I’m working on a web site using a content management system called CMS Made Simple. Unlike some other CMS packages I’ve used, this one is nice and straightforward. Full admin control over the layout (no having to modify obscurely hidden files), smarty tags for content, nice admin control panel that clients can understand.
My client wants to send newsletters to her customers. This CMS has an add-on newsletter module, called Newsletters Made Simple. Like hell it’s simple! I’ve spent an afternoon on the users forum trying to find out why bits of it don’t work. I discovered a lot of the functionality is wishful thinking. Such as adding html templates and sending mail in html format. Still, I can’t gripe too much since it is open source. Will be a good module if development continues on it.
In the meantime I have to find another solution for my client. We currently have phpList set up for her, it is very powerful with a lot of features (that work!) but it is not very user friendly. I don’t know if she has used it, she didn’t give me a straight answer. I know I find it awkward to use, because I installed it for another client and she always asks me to send her newsletters out!
I’m about to try another list manager called Dada Mail, written in Perl. There is a free version with links back to them, and a pro version without the links. Hmm.. I like this feature:
Visitors to your list can also browse past messages sent with Dada Mail, a complete, dated archive is available to your visitors. Every archive screen also includes a subscription form to allow your visitors to subscribe to the list right there if they like what they’ve read.
It sounds pretty good, let’s test it.