Articles - Page 91

Agentic AI Is Coming. Is Your DXP Ready?

dsfaltudo

When it comes to choosing a CMS, developers have to balance the agility and power of the CMS with how easy it will be to create amazing websites. Fortunately, there are some great options out there that fit these requirements. Today, we're going to share the one our readers chose as the Best CMS for Developers.
This year, it was a battle between some great CMS' but there can only be one final winner and this year, the award goes to…
<a href="http://www.craftcms.com" target="_blank">Craft CMS</a>!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-cms-for-developers.png" />
Congratulations to the team at Pixel and Tonic on their win. There's no doubt that Craft CMS is a great solution to consider. I strongly advise you check them out today at <a href="http://www.craftcms.com" target="_blank">http://www.craftcms.com</a>

Announcing the 2015 Winner of Best CMS for Developers

mike-johnston

Today, we're pleased to announce the winner of the Best CMS for Publishers category in the 2015 CMS Awards. This new category aims to help give our readers an idea as to what solutions are good ones to consider in specific industries. Publishers are always struggling to find solid solutions and this year, we're happy to be able to provide a suggestion.
According to our readers, the Best CMS for Publishers is..
<a href="http://ez.no" target="_blank">eZ Publish</a>!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-cms-for-publishers.png" />
Congratulations to the team at eZ Systems on their win. eZ Publish is an excellent solution to consider if you want powerful publishing capabilities with insightful analytics. Check them out at <a href="http://ez.no" target="_blank">http://ez.no</a>

Announcing the 2015 Winner of Best CMS for Publishers

In order to be successful in any niche, it’s essential to have an angle that no other business has exploited.
The team behind <a href="http://quadwrangle.com">QuadWrangle</a> believe they’ve done just that, with their bespoke CMS platform that ‘connects alumni to personalized content to maximize engagement – and donations.’
<img alt="Logo.jpg" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n4LNSuy1xs5Nmjs5_lOTdNGhu3JxFNU1H4IfXSg2hVK8Iw7MgI42CpVq6-ugO2_t9WepyhX5una3XlxF3TdVn-cY74Yo2sfCVWOybrN0Vb-_tI320EVZ_9MkwTQnGvcWRFwvbIwG" />
QuadWrangle are offering potential nonprofit customers an opportunity to turn their existing college alumni network into an alumni database of potential donors.
This new CMS fills a massive gap in the nonprofit market. In a world where consumer media has become the more and more tailored to the individual, QuadWrangle believes that the old university network of connections can be equally personalized and this is what their CMS aims to achieve. In their view, ‘university communications have remained very nebulous’.
They see their CMS platform as a means to end this ‘shapeless communication’ and reverse the 10 year decline they’ve discovered in terms of alumni giving back to their alumni.
QuadWrangle CEO, Nick Zeckets, felt this personally when he discovered that his alma mater had a plethora of needs that he had no idea existed.
QuadWrangle aims to solve a ton of problems by utilizing every alma maters most valuable asset – its alumni.
<h2>So, What Does It Do?</h2>
QuadWrangle aims to ‘connect to myriad sources of consumer information ranging from social data to historical university databases.’ At a glance, this is a hybrid of social media and CMS that looks very interesting.
It does this through four main interlocking products listed on their home page.
<h2>QuadMail</h2>
The QuadMail product seems interesting. It lets you create an unlimited amount of email campaigns that they claim provide ‘quantifiable results’. It also has inbuilt analytics and A/B testing as standard.
However, the real potential here is in their ‘Curated News’ feature. It allows users to display news that’s curated from dozens of university sources into one personalized email. Each story in this email will be tailored to the individual alumnus it’s linked to and it does this automatically. The platform itself creates these emails.
QuadWrangle have utilized a system of dynamic segmentation to ensure that each alumnus gets highly personalized and tailored information.
<h2>QuadWeb</h2>
<img alt="Picture 14.png" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vb84xv2ZxZbOI0xa8j3IEcyjFnnPrs_r5BQOPBixYLROldIhKGRVtfZGwqRWPGjfTiN6Qesph590iZDfkBgEsogrHlICAIG9qiEoPUTprFSKj7E9c21Nq2fkxGAe6fFhKV-jTuu8" />
The Quad Web product expands on Quad Mail's premise to create a custom, web based, and personally relevant content stream for each alumnus.
QuadWrangle have also included a feature that allows you to manage events through the QuadWeb portal. You can search by Type of Event and Event Location and it also allows you to RSVP and Check-In to see Attendees.
QuadWrangle trademarked Class Ring feature has a lot of potential and it looks like a cornerstone of this CMS. Class Ring was set up to connect grads in every corner of the world – all of whom work in hundreds of different companies in thousands of different roles – and instigate career growth by prompting alumni to ask for help while automatically connecting them to their peers.
<h2>QuadHub</h2>
<img alt="Picture 15.png" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QY4G_AnwXL5XDfSMXjFD6V42yTqSjoYfm1JZjoLDk5cyRte17Y8iLzprIbgo-_1d6VUXEkkysNa9EQ5BUy3CeULGHOfzNg0OCHfrUFxUuYga9d77v-O3_H18ktqPa8nc6enrMyST" />
The real standout element of this CMS is their QuadHub feature, which allows users to turn the alumni data into information that they can use. Which of your alumni network want to donate? How many of them can give? QuadHub helps you to work that out.
<img alt="Picture 16.png" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r8G9dNE7Loi7HgHD177NINaRfa-rQjMxLdS2gwGnDcf0jEzRXkhJpE1UR2lcfSPVVc1K_Njpf0twNiPOF-WURIVZI-oUSHIM0kIgbCLnafhF-lQg-HuQRuX-m_7l6FTUkHIVAmVE" />
QuadWrangle believe this section of their service will be of vital use to those looking to maximize their alumni networks potential for donation.
<h2>QuadApp</h2>
This feature bundles all the features of the other three services with a few extra features.
<img alt="Picture 18.png" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/At2TzEqzFECQFTKU5EpwI0Prw2YHl44T6mN8xTDzv24hgAij6o-PXsI76mCjsSdYgWMIkfscYYjMpwok5-B2RLHOwe1syNt-CfiNee6Zva1E_tIJlUYvei_3wxyTHQ34Y30Iy52k" />
The Call To Action feature will be of particular interest to the nonprofit customers it’s targeting. With this feature, custom information is collected through the CMS to drive potential targets for donations.
<img alt="Picture 12.png" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EtaolHs45paRbzo0gkRnwNwnDKCP8METCLRPPK_O-XOSEPkJ9b4goEHctXDYUpARBpDS5AIsOkhL68Wz9rdsbrFHDT_Wp5wHvII1P5vbm17gHThqphAUcc4xhzV5lpNU7IyEFVYy" />
<h2>Real Potential</h2>
QuadWrangle seems to have a good understanding of the potential of current donors on a personal, human level.
This CMS gives nonprofit organisations the ability to automatically serve each potential donor with the kind of personal content that can compel the donor to engage and give back – both monetarily and otherwise.
Like most content management systems, this newbie will live and die on its UI and its price point. If they succeed in managing these key points, I'm sure QuadWrangle will be around for a while yet. And that's good news for NonProfits everywhere.

QuadWrangle Enters the CMS for NonProfit Market

grainne-logue

Community champions, intranet managers, knowledge owners, communications specialists, heads of people’s happiness. We may not have the same title, but we all have the same goal: keeping people happy and informed, day after day.It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. And if that someone is you, you’re in luck. You get to take a break to celebrate and bask in your own glory on January 25th 2016.It’s Community Manager Appreciation Day (CMAD), a special occasion to celebrate the ones who work tirelessly writing stories, connecting people, and finding creative ways to share information.<h2>A Day to Brag</h2>It’s a day for us to brag (finally) to the rest of the world about how we’re making a difference – on the people, culture, and even the bottom lines of our organizations. Community managers who are in charge of their corporate intranet sites are on the front lines of business communications – not only making sure information is delivered, but in a relatable and compelling way to employees.Besides, with all the information we receive on a daily basis and our sometimes wavering attention spans, we really only absorb what stands out as interesting or entertaining. And that can be tough to find at work.Igloo Software, a modern intranet company, didn’t want to let January 25th pass without recognizing their most valuable partners in communication.They launched a special CMAD microsite with lots of goodies for community managers, including a manifesto desktop wallpaper, a fortune teller activity, and a blog series featuring customers who manage Igloo communities. Sign up to receive blog articles as they go live, and find out how you can get in touch with Igloo to see if a modern intranet can help you transform your internal communications.To community managers everywhere, keep doing what you do. Even if it’s a lot. At least you have one day a year to sit back, accept a few compliments and gifts, and really feel appreciated.This post is sponsored by Igloo Software, an intranet you’ll actually like. Find more how Igloo Software can help you build a strong community at <a target="_blank" href="http://igloosoftware.com/">IglooSoftware.com</a>.

This Day is For You, Community Managers

During our featured week with LightCMS, I’ve personally journeyed through the product’s core website building features, and have also delved quite deep into the LightCMS Developer Program.
As usual, this featured week has been an informative one for myself, and I hope the same is true for our readers across the world.
To round off our LightCMS featured week, here’s Mike Johnston interviewing LightCMS Founder Justin Cowan, filmed at the LightCMS headquarters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lX_cFXdLqc&amp;feature=youtu.be
To find out more about LightCMS, check out their <a href="http://www.lightcms.com">website</a>.
And as always, be sure to check them out through our CMS Directory.

An Interview with LightCMS Founder Justin Cowan

During our LightCMS featured week, we’ve focused heavily on what makes the platform such an <a href="/a-closer-look-at-the-lightcms-developer-program/">asset for web design agencies and solo web developers through its Developer Program</a>.The LightCMS Developer Program facilitates white labelling and re-selling of the website builder, in a way that allows developers to build a business without having to venture outside of the LightCMS platform at all.With unlimited websites, pages, hosting and all of LightCMS’ core features including blogging and eCommerce, a web design agency can set up shop with LightCMS – literally.But I think we’ve seen enough talk. It’s time to see LightCMS powering a web design agency for real.<h2>Evolve Creative</h2><a target="_blank" href="http://www.evolve-creative.com/">Evolve Creative</a> is a digital design agency that relies heavily on LightCMS.The design and branding agency white labels LightCMS as EvolveCMS, boasts its own custom templates, and builds upon LightCMS for each project that demands it.The company originally used Joomla to build client websites, but they wanted a hosted solution which was more manageable when it came to updates and security.The change took place in 2007, when Evolve Creative Founder Sarah Hokuf found LightCMS, and never really looked back.With regards to using LightCMS, Sarah Hokuf had plenty of praise to dish out:<blockquote>“LightCMS has been a big part of our growth. More than 90 percent of our sites are on LightCMS, so it’s a key player in the services we offer.Clients can have a great presence online and know that their site is always going to be up.They don’t have to worry about technical maintenance and can focus on their business, not monitoring downtime or uptime. It’s also great to be able to offer LightCMS with no limitations in pages and storage.”</blockquote>So, Evolve Creative make use of all the benefits I mentioned in my previous coverage of LightCMS’ Developer Program, including white labelling, re-selling at a higher monthly price, drag-and-drop page building, FTPS and full code access, and more.For me, it’s always interesting to see how a program like this handles in reality. Discussing feature sets on paper is one thing, but watching LightCMS give life to a successful web design agency seriously drives home the usefulness of their Developer Program.To wrap up this featured week, we’ll soon be releasing a video interview with a LightCMS executive. Stay tuned!To find out more about LightCMS, check out their website, and also their CMS Critic directory listing.

Evolve Creative: A Web Design Agency Powered by LightCMS

So far during this featured week, I’ve discussed the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/building-an-ecommerce-business-with-lightcms/">eCommerce capabilities of LightCMS</a>, as well as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/how-lightcms-aims-to-help-the-growth-of-web-design-agencies/">the platform’s aim to help web design agencies through its Developer Program</a>.And while it’s true that I’ve already explored the broad features of LightCMS’ Developer Program once already, there are two areas in particular that stand out which I didn’t touch on nearly enough.Those areas are; customer billing and white labelling.<h2>Customer Billing</h2>Billing a customer each month or year can be a chore within itself. Making up invoices, sending them off, and then chasing them when they’re late. It’s a potential nightmare that has become a reality far too often for most web developers.However, LightCMS’ Developer Program cuts that problem off at the root.Customer card details can be added to LightCMS in order for them to be automatically billed each month. Plus, any price can be set, meaning that the amount of profit made per website is totally up to the developer.Notably, over $3,000,000 has been billed through the LightCMS Developer Program thus far. So, it works.<h2>White Labelling</h2>Another dimension of the Developer Program that empowers the web designer, is white labelling.White Labelling, or private labelling, allows a company (in this case, the LightCMS Developer Platform customer) to rebrand a product (in this case, LightCMS) in order to make it appear to be their own.In other words, a web design agency can rebrand LightCMS in order to re-sell it to their customers.The end customer will only see the logo and branding of the web design agency they signed up to work with, whilst all the functionality and flexibility is provided by LightCMS. The third, silent party. White Labelling a CMS isn’t exactly a new practice, and there are indeed a few other platforms out there offering similar options.However, I must say that LightCMS’ entire Developer Program is one of the most well packaged re-seller programs from among the user friendly website builders out there on the market.It’s designed to be re-sold to customers and clients who aren’t tech savvy, and I genuinely believe that it’s one of the select few content management systems that is simple enough for anybody to use, yet complex enough for a developer to churn out professional websites.Our LightCMS featured week wraps up tomorrow, so be sure to stick around for it.And as always, be sure to check out LightCMS via our CMS Directory.

A Closer Look at the LightCMS Developer Program

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So far during this featured week, I’ve looked at the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/lightcms-not-your-average-website-builder/">core features of LightCMS</a>, as well as its <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/how-lightcms-aims-to-help-the-growth-of-web-design-agencies/">aim to help web design agencies through its Developer Program</a>.
However, on top of being able to produce professional websites and blogs for small and medium-sized businesses, LightCMS can also be used as an eCommerce platform.
LightCMS is not a platform that is known for its eCommerce capabilities, and although it’s true that many website builders merely patch on such features in order to masquerade as powerful products, I think LightCMS holds its own when it comes to selling.
Let’s take a closer look at how it does that.
<h2>The Elements of eCommerce</h2>
LightCMS’ functionality is found mainly in its elements, which can be dragged and dropped anywhere on any page. Such elements include; forms, blogs, images, galleries, and of course, store products.
For example, with LightCMS, you can use the product element to add products directly to a page, bypassing the traditional back-end processes that other eCommerce platforms require.
As far as design goes, each LightCMS template boasts its own store style which kicks in once product elements are added. These pre-set styles can also be customized to an extent.
And of course, users who are comfortable with code can delve right in and revamp the style completely, just as they can with any LightCMS template.
<h2>Just Enough Complexity</h2>
Unlike simple page and website building, eCommerce solutions require some level of complexity in order to be worthwhile products.
Thankfully, LightCMS follows up on its user-friendly page building with more detailed eCommerce options.
Such options include product tags, variants, multiple images, currency settings, and so forth.
Furthermore, merchants can choose between selling physical goods and digital goods like downloadable audio and video files.
Customers can purchase digital and physical goods through a polished shopping cart and checkout experience, where both Stripe and PayPal.
Digital goods are delivered to customers automatically, while fulfillment of physical goods is made easy by our backend eCommerce tools.
More power is given to store owners through LightCMS’ back end. Orders are tracked, customers and their profiles are stored, and store statistics are tallied up. All automatically, too.
So, LightCMS blends together the user-friendliness of its drag-and-drop element system, with more detailed eCommerce options that can be used to build and then grow an online store. Not too shabby.
Our LightCMS featured week is set to continue over the next few days, so be sure to stick around.
Also, be sure to check out LightCMS via our CMS Directory.

Building an eCommerce Business with LightCMS

We <a href="/lightcms-not-your-average-website-builder/">kicked off our LightCMS featured week yesterday by introducing the platform’s core features</a>, including its use of elements like blogs, forms and calendars to populate pages.I now want to direct my attention towards an area of LightCMS that makes it a little more than just a website builder.On top of all its standard website building features, LightCMS aims to assist the ever-growing range of web design agencies and freelancers across the globe. Let’s take a look at how.<h2>A Look at the LightCMS Developer Program</h2>Essentially, the LightCMS Developer Program is built to serve as the foundation for a web design agency.It allows agencies and freelancers to build an unlimited amount of LightCMS Unlimited Plan websites for only $19/mo per website – cheaper than the standard price for the same Unlimited plan.This gives the web designer room to mark up and re-sell LightCMS to clients, after white labelling the platform to match their brand. In exchange for the marked up price, the web designer can provide the initial design and set up, as well as ongoing maintenance and content updates.Becoming part of the Developer Program gives the developer unlimited pages for each website, unlimited storage, every LightCMS feature in existence (from eCommerce to blogging), automatic updates and of course, hosting.Developers also get; multi-site management control panel, full FTPS access, full code access, automated client billing, built-in SEO analytics, and a higher level of support from LightCMS. There’s no need to worry about server configuration either. LightCMS does all the heavy lifting.Further benefits include; cost-free sites while in development, the ability to easily replicate entire websites, and a free website for self-promotion.<h2>How This Helps In Practise</h2>Anybody who has ever built a website for a friend, family member or colleague, will know that actual web design is but a fragment of the work put into a web design project.Hosting issues typically crop up before work even begins, and then the client asks for (often far-fetched) changes during development, further complicating matters. And then, perhaps worst of all, are the post-project “tweaks” that get requested. Even after the final bill has been sent.The LightCMS Developer Program takes the stress out of initial set up by providing the hosting, configuring the servers, and automating all updates.As for the design work itself, the core features of LightCMS, such as the drag-and-drop interface and long list of page elements, make life easy for the developer.And, because the platform can be white labelled, developers can then put most of the power in their clients hands, allowing them to make use of LightCMS’ user-friendly interface to make their own changes.Meanwhile, the developer can charge a monthly fee for being on hand for general support, as well as for whenever larger content updates need to be made.If you ask me, the LightCMS Developer Program could make being a web designer a walk in the park. Well, a walk in the park with an annoyingly demanding client, anyway.Stick around for more featured coverage of LightCMS.

How LightCMS Aims to Help the Growth of Web Design Agencies

We’re kicking off another featured week here on CMS Critic. This time, it’s with LightCMS; the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-winner-of-the-2014-peoples-choice-cms-award-for-best-cloud-cms-for-smb/">People's Choice for Best Cloud CMS for Small to Medium Sized Businesses 2014</a>.
On top of professional website building features, the cloud-hosted website builder offers up blogging and eCommerce capabilities to cover all the major bases.
Plus, it’s relied on by web developing companies, who are able to white label LightCMS, use it to build client websites, and then re-sell it to those same clients.
2015 was a year of self-development for the LightCMS. They released new features and bug fixes almost every month, padding it with small, yet welcome tweaks.
<h2>Powerfully Flexible</h2>
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lpb41hpSsf8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
As far as website builders go, LightCMS is incredibly flexible.
Page elements, such as blogs, products, calendars, forms, and galleries, can be added anywhere, on any page, without limit. And thanks to a drag-and-drop interface, it’s a piece of cake to do so.
<blockquote>“The user friendly interface and good looking templates mean that website design newbies, small to medium sized businesses, and freelancers of all kinds can jump in, drag, drop, type and upload their way to a stunning website.” – <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/lightcms-not-your-average-website-builder/">Read the Full LightCMS Review</a>.</blockquote>
File and media management features are robust, and all the necessary blogging functions are there to build a successful, standalone blog.
LightCMS can also function as an eCommerce platform. Products and catalogs can be created,
Users can even register and create their own profiles. In other words, LightCMS can build websites capable of hosting communities of people, encouraging them to participate on blog post comments, helping them keep track of store purchases, and allowing them to access member-only content.
Want a more detailed breakdown of LightCMS’ core features? Check out my <a href="/lightcms-not-your-average-website-builder/">LightCMS Review</a>.
But like I said earlier, LightCMS is not just your average website builder. It’s not necessarily just for those who want to build a single personal website.
<h2>Web Design, White Labeled</h2>
Web design agencies are popping up everywhere. The biggest concern is typically managing the different needs of their clients in a way that doesn’t suck up every last minute of the day.
LightCMS’ Developer Program was set up to help streamline the entire industry for web developers. They can white label the platform, use it to build unlimited websites, and then re-sell it to clients, who can then also use the platform to further manage their websites.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qpdR-VN2L8s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
LightCMS Developers can manage all of their websites from the same area and set monthly price points for their clients in exchange for the support provided.
I’ll be delving far deeper into the LightCMS Developer Platform later on during this featured week, so be sure to stay tuned.
And as always, be sure to check out LightCMS via our CMS Directory.

LightCMS: Not Your Average Website Builder

On December 29th, 2000, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.drupal.org/">Drupal</a> was born into the world of web content management.Today, over fifteen years later, not only is it one of the biggest players in the industry, but it's also still growing.Drupal powers millions of websites, some of which are high profile. For example, Weather.com, NBC, Tesla and many other big brands all make use of the capable platform.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/drupal_logo-blue-1_400x0.png" /> With the passing of this massive milestone, <a target="_blank" href="http://buytaert.net/">Dries Buytaert</a>, the Founder of Drupal, recently <a target="_blank" href="http://buytaert.net/drupal-15-years-old-and-still-gaining-momentum">published a blog post on his personal website</a> reminiscing over his open source project's history.<h2>Little Drupal, All Grown Up</h2>The blog post revolves around the context of Drupal's conception, as well as the platform's successes, failures and future plans.<blockquote>“Drupal is now 15 years old. In internet terms, that is an eternity.In 2001, only 7 percent of the world's population had internet access. The mobile internet had not entered the picture, less than 50% of the people in the United States had a mobile phone, and AT&amp;T had just introduced text messaging.People searched the web with Lycos, Infoseek, AltaVista and Hot Bot. Google — launched in 1998 as a Stanford University research project — was still a small, private company just beginning its rise to prominence. “</blockquote>Dries Buytaert even touches on some of the changes in his own life over the last fifteen years, aligning his own journey with that of Drupal's.<blockquote>“I've undergone a lot of personal reinvention over the past 15 years too. In the early days, I spent all my time writing code and building <a target="_blank" href="http://drupal.org/">Drupal.org</a>. I quickly learned that a successful open source project requires much more than writing code.”</blockquote>He even turns his attention to the current political and social factors impacting on the web today.<blockquote>“Today we risk losing much of the privacy, serendipity and freedom of the web we know. As the web evolves from a luxury to a basic human right, it's important that we treat it that way.To increase our impact, we have to continue to make Drupal easier to use.”</blockquote>I personally love to see this typically hidden dimension of large CMS vendors.The humble beginnings, the initial years of growth, and the human effort behind it all. It can be fascinating.We often forget that the biggest content management systems that we all know and love today were once just a simple code commit. And before that, a mere idea inside the mind of a future software mogul.<h2>Years of Global Recognition</h2>Drupal can be positively proud of its strong history.It's a platform with a thriving community that's also recognized across the world as a leading open source CMS. Here on CMS Critic, we've contributed to that recognition with CMS Awards <a href="/drupal-wins-2009-open-source-php-cms-award/">from 2009</a> right up <a href="/2014-best-enterprise-php-cms/">until 2015</a>.Such awards have been for; Best Enterprise PHP CMS (2015), Best Free CMS (2013), and Best Open Source PHP CMS (2009)In any case, I think we can all agree that as Drupal 8 will surely leave its mark on 2016, the rest of Drupal's teen years (and beyond) are well worth keeping tabs on.Congratulations to Fifteen years, Drupal! Here's to many, many more.To find out more about Drupal, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.drupal.org/">check out their website</a>. Or, explore more of <a href="/products/drupal">Drupal through our CMS Directory</a>.

Fifteen Years of Drupal

Choosing the right CRM for your business is no easy feat and you’re bound to feel a sense of relief once you’ve finally come to a decision.
However, this is just the beginning of your CRM implementation process and it’s important to remember that if you want to get the most out of your investment.
<img alt="bigstock-CRM-Office-Working-Concept--106452203.jpg" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sSAZlTaEjDpq_drEqC2ACHqj-pX7h_1Wz6rO8yxvBRrXimZ0Hab-HcCH92lGoGr0jFoaPaJF6YTmaAtlgfYED5bBRVlVbmuOZVZU8qJJFK8zhCSkb-Evi5FsM-5aaHvEPsBbTp3k" />
Your CRM system will always be a work in progress because there will always be new obstacles which arise and new adaptations required to overcome them. But that’s the beauty of it. Your CRM system will grow with your business and can be customized to ensure that you gain the best possible reward from your investment.
By adhering to these CRM best practices for your business, you can ensure that you continue to get the most out of both your CRM product and your team.
<h2>1. You Can Customize It, So… Customize It.</h2>
You’ve already been sold on the benefits of your new CRM – that’s why you installed it – but it’s also important to make sure that your CRM works for your business.
Before rolling your CRM out across the company, you should consult with each department to identify the key fields and reports which need to be mapped out in advance. Of course – further customizations can be made as you go along, but this initial prep will save you and your employees a lot of time and money.
<h2>2. Provide Proper Training</h2>
You’ve already made an investment in your CRM, so it’s important to also invest time and resources into training your employees.
The more adept they are with using the new system, the more likely they will be to actually use it, making it less likely that your investment will go down the drain.
<h2>3. Commit To Getting Fully On Board</h2>
There’s little point in installing a CRM if your team is going to be doubling up on an excel sheet.
A new CRM can be overwhelming, especially if it’s jampacked with new features, but it’s important to really make the transition from your old way of working to your new CRM process. And that means embracing the CRM features that will best benefit your business.
<h2>4. Get Your Data Organized</h2>
Sure, you can import your data automatically, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to look pretty.
There are bound to be a few duplications, errors, and typos, and you really need a human on board to oversee the process. Otherwise, your CRM will be a hot mess from day 1 and your employees will be on cleanup duty for the rest of the year – which they won’t thank you for, trust me.
<h2>5. Don’t Shy Away From Automation</h2>
Many of repetitive tasks on your CRM, such as data entry, can be automated. It’s important to take advantage of this and automate wherever possible, as it will free up more time for your employees to work on priority tasks.
Automation will also take human error out of the equation and cut down on any mistakes within your system.
<h2>6. Stay Ahead Of The Curve</h2>
It’s important to keep an eye on your processes and analyze what’s working and what isn’t.
You can do this by arranging regular team meetings to get feedback and make changes where needed.
<h2>7. Embrace Mobile</h2>
Your sales team should be able to access the CRM from any device; if they can’t, then you might want to rethink your CRM choice. Your sales reps need to be able to access your CRM on the go or they’ll start to revert back to their trusted notepads.
So, not only should you adapt to mobile, you should actively encourage it.
<h2>8. Don’t Forget About Your Analytics</h2>
Getting feedback from your employees is crucial, but you also need to keep track of your data. If you’re using all of the features provided by your CRM, this will be simple and automatic.
Using these reports, you can gain valuable insights into how each department is doing within your business.
<h2>9. Promote Collaboration</h2>
If you’ve ever called up a call centre and found yourself passed between 5 different departments – before finally speaking to someone who still can’t help you, then you’ll understand why it’s important to promote collaboration across departments.
By ensuring that up-to-date customer information and necessary programs are available to all employees, you’re going to seriously increase your customer retention levels in the long run.
<h2>10. Don’t Be Afraid To Admit Defeat</h2>
This sounds a bit negative, but really it’s the best thing you can do if your CRM isn’t working out. Sometimes, a company will choose a CRM that just isn’t the right fit for their business and it’s better to figure that out sooner rather than later.
Maybe your business has outgrown your current CRM, or perhaps you just jumped on the first CRM choice available without assessing its suitability. The important thing is to identify why the CRM didn’t work for you and use that information to find a system more suited to your business needs.
<h2>Give It A Proper Go</h2>
Remember, a properly implemented CRM will do amazing things for your business, but a poorly implemented CRM will simply sit and gather dust whilst your customers go elsewhere.
You can avoid this by putting these simple practices into place and really ‘giving it a go’, as opposed to installing a CRM just because you think you should – and then neglecting to actually use it.
Are there any key practices that help your business to get the most out of your CRM? Why not share them with us in the comments section below.

10 CRM Best Practices to Help Grow Your Business

<a href="https://mobirise.com/" target="_blank">Mobirise</a>, the offline website builder for Windows and Mac, has unveiled a new update.
<a href="https://mobirise.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1tawul94_409x0-is365x0-is.png" /></a>
My <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">Mobirise review</a> was published not too long ago, and I remember clearly how impressed I was with the Netherlands-based platform.
<blockquote>“If a website building novice asks me to point them in the direction of a totally free website builder, Mobirise will now be high on my list of recommendations. I'm that impressed.” – <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">Read the full review</a>.</blockquote>
This latest update, Mobirise 2.8, brings about a fair amount of changes. Let's take a closer look.
<h2>A New Theme &amp; More Extensions</h2>
One of my concerns about Mobirise during my review was the lack of extensions on offer. With this update, three new extensions come in; Facebook Comments, Icons and Soundcloud. Plus, an existing extension has been improved. Not too shabby.
Furthermore, a new theme, <a href="https://mobirise.com/extensions/puritym/?utm_source=mob_28_email_mc_gc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=mob_28_iconext" target="_blank">PurityM</a>, has been introduced, which will help to shake things up in terms of design.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-12864x0-is.png" />
Although Mobirise originally had plenty of building blocks to work with, they were only suited to one theme. PurityM is a welcome addition to that default Mobirise look.
Here's a full summary of Mobirise 2.8:
<ul>
<li>New <a href="http://apycom.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=94df596a350418d6a86a17f95&amp;id=c5f45d86be&amp;e=f4068ae7db" target="_blank">“PurityM” theme</a> – experimental, Bootstrap 4 based theme</li>
<li>New <a href="http://apycom.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=94df596a350418d6a86a17f95&amp;id=da37b5516d&amp;e=f4068ae7db" target="_blank">Icons extension</a> – add colorful icons to buttons, menu or instead of images.</li>
<li>Updated <a href="http://apycom.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=94df596a350418d6a86a17f95&amp;id=a4171040ae&amp;e=f4068ae7db" target="_blank">Code Editor extension</a>.</li>
<li>New “Facebook Comments” extension.</li>
<li>Images can now be given a link, title, alt text.</li>
<li>Added “Use menu logo as favicon” option</li>
<li>New “Soundcloud” extension</li>
<li>Various bug fixes</li>
</ul>
Overall, this looks like a solid update from an improving website builder.
To find out more about Mobirise, <a href="/mobirise-review/" target="_blank">check out my review</a>, and <a href="https://mobirise.com/" target="_blank">their website</a>.

Mobirise 2.8 Lands With New Themes & Extensions

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