Every Sitecore developer knows how fast new features and functionalities hit the market these days. Since the release of Sitecore 8.0, there is always something new to upgrade and install. New components, functionalities and developer modules show how seriously Sitecore takes the developer work. Even with the introduction of Helix, there is a lot novice developers can mess up during the early development stages.
We believe that every Sitecore website requires expert assistance. Without the intervention of certified Sitecore Partners, it is possible to get umpteen number of things wrong. Several issues can arise from the incompatibility of the Sitecore versions and third-party applications. Here’s why we insist that every Sitecore development team work with registered Sitecore partners from the beginning –
Deploying Sitecore in Azure PaaS is not a walk-in-the-park
Even though the leading Sitecore blogs want you to believe that running it is a piece of cake, our experience tells us otherwise. If you want to run Sitecore in Azure PaaS, you have to tread extremely delicately. The process involves several variables or moving parts for the deployment of Sitecore on Azure PaaS. Distributed computing is the trickiest part of software development, and the available architectural patterns including microservices, DDDD, hexagonal architecture, and service-oriented architecture are quite tricky to master.
Most developers consider Sitecore to be a monolithic application. In the age of cloud computing, breaking the applications down to smaller models is complicated. It calls for several skill sets within the software development team: coding, running tests, allowing stakeholder reviews and deploying the apps. Till date, Sitecore isn’t entirely compatible with cloud deployment. Thus, if you are looking towards a new Sitecore database deployment or site development, you better start searching for an authorized partner to help you out.
The frontend is not as user-friendly as it can be
With every passing day, the frontend is gaining more importance in software development projects. Although Sitecore has evolved away from Webforms, there is still a lot of unnecessary clutter during the creation of HTML + CSS + javascript solutions. We believe that frontend development should drive the growth of a Sitecore solution, but that is yet to happen. It is still possible to unlock tremendous frontend potential that does not require the knowledge of .NET during a Sitecore development project.
To achieve that one must have the working knowledge of the Sitecore best practices. On the one hand, it is easy for developers, who have worked with Sitecore for some time now. On the other hand, novice developers and content managers find Sitecore’s complexity on the frontend distracting. According to leading software review blogs, contemporary frontend seems like an afterthought. Sitecore should pay a little more attention to its CMS UI than it does right now and provide the developers with an API that serves content for the server-side or client-site readily.
The scores of new tools and their functionalities
Sitecore extensibility options could have been easier and optimized. Extensibility of Sitecore works, but it does seem artificial and fragile to many developers. If anyone tries to publish in development, he or she might end up breaking the Sitecore functionality. That happens due to the layering of Vanilla Sitecore with the code and the chances of assembly overwriting and config files.
Yes, Sitecore is extensible, and that is a huge pro for all developers. However, there are better ways to power the development of a frontend application. Sitecore Partners have the necessary skill set and know-how to develop frontend applications on Sitecore without going through the much-dreaded code, compile, publish and debug cycle. Without the help of certified Sitecore partners during the development stage, you might always have to satisfy yourself with subpar speed and power.
Where is the Page in Sitecore?
It might sound trivial in the greater scheme of things, but the idea of a “Page” in a CMS is rather vague. It is a somewhat ambiguous concept in Sitecore. While users consider a page to be a part of a web application or website, but developers refer to each item on the content tree as a page. It was a popular concept when Sitecore and Webforms ran hand in hand, but right now, with the advent of MVC, the idea has become blurry. There is no clear definition of a Sitecore page, and that leads to unnecessary controller instance.
Right now, a page is an item on the content tree, and it has a layout, renderings, and templates. All of these attributes are necessary to generate a page output. In the typical ASP.NET MVC environment, rendering a page is not difficult since it involves a single controller. However, in the case of Sitecore, a page consists of a template + layout + multiple renderings, and there are numerous calls to the controllers. Here, a distinct controller represents every rendering.
The extensive documentation
Sitecore is popular for accurate and detailed documentation. Any user has to reach for the Sitecore modules documentation way more than they actually use the modules. The documentation might seem excessive and annoying, but it is the most important aspect about Sitecore. Since there are hundreds of modules that users might not use as frequently as Sitecore, any developer has to double-check the documentation and example code each time.
For example – the Dynamics CRM Connect module is not as popular as the Sitecore Experience Platform. So, there aren’t as many chances for the developers to gather experience and document their tryst with Sitecore modules. Even the Sitecore community is of little help. It takes a Sitecore Partner to navigate through the depths of frontend development and leverage the Sitecore modules for database management, content editing and more.
Sitecore is many things, but it is not beginner-friendly. If you have the experience of working on other CMS platforms and CRM software applications, it will take you some time to get used to the Sitecore features. Since there are no trial versions or docker image, it is always safe to work with a certified team of expert Sitecore developers, who have the experience and expertise necessary to take on a new site build.
Discover more from Techcolite
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
