Articles - Page 99

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

janus-boye

<a href="https://www.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Squarespace</a> has improved upon its Cover Pages feature, which came alongside the <a href="/squarespace-releases-squarespace-7/" target="_blank">release of Squarespace 7 back in 2014</a>.
<a href="/squarespace-6" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/imagescauzpt5i-1_2.jpg" /></a> 
As one of the leading website builders on the market, Squarespace was chosen for coverage over at <a href="https://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank">Website Builders Critic</a>.
The platform's Cover Pages can be used as a bold introduction to a Squarespace website, or as a standalone landing page. It's totally up to the user.
<h2>More Responsive, New Imagery &amp; 14 New Layouts</h2>
First up, fourteen new layouts have been unveiled, with a range of experiences being catered for.
<a href="/squarespace-6" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6553x0-is.png" /></a> 
New layouts like Monocle, Silhouette, Snapshot, Vanguard, and Vignette are designed to showcase personality through social media integration. Similarly, Broadcast and Session make it easy to share podcast episodes, while Projector, is all about video showcasing.
Card, Flash, Gazette, and Mission on the other hand, are the more generic options.
Existing Squarespace Cover Page layouts have been updated, too, with brand new imagery, new font choices, and background colours that automatically match user uploaded images. Plus, Squarespace has revisited each layout in terms of its mobile responsiveness.
I'm personally a fan of these Cover Pages. They can add a new dimension to your typical Squarespace website.
However, I feel it may have been wiser for Squarespace to release layouts directly complementary to existing Squarespace themes, so that users can keep their design as consistent as possible. With the current system, it could become a case of mix and match, with varied results.
To find out more about Squarespace's new Cover Pages, check out their <a href="https://blog.squarespace.com/blog/new-cover-page-layouts-and-enhancements" target="_blank">official blog announcement</a>.
Otherwise, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/squarespace/" target="_blank">Squarespace via our CMS Directory</a>.

Squarespace Reveals New Templates for Cover Pages

mike-johnston

Wix, one of the top website builders on the market, has announced some major new changes to their popular web design platform today in the form of a brand new editor. With the newly redesigned interface, Wix blends the ease of use they are known for with a more robust set of powerful capabilities that really extend the platform.
Wix has long been known as a great option for creating code-free websites but this new editor really brings a solid blend of experience and fun to the platform. Not only is it beautiful, as you'll see in the video below, but it also adds a level of fun to the design experience of this great drag and drop website platform. I've always been a fan of the platform and find that it really provides a service and capability that people need.
Website builders have traditionally been known as something you use as a starting point before moving on to a platform like WordPress or another CMS but Wix has really evolved into a web design platform that you can continue to use to power your website for years to come. This is shown by their dedicated user base of over 70 million users worldwide. People love the product and the new editor takes things to a new level with some great new features which you'll see in the video below such as video backgrounds, parallax scrolling and more.
Furthermore, it offers a better code base built using Facebook’s React technology that's completely restructured making it leaner and more modular. With this new technology, the company now has the ability to roll out features previously unseen in the code-free web design sector and can now do so with unprecedented speed.
Check out the following video that shows off the new editor in all its glory:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4vUliL9ZL84?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Some of the new code-free features you can expect to see with this new editor include:
<ul>
<li>Full screen strip layouts – Containing multiple design elements such as video, image galleries, text and more, these horizontal strips help split up the page into clear sections, allowing for stylistic variation. True to Wix’s drag and drop technology, these strip containers can be edited and repositioned anywhere.</li>
<li>Full page video background – Users can upload their own videos or choose from Wix’s free video background library to easily set up an eye-catching video background for their websites. Unique to the Wix Editor, all video backgrounds, whether full page or on a strip, can be customized by layering any design element, such as pattern overlays and color palettes, included in the Editor.</li>
<li>Single click Parallax effect – A first for code-free platforms, users can now give their website an added layer of dimension by adding a parallax scrolling effect with just single click.</li>
<li>Anchor menus and docking elements – Essential but not exclusive to long scrolling websites, Wix users can effortlessly create a smooth website navigation experience by utilizing Wix’s new anchor menus and element docking feature.</li>
<li>Personalization and tailored features – Based on the users’ profile, the Wix Editor will suggest design and business elements from both the Editor and the Wix App Market to give users the guidance necessary to create the most effective possible sites.</li>
<li>Verticalized templates – Dedicated templates built with business in mind and utilizing new design capabilities allowing users to more readily input key features while maintaining pure a drag and drop interface.</li>
<li>Contextual in-Editor support – The New Wix Editor provides users with intelligent and curated support throughout the design process without ever having to leave the Editor.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
“Recognizing that today’s Internet users expect a personalized, intuitive and multi-faceted experience, we’ve created the industry’s most comprehensive code-free editing software for creating a professional online presence,” said Avishai Abrahami, Wix Co-Founder and CEO. “Based on the user’s business category, the new Editor provides a tailored experience, where the features and capabilities most needed are at their fingertips. This isn’t just a product improvement, it’s a leap in what the market has come to expect from code-free platforms.”
</blockquote>
I strongly encourage everyone who hasn't had an opportunity to give it a try and see what their new web design experience is like for themselves. <a href="http://www.wix.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Give Wix a try.</a>

New Wix Editor Brings Even More Simplified, Code-Free Web Design to the Masses

Producing personalized experiences is something that's becoming more and more relevant to marketers across the Internet, no matter what their industry.
<a href="https://www.optimizely.com/personalization/" target="_blank">Optimizely</a> has taken a step towards making personalization more accessible for a wider range of businesses.
<a href="https://www.optimizely.com/personalization/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/optimizely_logo_blue_700x0-is-hidpi1306x0-is.png" /></a>
Trusted by the likes of Sony, Microsoft and Skype, Optimizely is an experience optimization platform, built to work on top of existing content management systems. It empowers marketers to modify page elements, A/B test variations, segment audiences, set goals, track progress, and a lot more.
Back in June, <a href="/optimizely-personalization-announced-general-release-set-for-fall-2015/" target="_blank">I covered the announcement of Optimizely Personalization</a>, which came with a release date of Fall 2015. It's good to see that date being stuck to.
<h2>“Personalization is the Key to Optimum Customer Experiences”</h2>
Below, Optimizely Co-Founder and CEO Dan Siroker, features in a video outlining the benefits of his product's latest release.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/raf8U5q00h8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In essence, personalization means showing each individual visitor exactly what they want to see, in order to maximize conversions.
That means segmenting audiences, before targeting them with tailored content. A simple example, is website visitor from the United Kingdom wanting to see Winter clothing, while at the same time, an Australian visitor will want to be shown the latest Summer gear.
Here's how Optimizely plans to make such tasks easier for global brands.
<blockquote>
“We built Optimizely Personalization to make it incredibly easy to connect data about your visitors — data such as behavior or information stored in your CRM — and use it to target experiences in real time.”
</blockquote>
Behavioral Targeting
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/editor-cold758x0-is.png" /> Optimizely Personalization makes it easy to manage behavioral targeting in real time.
Marketers can capture important signals, such as shopping for high-value items, or a customer on the verge of abandoning their session, and target relevant content accordingly, without needing to write a single line of code.
Key events and metadata can easily be identified using a visual, point-and-click interface. Behaviours can then be mixed and matched to produce a unique audience to target.
Uploaded Audiences
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/audience-builder-700x368.png" />
With Uploaded Audiences, marketers can create audiences out of a list of specific customers, such as loyalty program customers, repeat purchasers, or any other important group or set of groups.
Audieces can also be made up from the data from third-party integrations, such as DMPs like BlueKai or account-based marketing software like Demandbase.
Data-driven Personalization
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/results-700x368.png" />
Then end game of personalization, is to increase conversions. But just as crunching numbers to identify audiences is best left to Optimizely, so is the maths for calculating the end game results.
All results are backed by <a href="https://www.optimizely.com/statistics/">Optimizely Stats Engine</a>, which does the heavy lifting to measure revenue and<a href="https://blog.optimizely.com/2015/01/20/statistics-for-the-internet-age-the-story-behind-optimizelys-new-stats-engine/#bookmark3"> conversion lift</a>, determine statistical significance, and ensure that results are always valid. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/optimizely-personalization-editor.gif" /> Further to these features, Optimizely Personalization comes with a revamped editor, so that marketers can plan and preview content for a range of devices from the same interface.
This looks like another slick addition to Optimizely's sucessful platform. The world's biggest brands will be taking note, but so should every other brand – as Optimizely makes itself extremely accessible to small-to-medium sized businesses with its totally free package.
Find out more about <a href="https://blog.optimizely.com/2015/10/05/online-personalization/" target="_blank">Optimizely Personaliztion</a>.

Optimizely Personalization Now Available

In business, it can take years to make up for mistakes that could have been easily avoided.
While some mistakes are easier to recover from than others, it is always far more advantageous to prevent easily-avoidable mistakes by learning from those made by others that were once in your position.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mistake_1594x0-is.jpg" />
Since you’re here reading this article, one thing is clear: you’re considering a CMS for your business to get the most out of your content. That being said, you don’t want to make a choice that could cost you and your business money, and more importantly, time.
After all, choosing the right CMS should help you to improve your efficiency when creating and delivering content, as well as improve your customer experience, and ultimately boost revenue.
In order to help alleviate the stress that comes with choosing the right CMS for your business, we’ve put together 7 common mistakes made by businesses during the selection process, as well as some tried and true suggestions to help you avoid them.
<h2>1. Going Steady with All-Rounders</h2>
If you’re picking out such an important piece of software, it’s natural to want to get as much bang for your buck as possible. That’s why many business owners try to find a CMS that’s much more than just a content management system – they also want it to be a customer relationship management system, an email marketing platform, an analytics powerhouse, and so much more.
While it’s great to find a CMS that’s versatile, the problem with this approach is that many owners end up paying top-dollar for a system that’s a jack of all trades – and a master of none. You’re far better off choosing a software that can brilliantly do the one or two things your business needs most than trying to find a unicorn that can fulfill every need you could possibly think of.
When searching for your CMS, pick one that’s outstanding at managing content – and then, if you still want it to do more, make sure it’s able to integrate with other platforms and apps. It’s much easier to “build” a do-it-all system than it is to find one ready right out of the box.
<h2>2. Failing to Recognize How a CMS Can and Should Benefit Your Business</h2>
Even the most successful business owners can get caught up in the “what.” That is, what features the CMS has to offer. They hear about all the amazing features that a CMS has to offer, and they never stop to think about how those features can benefit their business.
In fact, it’s so easy to get caught up in all those features that it’s no surprise that most business owners forget to even consider how their business could benefit from using a CMS. The truth is that purchasing a CMS without considering how it could help your business is a lot like buying a car before you have an idea as to how you’ll use it. For example, if you’re going to need to go off-roading, for example, it’s good to know that before you buy yourself a brand new Tesla Model S.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to know what a CMS Is and does before you start shopping (and the fact that you’re here means that you at least have some background knowledge of what a CMS is and what it can do for your business.
Once you’ve established that, it’s time to think about how you and your business can ultimately benefit from utilizing a CMS. Decide what you want your CMS to do for you, and how you want it to do just that. Looking back at our car example, the fact that a Tesla Model S is a poor choice for off-roading doesn’t mean that it’s a bad car overall. It’s all about finding a CMS that’s the proper fit for your needs.
Before you narrow your shopping list for a CMS, sit down and consider what business needs you’d like your CMS to address. Try to figure out ways you can increase your efficiency or broaden your reach with a CMS – and decide if the benefits will be worth the cost. Otherwise, you’re shooting in the dark when you go shopping.
<h2>3. Letting Your Budget Dictate Which CMS You Choose for Your Business</h2>
Once you’ve got a good idea of the impact a CMS can have on your business, you’ll have a better idea of what you should spend. Too often, businesses choose a CMS strictly based on their budget.
In effect, they’re basing their budget on what they’re willing to spend now, while failing to consider how much they could increase their profitability down the road by choosing the proper CMS. This can lead them to buying a bargain-basement CMS that doesn’t really meet their needs, and that can be an extremely expensive mistake.
When shopping for the right CMS, keep your needs in mind rather than your budget. Now, this doesn’t mean that the most expensive option is the best – again, it’s all dependent on your business and your needs. You might set a huge budget for your CMS, only to find that a free, open-source option works best for you. Likewise, you may realize that an enterprise-level CMS can take your company to the next level, even if your budget is limited today.
Instead, try to figure out where the right CMS could take you – and then budget for that.
<h2>4. Choosing a CMS before Fully Assessing the Needs of Your Business</h2>
It’s easy to hear about all the good features a CMS has to offer, and then opt to purchase it without actually considering if those features actually fit your business’s needs. The cold hard truth is that you can’t know what you want your CMS to do if you haven’t fully considered what you want your business to do. Are you looking for a CMS because it meets existing needs, or because it can help you attain projected growth, or both? You need an answer to that question before you buy.
By failing to examine the current and potential future needs of your business, you may put yourself in a position where you purchase a CMS that fails to live up to expectations because it doesn’t fit the particular needs of your business.
Likewise, don’t just look at what your business does now when choosing your CMS. Maybe you don’t do a lot of blogging at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider what kind of impact increasing your content marketing could have on your business, and budgeting accordingly.
Figure out what needs are most important to your business now, and then what you would need to take your business to the next level. Then choose your CMS accordingly – otherwise, you’ll be missing out on a lot of potential value.
<h2>5. Picking a CMS Solely Based on the Recommendation of Someone Else</h2>
No matter what you’re shopping for, a recommendation is always nice – just don’t let it be your only consideration when shopping for a CMS.
After all, every business is unique, with different needs and challenges. Just because your buddies (or main competitor) got great results from their CMS doesn’t mean it would work for you – their needs could be completely different from yours, which could mean that their CMS is a terrible fit for your business.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to solicit and consider recommendations from trusted sources, but look past the recommendation itself and consider why they’ve recommended it. After all, just because someone else claims to use the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wordpress-joomla-and-drupal-are-not-the-best-cms/">best CMS</a>, that doesn’t mean it’s the best option for the needs of your business.
<h2>6. Getting the Wrong People Involved in the CMS Selection Process</h2>
This one’s a little tricky, so it’s no wonder it trips up so many business owners. If you’re buying a software solution, who should you trust to guide you in the process?
If you said your IT department, you’d be like thousands of other business owners out there – and you’d be dead wrong.
The fact is, a good CMS will have an enormous impact on all facets of your business, and as a result, you should get multiple departments involved in the decision. The IT department will be working with it, yes – but if you consider only their input, you’re liable to find yourself with a CMS that’s easy to manage… and fairly useless otherwise.
If you have departments such as sales, marketing, management, and yes, IT involved and working together, you can discuss how the CMS will affect each department specifically. Then, you can balance your decision on which option impacts each department, while also considering which trade-offs you’re willing to make.
<h2>7. Not Being Realistic about What a CMS Can and Should Do for Your Business</h2>
While a good CMS can be one of your most powerful assets, that doesn’t mean that it’s a miracle worker. Try to have a good idea of what a CMS can realistically accomplish before you buy and implement it, or else you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.
Many owners expect their CMS to completely revolutionize their business, especially if it’s on the pricey side. Then, when they don’t see immediate and dramatic change, they tend to lose faith in the software and abandon it – leaving a ton of value on the table.
While a CMS can have a powerful impact on your bottom line, it often takes time to get going – and effort to monitor. Be sure you know what you’re looking for before you make any rash decisions.
<h2>Find the Right CMS for Your Business</h2>
When you find a CMS that fits your business’s needs, chances are you’ll be impressed at the effect it will have on your company. Just make sure you consider all of your needs before you go shopping, and take care to avoid these 7 common mistakes. Your business will thank you.
CMS Critic also offers <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/contact/" target="_blank">CMS Consulting</a>, to help you find the best content management system for your next project.

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting a CMS for Your Business

There's a quiet battle raging within a relatively young niche.
Thanks to the huge demand for regular unboxing experiences, plus the emergence of success stories <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/2h1mlt/the_inner_workings_of_a_subscription_box_company" target="_blank">like the one of Wet Shave Club, found on Reddit</a>, subscription box businesses have been sprouting up everywhere, catering to every interest, taste, hobby and profession.
<img style="max-width:552px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cardboard-314504_640552x0-is.jpg" />
There are now monthly boxes for <a href="http://www.beardbrand.co.uk/" target="_blank">beards</a>, <a href="https://meowbox.com/" target="_blank">cats</a>, <a href="http://www.candyclub.com/" target="_blank">candy</a>, and even <a href="http://writercrate.com/" target="_blank">writing</a>. You name it, and there's probably a subscription box out there geared towards it.
The interesting part? This growing niche has given two new content management systems the chance to emerge. And they're battling for a slice of this scrumptious subscription pie.
<h2>CrateyJoy Vs Subbly</h2>
If you want to start your own subscription box business, you'll want to take a long hard look at both <a href="https://www.cratejoy.com/" target="_blank">CrateJoy</a> and <a href="http://www.subbly.co/" target="_blank">Subbly</a>. At the time of writing, they're the two platforms dedicated to starting up subscription box businesses.
<img style="max-width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cratejoy-share-fb300x0-is.jpg" />
CrateJoy was launched in 2014 by Co-Founders Amir Elaguizy and Alex Morse, out of Austin, Texas. The platform came out of beta at the beginning of 2015, but has already gained traction as one of the best subscription box CMS solutions.
<a href="http://www.subbly.co/" target="_blank"><img style="max-width:325px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bb2b387f4e3635439c11563666eb4566.png" /></a>
Subbly was launched halfway through 2014 by Stefan Pretty and his team, and has been closely competing with Cratejoy every since.
Both platforms offer relatively similar solutions.
In a nut shell, they help you get your subscription box business off the ground with a SaaS (Software as a Service) approach, ready-made templates, design customization, analytics, and a whole bunch of other typical eCommerce functions. And of course, subscription billing is built in as standard.
Their pricing structures differ, though.
Cratejoy offers one “All Access” plan costing $39 per month. However, they impose additional transaction fees for subscriptions.
Subbly on the other hand, charge based on subscriber counts. For example, their cheapest plan comes in at $24 per month, but only supports businesses with ten or less subscribers. All their higher plans come in more expensive than Cratejoy's solitary “All Access” package. However, <a href="http://www.subbly.co/pricing-comparison" target="_blank">Subbly argues that, in the long run, you stand to make a saving</a> thanks to the lack of additional transaction fees.
My experience with the two was relatively similar. The user experience doesn't differ much between the two platforms, but I certainly felt that Cratejoy had more to offer. The customization interface is slightly easier to use, and they also offer more themes which are ready to import and play with. Plus, I thought Cratejoy's themes were of a higher quality.
So, for me, Cratejoy is edging the battle – for now.
Perhaps my biggest gripe with both platforms though, is that they don't support PayPal at all. They opt for a Stripe-only approach, instead.
<h2>The Alternatives</h2>
Technically, the subscription box niche is a two horse race. But alternatives do exist.
Shopify, for example, is a platform that can be leveraged to enter into the subscription box industry. Various subscription apps exist, including <a href="https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-recurring-payments" target="_blank">ReCharge</a> and <a href="https://apps.shopify.com/paywhirl-recurring-payments" target="_blank">PayWhirl</a>. They seem to work quite well, but ReCharge comes in at $19.99 per month, with an extra 1% charge per transaction. PayWhirl has a free offering, but charges an extra 2% per transaction, dropping to 1% when you dish out $49.99 per month.
WooCommerce makes up the other alternative. The WordPress eCommerce plugin offers “<a href="http://www.woothemes.com/products/woocommerce-subscriptions/" target="_blank">WooCommerce Subscriptions</a>“. The name says it all really.
Apart from an upfront fee of $199.99 with no free trial period, the only “problem” is that it's essentially a branch of a WordPress plugin. So, you would be forgiven for think that it's not really a convincing solution. Furthermore, there's no real added functionality aside from managing subscription payments. It's a bare bones option.
Personally, I'd rather stick to the dedicated subscription platforms. Cratejoy and Subbly are both good solutions right now, and with subscription boxes being their main focus, merchants looking to enter that niche are better off relying on them, rather than anybody else.
What are your thoughts on the subscription box niche? Is the competition healthy enough, or is there room for more platforms to join the battle? Let us know in the comments below.

CrateJoy vs Subbly: Battle For the Subscription Box Niche

In case you are wondering why I haven't written on my own site in a while, it's because I've been incredibly busy traveling and visiting CMS and eCommerce vendors across the globe. As you know, we've already met with over a dozen vendors in North America and Europe alone and I'm now working on visiting a few more in the US region.
For instance, I just came back from visiting with <a href="http://www.ingeniux.com" target="_blank">Ingeniux</a> at their offices in Seattle, an experience I wrote about on the website I share with my wife, <a href="http://karlynnandmike.com" target="_blank">karlynnandmike.com</a>. 
I'm now scheduled to fly out to San Francisco visit with the popular website builder company, <a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank">Wix</a>, on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. I'll be doing a tour of their offices, interviewing one of their execs and getting the inside scoop on some upcoming news. Stay tuned to <a href="http://twitter.com/cmscritic" target="_blank">my Twitter account</a> to see the goings on during my trip where I'll be sharing pics of the cities I hit, the people I meet and of course, their offices. From San Francisco I'm off to Encinitas, California to meet with the eCommerce company, <a href="/ecwid1" target="_blank">Ecwid</a>. I'll be touring their offices and meeting with their execs as well! 
Upon my return from California, I'm off to Ontario for some consulting work with a client and then, at the end of November, you can catch me at the Liferay Symposium in beautiful Chicago, Illinois where I'll be covering the event in all it's glory.
All in all, this tends to be my view of things lately:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_0182800x0-is.jpg" />
Rough life right? Believe me, I'm grateful every day for what I get to do. 
For more pics of my trips, keep an eye on my other site, <a href="http://karlynnandmike.com" target="_blank">KarlynnAndMike</a> where I share the personal side of things including travel and food related stuff. Of course, if you have something you want me to ask any of these companies while on site, drop a note in the comments and let me know.
See you on my travels,
Mike

Seattle to San Francisco to San Diego - I'm on the road again

Semrush - Be an SEO hero

Be an SEO hero with Semrush

#ffffff

LightCMS is a constantly improving platform, geared towards small to medium sized businesses looking for a feature rich website builder.With this latest update, the LightCMS team has enhanced the eCommerce experience, with an updated checkout process and store users, to go alongside <a href="/lightcms-brings-in-user-registration-enhanced-user-profiles/">recently introduced profile pages</a>.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lightcms.jpg" /> Here's a look at what's new thanks to this latest update.<h2>Store Users &amp; Enhanced Checkout</h2>Shoppers can now sign up and create their own accounts for a streamlined buying experience. All the standard fields are there for customers to fill out, such as; name, address, billing information, and so forth.Existing LightCMS sites will have store users disabled, but it will be enabled by default for new sites.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/storeusersettings340x0-is.png" />With this release, LightCMS' checkout becomes a two-step process. The first step in the checkout process gathers customer email, shipping information, and shipping method.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/checkoutshipping_thumb394x0-is.png" />The second step gathers billing information, including payment method, billing address, and special instructions.Another useful update has also been made to user profile pages, where a new “Purchases” tab now resides, showing each user their purchase history.

LightCMS Bolsters eCommerce Offering With Store Users & Updated Checkout

In recent months, <a href="https://www.shopify.com/" target="_blank">Shopify</a> has united eCommerce with <a href="/shopify-rolls-out-shop-section-on-facebook-pages/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="/shopify-announces-pinterest-rich-pins-and-new-bitcoin-payment-option/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, expanding the reach of its worldwide base of sellers. Now, Shopify merchants can sell their products on Twitter, too.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/twitteronly_hero_art.jpg" /> 
This update means that any Shopify product shared on Twitter will automatically be given a “Buy Now” button, which Twitter users can tap to view product details, before placing their order; all without having to leave the Twitter app.
Shopify's gradual coverage of Facebook, Pinterest, and now Twitter enables their merchants to leverage the popularity of both mobile users, and social media users, at the very same time.
<h2>#SellOnTwitter: How It Works</h2>
Existing Shopify merchants can start selling products on Twitter, at no additional cost to their current plan, by adding the new Twitter sales channel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/blog.jpg" />
Once connected to Twitter, any product that’s ever been Tweeted from your online store will automatically include a buy button, and shoppers can immediately start buying from your tweets. All Twitter orders, as well as product and customer details will automatically be synchronized with Shopify, just like all your other sales channels.
For more information, check out Shopify's official blog post, which includes a video demonstration of Shopify in action on Twitter.
Learn more about <a href="/products/shopify/" target="_blank">Shopify via our CMS Directory</a>.

Shopify Brings eCommerce to Twitter

<a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Weebly</a> is one of the most popular website builders on the market, and they've just unveiled the third generation of their platform.
It's called <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> Carbon, and it's being honored with a total Weebly re-launch.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WiJGGbcUOag?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>More Mobile Than Ever</h2>
According to Weebly:
<blockquote>“Carbon is a complete relaunch of the Weebly platform that delivers a new line up of services to help both seasoned and budding entrepreneurs create, build and grow their business and eCommerce store from any device, anywhere.”</blockquote>
With brand new iPhone, iPad, iWatch, and Android apps, Weebly Carbon puts the total power of Weebly into mobile, enabling users to design websites from the ground up, entirely from a smartphone or tablet.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dashboard491x0-is.png" />
Updates to Weebly's Dashboard also mean that Weebly users and merchants can get a quick insight into traffic, sales and a number of other useful metrics.
<h2>New Responsive Templates &amp; A New App Center</h2>
A brand new App Center gives entrepreneurs easy access to dynamic apps that integrate directly into the Weebly editor to help them through hurdles like getting found on search engines, international shipping, funding, marketing, text message enabled customer support and social media integration.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/theme_gallery438x0-is.png" />
Further to these apps, Weebly has rolled out new responsive templates, and has also given their users the ability to “try on” any theme for free in order to change the look of their site in seconds – all while preserving their content.
Weebly's CEO and Founder, David Rusenko, made the following comments regarding Weebly Carbon:
<blockquote>“Weebly Carbon will give a business of any size, or entrepreneur of any age, a complete platform to build their business like never before and the flexibility to do it from anywhere.
We believe the trifecta of beautiful design, ease of use and unprecedented mobile access is the future of small business.”</blockquote>
To find out more, <a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank">visit Weebly website</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/weebly/" target="_blank">Weebly via our CMS Directory</a>.

Weebly Carbon: Introducing The Third Generation of Weebly

<a href="http://writercrate.com/" target="_blank">Writer Crate</a> is a monthly crate of quality items for Writers, Bloggers, Poets and Wordsmiths of all kinds.
<a href="http://writercrate.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cratecover-1868x0-is.jpg" /></a> Founded by none other than myself, I thought I'd take the time to share my latest venture with the CMS Critic community, seeing as much of our audience is made up of content marketers and publishers.
Currently, Writer Crate ships for free in the UK. We also ship to the US, Canada and mainland Europe. The October Crate is now in stock, and you can <a href="http://writercrate.com/blogs/news/62423107-whats-in-the-october-writer-crate" target="_blank">find out what's inside it right here</a>.
<h2>“So, Which CMS Did You Use?”</h2>
Ah, yes, the inevitable question.
Essentially, Writer Crate is just another eCommerce project, and thus, I needed to opt for an eCommerce solution.
Many capable platforms crossed my mind, and after some trial and error, I chose to stick it out with Shopify.
I fell in love with a template, I was impressed by the fast set up process, and the pricing fit the bill, so to speak. <a href="/shopify-review-ecommerce-only-simpler/" target="_blank">With my existing knowledge of Shopify as a stellar eCommerce solution</a>, I took the plunge. So far, so good.
<a href="http://writercrate.com/" target="_blank">Show Me Writer Crate</a>.

Writer Crate Launched

<a href="/boonex" target="_blank">Boonex Dolphin.Pro</a> has been updated with a flurry of features, and it's looking as sleek as ever on all fronts.
<a href="/boonex" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1.png" /></a> 
Considered to be one of the leading products in the social networking space, Boonex Dolphin is packed out with lots of different features to help users build online communities.
Here's a look at what Dolphin.Pro 7.2 brings to the table.
<h2>More Mobile Friendliness, Emojis &amp; More</h2>
Version 7.2 of Dolphin.Pro comes with a new mobile-friendly design template; support of “retina” content and interface images; new file-manager integration; Homepage Timeline; TinyMCE 4 and plenty more. It's a hefty update indeed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/hvknm5t818x0-is.jpg" /> 
Recurring payments have also been introduced, along with PayPal Pro and payments on Join Form.
Boonex has also unveiled an updated Admin Panel, improved Pages Builder, new anti-SPAM lists, easier module installation, better image resizing and admin action in user interface. There's even Emoji support for the product's Shoutbox feature, which can be placed on any page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/s81pelg818x0-is.jpg" />
To find out more about Dolphin.Pro 7.2, check out the official announcement, or <a href="http://demo.boonex.com/" target="_blank">try out the demo</a>.
You can also explore more of <a href="http://demo.boonex.com/" target="_blank">Boonex Dolphin through our CMS Directory</a>.

Dolphin.Pro 7.2 Released

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.django-cms.org/">django CMS</a>, the free and open source platform trusted by NASA, L'Oreal and other major brands, is on the brink of releasing its latest version in the form of django CMS 3.2.0.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/djangocms_green909x0-is.png" />The first release candidate is scheduled for the beginning of October 2015, but today we're taking a quick look at the Preview Release, which was recently made available.django is encouraging its users to put this Preview Release to the test, in order to help them iron out the more subtle issues ahead of the final version.<h2>Touch Support, An Improved Interface &amp; More</h2>According to the django team, “[Version 3.2.0] brings various performance and user interaction improvements such as touch support and a much improved structure board.”<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/preview-1_png_1170x0_q90_subsampling-2492x0-is.png" />Here's a summary of what's new with django CMS 3.2.0:<ul><li>Full touch support (Tablet, Tabletops, Phablets)</li><li>Enhanced and polished user interface</li><li>Much needed improvements to the structure board</li><li>Enhancements to components such as modal, sideframe and the toolbar</li><li>Significant speed improvements on loading, http requests and file sizes</li><li>New <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/divio/djangocms-admin-style">djangocms-admin-style</a> look &amp; feel</li><li>Restarts no longer required when changing apphooks</li></ul>​So, in line with their publisher-friendly ethos, django seems to be gearing their platform towards publishers on the move with mobile-friendly interfaces. Never a bad idea in today's multi-screen world.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/preview-4_png_1170x0_q90_subsampling-2492x0-is.png" />For more screenshots and information on this release, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.django-cms.org/en/blog/2015/09/25/django-cms-32-preview/">check out django's official blog announcement</a>.You can also explore more of <a href="/products/django-cms">django CMS via our CMS Directory</a>.

A Look at The django CMS 3.2.0 Preview Release

<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/out/strikingly" target="_blank">Strikingly</a>, the website builder that specializes in one-pager style websites, has released its latest version in the form of <a href="/strikingly-websitebuilder">Strikingly</a> 4.
<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/out/strikingly" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/strikingly-1-1.png" /></a> 
Chosen as one of the few website builders to be covered by <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank">Website Builders Critic</a>, <a href="/strikingly-websitebuilder">Strikingly</a> has grown to be one of the leading products for the one-pager website space.
Here's a closer look at what Strikingly 4 brings about.
<h2>Template Switching, Improved Layouts &amp; Social Feeds</h2>
One of the gripes I (and many other users) had with Strikingly, was the rigid templating system. If you worked your content into one template, you were unable to switch to another one. To change templates, you had to say goodbye to all your content.
Now though, Strikingly has made it possible to switch templates at any time, without the need to start from scratch. A feature that is most welcome indeed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2015-09-17-at-12-compressed789x0-is.jpg" />
Speaking of content, Strikingly 4 also makes it easier to maneuver text and media within page sections. Simply clicking the “Layout” button wil prompt Strikingly to automatically “spice up” the placement of the content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/change-section-layout759x0-is.gif" />
I'm sure users would prefer to simply drag-and-drop more freely, but this feature will help switch things up a little nonetheless.
Finally, Strkingly users can now incorporate their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds into their website.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/social-feed.gif" />
A tidy update for a quirky website builder. To find out more about how to upgrade to Strikingly 4, <a href="http://www.strikingly.com/blog/updating-to-strikingly-4/" target="_blank">read their official blog announcement</a>. To get yourself a Strikingly website, <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/out/strikingly" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
You can also check out our <a href="https://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/search/?q=strikingly" target="_blank">Strikingly video tutorials on Website Builders Critic</a>.

Introducing Strikingly 4

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