You may have visited hundreds of websites and overlooked the creation of tens of them, but you have never seen anything like Sitecore before. It is a dynamic CMS platform that offers object-based architecture. It enables us to create enterprise-level websites using the components only. Instead of designing a website by-the-page, Sitecore allows the creation of a site in lightning speed with its component-based approach. It encourages the website designers to take a holistic approach to website design.
A Sitecore component refers to a unit of data sourced content that the developer or designer can add to a Sitecore website page. If you are worried about the lack of flexibility or design freedom, don’t be. Sitecore allows the complete personalization of these page components. You can use and reuse the components across the website while making necessary changes to the singular elements. If you want to add an extra zest of personalization to a particular page, you can always take one component out and insert a contextual component on it. Sitecore allows the developer to enhance the user experience (UX) by incorporating personalized elements at each step. It enables the website to present highly personalized component to the visitors depending on their previous website engagements. Sitecore opens new windows for regular A/B testing for the website managers.
Seven aspects UX designers love about this CMS
Besides the object-based architecture of Sitecore, it comes with several attractive and essential features that help the users with website design.
- Adaptive design
Responsive websites and mobile-first websites are the niches of all Sitecore versions. The designer has complete control of the display components on the screen, and he or she can enhance the site’s adaptability to specific screen sizes (devices). With the advent of version 8.1 of Sitecore and the advancements of the existing Sitecore device detection features, it has become quite straightforward for the developers to perfect the adaptive design of their websites.
- Content focused layouts
Sitecore emphasizes the separation of the content from the presentation. Content modeling helps in determining the most appropriate hierarchy of the information on a webpage. Once the designer establishes the content hierarchy using the content modeling, he or she can use and reuse the content from its central source. It saves considerable time since the designers don’t have to redesign the same elements over and over again each time there is a change in content. When the website is up and running, you can update content without any subsequent changes to the layout design.
- Creating mobile applications
Sitecore has opened new windows of opportunity for website and mobile application development. Customers want mobile applications of everything. Whether it is an e-commerce site, a food delivery website or a fitness website, the target audience is not happy unless there is a one-tap mobile app for accessing it. Even Amazon earns more revenue from the mobile app per day than it does from the desktop websites. Whether it is BuzzFeed or The Guardian, people are using their mobile phones to browse these sites. And nothing can be easier than tapping on one icon and getting to see all the information you need at one go! Sitecore enables the developers to source and update content from your application from the CMS. It helps in the creation of apps that are compatible with iOS, Windows, and Android.
- Geo-location
Have you noticed? Amazon always asks about your location before offering specific product suggestions? So is true about other business listing and customer service websites including Zomato. Sitecore enables the site to determine the location of the user. The site can then offer highly personalized and relevant products to your target customer based on their geographic location. It might sound straightforward, but it is this intuitive nature that makes Sitecore stand out among the hundreds of other CMS platforms. It can help you improve your user experience (UX) and earn website traffic.
- A/B testing
Have you ever thought about which design elements of your website attract customers? Or, how you can improve the performance of a particular page? A/B testing can give you the idea of what works with your customers and what requires immediate change. Sitecore not only offers simple A/B testing, but it also provides multivariate testing that can enable the designer to see potential design changes and their extent of success. The testing capabilities of this CMS is flexible and adaptive. It allows the developers and marketers to run multiple tests in parallel at the same time.
- Accurate analytics
Sitecore manages to stand out from its contemporaries in different ways, one definitely being the analytics. The designers can understand the behavior of their users by following the Sitecore Analytics closely. It can measure the quality and quality of the interactions, the journey of a user, and help the marketer predict the conversion tendency of the potential customer. Path analysis is an indispensable part of the Sitecore Analytics. The designer can check out the user’s entire journey through the site and gather marketing insights from their behavior.
- Manage multiple websites
Any developer can design various experiences from a centralized set of content and data. It is now possible for any rookie designer or a seasoned developer to design multiple related websites without interrupting the design style. Identifying the user’s behavior pattern allows an experienced designer to create layouts and website elements for a highly personalized browsing experience. The high flexibility ensures that the user can modify the content for social media and a variety of other channels. Sitecore is one of the few CMS platforms that allows the creation of content across multiple channels and websites. For more information, visit getfishtank.
As rewarding as the website designing experience with Sitecore is, you might need expert help during the first phase of the designing and development work. During those times, you should check out the registered Sitecore Partners and visit the forums of Sitecore developers, who post about advanced modules and troubleshooting advice night-and-day. Sitecore has a highly active community of developers, who are always ready to help out a fellow developer in need.
