job with this site builder. It’s incredibly powerful, sophisticated, and intuitive. If you’re an advanced user, it lets you delve deep into customization to get exactly what you need. If you’re a basic user, you can get a beautiful site in 4 minutes that you only pay $7.95 a month for.
There are a few issues, like the template change content wipe, the limited apps and widgets, and the unclear pricing. But once you get to grips with it, it really is a stellar option for almost any business.
<h3>Pros:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Fantastically responsive templates that look like custom made sites.
</li>
<li>
Beautiful template designs.
</li>
<li>
Extremely competitive pricing for their regular business premium package.
</li>
<li>
Excellent WYSIWYG editor
</li>
<li>
A brilliant 4-minute website builder
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Unclear pricing and confused UI when it comes to actually buying a premium theme
</li>
<li>
Cluttered front page is distracting.
</li>
<li>
Changing templates wipes your content completely
</li>
<li>
Limited apps and widgets.
</li>
</ul>

IM Creator Review 2016

As we continued with our <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS</a> featured week, I've managed to have a few words with the man at the forefront of MotoCMS, Demetrio Fortman.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled-3_1.jpg" />Based in New York, Fortman founded MotoCMS in 2009, and has been developing it, along with his growing team, ever since. He is also the COO of <a target="_blank" href="http://templatemonster.com/">TemplateMonster.com</a>.<h2>Introducing Demetrio Fortman</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1a718d5-1.jpg" />To get to know Demetrio Fortman a little more, here he is in his own words.<blockquote>“With over 10-year experience in Web Development, I'm never tired of inventing beautiful and easy-to-use software solutions accessible for every kind of web user out there.I love to develop products that help people leverage the power of Internet for their business, leisure, or creative expression.I believe that one should only do something they are truly passionate about. Thus, every project I’ve ever worked on – Moto CMS, Defrozo, MotoPress – reflects my deep interest to photography, blogging, and usable Web.”</blockquote><h2>The Interview</h2>KI: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? What were you doing before the launch of MotoCMS, and how did that lead to you wanting to make your very own website builder?DF: I started in IT as a web developer. My love to computer science, programming and software development comes from the college. I was taught to create, strive for innovations and be up to date with all new in the development world.And of course, I spent much time working alone: I discovered, tried, failed sometimes. It was difficult, yet it was easy, because I derived a great pleasure from the process of discovering the subject I was extremely interested in. I learned script languages, PHP and Javascript. Since I was fond of Flash that time, I started promoting the technology (Flash MX and higher).I was grabbed by Flash, and there the issue of managing complex websites occurred. That time the most of the solutions were written by developers with PHP, “on some sheet of paper” or so. There weren't powerful WYSIWYG editors, and developers usually used simple admin panels that they had at their disposal. Basically, we had to combine many admin panels with different user logins.Sometimes it was so difficult, and we had to develop several admin panels for managing complex websites with the help of popular content management systems. So, the idea of making own website builder with WYSIWYG editing opportunity came from there. We managed to create a unique system that offered a full-fledged WYSIWYG editor up to that time.The times of Flash have gone, technologies develop rapidly, and now we have far wider opportunities for development at our disposal. My team works non-stop on creating more and more new features that we regularly add to the system. Generally, every item, every element of a responsive MotoCMS website can be edited and managed by means of our new admin panel.KI: What inspired you to enter the website building market? What do you feel was lacking before your product came out?DF: I was captured by the idea of developing a CMS that would offer me and other developers such a powerful means like WYSIWYG editor. As I already said, it was a challenge for a developer to combine several control panels for developing one website. For example, a control panel for gallery, for a shop, for articles, a guest book, and so forth.So, we had to combine all this stuff for one client. When we started developing the first version of our website builder, the main idea was to create a user-friendly platform – a website builder with simple interface that could be used even by a beginner who didn't get a thing in coding. We wanted to make website building available for everyone. Our customers' feedback was positive.KI: MotoCMS is visually a very attractive piece of software. How important is it to you that your product looks the part?DF: Extremely important, no doubt on this. I have a strong belief that external beauty should be supported by a good inner base. If you offer a beautiful wrapping, you just have no moral right to put something ugly or useless inside.Every customer should get what he or she expects from a product. And if we claim MotoCMS to be easy, user-friendly builder that means it really is. We always keep our promises. Within the latest product, MotoCMS 3, we offer our customers constant updates to the admin panel, its functionality and features. Because we know how important it is to keep up with times. And that is what we do every month – released a new update to the product.I always say to my team: listen to your customers! You should know what they really need for their website. What functionality we’re able to add to the template to make it perfect for this particular business field. We have one of the strongest and the most professional tech support team that not only has profound knowledge of the product and its use, but know how to listen and react to every request. And that’s how we get the freshest feedback about the product and what can be improved in it.Thanks to our customers, we always know what their urgent need in website building is and make our best to get that feature or functionality into MotoCMS. We had a lot of requests for a blog functionality, and today all the latest MotoCMS templates are powered with blogging features.We created an eCommerce plugin that allows our customers to turn pretty any template into a fully-functional online store. Recently we added a new category of eCommerce templates that have an eCommerce functionality built-in and are specially designed for creating online store websites. And there are still many features that our customers are asking for, so there are no limits for a better website for us.KI: MotoCMS offers pre-made websites for rather different industries. Here comes the question: what's the target audience of MotoCMS?DF: You're right, MotoCMS has templates for any sphere and that's what we are proud of. To be honest, our clients even ask us to slow the templates' production down a little bit, because it's hard to make a choice for them.Our very first goal about MotoCMS, as I already told, was to develop an easy builder that makes it real for anyone to have a personal webpage. It's cool to have an opportunity to learn, gain new experience and to make anything creative with own hands. Creating a website is a kind of challenge, though a very joyful one. MotoCMS has always been a website builder for the customers who have no degree in programming.Our platform allows photographers to make a portfolio website with a splendid gallery of photos, it could be used by business companies to have modern websites with up-to-date functionality, it’s a tool for brokers to have an online property catalog. I can continue this list with doctors, models, musicians, and so on.I will tell you one interesting thing: all our employees make a website on the base of MotoCMS on their first working day. Thus we get a feedback from copywriters, marketers, QA engineers, sales managers, recruiters. Besides it, I often ask my friends to test the newly-released features of the system and I like how they manage with MotoCMS as the new software for them.We constantly ask our customers about how they like the system and if they wish to change anything about it. We’re creating our product for ordinary people, the same as we all are.There is another part of our target audience that I’d like to mention here. These are the developers whom we offer a different way of collaboration – <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/developers/">MotoCMS bulk discount plans</a>. Thus, web developers make websites for their clients at a good price and it takes no time to manage these sites further because of our WYSIWYG editor.I suppose that my team is moving in the right direction, especially within the latest release of the responsive MotoCMS 3, which is available for every individual who has a desire, imagination and a goal before everything else.KI: How do you plan to compete against the big players like Squarespace, <a href="/products/weebly">Weebly</a> and Wix?DF: At the time when we started MotoCMS, you could literally count on fingers the amount of website building companies. Today everything's changed. New technologies made web development more accessible than it was a couple of years ago.The number of web developers increases every year. Of course, the competition is huge. But it's only another motivation for our team to improve our product, especially when we rival with such big companies.MotoCMS makes its product better all the time. We have our 24/7 professional customer support that helps the rest of our team significantly. We forge ahead, collecting the feedback from our customers. Every new update is partly based on the suggestions of our community.MotoCMS has also very large collection of website templates. It contains dozens of categories, representing most popular businesses and activities. There are various web themes, made especially for businessmen, designers, teachers, photographers, engineers, environmental protectors and many other occupations. The website selection comprises thousands of templates for very different niches.You won't find such a diversity anywhere else.KI: I recently included MotoCMS in my list of, “Top 25 CMS to Watch in 2016”. What are the plans for MotoCMS throughout the rest of 2016?DF: Thanks for including us in your list. And I do advise you to watch us in 2016, because we are working on some huge updates for MotoCMS platform. In the days of an enormous competition we have to reinvent CMS every year to stay in the “TOP 25 CMS to Watch in….” ?First of all and frankly speaking, all the time we are working on making a website builder easier for our customers. I am talking about the new system of creating and editing a website – ready content blocks. It's not a revolution on the market, but our competitors have either content blocks with minimal editing features or more complicated admin panel with advanced options. We plan to give our customers both: easy to add and edit ready content blocks and an advanced mode for webmasters.Some of our customers need their own hosting for huge eCommerce solutions or websites with a big database. But more and more customers want just to enter their name, email and domain and get the website alive. It's really easy and gives you an opportunity to make a fully functional website in a few hours. We plan to give our customers both self-hosted product and SaaS solution due to their personal needs.There are plenty of less huge, but still worth mentioning, updates on the go: <a target="_blank" href="http://translate.motocms.com/">translation of MotoCMS</a> admin panel on more than 30 languages, update of our brand new <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-ecommerce-templates/">MotoCMS Ecommerce templates</a> and much more. Stay tuned!KI: And finally, the MotoCMS template library has thousands of well designed options. Do you personally have any favorites?DF: To tell the truth, it is one of the most difficult questions. I know that every template in the MotoCMS library is a great piece of work because everyday I see how templates are made. And it’s really hard to highlight some of them at the expense of others.When I started MotoCMS, I had (and still do) a big passion for photography. Photographer’s portfolio templates are still ones of my all-time favorites. They offer a lot of features not just for showing your photos off, but for blogging, selling your services as a professional, hanging out with customers in social media.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/motocms-54909586x0-is.jpg" />My favourites from among them include:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53735.html">http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53735.html</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53239.html">http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53239.html</a></li></ul>I also love our medical website templates for their clean design and logical structure. Minimalist design is still one of the best options for a website, and medical templates are the purest illustration of this. And business – I see those templates as multi-purpose that can be used (with some tweaking, of course) pretty for any business sphere.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/motocms-53228613x0-is.jpg" />My favourites from among them include:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53228.html">http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53228.html</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53732.html">http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/53732.html</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/54909.html">http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-template/54909.html</a></li></ul>Today we have <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-templates/">200+ designs of MotoCMS 3 responsive templates</a> for any business and personal need. And more to come.They include the coolest trends in web design but can be customized with ease to support the owner’s idea of a perfect website. Since their customization is a no-brainer even for non-techie, they always look great and functional on screen. Take a look at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/gallery/">our client’s projects</a> in the gallery – you’ll see that a great website design is really easy.

An Interview With MotoCMS CEO Demetrio Fortman

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To continue with our MotoCMS featured week, I’m taking a look at the eCommerce offering of <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS</a>.<a href="/products/motocms"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled-3_1.jpg" /></a>I’ve already touched on the platform’s design-focused approach to website building, but with eCommerce being such big business, I feel it's worth noting some of the advantages of using MotoCMS to sell products online.As of right now, the MotoCMS eCommerce widget is ready to be used with any <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-3-templates/">MotoCMS 3 template</a>, offered as an optional extra. However, MotoCMS also offers <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/website-templates/motocms-ecommerce-templates/">templates with the built-in eCommerce functionality</a>.Let’s take a closer look.<h2>The Benefits of MotoCMS as an eCommerce Solution</h2>First of all, MotoCMS is a relatively lightweight system.It takes up just 64MB of hard drive space to install, and then only requires 256MB to keep running. In comparison, other popular eCommerce solutions require around 1GB of hard drive space in order to run smoothly.MotoCMS also only requires PHP v. 5.3, while other systems require at least version 5.4. Thus, if you’re looking to self-host, you can stick to lower-priced hosting plans with less hard drive space, and older versions of PHP support.In terms of backend features, MotoCMS serves up a decent offering.CatalogThis section of the MotoCMS backend contains the entire list of your products in the store.Here, users can delete old items or add new by clicking the button “Add new”. In the window that opens right after that, users can add the necessary info about the product, including its image, title, description, SKU number etc.Labels can be added to products, too. So, you can label them out-of-stock, new or sold out.Brands &amp; CategoriesIn the Brands and Categories section, users can group products into categories (e.g. Women Clothing, Tops, Bottoms, Accessories etc).Then, each category can be added into the navigation menu to help users quickly find specific products.You can also sort out your products by brands simply adding brand name list and then choosing a specific brand from a drop-down box on a product page.PropertiesIn this section, merchants can set up additional properties for their goods, like Composition (for clothes, shoes etc.) or Dimensions (for furniture, accessories).Different values for those properties can be configured too. For example, Material value may include; leather, cotton and silk.DiscountsThis one is pretty self explanatory.Promo codes can be set up in order to create discounts for items, run sales and holiday promotions, and so forth.Merchants simply have to establish a discount percentage, choose a promo code for customers to use, and then choose the time period for the code to be active.<h2>Flexible Design &amp; Functionality</h2>As mentioned in previous coverage, MotoCMS has a myriad of templates, many of which are geared towards online stores.Not only are their templates beautiful and responsive out of the box, but they can be customized with colour picking, drag-and-drop, and so forth.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/58481-big964x0-is.jpg" />Plus, eCommerce-focused widgets can be used, including; Product List, Product categories, Breadcrumbs, Search, and User Profiles.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/blog/en/first-motocms-3-templates-for-online-store/">Find out more about these finer features of MotoCMS’ eCommerce offering</a>.<h2>14 Day Free Trial</h2>MotoCMS already powers over 145,000 websites, so I’d say <a target="_blank" href="https://www.motocms.com/website-templates/premium/">their 14 day free trial is worth trying</a>.

A Look at MotoCMS as an eCommerce Solution

We’re kicking off yet another featured week here at CMS Critic, and this time, it’s the rapidly improving website builder <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS</a> that we have under our magnifying glass.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled-3.jpg" />For me, the platform turned a serious corner with the <a href="/motocms-3-0-formally-launched/">release of version 3.0</a>, which brought about, among other things, fully responsive templates and a vastly improved WYSIWYG editor.The release has seemingly given MotoCMS a new lease of life. So much so, that I’ve just included it in my list of, “<a href="/motocms-review/">Top 25 CMS to Watch in 2016</a>”.To get this featured week rolling, let’s take a closer look at what this charming website builder serves up.<h2>Beauty Begets Beauty</h2>Everybody likes for their website builder to be snazzy, and MotoCMS is snazzy indeed.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2-1_936x0-is835x0-is.png" />The sleek design of the product is something I mentioned in my <a href="/motocms-review/">MotoCMS Review</a>, and I’ll emphasize again here that it’s one of the best looking user interfaces on the website builder market. Plus, it’s quick, responsive and easy to use.However, MotoCMS’ beauty doesn’t begin and end with its interface. It also extends to its template library.It boasts well over 2,000 templates, all of which can be purchased through their marketplace. And I must say, they are superbly crafted.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/moto606x0-is.png" />Categories range from; Art &amp; Photography, Politics, Law, Sport and even Military.Despite there being so many templates, MotoCMS’ template library doesn’t appear to run out of class. Every single page is filled with awesome looking themes. And the best part is, each one seems to offer something a little different, so you can usually find exactly what you’re looking for.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/58546-big_1.jpg" /><h2>eCommerce, Blogging &amp; All The Traditional Trimmings</h2>MotoCMS also offers eCommerce and blogging capabilities, both of which are vital when going up against the biggest names in website building.Because eCommerce and Blogging are available as extra plugins, MotoCMS users don’t have to wander outside the confines of the platform to fulfil their business needs.So, there’s no need to tack on third party software.On top of a blog feature, MotoCMS also does well on the SEO front, with Google-pleasing tools built into the system out of the box.And of course, it’s only right to mention that MotoCMS covers the basics quite well, offering up; WYSIWYG editing, theme customization, page creation, analytics, and everything else a traditional website builder should do.

Getting to Grips with MotoCMS 3.0

Zenario is a multilingual, web-based content management system that can be used to create (very) simple or complex sites depending on your needs.
This is an open source website builder/CMS with no price tag attached, but it’s not really designed with the basic or casual user in mind. If you want to use Zenario you’ll need to install it in the back-end of your site.
Read on for my Zenario review.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
To begin, you’ll need to <a href="https://zenar.io/download-zenario">download</a> Zenario as a ZIP file and install it in your website’s hosting package.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/download_screen573x0-is.png" />
Less advanced users will need to have <a href="http://www.softaculous.com/softaculous/apps/cms/Zenario">Softalicious</a>, which is a free backend installer tool that comes with a lot of hosting packages as standard.
Once you have it installed (don’t forget to check their <a href="https://zenar.io/system-requirements">hosting requirements</a>), you can get started with your site.
<h2>The Site Editor</h2>
The interface is very, very basic – but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/edit_screen620x0-is.png" />
The Zenario interface allows you total control over the elements you see – pixel width, colours, CSS elements, etc. If you’re in any way technical with this kind of web coding, you can make a perfectly passable website pretty quickly. It probably won’t be winning any design awards but I don’t think this CMS is aimed at that market. It’s really more suitable for a consumer portal or company intranet.
The interface does have a very basic WYSIWYG editor but it’s pretty clunky and counterintuitive. Moving a box from one point to the other is a little confusing, to say the least.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/complex_wysiwg643x0-is.png" />
This is a website builder with a very ‘old school’ feel. Remember, this website builder is free and open source – so anyone expecting top of the line drag-and-drop style interaction is going to be disappointed.
Everything, down to the way you add pages or a menu entry, is text based. It isn’t an easy or intuitive process so it’s definitely one for the advanced, experienced back-end user only.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/complex_menu_system973x0-is.png" />
<h2>Design</h2>
This is a CMS that gives the advanced user 100% control of their website and the no-frills design reflects this functionality. You can control your cookies, your CAPTCHA test forms, your contact sheets, your branding, your IP blacklist, your data, and your sitemaps.
You won’t find a range of fancy templates here but you still use Zenario to create a highly functional site.
It’s possible to fully customize this CMS with your own branding and completely white label the entire build.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/edit_branding.png" />
It does have two basic templates – Snowline and Deepdive – but they’re very basic and only really offer a difference in template layout. It also has some preset arrangements that you can customize and these are all pretty useful without being outstandingly contemporary.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/templates_1716x0-is.png" />
<h2>Features</h2>
The app itself has very few features that will be of interest to your average website builder. However, it does have some powerful features that would be extremely useful in the creation of a consumer portal or corporate intranet.
It has a powerful language pack that has dozens of different languages to choose from, and you can also set up automated newsletters, pre formatted emails, contact forms and user accounts
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/language658x0-is.png" />
Users can also add raw HTML and script to the site homepage, so externals apps or widgets can be added as/if required.
<h2>Overall</h2>
This is not a CMS for everyone. Zenario is definitely a decent option for intranets, moodle programs in universities, or as a platform to handle customer complaints or multiple users; but it is in no way suited to anyone other than trained back-end developers. If you aren’t versed in this, you’ll barely be able to get the site installed (you don’t want to know how many attempts it took me).
Zenario isn’t the platform for a regular consumer who wants a site for their business. But for the experienced back-end developer, who wants something that is eminently customizable and completely controllable, then this is probably the perfect CMS.
<h3>Pros:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Free and opensource
</li>
<li>
Completely customizable
</li>
<li>
Allows you complete control over your source code and files
</li>
<li>
Has a great multilingual feature
</li>
<li>
Can be completely white labelled
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Only available as a download. No online hosting
</li>
<li>
Extremely complex for all but the most advanced users
</li>
<li>
Limited design capacity
</li>
<li>
Poor WYSIWYG editor and extremely technical front-end
</li>
</ul>

Zenario Review

Every business owner must eventually overcome the hideous monster that is database management, and it is always better to do it sooner rather than later.
Many entrepreneurs enjoy the challenges that accompany the growth of their commercial enterprise, but few relish the prospect of maintaining a digital structure to hold all of their essential information.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/macbook-606763_1280_1550x0-is.jpg" /> Fortunately, this is not a struggle that must be faced alone. Advanced customer relationship management (CRM) software, like <a href="http://agilecrm.com/" target="_blank">Agile CRM</a>, includes customized tools and a simple interface to allow users to store, access and modify databases.
Incorporating database management with other marketing and sales utilities further increases the functional value of these multifaceted software solutions.
<h2>Common Uses of Databases for SMBs</h2>
Companies once relied on a skyscraper of filing cabinets and a thick address book packed with handwritten notes to organize and access all of their important data. All of these details are now stored on computers, which means that designing and implementing an information management structure presents a fresh set of challenges compared to older systems.
Modern businesses use databases to organize and store all kinds of important information, including:
Customer Contacts: Names, addresses and phone numbers are just the beginning. The tracking and analytic capabilities of CRM software provides a personal perspective on each individual customer. Harnessing the power of this data requires a high level of organization, as well as the ability to access and edit entries as needed.
Company Calendar: Keeping track of appointments, meetings and promotional events is a skill many entrepreneurs learn early on in their professional development. However, even the most meticulous planners find it difficult to stay on top of everything as the company grows and takes on new employees, marketing initiatives and clients. Dedicating this information to an accessible database ensures the entire staff is up to date and prepared for the days ahead.
Project Plans: Even the grandest objectives can be divided into bite-sized pieces to create an actionable path to the final goal. Access to a shared database allows team members to communicate and collaborate to increase overall productivity. Organizing digital information this way ensures that everyone is on the same page as the project moves forward.
<h2>5 Reasons to Manage Data Through Small Business CRM Software </h2>
1. Develop Complete Customer Profiles
It’s not enough to make generalized statements or assumptions about consumers when integrated CRM software puts the power of personalized customer profiles at your fingertips.
Each entry can be assigned a timeline that includes prior interactions a client had with a your brand. This allows for tailored marketing tactics targeting each individual’s interests and habits. Profiles can also be sorted with tags to make it easier to manage and sort database entries.
2. Streamlined Drag-and-Drop Interface for Easy Task Management
Coordination is the key to any collaborative effort. CRM software that includes project management tools is a huge asset for any business, particularly those that are experiencing growth.
A simple interface that provides an overview of all scheduled tasks is a convenient way to manage a complex project. Drag-and-drop capabilities allows team members to update their progress regularly and gives management the ability to modify the existing plan in seconds.
3. Integrated Channels of Communication
Gathering all the necessary information from various channels and files is one of the most laborious databasement management tasks. Small business CRM software bypasses this time sink by integrating all the channels of customer communication into a single platform, so data is saved and stored as it is created.
This includes everything from marketing emails to customer service calls, as well as social media posts, text messages and submitted forms.
4. Access Information from any Device
Managing databases through a single system also makes them more accessible to the entire team, no matter what device they are using.
Cloud storage allows credentialed users to get at the information they need when they need it, so they don’t have to struggle with technical difficulties instead of making a sale. CRM software solutions encourage productivity by streamlining the entire information access procedure.
5. Update and Automate Database Processes
Integrated CRM software reduces maintenance requirements and limits the need for specific technical expertise among staff members. For example, an “unsubscribe” option can be included in all marketing emails to customers that connects directly to the contact database.
This ensures that the customer’s request is processed quickly without any direct intervention from staff.
<h2>Take Database Management to the Next Level with CRM Software</h2>
Successful companies create a fast-paced and efficient environment that empowers staff members with swift and reliable access to information. Simple database interface tools are among the many reasons why more businesses are turning to CRM software solutions every year.
As a leader in the customer relationship management industry, <a href="http://agilecrm.com/" target="_blank">Agile CRM</a> offers users a variety of customizable features that includes a complete set of database management tools.
It is a highly compatible software solution that works with other digital tools, like Dedupely, to maximize the value of the user’s database.
* * *
This post is sponsored by Agile CRM. Find out more at <a href="http://agilecrm.com/" target="_blank">AgileCRM.com</a>.

How to Manage Bulk Databases With a Simple CRM Tool

<a href="http://www.en.flazio.com/" target="_blank">Flazio </a>is an Italian website builder created by Sicilian brother and sister team, Elisa and Flavio Fazio. Flazio (a portmanteau of Flavio and their last name Fazio) is one of many DIY website builders on the market at the moment.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_12_30_33.png" />
At first glance, Flazio have certainly set themselves an uphill battle. After all, in a market dominated by the likes of <a href="http://www.squarespace.com" target="_blank">Squarespace</a> and <a href="http://www.wix.com" target="_blank">Wix</a>, how is a small site set up in southern Italy going to compete?
I decided to check it out and see what Flazio has to offer.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
Getting set up with Flazio is remarkably simple. The process takes just a few clicks and everything is crystal clear from the outset.
Everyone can sign up for free initially and the only information Flazio asks you to insert is your email and your chosen Flazio password. And that’s it.
From there, you go directly to a website template page – where you’ll find a selection of templates organized into various categories according to business type.
Whether you need a portfolio or a site for real estate, all you have to do is scroll and select.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_12_24_54.png" />
Once you’ve selected your theme (which you can easily change later) Flazio really kicks it up a notch with their excellent social media integration feature. Simply add your site title and description to start adding your content from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/">Google+</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_12_25_11.png" />
This feature is completely seamless and integrates with their templates perfectly. Flazio offers a beginner-friendly import feature, which allows users to pull entire swathes of photos, text content or video from their social media profiles with just one click.
Once you’ve completed this step, which is completely optional, you are taken to their powerful WYSIWYG editor where you can drag and drop dozens of elements into your chosen site template.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_12_25_25.png" />
I was really keen to really give this part of the site a good shakedown, as this is normally where DIY sites like this excel or fail miserably.
Flazio passed with flying colours. The interface is smooth, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Unlike a lot of other CMS in this genre, they have made sure to keep the widgets/site elements in front of you at all times (on the left of the screen); if you want to insert a text box, you can just scroll down through the list and drop it in. Adding Facebook and Twitter ‘like’ buttons and boxes is just as easy and the interface is completely lag-free.
All of the site settings are arranged in logical fashion to the right of the screen, and everything is arranged in a way that shows you what is available for free users and what is premium.
This is a very easy site to get set-up and working on.
<h2>Ease of Use</h2>
DIY sites can often be difficult to navigate and even more difficult to use, but the Flazio team have skillfully avoided these pitfalls by focusing on the important stuff.
With Flazio, you can go from signing up to editing your site in less than 2 minutes flat. The site itself has a very gradual learning curve and you’re unlikely to have any difficulties with it – whether you’re a novice or a website building pro.
<h2>Design</h2>
The very first thing you notice about Flazio is how nicely designed it is. From the log-in buttons to the main interface, everything is presented in a visually pleasing and ergonomic fashion.
The WYSIWYG editor is cleanly put together and is extremely user-friendly. Although, that doesn’t mean it’s basic or derivative – quite the opposite – it’s just very nicely set up to prevent any user confusion.
Front-end elements are to the left, back-end elements are to the right, and every element you see on your page can be moved to wherever you want it. You can also right click on some elements to lock them in place, bring them forward, or copy and paste.
If it falls down anywhere, it’s that some of the WYSIWYG elements of the editor (like adding pages, or the menu) are still in Italian, so that might confuse some users. Everything is well laid out, though, and it’s pretty obvious what’s what.
Another thing worth mentioning is that some of the themes are presented in full English and some aren’t; so looks a little messy at the moment.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_12_25_51.png" />
<h2>Features</h2>
Flazio really doesn’t skimp out when it comes to features, but the social media integration is the standout feature for me. The site allows you to import all your content from Google+, Facebook or LinkedIn, so users can transfer all their business content over from a business Facebook page or their LinkedIn profile. It’s a hugely powerful feature that will be standard practice everywhere in a few years.
<h3>Web Elements &amp; Widgets</h3>
Flazio has an impressive list of web elements and apps. You can insert whatever you like – <a href="http://www.skype.com/en/">Skype</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a>, <a href="https://www.spotify.com/">Spotify</a>, web icons, weather apps, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, raw HTML script – you name it, it has almost everything you could ask for.
All the apps, web elements, and widgets are easily added and completely customizable.
<h3>Themes &amp; Templates</h3>
The site has a large selection of themes that are all mobile responsive as standard. The themes are all varied and have a sense of individuality that can be lacking in sites like this.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_12_26_02.png" />
All of the sites come with preinstalled stock photos, which I thought was a nice touch.
Each theme offers a 404 Page or Under Construction element which can be enabled by simply pressing a button on the ‘Pages’ section.
<h3>eCommerce</h3>
The eCommerce section is excellent and is packed with features. Flazio accept all credit cards, have a really great shopping cart, secure all payments, and allow you to monitor all sales. This feature is only available to premium members but it’s definitely worth the price.
<h3>Blogging</h3>
If you want to blog Flazio, it can be a little tricky. Some templates offer a blogging section and some don’t, so you’ll need a premium subscription to ensure that you’ll have blogging functionality. It’s a pretty good blogging platform with a good range of standard features; nothing hugely impressive, but nothing substandard either.
<h3>Customer Service</h3>
Flazio provide great customer support options and will offer to call you directly to go through any issues. They have a comprehensive FAQ section and a range of handy video guides. However, some of the FAQ are in Italian, which clearly isn’t ideal for the English speaking user.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
There are 2 pricing options including the Free basic plan or the Premium option at €9 a month (or €99 a year). To be honest, while the Free option is perfectly fine – it has two major drawbacks.
The URL layout is pretty ugly and practically unusable in a professional setting. Here’s the one that was generated for my test site – <a>http://www.user-info_1358021757.flazio.com</a>. Can you imagine that on a business card? I can’t.
Their free sites also have an irritating ‘Like this site? You can make your own here’ button that floats in the corner of the site. You can close it (as a user) but it makes it very clear that you’re using a free site. It also doesn’t offer an eCommerce option.
You get a lot of good features on the free site (including the ability to get paid via their ad revenue service) but the URL structure and intrusive ads make it a difficult to recommend for a professional service.
That being said, their <a href="http://www.en.flazio.com/website-pricing.php">Premium</a> option is fantastic value.
For €9 a month (or €99 for the year), you get all of their premium services like eCommerce, blogging, web stats, SEO, a custom .com domain, 5gb of email, unlimited server storage, and a lot more. It’s everything you could possibly ask for. They only offer a .com domain, which may be an issue for some business users, but that’s the only real fly in the ointment here.
This is a really good, affordable price and it renders the free version pointless to anyone who’s serious about creating a professional looking site.
<h2>Overall</h2>
If you can get over the little bits of random Italian sprinkled here and there, then Flazio is the DIY web builder for you – as long as you pay.
The Free service is perfectly fine but it falls down when it comes to the unusable URL structure, the lack of eCommerce options, and the Flazio ads on the site.
The Premium service is as good as any website building service on the market and stacks up well with the likes of <a href="http://www.squarespace.com/">Squarespace</a>, <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> and <a href="http://www.wix.com/">Wix</a> – it’s that good. And for €99 a year, it’s very competitively priced.
Flazio’s strong range of apps, web elements, excellent editor, custom domains, wide range of visually interesting themes, and sophisticated design make it a top of the range option for any business looking to get online.
<h2>Pros</h2>
<ul>
<li>
Excellent and intuitive WYSIWYG editor
</li>
<li>
Great range of responsive-ready templates
</li>
<li>
Great value on the pro package and a very simple pay structure
</li>
<li>
Powerful eCommerce options
</li>
<li>
Ability to make money via advertising
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Cons</h2>
<ul>
<li>
Free site URL structure is unpleasant to look at
</li>
<li>
Some site content is listed in Italian by default, which might confuse some users
</li>
<li>
No stats, eCommerce, or blogging on free version
</li>
</ul>

Flazio Review

<a href="/products/shopify">Shopify</a> has unveiled a dedicated WordPress plugin; <a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/shopify-ecommerce-shopping-cart/">Shopify for WordPress</a>.The plugin brings Shopify buy buttons into the fray, which enable visitors to browse through a WordPress-powered website, before buying through a Shopify-powered eCommerce and checkout system.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_banner.jpg" />The announcement comes with three, free themes (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.themezilla.com/zillacommerce/">Hype by Themezilla</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://themify.me/themes/simple">Simple by Themify</a> &amp; <a target="_blank" href="http://themes.theultralinx.com/shopify-button-wordpress-theme/">Pulse by Ultralinx</a>). However, they're only free for a limited time only, so if you're thinking of combining WordPress and Shopify, don't delay those downloads.<h2>How it Works</h2>The Shopify for WordPress plugin allows WordPress users to drop products with buy buttons into any sidebar, page or blog post.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/daniel-add-10769x0-is.gif" />Plus, a pop-out shopping cart is introduced, so customers never have to leave the website in order to complete a purchase.The plugin itself is free, but you'll need to be a Shopify user to make use of it, which means you'll need to dish out (at least) a reasonable $9 per month.Further benefits include access to features like; Facebook Shop, Shopify POS for iOS or Android, the Shopify app store, and Shopify 24/7 support.<h2>A Big Win for Small Businesses</h2>The real triumph here, is for small businesses.WordPress excels Shopify when it comes to blogging capabilities and SEO value out of the box. While Shopify, of course, handles eCommerce projects far better than most, if not all, WordPress alternatives.Now that small businesses, startups and lone merchants can combine the two for just $9 per month, it's fair to write this whole announcement down as a big win for the little guys.WordPress has always offered a variety of free eCommerce plugins of course, but Shopify is one of the worlds leading solutions, known for its reliability, speed and sleek design. I'm personally kind of shocked that a dedicaed integration has taken this long. But hey, it's here now.More information on this plugin can be found on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/113145925-introducing-shopify-for-wordpress">Shopify blog</a>.

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