Articles - Page 98

Agentic AI for Agencies in 2026

bmckeiver

It’s no secret that having an online portfolio is important to a modern business. When your business is photography, though, it’s crucial.Today, we’ll be looking into the benefits of website builders for photographers and their portfolios. The Internet has become the most widespread <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254584/internet-poised-to-be-biggest-ad-medium-in-2016.html?utm_source=Webbiquity.com">marketing</a> medium since 2016, surpassing TV. It’s safe to say a website is the most effective tool out there for representing your work.So, let’s take a look at how to set one up!<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best_website_builder_for_photographer958x0-is.jpg" /><h2>What To Look For</h2>You need an online repository of your work that people can visit and use to make decisions about hiring you. At the same time, unless you’ve diversified your skill set early on, there’s a good chance you don’t know how to sit down and code a website by hand.First, the good news: website builders for photographers aren’t hard to come by. There’s a lot of platforms out there to help you put together a website, quickly.What can make or break your final product, though, is knowing what services to look for:<ul><li>Ease of use. The point of using website builders for photographers is to take the hassle out of setting up your site. Avoid builders that require excess HTML or complicated add-ons just to use them. Remember: this is supposed to be straightforward.</li></ul>A subheading to this point could be to look out for tools that do actual work. Choosing builders that offer vintage filters and other fun widgets might be tempting. What you’ll need to make an impact, though, is a gallery that looks great and the ability to share your content, easily.Lastly, integrated SEO options can help to get your site the distribution and visibility it needs.<ul><li>Mobile readiness. Often left until the end by developers, this is one of the most important steps in creating any website. Mobile users account for more than desktop users, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/">have for a few years</a> already. If you aren’t optimised for mobile, you’re missing out on a lot of potential visits.</li><li>Bandwidth. Getting enough bandwidth is also critical. Don’t underestimate how much space you’ll need to host your full portfolio. Always check before committing to a website builder and domain.</li></ul><h2>The Best of the Bunch</h2>The following are our top three picks for the best website builders for photographers, on the market today:<h3>Format</h3>This website builder stands out, because of the ease with which it creates mobile-ready sites. In next to no time, create something that works on those all-important mobile devices. Add to that a full bill of website creation tools, and it’s easy to see why this is becoming one of the most popular platforms for photographers, out there.Note: Format is offering CMS Critic readers 10% off their annual plan by using the code CMSCRITIC<a target="_blank" href="https://format.grsm.io/mike-17">Try out Format here</a><h3>Wix</h3>This platform offers a lot of customization, and the option to publish your website for free. It’s easy to use, puts you in control of your site’s SEO, and offers a million gorgeous photography templates. To get the most out of it, we recommend purchasing a domain subscription, so that the URL is just your name, without the word wix in it.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wix.com/">Try out Wix here</a><h3>SmugMug</h3>This is a website builder that puts photography first. There's an integrated shop so you can sell your physical as well as digital copies of your photos. It's packed full of features suited perfectly for photographers.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.smugmug.com/">Try out SmugMug here</a>And there you have it. With <a href="/key-website-builders/">a little insight</a> from someone in the know, you’ll be able to find website builders for photographers puts your photography front and center.Thanks for listening.

The Best Website Builders for Photographers

duncan-reyneke

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

Voog Review

grainne-logue

<a href="http://cratejoy.com/" target="_blank">Cratejoy</a> is a brand new eCommerce platform with a focus on subscription payments. A streamlined way to build an online subscription business.
The platform enables you to build a subscription business via pre-designed templates, comprehensive subscriber management options, built in analytics and more.
The founders of Cratejoy, Amir Elaguizy and Alex Morse, have noticed the growth of subscription model based businesses, and have pinpointed it as a growth market within the eCommerce industry. In a blog post about the launch of Cratejoy's beta, Amir Elaguizy made this interesting point:
<blockquote>
“Cratejoy is based on a simple idea: subscription is the next chapter of commerce, benefiting both businesses and consumers.
Subscription businesses allow for merchants to easily forecast sales and prepare materials, essentially solving inventory problems, one of the biggest issue facing the retail industry today. What’s more, the subscription model focuses on retaining consumers rather than only converting them; this allows merchants to invest in the quality and improvement of their products and services, as opposed to just marketing and advertising efforts.”
</blockquote>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/amiralexcratejoyheadshot700x0.jpg" alt="Cratejoy" /> Essentially, Cratejoy has everything you need to build a subscription service.
The custom back end boasts some handy features, like a coupon and promotions system, automatic validation of subscriber email addresses, automatic shipping emails, and a rather pretty analytics system to help you stay on top of your business. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mbp2_092614.png" alt="Cratejoy Analytics" />
Plus, there are community forums, a dedicated support team 
As far as pricing goes, Cratejoy offers a free plan, although this includes a $0.50 transaction fee and a 3.75% share of revenue. Paid plans mean lower transaction fees, revenue shares. However, all plans get unlimited storage and all the aforementioned features. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mbp2_092614.png" alt="Cratejoy" /> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/premium-plans.jpg" />
For me, Cratejoy seems as if it will be a lucrative choice for those looking to establish subscription businesses. It's a hosted, supported and professional solution, taking the guesswork out of what would otherwise be a tricky setup. The revenue sharing scheme may not be everybody's cup of tea, but in this emerging market within the eCommerce space, the benefit of having a dedicated team behind you can't hurt. 
To read more about the history and vision behind Cratejoy, <a href="http://blog.cratejoy.com/we%E2%80%99ve-launched-start-your-subscription-business-with-cratejoy-today" target="_blank">check out their official blog announcement of the beta</a>.
To sign up for the beta, <a href="http://cratejoy.com/" target="_blank">visit the Cratejoy website</a>.

Subscription Payment Platform Cratejoy Opens Public Beta

mike-johnston

I've decided to start a new series analyzing issues with popular software; whether it be themes, CMS or otherwise; to help point out potential issues people may not be thinking about before purchasing. This is the first edition of what I will call, “What Were They Thinking?”Today, I've got a few gripes to point out about popular themes that, once I do, will have you asking yourself, what were they thinking?In the world of WordPress Themes, StudioPress is one of the most popular and profitable of the premium theme design houses out there. In the last few years, they began to accept third party themes into their store which has increased their available themes by quite a lot. Sadly, they don't seem to be doing much in the way of vetting out poor design before they do so and as such, some sloppy themes have made it into the mix.One thing that has always driven me crazy about their themes, however, is the lack of an accessible search box in mobile view. As far as I'm concerned, there should be no instance where a search box is not placed within a reasonable location at the top of the theme; whether within the dropdown hamburger menu or otherwise; in a mobile theme. From someone who runs two successful blogs, trust me, people get pretty irked when there's no search box readily available and this happens in a TON of StudioPress themes.Take <a target="_blank" href="https://feastdesignco.com/product/foodie-pro/">Foodie Pro</a> for example.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/foodie-pro800x0-is.jpg" />This is probably one of the most used themes by food bloggers that I know of. There are literally TONS of food blogs out there running it yet they don't realize that they are degrading their reader's experience by not making it easily accessible. In Foodie Pro, for instance, it's there as a widget but ends up almost at the bottom of the theme in mobile view; something that is sure to get missed by readers.The quick addition of a search box within the mobile menu is the easiest way to fix these issues without taking up valuable screen real estate but seems to be missed over and over. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is a poor design choice and when we ran Foodie Pro on my wife's site, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com">The Kitchen Magpie</a> for a while, our readers were quick to point out the missing search; believe me.I've noticed this within a ton of themes lately and I don't quite understand the logic. What are your thoughts?

What Were They Thinking? - StudioPress Themes

SilverStripe CMS 3.0 Alpha 1 has been spotted in the wild and if you are looking to see what the next generation of this popular open source CMS / framework has to offer, now is the time.
Check out this screenshot of the new interface in development:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dotcms-starter-mobile-app_hrnpfv.png" alt="SilverStripe 3.0 Alpha 1 - Editing a Page" />
The most notable change from previous versions is the separation of the Framework from the CMS, which is now a standalone tool. The release boasts an entirely revamped user-interface, making it more intuitive and visually appealing for the user, with the addition of a customisable UI based on themes. The ‘preview’ function has seen a major improvement, enabling users to switch between the CMS and previewed content much more easily than previous versions, which SilverStripe believes will greatly speed up the work of CMS authors.
As with any major version release, expectations are set high on new “under the hood” features and upgrades. Developers can expect a rewritten ORM and template engine, and a move to using jQuery for CMS user interface. SilverStripe has also built GridField, a replacement for ComplexTableField based on the new ORM.
Alpha also sees a new deprecation API, which will be used to build more sophisticated upgrading tools prior to the stable release.
The road to 3.0 stable will involve improving and polishing the core UI, the addition of a YAML-based configuration system, Dependency Injection, further performance improvements, in particular speed, introducing jQuery to form validation, and further enhancements to ORM and GridField.
More info can be found on the <a href="http://www.silverstripe.org/blog/">SilverStripe blog</a>

SilverStripe CMS 3.0 alpha 1 spotted in the wild

A new release of Sitefinity ASP.NET CMS has been released. Version 4.3 brings a number of new features to the table including:
eCommerce
Sitefinity ecommerce offers the flexibility and all the features needed to manage a successful online business.  It has been enhanced with multiple language support, a new payment provider model, a departments widget, and much more.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/subrion320_presentation_plans_pa18ej.png" />New Widgets
This release also contains a number of new widgets such as a blog list, Facebook feed, and Facebook likes.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/facebook-feed.png" />
Add to all of this a new migration module and upgraded developer tools and this is a very good update to an already excellent platform.
To read more about what's new in Sitefinity 4.3, visit the website: <a href="http://www.sitefinity.com/asp-net-cms-features/whats-new.aspx">http://www.sitefinity.com/asp-net-cms-features/whats-new.aspx</a>

New release from Sitefinity brings plenty to the table

If you're planning to build a website with the intention to share or showcase digital media, then selecting a CMS with a solid digital asset management (DAM) system is absolutely vital.
This applies to both individuals looking to extend their personal web presence, as well as enterprising organizations seeking a professional website solution.
Being able to manage, modify and present documents, images and other digital assets in a fashion which befits your company or persona will ultimately decide how much of an impact your content has on the end user. Not to mention the ease-of-use administrators will enjoy with a powerful DAM system in place.
<a href="http://www.jahia.com/" target="_blank">Jahia xCM</a> is a capable content management system with a feature extensive digital asset management system built in, which will sound like a highly lucrative combination for almost any serious website builder looking for a suitable platform for their site – or sites.
<h2>The Essentials of Digital Asset Management</h2>
A digital asset management system essentially helps to store, manage, modify and present digital files such as PDF documents, images, videos and so forth. They work extremely well in enterprise environments, where workflows need to be streamlined.
Being able to manage digital assets on a large or professional scale within most website building CMS, can often prove difficult, if not unfulfilling. This is largely because, as most content management systems attempt to focus on aesthetic design options and flexible content publishing features, digital asset management often takes a back seat. They do exist of course, but usually in very basic forms, with limited customization features.
So, for organizations seeking to manage, publish and present a vast array of digital assets across numerous web initiatives, using just any CMS can cause issues. Ideally for such organizations, a balance would be struck between flexible content publication, and powerful digital asset management.
As it so happens, that ideal solution may just exist within Jahia xCM's competent CMS.
<h2>Striking the Balance with Jahia xCM</h2>
Jahia xCM does a pretty impressive job when it comes to the balancing act between quality content publishing, easy website creation and highly detailed digital asset management.
Due to the extensive and customizable features offered by Jahia xCM's embedded DAM features, it would not be unfair to compare the platform to a dedicated digital asset management system.
For example, media assets can be given pre-defined and user-defined rules and metadata, subjected to workflows, reviews and of course be easily published. In fact, Jahia xCM goes a step further with publishing and presenting digital assets, by providing drag-and-drop functionality to insert assets into pages, as well as configurable modules to create new rules, such as document thumbnails.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2.png" alt="Jahia xCM" /> 
Additionally, there is enhanced control over images and how they are to be displayed within your Jahia xCM website. Images themselves can be cropped, resized and rotated, whilst thumbnails are automatically generated in relation to user-configurable rules.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1.png" alt="Jahia xCM" /> 
Jahia xCM's digital asset management system further impresses by allowing you to automatically convert documents to PDFs, auto-publish assets, and make use of tagging. Documents and files can also be uploaded to the server en masse, or within .zip files, which can then be uncompressed on the server itself.
On top of all these features, Jahia xCM also offers widgets which allow for digital assets to be displayed on your website in a number of ways, including sliders, galleries, fancy boxes, and so on.
Additionally, not only does Jahia xCM silently index all documents and digital assets, but it also silently manages the links integrity, if an asset is moved or renamed.
Many of Jahia xCM's DAM features mentioned above are demonstrated by this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn2loxb5LKg&amp;feature=share&amp;list=PLCi1wJLT02ziX4o-JQB2Ga7B7w6Q0k-4_">introductory video on document rules</a>, all of which would prove handy for both enterprise automated needs, and for the needs of an individual editor or publisher.
So, if you're looking for a solid combination between content and asset management, look no further than <a href="http://www.jahia.com/home" target="_blank">Jahia xCM</a>.
For more information, you can also find <a href="/products/jahia/">Jahia xCM on our CMS Directory</a>.
NB: In addition to properly blending Content and Digital Asset Management with Jahia xCM, Jahia also provides a rich collaboration and sharing tool for Digital Assets dedicated to Marketing teams in a perfectly integrated package, called <a href="http://www.jahia.com/business/jahia-wise-key-benefits" target="_blank">Jahia Wise</a> – But I'll get to that in another article, so stay put!

A Look at Jahia xCM's Brilliant Blend of Content & Digital Asset Management

Power your CMS on AWS

Manage your websites & apps in the most trusted cloud.

#ffffff

Open Source software, by definition, is freely available to the public. Anybody and everbody can use it, add to it and create extensions for it.
In contrast, closed source, or proprietary software, is a model that restricts public access to the source code of the product in question. Only the owners of the software can tinker with it.
Both of these models are well represented within the CMS industry and beyond, and both have their merits. Unsurprisingly though, the world of open source is the busier one, with the public contributing to it as much as any one company could ever imagine.
And yet, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">PrestaShop</a> – one of the world’s most popular eCommerce solutions – has played an interesting and notable role in the open source eCommerce industry.
Here’s a look at what they’ve done to further the open source cause.
<img style="display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/download.jpg" />
<h2>Community Service</h2>
Since its launch in 2007, PrestaShop has grown into one of the world's most popular eCommerc solutions, powering over 200,000 online stores world-wide. How, you ask? The PrestaShop team probably said it best:
<blockquote>
“Each merchant and community member carries out projects large and small that contribute to not only their personal growth, but also the growth of PrestaShop. We continue to work hand-in-hand with the community and are passionate about creating features, modules, and templates according to their needs. The success of our software is thanks to countless hours by numerous contributors from around the world.”
</blockquote>
That same community, which is reportedly 700,000 strong, along with PrestaShop's own contributions, has come together to make PrestaShop what it is. Together, they improve their software, fix bugs, create extensions, build themes and so forth.
Plus, PrestaShop's community have their own headquarters, otherwise known as the PrestaShop forums. With over 620,000 registered members, the forum is a multi-lingual hive of all things PrestaShop. In essence then, they have fostered an eCommerce-focused open source community within the larger open source community.
It would be appropriate to say that PrestaShop's inclusion in two categories for the People's Choice CMS Awards 2014, is thanks to their hardworking community.
<h2>An Oncoming Cloud</h2>
There’s a cloud coming, but it’s not dark and gloomy. Quite the contraary, actually.
Recently, PrestaShop announced PrestaShop Cloud. It has everything PrestaShop users have come to know and love, but it’s hosted entirely in the cloud. For free.
That’s right. PrestaShop are on the brink of delivering a world class free, open source and cloud hosted eCommerce solution.
PrestaShop Cloud is currently still in closed beta, and everybody has been invited to <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/beta" target="_blank">sign up</a> for their chance to test it out before its official launch.
A hosted version of PrestaShop is no minor step. It’s a chance to bring the open source project even closer to those aspiring online merchants who simply don’t know how or where to begin their journey. Once again, it;s a service to the community, and a massive one at that.
So, with a thriving open source centric community, and a fully cloud hosted solution on the horizon, it’s fair to say that PrestaShop is doing a fine job of flying the open source flag for the eCommerce industry.

A Look at PrestaShop’s Contribution to The World of Open Source

Recently, in the world of eCommerce, PrestaShop has been making somewhat of a splash.
It <a href="/a-closer-look-at-prestashops-global-community/" target="_blank">serves a massive community</a> of around 700,000 merchants, and has been in business since 2007, but 2014 has probably been its most expressive year to date. The release of <a href="/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/" target="_blank">PrestaShop 1.6</a> brought about a face lift on all fronts, a bunch of genuinely useful features, and a more <a href="/prestashops-lover-affair-with-statistics/" target="_blank">focused approach to statistics</a>.
To get a deeper understanding of PrestaShop's story, I was given the opportunity to ask Sabrina Marechal a few questions.
<h2>Introducing Sabrina Marechal</h2>
<img style="max-width:400pxpx" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sabrina2250x0.jpg" alt="Sabrina Marechal" />
Sabrina Marechal is no newcomer. She joined PrestaShop in November 2007 as a Communications specialist.
As PrestaShop expanded, she built a Marketing and Communications department within the company gathering 20+ team members. By early 2011, Sabrina has moved to PrestaShop's US office in order to create a Marketing Department responsible for PrestaShop's expansion in the Americas.
Today, with a fully cross-border Marketing team, Sabrina now focuses on expanding the area of Product Marketing within PrestaShop.
<h3>1. Can you tell me a little bit about how you came to be the Director of Product Marketing at PrestaShop?</h3>
I’ve been with PrestaShop since November of 2007 where I started as a Communications Specialist. At that time, the whole team was made of about 10 people. Today, we’re over 100!
In 2011, we opened our Miami office. Since then, I've built a Marketing Team now comprised of 20 team members. From the time I started, I’ve really seen the Community growing around PrestaShop and the product evolve thanks to its input. That's why today I've decided to focus on product marketing: to highlight to the world how great our software and our Community's contributions are!
<h3>2. There's no shortage of eCommerce platforms on the market today, and I don't see that changing any time soon. What makes PrestaShop unique?</h3>
I would say that what makes PrestaShop so unique is its openness, and the amazing Community that results from it. With over 700,000 members, as a PrestaShop user, you know that you can rely on someone anytime if you have questions or need any advice, simply by connecting on our forums or social networks.
The Community is also a great source of input and contribution to the software: we get feedback and features from all over the world, helping us make the most powerful and international ecommerce software.
Further than just being Open source, this openness is also present through our <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/club/">User Club</a>. We’re the only ecommerce solution with a User Club made of merchants and developers, that we consult during the development of a new feature or a significant change within the software to make sure it answers their needs.
PrestaShop is a software made for the user, with the user.
<h3>3. Speaking of PrestaShop being an open-source platform, what does that mean to the average online merchant, and what kind of edge does that give you over proprietary platforms?</h3>
Being Open source means a lot for us because it helped us grow so much, and so internationally. When we launched PrestaShop, it was translated into 15 languages in less than a year, with users in France, Italy, UK, USA but also Indonesia, Brazil etc. Just thanks to word of mouth!
The input that you’re able to get when you’re Open source is remarkable.
For our users this means that they can do anything they want with our software. If they need a custom feature, they can get it by either creating it themselves or by working with a freelancer or an agency. They definitely don’t have to wait for a future release! And that’s what gives us edge over proprietary platforms: the ability to be more reactive, to evolve much faster and more internationally thanks to the input of external developers.
Even after so many years at PrestaShop, I’m still amazed to see that we power online stores on little islands, including Micronesia!
<h3>4. As I covered in a <a href="/a-closer-look-at-prestashops-global-community/" target="_blank">previous article</a>, PrestaShop are big on Community. What does a strong community mean to you, and why is it so important? 
</h3>
To me, a strong Community means a strong product. When you have so many people sharing their feedback with you, your product only can be better and better.
Also, our Community members act as true ambassadors for us and as a great source of ideas and suggestions. It’s thanks to them that we are where we are today.
Our Community is literally our ecosystem: from web agencies to merchants, to developers and designers, our Community is PrestaShop.
<h3>5. Does PrestaShop have any plans to expand its online community in any way? You guys already have a buzzing online forum, but I'm interested in finding out about any other ideas that may be in the works. Perhaps a simple “Off Topic” forum section for members to show some more personality?</h3>
Our product is at the heart of everything and I do believe that our next product release will naturally bring a lot of new members to our Community, especially merchants starting online. They’ll appreciate how they can rely on our active Community for advice and tips from people who went through the same path.
<h3>6. So far, what would you say PrestaShop's greatest achievement has been?</h3>
Our greatest achievement EVER is currently in Beta ?
Our upcoming Cloud solution is really going to shake up the ecommerce industry by breaking all the barriers a merchant can encounter while creating an online store, either financial or technical. With it, we’re truly in phase with our vision to make ecommerce accessible to all.
With that said, so far, I'd say the release of PrestaShop 1.6 was a very exciting journey for us and the success it achieved has been amazing. During the first 24hrs, it was downloaded 17,500 times, i.e every 5 seconds from everywhere in the world. The success of 1.6 has also allowed us to reach our 200,000th online store which was a great step.
<h3>7. The Cloud beta is definitely an exciting step, I can't wait to see it live in action. Version 1.6, as you mentioned, was similarly momentous. In fact, since 1.6 released, I've seen PrestaShop spearheading its way into the spotlight of the eCommerce industry, competing more fiercely with other platforms, free, open-source, hosted, proprietary or otherwise. With that being said, what can we expect to see from PrestaShop in both the near and far future?</h3>
Well, in the very near future, expect the official launch of our Cloud solution.
We’re also working hard on our taxes system, and some key interfaces within the back-office (such as the order page, the catalog page…), these improvements will be included in our next releases.
Worth to mention that we’re also thinking about launching products on ecommerce markets where PrestaShop isn’t present yet.
<h3>8. In particular, the Intelligent Merchant KPI and forecasting features of PrestaShop 1.6 seriously impressed me. Can you expand on those features, and explain why PrestaShop felt they were important to introduce?</h3>
The Intelligent Merchant KPIs come from our commitment to give merchants the power to know exactly what’s happening in their business, in real time, and help them to make the right decisions.
Sometimes merchants just look at their sales and think they’re doing well, but the real answer hides behind the customer acquisition cost, the shipping cost, the transaction fees, the merchandise price… That’s why we have made this information accessible at a glance on the dashboard. Our merchants don’t have to calculate anything, they get the insights in real time, are able to make smarter choices in their business and become more successful.
<h3>9. PrestaShop 1.6 also brought about a revamped back office user interface. Was the facelift just as important as the more technical implementations?</h3>
Yes! Our users’ everyday experience with the software must be smooth, efficient and appreciable. It was time for us to implement a new interface, totally responsive for our merchants on the go, and super easy to work with. People love it, and so do we. To me PrestaShop 1.6 is the most beautiful version we’ve ever released and the feedback we got was amazing.
<h3>10. Now, back to the cloud. You guys recently announced the beta for PrestaShop Cloud, something I'm personally pumped to see in action. What can you tell us about PrestaShop Cloud? What makes it different to “normal” PrestaShop?</h3>
I can say that our Cloud solution will shake up the market! Basically, you’ll be able to create an online store in minutes thanks to a super quick onboarding. Plus, this store will be hosted for free, and will offer the same powerful features as a “normal” PrestaShop. We’re committed to break the barriers that e-merchants encounter while creating an online business. That’s truly ecommerce for all!
Regarding the hosting, we know that site speed and performance is key to maintaining a successful online store. That’s why we’ve teamed up with a powerhouse in quality hosting, OVH. OVH has over 700,000 customers worldwide, and their servers (based in Europe and Canada) are equipped with the latest Intel processors and high performance SSD hard drives to ensure your store will be quick to take orders and make sales.
The question that we usually get is “How can we make it free?” Well, the same way PrestaShop is completely free, through our trusted <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/industry-partners">partnerships with industry leaders</a> and the thousands of <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/">Addons</a> extra features. These partnerships and Addons give you access to tools aimed at making your online store successful. It also allows PrestaShop to remain free forever.
If you can’t wait to see it in action, sign up for <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/beta">our exclusive Beta program</a>! It is the best way to start using our hosted solution before anybody else.
<h3>11. Finally, with the 2014 CMS Awards almost over, is there anything else you would like to add? </h3>
I’d like to add that our whole team is very thankful for the mission we accomplish every day: helping our merchants be more successful. It’s a great feeling to see people selling more and more, and expanding their business. Winning this Award would make us even more proud.
To find out more about PrestaShop, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
Or, explore more of <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank">PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>.

An Interview With Sabrina Marechal: Director of Product Marketing at PrestaShop

The exponential growth of ecommerce over the last few years in no secret to anybody.
As time goes on, more and more ecommerce new-comers enter the fray with fresh ideas and firm determination. They are of course joined by seasoned offline and online merchants reinventing their businesses on the web, where <a href="http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/online-retail-sales-growth/" target="_blank">research shows</a> that the sales figures are only getting healthier.
In light of this, most people looking to get started in ecommerce are looking for two things – functionality and simplicity.
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank">Shopify</a> is a popular ecommerce platform which holds both of these attributes, plus much more, just as I mentioned in my <a href="/shopify-review-ecommerce-only-simpler/" target="_blank">Shopify review</a> some months back. Now however, I'm going to discuss just how Shopify manages to make ecommerce as simple as can be.
<h2>1. Simple Store Setup</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
If you need to get your store online in a hurry, using Shopify is a great way to do it without losing out on quality along the way.
The initial sign up process is over in a matter of seconds, which is swiftly followed by an easy-to-follow six step plan designed to help you lay the foundations of your store, including a professional domain name, design and products. If you know what you want, you can have a fully functioning store set up within just minutes of signing up.
<h2>2. No Technicalities</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
Shopify offers plenty in terms of detailed customization features and other built-in tools which seasoned merchants will find useful. Yet, ecommerce newcomers will also be just as happy with the platform's alternative, non-technical approach.
Frankly, you don't need to know anything about web design, coding, or anything else technical in order to successfully Shopify. Beautifully pre-designed themes can be activated with just a few clicks, whilst the admin panel oozes simplicity to help you add products and pages in no time at all.
<h2>3. Easy Platform Migration</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-4700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
Shopify also makes life easy for those with existing stores hosted on other platforms, such as WordPress, Ebay and Magento.
Within the <a href="http://apps.shopify.com/" target="_blank">Shopify App Store</a>, you can find a host of specialised importer tools which will help you to migrate your online store from a variety of different popular platforms like the ones mentioned above. Once you install the app on your Shopify store, all you have to do is follow the instructions within the app, which will import your products in no time at all.
<h2>4. Theme Freedom</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
With over 100 free and premium themes to choose from via the Shopify Theme Store, you shouldn't be too hard-pressed to find a theme which is suitable for your industry.
However, on top of simply selecting a pre-designed theme, you can tinker with the design via some user friendly options pertaining to how your website header looks, social media buttons, additional layouts, and more. More experienced web designers can delve into the code of the theme, or even create a new Shopify theme from scratch.
<h2>5. Flexible Payment Gateways</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
Being able to offer your customers a convenient payment gateway is vital when it comes to ecommerce, and Shopify does a great job of recognizing that.
As well as giving you the option to offer popular payment options such as PayPal, SagePay, and over 70 other gateways, Shopify also handles credit card payments for you – globally.
<h2>6. Smart Marketing</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-7700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
Marketing your online store correctly can be a hard task for anyone. Thankfully, Shopify offers some pretty useful tools built-in to the admin panel to make the whole process a little easier.
For example, a fully integrated blogging platform can be added to your store, alongside in-depth visitor, customer and order tracking analytics. For search engine optimization purposes, Shopify enables you to specify page titles, meta tags and more, for both pages and products. All of these marketing features are rounded off nicely by Shopify's discount &amp; coupon code engine.
<h2>7. Offline POS Solutions</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-8700x0.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
For those of you who have physical stores, Shopify's POS (Point of Sale) solution is where it gets really interesting.
<a href="https://www.shopify.com/pos" target="_blank">Shopify POS</a> is essentially an iPad application which allows you to sync your product inventories between your offline and online store, allowing you to take orders from both customers visiting your physical retail setting, as well as those visiting your website. Once your iPad is set up within your store, customers can browse your catalogue, select products and swipe their credit card using the Shopify Card Reader. Customers can then print or email themselves a receipt.
<h2>8. Endless Support</h2>
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-9.png" alt="Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce" /></a>
Last, but not least on Shopify's list of simplifications, is the terrific support systems they have in place.
Shopify have a comprehensive approach to customer support, made up of a <a href="http://docs.shopify.com/support" target="_blank">dedicated support page</a> which aims to answer the most common questions, a <a href="http://ecommerce.shopify.com/forums" target="_blank">discussion forum</a> where you can ask thousands of other Shopify users for assistance, along with an extensive <a href="http://docs.shopify.com/" target="_blank">Shopify Manual</a>. If all of those options fail you, Shopify's support team can be contacted directly via live chat, email or phone.
So there you have it, 8 very good reasons for why you should try Shopify if you're looking for a simple, yet functional ecommerce solution. A great way to join the 60,000 people already using Shopify, would be to <a href="/shopify">check out their 14-day free trial</a>.
Additionally, you can learn more about <a href="/products/shopify/" target="_blank">Shopify via our CMS Directory</a>.

8 Ways Shopify Simplifies Ecommerce

<img style="max-width:150px" title="miacms" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/miacms-150x150_hbicwe.jpg" />
In this interview with Chad Auld of MiaCMS.. we cover his thoughts on the future and talk shop. You'll find an in-depth interview with never before discussed details about their departure from the Mambo Foundation and the nitty gritty behind the curtain.
Thank you Chad for taking the time to speak with us.
CC: Can you tell us about yourself and include your time on Mambo (if any).
CA: I am a front-end engineer at Yahoo by day, and an open source developer by night. These days I primarily deal with PHP, 
JavaScript, databases, MiaCMS, and other web related technologies.  I have a Master’s degree in Information Systems, a Zend PHP 
Certification, and I am a certified MySQL Professional.  I have a wonderful wife, 3 children, and a cat named JSON ?
I have been heavily involved with the CMS space for about 5 years now. I spent three years on the Mambo CMS team in various roles. These included Project Leader, Lead Core Developer, Director on the Mambo Foundation Board, and Mambo Steering Committee team leader prior to stepping down in February of 2008.
CC: What inspired the formation of MiaCMS and what makes it different from its Mambo roots?
<img title="cauld_gs" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cauld_gs-147x150.jpg" alt="Chad Auld" />
CA: I talked about this at good length on my blog a while back in an article entitled “Mambo Forked, Meet MiaCMS”.  The team also has an official statement up on the documentation site entitled “The MiaCMS Story”.  The reasoning has not changed and rather than repeat what has already been said I’d direct people to those pages.  In summary though it basically boils down to this…
We felt that the policies, processes, and priorities of the official Mambo Foundation were having a negative impact on the code and the community. Innovation, creativity, and team spirit had all but been 
eliminated. Trolling the internal forums had become depressing to say the least.  Trying to push new code or even fixes to existing code into the core resulted in nothing except for long drawn out fights.  The 
project was at a standstill.
What make MiaCMS different from Mambo?  By design we have less formal policies and procedures, fewer teams and team leaders, and have refocused on a core open source principle… release early, release often.  These changes allow us to move quickly, be more flexible, and actually advance the state of the project.  Talking, planning, and debating are fine, but there comes a time when you have to make a decision and get down to work.
CC: What are your thoughts on the future of Mambo now that Mia has formed with some of the main Mambo developers?
CA: Much of open source software is about giving people a variety of choices and the freedom to utilize, modify, and/or extend 
what works best for them.  What’s perfect for one person or project doesn't always meet the requirements of the next.  So as an open source advocate and from one CMS project to another I welcome the healthy competition.  That being said though I think it is time the Mambo Foundation came clean about the state of their project.  Let me state this as constructively as I can.
Before MiaCMS was formed there were about seven active core developers (Note: by core developers I mean the folks that routinely 
worked on and committed changes to the platform’s PHP, JavaScript, XML, and database code).  Four of those seven core developers, including myself, left in April of 2008 to form MiaCMS.  A fifth former Mambo core developer joined us just a few months later and a sixth developer left the Mambo team around the same time, but did not follow us to MiaCMS. Mambo was left with just one core developer, which as far as we can tell is still the case today.  Yes their project page might list more names, but again I’m talking about people who routinely commit significant code changes.
Since that time they also announced a new Project Leader who has since left, had the Foundation’s President resign, and have yet to fulfill their annual general election obligation, which allows foundation members to vote on new board members. In my opinion the project currently lacks true leadership, consensus on a future vision, and developers.  Mambo was a great project. If I didn't think so I would not have spent thee years helping build it.  Perhaps it can be great again, but right now it would not be my first choice for a CMS.  On a positive note they do still have a fairly active community so not all hope is lost, but they are in need of some serious changes and soon.
Mambo has given birth to a number of very successful forks and served the open-source community well.  That being said the code is 
aging quickly, it is not keeping up with the competition, and for all intensive purposes the project has stalled.  While still on the Mambo team the current MiaCMS team members spent over a year helping to develop the next minor release of Mambo, version 4.7.  When we left to form MiaCMS in April of 2008 it was in the final stages of development and due for release in short order.  MiaCMS forked from Mambo 4.6 since the 4.7 branch had yet to be released under the GPL.  Along with the rebranding work that went into creating MiaCMS the team also re-implemented about 95% of the work we had done for Mambo 4.7.  What MiaCMS delivered as its first release was the equivalent of Mambo 4.7, as it stood at the time, and then some.  MiaCMS has gone on to have 
over 650 important commits to the code repository, several important maintenance releases, and one minor (but in reality fairly major)  release.  The latest branch, 4.8, is pretty much inline with what we had planned for Mambo 4.8 long ago.
The point I am trying to make is that much of the current MiaCMS team is the same team that brought the Mambo community the 4.5.3 through 4.6.3 releases.  We have not diverted from our goal to build a best-of-breed CMS or from our responsibility to do what is best for our users and the community at large.  In fact, we have continued down a very similar roadmap, just under a new name.
During the same time Mambo has had only two fairly minor maintenance releases and a quick look at the Subversion logs for the 4.6 branch will only show about 50 or so commits of any real important since the MiaCMS fork.  The Mambo 4.7 branch is still locked from public access so we can’t do a fair comparison there, but all I can say is it was mostly feature complete when we left and just about stable enough for production.  So one can only speculate on the amount of work that has actually been done on the 
branch since the time of the fork.
Holding elections for a new set of leadership and opening the 4.7 branch up for review are probably the two most important things the project can do at this point.  The branch will either show some real progress or the lack thereof and at least allow interested developers to offer some assistance.
The next major release of Mambo, version 5.0, has been in discussions for ages.  It is often seen as the release they will return 
Mambo to greatness.  What most people don’t know is that Mambo 5 is essentially vaporware at this point.  Several years ago, while still Project Leader, I talked about our direction for Mambo in an article entitled “Baking Mambo”.  We had selected CakePHP as our foundation for a full rewrite of the Mambo core and finally kicked off development.  I spent months focusing on the database portability layer.
I presented the team with an early prototype that had a portability layer in place and a database agnostic installer using Adodb and AXMLS.  Ultimately though, attention refocused on 4.7 and we never got back to version 5 before the fork.  Another quick look at the Subversion logs for the 5.0 branch shows not a single commit has been made since my initial check-in back in September of 2007.  That initial prototype represents perhaps 5% of the overall effort required for a rewrite which means version 5.0 is still 95% incomplete.  That’s if they even stick with the original 5%, but it was written on an early beta version of CakePHP.  CakePHP 1.2 has since had over a thousand commits, several years of development, and an official release leaving the Mambo 5 prototype sorely obsolete.
So what do I think about Mambo?  I think if you liked Mambo, you are going to love MiaCMS.  Converting a Mambo site to MiaCMS is almost as easy as a standard Mambo upgrade.  As a side note it is important to also mention that most of the available Mambo 4.6.x &amp; Joomla 1.0.x templates and extensions will actually work just fine in MiaCMS with either no changes or little changes.
CC: What are the projects main objectives?
CA: To built a state of the art content management system that enables users to create powerful web sites, applications, and 
experiences.  We aim to continue innovating and advancing the CMS by refining the existing code and adding new features as requested by the community.  Simply put, to constantly exceed our users expectations and be the open source CMS of choice.
CC: What would you like to say to naysayer’s who surmise that we do not need another Mambo/Joomla clone?
CA: I’d have to say I agree with them.  We don’t view MiaCMS as a clone.  As I mentioned in an earlier question, we have not 
diverted from our original goals.  We spent years building Mambo and so it only made sense to base MiaCMS on the platform we helped create.  Since the initial fork we have continued to build on that solid base by fixing existing bugs, implementing long standing community wishlist items and other new features, and planning for the next generation of our platform.  As I also stated before the old core is aging, it is in need of a rewrite, and we are already on the case.
Version 4.8 is a solid release and goes a long way toward stabilizing and improving the core.  It will serve the community well while the team focuses on what is next to come.  All three systems are fairly different at this point and it will continue to become more apparent over time.  To be honest we don’t spend much time looking back or looking over our shoulder.  We are MiaCMS, we are proud of the system we have built, and we are excited about the future that lay ahead.
CC: What is the least known feature that separates Mia from its competitors?
CA: We have added and/or improved a number of interesting things recently.  I’ll mention two here.  The first is content 
versioning.  It is hard to imagine that a content management system was lacking this feature, but this has been the case for Mambo since the beginning and has sat on the wishlist for years.  With the 4.8 release I’m happy to say MiaCMS now supports content versioning and it has been well received by the community thus far.  This basically means that users can store as many versions of a content item as they would like, compare old version to the current version, and restore a past version if they so desire.
Secondly, a major decision the team made after forking from Mambo was the decision to rebuilt the entire JavaScript layer of the 
platform.  We’ve done this in phases and rolled out different portions of the rewrite with each new release.  The latest release, version 4.8, completes the rewrite.  Not that it is absolutely perfect or that there will not be some changes in the future.  But we did achieve what we set out to do.  The Mambo core that we initially based MiaCMS on is 7+ years old at this point.  The JavaScript layer is outdated and was in sore need of attention.
MiaCMS’s new base JavaScript architecture is built around the Yahoo! User Interface (YUI) library. The components in this library give  MiaCMS a solid set of cross-browser methods for dealing with things like identifying and accessing parts of the DOM, processing DOM objects, doing animations, and detecting when key DOM events have fired (ex) DOM ready, load, click, etc. The main goals behind formalizing the JavaScript architecture are to provide a consistent interface throughout the system, a reduced dependency on external libraries, enhanced cross-browser support via the graded browser support model, and just more efficient code overall.
The MiaCMS team is working hard to assure that all the JavaScript within the system is properly namespaced and that it follows 
recommended object-oriented conventions. The MiaCMS JavaScript architecture makes use of public, private, and protected variables and functions through the use of object literals and closures.  We feel strongly that the CMS should not simply be a collection of a thousand JavaScript functions scattered throughout.
We strive hard to avoid polluting the browser’s global namespace and avoiding collisions with other JavaScript.  All the JavaScript in MiaCMS lives under the  “miacms” namespace and thus remains isolated from all other JavaScript loaded by extensions, 3rd party JavaScript libraries, etc. We advocate the YUI Library, but because of proper namespacing within the core, 3rd party developers are still free to utilize whatever works best for them in their custom extensions (ex) jQuery, Prototype, etc.
CC: Can you share some sites that use Mia and you feel are successful?
CA: To be honest I don’t have a great list of sites to share.  We don’t track the installations and therefore only know about 
sites we stumble upon or uncover via web searches.  We’d love to build a gallery of sites, but haven’t had the time just yet.  I would 
encourage people to let us know about their sites via the forums for possible inclusion within the official gallery when the time comes.  So while I don’t have a list of sites for you I can tell you our community is growing and our download rates are increasing at a nice rate.
MiaCMS tied for 3rd place in the 2008 Most Promising Open Source CMS category of Packet Publishing’s annual Open Source CMS competition.  We are still a young project and so it is all about getting the word out.  In general we find that once people learn about MiaCMS they are very pleased by the solution we offer.
Here are a few sites I’ve personally been involved with building: 
<a href="http://miacms.org" target="_blank">http://miacms.org</a> 
<a href="http://opensourcepenguin.net" target="_blank">http://opensourcepenguin.net</a> (my personal site)
CC: What are the future plans of the Mia team?
CA: The team keeps an updated roadmap on the documentation site.  We also recently put together a presentation on the “Past, 
Present, and Future of MiaCMS” for the 2008 Thailand Open Source Software Festival.  We have some big news in the pipeline, but we 
aren’t ready to announce anything just yet.  Stay tuned, more to come very soon.
CC: Do you feel that Mia will be impacted at all by the current state of the economy? Why?
CA: MiaCMS is virtual organization and one run 100% by volunteers.  Our overhead is very low and we are lucky enough to have 
talented developers willing to volunteer their time toward the advancement of the platform.  If MiaCMS is affected by the current 
state of the economy I’m guessing it will actually be in a positive manner.  As people look for cost effective replacements for aging, 
proprietary, and expensive systems open source (and in our case free) applications like MiaCMS are very attractive solutions.
CC: If you could change one thing about Mia what would it be and why?
CA: We are a young project.  The team is having fun and learning a lot.  We’re not perfect, but when we encounter issues or kinks in the process we correct them quickly.  The keys are teamwork and communication.  I can’t point to anything one thing that I would 
change right now.  I think the team is pretty happy with the current state of affairs.  We identified the need for a radical change in April of 2008 and we made it (i.e.) the fork.  We learned a great deal from our time with Mambo, which has definitely influenced how we manage the MiaCMS project.
CC: Can you share some future plans and / or upcoming features?
CA: The best to place to see our future plans and/or features would be the official roadmap.  Outside of that let me talk a little 
about life beyond version 4.7.  With version 4.7 behind us the team is now fully focused on the next major release.  We’ll call it version 5.0 for now, but the versioning scheme is likely to change.  Version 5 will be full rewrite of the core building on what we’ve learned from our last 4+ years of CMS development.  The rewrite will target PHP 5+ and most likely MySQL 5+ too.  Support for PHP4 will be dropped.  It’s not that we are simply dropping support for PHP 4, but rather that the rewrite will focus on object oriented techniques and other advancements made to the language in versions greater than PHP 5.
The new framework will be lighter, faster, more secure, more flexible, and easily extendable.  We will re-implement much of the functionality MiaCMS users have come to know and love, but in a way that better prepares us for extending the platform over the coming years.  Users can expect enhanced role based access controls, more flexible content organization (i.e.) removal of two-tier section/category limitation, an improved SEF engine, improvements to the template/theming system, plus much more.
CC: Final thoughts / comments?
Thank you for your interest in <a href="http://miacms.com">MiaCMS</a>.  For anyone that would like more information and/or updates on the project I would encourage them to frequent the official project site, our forums, and/or subscribe to the Twitter feed.

Interview with Chad Auld of MiaCMS

Is being hacked fun? Certainly not. 
 The worst part about it is that you could potentially lose everything. Your content. Your media. Personal data. It's natural to want to protect your site from being hacked. It’s just as important as protecting your home from burglars.
There are a few ways to lock your website and WordPress install down. Unfortunately there are never any guarantees when it comes to security. That’s why extra care is important. Even the most obvious or seemingly unimportant stuff could bring your security down. It's never good to leave your site vulnerable when you can take action and better protect it. At the very least, it may slow down an intruder even if it doesn't stop them completely.
Today, we present you eight things you can do to your WordPress site to ensure it remains as secure as a locker. A locker in a bank. A bank that’s inside a bunker. A CIA bunker. Pretty secure, all in all.
<h2> 1. Always Stay Up to Date</h2>
It could be tiresome to update. Sometimes stuff like plugins won’t work properly. However: when you see updates available for WordPress, your themes, or plugins you should download and install them immediately. Why?
Those updates often include security patches and fixes that seal off potential vulnerabilities. In fact, a lot of times hackers gain access to a WordPress site simply because it was out-of-date. The attacker was able to take advantage of a known vulnerability. In fact, hackers seek out older versions of WordPress for this very reason.
<h2></h2>
<h2> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_security_tips_html_m7050d259.png" /></h2>
Updating your site won't necessarily keep everyone out, but it will certainly ensure certain doors remain closed – doors that can be taken advantage of. If you want to install a theme, find a source that is updated often (like <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/wordpress-themes.php"> this one </a> ). Same goes for plugins – make sure there are people working on them. Installing something that will stay out-of-date forever is certainly not pleasant.
Bonus tip: although most of the times WordPress updates are a good thing, sometimes they may be compromised. That’s why before actually updating you should read something about that update on the Internet (on sites like this one, for example!). Don’t ignore updates, but don’t update blindly, too.
<h2> 2. Hide Your WordPress Version Number </h2>
The version of WordPress you have installed can be easily identified by viewing a page's source header. Unless you installed a theme that removes this info, the version number is included in the metadata. In other words, hackers can easily find this information. Not to enjoy it. To exploit it.
To remove this information, you need to add the following code to your ‘functions.php' file:
<pre> function wpbeginner_remove_version( ) { return ''; } add_filter('the_generator', 'wpbeginner_remove_version');</pre>
This code removes the version number from the source view and RSS feeds, effectively hiding it from view.
<h2> 3. Don't Use “Admin” As Your Username </h2>
A small thing? Yes. Is it important? More than you think.
By default, WordPress assigns the main administrative account under the name “admin.” It makes a lot of sense, sure. But that’s exactly why it's used on hundreds – if not thousands – of other WordPress powered sites. It’s obvious.
In 2013, hackers volleyed a series of <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/12/hackers-point-large-botnet-at-wordpress-sites-to-steal-admin-passwords-and-gain-server-access/"> brute-force attacks </a> at WordPress websites, repeatedly attempting to login by pairing the main account “admin” with common passwords. They were pretty successful.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_security_tips_html_m4b12aed8.jpg" /> Even if you have a complicated, secure password, it's still not a good idea to use a well-known username. There are two ways you can fix this: one involves creating a new account, and the other requires logging into your Cpanel and changing the username through PHPMyAdmin.
The first method is easier – create a new account with the desired username, then provide that new account admin privileges before continuing. Once that's done, you can simply delete the original “admin” account and it will give you an option to associate all existing posts and content with the new account.
The more involved method – which requires access to the website's hosting account –is to login to Cpanel and PHPMyadmin. Once there, you need to select the database where your site is hosted, and then navigate to the “wp_users” table. You should then see all the usernames for your site. You can simply change the “user_login” value under the account you want to the new name. For example, you can change “admin” to “hackersaresuchlosers” or something like that.
<h2> 4. Hide Your Username </h2>
Unfortunately, there's another way for resourceful hackers to identify your WordPress username thanks to the author archive URL. By default, WordPress will display the account username there. For instance, if the username is “bobwrites”, the author archive will look something like:
 http://yoursite.com/author/bobwrites . 
Luckily, the fix for it is pretty simple, although it does require digging into your site's database. You can find a <a href="http://itpixie.com/2012/10/hide-your-wordpress-login-from-author-archive/"> full guide here </a> . In a few words: disguise yourself under a different name, one that wouldn’t give anything important about your website.
<h2> 5. Change Your Passwords Regularly </h2>
Yes. Open your calendar and mark a day when you’re going to change your passwords – and then make it a regular event. It’s boring and it’s crucial.
There's a reason you're told to change your passwords often across multiple platforms. That rule is no different when it comes to your WordPress account. In addition, make sure you are using secure passwords when you pick one. About <a href="http://www.wptemplate.com/features/safety-and-security-of-wordpress-blog-infographic.html"> 8% of WordPress sites </a> are hacked due to a weak password. Use a combination of numbers, symbols and different case letters (upper and lower) or a password manager.
Even though most sites recommend using eight characters, try to keep your passwords above ten characters. And keep them in mind, not in a plain text document stored in Dropbox.
<h2> 6. Limit Login Attempts </h2>
It's possible to block a single IP from trying to hack your website by limiting the amount of login attempts that can be made. Of course, resourceful hackers can always resort to switching between multiple IP addresses but it's a lot more work. For many of them it’s going to be much easier to switch to another site. That’s the reason it's worth locking down the amount of login attempts for your site.
This can be done with plugins, such as the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/limit-login-attempts/"> Limit Login Attempts </a> plugin. It automatically blocks an IP after it breaches the login limit, and allows you to specify how long that IP address remains locked out.
It’s like an automatic cop car that comes and takes away a prankster who’s banging on your door for 15 minutes straight, at night.
<h2> 7. Delete Any Plugins or Themes You're Not Using </h2>
Having as little executable code as possible on your site also helps maintain security. Remove or delete any plugins and themes you are not using on your site. There's no reason for them to be there taking up space on your server anyway.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_security_tips_html_5309b294.jpg" />
<h2> 8. Prevent Others from Browsing Your WordPress Folder Structure </h2>
Through the explorer view in certain web browsers, anyone can peek at your WordPress files and folders unless you disable the option. This can be done by adding the following line of code to your .htaccess file in the WordPress install directory:
 Options All – Indexes 
 You must also include a blank ‘index.php' file in your “wp-content/themes” and “wp-content/plugins” directories.
<h2> Bonus Tip: Some Great Security Plugins </h2>
Here’s a list of some useful security plugins that will help you secure your WordPress powered site.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bulletproof-security/">Bulletproof Security </a> will protect your site by locking down the .htaccess file </li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/">All-in-One WP Security and Firewall </a> is a firewall for your website, self-explanatory </li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/sucuri-scanner/">Sucuri-Scanner </a> will scan your WordPress site for hidden malware </li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/">Wordfence </a> is an exceptional security plugin with tons of features and support </li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/exploit-scanner/">Exploit Scanner </a> will analyze your WordPress database and identify any suspicious code.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Keep Your Site Secure!</h2>
Of course, you can't overlook the basics either such as performing regular backups of your site and database, using secure web hosting and limiting user access to the dashboard. If you play it safe you should be just fine. 
Even if there are no guarantees when it comes to security, there are still things you can do to better protect yourself and now you have the means. Prepared means armed, after all. 
Stay safe.

8 WordPress Security Tips to Help You Secure Your WordPress Site

After running for their third straight year, the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank"> CMS Awards 2014</a> are coming to an end.
Mike Johnston launched the awards back in 2012, to give the CMS Critic community a chance to vote for their favourite products, and the CMS vendors an opportunity to shine. The awards are comprised of the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank"> People's Choice Awards</a>, which give the public power over which CMS wins each category, and the <a href="/announcing-this-years-judges-for-the-2014-critics-choice-awards/" target="_blank"> Critic's Choice Awards</a>, where a select few judges are appointed to select the winners.
This year, a range of new categories emerged for the first time in order to accommodate the many new products and niches developing within the content management system market, making this years awards the most inclusive – and the most useful – ever.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/votenow-1-1.png" alt="CMS Awards" /></a>
But how useful are the awards exactly? For whom are they for? What purposes do they serve?
<h2>For the Consumers</h2>
First and foremost, the CMS Awards are here to serve the consumers.
The consumers are those who work on websites, in one way or another, and/or take a keen interest in the CMS industry. Whether they build, maintain or contribute to websites for a living, or simply as a hobby, there are vast numbers of people who need the latest information on which CMS is doing the best job within each specific niche.
For example, if somebody needs to know who the top dog is in the eCommerce industry, the CMS Awards can offer a shortlist of candidates, along with winners of both the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank"> Peoples Choice Awards</a> and the <a href="/announcing-this-years-judges-for-the-2014-critics-choice-awards/" target="_blank"> Critics Choice Awards</a>. It acts as solid CMS researching tool.
Plus, because the awards are annual, such consumers never feel out of touch with the research they are conducting. Each award reflects the current opinion of both the masses and the critics. It's just good old useful information.
To put it simply, the awards help people choose the best CMS for their projects. Our Twitter followers concur:
<blockquote><a href="https://twitter.com/cmscritic"> @cmscritic </a> CMS Awards mean more available research for businesses to apply their needs directly to a CMS- better research=better experiences
— Ceeonsoft, Inc. (@Ceeonsoft) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ceeonsoft/status/522406900244430848"> October 15, 2014 </a></blockquote>
<blockquote><a href="https://twitter.com/cmscritic"> @cmscritic </a> the CMS awards are a great opportunity to show that there are other platforms besides the most obvious choices ?
— Ben Barden (@benbarden) <a href="https://twitter.com/benbarden/status/522404989554397184"> October 15, 2014 </a></blockquote>
<h2>For the Vendors</h2>
Let's not forget about the teams behind each CMS.
The vendors themselves view the awards as a chance to connect with and evaluate their communities. Not to mention, it gives each vendor the opportunity to give back to their community in some way, should the results go their way.
It should also be noted that the awards may serve as an extra incentive for vendors to improve their products. After all, winning an award is a marketable achievement, and perhaps even a bragging right over competitors.
Here's what an assorted bunch of vendors had to say about the CMS Awards.
 Magnolia CMS (Nominated for Best Free Java CMS &amp; Best Open Source Java CMS) 
<blockquote>“The CMS Awards represent an important opportunity for every organization that’s in the content management business. The finely tuned categories ensure maximum relevance for CMS Critic's audience, resulting in some good pointers for people who are just about to start a project.
Beyond the obvious benefits of winning one or more awards (i.e. generating awareness for your product and business, validating your existing customers’ choice, prestige), you also get a chance to see how your community outreach works: how well does your social ecosystem respond to requests? How can you incentivize them to support you? The knowledge you gain from that can be used across a variety of other projects.
At Magnolia, we’ve informed our community through social media, documentation, our forum, dedicated email blasts as well as personal contact. If the preliminary results are any indication, our outreach seems to have worked!”
– Christopher Justice, CMO of Magnolia.</blockquote>
 PrestaShop (Nominated for Best eCommerce Solution for SMB &amp; Best eCommerce Solution for Enterprise) 
<blockquote>“The CMS Awards represent an opportunity for each ecommerce solution to get the recognition they deserve. It’s extremely gratifying to watch our community come together and show their support.
For us, winning the CMS Awards isn’t just about PrestaShop. It’s about recognizing the 700,000 dedicated community members that contribute to the software every day.
Our supporters are members of our open source community. Together, we have built PrestaShop into what it is today. Therefore, winning would be rewarding in itself, it reaffirms the success of our collaboration.”
– Natalie Beigel, PrestaShop's Program Marketing Manager</blockquote>
 Hippo CMS (CEO) (Nominated for Best Enterprise Java CMS) 
<blockquote>“As a company and a product, Hippo’s philosophy has always been customer-centric. We develop our digital experience platform with the needs of our customers and partners as a main priority. And, in turn, our platform help clients remain attuned to the needs of their diverse audiences, serving them the most relevant content for a compelling and personalized digital experience on any touchpoint or channel.
After winning Critics Choice for Best Open Source CMS last year, a nomination for the CMS Critic’s People’s Choice Award for Best Enterprise Java CMS is an affirmation from our customer and partner base that demands in the digital experience space have shifted: the enterprise is disillusioned with the closed and propietary full-suites.
An open solution like Hippo can bring a great deal of value  “out-of-the-box,” but at the same time cater to the sophisticated needs Enterprise clients have that don’t come in a one-size-fits all package. Neither their technical nor marketing teams are willing to sacrifice control over digital strategy for a closed  ‘solution.’
This nomination further confirms that clients want a business agile, scalable alternative to the full-suite. Rather than allowing vendor lockin to dictate business strategy, they expect integrations that return control to their hands. Hippo will continue to deliver on exactly that promise.”
– Jeroen Verberg, CEO of Hippo CMS</blockquote>
 ImpressPages CMS (Nominated for Best Small to Midsize Business PHP CMS) 
<blockquote>“These awards [give us] a chance to check how dedicated and active our community is.
Winning would give us extra recognition, validation and exposure. That's a big input for expanding the userbase and accelerating the growth of the project. All important information we spread through our blog, newsletter, social networks.
For these awards we even updated our website to push the message even further. I hope more users will notice it and will understand that while helping us they will help themselves. The bigger the community – the bigger the project. The bigger the project – the bigger value it can create for each of us.
We don't plan for events we don't control. However, if we win, we will definitely find ways to share our happiness with the whole community. We have a lot of active supporters in our home country (Lithuania). We might even organize a party!”
– Mangirdas Skripka, CTO of ImpressPages CMS</blockquote>
So, beyond being symbolic, the CMS Awards are a pretty big deal, for everybody.
With just a matter of hours before the voting stage ends for the People's Choice awards, don't delay your vote any longer. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank">Vote for your favourite CMS right here</a>.

The CMS Awards: What They Mean

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