Why do you need to upgrade to Sitecore 9 for your website?

We all know that Sitecore is one of the world’s leading digital service providers with a powerful CMS built on .NET technology. But, do we also know how much they are constantly evolving and upgrading? Sitecore Upgrade is an essential process that Sitecore recommends for being able to use the most advanced and latest tech stack offered by them.

Through the Sitecore Upgrade Service , you can avail new features, functionalities and leverage the workings of Sitecore. Sitecore is coming up with newer versions for you to upgrade Sitecore because they want to keep it independent and flexible.

The dependencies on the legacy codes have been removed already and they are rolling out new features and functionalities with each new version to provide the users with the best digital experience.

As is a software update important to any system, just like that, it is important to upgrade Sitecore.

What are the perks of Sitecore Upgrade?

You can get the latest stack of features

Upgrading your website makes it up to date, fresh and relevant for your customers. You get a variety of new features and functionalities that are released in the latest version of Sitecore.

You can provide personalized experiences

Over time, Sitecore has been constantly working on improving the personalization capabilities they have. They are aiming at making it more customer-centric and user-friendly to provide an exceptional digital experience.

You can get more independence as well as flexibility

Sitecore Upgrade Services make your systems more flexible as well as less dependent on the legacy codes. This makes the newer versions more advanced and convenient for the users.

You can have endless integrations

Sitecore Upgrade gives you the power to inculcate Sitecore into your digital ecosystem. This makes it open to endless integrations for the multiple, unique requirements of your business.

You can refine and polish your architecture

Through the Sitecore Upgrade Services, you get the perks of having your website architecture fixed, refined and polished. This not only makes it up to date and refreshed but also makes it advanced.

What is Sitecore 9?

Sitecore 9 is a representation of a major step forward for Sitecore Upgrade Services. It includes the new xConnect service and supports options for storing the xDB data including SQL server. It also supports the newer versions of Solr bringing along with-it new features for ContentSearch.

Another new module added is the Forms module and improvements in the Experience Editor performance. Sitecore has certified that Sitecore 9 will be one of the easiest upgrades ever.

Benefits of Upgrading to Sitecore 9

If you are considering Sitecore Upgrade, here are a few reasons or benefits why it is a move that you shouldn’t delay:

Sitecore Upgrade is now cheaper and easier

A lot of the times, the Sitecore Upgrade gets delayed or put off because of the cost and efforts it takes. Planning to upgrade Sitecore is a tedious process that requires time, budget, and a lot of work. But it is also important to keep your Sitecore upgraded and have the current version.

Earlier, when you had to upgrade Sitecore, it was from Sitecore 8 to Sitecore 8.1 to Sitecore 8.2. The only way to upgrade was to go from one version to the next. Now, you don’t have to go through this process anymore.

You can directly migrate and upgrade from one version to a different series. For example, if you have Sitecore 8.2, you can directly skip the series and upgrade to Sitecore 9. This takes off days and extra effort from the upgradation process.

Sitecore 9 has come up with changes that make your upgradation process smooth and headache-free. The new Wizard is actually more reliable and also works faster. Another major feature is the new Sitecore Upgrade Center which allows hotfixes, platforms and module updates for quick downloads and installs.

Sitecore 9 is optimized for cloud

With Sitecore 9 there more integrated support for Azure PaaS which makes it easier to run the environment on Azure PaaS. It makes leveraging Sitecore’s expertise easier if you run into any challenges.

This is the signal to move to a cloud-based environment. When you host Sitecore on Azure PaaS, you will get:

• 10x faster setup
• Ability to scale resources in real-time
• Reduced risk of blue/green deployments
• No more updates on Windows.

Create and deploy new environments efficiently

Sitecore 9 has started moving towards microservice architecture. Sitecore is optimized for cloud and thus, without the hassle of planning and configuring and installing and deploying, you can enjoy the power of a more complex environment.

With the help of Azure PaaS, Sitecore efficiently plans and configures everything, simply letting you be free to install and deploy.

Headless JavaScript support

Sitecore 9.1 has introduced headless JavaScript. Even though it is in its early stages, this new tech enables JavaScript the pros for delivering and deploying connected as well as disconnected experiences quickly without the expertise of .NET required.

Built in GDPR compliance

Sitecore made it a whole lot easier for your website to be GDPR compliant thanks to the privacy-by-design approach in its new versions. Sitecore 9 now comes with GDPR compliant features that support anonymizing data, ability for annotation and treating it as sensitive based on your needs.

Conclusion

Sitecore upgrade is a major responsibility but also one of the best and smart decisions you will take for your business. Through the Sitecore 9 version upgrade, you will provide easy-to-use accessible solutions to your developers and make your business more powerful.

By upgrading Sitecore, you are providing your customers with an exceptional digital experience which is also personalized and caters to their taste. This will make your business stronger, more customer-centric and keep your website relevant.

Hire a Sitecore Development Company to upgrade your Sitecore and leverage the power of all the latest versions of Sitecore for your business.

Maulik Dudharejia - Co-Founder & CMO - ADDACT

Sitecore MVP 2021-23 || Digital Transformation Strategist || Marketer

Maulik Dudharejia is a visionary author, co-founder, Chief Marketing Officer, and a digital transformation expert with over 12+ years' of experience. He leverages industry certifications to translate complex tech concepts into engaging writing. His areas of expertise include Sitecore, IoT, and IT Service Management. Maulik offers valuable insights and strategies to help readers navigate the evolving tech landscape.