Sitecore 8.2 is causing a buzz in the tech world. Everyone is excited about the enhanced customer experience and the improved software that both developers and marketers can enjoy thanks to Sitecore 8.2’s focus on personalization and automation.
For Marketers:
Marketers will love Sitecore’s new marketing features that are tailored to providing a streamlined experience focused on simplifying the process of publishing contextual materials with ease.
Enhanced Publishing
Sitecore 8.2 appeals to enterprise customers with its newly improved publishing performance. This optional add on module is the first program that uses the new ASP.NET framework with Sitecore and it can be run on multiple IIS servers. This means that data can be sent out from a non-Sitecore or IIS server which will reduce the need for an extra server.
Content Management
With Sitecore 8.2 the process for a content editor has been simplified. By adding more functionality to the Sitecore Experience Editor, content editors can now adjust workflow directly in the Sitecore Experience Editor as well as assign marketing attributes to pages directly. Editors can also enjoy increased data knowledge about sources used on the pages which makes it very easy to manage the page content.
Experience Analytics
The newest version of Sitecore offers better reporting and insight to their analytics program. A new KPI chart allows marketers to re-aggregate the data they see in the dashboard as well as retrieve historical data on reports. By allowing users to better analyze their contextual data in detail, Sitecore is making marketing personalization easy.
Marketing Funnels
The path analyzer allows marketers to track and visualize the paths their consumers are taking and even shows any diversions or drop outs from the funnel.
For Developers:
Developers also get their fair share of exciting features in the new Sitecore 8.2 update including a platform that is now current with ASP.net technology and access to Microsoft Dynamics CRM connect which will allow improved accuracy and data quality.
Sitecore Experience Accelerator
Sitecore 8.2’s Experience Accelerator (SXA) was an add on designed to accelerate the development of new sites. This add-on module allows users to access a library of 80+ extensions and components, and a drag and drop interface that can be used to build on pages in Experience Editor. This can be seen in the screenshot below with the floating Toolbox on the left listing all available options.
API Improvements
The API that Sitecore uses to retrieve contextual marketing data from external sources and then utilized among different channels has received an upgrade as well. Some of the improvements include token based authentication and the support of oData.
Cloud Improvements
Sitecore 8.2 now offers next-generation cloud services. This has been done by simplifying the connection process and by getting rid of the Azure model, Sitecore PaaS, that was used in previous Sitecore versions.
Express Migration Tool
One of the most promising features of Sitecore 8.2 is the Express Migration Tool. If you are already a Sitecore user looking to upgrade, this tool makes it a seamless process to move content such as items, templates, media and users automatically.
To learn more about the new Sitecore 8.2 software and what it can do for your brand’s digital presence, contact Americaneagle.com today.
