It is the case that customers have never expected more from an online business. Typically they want a fast, intuitive and smooth experience across multiple different devices and marketing channels – from browsing an app on a phone to making a purchase on a tablet. Consequently, the onus is on your business to provide your customers with a better experience.
One of the best ways to do this is to work with a CMS that puts customer engagement at the forefront. And there can be no doubt that this description applies to Sitecore. If you are considering making the switch to Sitecore there are a lot of reasons that this could be a fantastic idea – but it’s not the right choice for every company. Here we take a look at some of the reasons you might choose Sitecore, and whether it is likely to work out for you.
What is Sitecore?
If you have never come into contact with Sitecore before, it is a CMS but it also refers to itself as a ‘customer experience platform’. As with other CMSs Sitecore is primarily a system that allows your staff to manage and organise your website so it provides the best possible experience to your customers. What sets Sitecore apart is that it is designed to offer a truly bespoke and customisable system – when it is hosted, managed and developed effectively, the possibilities are almost limitless. See Wirehive for the industry leading standard in Sitecore hosting solutions.
Advantages of using Sitecore
It should first be noted that Sitecore can offer truly unparalleled levels of customisation and personalisation. In practice this gives you the opportunity to change content based on specific user groups and deliver a user experience that is unlike anything that other CMSs can provide. Additionally your CMS can enjoy the kind of functionality to make anything possible – it is perfect if you have very specific needs and a strong for how this will be achieved.
Another major benefit of working with Sitecore is that it can be very easily integrated with your existing infrastructure. Sitecore works seamlessly with existing databases and websites and tools, as well as tools, extensions and plugins created by other vendors. Additionally, once it has been developed the actual running of the website does not require any technical or programming skills – anyone can do it. This all adds up to the fact that Sitecore is very easily scalable and can be an ideal platform to have in place as your business grows.
Drawbacks of Sitecore
It requires a lot of configuration and as such it may not be ideal for your business if you want a simple system that can be managed by someone without a great deal of technical experience. It is possible for Sitecore to be entirely customised, so it is certainly the case that the CMS for the end user can be as simple as possible. However, the fact that the platform is so customisable means that if the end user finds that their needs change over time, it can mean major (and potentially expensive) developments.
Ultimately Sitecore works best when a business has a specific need for a more advanced and integrated marketing-focused platform. If your company is looking at all the options in may be that this system would not work well for you. The high cost of developing the software means that for simple systems there are many better options.
It should also be noted that Sitecore uses a ‘per user’ licencing agreement. So for some companies this can make the model prohibitively expensive.
What kind of business would benefit from Sitecore?
Ultimately, Sitecore is the kind of the platform that is always going to be best suited to a larger business. There can be no doubt that Sitecore is expensive to get started with, and it will necessitate a great deal of development. It only really mid-level and enterprise-size businesses that will see the benefit of choosing Sitecore.
Having said that, the finished product that can be gained from working with Sitecore is second to none. The level of customisation and personalisation means that users can provide visitors and customers with exceptional sites.