Articles - Page 97

Not All Heroes Wear Capes. Here's Why CMS Is Your 'Unsung Hero' in 2025

janus-boye

<a target="_blank" href="https://modxcloud.com/">MODX Cloud</a> users will be pleased to hear about a new hosting environment recently unveiled by the MODX team.<a target="_blank" href="https://modxcloud.com/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/modx-color.png" /></a> The popular website host is designed specifically for MODX sites, although it's also widely used to host other platforms, such as WordPress.They've called this new cloud type, “Flex Clouds”.<h2>What is Flex Clouds?</h2>Ryan Thrash, the MODX Co-founder, <a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/blog/2015/11/04/more-flexibility-for-your-projects-in-modx-cloud/">talked users through the details of Flex Cloud in a recent blog post</a>. It gets a little technical, but here's what it means in a nutshell.Flex Cloud is a standalone Cloud type that comes with an empty database, SSH and SFTP, ready for the installation of virtually anything that runs on a modern nginx/MySQL/PHP stack.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flex_1.png" />This new hosting environment will make it easier for users to implement a wider rage of PHP apps, and features automatically rolling 7-day offsite backups to keep everything safe and sound, too.For front-end developers, Flex Clouds support Sass and Compass Watch. Furthermore, lovers of IDEs and Text Editors can use the command line for modern developer tools like Composer, Git, cron, shell scripts, rsync, Nano and Vim.As for how this update impacts existing MODX Cloud users, I'll let Ryan Thrash fill you in directly:<blockquote>“Many customers have been holding on to legacy hosting accounts to run their MODX Evolution and WordPress sites; today we have removed the barrier to <a target="_blank" href="https://modxcloud.com/signup/studio?trial">moving to MODX Cloud</a>. You can now have all your legacy and current projects in a single place, and update them to MODX Revolution when the time is right.For customers on the original plans, we will shift your WordPress Clouds to the new Flex Cloud type; you won’t need to do anything. If you need a new WordPress Cloud, use the Flex Cloud type and install the latest version from the web installer or from a CLI tool of your choice. We’ll add instructions for installing WordPress and MODX Evolution, and other apps that you request.”</blockquote>.This looks like a healthy move from MODX. It's also refreshing to see Flex Clouds come in as a direct upgrade for existing users, rather than a separate plan that requires time, money and effort to migrate to.More details on Flex Clouds <a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/blog/2015/11/04/more-flexibility-for-your-projects-in-modx-cloud/">can be found here</a>.And as usual, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/modx">MODX via our CMS Directory</a>.

MODX Cloud Introduces Flex Clouds

mike-johnston

Since its launch in 2005, Google Analytics has been the ‘go-to’ analytics tool for most online businesses – it seems like everyone is using it or has used it.
Google Analytics is easy to access and it’s free, making it one of the most popular analytics tools on the market, but does that mean it’s right for your business?
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/analytics-925379_1280548x0-is.jpg" /> Well, that’s the thing – it may not be. There are lots of alternative options out there and it’s worth doing a bit of research to see if any of these are a better fit for your business.
I’ve put together a few of the most popular choices on the market to narrow down your search.
<h2>1. Kissmetrics</h2>

Kissmetrics is one of the more popular alternatives to Google Analytics and it has gained definite approval from the online community.
Kissmetrics is ‘people based’ and it differs from GA by focusing more on customer retention and actionable metrics, rather than cold, hard data. Kissmetrics will find out where your customers are coming from, how they got to your site, and what journey they took to the checkout. If they didn’t check out, Kissmetrics will identify the obstacles that got in their way.
With this knowledge, you can increase your sales by improving the customer journey – from the moment they ‘check in’ to your site, right to the moment they ‘check out’ with your product/service. Kissmetrics price plans range from $200 for the starter package to $2000 for the pro deal. And if that seems a pricey for your budget, you can also sign up for a free trial and ‘try before you buy’.
Find out more about Kissmetrics <a href="http://www.kissmetrics.com">here.</a>
<h2>2. Clicky</h2>

Clicky is one of the most cost effective premium options on the market, with prices starting at $0 per month. It’s a little basic in comparison to GA in terms of data monitoring, but it provides easily accessible information with no learning curve involved.
There’s a little irony in the name too, because Clicky is much easier to navigate than some of its competitors – you can get a lot more done in a lot less clicks! Clicky takes a different view on bounce rates to many other analytics providers and it doesn’t see a 5 minute viewing time on one page as a bounce. A bounce will only be registered if the visitor spends less than 30 seconds on that one page. This makes a lot of sense for websites that promote short articles which most users will click in and out of quickly.
All of the data is up to date and in real time, so you’ll always have a complete view of what’s happening on your site. Clicky offers a free option to start off with, but if your site starts bringing in over 3,000 visitors a day then you’ll have to upgrade your account. That said, paid options start at $9.99 for up to 30,000 annual visitors, so it’s still a very inexpensive option.
Find out more about Clicky <a href="http://www.clicky.com">here</a>.
<h2>3. Mint</h2>

Mint is a tracking tool with a sophisticated design that’s both premium and affordable.
This tracking tool will help you to identify where the most interest is being generated in your site. An at-a-glance view will show you the visitor count, top referring websites, most popular pages, and the most popular search terms for your site. However, it doesn’t track some of the usual stats such as bounce rates or time on site.
Although it’s a little lacking in the features department, Mint offers businesses unlimited site tracking and an extensive plug-in option (peppers) for added functionality. Prices start at $30 per single site.
Find out more about Mint <a href="http://www.haveamint.com">here.</a>
<h2>4. GoSquared</h2>

The GoSquared dashboard is made up of 3 categories: live stats, ecommerce data, and historical data.
GoSquared focuses on real time stats and identifying trends. The initial overview will show you the number of current site visitors, most popular content, top traffic sources, visitor geo locations, and more.
You can also view daily, weekly, and monthly comparisons of historical data on the ‘trends’ board. GoSquared offer a ‘Free Tier’ package for entrepreneurs, which has a limit of up to 100 people and 1,000 data points. After this, price plans start at $18 per month for 100,000 data points. 
Find out more about GoSquared <a href="http://www.gosquared.com">here</a>.
<h2>5. Heap</h2>

Heap is designed with the user in mind and it’s a great option for users who aren’t very tech savvy. The simple point and click interface makes it easy for anyone on the team to monitor your website data.
This tool is set up to automatically capture everything, and it then shows users how to design their own reports based on their individual business requirements. Heap also charges per visit instead of per data point, which differentiates it from a lot of its competitors. The free plan allows for up to 5,000 sessions per month and the startup option costs $99 per month for 25,000 sessions.
However, you can also upgrade to the startup plan for free – by simply joining the Heap Badge Program and adding the badge code to your website.
Find out more about Heap <a href="https://heapanalytics.com/">here</a>.
<h2>6. StatCounter</h2>

StatCounter is has been around for a while and it’s a bit of a veteran in analytics game. It doesn’t have the prettiest interface but it does have all of the basics that you need in an analytics tool – and it’s free. StatCounter provides pretty general reports, including stats such as customer visits, visitor paths, popular pages, and keywords.
Whilst it doesn’t provide a drilled down data overview, it offers more than enough information to get a good picture of your website activity without much hassle. StatCounter is a decent option for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the world of analytics.
Find out more about Statcounter <a href="http://www.statcounter.com">here</a>.
<h2>7. Hootsuite</h2>

Hootsuite is well known for its social media management tool, but did you know that it also offers a great analytics package? Hootsuite acquired uberVU in 2014 to expand its services and the new analytics tool has become popular with regular users.
Hootsuite offers unlimited real time alerts and customized reports, making it a great option for any business that generates most of its traffic via social media. The increased functionality allows businesses to monitor the way the customers find them via social media, which helps businesses to target their advertising to the correct audience. Pricing isn’t listed on the website, but you can contact them directly for a custom quote.
Find out more about Hootsuite analytics <a href="https://hootsuite.com/products/social-media-analytics/ubervu-via-hootsuite/pricing">here</a>.
<h2>8. OpenWeb Analytics</h2>

OpenWeb is free, open source, and easy to set up. The interface is quite similar to the old Google Analytics style in terms of color scheme and layout, so if you’ve been using GA for a while it may feel familiar.
Although it’s free, OpenWeb offers a variety of features including goal tracking, heatmaps, and mouse tracking. There are also a great range of statistics available such as browser type, top pages, search terms, geo-location and search engines. OpenWeb also offers some great visual graphs to represent various statistics.
Find out more about OpenWeb Analytics <a href="http://www.openwebanalytics.com/">here.</a>
<h2>Decision Time</h2>

As you can see, there are a variety of analytics tools on the market right now opposing Googla Analytics, and it’s essential to choose the one that’s most suited to your own business. So make use of the free trials where you can, and choose wisely!
Have any of these analytics tools captured your interest? Do you have a recommendation of your own to pass on? Why not let us know in the comments below.

8 Awesome Alternatives to Google Analytics

grainne-logue

Having a marketing automation system to accompany your CMS is slowly but surely becoming the norm.
After all, once your website is up and running, it's time to market it, right? It makes sense.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/person-731479_640619x0-is.jpg" />
But with every new trend, comes a handful of entrepreneurs, startups and small companies who go a little overboard; spending far too much time and money than they need to. And I assure you, things will be no different with this trend.
So, before you go and blast the rest of your yearly budget on a marketing automation system, take a read through my four good reasons to hold off. For now, at least.
<h2>1) Your Product/Service Hasn't Been Honed</h2>

On the day their website launches, many companies will be tempted to jump right into marketing automation, even before they work out the kinks in their product or service.
In the first few months of business, you're better off focusing more on your own offering, before anything else. That way, you can generate interest, followers and subscribers to market to at a later date.
Without sounding too corny, focus on being the best that you can be, before thinking about mass marketing campaigns.
<h2>2) Your Audience is Still Small</h2>

Contrary to what you might think, a typical marketing automation system is built to market to an existing audience. That includes a large email subscriber list, a big social media following, and so forth.
Do you really need premium automated email campaigns and landing pages on demand when your website is only getting 23 visitors a day?
As mentioned in point number one, focus on building your brand and your following, before you think about marketing to them.
<h2>3) It Probably Wasn't Built For You</h2>

Is your company at enterprise level? Is it a medium sized business with big ambitions? If so, <a href="/8-enterprise-marketing-automation-softwares-to-complement-your-cms/" target="_blank">we can't recommend these enterprise-grade marketing automation system enough</a>.
But if it isn't (and it most likely isn't) I strongly suggest steering clear of such products for a while, because they weren't built with you or your buisness in mind. Thus, it can be tricky to learn the technicalities behind its features.
Think about it this way, a product that demands a massive fee will likely demand massive attention and technical know-how to set up and manage.
<h2>4) You Can Get One For Free (or Super Cheap)</h2>

That's right. Marketing automation may be what all the biggest brands are doing, but that doesn't mean that you have to use the same products they use.
In fact, there's a wide range of <a href="/12-free-or-super-cheap-marketing-automation-systems/" target="_blank">free and super cheap marketing automation systems</a> on the market, all of which are a great fit for a budding business. Who said you needed a budget of epic proportions to keep up with the big boys?
<h2>Choose the Right Marketing Automation Software</h2>

If you still feel like you need marketing automation software for your company, your next step is to choose the right one for you and your staff.
Thankfully, we've got you covered with a <a href="/choose-the-best-marketing-automation-system-in-3-easy-steps/" target="_blank">three-step guide towards selecting the best marketing product for your business</a>.
Are you jumping on the marketing automation bandwagon, or are you holding off for now? Let us know in the comments below.

4 Reasons to Not Pay for Marketing Automation Software

Joomla 3.5 is well and truly on the way. The first beta has been released, for developers to download and experiment with. Plus, a release date for the stable release has been revealed; which is December 8th 2015.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/joomla_logo_slogan_700x0.png" />Joomla is flexible, extendable, open source and totally free, all of which has contributed to its wide usage across the globe.Here's what's new with Joomla 3.5.<h2>Email Alerts, Drag &amp; Drop Images &amp; More</h2>Some features to look out for include:<ul><li>Automated emails to alert super users of updates.</li><li>The ability to drag and drop images into the tinyMCE editor that comes with Joomla.</li><li>The number of published, unpublished and trashed articles in the Category Manager will be displayed for the articles, banners, contacts and newsfeeds.</li><li>Show/hide functionality for links to the frontend and backend of the site.</li><li>Ability to download system/environment information for support purposes</li><li>A number of <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/issues?q=milestone%3A%22Joomla!+3.5.0%22+">bug fixes and other extras</a>.</li></ul>Slightly underwhelmed? You should be.I think this is another example of a large CMS vendor pushing out a string of small enhancements in the guise of a relatively major update. I get that it's Joomla 3.5 and not Joomla 4, but automated emails to super-users to alert them to upgrades is hardly going to rock anybody's world.To me, it seems to be missing something to go along with the new ability to drag-and-drop images, which is the feature that most Joomla users will be taking notice of.The full announcement <a target="_blank" href="https://www.joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5637-joomla-3-5-beta-1-released.html">can be found here</a>.Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/joomla">Joomla through our CMS Directory</a>.

First Beta Available for Joomla 3.5

I recently compiled a list of the <a href="/top-10-crm-systems/">Top 10 CRM Systems</a> suitable for enterprises, but many small businesses and entrepreneurs require something a little more simple, and a little less expensive.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/startup-photos-large511x0-is.jpg" />
Such companies don’t have the time or resources to commit to a larger CRM process – and there's nothing wrong with that.
<h2>Self Hosted vs Hosted: The Fork in The Road</h2>
Businesses essentially have two options when it comes to cutting costs with their choice of CRM.
If you go for something self hosted, that will involve you downloading the product (usually for free), leaving you with a ‘free for life’ kind of deal. However, you’ll need someone with a bit of technical know-how to get you set up.
The alternative ‘freemium’ hosted CRM systems can be set up in minutes online, which may seem like the easier option for some. These CRM systems also won’t charge you a dollar until your business starts taking off and you need a more comprehensive package. Sounds like fair deal, right?
Let's take a look at the options which I feel are best suited to the average startup or small business, all of which are online based.
<h2>1. SuiteCRM</h2>
Suite CRM is a free and open sourced system which is based on SugarCRM. It provides users with an experience to rival SugarCRM – by offering similar sales, marketing, and service tools to its premium counterpart.
The add-on modules for workflow and reporting also cement its position on this list. And if you don’t have the time to spend customizing it yourself, there’s also an on-demand option available to do that for you – from just $10 per user, per month.
Find out more about SuiteCRM <a href="https://suitecrm.com/">here.</a>
<h2>2. Really Simple Systems</h2>
Well, the clue is in the name with this one. Really Simple Systems is really simple to use. It’s definitely not the most feature-packed CRM, but if you don’t need the extras then why pay for them? The design is easy to navigate, fully responsive, and quite linear in its approach.
Really Simple Systems offers 3 modules in sales, marketing, service, and support. The home screen is easily customized, provides a summary of live tasks and opportunities, and also displays a sales funnel which illustrates all lead conversions. The two users system is free for up to 100 business accounts, and if you wish to add more users or features – prices start as low as $8 per user, per month.
Find out more about Really Simple Systems <a href="https://www.reallysimplesystems.com/">here.</a>
<h2>3. FreeCRM</h2>
The free version of FreeCRM is pretty impressive – with an allowance for up to 100 users and all basic features. But this is only available for one year. After the year is up, you’ll have to upgrade to CRMPRO and pay $24.95 per user, per month.
FreeCRM is a web based system so it’s pretty easy to use, which is something you’ll be grateful for when you realise there’s no technical support available! That said, the upgraded version is still one of the most affordable CRM apps around and it’s well worth checking out.
Find out more about FreeCRM <a href="http://www.freecrm.com">here</a>.
<h2>4. Odoo</h2>
Odoo offers much more than your standard CRM, and it might be just the ‘all on one’ solution your business needs. Odoo is a free open sourced platform that offers pretty much every kind of app your business could ask for.
This CRM connects your contacts with their social network info and allows you to track those leads right to conversion. The tailored charts and reporting functions will also keep track of your team’s performance overall. The real benefit of Odoo is that you can bring customers from Step 1 of the sales process all the way through to the close – and all in the one app.
Find out more about Odoo <a href="http://www.odoo.com">here</a>.
<h2>5. Zurmo</h2>
Zurmo is on a mission to gamify the CRM business. This open source CRM allows companies to reward employees based on their performance by offering rewards for achieving set targets. It also has all of the standard offerings from a CRM, such as workflows, marketing automation, workflows, and reports.
Zurmo also provides a live demo option, which gives users the chance to test it out before installing it. For users who don’t want the hassle of self-installation, Zurmo also offers a hosted version starting at $35 per user, per month.
Find out more about Zurmo <a href="http://www.zurmo.com">here.</a>
<h2>6. Bitrix24</h2>
Bitrix24 is an easy to use CRM System with a wide range of features available and it’s perfect for small companies. It offers all the basic features a small business might need, such as a virtual call center, email marketing, and invoice management. If you want to access it on the go, it’s also available on iOS and Android.
Bitrix24 will let you manage up to 12 users for free and throw in 5GB of storage to top it off – which sounds like a pretty good deal. You can also upgrade to unlimited users and 50GB of storage for just $99.
Find out more about Bitrix24 <a href="https://www.bitrix24.com/">here.</a>
<h2>7. SpreadsheetCRM</h2>
SpreadsheetCRM is a free template that runs on Google Drive and is designed to help small businesses to manage their sales and leads efficiently. It’s one of the least complicated CRM practices on the market, and it allows businesses to focus on selling rather than getting to grips with a new CRM process.
To sign up, users simply have to fill out the form to get access to the Beta Spreadsheet in Google Docs, then add the file, and share it with members of the team.
SpreadsheetCRM also runs in tandem with ToutApp – a tool which can track and add analytics reports to your Gmail or Outlook account. Prices for ToutApp start at just $30 a month.
Find out more about SpreadsheetCRM <a href="http://www.onesheetcrm.com/">here.</a>
<h2>Customer Relationship Management: More Accessible Than Ever</h2>
As I mentioned previously, it’s imperative for small business owners and entrepreneurs to save time and money where possible – and with these free CRMs, it’s very possible.
In fact, it's safe to say that customer relationship management has never before been so accessible.
What CRM system makes customer relationship management easier for your business? Let us know in the comments below.

7 Free CRM Systems That Prove Customer Relationship Management is Easy

The online community builder <a target="_blank" href="https://www.phpfox.com/">PHPfox</a> has appointed Donna Bryant as Sales &amp; Community Manager to help aid the platform's growth. Furthermore, PHPfox has tipped their hat in the direction of developers, by scrapping their fees.PHPfox has been evolving over the last year or so, and now boasts a newer community building product in the form of Neutron, which is offered alongside Nebula, their classic flagship platform.<h2>Donna Bryant: PHPfox Sales &amp; Community Manager</h2>Donna Bryant isn't new to PHPfox. She has been the Customer and Community Relations Manager for PHPFox for a while, and has been rewarded for her hard work with this new appointment.PHPfox welcomed her to her new position<blockquote>“[Donna Bryant] has been with the PHPfox family for so long and has helped countless of clients build their social networks on her own free time. We are pleased to have her aboard. Welcome Donna!”</blockquote><h2>No More Developer Fee</h2>PHPfox had some more news to reveal, as they scrapped the 20% developer fee for apps and themes. Further to that, any sales made by developers on the PHPfox storefront will be directly transferred into their PayPal accounts.PHPfox also hinted at more changes:<blockquote>“We are currently working on improving our Store Front to tie in with a lot of exciting new changes coming with our product.”</blockquote>Now that's some good news.It's a clear show of support from PHPfox for their developer community. Naturally, they'll want developers to develop more apps and themes for their platform, and this is certainly a great way to encourage that. Kudos to them.Both news stories can be found <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.phpfox.com/2015/11/06/welcome-donna/">here</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.phpfox.com/2015/11/06/developer-fee-removed/">here</a>.

PHPfox Appoints Sales & Community Manager, Scraps Developer Fees

LightCMS has empowered users to customize checkout pages, and has also partnered up with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.crayon.co/">Crayon.co</a> to organize over 300,000 website designs built using LightCMS.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lightcms.jpg" />The website builder powers well over 275,000 websites worldwide, picking up the <a href="/the-winner-of-the-2014-peoples-choice-cms-award-for-best-cloud-cms-for-smb/">2014 People's Choice Award for Best Cloud CMS for SMB</a>.<h2>Custom Checkout</h2>First up, let's check out the new checkout.The update focuses on allowing LightCMS users to customize the appearance of their checkout pages, bringing them in line with the rest of the website.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/customcheckoutpage_thumb.png" />Design changes can be made to the following elements on the LightCMS checkout page:<ul><li>Logo</li><li>Background image/color</li><li>Headings</li><li>Buttons</li></ul>Those changes include sizing, colors, fonts and more.<h2>LightCMS &amp; Crayon</h2>Crayon organizes thousands of web design examples from a range of different platforms, a range which now includes LightCMS.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/crayon_home_thumb.png" /> LightCMS users now have free access to over 300,000 designs hosted on Crayon, where they can be browsed through for inspiration and collaboration purposes.I don't think this is going to mean too much to the average LightCMS user, to be honest, but it's an interesting avenue to explore for them nonetheless.

LightCMS Partners With Crayon & Reveals Custom Checkout

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

#ffffff

<a href="http://www.pardot.com/" target="_blank">Pardot</a>, the B2B marketing automation system from Salesforce, has just received a noteworthy update aimed primarily at helping sales reps.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/login-logo-2014-1.png" />
The popular marketing platform made it on to our list of <a href="/8-enterprise-marketing-automation-softwares-to-complement-your-cms/" target="_blank">top eight enterprise marketing automation systems</a>. It encompasses email marketing, lead generation, lead management, ROI reporting, sales intelligence, and more.
<h2>Salesforce Engage for Gmail &amp; Faster Data Syncing</h2>
Extended Gmail functionality has come to Salesforce Engage, with the aim of empowering sales reps.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pardot1155x0-is.png" />
Engage for Gmail is the first marketing automation plug-in built specifically for sales reps, empowering them to send emails directly from Gmail. In addition, the side panel, shown above, displays detailed lead information directly within Gmail.
Here's a further summary of what's new:
<ul>
<li>
Gain a holistic view of prospects, including name, company, title, address, phone number, whether the a record is a lead, contact, or prospect and their corresponding Pardot lead score and grade directly within Gmail.
</li>
<li>
Add and remove the prospect to and from Pardot lead nurturing campaigns with one click using the “Add to Nurture” button. If a sales rep clicks to add a recipient to a nurture campaign and that prospect does not exist in Pardot, a prospect record will be automatically created and assigned to the user.
</li>
<li>
Send and monitor one-to-one sales emails from Gmail in one click.
</li>
<li>
Log all Gmail email interactions–including clicks and opens within Salesforce.
</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pardot3.png" />Salesforce has also addressed data syncing's need for speed.
With the Pardot update, they claim that the platform now boasts the fastest data sync with Salesforce out of any marketing automation tool on the market. Impressively, it can automatically checks for changes every two minutes.
<h2>Data Visualizations &amp; Report Customizations</h2>
A deeper integration with Salesforce is also gives users new ways to visualize data on a variety of different reports.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pardot2764x0-is.png" />
For example, the new visitors report displays reporting of anonymous visitors and identified prospects to the website. And new multi-score lead scoring, shown above, allows marketers and sales reps to discover which products a prospect is most likely to buy at any moment.
These revamped reporting capabilities extent the existing functionality of Pardot's reporting features, empowering marketers to:
<ul>
<li>
Tie each closed deal back to its original source with closed-loop reporting.
</li>
<li>
Match website visitor behavior and Pardot prospect data using the Google Analytics Connector.
</li>
<li>
Get a high-level view of sales cycle health.
</li>
<li>
Monitor the performance of paid search campaigns.
</li>
<li>
Gain greater insight into email open rates, deliverability rates, email client and browser usage, read rates and more.
</li>
</ul>
So, all in all, it's a pretty robust update for Pardot.
More information about this Pardot update can be found on the Salesforce blog.

Salesforce Unveils New Gmail Integration, Reporting Dashboards & Faster Data-Sync for Pardot

<a href="/products/squarespace">Squarespace</a>, the popular website builder, has unveiled two new product experiences, one of which makes Squarespace available for as little as $3 per month.<a href="/products/squarespace"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/imagescauzpt5i-1_2.jpg" /></a> In addition to the core website builder, Squarespace is introducing a lower price plan via Squarespace Cover Pages and a revamped Squarespace Commerce platform with a number of new features aimed at e-commerce merchants.Squarespace have reported seeing their subscriber rate remain above 100 percent throughout 2013 and 2014, stating that this steady growth was one of the reasons for this pricing and product shake up.<h2>Cover Pages &amp; Commerce</h2>Cover Pages aren't new to Squarespace. <a href="/squarespace-releases-squarespace-7/">They came as part of the release of Squarespace 7 back in 2014</a>.Now, though, they come as a standalone product alongside the Squarespace core platform. Before, you needed to dish out the full $8 per month in order to access Cover Pages.Similarly, Commerce has been on offer for a while, but now comes with a little more under the hood, for the same price of $26 per month.Here's what Squarespace users can now expect:Squarespace Cover Pages:Affordable Price Point: Starting at just $3 a month, Squarespace Cover Pages allow simplicity and sophistication to coexist within one page.28 Cover Page Layouts: Customers can choose to highlight social media accounts, share podcast episodes or album singles, and much more.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1809x0-is.png" />Squarespace Commerce:4 New Commerce Templates: Templates designed specifically with Commerce needs in mind.Commerce Mobile App: The easiest way to manage a Commerce business on the go, now in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.squarespace.com/commerce-beta">public beta</a> for Android and iOS.Abandoned checkout Recovery: Send email reminders to customers who leave items in their cart without completing their purchase.Real-time Carrier Rates: A new integration with UPS and FedEx provides more accurate shipping estimatesCommerce Metrics: Later this month, Squarespace will release brand new Commerce metrics that help sellers better understand their sales and customers.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2928x0-is.png" />The new $3 plan allows users to build one-page websites in order to stir up interest in their product or service. essentially, it's a landing page builder from Squarespace; which, at $3 per month, is a pretty sweet deal as far as I can see.The additions to Squarespace Commerce are also good to see, particularly as there is no increase in price.Anthony Casalena, the CEO and Founder of Squarespace, says that this update is all about beauty:<blockquote>“Our goal is to provide the tools customers need to build a beautiful brand.As we’ve grown, we’ve noticed the opportunity to provide more tailored experiences to particular customer groups. Not every Squarespace customer launching a simple idea needs a multi-page website; this led to the Cover Pages product.Conversely, the merchants on our platform have shown an increasing demand for more sophisticated functionalities, which led to the development of a distinct Commerce product.”</blockquote>To find out more about this update, check out the Squarespace blog.And as usual, you can explore more of <a href="/products/squarespace">Squarespace through our CMS Directory</a>.

Squarespace Introduces New Plans: Single Page & Commerce

Choosing a new CRM system is a bit like choosing a new PA – there are tons of them out there, and most of them do the same thing. So how do you decide which is best for your business?
<img alt="Screen Shot 2015-11-01 at 18.46.06.png" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/IMR-McPWRAgtWENOxmtQzliXVWXABsInr-6BE4NiHWYyAD1HCFdEkbdmqCzhTr3Dfu5EHziNHNwhfKnm5HRfSX8VDSFh4kJLupaO_resLWb8fwnJtpbJvl6K9L9DigSMQsylh0c3" />
It really depends on the specific needs and budget of your business. While every business out there will benefit from a CRM system, not every business will have the same requirements.
To narrow down your search, we’ve put together a list of our top ten CRM systems and an overview of why they made the list.
<h2>1. Salesforce (Cloud)</h2>
Salesforce is definitely a crowd pleaser in the CRM game. The clean design makes it very user friendly and easy to organize. You can also connect to your CRM software with the Salesforce mobile app, allowing you to look up client background notes when you’re out on the road and trying to close a sale. You can also add new customers to the database using your phone or any mobile device.
Although its main function is contact management, Salesforce also offers extras such as sales and marketing and employee tracking. Also, as it’s based in the cloud, you’ll receive all updates automatically.
Salesforce packages start at $27 per month for up to 5 users. Whilst the pricing structure can be a little tricky to work out, with a few sneaky additional costs here and there, Salesforce still offers one of the most streamlined and efficient CRM Systems on the market today.
Find out more about Salesforce <a href="http://www.salesforce.com">here</a>.
<h2>2. Insightly (Cloud)</h2>
Insightly is a great choice for small businesses, it’s simple, affordable, and light on the features front. Paid plans kick off at $12 monthly and there’s a free plan that allows you to store up to 2500 records and add a max of 3 users.
Its CRM functions include contact management, project management, and detailed sales reports – everything a micro business needs to stay on its toes. It also grows with your business, so if you get bigger – your CRM can be scaled to meet your added requirements.
Insightly is extremely easy to navigate, but Insightly still offers a one day training program to assist with onboarding employees – which is pretty useful. Again, this one is cloud based, so you can access your system from anywhere at anytime.
Find out more about Insightly<a href="https://www.insightly.com/"> here</a>.
<h2>3. Netsuite (Cloud)</h2>
Netsuite targets all business sizes, but it's best designed for small to medium size companies.
At $79 a month for a basic package, it’s one of the more costly options of the bunch – but it offers a range of highly customizable features in return. Its impressive list of functions includes sales force automation, sales forecasting, order management, and marketing automation. It also has a pretty useful eCommerce addon which allows you to track customer activity on your website.
As there’s no chat function, you’ll have to pick up the phone or send an email to resolve any issues with the system – but with a guaranteed 24 hour turnaround, you won’t be waiting too long.
Find out more about Netsuite <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/">here.</a>
<h2>4. SugarCRM (Cloud &amp; Onsite)</h2>
SugarCRM is a favorite for small to medium businesses.
This popular CRM system can be onsite or cloud based, and prices range from $35 to $150 per user or per month with an added option to buy the software outright. The desktop version integrates with a number of apps, including Outlook, Gmail, Lotus Notes, and Google Apps.
SugarCRM is also open sourced, so its features are easily customized – and it offers an affordable alternative to Salesforce. You can also check out the SugarExchange, which is a marketplace for SugarCRM themes, module extensions, and language packs.
Find out more about SugarCRM <a href="https://www.sugarcrm.com/">here.</a>
<h2>5. Sage (Web)</h2>
Sage has won many awards over the past few years for its CRM Software. The system is very easy to set up, manage, and maintain – making it an excellent choice for a business that’s new to using CRM software.
The interactive dashboard helps sales staff to monitor their opportunities, organize calendars, manage tasks, and also connect with opportunities on LinkedIn. Sage CRM also offers impressive analytical tools which help users to identify the sales opportunities that exist within the database.
Sage offers a free 30 day trial which allows business to ‘test it out’ before committing to a monthly fee. It doesn’t ask for credit card details over the 30 day period and customers have the option to cancel at any time. It’s also pretty low cost, at just $20 per user each month, making it an affordable option for small businesses.
Find out more about Sage <a href="http://www.sage.com">here.</a>
<h2>6. Hubspot (Cloud)</h2>
Hubspot wouldn’t be Hubspot if they weren’t offering us something for free. And their CRM system is no different.
For exactly zero dollars, you can easily manage all of your leads with the autocomplete function and spend website/social media integration. The 360 degree dashboard makes it easy to navigate and a great option for newbies to the CRM world.
Sales staff will fall in love with this CRM because the simple ‘drag and drop’ system allows them to track the entire sales process from start to finish. Hubspot’s full marketing suite is also available to use alongside the CRM if needed – what more could you want?
Find out more about Hubspot <a href="http://www.hubspot.com">here</a>.
<h2>7. Zoho (SaaS )</h2>
Zoho is a budget CRM system that’s best suited to small businesses.
You can onboard up to 10 users for free and it has everything that a start-up business needs to develop, grow, and manage customer relationships. Standard, professional, and enterprise packages are also available – ranging from $12 to $35 per user per month.
Although Zoho offers a budget priceline, it has all of the core functionalities of any CRM. It also has its own social media feed, allowing staff to post status updates, upload photos and collaborate on projects. As with most CRM systems, the mobile app allows allows users to access data anytime and anywhere.
Find out more about Zoho <a href="http://www.zoho.com">here</a>.
<h2>8. InfusionSoft (Cloud)</h2>
InfusionSoft is a combined sales and marketing system with 3 main areas: CRM, marketing, and ecommerce. It’s best suited to small businesses with less than 25 employees and its main goal is to improve the efficiency of the sales process for its users.
You might say that every CRM has that goal – but not every CRM gets the job done like InfusionSoft does. Its in-depth customization features and marketing automation allow you to manage the entire sales cycle automatically. It captures everything about your customers in one place, which is a step up from the traditional CRM software.
With the ecommerce functionality, users can manage and customize their own storefront and shopping cart experience, as well as create custom order forms, invoice clients, and manage their inventory and fulfillment. Infusionsoft also integrates with many third party merchant gateways – making it the CRM that just keeps on giving. However, they’re not giving anything away for free.
If you’d like to get set up with InfusionSoft, you have to purchase a mandatory $2,000 Kickstart service package, which provides users with a personal coaching mentor. Your mentor will then evaluate your current business/marketing style, guide you through Infusionsoft, and aim to improve your business processes. After that, business packages start from $199 per 2 month for 2 users.
Find out more about InfusionSoft <a href="http://www.infusionsoft.com/" target="_blank">here</a>
<h2>9. Workbooks (Web)</h2>
Workbooks is a comprehensive CRM systems that offers a range of functions, including sales and marketing automation and customer support.
The CRM platform is popular with small to medium sized business and offers a fully integrated suite. The basic Workbooks functionality can be used for free by up to two users, whilst the Standard and Business editions are priced at $30 per user, per month and $70 per user, per month respectively.
Workbooks is a great option for businesses seeking a fully integrated customer management system, as the customer support module is very intuitive and allows clients to report issues by generating tickets. These tickets can then be assigned to the correct member of the team for review and can also be flagged for priority status when needed. Although Workbooks is quite basic in terms of features, this CRM is easy to use and offers great core functionality at a low cost.
Find out more about Workbooks <a href="http://www.workbooks.com/">here</a>.
<h2>10. Nimble.com (Web &amp; SaaS)</h2>
This CRM system is an inexpensive CRM option at just $15 a month. Nimble focuses its efforts on creating a better picture of your customer database via social media integration.
The mobile app allows both iphone and android users to access Nimble on the go, where they can manage contacts or add customer notes. The focus with Nimble is really about communication, the social media integration encourages users to think about which mediums are most suitable for their customer support services.
This CRM system also offers a 14 day trial without asking for your credit card details upfront – so you can cancel at any time if it doesn’t meet your expectations. If you do sign up, don’t forget to visit Nimble’s app marketplace, where you'll find 40+ software integration options, including Zoho, Freshbooks, Zendesk, and Evernote.
Find out more about Nimble <a href="http://www.nimble.com/">here.</a>
<h2>Take Your Pick</h2>
There's a plethora of CRM systems out there to choose from, and we think the list above makes up the cream of the crop. With at least one of them, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find the perfect fit for your business.
What CRM System works best for you? Let us know in the comments below, or over on our CMS forum.

Top 10 CRM Systems

The first beta for Drupal 8 was released over a year ago, on October 1st 2014. Now though, <a href="https://www.drupal.org/node/2605142" target="_blank">Drupal 8 finally has a release date</a>; November 19th 2015.
<img style="max-width:400px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/drupal_logo-blue-1_400x0.png" />
It's been a long time coming, but the Drupal team and community seem to have worked hard on honing this latest version to what we hope will be an extremely high standard.
For those unaware, Drupal is an open-source platform that's used and maintained by a community that's almost 700,000 strong. During the 2014 CMS Awards, Drupal was named the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/">People's Choice Best Enterprise PHP CMS</a>.
<h2>What to Expect from Drupal 8</h2>
Durpal has been working on a number of improvements that are ready to roll out with Drupal 8. These include:
<ul>
<li>WYSIWYG editing</li>
<li>“Significantly improved mobile support”</li>
<li>New object-oriented backend leveraging <a href="https://symfony.com/">Symfony</a> components</li>
<li>Revamped configuration management</li>
<li>Improved multilingual support</li>
<li>Easily customize the front page, listing blocks, and more</li>
<li>Better markup with HTML</li>
</ul>
Drupal also sent out a message of appreciation to their community members who gave a helping hand:
<blockquote>“Thanks to the nearly 3,300 people who contributed to the codebase of Drupal 8 as well as hundreds of others who organized events, conducted usability tests, mentored contributors, found sponsors, etc.—in short did all the awesome things that made Drupal 8 happen.”</blockquote>
There's no doubting that the arrival of Drupal 8 will be a big milestone in the platform's history. Indeed, it's big news for the world of CMS as a whole, as they don't come much bigger than Drupal.
You can find our more about <a href="/products/drupal/" target="_blank">Drupal via our CMS directory</a>.

Drupal 8 Release Date: November 19th 2015

WordPress powers 58.6% of all the websites whose content management system we know, making it by far the most popular CMS in existence (<a href="/wordpress-is-a-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/" target="_blank">and yes, it is a CMS</a>).
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wplogoblue-stacked-rgb.png" />
Yet, it has glaring <a href="/wordpress-4.4-beta-bare-bones/" target="_blank">flaws that get ignored year after year, update after update</a>. And despite my fondness for WordPress as a platform, I'm getting tired of the same old issues.
To vent, and hopefully to make some sort of impact, I've compiled a list of six ways for the WordPress team to finally iron out the frustrating problems that plague their excellent CMS. Here goes nothing.
The WordPress team needs to:
<h2>1. Fix Those Damned Default Themes</h2>
One thing that really grinds my gears about WordPress is the platform's arrogantly plain default themes. Their latest “design” was recently unveiled, and as you can see, it's lackluster, to say the least.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/00_twentysixteen-886x1024_354x0-is.png" /> I mean, really?
As the most popular CMS in the world, I expect WordPress to have a default theme worth a second glance. I totally understand that WordPress doesn't need to compete with the massive library of third-party themes available out there, but that doesn't mean that they should lead with a default theme as bad as that. It's nothing short of lazy.
<h2>2. Purge The Plugin Library</h2>
WordPress' plugin library is what makes it such a great CMS. Thousands upon thousands of plugins mean that users can almost always find the extra functionality they're looking for. If you want your website to do something specific, there's probably a WordPress plugin (or five) designed solely for that purpose.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/plugins673x0-is.png" />
But there's a problem. Large chunks of garbage are floating around this impressive sea of software, and it's getting out of hand. The rating system helps to weed out the worst of the bunch, while WordPress gives users a pre-installation warning if the plugin hasn't been updated in two years. But it's clearly not enough.
Many plugins simply don't work, while many more are poorly put together, which in turn makes WordPress as a platform harder to use. Quality control needs to improve.
<h2>3. Curb The Clutter</h2>
You may have heard that WordPress is easy to use, and while that may be true to an extent, installing a third party theme or plugin can seriously confuse matters.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/menu.png" />
This is because plugins and themes are able to add new buttons on the WordPress side-menu, and elsewhere, making it seem like a long list of cluttered headings. Not to mention, notifications are allowed to pop up at the top of the dashboard, making WordPress's already busy admin panel look crammed.
It can be daunting, especially if you don't know your way around in the first place.
I'd like to see WordPress group third-party menu options together, in a way that's a little more organized and less intrusive. Perhaps this can be done by giving them a sub-section within the menu which can be collapsed. The solution itself is up to them, but the problem is evident.
<h2>4. Stop The Spam</h2>
If you own a WordPress-powered website, you'll know that spam comments spread like wildfire across all blog posts.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/spam.png" />
Spam isn't something WordPress specific, by any means, but there's no doubting that they take up the time, bandwidth and sanity of all WordPress users in a way which makes me ask why more isn't being done to control the spammy madness.
Akismet, a spam comment filter, now comes with every WordPress install – which is a good thing. But the free version doesn't do enough for me, as comments still pile up in the back end. If you ask me, WordPress needs to find another way to turn the unrelenting tide of spam.
<h2>5. Update Updates</h2>
Updating WordPress sounds simple, but it isn't.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/update.png" />
Are you updating a theme? A Plugin? WordPress itself? In most cases, you'll need to watch your step, because one update can lead to several headaches.
Updating a plugin may cause conflicts between it and another plugin. Updating a theme can erase your modifications (unless you use a child theme), whereas updating WordPress itself can render a variety of your plugins redundant until their developers apply a patch. Confused yet? You should be.
Maybe WordPress can look into preserving theme changes across the board in some way, and provide alerts for when an updated plugin interferes with another.
<h2>6. Handle The Hackers</h2>
WordPress is like a magnet for hackers and malware. <a href="/imperva-report-wordpress-is-the-most-attacked-cms/" target="_blank">Perhaps this is simply down to its popularity, rather than its lack of security</a>, but that debate isn't actually that relevant,
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/hack.png" />
I think we can all agree that WordPress needs to beef itself up (by shoring up its admin login page, for example), but I call for it to go a step further and start offering better protection, even if it comes at a small price.
Third party solutions exist, sure. But why should I have to patch together several security plugins, each with their own confusing settings, just to secure my website? Many WordPress users have become accustom to handling their own security in this way; but I think WordPress needs to take on more responsibility.
<h2>It's Time to Innovate</h2>
Some of you may be wondering how I propose WordPress fixes some of the above issues realistically. The issue of spam, security and updates in particular may seem like un-fixable problems.
How can WordPress roll out further security measures for self-hosted WordPress sites? How are they meant to solve updating issues, seeing as third party software is such an integral part of the platform? What more can they do to shield websites from spammy comments?
All legitimate rebuttals.
My response though, to all of the above, is this; it's high time that WordPress starts to innovate.
Other than the solutions I provided in the list above, I don't have detailed answers as to how each issue should be tackled. But I'm not the one calling the shots at the most popular CMS in the history of the Internet, am I? That's WordPress.
The onus isn't on me to provide the solution, it's upon WordPress. And it's about time they started coming up with innovative solutions for their long-standing issues.
To be frank, WordPress is far too popular and far too successful as a CMS to get away with ignoring these flaws. It's about time they showed some ingenuity in the face of their problems, instead of hoping that everybody assumes that they're too complex to fix.

How WordPress Needs to Improve Itself (In 6 Ways)

Progress, the company behind <a href="http://www.telerik.com/" target="_blank">Telerik</a> and its products, has unveiled new functionality for <a href="http://www.telerik.com/teststudio" target="_blank">Telerik Test Studio</a>; a test automation solution for desktop, web and mobile applications.
<a href="http://www.telerik.com/teststudio" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/telerik.jpg" /></a>
With mobile apps now being more relevant to sales and lead generation than ever before, testing the functionality and aesthetic integrity of iOS and Android apps is crucial.
This new update brings in mobile test automation for native iOS and Android applications with Telerik Test Studio Mobile solution. The point-and-click functionality enables users to capture and replay complex mobile testing functionality quickly, reducing the time required for testing.
<h2>“Mobile Apps Deployed With Confidence”</h2>
Here's a summary of what's new:
<ul>
<li>Record and Test Mobile Gestures: Users can record and test multiple gestures such as scroll, zoom, swipe and pinch, and more.</li>
<li>Update Automated Tests Quickly: Test elements are stored in an “element repository” for quick test maintenance.</li>
<li>Test Lists: Telerik Test Studio Mobile solution supports creating and executing test lists, enabling users to execute tests across multiple devices simultaneously.</li>
<li>USB Execution iOS and Android: Telerik Test Studio Mobile solution enables users to connect iOS and Android devices directly, over a USB as well as WiFi connection.</li>
<li>Support for Continuous Integration with Windows, MAC and Linux: Telerik has and will continue to stay at the forefront of development as new updates are released.</li>
</ul>
Brandon Satrom, Progress' General Manager for Developer Platforms and Tools, is aiming to give Telerik Test Studio users more confidence when it comes to testing and delopyment:
<blockquote>
“With today’s release, testers and developers have a unique and seamless solution for comprehensive testing across devices, enabling increased agility, accelerated time-to-market and reduced testing costs.
The end result: mobile apps deployed with confidence.”
</blockquote>
Progress has also pointed out that not a “single line of code” will need to be written by Telerik Test Studio users as they test their projects on real and emulated devices, aiming to make it a simple and automated process. 
The <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151027005447/en/Progress-Introduces-Mobile-Test-Automation-Native-iOS" target="_blank">official press release can be found here</a>, while the <a href="http://www.telerik.com/teststudio" target="_blank">Telerik website sheds more light on Telerik Test Studio</a>.

Telerik Test Studio Gets Automated Mobile Testing

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