toujou and T3CON

It's been already 5 years, but we just get started

The TYPO3 Conference 2023 held in mid-October, was undeniably the highlight of the year for the TYPO3 community. The pinnacle of the event? For many, it was undoubtedly the celebration of the TYPO3 Awards on the evening of the first day. However, the many exciting discussions, both on and off the stage, also demonstrated that TYPO3 is thriving and evolving, even after 25 years of existence!

As vibrant as ever and continuously evolving—these two characteristics also apply to toujou, even five years after its proof of concept at the former T3CON.

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toujou at the T3CON 2018-2023

2018: Launch of the TYPO3 website builder

With the launch of the first TYPO3 website builder of its kind and a healthy mix of great anticipation and a small dose of uncertainty in our luggage, we introduced our software-as-a-service called "toujou" to the TYPO3 community at T3CON in Berlin in 2018 after two years of conception and implementation work. The overarching goal then, as it is now, was to ensure that websites solve problems. Technology should not be an obstacle but rather a vehicle.

The concrete approach: toujou as a technologically sustainable and affordable open-source alternative that allows enough flexibility in the budget for optional content, such as design and content. After all, our favorite CMS also offers many advantages for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to create their own company websites, and they shouldn't have to go without them. This was easier said than done. The technically stable and secure website environment is taken care of with toujou which includes TYPO3 upgrades and updates in the monthly fixed price.

One takeaway from T3CON that remained with us in the following years was the question: Is TYPO3 even competitive for small website budgets? How can projects with toujou be realized? Is there a market for it? Some of you may be familiar with these questions regarding TYPO3, especially when it comes to whether this CMS is still in use at all.

2019: Still there?

The answer is undoubtedly YES!

So, we were eagerly anticipating our trip to The Hague in 2019 for the TYPO3 Conference. There, Daniel Fau provided insights into a year of toujou, both on stage and in an interview (german), where he reiterated his vision for TYPO3 to be a viable and affordable option for SME websites.

toujou is much more than a TYPO3 maintenance service. It seamlessly combines the best of both the TYPO3 CMS and website builders, making it a versatile solution for various use cases. It's not just a template; it offers a cost-effective option for a wide range of projects, catering not only to creative, advertising, and PR agencies but also to TYPO3 agencies. This approach allows website projects to be implemented within a tight budget using TYPO3.

Following the product launch, we made several adjustments in the subsequent months to better cater to various needs. This ongoing process is something we are always eager to undertake alongside our partners and the TYPO3 community. The concept of a technically secure website at a fixed price, offering all the advantages of a content management system while providing an accessible entry into editing TYPO3 websites, has proven successful. This approach has been embraced by companies like NIK, Heisab and Reisen mit Sinnen, as well as by our partners who worked with toujou in 2019.

2023: Still there, yep!

After being in the market for now five years, we can say that toujou has firmly established its presence in the community. We've garnered numerous interested parties who have become satisfied customers. Simultaneously, we've been instrumental in helping more agencies expand their reach to new target audiences for TYPO3 website projects through toujou.

Since 2018, we've successfully set up over 1000 TYPO3 installations, boasting a customer base in the mid-triple digits, who we take pride in offering personalized service, with 30 percent of our installations being demanded by agencies. (Learn more about toujou for agencies).

Over the past few years, we've diligently developed various themes, introduced numerous features and elements, and expanded our partner network, which now includes renowned TYPO3 agencies like dkd and Tritum, hosting providers such as jweiland and punkt.de, as well as numerous creative and PR agencies.

The services provided by toujou at a glance:

• Diverse themes as design templates to simplify website design.
• toujou setup allowing customization of colors, fonts, cookies, and tracking services according to individual requirements.
• Over 150 content elements that facilitate content creation.
• Numerous TYPO3 extensions are directly implemented as features, including events, multisite, multilingualism, a blog, system integrations (also from third-party providers), and more.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the toujou journey will end in 2023; quite the opposite. We will continue to work on all these aspects that constitute toujou in collaboration with our partners. We consider it our responsibility to have met familiar and new faces at T3CON, which was revived after a four-year hiatus, as well as at the various TYPO3 camps, and to incorporate their input into the further development of toujou in the best interests of our customers. It's a commitment that we are delighted to fulfill.

What will we be reporting from the TYPO3 Conference 2024 in a year's time? That's still uncertain, of course. But until then, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that many more websites go live, both with our existing and new partners, because every toujou website is also a TYPO3 website, and we believe the world needs more TYPO3.

Try toujou at your own pace

If you missed the TYPO3 Conference in Düsseldorf and haven't heard of toujou yet, now is your chance to test our SaaS yourself and discover – and appreciate – the numerous advantages of toujou with a free and non-binding demo! Whether you're from a (TYPO3) agency, a company, or you're a freelancer, toujou is designed for everyone!

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