The Importance of Upgrading Your Kentico Website
Upgrading your Kentico website will bring you a range of benefits, from improved security to enhanced performance. In this guide we will walk you through the importance of upgrading to Kentico’s latest version; Xperience by Kentico, and why it’s a worthwhile investment.
Like most platforms, Kentico periodically phases out older versions, meaning they no longer receive support, updates or security patches. If your website is running on a Kentico version 12 or earlier, it is End of Life and requires an upgrade.
The two currently supported versions are Kentico Xperience 13 and Xperience by Kentico. While your website won’t immediately stop working if you remain on outdated versions, it can lead to several challenges, including:
No Official Support - Although older versions can continue to be maintained and supported through a Kentico Partner, like Cold Banana, once a Kentico version reaches EOL, it will no longer receive any official technical support for any issues through Kentico themselves, which can mean troubleshooting problems can become time-consuming and costly, potentially leading to extended downtime or disruptions in your website’s functionality.
Security Vulnerabilities - Security is one of the most critical concerns when running an outdated CMS. Kentico regularly releases security patches to address newly discovered vulnerabilities, but once a version reaches EOL, it no longer receives any updates, exposing it to potential cyber threats. Attackers specifically target unsupported software due to its known weaknesses, putting both your business and your users at risk.
Compatibility Issues - As technology evolves, older software versions often struggle to keep up with modern requirements. An outdated version of Kentico may become incompatible with the latest web browsers, operating systems and third-party applications. This can result in broken website functionality, slow performance, an inconsistent user experience or even impact SEO performance.
Compliance Risks - For businesses operating in regulated industries, maintaining software compliance is essential. Many sectors, such as finance, healthcare and e-commerce, require companies to use supported and secure software to meet data protection and industry-specific regulations.
Running an EOL version of Kentico may put your business at risk of non-compliance, which could lead to fines, legal issues or damage to your reputation.
Imagine a visitor clicking onto your website, only to be met with sluggish load times or security warnings - it’s not the experience you want to offer.
Upgrading to the latest version of Kentico helps you avoid these pitfalls by boosting performance, tightening security and unlocking powerful new features.
Faster load times and compatibility with modern browsers and devices will benefit your users through smoother browsing, while enhanced security measures protect your site from ever-evolving threats.
Plus, with the latest digital experience tools at your fingertips, you can streamline workflows and engage users more effectively; meaning your teams can be more productive and effective in delivering content.
Kentico Xperience brings a suite of powerful tools designed to enhance collaboration between marketing and development teams.
Multichannel CMS – Instead of managing content separately for each platform, teams can now create, update and distribute content seamlessly across websites, mobile apps and various digital channels from a single interface. This ensures brand consistency and reduces the time spent duplicating efforts across different platforms.
AI-Powered Marketing – Harness the power of AI to automate marketing tasks, gain deeper customer insights and optimise campaigns in real time. From predictive analytics to automated content recommendations, AI-driven tools help marketers engage audiences more effectively and drive conversions with smarter strategies.
Greater Flexibility – Whether it's integrating third-party applications, tailoring workflows or building bespoke features, businesses can shape the platform to align with their goals and processes.
Advanced Personalisation – Deliver highly targeted content experiences based on user behaviour, preferences and demographics. With sophisticated personalisation tools, businesses can dynamically adapt content for different audience segments, improving engagement and driving customer loyalty.
Upgrading your website is a great opportunity to align your digital strategy with your business goals. It allows you to reassess your technology stack, improve user experiences, and future-proof your digital presence.
However, to maximise the value of this investment, it’s essential to consider several critical areas before embarking on this journey. Here are three the key factors to keep in mind when upgrading your website to Xperience by Kentico
- Ensure the new platform supports business objectives and can scale for future growth.
- Review and optimise user journeys to be able to drive more leads, increase engagement, etc.
- Assess current technology integrations and ensure an upgraded website is compatible with existing CRM, marketing automation, and analytics tools.
By assessing these three different areas prior to any large strategic project, this will prevent a large number of headaches in future.
Cold Banana is an accredited Kentico Bronze Partner. The benefit of this is our clients get access to an agency that has extensive knowledge and experience of the platform. We can implement best practices to maximise the platform’s features for each client's needs and provide expert guidance to ensure a smooth migration and long-term success.
If you're looking to upgrade your website in the near future then get in touch via the form below and we can discuss how we can deliver a smooth migration.
Whether you're planning a seamless upgrade to the latest version, a full website rebuild or ongoing support and optimisation, we're here to help.
As a Kentico Bronze Partner, we have the expertise to ensure a smooth transition, improved performance and a website that meets your business goals. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can tailor our Kentico services to your needs.