The Ektron Community

Connect your Customers to your Brand and Product

Mon, 21 May 2012 03:47 -0500

QR (Quick Response) codes: a 2D barcode scanned by your Smartphone to get information. QR codes are being used on restaurant menus to scan for nutritional information, wine bottles to learn more about the wine and vineyard, special offers, making appointments, and storefront displays to purchase items to increase eCommerce sales. They're essentially there to provide your audience with more information online. Build awareness, create a campaign and offer promotions all through QR codes.

Energizing Your Customer Advocates with Influitive

Mon, 21 May 2012 02:25 -0500

Customers and Partners Are Talking About Ektron! View more presentations from Ektron About a month or so ago, I took on some new responsibilities. I'm now Ektron's "customer relationships program manager.' My primary job is still finding, recording and publishing our customers' stories. I'm also now charged with managing - and re-energizing - Ektron's customer reference program, as well as acting as an internal advocate for our customers. One thing that's really helped me to get up to speed with the reference aspect of our program is an online tool called "AdvocateHub," from a new startup, Influitive. AdvocateHub allows an organization to create an interactive community for fans, evangelists and advocates, among their employees, customers and partners. The word "interactive" is the key, as the business can create challenges tailored to its specific needs - testimonials, case studies, reference calls, social participation, feedback on products and services- and advocate members help on their terms, by selecting the challenges interesting to them. In a nice piece of synergy (no pun intended), Influitive was brought to Ektron's attention by one of our own customers, Indigo Books. We had a sit-down meeting with the Influitive team late last year, ran a beta AdvocateHub at Synergy 2011, and liked the results well enough that we launched an employee/customer/partner community in 2012 called "The Ektron Inner Circle." A by-invitation community, the EIC currently has over 130 members and is growing rapidly. EIC members can choose a variety of "Challenges" like following our LinkedIn group, recommending a speaking session for Synergy 2012, accepting a reference call, having me write up their Ektron story, or giving us feedback on Ektron products and services. You'll see the result of one recent EIC challenge above, where we asked for brief quotes/testimonials about Ektron that we could use on our website and in our marketing collateral. Within the space of a few days, we had accumulated over a dozen quotes from customers and partners alike. One thing that the reference program and the EIC has taught me is that every company has its external champions and evangelists, all ready to help with advice, testimonials and references. All you have to do is ask. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask before closing: If you think you'd be - or know someone who would be - a good candidate for the Ektron Inner Circle, let us know. Even if the EIC doesn't sound like your bag, if you have a great story you'd like to tell about using Ektron and your website to meet your business goals, give me a shout. Over the past month I've heard great stories from Hendrix College, the University of Roehampton and Apex Hotels. I'd love to hear your story too. ~Fred

How can e-commerce merchants retain customers and improve sales?

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:29 -0500

This is just one e-commerce related question that’s on my mind for the CNP Expo in Orlando, May 20 – 22nd. But I can assure you there are many more questions – and plenty of answers – given the CNP Expo agenda and speakers; use the #CNPExpo hashtag to engage on Twitter.

Optimization Basics for Mobile

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:16 -0500

Using Ektron’s APIs and tools to combine CSS and JS into single HTTP requests and resize or crop image Assets dynamically.

A Mobile Device Detection Widget

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:36 -0500

Ektronhave implemented device detection, which when enabled, serves a differentwebsite template depending on the device accessing the site. The benefits arethat you can serve two (or more) completely different versions of a websiteusing the same content. This can result in some detectionissues which are difficult to investigate and resolve.

Mobile Website Detection and CDN Caching (Or, How We Did It)

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:12 -0500

Previously, I wrote about the frustration we were having with mobile website detection in general, and specifically around what to do when the site is cached by a CDN (snapshot style, like ASP.NET OutputCache). In this blog post, I discuss a client side approach for solving this.

Managing Content for the Mobile Web

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:02 -0500

Many people believe themost important question to answer in their mobile strategy is "Whichdevelopment technique should we use?" That is indeed animportant question, but before choosing a development technique, you may wantto answer a bigger question. I believe the most important question is how to control the content between any of them.

Return on Content

Tue, 15 May 2012 06:13 -0500

Delivering content at the right place and the right time along the decision journey is the goal of most content marketing programs. Content is a consumable and shareable asset that has a different and distinct role at each point of the journey. Marketers need to understand each role before they can measure the impact and effectiveness of content assets.

Web Content Management for the Post-PC Era

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:05 -0500

With the launch of the new iPad earlier in the year, Apple declared the death of the desktop PC with its usual bravado. I’ll admit that I’m an Apple fanboy and would probably purchase "i-anything" yet, something rang true with me about this prediction. And Apple wasn’t alone. Research analysts Gartner and Forrester Research have also come out with their predictions that predict the death of the PC.

Ektron and the Internet Show Melbourne

Thu, 10 May 2012 01:16 -0500

Ektron recently sponsored the Internet Show in Melbourne, Australia. Our discussion was around customer experience management, including a keynote presentation for all delegates at the show, and the response was very positive!

The world has changed. Are you ready?

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:21 -0500

The world has changed. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly it happened. It’s fundamentally different than it was before. The change has effected all of us, it’s subtle, but insidious. It has impacted the younger generations and the older generations more than the middle generations, but its effect is still noticeable in everyone. This innocuous change is starting to have a huge impact on businesses and on the way consumers interact with those businesses.

What Makes a Successful Partnership

Tue, 8 May 2012 11:45 -0500

When I started, we were a five person operation that was very dependent on a few big clients. We offered a lot of services and became a one-stop shop for customers. We were the prototypical jack of all trades, master of none. We knew that we needed a way to differentiate ourselves from the other 10,000 agencies out there...

Award and Infographic in One: Internet Marketing 150

Sat, 5 May 2012 09:55 -0500

Infographics are very popular these days. They are generating some of the highest-performing social sharing results when compared to other content on social channels. Blame it on mobile and Twitter -- people have less interest and time to read and you know what they say, “a picture is worth a 1,000 words.” Ektron is recognized in the 2012 Internet Marketing 150 award/infographic.

Mobile First at Internet World 2012

Fri, 4 May 2012 02:34 -0500

Exciting because Ektron's participation at Internet World included an exhibition area ( you can see photos in our Facebook album here), and several well-attended presentations. In fact, one of our presentations - from customer University of Roehampton - generated such a large audience that we had people asking about it for the rest of the show.

Customer experience management innovation for your connected world

Tue, 1 May 2012 04:12 -0500

I’ve been thinking a lot about customer experience management innovation and operations lately given recent conversations, events and research. I recently attended the Gartner PCC/Customer 360 event in Orlando and a comment from Ed Thompson, during one of his sessions, really stuck with me. He said there is no customer experience management market – virtually any technology today can contribute to and influence customer experience including, for example, a vending machine.

Content Technology Podcast: Candid Conversation with Tim McKinnon, Ektron CTO

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:53 -0500

In today's Content Technology Podcast, I sit down with Ektron's newly appointed CTO, in his busy office at Ektron Headquarters. Curious about Ektron's roadmap? Wonder what Tim sees as the biggest opportunities? Listen in as Tim and I discuss his background, experiences, and what he sees for the future of Ektron.

Out with it! Widget Development How-To (part 3)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:38 -0500

The third and final installment in a series about building a foursquare Ektron widget. This post brings everything together and demonstrates output of data via .NET, JavaScript and AJAX.

What Ektron Marketing Optimization Means To Your Bottom Line

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:53 -0500

Admit it. When you’re sitting across the table from a guy like me, you often find yourself amazed at what you see during a software demonstration. You’re likely seeing things that you haven’t seen before or in some cases, weren’t aware that doing them was even possible. And while the core web content management (WCM) capabilities are a good place to start and are usually a modest, if not substantial improvement from your current system, it’s when we get into the really cutting edge stuff that your interest is highest...

Ektron Inner Circle: Access, advocacy and knowledge sharing with a hint of fun

Sun, 8 Apr 2012 01:15 -0500

A key component of our Global Community Practice strategy illustrated above, we recently launched a new initiative called the Ektron Inner Circle. The launch followed an intensive week of customer experience and relationship management discussions at the Gartner PCC/360 event in Orlando last month; good timing.

8 ways to engage and share with the Ektron community

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:26 -0500

We value advocacy and feedback from thousands of members in the Ektron community. This is especially true when feedback comes from authentic people with real Ektron experiences and credible opinions. There are a number of ways to engage with and learn from your peers in the community, as well as share your thoughts and questions about Ektron.

4 Basics of Web Content Management You Can't Live Without

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:02 -0500

The Mini Cooper - intelligent design, iconic style and unparalleled motoring thrills. On my way home from work one night I noticed a fellow mini driver with the license plate: WYSIWYG. Either that person works in the CMS world or well what you see is what you get.

CMS Selection Process – Usability vs. Curb Appeal

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:12 -0500

Usability is one of the most important factors in a CMS selection process. What good is a CMS if your users won’t adopt it?

Snoopy, Storytelling and HobbyTown USA

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:52 -0500

One of the keys to telling a good story is figuring out what your story is, something often not obvious at first blush.

Johnson and Wales University: Why Ektron

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:24 -0500

With a very tight timeline and a very complex plan to serve all of their campuses now and in the future, Johnson & Wales University worked with Ektron to implement their new website. Hear why Johnson and Wales University selected Ektron to meet the needs of its diverse campus audiences.

The Slow, Quiet Disappearance of XSLT in .Net

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:59 -0500

Once upon a time, XSLT was shiny and new; WCM tools, web development frameworks, and web browsers incorporated the technology which promised a universal mechanism to convert XML data to any format developers could imagine. The concept is appealing, but the reality -- not so much.

KISSing Ektron Smart Forms

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:46 -0500

So after figuring out how to advance beyond the root level of a smart form using Content Types .NET and LINQ, I took a look at my most complex smart form and copied it over to my 8.5 test environment. I looked it over in detail. Then I realized how much LINQ I’d need to write to traverse the structure and had a mild fit!

Ektron eSync - General Best Practises

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:43 -0500

The Ektron CMS has a very powerful feature called eSync. You can visit the Ektron website for further information on eSync. This tool enables the promotion of code, assets and content between your various Ektron website environments. Realise implement eSync on all our new client websites. Here are some of the best practises we'd like to share, based on our experience with Ektron eSync.

Finding the Value of Search

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:35 -0500

The inputs and outputs of modern businesses are often no longer physical products; they are ideas, information and content. Even when a company produces physical goods, it’s almost impossible to operate competitively without the right information for decision making. Fast, efficient access to digital information has become an important business need, but the content within many organizations is simply too large, too complex and too volatile to browse manually, absorb, interpret and determine relevance. This information rich environment has made tools like search critical.

FAQs - Choosing a CMS

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:33 -0500

In my position as Director of Development at WSOL, I am often approached by new and current clients with questions regarding Ektron and other CMS options in general. I take pride in the fact that we are constantly researching and analyzing different CMS platforms and are able to answers these types of questions. Below are a few of the questions that are regularly asked.

Rally the coders! Widget Development How-To (part 2)

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:20 -0500

A follow-up to a recent post about widget development. This is a walk through of creating a foursquare widget to share the users who have checked in at your venue.

It's March Madness -- Content Management Style

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 04:40 -0500

For sports fans, it’s one of the most exciting times of the year – March Madness. The sixty-eight best college basketball teams in the country square off in a single elimination tournament to determine a National Champion. It’s a wild ride complete with Cinderella stories, blue blood battles, heartbreaking losses, and more. Even non-die hards love it because almost everyone fills out a bracket as part of an office pool so that they can cheer for Murray State… But it got me thinking – what if I was a prospective CMS user; could I use this type of bracketing system to really get to the core of what my requirements are? Maybe it wouldn’t be the more logical way to build your requirements doc, but it sure would be fun. Therefore, I present the first ever (or at least the first that I’ve ever seen) CMS Feature Bracket. You can click on the image below to view a full PDF version of the bracket, which is based solely on my opinions (not that of my employer, my boss, or even my neighbor!), but I think I nailed it. I mean, based on the hundreds of projects I’ve been a part of it, and some of the most recent successes, my bracket analysis would go something like this: In the FEATURES region, I looked at Search as such a critical element of CMS, from standard site searching to search as navigation and more, so I felt that it really didn’t have a challenge until at least the Sweet Sixteen. As I filled out the BUSINESS USERS region, I looked around and saw two emails pop up on my iPhone, my four year old playing angry birds on my wife’ iPad, and two joggers run by texting (possibly each other) – it further enforced that though many sites still don’t truly have a multi-channel strategy, it’s got to be at the top of the mountain for all new projects. The DEVELOPER region was tough for me because I’m not a developer – but the experts say that being able to support a flexible and scalable architecture (with or without the cloud) is a top need, so Ektron’s unique synchronization technology (eSync) escaped possibly the most loaded region. In the CORE region, while all of those elements are essential to the success of a project, I just felt like in the end, it came down to ‘how easy is it for me to create and manage content’? And that’s why I took Intuitive Authoring all the way to the finals. In the end, I felt that Authoring and Multi-channel Publishing were the true #1s and if I had to pick between the two, I felt that being able to single source content across multiple devices was the most important factor in choosing a winner. So you’ve seen my bracket, what do you think? It probably is worth sharing that I haven't won the office pool since 2002, but that one is all about luck... I’m optimistic we’ll get some good feedback below and see if perhaps I missed a Cinderella or two along the way. Enjoy the madness! Follow me at @jonmkee and @ektronchicago on Twitter. Connect with me at Jon Kee on Linked In. Friend me on Google Plus or Foursquare too.

The Four C's of Content Marketing - Community

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:38 -0500

Community is about expanding the reach of your content marketing programs by allowing it to be easily shared in the social networks where your customers and prospects live – places like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+. Every marketers dream is to produce content marketing that “goes viral”.

The Power of a Good Question

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:33 -0500

To tell an effective story, the most important part comes before you write a single word. The sharpest tool in your storytelling toolbox is always going to be a good question. My background is journalism, and on every assignment I've ever had, I've lived and died by the quality of the questions I've asked. But the questions you need to ask in order to tell a good story cover a wider range than you may think. Questions for People It's easy to sit here and come up with ideas, theories and opinions entirely on our own. And sometimes, that may be just the ticket. But if you include perspectives from others, they can both enrich your narrative and give it more credibility. These others may be: Subject-matter experts Peers in your field People facing challenges similar to your own (or who have already solved them) Individuals from unrelated disciplines whose experiences can inform the topic you are addressing (e.g. an athlete or a politician) To make the most of both your time and theirs, thinking through your interview questions is key, because the quality of their answers is directly tied to the value of your content. To ensure quality answers: Don't ask yes/no questions. Ask questions that invite rumination and reflection. Don't be afraid of awkward silence; the person you are questioning will hasten to fill it with a longer response. Unless you are asking for clarification, confirmation or additional context around facts, an interview may not be the place to ask those questions. Email may suffice for gathering simple stats or details. Ask for examples or case studies, to encourage specificity. Ask for definitions and explanations. Even if you don't end up quoting the answer, it may inform your final product. Do a phone interview if possible. You will get more human-sounding answers in conversation than in email, when people script themselves more carefully. Always conclude an interview by asking if the person has anything else to add. These open-ended queries often yield additional value. Questions for Your Audience A good piece of content is not concluded the moment it is published; it has only just begun. Through social sharing, comments, even blog or video responses, content can become an ongoing conversation. Over time, this enriches our narrative. To that end, there are a couple ways to think about questions as they relate to your audience. One comes in the form of the questions you ask overtly, perhaps appended to the end of a blog post: "How have you dealt with this issue?" "What's your favorite tool for accomplishing this task?" "Have you had a similar experience? Share in the comments." These are questions designed to spur reflection and engagement, kicking off that conversation. Another comes in the questions you want your content to encourage your audience to ask themselves. Great content is going to spark an idea, an understanding, a change of heart, a rebuttal, a course of action-some sort of a response. These responses are usually answers to questions we ask ourselves, such as "Why is that?" or "Why not?" or "What should I do about this?" Get people thinking and questioning, and you'll have some hot content on your hands. Questions for Yourself Cleverly enough, I covered these in my previous post! If we make sure to reflect on the purpose and intent of our content before diving headfirst into it, the more effective it will be. The questions we ask in order to enrich our content and extend its value to our audience help ensure that effectiveness. How have you used questions to shape and enhance your content efforts?

The SSL Hokey Pokey - Securing Pages using SSL

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 12:27 -0500

Setting up a website to use SSL encryption can be hard and time jmconsuming. But what if you only want a few pages encrypted? And what if you could empower your content editors to make that decision? This guest blog post from Joe Mayberry (Ektron Application Engineer) discusses ways to do just that.

Climate Friendly, Reduce What You Can, Offset What You Can't

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 01:35 -0500

Detail from infographic originally published in Technology Review, March/April 2012 "...an international group of climate scientists recently reported that total fossil-fuel-related emissions grew by 5.9 percent in 2010, the largest annual increase ever recorded." Back when I was but a sprout one of my favorite TV shows was Naked City, which if it was being broadcast in these modern times would probably be a reality show featuring dancing nudists competing for a million dollar prize. In those more innocent days, Naked City was a police drama notable for its documentary style.

ClimateFriendly.com Helping Prevent Climate Change

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 10:17 -0500

According to the Garnaut Climate Change Review, "most Australians believe the climate is changing, but fewer believe that the change is attributable to human activity." That said, websites such as ClimateFriendly.com are providing innovative carbon management solutions to businesses and households who are ready to act to do their part to prevent climate change - something that we should all be doing.

Paving the Way into 2012 with Partners, an Exceptional Ektron Team and the Digital Experience Hub

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 10:28 -0500

If you saw our recent press release, Ektron had an exciting and rewarding year in 2011. But what I'm most excited about is how our 2011 activities set the stage for Ektron's continued success into 2012 and beyond.

Another Great Developer Meetup - San Francisco

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 01:58 -0500

Last night's San Francisco Area Developer Meetup was among the best since we started regularly having developer meetups, almost two years ago. We had a great turnout of well over a dozen people from a variety of companies development backgrounds, and had interesting speakers from Microsoft and Clock Four.

Break it down! Widget Development How-To (Part 1)

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:02 -0500

Widget development is one place where many Ektron beginners get lost and turn away. Knowing the pieces that go into it and what that crazy code actually does can help simplify things and get you started on the right foot.

Thoughts from IMS12; Chris Brogan video interview about how to cultivate visibility

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:26 -0500

Day 1 at the 404 in NY, an inaugural location for Inbound Marketing Summit, was enjoyable and insightful. These intimate, single-room conferences are ideal for focusing on topics and not feeling rushed to get to the next room. Mingle, sit, take it all in … next.

The Four C’s of Content Marketing – Channels

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:04 -0500

In my last post on Context, I described why context is key to delivering relevancy… “If content is king, then context is its queen and together they rule the fiefdom of digital engagement.” But to be relevant as a marketer, you must be everywhere your customers are. Today your customers interact across a number of digital channels - some you own like your Website, others you influence like Twitter. Deane Barker’s “The Slippery Definition of a Digital Channel” presents an interesting argument for “owned vs. influenced” digital channels.

London Calling!

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:50 -0500

We’ve been discussing our mantra of “Connecting Content to Revenue™” for quite some time now, and I’ll be heading to London for the Technology For Marketing & Advertising (TFM&A) show next week in for a discussion on this very topic. I’ll be discussing a few things at the show...

A Special Ektron Community Invitation to the CNP Expo

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:24 -0500

As an entrepreneur that has built and sold a number of e-commerce ventures, the importance of having a content management system I can rely on and that can grow with my business has been illustrated in multiple ways time and again. So, in 2010 when I started an online publishing company focused on the card not present (CNP) payments space, I was excited to leverage the capabilities of Ektron 8.0, after previous experience with Ektron’s CMS software.

Mike Grehan: 10 years of search insights in 10 minutes or less

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:14 -0500

The search industry has come a long way in the past 10 years with significant changes underway given new channels, technologies, and consumer behaviors and preferences. Mike Grehan, VP at Incisive Media, helped to shape the search industry and has been writing and speaking about related ideas and best practices since the early days of the Internet. Watch this WIN video and see the key links.

Why more than a 'spin around the block' is necessary

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:37 -0500

Any software partner (CMS or otherwise) who really stands behind their technology will not only encourage you to go for a "test drive" of their technology with a quick spin around the block, but will push for and recommend a full Proof of Concept test of the software so that you can truly experience the application...

Saddle Up: It’s Going to Be an Exciting Ride

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:13 -0500

As I ease into my role as the new CTO at Ektron, I find myself more and more excited about the opportunity our company has in its grasp. Customer experience is a huge priority for executives and marketing teams across vertical industries, and across the globe. The strategy Ektron has put in place, and the products we’ve developed, have put us in a perfect position to help customers accomplish their goals using a content-based strategy.

The Four C’s of Content Marketing – Context

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:00 -0500

Content is the obvious foundation of a well-executed content marketing strategy. I wrote about the importance of creating the right type of content to match your customers’ expectations at each stage of their buying journey. There’s another important dimension to content marketing I’d like to explore here – context.

The Four C’s of Content Marketing – Content

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:26 -0500

Content marketing is the tactic-du-jour for saavy marketers looking to drive more leads and generate more business. In brings marketing back to its storytelling roots, a perfect compliment to the data-driven marketing tactics we’ve seen arise in marketing in the past few years.

On-the-go and just can’t attend today’s webinar about mobile

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:24 -0500

Sound familiar to you … even with powerful mobile devices and network services (i.e. laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) at your fingertips? Sometimes, we just can't stop in our tracks to access and engage meaningful content. But the businesses we trust need to ensure it's easy to choose when and where we engage with their people and brand experiences.

6 Tips For Improving Corporate Blog Content

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 01:50 -0500

A number of prognosticators have decreed that blogs are in varying degrees of death, fueled last year by Pew Research Center studies in 2010 and 2011, which suggested that young people are gravitating toward social networking; and by study from The Center for Marketing Research (UMass – Dartmouth) that suggested corporations are following suit.

Digital media’s on the rise in the APAC region

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 11:49 -0500

Here in Ektron’s APAC region, the three biggest initiatives on our plate are as follows: continuing to engage with channel partners, building out some significant new customer sites and rolling out an aggressive new training program.

Channel programs generating solid momentum

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 11:46 -0500

Ektron is looking forward to a big year in 2012 as we continue to grow our channel and alliance program. Not only have we re-aligned our strategy to reengage with digital agencies and technology partners, but we’re generating real traction in the expansion of our developer community and partner advisory board.

Rockfish Rewards moves to youearned.it

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 11:09 -0500

At the end of the first quarter last year we launched a new program at Rockfish that we called Rockfish Rewards. As our company grew I was getting frequent requests from people who wanted to recognize a co-worker with a gift-certificate to dinner or small gift for working extra hard to meet a deadline or exceed a clients expectations. I liked the idea of peer recognition and wanted to create a more formal and exciting way for Rockfish to manage this, thus the beginning of Rockfish Rewards.

Incorporating Social Collaboration Into Your Content Strategy

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 10:56 -0500

A secret to success in today’s communications arena is not just the actual production of content, but incorporating the voices of our social audiences into the content mix by building social collaboration into the content approach.

Is CMS getting easier or harder?

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 10:47 -0500

We’re in an unprecedented era of digital marketing innovation from the tools we use to way customers interact with brands online. Content Management Systems have emerged as one of the core building blocks of this revolution.

Getting Started with Social Media Contests on Facebook and Twitter

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 10:37 -0500

On the heals of the Super Bowl, lots of organizations are looking at running their own social media contests, such as the various types of promotions, sweepstakes and offers brands can run on Facebook and Twitter.

Ektron 8.5 Implementation – Apex Hotels (UK)

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 10:06 -0500

In November last year, early on in Apex Hotels redesign project, Ektron released their final release candidate of 8.5 which marks a step change in their CMS platform. Originally we had planned to develop the Apex site on Ektron 8.0.2. This presented us with a decision, whether or not to move the project to the new version in order to take advantage of the latest features.

Innovation - A must have! Don't know how.

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 09:52 -0500

Innovation – “The introduction of something new” ; “A new idea, method or device”… These are traditional and simple definitions of innovation. In business world, innovation is not that simple. Companies work hard to make their employees think differently; to think outside the box; to be innovative.

5 Reasons to Join the Web Revolution Known as HTML5

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 09:27 -0500

In the dynamic landscape of the Web, the only constant is change. Trying to keep up with the changes is a full-time job, but there are some aspects of the Web that are going to be with us for a long time, and right now that is HTML5. Why? Because HTML5 is changing the way we build the Web as well as how we interact with it. In order to help you to leave your father’s Internet behind, here are five reasons why you should join the Web revolution known as HTML5.

New Ways to Really Know and Serve Your Customers

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 09:32 -0500

Let's start focusing on our customers. A lot of times we as marketers tend to concentrate solely on the prospect. But creating highly satisfied customers will often give you repeat business (greater sales) and customer advocacy, which will then transfer to new prospects.

Content Management System free your IT resources

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 12:08 -0500

The world is constantly changing. As a result, IT professionals are being asked to make changes at the speed of light.

The Evolution of the Net Promoter Score: The Advocate Mobilization Score

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 11:44 -0500

I am a big fan of the Net Promoter Score. In my view it is one of the most important business metrics discoveries of the past 100 years, in the same league as Dupont Analysis, Discounted Cash Flow, and Economic Value Added, It has tremendous predictive ability as to the future growth and profit of an enterprise, and yet is relatively easy to source and analyze. NPS works because it measures the volume of delighted and angry customers, and these customers have a powerful influence on new customer acquisition and the costs of this acquisition – for many companies, the most important cost that they have to manage.

Managing your Multilingual Website with Ektron 8.5 CMS

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 11:01 -0500

GPI has long been a partner with Ektron, and Ektron is one of the most popular CMS choices to drive scalable, multilingual websites that must be deployed on a global basis. This blog covers some of the exciting new features in Ektron 8.5.

Relevant content: The most powerful weapon you never knew you had

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 10:00 -0500

“I don’t have time for this”, I thought. My day was already seriously overloaded and by 10 am, relief was nowhere in sight. I quickly scanned my Google reader, skimming over a long list of blogs content. The clock was ticking. I had little time to find something that would create a spark for me. I knew what I was looking for, sort of. I needed some insight on an idea that I was working on and was seeking someone or something that touched on the topic that was important to me. I was stuck and needed something to break my thinking loose.

Practice Safe Publishing

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 09:36 -0500

Publishing is as easy as pushing a button -- quite literally. All we have to do is press a button and our content goes flying out across feeds and pages, syndicated seven ways to Sunday.

The Evolution of Email – Similar to the Evolution of WCM

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 09:18 -0500

Just as your website is the first place customers look when they want to learn more about your company's products and services, email is the first place they expect you to send them updates and/or promotions about those products and services.

3 Unique Views on Customer Experience Management

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:37 -0500

Ektron has been hosting - and generating - a lot of great content on the subject of CXM.

Content Technology Podcast: The Truth About Content Migrations

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:30 -0500

In today's Content Technology Podcast, I speak with with Deane Barker (@gadgetopia), the Content Management Practice Directory at Blend Interactive, on a topic with which he has a lot of first hand experience: Content Migration. Deane discusses his Four Phases of Content Migration, and in the process shares "battle tested" lessons learned.

Bill Rogers on flying successfully in two worlds

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:30 -0500

Analogies are often a good way to learn from complicated topics and to share insights. And they’re memorable when you experience them first on the ground and then moments later -- thousands of feet in the air in a small but sophisticated Cessna. Watch this brief video and read the post.

Combining Dynamic Content with PageBuilder

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:50 -0500

Want to create an infinitely flexible design? PageBuilder can do that. Follow through to learn how to use Page Layouts as templates for your HTML Content.

The social media train continues to move forward, fast. Are you onboard?

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:45 -0500

When it comes to social collaboration and community, I imagine that if you have a full time job in marketing or sales, you probably aren't devoting enough time to social. I get it, time is precious… But I suggest you reconsider.

Blockbuster Content Marketing: Write A Story – Not Plot

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:16 -0500

As marketers, don’t we dream of capturing the hearts of our consumers so that they become loyal? As content marketers – our goal is to not only grab the attention of our audiences, but to engage, inform, entertain and ultimately influence them to maintain or change a behavior. As marketing storytellers we do all this with our content. We do it with the hope that our audiences become so engaged with our content that they ultimately “subscribe” to our brand – and will themselves actively share our story and build the success of our business.

Attending 1-2-1 Digital Strategy Summit in London?

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:59 -0500

Join us this week as Ektron is sponsoring and hosting meetings at the Marketing Week 1-2-1 Digital Strategy Summit. The summit is being held on Thursday, Jan. 26, at The Chancery Court Hotel, London.

Gearing up for Dx3

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:18 -0500

I’m pleased to share that Ektron is both exhibiting and sponsoring at Dx3 Canada, Canada’s only expo for the digital industry. The expo is being held Jan. 25 and 26 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

SOPA Protests – What it all means?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:51 -0500

Anyone who has turned on the TV or tried to log on to some of their favorite websites have seen the news surrounding the SOPA “blackouts” protesting two pieces of legislation– the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and in the Senate, the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

New Compass Guide from Tony White of Ars Logica on Ektron’s CXM enablement and evolution

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:08 -0500

CXM for Customer Experience Management. You hear this phrase all the time in the WCM industry (or even Web Experience, Web Engagement, Digital Experience, etc.) But what exactly is it? Tony White, CEO & Founder of Ars Logica puts it simply: "It takes Web Content Management and adds quite a few pieces to it."

Who Are You?

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:42 -0500

The New York Times recently published a profile of IBM’s Samuel J. Palmisano, who stepped down as CEO at the beginning of this year after nearly a decade of running the company. Palmisano notes in the interview that his overall guidance of IBM was in answer to four questions he formulated....

Big Data, Big Content, Big Challenges

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 05:08 -0500

Organizations have become digital hoarders, clinging to every piece of data in hopes of one day extracting some insight that yields a competitive advantage. Not even Moore’s law is sufficient to explain the current rate of data growth. The term "big data" has emerged to describe this phenomenon.

'Running the Gauntlet' will awaken your warriors for positive change and growth

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 05:07 -0500

This is a change agent toolbox for your C-suite. Jeffrey Hayzlett’s new book Running the Gauntlet, with interactive tools including social media and video guides, is clever and exactly what business, marketing and technology leaders need to invigorate their 2012 initiatives and cross-functional teams.

12 tips from 2011

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:04 -0500

Another year has closed its curtains but the story continues with more scenes to come. Thanks to hundreds of industry colleagues, friends and family members. They made it extraordinary! For this post, I looked back at key people, experiences and ideas that were influential in 2011. I can’t mention everyone due to space but know they are appreciated. And I won’t get into global issues or big predictions because many other experts are covering those topics. But I came up with 12 tips that I think will help you or someone you know in 2012.

A Little More Synergy and Other Thoughts

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 02:50 -0500

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, we’ve had an extraordinary number of requests to get the Synergy 2011 presentations online, a gratifying task as it shows that the content from our engineering and marketing teams really resonated with the Ektron community.

Your Questions Answered - '3-Tier or 2-Tier'

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 09:59 -0500

With the v8.5 release of Ektron comes the ability to develop and deploy a website using a 3-tier architecture, comprised of a front-end for presentation logic, middle-tier for business logic, and a data-tier for data persistence. One of the most common 3-tier related questions I'm asked is, should I use a 3-tier architecture or a 2-tier architecture for my project? This blog post provides a few guiding questions to help you work through that question for your project.

Is continuous innovation a killer app for today's web teams?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:15 -0500

Change is most certainly in the air. Put another way, change is constant and the best companies in the world choose to embrace change to grow, serve customers and gain competitive advantage. Recently, I talked with Salim Hemdani, group vice president of experiences and platform at Razorfish, after his Ektron Developer Meetup presentation in San Francisco. This brief video of our conversation...

And What Synergy There Was

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:04 -0500

We’re back from fabulous Las Vegas and our 5th annual customer and partner conference, Synergy 2011 and, in a word, I thought it was fantastic. From the Tweets, blog posts, emails and in-person conversations with many of the 390+ people who attended, I think most of you would agree with my opinion....

Six blind men and Rice University’s Jeff Frey tells all at Synergy

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:14 -0500

Jeff Frey, an IT/operations director at Rice University, is a Web leader and vivid storyteller who presented last week at Synergy 2011 in Las Vegas. Learn more about his team's Web results and best practices for six different groups.

Synergy 2011 Live from Bellagio

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 11:11 -0500

The 2011 Synergy conference in Las Vegas kicked off with a splash Sunday evening as most of our 400+ attendees participated in the welcome reception in the Tower Ballroom. Breakfast and registration start this morning at 8:00 AM. Stay tuned for more updates and access this year's conference information via a mobile format for your phone or tablet at synergy.ektron.com.

We've Been Everywhere, Man!

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:27 -0500

Ektron Developer Meetups are informal events that happen in restaurants, pubs, cafes worldwide, where Ektron developers from various organizations (interactive agencies, higher education, and the like) come together to network, learn from one another, see what's new, and take a moment to sharpen up the saws.

People, innovation and urgency are top of mind in Orlando at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:50 -0500

After a few days of Gartner Symposium/ITxpo conversations, keynotes and sessions – my top three leadership and execution takeaways are: People, not information technology, will always be the real enablers of customer and business success Innovation is the means for cross-functional teams to focus on what really matters to current and future customers and partners Urgency is both a call to action and competitive advantage

Creative destruction encouraged at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011 in Orlando

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:46 -0500

Members of the Ektron team are attending #GartnerSym this week in Orlando (booth 1112) and we’re talking with business and IT colleagues about their web content management and digital marketing needs, strategies, etc. At Ektron, we’re all about helping customers, partners and developers to connect content to revenue, growth, and value creation.

Ektron continues on a roll as we roll into Fall

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 10:40 -0500

I was thinking I could almost do the same headline for my October blog post as I did for September as I sat down to write this. Even though the Dog Days of Summer have passed and we’re expecting the first frost of the season tomorrow in New Hampshire, Ektron continues on a roll as we roll into Fall.

Dive Deep into v8.5 - What's New in 8.5 - Webinar Series

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:06 -0500

For the past two months, I've been focusing our technical webinars, podcasts, and blog posts on all the shiny new things available in version 8.5 to help developers understand the significance and scope of what's changed in the latest release. Here's a list of the resources available to help you get a deep understanding of the new v8.5 features of interest to developers.

Server-Side Paging with the Framework API

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:56 -0500

As a developer, I’m constantly concerned about the efficiency of my code. As a fellow-developer,you probably do too. If you don’t, well, there’s never a better time to start.

We are expanding our community efforts for Ektron customers, developers and partners

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:27 -0500

Community has been and is a big deal at Ektron! With more than 10 years of collaborating with roughly 8,000 developers via dev.ektron.com, the company is now expanding its community initiatives and resources to help Ektron staff and community members to reach, engage and empower web content management and digital marketing practitioners.

Dev Podcast Episode #4: Conversation on Enterprise Architecture

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:27 -0500

Today's episode of the Developer Conversations Podcast continues September's theme of Enterprise Architecture with a candid conversation on v8.5 and its Enterprise Readiness with Derek Barka (Chief Software Architect, Ektron) and Aniel Sud (Director of Enterprise Architecture, Ektron). In this

Cache Me If You Can

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:30 -0500

Coming up with a decent caching strategy - or worse, implementing it - can be tedious. Ektron v8.5 introduces a whole new caching philosophy. It involves you writing zero lines of code. Interested?

Dog Days of Summer? Not for Ektron!

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 09:12 -0500

The dog days of summer are usually considered a slow time for news, but Ektron has enjoyed a lot of attention from the media over the past two months.

Your Questions Answered - 8.5 Search

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:36 -0500

The recording of yesterday's 8.5 Search Webinar is now available on ektron.com. The feedback that we've gotten on it has been very positive and developers are excited about the new architecture and are eager to try the new Search Framework APIs. As I mentioned in the webinar, I like to respond to questions publically so everyone can benefit from the questions and answers. Here are the top three most frequenly asked questions I received.

Dev Podcast Episode #3: An Insider View into 8.5 Search

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 02:30 -0500

In this episode we cover the primary goals of the new search architecture, talk about design considerations of the new Search Framework APIs, and discuss what site visitors and developers expect from a site search and how that influenced its design.

3 Ways to Learn About the Framework API

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:14 -0500

The Framework API is a new API we've introduced in the 8.5 Release Candidate, which focuses on the guiding principals of Discoverability, Consistency, and Simplicity. We're very excited about our new APIs and so are many Ektron developers, which is evident based on very positive feedback we've received on it so far.

HTML Form to Smart Form

Thu, 4 Aug 2011 04:52 -0500

From HTML Form to Smart Form - creating content based on user submissions to CMS Forms.

Ektron 8.5 – Enterprise Ready

Mon, 1 Aug 2011 05:17 -0500

As you might have noticed if you were standing anywhere near a Twitter feed the week of July 25th, we’ve issued the Release Candidate of Ektron 8.5, a release that’s drawn a significant amount of interest from Ektron partners and customers as well as from the media. Speaking of the media, the most in-depth review I’ve read on 8.5 to date is under Barb Mosher’s byline in the July 26th edition of CMSWire, an article titled “Ektron 8.5 Enterprise Ready: New Architecture, Search and a Refined Interface,” which I commend to your attention as an solid overview of what Ektron is offering in our 8.5 release.

Developer Conversations - Episode Two: Ektron + Windows Azure

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:29 -0500

In this month’s podcast, I took the opportunity to speak to three members of the Microsoft Azure team to talk to them about the various services provided by Microsoft’s vast cloud computing platform.

Connecting to the Ektron Developer Community

Wed, 6 Jul 2011 05:07 -0500

As you’ll be seeing over the next several weeks, Ektron is putting a renewed focus on developing (pun intended) even more of an interactive conversation with our developer community. To give you both a channel to hear directly from Ektron and to better support your work for your clients, we are launching or expanding several communication initiatives targeted directly to developers, led by someone who the Ektron developer community knows well, our chief evangelist, Bill Cava...

7 Tips to Being a Highly Successful Cms Developer

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:05 -0500

Making the transition from an average web developer to a successful CMS developer is about expanding your focus from just writing and optimizing code to developing a wider set of skills that will contribute to the ultimate success of your website. Here are a list of things to consider to help you develop your CMS skills.

New Podcast Series: Ektron Developer Conversations

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:56 -0500

Enter a new podcast series I’m launching today called Ektron Developer Conversations. The purpose of this podcast series is to capture interesting conversations with members of the internal Ektron Engineering team and developers from the Ektron community at large, with a new episode available each month.

Top 5 Widgets to Use on Your Website

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 04:34 -0500

The Ektron Exchange is the place for you to share your work as well as download widgets for use in PageBuilder. Here are 5 widgets freely available for you to download and use on your website now.

Wild Widget Wrappers: Centralizing Widget Properties and Logic

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 02:58 -0500

This post covers an approach to centralizing widget properties and logic so that either or both are available to each instance of a widget.

Lessons the Mobile Revolution Can Teach Us

Wed, 8 Jun 2011 02:23 -0500

Gartner made a prediction last year that by 2013 cell phones will be the most common device used for browsing the web. I think that may happen even faster than 2013, perhaps as early as the end of this year. When you look at the growth in browser-equipped phones and tablet devices, we are clearly headed towards a world where mobile will eclipse the traditional desktop web browser. One of the things that I find interesting is that the Mobile Revolution is teaching us –sometimes reminding us – of valuable lessons that can be applied to the Web itself.

The Next Evolution of Marketing

Tue, 7 Jun 2011 09:18 -0500

I handed in my last book report two years ago at The George Washington University in the class Change and Organizations. The Fifth Discipline was the reading. “Yes, last book report in my life!” I thought to myself. Wrong. Instead, my boss Tom Wentworth decides to further my education by assigning me The Next Evolution of Marketing: Connect with Your Customers by Marketing with Meaning. “And you thought book reports were only for college,” he said with a grin.

Introducing the new Brightcove widget for Ektron

Wed, 1 Jun 2011 04:40 -0500

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at Brightcove's inaugural user conference called Brightcove Play. I presented a session on integrating Brightcove with content management systems alongside Sara Radkiewicz, a Product Manager at Brightcove. Prior to our session, I caught up with Sarah to talk a bit about how Ektron and Brightcove partnered to develop this integration.

5 Webinars Every Ektron Developer Needs to Watch

Wed, 18 May 2011 02:05 -0500

I host a new technical webinar every last Thursday of the month and since we record these webinars, there is a tremendous amount of information available there. Here are 5 webinars every Ektron developer needs to watch

Where Do You Stand in the Ektron Maturity Model?

Wed, 11 May 2011 12:10 -0500

The web has evolved. Customer expectations have changed. New channels like mobile and social media have emerged. Yet for some companies, Ektron is still being used as a simple web publishing tool when it could be so much more. Ektron isn’t just a content management system; it’s the core of a highly effective multichannel customer experience strategy.

Guest Blogger-Cameron Jordan: No More XSLT?!

Tue, 10 May 2011 03:55 -0500

Okay, so I’ll admit… maybe that post title is somewhat wishful thinking on my part. With Ektron’s move to the Framework API in v8.5 and new development strategies like the use of custom content types, we do seem much closer to being able to remove XSLT from our Ektron development toolbox. Less code to write and manage is always better - I can personally attest to this as the manager of a large higher ed site having limited developer resources. Most of you know from experience that having to write XSLT in no way, shape or form results in writing less code.

Think mobile first, not mobile friendly

Mon, 2 May 2011 03:03 -0500

2001 was the year of mobile. Then it was 2002. Then 2003. And then 2004. And so on. Until 2010, when the CEO finally broke down and bought an iPhone and decided to visit the corporate website. The horror! Our site doesn't work! Urgent email to the CMO: "Make our site mobile friendly!".

Fast Company Innovation Uncensored

Mon, 2 May 2011 11:38 -0500

Last Thursday, I attended Fast Company Innovation Uncensored 2011 in NYC. In summary…well…I’ll borrow from the event’s tagline…Applied Creativity, Practical Advice, and Inspiration. It was definitely inspiring. Fast Company did a great job in gathering leaders and visionaries to talk to us, the audience, about what

Web Project Methodologies - Response to ZDNet Article

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:31 -0500

An article ran on ZDNet recently related to development methodologies, published by Ektron CEO Bill Rogers. The material for the article was partially taken from Chapter 2 of the Ektron Wrox Book which stresses the importance of standardizing on a development methodology before starting the project -- whether it be agile, waterfall or something else. Unfortunately the ZDNet article ran focusing exclusively on Waterfall and failed to mention anything else, as we consider in the Ektron Wrox Book.

Your Top Ten Reasons to Sign Up for Synergy 2011 Today!

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:41 -0500

Ektron’s worldwide customer conference event Synergy 2011 is an event you don’t want to miss, and it’s time to sign up for Synergy today. Why? Here’s the Top Ten Reasons why you need to attend Synergy 2011 and why it

Guest Blogger-Chris Osterhout: An Independent Review of the Framework API

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 01:51 -0500

Chris Osterhout, guest developer blogger and long time Ektron developer, shares his experiences on Ektron's new Framework API. "With enterprise-level features ... there needs to be an equivalent enterprise-level API to match, and Ektron has created it - the Framework API."

Beyond Web Content Management to Web Customer Engagement

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:53 -0500

Ektron customer, Valassis, is one of the nation’s leading media and marketing services companies. You probably know it better through its consumer brand, RedPlum™. Redplum.com is a single web destination where consumers can find special offers, great deals, valuable product information and coupons for products and services that are local and relevant to their needs. Redplum.com is powered by Ektron, as is its sister site, Save.com. In fact, Ektron is also currently powering almost 1,000 Valassis partner sites. Valassis’ General Manager and Vice President for Digital Strategy, Brian Costello, recently participated in an Ektron webinar, “Evolving Your Web Strategy in 2011” to discuss how Valassis has refocused its digital strategy over the past few years to better engage visitors coming to Redplum.com and save.com.

Ace that Test - Web Strategy for EDU

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:34 -0500

Move over pen and paper. Ditch the eraser. Forget the notebook (unless it’s a Dell or MacBook). Colleges and universities are going online to appeal to today’s Millennials. “Is your campus wireless?” is a constant question that university tour guides receive from prospective students. Why? Let’s face it. Ever

List Grouping in XSLT 1.0

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:34 -0500

Using XSLT to group your content isn't as hard as it seems. In this post, I describe just how to do so using XSLT 1.0 and the Muenchian method. Not only that, but how to group based on multiple fields and how to change the output based on whether there are one or more items in a given group.

If You Know Ektron Like I Know Ektron 9 Great Ektron Resources

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:31 -0500

If you know Ektron (like I know Ektron, oh, oh, oh what a CMS.) Sorry, my inner Eddie Cantor took over for a moment. Where was I? ah... If you know Ektron, many of these

The Search for More Cache

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:24 -0500

In Spaceballs, just before as Lone Starr departs, the all-seeing, all-knowing Yogurt says to him “God willing, we'll all meet again in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money.” Just like Yogurt’s never-ending search for more cash (remember “Merchandising!”), most web developers are on the constant lookout for more performance. (It’s a loose tie-in, okay? Besides, I think I’m the first from Ektron to mention Spaceballs in a blog post, so cut me some slack.) If you have a slow-performing server, if pages aren’t loading as quickly as you like, caching may be an integral part of the solution. But before you dive in, you should observe your server and figure out where the problem lies.

IE9 vs Chrome: Performance, a New Browser War

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:16 -0500

Browser wars are not a new thing. If you remember at least Netscape Navigator 4, you've been around long enough to remember how the first browser war between Netscape and IE played out. Netscape thought it could win the war

4 Reasons to Move Beyond Your Legacy Web CMS

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:55 -0500

The web has evolved. Customer expectations have changed. New channels like mobile and social media have emerged. Video is becoming the most important content type for engagement. Yet for many companies, Web CMS remains a simple web publishing tool when it could be so much more.

Ektron eCommerce, PCI Compliance and You

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:04 -0500

If you’ve been affected by one of the data breaches of payment card information in the past few years, you’re not alone. As I write this blog post, almost 3 million records have already been compromised in 2011 from over 100 known data breaches, according to PrivacyRights.org.

How to manage Facebook Pages using your CMS

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:11 -0500

Facebook recently launched a major redesign and expansion of its Pages functionality. One significant improvement is the shift from Facebook Markup Langauge (FBML) to using as a development tool for custom tabs. This means you can now use your Web CMS to manage content inside of a Facebook Page

Adapt or Die. Welcome to the Adaptive Web

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 09:34 -0500

You have seven seconds to engage a visitor before they leave your site. Or maybe it’s ten seconds. Or three. Whatever the exact number is for your site, you’ve got a finite amount of time to engage a visitor before they’re gone. Content is the cornerstone of visitor engagement on the corporate website. It entertains, educates, and sometimes even inspires your customers.

We tested, failed, and analyzed. Why Multivariate Testing is like High School Chem.

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:34 -0500

We tested, failed, and analyzed. Why Multivariate Testing is like High School Chem.

An interview with the authors of the Ektron Developer's Guide

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:01 -0500

Ektron has just released the first comprehensive guide covering the Ektron CMS400.NET web content management platform, the “Ektron Developer's Guide Building an Ektron Powered Website” from Wiley Publishing.

4 ways to improve your web marketing agility

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:48 -0500

How would you characterize your marketing campaign execution? Nimble or clumsy? Quick or stiff? If the later, you're not alone. Many marketers are hamstrung by legacy tools and processes that limit marketing agility. While there is no quick fix, here are four suggestions for improving the marketing agility of your marketing organization.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:28 -0500

“I shop, because when I shop the world gets better, the world is better, and then it’s not anymore and I need to do it again.” – Rebecca Bloomwood

Quick, Who’s Better, Brady or Manning?

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:33 -0500

Twenty years ago if you were watching the NFL playoffs you might heard that question in a sports lounge or during some good-natured banter with your buddies while munching nachos in your living room. The conversation would have pretty much stayed in that small circle and probably have faded away by Tuesday. But today, more than newspaper columnists have a forum to share their two cents with the world and see their opinions discussed, dissected, and denounced. Between the blogosphere, personal websites and Twitter, opinions abound on the Web. Here’s another question for you: “How old is Tom Brady?” Twenty years ago if you wanted to know how old Tom Brady was, you would have needed to track down the dead tree version of the New England Patriots Media Guide or look in The World Almanac. (if you’re too young to know what The World Almanac is, see Wikipedia). Today , you’ll make a simple web search and have the answer in less time than it takes Brady to run a play.*

Like Vodka? Mmm…I do.

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 03:21 -0500

I don’t really like beer. Or wine. Unless it’s a delicious dessert wine like Sauternes. But nothing beats an Absolut Dirty Martini straight-up with three olives. Yummm. Is it happy hour yet? When was I introduced to vodka? When I was 13 (yikes, that was 10 years ago!) my mom and I went to New York City and I saw

Web Engagement Matters

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:50 -0500

Recently, I watched a YouTube video from a former colleague Dave Rudolph called Marketing Matters. It's a brilliant video, covering the topic of sales and marketing alignment. What makes the video so amazing is that Dave produced it in the style of Lost Generation, one of the most remarkable videos on YouTube. Lost Generation is a poem written by Jonathan Reed. When read forward, the poem is pessimistic portrayal of the current generation.

Your Web Site as a 24 by 7 Help Desk

Wed, 5 Jan 2011 04:26 -0500

Provide the support they need when they want it Remember the days when we used to go to the bank, speak to a teller, give them our account slip, and write checks? Well now we have online banking. Makes life a whole lot easier. That’s enhancing customer service. Organizations like to think of ways of how to enable customer self service so they can do things for themselves, make customer support available 24/7, and provide communication and collaboration platform that’s readily available between companies and partners.

History of Social Media

Tue, 4 Jan 2011 10:03 -0500

Forget predictions. And New Year’s resolutions. Let’s talk history. 1941: First computer 1989: Sir Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web 1999: LiveJournal 2001: Wikipedia – ever wikipedia “wikipedia”? “wiki” means quick, “pedia” from encyclopedia 2003: MySpace – now the music social network; LinkedIn

2010 Ektron Case Studies in Review

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:40 -0500

"Always scribble, scribble, scribble, eh, Mr. Bals?" I occasionally get asked exactly what I do at Ektron (often by my management, as in "Fred, exactly what are you doing here?"). I use the generic catch all title, "writer"

Reflections on the past, plans for the future

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:27 -0500

The holidays are my favorite time of year. It's fun to spend time with family and friends, reflecting on the past and planning for the future. I've been thinking a lot about my career in computer software. I graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in computer science back in 1994. I was a pretty average programmer compared to most of my peers, and I remember being terrified about my career prospects. I'd loved computers since playing a game called Lemonade Stand on an Atari 400 in 5th grade, but college proved to me that I wasn't cutout to be a programmer so I needed to find something else to do, and fast. I put together my resume, and prepared to take on the world.

Ektron and SLATES and Creating an Enterprise Platform

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:19 -0500

I'm working on a new Ektron enterprise customer case study, and, in the course of my research, came across the SLATES paradigm as originally proposed by Andrew McAfee, he of Harvard Business School and he who also coined

10 Predictions for Web CMS in 2011

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:37 -0500

It’s that time of the year when analysts, pundits, and vendors announce their bold predictions for the upcoming year. 2010 was a banner year for Web CMS, as companies realized the benefit of integrating Web CMS into critical business processes

Social Commerce

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 03:05 -0500

Getting ready for the holiday season? It’s that time of year. Some of us have finished our holiday shopping…others, well they have a few more days. Was anyone daring enough to go to the mall? Most people have decided to turn to the web to avoid the crowds. But that’s not the only reason why…

How Christmas Trees Influence Websites

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:04 -0500

As I do consulting work for our clients, I often hear stories of good intentions gone awry. What was going to be a great web experience devolved into a design free form that met the whimsy of well meaning, but design challenged staff.

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:19 -0500

Do you remember watching that show…or do you remember your kids watching that show? Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? was a TV game show to teach kids geography. You may be asking the same thing about your site visitors. Where are they coming from?

Lead generation and the Glengarry leads

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:41 -0500

Watching Glengarry Glen Ross is a right of passage for sales and marketing professionals. In one of the greatest performances of all time, Alec Baldwin attacks a group of real estate salespeople for their inability to sell.

Virtual Synergy

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:33 -0500

Ektron hosts an annual customer and partner event Synergy which this year was at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal in Orlando in early November

Developer Meet-ups: Sharpening Your Saw While Drinking

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 12:11 -0500

Ektron's Developer Meet-ups are held in a relaxed environment for technical folks to come together over food and drinks, meet, have interesting conversations, and learn from one another. We've upcoming Developer Meet-ups scheduled for Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, London, and Sydney.

Power of Connections

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 12:41 -0500

I was recently re-reading How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn by Eric Butow & Kathleen Taylor. The book emphasizes the power of your network and establishing the right connections; the power of connections does not just apply to people, but also to applications.

Mobile Me and Mobile You

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 01:39 -0500

It's a Mobile Me and Mobile You world, and smart businesses are acknowledging the fact.

Join the Audience - Video, Social and Metrics

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 12:45 -0500

Imagine being in the audience of your favorite show. You cheer, you laugh, and you’re there right with the crowd. You hear people’s remarks and exchange a friendly comment to the person next to you. You wish you could go to another live showing. Now you can. “What did you think of that episode?” “Did y

Improve your Situational Awareness: the Ektron Plug-in for Seesmic Desktop 2

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 11:28 -0500

Google's CEO Eric Schmidt recently said that every two days we create as much information as we did from the beginning of civilization to 2003. With the masses of new information created each day, the work place grows more complex.

Mobile and Lead Generation

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:23 -0500

Last week over 300 hundred members of the Ektron community attended Synergy 2010. It was great to hear from all of you about the challenges you are looking to Ektron to help you address. Two points in my opening remarks , were confirmed throughout the conference: 1) The mobile web is (finally) here and 2) The on

Kickin it old school with forms-based authoring

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 05:07 -0500

Over the last week, I've been working on creating content for the new ektron.com site. We'll be launching it shortly, but that's not the post of this post. I wanted to blog a bit about forms-based content authoring. Forms-based authoring is the "old school" of Web Content Management. It's still the bread+butter of any WCM implementation however, it doesn't get much love these days as the focus continues to shift to site visitor engagement and web experiences.

email campaigns waste of money?

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 04:54 -0500

What happens when your company sends out an email campaign? Many people open their emails on their mobile device…especially the average corporate decision maker. What did your prospect do with that email campaign they just opened on their mobile device? If it is not mobile-friendly, they Delete it. Are your e-mail marketing campaigns mobile-friendly?

When developing a mobile web strategy start with business goals

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:46 -0500

After nearly a decade of missed predictions, it's finally happened. 2010 is "the year of the mobile web". Over 54,000,000 people in the US own a smartphone, with RIM, Apple, and Google (Android) owning nearly 80% of the market. Gartner predicts that by 2013 , mobile phones will overtake desktops as the mos

The Ektron Developer Roll-up: Toronto Meet-up, ASP.NET Vulnerability

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:01 -0500

This week I met up with over a dozen Canadian Ektron developers at the Toronto developer meet-up. Developers were present from Chapters Indigo (for U.S. folks, think "the Barnes and Nobel of Canada"), Pink Elephant, and many others from great organizations doing really interesting work.

The Future of Web Content Management

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:40 -0500

Bob Dylan wrote Times They Are a Changin’ in 1963, and would later recall writing the song as “an anthem of change for the moment.” The sixties were a decade of social, political, and personal change, and Dylan’s music helped inspire change for a generation. Listening to the song now, I can’t help but think about the change I’ve seen in web content management (WCM).

Putting web analytics to work with Ektron and Google Analytics

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:03 -0500

Analytics is one of the hot topics in the Web Content Management industry. The combination of Web Content Management and analytics gives Marketers the agility to make real time, data driven decisions on the best experience to deliver to each website visitor.

Ektron Developer Roll-Up: Developer Happiness, Synergy 2010

Fri, 8 Oct 2010 01:04 -0500

Recently I was in Toronto and attended the Ektron Developer meet-up with David Fung. As I mentioned in a previous post it was great to meet other developers and roll over all aspects of our industry. We had great discussions, some that I am still reflecting on. It is important for developers to meet-up, whether in the virtual or physical sense of the word, and exchange stories, best practices and touch on the future.

Reflections on my first year at Ektron

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 10:56 -0500

This week I celebrated my one year anniversary at Ektron. I joined Ektron in October 2009 because I believed that Ektron had a great opportunity to be one of the vendors that shapes the future of web content management.

The Ektron Developer Roll-up: Ektron Exchange, SQL Server 2008 SP2 Released

Fri, 1 Oct 2010 11:29 -0500

Earlier this year we launched the Ektron Exchange year to provide a site for developers to find and share code created by Ektron and the Developer Community. Code on the exchange can be uploaded by both Ektron developers as well as any individual, and is available for you to take and use in your web projects now. Over the past month there have been a number of uploads from the community, including a Stock Ticker and Rating Controls.

Turning Likes into Loyalty

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 05:16 -0500

Kunar Patel at Advertising Age recently published an article on How Your Likes Are Turning Facebook Into the 'Loyalty Card of the Internet'. The articles talks about how companies and brands are starting to tap into Facebook

The Mobile Web is Here

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 11:28 -0500

There is a huge opportunity for the companies who get mobile right to separate themselves from their competitors on the Web. According to Gartner Inc., by 2013 mobile phones will be the most common device used to access the Web. Mobile traffic increased thirty-two percent during 2010. Approximately eighty-nine million people in the United States have accessed the mobile Web in the past year and fifty-three percent of these people access the Internet from their phone daily.

What ECM teaches us about the future of Web content management

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 08:21 -0500

In my role at Ektron, I’m privileged to be able to set aside part of my day to think about the future of the industry I’ve spent the last 10 years living and breathing. In the last year, we’ve seen some significant changes in the web content management space including Autonomy’s acquisition of Interwoven, Adobe’s pending acquisition of Day Software, and a strategic investment in Fatwire by EMC.

For a persuasive web experience, think like a grocer

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:49 -0500

The grocery store shopping experience has been careful engineered since the 1930s. Grocers use a number of techniques to convince shoppers to purchase more during each visit. Decades of analysis on shopping behavior have resulted in a grocery store experience where statistically, customers spend 40% more than they had planned on spending before walking into the store.

Web Experience – What Does it Mean to You? Or What Should it Mean to You?

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:32 -0500

Businesses now are expected to deliver personal web experiences to their site visitors.

Your Mobile Expression

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:40 -0500

Mobile Website Considerations All websites and portals should be a natural online expression of your business strategy, taking into consideration the two major audiences who determine a website’s end result—consumers and stakeholders (sponsors). Mobile sites are no different in that

Consumer Experience, Your Online Brand Promise

Mon, 9 Aug 2010 05:28 -0500

What is a “Brand Promise?” Some say it is what you determine it to be, formed it into a tag line. If that is the case, then… The Maxwell House brand promise would be “Good to the last drop,” and the last drop should be good . The US Army says “Be all that you can be,” so I should be empowered to rea

Wow! You can do ALL that?!

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:42 -0500

Have you seen Staples’ “Wow! That’s a low price!” commercial on TV? Well if you haven’t, check it out . Yes, I know, it’s a bit…well…annoying. But it gets the point across. The guy is looking at different products and pulls them off the shelf and says about each one, “Wow! That’s a low price!” Guess what? We ge

Healthcare Interactive Strategy, Practice & Philosophy

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 11:32 -0500

Description Here

NET voted best overall framework by developers

Thu, 27 May 2010 03:29 -0500

CMSWire recently reported that Microsoft’s .NET framework was voted the best overall framework by developers, according to a recent User’s Choice Survey on Frameworks by Evans Data Corporation. When we first decided to commit to .NET, we were confident that

4 Ways to Get Support From Ektron

Thu, 6 May 2010 05:40 -0500

When you find yourself in need of more support than that available through the online community on Twitter or the DevCenter, it is good to remember that Ektron offers full technical support to all customers with an active maintenance agreement. Ektron’s US Technical Support hours are Monday through Friday from 8am EST to 8pm EST and there are four ways to access these services. Each method has its own level of support and keeping this in mind can save you time and help to avoid frustration in situations where a quick response is critical

Targeting Content To Your Audience

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 02:52 -0500

Targeting Content To Your Audience

2010 Local User Group (LUG) Meetings

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 01:13 -0500

Dear Reader, As a company, Ektron is dedicated to the idea of community. From the development of the software platform and its functionality to the benefits that an active community provides, we are committed to building relationships that benefit both

eCommerce and Social Media

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:46 -0500

The impact of the Social Web on sales and marketing is undeniable. Social media marketing has rapidly become one of the most powerful ways to build brands, grow customer bases and drive those potential customers to e commerce Web sites.

Synergy 2009 Success

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:01 -0500

Synergy 2009 wrapped up only a few weeks ago and it was a huge success I had a great time, and I was excited to be able to meet so many members of the growing Ektron community. This conference has

Version 8 Enhancements

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:44 -0500

Last month, I wrote about our new model for analytics and how we were integrating it into Ektron CMS400.NET. That model for analyzing and tracking site traffic will be rolled out with version 8.0 in just a few weeks, along

Best-of-breed analytics in CMS400.NET

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:14 -0500

As a marketing tool, your Web site can evolve as your message changes and it offers unique opportunities to optimize your presence in response to not only market conditions but also to activity on your site. Best of breed traffic

August CEO Notes

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:07 -0500

The popularity of sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Digg is undeniable. The influence of social media on how the Web is being used and how communication is taking place is extremely powerful. There is a real opportunity for

July CEO Notes

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 05:28 -0500

Dear Reader, Last month, I talked a bit about the Widgets that developers build for use with our PageBuilder technology. I touched on how these open architecture pieces of functionality can be dragged and dropped onto a page by