Sitecore 10.4 : Powering Digital Experiences

9 May 2024

By: Sinead Hammond

Category: Blogs

Businesses need to create personalised, engaging experiences that resonate with their audience and drive conversions. This is where a powerful Digital Experience Platform (DXP) like Sitecore 10 comes in.

Sitecore is a leading DXP that empowers marketers to deliver exceptional omnichannel experiences across all touchpoints.  It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for content management, personalisation, commerce, and analytics, allowing you to craft a unified customer journey that fosters brand loyalty and growth.

Sitecore 10.4: A New Era for Digital Experiences

Sitecore recently unveiled the much-anticipated release of Sitecore 10.4, packed with exciting features designed to elevate your digital marketing capabilities. Let’s delve into some of the key enhancements that build upon the strong foundation established in previous versions and will benefit digitally ambitious organisations:

1. Enhanced Personalisation at Scale:

Along with the future-facing migration and integration tool updates, there are a host of new features that will help you create value straight away. Brands will now be able to personalise more effectively by targeting specific audiences with custom languages. This translates to a more relevant and engaging experience for each customer, a great addition for global companies targeting different geographical locations.

There’s also more intuitive customisation of visitor data tracking and targeting which can help marketers create personalised experiences based on behaviour, preferences, and demographics without the need for developer involvement. This builds upon the personalisation capabilities introduced in Sitecore 10.1, which provides the ability to create personalised experiences based on visitor behaviour and demographics.

This laser focus on the right audience ensures your marketing efforts resonate and drive higher conversion rates. Prior to this, segmentation relied more heavily on technical expertise. These latest enhancements make it easier for marketers to leverage segmentation for targeted campaigns. According to Sitecore, it’ll be easier to add new facets for segmentation, personalisation, analytics, and marketing automation too.

2. Streamlined Content Management in Sitecore 10.4:

The platform Sitecore 10.4 offers seamless content delivery across various channels, including websites, mobile apps, and email. This ensures consistency and brand cohesion across the entire customer journey.  Omnichannel delivery has been a core strength of Sitecore since earlier versions, but Sitecore 10.4 further refines the process for a smoother user experience.

The platform streamlines content creation workflows with a user-friendly interface and intuitive tools. This empowers marketers to publish compelling content faster and more efficiently.  Earlier versions of Sitecore, like 10.2, offered a robust content management system, but the interface could be cumbersome for less technical users. This makes content creation more user-friendly.

There is also a new tool to help with migrating content, media, and users from a source XM instance to an XM Cloud environment with ease. According to Sitecore, this tool “provides an aid for the routine and sometimes recurring back-end migrations, so our customers/partners can focus on migrating and developing new front-end sites”. For clients who might not be ready to migrate to XM Cloud just yet, this gives them peace of mind that it will be easier to do so from 10.4 in the future if they so wish.

3. AI-Powered Marketing:

Sitecore 10.4 leverages the power of AI to provide predictive analytics that help you anticipate customer needs and behaviour. This allows you to tailor your marketing strategies for maximum impact.  Earlier versions of Sitecore, like 10.3, offered basic analytics, but Sitecore 10.4 introduces a more sophisticated AI-powered approach to data analysis.

The platform enables you to automate routine marketing tasks, such as triggered emails and personalised recommendations. This frees up valuable time for marketers to focus on strategic initiatives. Marketing automation features were introduced in Sitecore 10, but Sitecore 10.4 expands on these capabilities with a wider range of pre-built workflows and a more intuitive interface.

4. Cloud-Native Architecture:

Sitecore 10.4 embraces a cloud-native architecture, offering unmatched scalability and agility. Your platform can easily adapt to accommodate growth and changing business needs. Cloud-based deployments were introduced in Sitecore 9.3, but Sitecore 10.4 takes full advantage of a cloud-native architecture, offering greater flexibility and scalability.

With a cloud-based solution, you benefit from reduced IT infrastructure burden and simplified maintenance. This allows your team to focus on core marketing activities.  The benefits of cloud deployments were a key focus in earlier versions, and this new release refines the cloud experience for a more streamlined operation.

5. Enhanced Security in Sitecore 10.4:

Sitecore 10.4 prioritises security with robust features that protect your sensitive data and ensure compliance with industry regulations. The platform offers continuous monitoring tools that help you identify and address potential security threats proactively. Security has always been a priority for Sitecore, and this new update offers the latest advancements in data protection and threat detection.

6. Improved Connectivity:

The integration updates in 10.4 will let clients connect XP more effectively into their composable marketing stack and more easily sync XP analytics data with third party CRM, CDP, marketing automation tools, and other marketing systems. Expanded integration with Sitecore Connect gives clients the ability to connect their XP instance with over 1,000 martech solutions.

Sitecore vs. Optimizely:

While both of these leading DXPs are powerful, when considering Sitecore vs Optimizely, there are key differences to consider. Sitecore is ideal for complex enterprise needs with its robust features and comprehensive suite of tools. Optimizely, on the other hand, caters more towards businesses seeking a simpler, marketing-focused DXP solution.

The Benefits for Digitally Ambitious Organisations:

With its plethora of new features, Sitecore empowers digitally ambitious organisations to:

  • Deliver exceptional customer experiences: Personalisation at scale, streamlined content management, and omnichannel delivery pave the way for exceptional customer journeys.
  • Optimise marketing ROI: Predictive analytics and automated workflows allow for data-driven marketing decisions and increased campaign effectiveness.
  • Gain a competitive edge: The agility and scalability of this newest release from Sitecore enable you to adapt to changing market trends and stay ahead of the curve
  • Unlocking the Power of Sitecore with an implementation Partner:

Unlocking the Power of Sitecore 10.4 with an Agency Partner

Implementing a complex DXP like Sitecore requires expertise. Mainstream support will be available until the end of 2027 and extended support will be available until the end of 2030 which offers peace of mind to clients that are considering upgrading from an older version of XP to 10.4.

Partnering with a reputable Sitecore agency or Sitecore partners like Sagittarius ensures a smooth implementation and a platform tailored to your specific needs.

Why Choose Sagittarius?

We’re Sagittarius, a globally recognised Sitecore Platinum Partner with a proven track record of success. Our team of Sitecore MVPs, digital strategists, and engineers are passionate about helping brands create exceptional customer experiences.

Whether you’re considering a fresh Sitecore implementation or seeking to optimise your existing platform, our expertise ensures a successful journey.

Ready to take your digital marketing to the next level?

Contact us today to book a consultation and explore how Sitecore 10.4 can help you achieve your digital ambitions.  We offer a free consultation to discuss your specific needs and goals. Let’s unlock the potential of Sitecore together.

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