Layer Microservice Apps Using a CMS API

For the last several years, I’ve served on the Board of Directors for the of the Starting in Membership, I got a taste for how organizations of scale use digitally duct-taped technology stacks to patch themselves through. I’ll spare you the case study examples of what can go wrong in not-for-profit and all-volunteer scenarios, but suffice it to say that list segmentation, user engagement classes and lead generation capture are among the top three struggles. Organizations can benefit from this case study on how to integrate microservice applications into an existing stack using a Dallas / Fort Worth Chapter American Marketing Association. CMS API. Using a is a great solution for layering for many reasons: Your data / content is available via API endpoint, meaning you can set up your own custom domains to reflect your organization or you have the ability to link content through the Navigation present on your existing application. Think of the microservice app as a pop-up store made available via API endpoint — set it up when you’re ready to conduct business, slap a custom domain on it and cash in. When you’re done, set the bucket of content to “Draft” or simply Delete your bucket and spin up a new bucket for a new ‘layering project’. CMS API Today I will be showing you how I built a simple landing page as a “seasonal promotion” to not only serve as stepping stone to other digital properties, but also to capture email addresses as interested leads to be contacted for sponsorship opportunities. The that I will be using is a content-ready web application from . It features beautiful full page rotating background images, social links and an email capture field. You can get your landing page set up and capturing leads in just a few minutes. email capture landing page Cosmic JS I used for this example app. Cosmic JS is an that makes managing and building websites and applications faster and more intuitive. By decoupling content from code, Cosmic JS empowers developer flexibility while ensuring content editors can plan and deploy content as it best suits them. We’ll be using Cosmic JS to install our example app, deploy and make content updates moving forward from the . Cosmic JS API-first CMS cloud-based Content Management Platform If you haven’t already, get started by for . I was able to build my lead generating landing page simply by installing the Application from the App Page below. Signing Up Cosmic JS Email Capture App Page Email Capture App Demo Email Capture App Codebase on GitHub **Follow these simple four steps to get your landing page set up:**1. Create a New Bucket2. Install the Email Capture Landing Page Application3. Deploy to Web4. Edit Objects Typically in I am showing readers how to easily build a certain type of application in 4 steps or less, but this blog example is different. The purpose for this blog is to demonstrate that an organization whose main website uses a legacy installed content management system can still layer microservice applications in and around its main website to perform certain tasks. Below are screenshots of three webpages that all correspond to DFW AMA. my blogs The is the main website, built on WordPress and mired in plugins / security updates / crappy WISYWIG editors and the like. The is a submissions microsite set up for our annual Marketer of the Year Awards. The is the lead generating landing page (built using ) that I set up to not only capture email addresses as leads, but also serves as an attractive “bridge” to DFW AMA’s social channels, Marketer of the Year Submissions microsite as well as DFW AMA’s Calendar of Events. first second third Cosmic JS Installed Content Management System Navigate to the . DFW AMA Website Awards Gala Microsite Navigate to the . DFW AMA Submissions Microsite Lead Generating Landing Page Navigate to the . DFW AMA Lead Generating Landing Page Forgive my examples pictured above for being incohesive in terms of brand standards, but DFW AMA is currently undergoing a rebrand since AMA’s Global Support Center rolled out new brand standards guidelines at its Summit in 2016. The point being made is that all three web applications pictured above have different URLs, look different and perform different functions, all while being integrated to the same MailChimp lead generation account. Layering in microservice web applications makes more sense when the backends all correspond to the main database(s) for data mining, extraction and follow up. Utilizing a like is a great way to have utter control over an application while still weaving it into the larger technology stack for an organization. CMS API Cosmic JS It’s as easy as signing up, creating a new bucket, installing your web application, editing objects and deploying. I get a confirmation email to access my web application and also see my options for like . bucket upgrades custom domains, one-click SSL, webhooks and localization is an API-first cloud-based content management platform that makes it easy to manage applications and content. If you have questions about the Cosmic JS API, please reach out to the founders on or . Cosmic JS Twitter Slack Carson Gibbons is the Co-Founder & CMO of , an API-first Cloud-based that decouples content from code, allowing devs to build slick apps and websites in any programming language they want. Cosmic JS Content Management Platform