I recently interviewed Steve Penner, who is handling marketing operations at SmartXBlog. SmartXBlog is a desktop blog software which can be used for managing WordPress blogs directly from the application. SmartXBlog works in both Windows and in a Mac computer. Steve explains what are the features and advantages of SmartXBlog over posting in a WordPress blog from the Dashboard.
1) Please tell us more about yourself?
Steve: I have partnered up with Gorialogics who are the owners and programmers of SmartXBlog. They handle all the technical work and my role is to provide marketing. My home is Winnipeg, Canada. Previously I taught various technology courses at local colleges and currently operate several online software business’s. When Gorialogics came to me with SmartXBlog, I saw the value of the product and it’s potential. Plus, from my past dealings with Gorialogics as a client, I already knew Gorialogics has the ability to deliver a quality product and agreed to handle the marketing.
2) What is SmartXBlog?
Steve: SmartXBlog is a software application program, that runs on any PC or Mac computer, which allows you to manage and work on all your WordPress blogs easily and efficiently from one program.
3) What are the advantages of SmartXBlog over accessing the WordPress blog directly from Dashboard?
Steve: SmartXBlog is a desktop application so it has multiple advantages over working in browser-based application. It is faster and smoother than web browser blogging. You don’t have to worry about loosing your data in case internet goes down. Its appealing design and workflow allow you to do many blogging functions within the same program. For example, you can deal with images, videos, news, RSS feeds, comments, etc. So you don’t need all those third-party tools. Another brilliant advantage is its pop-up alerts for any comment your followers post. You can answer to those comments quite easily and effectively. So you are actually working in a very interactive environment.
4) How SmartXBlog can be integrated with a WordPress blog?
Steve: Integrating WordPress blog with SmartXBlog is quite easy. All you need to provide is your login id, password and blog URL. Add as many blogs you want and switch between them at any time.
5) Apart from managing a blog, what are the other features of SmartXBlog?
Steve: SmartXBlog provides you a complete set of rich tools you need for blogging. Apart from blogging, you have a built-in Image Editor where you can edit, crop, re-size, add text and shapes according to your needs before publishing to your blog. You can load images from your computer or load online images giving their URL. Moreover, find YouTube videos relating to your blog post giving any search keyword and easily insert them in your blog in one click. SmartXBlog provides you content search tool for your research while you are writing blog post. Stay tuned to latest news, articles, stories from nearly hundreds of different channels with different categories. You can add your own favorite RSS feeds and organize them with different categories. Comments pop-up alerts notify you recent comments to your post so you stay updated with your followers.
6) How does Content Search feature works in SmartXBlog?
Steve: SmartXBlog comes with hundreds of different channels organized into various categories where you can search your related news and articles. Select any category for example ‘Technology’ and related channels like ‘Techcrunch’, ‘Gizmodo’ will be loaded. So you can search latest news and stories from technology world. Moreover, if you don’t find any related channel you can add your own favorite RSS feeds at any time and organize them with adding new categories. Apart from news feed, you can search YouTube videos, play them within application and insert them anytime in your post with just one click.
7) Can SmartXBlog be accessed from smart phones and tablets?
Steve: SmartXBlog currently runs on desktop computers for PCs and Mac. However our team is working for its mobile and tablet versions that will be releasing soon. So stay tuned for future updates.
8) What are the new features in pipeline for SmartXBlog?
Steve: Our team is working to add more blogging plat forms like ‘Blogger’ and ‘Tumbler’ that will be releasing in March. Further we are working on some useful tools like ‘Google Analytics’, ‘Calendar’, ‘Sharing on social plat forms’ and ‘Statistics’. These features are in pipeline and will be available in future releases.
9) What are your long-term and short-term goals for SmartXBlog?
Steve: Blogging market is huge and there is a lot of potential in it. Our main goal is to provide a useful application for both PCs and Mac for bloggers so they would have all necessary tools and features just in one application. Although we have been quite successful to offer such features like Image Editor, video and content search, but we think we have a long way to go. Short term goals include provide more blogging platforms other than WordPress. We think there is huge community of bloggers having their blogs on ‘Blogger’ and ‘Tumbler’. Long term goals include providing SEO tools in SmartXBlog so blogger find this application more useful to get their blogs heard in the community. ‘Google Analytics’ is pretty good tool and we think it should be added in SmartXBlog in coming releases.
10) Is there anything else you wish to add?
Steve: Apart from all features and tools, we are very much focusing on its design, layout, and easy to use friendly interface, so bloggers should not get bored with conventional windows and application layouts and equally find it simple and easy to use. We encourage everyone to visit www.smartxblog.com to download a fully functioning free trial as well as watch the short introduction video which will get you up and running in less than 10 minutes.