Sitefinity CMS Gets Usability Facelift

Allison Howen
by Allison Howen 24 Oct, 2013
Sitefinity CMS Gets Usability Facelift

Telerik has improved the usability of its Sitefinity CMS product, making it more efficient for brands to deliver content to their audiences.

The new usability features include inline editing, a Google Analytics module and a Dynamic Administrative Dashboard. The inline editing feature, for example, allows content authors to use a browser-based HTML5 environment to create and update content. Authors can edit title and body fields, as well as replace images via a WYSIWYG inline editor. Plus, the full details mode enables users to edit all aspects of a content node, including keyword tags, image alt tags, URL and publication date.

"Really this is all about efficiency," said Eric Odell, Telerik Sitefinity Product Manager. "Content authors don't want to be developers, the developers don't want to be marketers. So this is a really dynamic experience that is truly WSIWYG. You can just click and start editing."

Aside from inline editing, Sitefinity's new usability features also include a Google for Analytics Module that has been upgraded to HTML5. With this backend Analytics service, users can check metrics while editing pages in order to improve search engine results. Moreover, Sitefinity's new Dynamic Administration Dashboard provides users with visibility into areas like website interactions, pending tasks and recent content added. The dashboard also integrates with Google Analytics and can be personalized to display metrics like daily visits or last edited content items.

"The ability to execute is becoming a bigger and bigger differentiator for the success of online marketing teams. Making digital marketers more effective by authoring content in context of the presentation was the main driver behind the revolutionary inline content authoring experience we're delivering with this release," said Martin Kirov, Executive Vice President, Telerik's Sitefinity division. "Content is still in the center of the online customer experience and enriching it with context, coupled with amazing authoring experience will enable our customers to deliver compelling online experiences and grow their business."


It is also important to note that in addition to improving the usability of the Sitefinity platform, Telerik recently launched new "connectors" for Marketo and Salesforce. These connectors can be used to monitor and track visitor behavior. For example, the Marketo connector can be leveraged to collect visitor data and build lead scores for personalized nurturing campaigns, while the Salesforce connector also collects visitor data so that users can build personalization rules and improve the visitor's online experience.

"We live in a real-time world in which customers don't want to wait or feel unknown or underappreciated. That's why personalization has become so key to those organizations looking to conduct business online," said Martin Kirov, Executive Vice President, Sitefinity division, Telerik. "Our customer base is made up of some of the largest, most well-known organizations in the world. They account for more than 70,000 users with daily web traffic in the millions. They depend on us to offer solutions to not only compete, but to strongly stand out in the face of an ever-evolving and crowded online marketplace."

Allison Howen
Allison Howen
I'm a creative and adaptable journalist with experience in both print and digital media. Some of my best attributes include my social media management, writing and video editing skills. Skills: • Managing social media accounts with tools like HootSuite and Sprout Social • Creating and marketing content for print and digital media • Editing videos with software like Avid Media Composer • Composing articles with Adobe InCopy • Strong knowledge of AP Style • Skilled at interviewing and writing • Able to work on a deadline and produce quality results • Organized and detail oriented • Innovative problem solver