Articles - Page 89

Agentic AI Is Coming. Is Your DXP Ready?

dsfaltudo

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<p>Yesterday, we kicked off another featured week with a focus on Canada-based platform, <a href="http://www.shoutcms.com/" target="_blank">ShoutCMS</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/shoutcms-can-you-run-a-business-website-on-less-than-100/" target="_blank">The premier article outlined the core features of the platform</a>, which seeks to bridge the gap between website builders and enterprise-grade systems by bringing essential business-running tools to entrepreneurs and SMBs.</p>
<h2>An Insight into ShoutCMS</h2>
<p>To give us a deeper understanding of ShoutCMS, Mike Johnston, the Founder of CMS Critic, ventured down to the ShoutCMS headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta, to have a chat with ShoutCMS CEO Dragan Marjanovic.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9xo6NVjaMGU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>To find out more about ShoutCMS, <a href="http://www.shoutcms.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.</p>
<p>Also, stay tuned for more featured coverage during this ShoutCMS featured week.</p>
<p></p>


Mike Johnston Interviews ShoutCMS CEO Dragan Marjanovic

mike-johnston

<p></p>
<p><a href="http://www.shoutcms.com/" target="_blank">ShoutCMS</a>, this week's featured product here on CMS Critic, is packed with many built-in features for day-to-day business use including invoicing, eCommerce, mass mail, integrated email management, contact database and content management.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/149925268?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2><strong>The Sum of All Parts </strong></h2>
<p>ShoutCMS is looking to bridge the gap between the all-inclusive, feature-ridden, flagship CMS solutions and those of the popular web-builders that have dominated the market.</p>
<p>There is a gap in the market right now that ShoutCMS is looking to fill, one that in many cases is addressed by configuring multiple solutions together instead of a single application that does a range of tasks.</p>
<p>For developers, who have their trusty kit of plug-ins or through tying together multiple applications, putting together a low-cost business savvy solution is attainable, but at a price.</p>
<p>Typically, this isn’t an elegant solution as all of these different pieces must be kept up-to-date and integrated via APIs or custom-software. You are now in the business of providing a service to your customer to manage this risk and keep your solution running.</p>
<p>Using a multi-application approach can lead to a higher cost of total ownership for the client, who in the end, is paying for many services instead a single system. For small teams in web design or marketing, they are also incur development and staffing costs to keep hybrid solutions running.</p>
<p>To make it easier and more affordable to run a business website, ShoutCMS has brought together a number of industry features in a single solution. We’ll now take a look at how the integration of these brings benefit.</p>
<h2><strong>Big Business Features, Small Business Pricing</strong></h2>
<p>ShoutCMS comes standard with mobile-responsive front-end that businesses can customize to suit their brand. The real power of ShoutCMS is under the hood, as it features aren’t afterthoughts, but work well together offering a higher level of operation than you get from a single interface business application;</p>
<ul>
<li>Online invoicing and transactions</li>
<li>Ecommerce with integrated shipping and support for major payment gateways</li>
<li>Simple yet robust Mass Mailer</li>
<li>Complete contact database organized by groups and tags</li>
<li>Built-in page styles and mobile galleries</li>
<li>Articles and blogging</li>
<li>Integrated email management (using the optional ShoutCMS email package)</li>
</ul>
<p>All of these features come with a single price of $59/mo. for US and Canadian customers with an additional $29/mo. for company email services.</p>
<h2><strong>Forever Updates</strong></h2>
<p>It isn’t often that a CMS that is so feature rich offers itself to the larger business market. What may be the cherry on top of the cake, is that not only does the pricing meet business budgets, ShoutCMS offers lifetime feature upgrades with its monthly license.</p>
<p>The team is continually updating it feature set while at the same time tightening the integration between these that seeks to offer a new standard in CMS experience.</p>
<p>You can start today with ShoutCMS and get an install setup instantly. For businesses looking to use the platform as the backbone of their operations, ShoutCMS also connects with local vendors and offers hands-on support so it can be configured to your look and business flow.</p>
<p>To find out more about ShoutCMS, <a href="http://www.shoutcms.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.</p>
<p>Also, stay tuned for more featured coverage during this ShoutCMS featured week.</p>
<p></p>


ShoutCMS: Can You Run a Business Website on Less than $100

<p></p>
<p>Everywhere you look these days, there are experts and articles talking about the importance of social media for business. Whether it’s discussing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, I could point you to 100 articles which offer 100 reasons why each one should be a crucial element of your marketing campaign.</p>
<p>So, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’re probably pretty clear on the importance of integrating social media into your gameplan for success.</p>
<p>But what’s the next step?</p>
<p><a href="/social-engine">SocialEngine</a> have answered that question with a social media network that is designed specifically for your customers or employees, and managed by you.</p>
<p style="text-align:center"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-19_at_18_53_16.png" /></p>
<p>SocialEngine has been around for a while now, and the company have continuously upped their game to meet consumer demands. For that very reason, they’ve been hugely successful with their latest offering.</p>
<p>Available as a PHP download (starting with a one of payment of $299 for their Starter package), or as a cloud-based subscription service for $39 a month, SocialEngine claims to provide the best solution for creating your own social network.</p>
<h2>Getting Set Up</h2>
<p>Everything about the initial online setup is easy and intuitive. Name your site, choose your URL, fill out a few questions (or don’t, it’s up to you), and you’re ready to roll.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-19_at_19_03_43.png" /></p>
<p>When you first log-in, you’re greeted with an incredibly simple layout which allows you to control billing, account information, subscriptions, and support tickets from one screen. A clearly labeled button takes you to your site’s control panel, and I thought this created a nice separation between the overall controls of the site and the visual control of the front end.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-19_at_19_07_03.png" /></p>
<p>The layout is simple, cleanly designed, and offers a ton of options. With SocialEngine, it seems that intuition is the name of the game.</p>
<h2>Excellent Design</h2>
<p>This kind of complex site could have been a design nightmare, but the team at SocialEngine have made their design and admin interface extremely easy to use. Every single thing you need to manage this site is just a click away.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-19_at_19_12_56.png" /></p>
<p>The interface is drag-and-drop based and clearly labeled. From here, you can set your email templates, add Google Adsense or Analytics, manage members, and manage themes and add-ons.</p>
<p>It’s incredibly powerful and all encompassing.</p>
<h2>Price Comparison</h2>
<h3>PHP Download</h3>
<p>The PHP download option is a pricey option, but it allows full control over the source files – which may appeal to some businesses. The Starter package ($299) doesn’t include the option for forums, video sharing, blogs, or instant messaging. So, if you’d like these included, you need the Professional pack which costs $449.</p>
<p>Both Starter and Professional packs come with only 30 days of free support and the option to pay for an installation service for $30 extra.</p>
<p>To get free installation and up to 60 free days of technical support, you need the Advanced download which costs $699. For that price, you can avail of additional features such as music sharing. It’s pricey, but probably worth it if you want complete control of the source code.</p>
<p>Personally, I thought the support packages for the Starter and Professional packs could have offered a bit more, given the price point. Just 30 days of free support doesn’t seem like anything near enough for launching a PHP package of this complexity.</p>
<h3>Cloud-Based Service</h3>
<p>SocialEngine’s cloud-based subscription might be a good option for those with a stricter budget and less technical expertise. <a href="/social-enginesign-up" target="_blank">Pricing</a> runs at $39 a month or the equivalent of $29 a month if you pay a year in advance.</p>
<p>This price includes full access to their customer support service, where you can get in touch via a contact form, email them directly, or use the live chat option. All of these are 24/7.</p>
<p>You get the exact same features as with the PHP download, with the exception that all the information is stored on SocialEngine’s servers.</p>
<p>The yearly service for $348 seems to be a no-brainer. It offers practically all the features the PHP download version does, with customer service included for just $50 more than the Starter package. Sure, it’s a yearly payment versus a one-off payment but it’s seems like money well spent to me.</p>
<p>Both price choices offer a generous 14 day trial to assess their service in full.</p>
<h2>Feature Rich</h2>
<p>Make no mistake, SocialEngine provides all of the tools you could ever need to match <a href="http://www.facebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="http://www.reddit.com" target="_blank">Reddit,</a> or <a href="http://www.pinterest.com" target="_blank">Pinterest </a> – feature for feature. It’s incredibly comprehensive and even lets you pick a theme to match these sites in style and feel.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-19_at_19_15_04.png" /></p>
<p>The extensive gallery of plug-ins will allow you to mix and match all the best features of the social networks to your own preference, so that you can create a completely unique site.</p>
<p>Both download and cloud options have a wide range of privacy options that are incredibly easy to control.</p>
<h2>No Branding</h2>
<p>The SocialEngine team have resisted the urge to allow branding on their build, which allows you to completely control the branding of your site from top to bottom. None of your members will ever know that SocialEngine powers your site. You control the logos, the colors, and the content. It’s a great feature for large companies who want to have a custom build, without the investing the megabucks it would cost to build and maintain this kind of project from scratch.</p>
<h2>Pros:</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<p>One of the most comprehensive community building apps on the market.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>White label feature lets you brand it exactly as you like.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Tons of features and customizable options.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Excellent UI &amp; UX design.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Cons:</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Price-point for the source code download is a little steep and feels like a railroad to their subscription model.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Customer service options limited on the cheaper subscriptions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The Basic packages feel a little sparse on features like HD video and audio.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>So What’s The Verdict?</h2>
<p>Whether you’re trying to create the next Reddit or simply make an internal social network for your employees or customers – SocialEngine gives you the power to do it.</p>
<p>Do I have any issues with it? Sure – the PHP download is incredibly pricey and doesn’t offer enough free support, unless you want to drop nearly $700. Having to pay extra for support after the 30 or 60 days expire is a bit cheeky when you consider the hefty download fee.</p>
<p>However, outside of my price concerns for the PHP download, this is a superb product. It has tons of features, an intuitive design, excellent support on the cloud-based version, and extensive free trials. If you’re in the market for something like this, I definitely recommend giving Social Engine a try.</p>
<p>You might not end up as the next Mark Zuckerberg, but SocialEngine will get you as close as you could hope to get on the technical side.</p>
<p>To sign up for a free trial with SocialEngine, just <a href="/social-enginesign-up" target="_blank">click here</a>. And don't forget to let us know what you think the comments section below.</p>
<p></p>


Social Engine Review

grainne-logue

<p></p>
<p>Whether your business has 10 customers or 100, it’s essential to have the right CRM in place. The most important thing to know about this CRM system is that it’s not just a piece of software; it’s a key component in building a strong relationship with your customers.</p>
<p>So, you need to get it right.</p>
<p>The implementation process is crucial to the success of your CRM system and it’s important to get your team on board from Day 1. After all, what good is an amazing CRM tool that nobody actually uses?</p>
<p style="text-align:center"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bigstock-checklist-on-notebook-109688111_1469x0-is.jpg" /></p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/smallbusinesscenter/resources/quickbooks-crm-business-accounting-software.jsp">recent studies</a>, a fully utilized CRM system can increase company sales by 29%. But the key is in the term ‘fully utilized’. A CRM tool that’s sitting gathering dust isn’t going to do much for your business.</p>
<p>Follow this 10 Step CRM Implementation Checklist For SMEs to ensure that your CRM is utilized to its full potential.</p>
<h2>1. Define Your CRM Strategy And Develop Clear Objectives</h2>
<p>Before you even start using your CRM, it’s important to know what exactly you want to achieve with it and how you intend to do so. This is where you also need to identify your KPI’s, so that you can continue to measure the success of your CRM and make adjustments where needed.</p>
<p>For more on how to build a winning CRM strategy, <a href="/how-to-build-a-winning-crm-strategy/">click here</a>.</p>
<p>Once you’ve developed some clear objectives, you should share them with your employees to ensure that everyone is working towards the same end goal.</p>
<h2>2. Choose The Right CRM For Your Business</h2>
<p>There are tons of CRM systems out there designed to meet various requirements and budgets. So, once you’ve identified what you need in a CRM system, it’s time sit down and do some research.</p>
<p>For some extra help, check out my post with <a href="/7-free-crm-systems-that-prove-customer-relationship-management-is-easy/">7 Free CRM Systems</a> for small/medium sized businesses.</p>
<h2>3. Make It Easy</h2>
<p>If you want your employees to use your CRM on a regular basis, then you’re going to have to make the process as easy as possible. If this means training them over and over again, then so be it. Keep at it until the new system become ‘routine’ rather than a chore. You need to create a CRM ‘culture’ rather than simply adding it to their to-do lists.</p>
<p>Sure, they might hate you for a few weeks as you eat into their schedules with training sessions, but they’ll be all the happier at the end of it when the CRM system is helping them with their work, rather than derailing it.</p>
<p>You can give out a few ‘gold stars’ too, if that’s your thing. Or a few reward vouchers, whatever works. Is someone on your team particularly adept with the new system? Great, make them your CRM advocate. They’ll be essential in getting everyone else motivated and using the system.</p>
<p>Has someone else really pushed themselves to get on board, despite being the least tech-savvy individual on the planet? Don’t ignore that, reward them for it. Once you acknowledge that your employees are adjusting well and recognize their hard work, they’ll be even more encouraged to stick with it.</p>
<h2>4. Listen To Your Customers</h2>
<p>You don’t have to create a survey or anything like that, you simply have to listen to what your customers are saying about your company. Assess the complaints you’ve had recently and how they’ve been resolved. Is there anything your new CRM can do to avoid these grievances in the future?</p>
<p>This kind of customer intel is crucial in identifying what areas to focus on with your CRM system.</p>
<h2>5. Integrate Your CRM With Other Systems</h2>
<p>No man is an island, and your CRM shouldn't be one either. Not unless you want it to be less effective. It needs company, i.e. the other systems that you use on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Is it complementary to these systems? And what about data import/export – has this process been streamlined? Once you’ve successfully integrated your CRM with your other commonly used systems/tools, you’ll save yourself and your team a lot of time and resources.</p>
<h2>6. Create An Internal Guidelines Document</h2>
<p>Regardless of the size of your business, you’re still going to need a place to lay out some common guidelines about your CRM. For example, how to input data or register a new sale on the system. Your company intranet is one of the best places to store this document for easy access.</p>
<h2>7. Use The Features You Actually Need</h2>
<p>Your new CRM system might have 100s of features, but that doesn’t mean that you have to use all of them. It’s more important to focus on the features that will work for your business and help you to streamline the current processes within your organization.</p>
<p>Talk to your team and figure out what to prioritize first. You can look at all of the fancy ‘extras’ later on in the game, when you’ve everything else set-up and running perfectly.</p>
<h2>8. Stick With Essential Fields</h2>
<p>It’s important to gain the customer data you need from your CRM, but it’s also important not to overwhelm your team. If your sales team are working hard to hit targets, the last thing they’ll want to do is update a client contact form with about 20 different fields to fill in.</p>
<p>Would you rather they were on the phone to prospective leads or stuck typing irrelevant details into your CRM?</p>
<h2>9. Make Sure Your Hardware Can Keep Up</h2>
<p>It’s important to ensure that your staff are updating their PC’s on a regular basis; if your software isn’t upgraded then it’s going to slow down your new CRM system and frustrate your team. This kind of team is not a happy team.</p>
<h2>10. Evaluate</h2>
<p>Even if your CRM system is working fine, it’s important to keep evaluating it and assessing how it’s benefiting your business. Organise a chat with your team every month or so to see how they’re getting on with it and to discuss any issues that might arise. This will ensure that they keep using the CRM to the best of its potential.</p>
<h2>Successful Implementation = Results</h2>
<p>Remember, your CRM implementation is something that you really need to invest in if you want to see results. By following this checklist, you can ensure that you get the most out of your CRM tool and continue to do so.</p>
<p>Have you recently implemented a new CRM system in your business? Is there anything you’d add to this checklist? Let us know in the comments section below.</p>
<p></p>


10 Step CRM Implementation Checklist For SMEs

<p></p>
<p>It’s one thing to have a database full of customers, but it’s another thing to have a database full of customers who actually like you.</p>
<p>Successful customer relationship management is all about getting to know your customers and creating a personal relationship with them that goes beyond a few Twitter promotions.</p>
<p style="text-align:center"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bigstock-successful-business-meeting-wi-75274462538x0-is.jpg" /></p>
<p>The idea is to make your customers want your product because <em>you</em> sell it, and not simply because they need it. This kind of brand loyalty goes a long way and it’s definitely something that you have to invest sufficient time and resources into building. Once you’ve built that kind of community around your business, you’ll reap the rewards in the long run.</p>
<p>If you’re still in the ‘dating’ phase of your customer relationship development, that’s perfectly fine – as long as you’re on the right track.</p>
<p>Here are 10 ways to know that you’re doing it right.</p>
<h2>1. You Know How To K.I.S.S</h2>
<p><em>‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’</em>. If you know how to do this, then you’re well on the road to CRM success. Many smaller companies get carried away with their first CRM system and end up choosing a tool with a ton of unnecessary features. Talk to your team first and figure out what you actually need from your CRM, before choosing one based on what you think you need instead.</p>
<p>Once your CRM is up and running with the least possible hassle, you’ll have much more time to dedicate to your customers. I recently wrote a post that will help you to avoid the 10 most common pitfalls when choosing a CRM, check it out <a href="/10-pitfalls-to-avoid-when-choosing-a-crm/">here.</a></p>
<h2>2. You Understand The Importance Of Birthdays</h2>
<p>It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s always nice to get an unexpected ‘happy birthday’ on the big day. This is a tiny piece of information that you can easily obtain from your customers when they sign up, but it’ll have a huge impact on the status of your relationship. A quick ‘happy birthday’ email or birthday discount will really add a personal touch to your communications.</p>
<h2>3. You Provide Your Customers With Quality Content</h2>
<p>If you want your customers to trust you then you have to provide them with knowledgeable and credible information. It’s important to show that you have an in-depth understanding of your industry and all of your content (blog/social media) should be created to meet the specific needs of your target audience.</p>
<h2>4. You’re Psychic</h2>
<p>Well, not exactly, but you do know what your customers want before they contact you directly. How? You simply gaze into your crystal ball/computer screen and do some social media monitoring with a handy tool like <a href="http://www.socialmention.com/">Social Mention</a> or <a href="https://hootsuite.com/">Hootsuite</a>.</p>
<p>This is the best way to find out what your customers are saying in real-time; to collect valuable insights into market trends; and to get involved in online conversations about your business.</p>
<p>Also, if an issue does present itself (i.e. an unhappy customer on Twitter), you can nip it in the bud before it escalates <em>and</em> use that info to improve your offering overall.</p>
<h2>5. You Care About Your Customers</h2>
<p>If you want your customer relationship management to work, then you have to work at it – and this means listening to what your customers needs and fulfilling those needs. What it <em>doesn’t </em>mean, is bombarding them with irrelevant sales pitches and promotions every day of the week.</p>
<p>As great as you think your product/service is, it’s useless if it’s not useful to your customers.</p>
<p>Interact with your target audience, listen to them, and make them feel valued. What are their pain points? What challenges are they facing? What do they need from you in order to overcome those challenges?</p>
<p>If you work on really understanding your customers, it will make all of the difference when it comes to selling your product – because you’ll be armed with the information to ensure that it meets their expectations from the outset.</p>
<h2>6. You Never Compete On Price</h2>
<p>A sale achieved by competing on price is always a short term win. Your customer won’t see the true value in your product/service and will jump straight to the next lowest bidder.</p>
<p>If you really feel that your pricing is alienating some of your customers, then you can think about providing another version of your product/service with less features. This is the only advisable method to reduce your pricing. Never compete on price – it just doesn’t work.</p>
<h2>7. You’re Different</h2>
<p>You need to be able to vocalize the benefits of your product or service to your customers. It’s not just about what your product/service does, it’s about what it will do for <em>them</em>. This is the part where you really need to blow them away and set yourself apart from your competitors.</p>
<h2>8. You Say Thank You</h2>
<p>Sure, it’s the polite thing to do – but it’s also the profitable thing to do. Customer loyalty programs are a proven way to retain and grow your business; in fact, <a href="http://blog.accessdevelopment.com/customer-loyalty-statistics-2015-edition">62% of Millennials</a> say they’re essential.</p>
<p>By rewarding your customers for their support, you’ll also improve and solidify your relationship with them in the long run.</p>
<h2>9. You’re Consistent</h2>
<p>Consistency is key when it comes to managing customer relationships; your customers need to know what to expect from you and it’s your job to set those parameters.</p>
<p>For example, if you’re firing out 3 newsletters one week and none the next – then you’re not being consistent. It’s important not to spam your customers but it’s also important to communicate with them on a regular basis.</p>
<h2>10. You Keep Your Promises</h2>
<p>If you say you’re going to resolve a situation within a certain time period, then do it. If you say you’re going to call a customer back within a certain time period, then do that also. It’s crucial to follow through on any commitments you make to your customers if you want to gain their loyalty, trust, and business for the long haul.</p>
<h2>Treat Your Customers The Way You’d Like To Be Treated</h2>
<p>The most important thing to remember is that your customers are real people and they have specific wants and needs that they expect you to fulfil. If you can do this, then you’ll build customer relationships that last a lifetime – or at least until you retire and move to Barbados.</p>
<p>Do you have anything you’d like to add to the CRM tips above? Why not share them with us in the comments section below.</p>
<p></p>


Customer Relationship Management: 10 Ways to Know You're Doing It Right

<p></p>
<p>Last week, our focus was on <a href="http://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">Solodev CMS 8</a>, as we made our way through yet another featured week.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/soldodev-logo-1_400x0.png" /></a><br />I got to <a href="/exploring-solodev-cms-8/" target="_blank">explore the enterprise platform’s core features</a>, its <a href="/solodev-cms-bringing-multi-site-management-to-healthcare-organizations/" target="_blank">presence within the healthcare industry</a>, the role it plays for <a href="/solodev-cms-powering-next-generation-local-government-websites-to-improve-constituent-services/" target="_blank">numerous local government bodies throughout the United States</a>, and the <a href="/solodev-cms-facilitating-successful-project-launches/" target="_blank">Solodev team's willingness to help launch large scale projects</a>.</p>
<p>As usual, the featured week gave me, and all our readers, an intriguing glimpse into a capable CMS.</p>
<h2>A Walkthrough of Solodev CMS 8</h2>
<p>To garnish that glimpse, here's a video walkthrough of Solodev CMS 8's features, led by Joe Forgét, Chief Innovation Officer at Solodev.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ws5LzRTK77g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>To find out more about Solodev CMS, <a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a></p>
<p></p>


A Video Overview of Solodev CMS 8

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

#ffffff

<p></p>
<p><a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> is a user-friendly website builder that first launched in 2006 and hit 1 million users by 2008. The platform now hosts over 30 million sites and it's touted as one of the most popular drag-and-drop website builders around.</p>
<p>Weebly has undergone many revamps since its initial launch, and its latest facelift for 2016 offers more features than ever before. The popular site allows individuals to create a website in less than an hour, regardless of their level of expertise, and it’s become popular with both hobbyists and professionals alike.</p>
<p>Seems too good to be true, right? I decided to check it out and see for myself.</p>
<h2>Getting Set-Up</h2>
<p>Getting started with Weebly is simple. Users can log in with Google Plus, Facebook, or by inserting their email address – all you need for this is your name, email, and password.</p>
<p>One thing I’d add here is a ‘sign up with Twitter’ function, as it just seemed a bit odd to have left it out. Maybe that’s just me, though, being the Twitter addict that I am.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-12_at_01_48_57494x0-is.png" /></p>
<p>There’s a little box you can tick if you want to sign up for updates and offers which is pretty standard, but what I really liked about this was that it was unticked by default. Many sites leave it ticked automatically, so you have to go and untick it if you’re not actually interested in receiving these emails. It’s one of my pet peeves because you just <em>know</em> they’re trying to catch you out. Sneaky rascals.</p>
<p>Once you’ve registered, the below screen will pop up and you’ll be asked what the focus of your site is, i.e. standard website, blog, or store.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-12_at_01_50_06574x0-is.png" /></p>
<p>After this, you can categorize it as business, personal, group/organizational, wedding, education, or portfolio. If you don’t want to or none of these apply, you simply can tell them to stop asking you (they’re cool like that – there’s even a tick box for it).</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-13_at_17_35_17430x0-is.png" /></p>
<p>Then comes the fun part, choosing a design theme.</p>
<h2>Themes and Design</h2>
<p>Weebly offers over 100 attractive, professional, and well laid-out themes, so it’ll be difficult <em>not </em>to find one you like. Most come with customizable color sets too, so you’re spoilt for choice.</p>
<p>Every single theme is mobile responsive and just one click at the top of the screen allows you see your site as a mobile viewer would. You can’t add elements to the mobile version but you can get a like for like preview that should allow you to see them.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-12_at_01_50_19871x0-is.png" /></p>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Choosing Your URL</h2>
<p>If you have a free account, you’ll receive a ‘weebly.com’ domain name. If you want your own custom domain then you’ll have to sign up to a $39.95 registration fee. Is it a little high? Maybe, but I think it’s worth it if you want to create a professional site. Weebly make this whole process really easy, but you can also run it through an independent domain registrar such as <a href="http://www.godaddy.com">Godaddy</a>.</p>
<h2>Website Editing</h2>
<p>The website building interface is very easy to use, with a double row of elements/apps on the left hand site and a menu bar at the top. In a lot of sites like Weebly, adding pages can be a bit of a treasure hunt. But Weebly has its Pages section clearly labelled and easily editable, so you can just add pages and rearrange them with your mouse as you see fit.</p>
<p>Designing each page is simple. Want to edit that title? Just click on it and type. Want to make it bold? There’s a familiar toolset to let you edit it on the screen. There are no gimmicks and no multiple click paths – you just edit what you see and it’s done, instantly.</p>
<p>Everything is very clearly labeled and users can design a site by dragging elements onto the various pages. There are a variety of elements available such as a contact form, map, social buttons, slideshows, and more.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-12_at_01_56_05798x0-is.png" /></p>
<p>The contact form offers tons of options, such a custom confirmation URL, file uploads, drop-down selects, a phone number field. It definitely gets a thumbs up from me.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-02-13_at_17_38_19920x0-is.png" /></p>
<p>However, the real player here is the App Center which launched in August 2015. The new and improved App Center is a real bonus to the site, and you can now add any number of site boosting elements to your Weebly site with a minimum of fuss.</p>
<p>Everything is drag and drop. They have a number of apps for free and, as you’d expect, a number of premium ones too. All of these add value and are handily categorized into their retrospective uses – Marketing, Site Tools, eCommerce, Communication.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/picture_14608x0-is.png" /></p>
<p>Everything is cleanly laid out and all of the apps are compatible with Weebly, so you won’t encounter any of the plug-in mishaps that can happen with sites like <a href="https://wordpress.com/">WordPress</a>.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Pricing</h2>
<p>There are 4 pricing options available on Weebly, ranging from Free, Starter ($4 p/m), Pro ($8 p/m), and Business ($25 p/m). The free account is decent enough and provides unlimited pages, but you’ll also have to deal with Weebly branding and promotions. With the Starter Plan, you can add your own URL and the Weebly branding is removed. You also get to avail of premium support.</p>
<p>If you opt for the Pro account you’ll get additional multimedia features and added password protection. And the next step after this is a Business account, which offers SSL support and fully integrated ecommerce. For more on the specifics of each package, click <a href="https://www.weebly.com/pricing">here</a>. The choice is yours.</p>
<h2>Pros:</h2>
<ul>
<li>Extremely user friendly with a drag-and-drop system</li>
<li>Variety of professional, sleek, and mobile responsive designs available that can be further modified with HTML/CSS</li>
<li>Pre-designed layouts</li>
<li>New and improved app centre</li>
<li>Good eCommerce functionality</li>
</ul>
<h2>Cons:</h2>
<ul>
<li>You need to fork out for the Business package for fully integrated eCommerce</li>
<li>Customization options are limited if you are a coding whiz-kid</li>
</ul>
<h2>Should You Use Weebly For Your Website?</h2>
<p>For me, it’s a no-brainer. Weebly is a superb site with an excellent and intuitive design system that makes everything as easy as possible, for even the most novice user.</p>
<p>Weebly’s biggest strength is the intuitiveness of its layout. Everything just ‘makes sense’, and everything that is clickable – is editable.</p>
<p>It really seems to have something for everyone. Want a simple drag and drop? It’s there. Want more sophistication? You can add media, embed code, add Google Analytics – all from the one page and taskbar.</p>
<p>The learning curve is very graduated and it can be scaled to adapt to the skill levels of all users. Personally, I’d rate this as the best site builder out there right now.</p>
<p>The prices are pretty reasonable too, with Weebly’s premium package coming in at a quite reasonable $25 a month. The basic package is maybe a little thin on features like HD video and audio, but they are the little extras worth paying extra for.</p>
<p>The guys behind Weebly seem to really care about their users and continuously strive to meet the needs to those users by improving their service offering. If you’d like to know more about what they provide, check them out over <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">here</a> (their blog is worth a look too).</p>
<p>Have you used Weebly yet? Why not share a link to your Weebly site with us in the comments section below.</p>
<p></p>


Weebly Review 2016

<p></p>
<p>Over the course of this Solodev CMS featured week, I’ve <a href="/exploring-solodev-cms-8/" target="_blank">overviewed the enterprise platform’s core features</a>, its <a href="/solodev-cms-bringing-multi-site-management-to-healthcare-organizations/" target="_blank">presence within the healthcare industry</a>, the <a href="/solodev-cms-powering-next-generation-local-government-websites-to-improve-constituent-services/" target="_blank">role it plays for numerous local government bodies throughout the United States</a>, and its <a href="/solodev-cms-facilitating-successful-project-launches/" target="_blank">hands-on approach to project launches</a>.</p>
<p><br />To conclude this featured week, I’m going to delve into the custom integration capabilities of Solodev CMS 8, and how that helps to drive the progress of brands online.</p>
<p>The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is the brand I’ll be focusing on, as it’s an organization that currently benefits from Solodev’s customization capabilities.</p>
<h2>State of the Performing Arts</h2>
<p>The Dr. Phillips Center is a state-of-the-art performing arts center in Orlando, FL.</p>
<p>Opened in November 2014, the nearly $400M venue features a 2,700 seat amplified hall (the Walt Disney Theater) for Broadway theater-class events and a 300-seat venue (the Alexis &amp; Jim Pugh Theater) for smaller shows and events. A third theater, a 1,700-seat acoustic hall for ballet, operas and orchestral performances, will open its doors sometime in late 2018.</p>
<p>It’s truly a one-of-a-kind entertainment venue.</p>
<p>To establish a worthwhile online presence, Dr. Phillips partnered with Solodev to develop a start-of-the-art website that matched the sophistication of their performing arts center. A major goal for the new website was to drive more self-service transactions – particularly online ticket sales. This is in accordance with current trends. According to a report issued by Juniper Research, the volume of mobile tickets is forecasted to increase to 23 billion worldwide by 2016, more than quadruple the four billion delivered in 2011.</p>
<p>In the end, the site included a sophisticated online seat selection and ticket purchasing system that was highly customized to work in lockstep with the Center’s ticketing software platform, Tessitura.</p>
<p>As well as falling in line with prevailing customer preferences, selling tickets through the website meant lowering costs by driving more self-service actions. By keeping customer transactions online and away from expensive customer service reps, Dr Phillips could offer a more user-friendly ticket buying process with less financial strain.</p>
<h2>The Final Performance</h2>
<p>On top of meeting its goal to sell tickets easily through its website, the Dr Phillips Center website project was built to excel in other areas. This applies particularly to the website’s seat selector tools. For example, seat maps needed to render in a size large enough to be easily clicked – including with a finger on a mobile device.</p>
<p>The Select Your Own Seat (SYOS) solution was developed by Solodev to work seamlessly with the mobile-responsive capabilities of the website. For example, by using scalable vector graphics of the venue seating charts, as opposed to Flash, mobile device compatibility was ensured.</p>
<p>More customization came in the form of account profiles, which allow for multiple logins to accommodate the Center’s head of household account requirement. Site users are also encouraged to make online donations during the purchasing process, and can select parking spaces from a geo-coded map with overlays, further streamlining the customer experience.</p>
<h2>Dr Phillips Performing Arts Website Whitepaper</h2>
<p>In response to the roaring success that is the Dr Phillips Performing Arts website, Solodev developed an informative white paper, which derives helpful details from the project.</p>
<p>To find out more about Solodev CMS, <a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a></p>
<p></p>


Custom Integration that Drives Business: How Solodev CMS Powers Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

<p></p>
<p>So far during this Solodev featured week, I’ve <a href="/exploring-solodev-cms-8/" target="_blank">explored the enterprise platform’s core features</a>, its <a href="/solodev-cms-bringing-multi-site-management-to-healthcare-organizations/" target="_blank">presence within the healthcare industry</a>, and the role it plays for <a href="/solodev-cms-powering-next-generation-local-government-websites-to-improve-constituent-services/" target="_blank">numerous local government bodies throughout the United States</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p>And although Solodev CMS has a healthy stake in both of those industries, it also powers websites across the rest of the enterprise spectrum.</p>
<p>One thing those enterprise websites (and the enterprise companies behind them) have in common, are successful launches.</p>
<p>The planning that goes before it, the execution that brings it about, and the work that comes after it with the goal growth. Here’s how Solodev aims to streamline the entire process.</p>
<h2>The Benefits of Solodev Launch</h2>
<p>Large web deployments are really interactive business platforms that accomplish the digital goals of an organization.</p>
<p>Typically, this involves many steps and moving parts, including; design, build, migration, integrating with third-party technology to streamline business operations, and workflow management.</p>
<p>As such, Solodev CMS’s powerful out-of-the-box features make it an ideal launch platform for mid-to-enterprise class custom application and integration projects.</p>
<p>With Solodev’s built-in RESTful API, custom, complex front-end builds can be developed that handle various business critical transactions within a site by getting/leveraging data from third-party sources.</p>
<p>In many cases, the client or referring agency partner needs assistance with these large migration and deployment projects. Which is why Solodev came up with Solodev Launch.</p>
<h2>The Solodev Launch Team</h2>
<p>The Solodev Launch program leverages internal Solodev resources to ensure that projects get launched on time, on spec and on budget.</p>
<p>Solodev puts forth a mix of skills to assist end clients or agency partners with the build, design and integration processes.</p>
<p>In other words, Solodev is able to deploy a team of experts to helps smooth over the launch process, so their client can focus on other issues that require their attention.</p>
<h2>Solodev Launch in Action</h2>
<p><strong>Florida Department of Education</strong></p>
<p>Solodev has put its launch team into action on many deployments in the past. On one such occasion, the Florida Department of Education was the client in question.</p>
<p>The FDOE serves more than 2.7 million students in the state’s more than 4,200 public schools and 28 colleges. This makes it one of the largest education systems in the United States.</p>
<p>As a result of its size, the Solodev launch team had to help migrate 3,500 pages of content along with 20,000 digital assets including documents, images, and media files. A monster of a job, but it was done.</p>
<p>Today, the FODE website can handle 100,000 concurrent users, and currently averages 30,000 users per day.</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Phillips Center </strong></p>
<p>A good example of the level of customization that the Solodev Launch team can accomodate comes in the form of the Dr. Phillips Center, a newly opened (November 2014) state-of-the-art performing arts center in Orlando, FL.</p>
<p>Their website was developed in Solodev CMS 8 and is hosted in the Solodev CMS 8 AWS environment.</p>
<p>It includes a sophisticated online seat selection and ticket purchasing system that was highly customized and vastly improved the user experience with the Center’s ticketing software platform, Tessitura.</p>
<p><strong>Miami Beach App</strong></p>
<p>Furthermore, the Solodev RESTful API also allows developers to build apps that access data from the CMS.</p>
<p>The Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority springs to mind here. They needed to create apps around visitor activities and leveraged Solodev CMS to develop a powerful mobile application platform.</p>
<p>Today, the Miami Beach app works like a comprehensive 411 resource that provides granular details on every business as well as on city amenities and happenings.</p>
<p>The app contains nearly 7,000 business listings each with extensive detail. Those listings are accessible by category, so in addition to finding an accountant nearest their location, visitors and residents can select a hotel based on its architect or a restaurant based on the noise level of its dining room. Now that’s detail.</p>
<p>Solodev can also accommodate sophisticated integrations with solutions like CRMs, Marketing Automation Systems, and third party API integration.</p>
<p>To find out more about Solodev CMS, <a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a></p>
<p></p>


Solodev CMS: Facilitating Successful Project Launches

<p></p>
<p>Following an <a href="/exploring-solodev-cms-8/" target="_blank">overview of Solodev CMS 8’s core features</a>, as well as a look at <a href="/solodev-cms-powering-next-generation-local-government-websites-to-improve-constituent-services/" target="_blank">its role in powering local government websites</a>, I’m now delving into the platform’s role in the Healthcare industry.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.solodev.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/soldodev-logo-1_400x0.png" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.solodev.com" target="_blank">Solodev CMS 8</a> is an enterprise-grade platform that has been in business since 2006. It supports hundreds of organizations and brands including; OneBlood, MobileHelp, CNL Financial Group, Springstone Hospitals, Dr. Phillips Center and the State of Florida Department of Education.</p>
<p>Like government, the healthcare industry is a sensitive one, and thus healthcare companies need to pay special attention to the content management systems they use to power their online presence. Let’s take a look at why Solodev CMS is such a popular choice.</p>
<h2>Multi-site Management for Multi-faceted Companies</h2>
<p>Today’s healthcare organizations are diverse businesses made up of multiple locations and entities. CMS platforms that can support multi-site management capabilities and allow management of all required sites from a single location offer more efficiency and streamline content management.</p>
<p>Solodev CMS brings a number of benefits to the table which suit Healthcare companies right down to the ground.</p>
<p>For example, a healthcare company with multiple branches will likely require multiple websites. Solodev allows such a company to manage all of those websites on a single platform, all from the very same installation. Thus, the company’s development and marketing teams can work from a single interface to develop and manage content.</p>
<p>To help manage those different teams and all their members, Solodev provides user permissions to selectively restrict access to sites, sections within sites, or even particular content.</p>
<p>Also, a centralized approval dashboard shows staged content across sites awaiting approval, so Editors can work through submitted content before anything goes live.</p>
<p>Another extremely useful dimension of Solodev CMS 8 is its website cloning ability. Perhaps the biggest benefits of website cloning within the same brand, is the enforcement of a consistent design across sites, ensuring a familiar and therefore professional presence across all websites.</p>
<p>In practice though, Solodev’s website cloning feature has far more benefits, as Springstone, Inc. has come to know.</p>
<h2>Solodev &amp; Springstone</h2>
<p>Springstone is rapidly growing, private healthcare organization with multiple hospitals across the United States.</p>
<p>Springstone facilities treat patients with mental illness and substance abuse issues in underserved communities throughout North America. Springstone has plans to expand over the next few years by opening twenty new facilities – doubling its hospital count.</p>
<p>Each of Springstone hospitals has its own dedicated website, managed entirely from a single instance of Solodev CMS.</p>
<p>On top of all the benefits listed above, Solodev’s ability to clone existing websites will make Springstone’s expansion far easier, at least as far as their online presence goes. At the very least, it will grant their development team with a solid starting point to build each new site upon.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Solodev allows for the same piece of content or other asset to be shared across all sites – so company-wide announcements and alerts can be made far more quickly.</p>
<p>To explore more of Solodev CMS, <a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a></p>
<p></p>


Solodev CMS: Bringing Multi-site Management to Healthcare Organizations

<p>In our <a href="/exploring-solodev-cms-8/">first featured post regarding Solodev CMS</a>, I mentioned that the platform has a history of powering government websites.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.solodev.com/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/soldodev-logo-1_400x0.png" /></a><br />Making use of built-in features like data-driven forms, document management, workflow management, and the Solodev API, local governments have leveraged the platform to power their online presences.</p><p>Today, Solodev’s government clientele includes; State of Florida, Seminole County, Osceola County, City of Orlando and City of Miami Beach.</p><h2>Bridging the Gap</h2><p>I think it’s fair to say that local government websites are not typically known for cutting edge features and functionality.</p><p>And yet, town, city and county residents are used to managing much of their lives online – and want to do the same with regard to their interactions with their town hall.</p><p>To bridge that digital gap, Solodev CMS delivers a full range of features. Let’s take a closer look at the most relevant ones.</p><h2>Custom, Custom, Custom</h2><p>On top of websites and apps being mobile optimized out of the box, developers can produce custom applications to handle government data and activities, including;</p><p>staff directories</p><p>emergency alert functionality</p><p>events, calendar management</p><p>news management</p><p>video and photo galleries</p><p>blogs and landing page management</p><p>Customized solutions can also be produced further thanks to Solodev’s RESTful API, which allows for custom and third-party integrations.</p><h2>Making Life Easier for Constituents</h2><p>Speaking of integrations, Solodev also integrates with a range of social media websites, encouraging social sharing and providing single-sign-on options.</p><p>Solodev’s development team has also put tremendous emphasis on the platform’s easy-to-manage CMS capabilities with SEO optimization, aiming to help residents or other constituents find what they're looking for more easily.</p><p>Furthermore, 24/7 self-service capabilities around bill pay, service requests, and general information is made available, streamlining those online constituent experiences as much as possible.</p><p>To round things off, Solodev CMS 8 boasts ADA compliancy, as well as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.solodev.com/">AWS hosting</a> with full disaster recovery – perfect for government bodies who simply cannot afford to lose data.</p><p>To find out more about Solodev CMS, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.solodev.com/">check out their website</a> and the <a href="/products/solodev">Solodev CMS Critic Directory listing</a>.</p><p>And of course, be sure to stay tuned for more featured coverage during this <a href="/tag/solodev">Solodev CMS featured week</a>.</p><p> </p>

Solodev CMS: Powering Next Generation Local Government Websites to Improve Constituent Services

<p>It’s time to kick off another featured week, this time with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.solodev.com/">Solodev CMS</a>, an enterprise-grade platform built to handle websites, document management, digital marketing, eCommerce, as well as custom and mobile app development.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.solodev.com/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/soldodev-logo-1_400x0.png" /></a></p><p>Launched in 2006, Solodev is a well-established CMS, boasting clients such as OneBlood, MobileHelp, CNL Financial Group, Springstone Hospitals, Dr. Philips Center and the State of Florida Department of Education.</p><p>They tend to work within industries like: Consumer Services, Education, Healthcare, Government and Financial Services.</p><h2>Getting Comfortable with Solodev</h2><p>Solodev can be deployed as an on-premise solution, or as a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution, making it flexible enough for pretty much all corners of the online world.</p><p>The platform’s core features span WYSIWYG and inline content editing, multi-site management, dynamic drag-and-drop templating features, a built-in Google Analytics dashboard, a landing page builder and a custom form builder.</p><p>Solodev also has built-in modules (called “Managers” in the platform) that make it easy to manage dynamic features like blogs, calendars, management pages, news items, and photo galleries.</p><p>It also integrates well with third party CRMs, marketing automation systems and other solutions to unite all marketing efforts under the same digital roof.</p><p>Furthermore, thanks to enhanced multi-site capabilities, brands can deploy and manage multiple websites from the a single Solodev instance. Those websites can be cloned to easily spin up new sites, and can also share content with other websites managed by the Solodev instance.</p><h2>From AWS to API</h2><p>With the release of Solodev CMS 8, the platform was re-architected for maximum optimization in the AWS (Amazon Web Services) Cloud. The re-build means that Solodev can be rapidly deployed across global regions at the click of a button.</p><p>Additionally, the AWS environment provides for load-balancing in multi-server set-ups and high capacity events. This helps to avoid restricted site access by triggering extra web servers or even a secondary load balancer in a redundant environment. Customers with the highest availability requirements can take advantage of hot standby sites in alternate regions to provide live failover capabilities for disaster recovery.</p><p>Solodev also provides users with a RESTful API for custom application and mobile app integration.</p><p>For example, Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority made use of Solodev CMS to develop a website that serves as a portal for developers to request dev keys and access documentation.</p><p>The built-in API allowed their developers to take advantage of the existing and extensive Miami Beach data set to create mobile apps focusing on things such as: hotels, shopping, dining, arts and entertainment, nightlife, sports, music, transportation and more.</p><h2>Getting Started with Solodev</h2><p>Solodev CMS presents three subscription plans for brands to get started with their platform. Plans start from $7,100/year, and look a little like this:</p><p>Business – single server with standard support</p><p>Professional – multi-server with advanced support</p><p>Enterprise – multi-server cluster with dedicated support</p><p>To find out more about Solodev CMS, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.solodev.com">check out their website</a> and the <a href="/products/solodev">Solodev CMS Critic Directory listing</a>.</p><p>And of course, be sure to stay tuned for more featured coverage during this <a href="/tag/solodev">Solodev CMS featured week</a>.</p><p> </p>

Exploring Solodev CMS 8

<p>Drupal has made some big changes to the process surrounding community initiatives.</p><blockquote><p>“We realized we need better tools and ways to communicate with you about our current priorities, how you can influence those priorities, and how you can help make Drupal.org and the Drupal project better than ever.”</p></blockquote><p>The Drupal team haven't exactly been sitting idly for the last few months, either. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/drupal-8-release-date-november-19th-2015/">Drupal 8 was released in late 2015</a>, while more recently, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/fifteen-years-of-drupal/">the Drupal project surpassed Fifteen years of age</a> – which is some achievement.</p><p>Let's take a look at what's new, and how it will affect the Drupal community going forward.</p><h2>Learning From Hard Lessons</h2><p>Drupal has admitted to learning a “hard lesson” [over the course of the past year, and that's that] we need to be involved early”.</p><p>As they have come to know, even if the community leaders putting forward an initiative are experts in their area, without Drupal's core team being invovled early on, the idea is too often slowed down by, “architectural refactoring and design decision backtracks”.</p><p>To get involved as early as possible in all initiatives, Drupal's new initiatives process now looks like this:</p><ol><li>Community members plan their contribution in an issue, and identify who (if anyone) is able to volunteer some time to make the contribution.</li><li>The community members propose their initiative to the Association – so that we can evaluate it for inclusion on our roadmap. This may include a call with the community members proposing the initiative to talk it through in greater detail.</li><li>Association staff evaluate the initiative: prioritize it into the roadmap, postpone it, or–if necessary– reject initiatives that are not a good fit.</li><li>Prioritized community initiatives are rolled into the larger Drupal.org roadmap, and monthly or bi-monthly community initiative meetings are scheduled to ensure the work moves forward.</li><li>A liaison from the Association engineering team is assigned, to help coordinate architectural decisions, to provide support and access as needed, and to coordinate with the larger team when it is time for the work to be reviewed.</li></ol><p>This move may bring all initiatives far closer to the core Drupal team, but that also means that their attention needs to be more readily available. In response to that, Drupal stated the following:</p><blockquote><p>“This process is time intensive – and so in general we expect to be able to run only one or maybe two community initiatives at a time, in parallel with our other work. We realize this may be frustrating, but the last year has shown that our most successful initiatives required this close coordination.”</p></blockquote><p>This is positive news overall, though.</p><p>Sure, there may be less initiatives flying around, but it means that the ones that are selected will be focused on and honed with Drupal's core team on hand every step of the way.</p><p>To learn more about this new process, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.drupal.org/drupalorg/blog/introducing-a-new-community-initiatives-process">check out the Drupal blog</a>.</p><p>Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/drupal">Drupal through our CMS Directory</a>.</p><p> </p>

Drupal Unveils New Community Initiatives Process

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