{"data":{"prismic":{"allBlog_pages":{"edges":[{"node":{"heading":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Keep up with the latest news and expert opinion from us all at Great State","spans":[{"start":33,"end":47,"type":"strong"}]}],"seodescription":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Keep up to date with our latest thinking and news from Great State and in the wider digital landscape","spans":[]}],"seotitle":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Blog","spans":[]}]}}]},"allBlog_articles":{"edges":[{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Accessible by design: building RHP's website","spans":[{"start":14,"end":20,"type":"strong"},{"start":31,"end":44,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"We built RHP’s website with accessibility at its core, supporting over 11,000 residents. 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Aimee, our Software Engineer at Great State, is the code wrangler behind RHP’s new digital platform. Together with a cross-functional team spanning strategy, UX, and creative, she’s had the pleasure of bringing the thinking to life, building RHP’s new digital experience.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":163,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The site serves more than 11,000 residents in South West London who are managing their homes, many of whom visit during moments of stress or urgency to pay rent, report repairs, or access support. The challenge? Make the platform intuitive, reliable, and inclusive for everyone, while ensuring users could get what they needed quickly and get back to their day.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Take it away, Aimee, and tell us all about the process behind crafting something that actually benefits its users on a day to day basis.","spans":[{"start":86,"end":95,"type":"em"}],"direction":"ltr"}]}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyContent_width_image","type":"content_width_image","primary":{"caption":null,"content_width_image":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"content_width_imageSharp":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"src":"/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/e3107/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.jpg","srcSet":"/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/b754d/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.jpg 320w,\n/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/4dbff/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.jpg 640w,\n/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/e3107/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.jpg 1280w,\n/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/a5547/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.jpg 1600w","srcWebp":"/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/80f20/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/c172f/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.webp 320w,\n/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/c03cf/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.webp 640w,\n/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/80f20/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.webp 1280w,\n/static/9a63672bece29a9e262ec1d0863874a0/1f191/aN5TgZ5xUNkB1Z16_Inbodyimage-2-.webp 1600w","sizes":"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px","presentationWidth":1280}}}}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"heading2","text":"Why accessibility matters","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For me, accessibility isn’t just a set of rules – it’s empathy in action, expressed in HTML, CSS, and just the right drop of JavaScript. Whether someone’s navigating with a screen reader, viewing a webpage on mobile, or trying to jab their way through forms like a speed runner, I want the experience to feel smooth, intuitive, and delightful. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In short, my mission is clear: build a site that works for its users, with no excuses. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"However, the WebAIM Million 2025 report paints a stark picture: the average homepage contains 51 accessibility errors, and more than 96% of the world’s top one million web pages are not accessible. By overlooking accessibility needs, organisations risk excluding 16% of the global population, which equates to around 1.3 billion people. It’s a clear reminder of how essential accessibility compliance is, not only to meet standards but to avoid shutting out a significant portion of potential users. ","spans":[{"start":13,"end":39,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://webaim.org/projects/million/","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"These aren’t obscure edge cases; they’re fundamentals like missing alt text or poor colour contrast. Many teams know accessibility is important but don’t know where to start. Or they assume it requires specialist skills and endless hours of resources. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For RHP, accessibility was central to their brief. This project became more than a technical rebuild – it was an opportunity to reimagine the digital experience, build trust, and empower residents to self-serve confidently. As some users accessing the website had low digital literacy or limited English, user journeys had to be clear and well-signposted.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Collaboration first","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Accessibility isn’t a developer-only problem. It requires collaboration across the entire project team. From clear acceptance criteria set by the business’ analysts to rigorous testing by Quality Assurance, and ongoing awareness from content editors when adding elements.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Plus, designers consider colour contrasts, typefaces and motion from the start. This cross-functional approach makes technical implementation smoother and helps accessibility become part of the culture, not just a checklist.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Building accessibility: HTML, forms, and interactions ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":54,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The foundation of RHP’s site is semantic HTML. We built the future-ready platform using the capabilities of Umbraco Heartcore, as this headless CMS provided us with flexibility, scalability, and full editorial control. ","spans":[{"start":60,"end":125,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://umbraco.com/case-studies-testimonials/rhp/","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Instead of generic <div> elements, we used elements that accurately describe content: <header>, <nav>, <button>, <main>. These choices automatically provide keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and navigational landmarks, without extra development time. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Heading structures were clearly defined: the hero component always contains the <h1> at the top, with other sections using <h2> and nested <h3>/<h4> as needed. This ensures screen reader users can scan the page efficiently. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Keyboard accessibility was a priority. Native elements like <a>, <button>, and <input> handle this by default, while custom components used tabindex, focus styles, and ARIA roles to ensure all interactions were accessible. Tab order follows the DOM, avoiding CSS positioning tricks, focus leaks from modals, or off-screen navigation issues. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Forms are mission critical. Using Ark UI, a headless component library, allowed custom styling while keeping accessibility intact. Labels, fieldsets, legends, and help/error text are screen reader-friendly and visible, giving residents confidence to interact independently.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Images, motion and mobile ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Heartcore didn’t include alt text fields by default, so we extended the CMS, updated the front-end to consume them, and trained editors to use them consistently. Now screen readers, slow connections, and search engines all get the message. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Animation can add clarity or cause confusion. For RHP, we kept motion minimal and purposeful. Transitions highlight interactivity without being distracting, and anything that remains is user-triggered. This all added to a calmer experience and reduced unnecessary movement for the user. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Mobile accessibility was another focus. Touch targets meet the recommended 44x44 pixels, and we used invisible hit zones where smaller elements were required. Layouts use relative units, so text and components scale smoothly when zoomed up to 200%. Fixed positioning and horizontal scrolling were avoided, and zooming is never disabled, ensuring low vision users can comfortably navigate the site. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The result is a site that works reliably and clearly, whether you’re on desktop, tablet, or mobile. Every image, animation, and interaction was designed to be intuitive and accessible, without compromising the visual experience. ","spans":[{"start":183,"end":185,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Results speak a thousand words ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The effort paid off. RHP’s website achieved a high accessibility score, demonstrating the impact of deliberate, thoughtful implementation. Engagement metrics show the redesign is making a real difference: ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Help and advice engagement averaged 88.2%, 19.5% higher than the website average. This means users are finding content relevant and usable. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Form submissions decreased by 60%, while file downloads rose 98%, showing residents are successfully self-serving. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Exit rate in help and advice was 25%, indicating users leave after completing tasks, not due to frustration. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Beyond these numbers, accessibility improvements also brought cleaner code, better SEO, faster performance, and a site that’s easier to maintain. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Continuous improvement ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Accessibility isn’t a finish line; it’s a mindset. Every improvement removes barriers, creating a digital experience that’s inclusive, efficient, and human-centered. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"At RHP, accessibility isn’t an afterthought - it’s embedded in the design, development, and content process. It’s a commitment to residents, and one that will continue to evolve as the site grows and their needs change. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Looking to give your website or project the accessibility touch it deserves? Get in touch with us at hello@greatstate.co and we can begin mapping out your roadmap today. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"accessible-by-design-building-rhps-website"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Codegarden 2025: The developer’s playground","spans":[{"start":0,"end":10,"type":"strong"},{"start":33,"end":43,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Gary, Technical Director and all round digital whizz, headed to Denmark for the 20th anniversary of Codegarden. What Umbraco secrets did he uncover? You'll have to find out. 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","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Matt Powell","job_title":"Creative Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2025-03-26","link":{"uid":"increase-conversions-and-decrease-emissions-design"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"increase-conversions-and-decrease-emissions-design"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Gary Trimnell, Technical Director and all round digital whizz, headed to Denmark for the 20th anniversary of Codegarden. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you haven’t heard of Codegarden before, it’s Umbraco’s annual tech conference. It isn’t just key notes and handouts though, it’s an all singing, all dancing tech-fest. There was high-fives, there was Hammerschlagen and there was unicorns.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"He touched back down in Bristol armed with some brilliant insights and we’re turning them into a two-part blog mini-series. The first will dive into the tech side of things, the next will help unpack how Umbraco can help tackle those tricky blockers that stand in the way of business transformation and digital acceleration.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"So, without further ado, over to Gary and his sharp take on where Umbraco is heading next.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}]}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyContent_width_image","type":"content_width_image","primary":{"caption":null,"content_width_image":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"content_width_imageSharp":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"src":"/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/ac2a7/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.png","srcSet":"/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/2f903/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.png 320w,\n/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/96d29/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.png 640w,\n/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/ac2a7/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.png 1280w,\n/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/cfd9e/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.png 1600w","srcWebp":"/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/80f20/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/c172f/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.webp 320w,\n/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/c03cf/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.webp 640w,\n/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/80f20/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.webp 1280w,\n/static/744b6f80e372843127c74c8fd70e5241/1f191/aGZbKXfc4bHWjABc_Withinblogimage-1-.webp 1600w","sizes":"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px","presentationWidth":1280}}}}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"heading2","text":"Codegarden 2025 – A developer’s playground","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"What happens when the world’s most passionate Umbraco minds get together in the middle of summer in Denmark? Innovation, inspiration, and a glimpse into the future of content management and AI.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Codegarden, a 3-day tech and innovation extravaganza. This year it marked 20 years of Umbraco and brought together developers, digital experts, and technical leaders from around the world.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As Platinum Partners, we also joined the Umbraco Business Summit prior to the main event, where we received exclusive insights into the platform’s commercial strategy, platform roadmap and partner collaboration.","spans":[{"start":3,"end":20,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/partners/umbraco","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Overall, Codegarden 2025 showcased how Umbraco is levelling up into a more powerful and mature CMS, well-suited for clients with increasingly complex requirements. Marking a significant step in Umbraco’s evolution, opening the door to more sophisticated use cases while retaining the flexibility and editor experience it’s always been known for.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Here’s a breakdown of the most exciting technical developments I took away from the event:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Umbraco Compose","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Over recent years, the digital landscape has seen a strong shift toward headless solutions within a composable architecture, and for good reason. These approaches offer clear advantages over larger, complex monolithic solutions – such as performance, scalability and the ability to adapt quickly to changing customer needs.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But, as adoption has grown, so too have the challenges. It was suggested there’s been a rise in “composable regret” - or “MACHlash”. Many organisations are now finding themselves tangled in overly complex, fragmented architectures with poorly connected systems and inconsistent tooling. Leading to increased management overhead, unnecessary complexity, and rising costs, therefore undermining the very benefits composability promised.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The announcement of Umbraco Compose felt like a pivotal moment. Positioned as a middle ground between monolithic platforms and completed decoupled setups. Compose is designed to bring structure and clarity to composable solutions.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It is a powerful new solution for orchestrating integrations between systems and ingesting anything from any source (e.g. CMS, CRM, Commerce) in a clean, structured and scalable way. \n\nIt doesn’t just connect systems – it helps teams manage them in a way that feels purposeful and efficient. It’s a solution built with real world complexity in mind.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"With a private beta launching in Q3 2025 with a full release in early 2026, Compose is shaping up to be one of the most impactful additions to the Umbraco ecosystems in years. We’re excited to get hands-on with it and will share our experiences as soon as we do.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Umbraco 16: Making life easier for everyone","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco 16, released just ahead of Codegarden, continues to refine the platform’s usability while introducing meaningful updates for developers and administrators. Ahead of the upcoming long-term supported release (v17), Umbraco is doubling down on accessibility , guided by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Editors will notice a calmer, more focused experience thanks to fewer popups, more consistent menu structures, and subtle UI notifications.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"On the technical side, the Rich Text Editor TinyMCE has been replaced by Tiptap; a modern, extensible rich text editor that offers a cleaner interface and drag-and-drop toolbar customisation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another standout feature is the introduction of Property-Level Permissions, which allows the administrative ability to control the visibility and editior rights for content editors and granular level. This enables more sophisticated role-based editing, supporting complex approval workflows, and helps meet regulatory compliance requirements. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"AI in action","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"AI is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s already transforming how we manage content. According to Forrester 26% of CMS users were already using Gen AI features in 2024, and that number is only growing. At Codegarden, several updates demonstrate how Umbraco is embracing this shift.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"One of the standout innovations was the Umbraco MCP Server – an officially supported, open-source tool that connects AI clients to Umbraco using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This protocol acts as a bridge between large language models (LLMs) and the CMS, enabling AI agents to perform real actions on behalf of users. Rather than just suggesting content, these agents can now create, update, and manage content directly with the Umbraco back-office, all using prompts. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another forward-looking concept was Web AI, which shifts AI processing from the cloud to the client side. By leveraging on-device hardware - GPU, CPU, and Neural Processing Unites (NPUs) – Web AI enables advanced tasks like image recognition and natural language processing to run locally. This approach offers benefits such as enhanced privacy, zero latency, and offline capability, all while reducing reliance on cloud infrastructure. While this tech is still in the experimental stage, the potential for Web AI to reshape digital experiences is clear.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Finally, a thought-provoking talk on sustainable AI reminded us that while AI unlocks new capabilities, we must not forget the environmental impact. As energy demands rise, developers and organisations must consider the invisible impact of AI usage, and adopt more responsible, efficient practices as the technology matures.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Umbraco cloud roadmap: looking ahead ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco HQ shared a forward-looking roadmap for Umbraco Cloud, with a clear focus on giving developers and administrators greater visibility, control, and performance. A key theme was observability which will allow teams to monitor how the underlying infrastructure is performing. This includes request analytics via Cloudflare, bridging the gap between traditional SaaS offerings and fully hosted environments.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"On the security front, security posture will be improved by phasing out support for outdated protocols (anything below TLS 1.2), providing self-service WAF configuration, enhanced DDoS detection and OpenID Connect integrations for external identity providers.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Performance and scalability are also being addressed through the rollout of dedicated database servers, load balancing in the back office, and structured maintenance windows for more predicable deployments. To mitigate the impact of “noisy neighbours”, affected sites will be migrated to isolated environments, ensuring more stable performance.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Crucially, the direction of travel is moving towards providing greater control via a single-entry point for managing all Umbraco services - making it easier for agencies and clients to manage projects more efficiently, including centralised subscription & licence management.","spans":[{"start":71,"end":78,"type":"strong"},{"start":85,"end":103,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Partner support: better tools for better builds","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As Platinum Partners, we now have direct access to second-level Umbraco engineers, significantly improving our ability to troubleshoot complex issues, validate architectural decisions, and accelerate delivery for client projects. In addition, Umbraco has launched new sales enablement training, designed to help agencies better articulate the platform’s value proposition.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Due to high demand, Umbraco is expanding its Extended Long-Term Support (XLTS) offering for versions 7 and 8. All future LTS releases will now be eligible for up to two additional years of support, extending the total support window to five years.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Final thoughts: a CMS that grows with you","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The web content tech space is growing rapidly. 13.5% year-on-year through to 2027, outpacing the broader software market.  And Umbraco is clearly not standing still.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This year’s announcements made that clear:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Umbraco Compose is addressing the complexity of modern architectures with a more structured, scalable approach to composability.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"AI integrations are moving beyond novelty, enabling real-time content creation and automation through tools like MCP Server and Web AI.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Cloud enhancements are giving teams deeper observability, strong security, and more control over performance and deployment.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Whether you’re a developer, a digital strategist, or a content editor, Umbraco is positioning itself as a CMS that’s not just keeping up but helping you stay ahead.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"If you want a helping hand","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"When it comes to understanding or implement Umbraco solutions, we’re here. Get in touch, we can get you going on the right path.","spans":[{"start":75,"end":88,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":" ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"codegarden-2025-the-ultimate-developers-playground"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Hacking GenAI: from ideas to organisational impact","spans":[{"start":20,"end":25,"type":"strong"},{"start":29,"end":50,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"How can Gen AI expedite organisational innovation? We hung out with our clients at STEM for a day to put some ideas into hyperdrive. Read on to find out how it went. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director","profile_picture":null},"published":"2025-04-09","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/ea5de/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png","srcSet":"/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/6b0e5/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png 200w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/a489e/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png 400w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/ea5de/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png 800w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/b36f0/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png 1200w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/cfd9e/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png 1600w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/96abc/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/0c129/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/0e93d/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp 200w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/2259f/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp 400w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/0c129/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp 800w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/45222/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp 1200w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/1f191/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp 1600w,\n/static/0585ab3064e67f6895ae969dc457099e/70720/Z_zdFevxEdbNO_6S_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-20-.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"hacking-genai-from-ideas-to-organisational-impact"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Boost Conversions And Cut Emissions Through Smarter Design","spans":[{"start":0,"end":5,"type":"strong"},{"start":23,"end":25,"type":"strong"},{"start":43,"end":51,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Did you know that the colour blue uses 25% more power on screen than red? Good to know, right? This blog is part 2-part of our our sustainability series. Design smart, see the benefits. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Matt Powell","job_title":"Creative Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2025-03-26","link":{"uid":"increase-conversions-and-decrease-emissions-design"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"increase-conversions-and-decrease-emissions-design"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great People: Introducing Ross Gratton","spans":[{"start":6,"end":14,"type":"strong"},{"start":26,"end":38,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Click through to read all about Ross Gratton, our new Head of Engineering! What does The Shawshank Redemption have to do with engineering you ask? You'll have to read on to find out. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Great State","job_title":null},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z9RPgDiBA97GigKa_GreatPeopleblogheaders-3-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"News","published":"2025-03-17","link":{"uid":"great-people-introducing-ross-gratton"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z9RPgDiBA97GigKa_GreatPeopleblogheaders-3-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"great-people-introducing-ross-gratton"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"New Collaboration: Great State and RHP Group","spans":[{"start":4,"end":17,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":44,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"After four brilliant years of collaboration with RHP Group, they've selected us to support them in the next phase of work in their transformation roadmap! Read more here.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Great State","job_title":null},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z8WIIRsAHJWomDBn_Group14859.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"News","published":"2025-03-05","link":{"uid":"new-collaboration-great-state-and-rhp-group"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z8WIIRsAHJWomDBn_Group14859.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"new-collaboration-great-state-and-rhp-group"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Recently, myself and Harry (one of our Senior Account Directors) travelled up to York to visit our clients at STEM Learning. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The reason was an exciting one. We'd be attending a hackathon along with their other digital partner, AWS, to explore how STEM could harness the power of Generative AI (GenAI) to improve problem areas, optimise efficiency and enhance the commercial offering across their organisation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We started working with STEM Learning in January 2024 with the ambition to accelerate their digital maturity by significantly transforming their digital ecosystem. We're all about collaboration, coming up with new ideas and adding value through digital acceleration - and a hackathon is a perfect blend of all of these things.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"But... what is a hackathon?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you don’t know what a hackathon is, it’s when a group of multi-skilled stakeholders get together for a condensed working session. Working through from ideation, to solution, test and build. The idea is you leave with an understanding of whether a solution is viable and should be taken forwards into further development.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Fuelled by excitement and award-winning carrot cake, even some bad weather and loss of internet connection couldn’t stop us. It was extremely insightful and there were several learnings that I personally took away around it that I wanted to share around what to consider when implementing AI from ideation to productisation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"What is GenAI (and what it is not)? ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"You've likely been living under a rock if you've not heard of GenAI by now, but just to cover all baes... GenAI is the tech that's quietly revolutionising everything from art to customer service. It refers to AI models that create content like text, images, audio or video and can be used in a diverse range of applications.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"However, before you start thinking about how you could use it, it is good to understand what it can do and what it can’t. GenAI excels at creating realistic, context-aware content like text, images but lacks deep reasoning or true understanding; it’s a powerful tool for automation and creativity, but not a replacement for human judgment or expertise.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But why were STEM Learning invested in understanding more about GenAI? One of the things they wanted to understand is how the ways in it could support the CPD (continued professional development) for teachers. Could it help speed up the development of new course structures based on existing materials? What about teaching materials? Could GenAI play a role in creating high quality teaching CPD content, at pace, and find new ways to help deepen students’ knowledge of STEM subjects? ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"During the hackathon, we went through some typical use cases for GenAI. Including, content generation (e.g., creating blog articles or educational materials), summarisation to extract key points and metadata for enhancing the accessibility of legacy content, improving search by interpreting diverse data to deliver accurate insights from unstructured sources, and enhancing productivity through automation across tasks such as coding and business intelligence.\n\nKey takeaway : GenAI's real power doesn’t just lie in what it creates, but also how it can inspire new ways to solve problems, making hackathons the perfect environment to explore its potential and push the boundaries of its capabilities through rapid experimentation and innovation.","spans":[{"start":463,"end":478,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Where do you start?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The short answer to this question is not with the technology. There is always a temptation to get your hands on the tools and start tinkering. Whilst this is great for getting to grips with the tooling and its general capabilities, you should first identify the problem you are trying to solve and then explore how GenAI could help.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For the team I was in at the hackathon, this involved lots of collaborative discussions around a specific use case, writing on whiteboards and flip charts, and an application walkthrough with an internal subject matter expert to understand the broader context of the problem(s) that currently exist, then narrowing it down to a specific problem area and exploring potential solution’s around it.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Key takeaway: Once you have a potential use case for GenAI, start by focusing in on a small discrete task and use a subset of available data to prove the concept, learn from the results, refine, and iterate to improve.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":13,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Rapid and accessible prototyping","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Once you’ve generated some ideas that address key pain points, the next step is to validate these ideas quickly. Having a toolset that will enable you to quickly create a proof of concept is essential, especially under the time constraints of a hackathon. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"An example is AWS PartyRock, a user-friendly, low/no-code tool which we were provided access to at the hackathon. It is underpinned by Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed AWS service that provides access to various foundation models (FMs), including Large Language Models (LLMs), through a common API. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"PartyRock provided us with the ability to privately upload the publicly available data we had into the Model and create prompts to guide the models to deliver accurate and contextually relevant outputs as either text, image or chatbot.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Using these types of tools lowers the barrier to entry, enabling teams to rapidly create prototypes using intuitive and easy-to-use user interfaces without requiring any programming experience and the underlying infrastructure or APIs are all taken care of.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Key takeaway: using a series of focused prompts with concrete instructions will produce more accurate results than a single larger, more complex one.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":13,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Great idea. Concept validated. What’s next? ","spans":[{"start":43,"end":44,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Implementing GenAI applications into production requires comprehensive and careful planning and execution. And there is a lot to consider.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Begin by establishing a clear AI strategy that outlines how GenAI will be utilised across your organisation. This should identify business objectives, address key pain points, highlight opportunities for added value, and ensure alignment among all stakeholders including technical teams, business leaders, and end users on its implementation, application, and usage.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Developing an integration plan is also critical so that GenAI can be seamlessly embedded into existing workflows, tools, and processes for maximum impact. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The plan must ensure AI applications are ethical, secure, and scalable, with other key considerations such as observability, controllability, fairness, transparency, and sustainability included.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Key takeaway: whilst defining the AI strategy, starting with an internal pilot can be a practical first step to validate use cases, refine ideas, and assess feasibility before scaling up.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":13,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Bonus top tip: struggling to get started with ideas on how GenAI could help – try asking GenAI!","spans":[{"start":0,"end":14,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The hackathon was a success and is a great approach to getting started with under understanding how GenAI could help your organisation. If you would like help facilitating an internal Hackathon or guidance on defining an AI strategy, then drop us a line gary.trimnell@greatstate.co. ","spans":[{"start":254,"end":281,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"mailto:gary.trimnell@greatstate.co","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"hacking-genai-from-ideas-to-organisational-impact"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Boost Conversions And Cut Emissions Through Smarter Design","spans":[{"start":0,"end":5,"type":"strong"},{"start":23,"end":25,"type":"strong"},{"start":43,"end":51,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Did you know that the colour blue uses 25% more power on screen than red? Good to know, right? This blog is part 2-part of our our sustainability series. Design smart, see the benefits. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Boost Conversions, Cut Emissions: Smart Design","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Matt Powell","job_title":"Creative Director","profile_picture":null},"published":"2025-03-26","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/ea5de/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png","srcSet":"/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/6b0e5/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png 200w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/a489e/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png 400w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/ea5de/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png 800w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/b36f0/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png 1200w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/cfd9e/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png 1600w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/96abc/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/0c129/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/0e93d/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp 200w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/2259f/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp 400w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/0c129/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp 800w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/45222/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp 1200w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/1f191/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp 1600w,\n/static/5831cccb0f41807391a3809fdd943ba5/70720/Z-QJGXdAxsiBv7fx_delve3.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"increase-conversions-and-decrease-emissions-design"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great People: Introducing Matt Powell","spans":[{"start":0,"end":37,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Matt is Creative Director at Great State. That means he's responsible for driving not only creative excellence but also baking innovation and experimentation into our work. He and his talented team of creatives don't just hit the brief, they deliver work that goes beyond expectations of what our clients thought possible. So, meet Matt! You won't be disappointed. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Great State","job_title":null},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/88a0f4ca-1066-413d-932e-79ed97df97ea_Matt+P+blog+header.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2023-07-04","link":{"uid":"great-people-introducing-matt-powell"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/88a0f4ca-1066-413d-932e-79ed97df97ea_Matt+P+blog+header.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"great-people-introducing-matt-powell"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Increase conversions and decrease emissions: The role of technology","spans":[{"start":0,"end":67,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Here we explore the benefits, recommendations, and developments relating to sustainable web development. Specifically, the role of technology.  Onwards. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2025-02-26","link":{"uid":"increase-conversions-decrease-conversionstech"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"increase-conversions-decrease-conversionstech"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Brandification not blandification","spans":[{"start":0,"end":33,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"UX design functionality is becoming a dead end for brands and platforms seeking to differentiate as being told exactly how to design something doesn’t leave much room for creative expression – so how can brands still create competitive advantages through intelligent design?","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Matt Powell","job_title":"Creative Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/27906c99-f009-46b6-aafe-49c85a36b007_Two+doggoes.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2023-01-26","link":{"uid":"brandification-not-blandification---why-brands-need"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/27906c99-f009-46b6-aafe-49c85a36b007_Two+doggoes.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"brandification-not-blandification---why-brands-need"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"As of today, 5.5 billion people use the internet. 1 billion more than this time last year.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"That’s a fair number of click, likes, and shares happening every day. But as we become more connected around the world, the sustainability of the planet pays a price.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Due to the proliferation of connected devices and global population growth, personal usage of the internet has doubled since 2010. And the resulting stats are staggering. Digital technology now accounts for 4% of the global carbon emissions – more than international air travel. The average search query emits 1.45g of carbon dioxide. And in 2018, Google alone used the equivalent of a quarter of New Zealand’s annual energy consumption – using 10 terawatt hours of electricity and emitting over 4 million tons of CO2.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As a digital agency, we’re no stranger to this discussion. And we believe in leading the way when it comes to digital customer experiences. Today, customers care more than ever about carbon responsibility and emissions, with 21% of Brits favouring products or services that favour sustainability (YouGov, 2024). ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This blog explores the hidden ways in which clients can both increase conversions and decrease emissions. And when it comes to sustainable web development, there are 2 key factors to consider: Technology, and Design.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"How design affects sustainability","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Video, colour, and text all add to your site’s carbon footprint. So, the simpler your web design, the better. Not only does it help reduce carbon emissions; it also improves the overall customer experience. It’s easy to assume that every user is on the latest mobile phone, in a relaxed state of mind, with perfect eyesight to boot. But when we design with assumption, a degree of privilege creeps in. Sustainable web design pushes us to make equitable experiences. When you simplify and standardise your design, inclusivity gets baked into the customer experience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Reduce bloat, not your brand","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"You may be thinking, “Does this mean my site needs to be boring and grey?” To which we say, “absolutely not.” Change doesn’t have to be plain. When designing websites with sustainability in mind, it’s important to consider how to keep your design elements compact, concise, and clear. Reducing real estate and information processing will take you a long way. Let your brand shine with things like typography and illustration and consider losing heavy elements like videos and auto-play features.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Adopt a style guide","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Design systems, though extensive, require a lot more from the internet than a style guide in PDF format. Style guides are particularly useful as they provide a highly consistent and reliable resource for front-end development, driving efficiency and protecting your accessibility and inclusivity standards. They also allow for faster prototyping and testing with real users, leading to user-centred outcomes, and reduce the use of ‘plaster’ solutions like pop-ups and other hacks that slow users down.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Colour me sustainable","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Your brand palette may actually be using too much power. We know. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but equally important to recognise. The screen is one of the biggest drains on a device’s battery power. To help reduce energy consumption, consider black for your background. It uses the least amount of power on the colour spectrum – unlike white, which uses the most. The colours in between also have an effect: with blue using 25% more power than green or red. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Weigh up those fonts","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Custom fonts. We love ‘em. But – they ask a lot from your website. Every custom font means extra code. If you’re using anything other than system fonts – like Arial or Roboto, for example – your website will find itself under a bit of pressure. Commonly, one font file can weigh 200kb. But multiply 2/3 of your fonts by light, roman, bold, italics and so much more, and you have a recipe for increased energy usage. While branding is undoubtedly important, consider a system font for body text.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Curb your content","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Reducing bloat on your website isn’t just about the veneer. Content also plays a big role. Regularly reviewing and removing out-dated visual and copy content keeps your website relevant to customers and optimises your site for search engines. And while images are the most popular resource type on the web – making up 50% of the average web page size – they require a lot of power and processing. Consider ways to keep your copy and visual content concise to reduce scrolling and still honour your brand.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Do the bare minimum","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s better for the planet. Adopt “lazy loading” wherever you can. Think images, video, content, and code. When you reduce the weight of your website a few amazing things happen. Firstly, your pages load faster. Faster loading equals less energy used; less energy used equals increased sustainability! Secondly, you remove the unnecessary burden on your users by presenting them only with the things they need. And lastly, though no less important, you make it easier for your pages to cache in a CDN. It’s a win-win-win situation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Watch the webinar","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you’re excited about sustainable web design and want in-depth insight from some of our in-house experts, follow along with our Delve series. Led by our Great State team members, we share the latest insights and guidance from the world of digital and tech to keep your customer experiences ahead of the curve. Ready to learn more about Sustainable Web Design? Watch the webinar here.","spans":[{"start":380,"end":384,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/923416304","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"increase-conversions-and-decrease-emissions-design"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Increase conversions and decrease emissions: The role of technology","spans":[{"start":0,"end":67,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Here we explore the benefits, recommendations, and developments relating to sustainable web development. Specifically, the role of technology.  Onwards. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":null},"published":"2025-02-26","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/ea5de/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png","srcSet":"/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/6b0e5/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png 200w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/a489e/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png 400w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/ea5de/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png 800w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/b36f0/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png 1200w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/cfd9e/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png 1600w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/96abc/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/0c129/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/0e93d/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp 200w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/2259f/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp 400w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/0c129/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp 800w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/45222/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp 1200w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/1f191/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp 1600w,\n/static/aa0e7712b096ddbb67dbb26fd40d9480/70720/Z8cjiBsAHJWomGrE_BLOG3.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"increase-conversions-decrease-conversionstech"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Curb your Co2 emissions with streamlined UX","spans":[{"start":0,"end":43,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Digital is embedded in almost every facet of our daily lives. Processes once run using physical materials are increasingly delivered digitally and given the scale of use, small changes to how we design experiences can make a big difference to energy consumption. Read on. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andy Ingle","job_title":"Head of UX"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/1652720a-2d57-4f3a-be06-aae9d2acc4ce_Sockets+etc.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2023-02-15","link":{"uid":"streamlining-ux-to-curb-co2-emission"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/1652720a-2d57-4f3a-be06-aae9d2acc4ce_Sockets+etc.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"streamlining-ux-to-curb-co2-emission"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Building the business case","spans":[{"start":0,"end":56,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This article is the first in a series that seeks to provide answers and guidance when embarking on a move to Sitecore XM Cloud, and to start with, Technical Director Gary, is looking at some of the key benefits and strategic considerations of migrating. Let's get into it. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-02-20","link":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Reduce, re-use and re-write your code  ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":39,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Slowly but (hopefully) surely, the world seems to be waking up to the looming climate crisis. What role can software engineering and related disciplines play in this global effort?","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/c5e5112a-cec2-4a42-b75e-1b88e381e047_treeeeeees.png?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2022-04-22","link":{"uid":"eco-friendly-software-engineering"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/c5e5112a-cec2-4a42-b75e-1b88e381e047_treeeeeees.png?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"eco-friendly-software-engineering"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Accessibility was once a niche consideration in the world of web development.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Today, it’s a cornerstone of inclusive web design – one that over 5.5 billion people worldwide benefit from. Yes, over five and a half billion people use the internet worldwide. An immense feat of human innovation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But it’s a figure that comes with a hefty price tag.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Digital technology now accounts for 4% of global carbon emissions, meaning the internet is now the single most polluting machine in the world.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is where sustainable web design plays a key role, and organisations must now lead the way.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Getting to grips with CSRD","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) - an EU-wide reporting requirement that affects 50,000 large-scale companies introduced in January 2024, now requires organisations to report on their digital footprint from January 2025.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The CSRD also applies to UK organisations doing business in the EU, specifically organisations that have:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"250+ employees in EU subsidiaries","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"€40M+ revenue in the EU","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Securities listed on EU regulated markets","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"New initiatives are being introduced to help businesses implement this mandatory requirement.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Worldwide Web Consortium (publishers of the official accessibility standards) published WSG 1.0, the first draft of its Web Sustainability Guidelines. It encourages user-centred design, performant web development, renewable infrastructure, and sustainable business strategy.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is in addition to the Government Digital Sustainability Alliance (GDSA) - launched at COP27 to promote sustainable data and technology across UK government and its suppliers.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Now, more than ever, positive contributions to sustainable web design can be made in collaboration with your digital partners.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Last month, we hosted our first webinar on the subject, exploring the hidden ways in which clients can both increase conversions and decrease emissions. And when it comes to sustainable web development, there are 2 key factors to consider: Technology and Design. In this blog, we’ll be exploring the role of technology.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"How sustainable web design benefits all","spans":[{"start":0,"end":39,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sustainable websites are faster, more lightweight and served from locations that are near to the end user. These directly result in significant benefits like findability, improved user experience, and higher conversion. With the help of monitoring tools, you can get continuous insight and changing just a few lines of code can lead to tonnes of CO2e savings – saving you money in the process. Aligning with sustainability requirements and recommendations is good for the planet and business, positively affecting millions of people along the way.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Take advantage of the tools","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Quantifying the carbon impact of your website is now easy with a variety of new monitoring tools. The Website Carbon Calculator is based on an algorithm developed with the Green Software Foundation. It looks at the data transfer and energy intensity of your website, along with energy sources, to calculate the approximate carbon impact of a given page. This can help guide crucial decisions on design and content. And if you want to monitor the carbon intensity of your website, Grid Intensity CLI tracks the time and location of traffic to offer insight on where and when users are most active.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Hold suppliers to account","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"How green is your supply chain? It’s important to make sustainability part of your procurement process by asking these questions of your digital suppliers:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Can you quantify the carbon impact of your activities?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"What are your ongoing efforts to continually reduce your carbon impact?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Where do you host your services?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Do you make use of efficient modern technology, such as renewable-powered hosting; CDNs; containerisation?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Are your technical teams certified in Green Software techniques?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Use a CDN","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) serve your digital assets from locations near to your users. The advantage of this is two-fold: websites become more efficient with data now having a shorter journey, and users enjoy a better experience thanks to faster content delivery. CDNs also offer caching, enhanced security, distributed computation, and other features that result in an overall more sustainable web design.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Set your byte budget","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Page weight is measured by the kilobytes transferred over the internet when a webpage is loaded. With sustainable web design, the aim is to work out how to deliver the story with the least amount of data. It helps to compare with competitors and ask, “what would it take to be 10% better?” – but don’t let perfection hold back progress. Consider page weight before you jump into design and give yourself a budget to encourage collaboration between disciplines.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Leverage the cloud","spans":[{"start":0,"end":7,"type":"strong"},{"start":14,"end":18,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Efficiency in sustainable web design means maximising the utilisation of your hardware, and Cloud computing infrastructure is designed to do just that. Websites looking to improve sustainability in their design can benefit from the hyper-scale and huge range of services offered. Cloud providers are also taking active steps to move exclusively to renewable power – sooner, rather than later – and making commitments to future water positivity. Good for the planet and the bottom line.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Do the bare minimum","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Adopt “lazy loading” wherever you can. Think images, video, content, and code. When you reduce the weight of your website a few amazing things happen. Firstly, your pages load faster. Faster loading equals less energy used; less energy used equals increased sustainability! Secondly, you remove the unnecessary burden on your users by presenting them only with the things they need. And lastly, though no less important, you make it easier for your pages to cache in a CDN. It’s a win-win-win situation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading3","text":"Watch the webinar","spans":[{"start":15,"end":17,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you’re excited about sustainable web design and want in-depth insight from some of our in-house experts, follow along with our Delve series. Led by our Great State team members, we share the latest insights and guidance from the world of digital and tech to keep your customer experiences ahead of the curve. Ready to learn more about Sustainable Web Design? Watch the webinar here.","spans":[{"start":380,"end":385,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://vimeo.com/923416304?share=copy","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"increase-conversions-decrease-conversionstech"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Tech talk: What’s coming up in 2025","spans":[{"start":5,"end":9,"type":"strong"},{"start":18,"end":27,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"In 2024, Artificial Intelligence entered our lives with such a force that even your grandma knows what ChatGPT is. Last year was one for the tech history books. But what's coming up in 2025?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew Lansdowne","job_title":"Lead Developer","profile_picture":null},"published":"2025-01-08","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/ea5de/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png","srcSet":"/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/6b0e5/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png 200w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/a489e/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png 400w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/ea5de/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png 800w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/b36f0/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png 1200w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/cfd9e/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png 1600w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/96abc/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/0c129/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/0e93d/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp 200w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/2259f/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp 400w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/0c129/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp 800w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/45222/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp 1200w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/1f191/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp 1600w,\n/static/4f8989b17bd7ae47d34bf50701329a27/70720/Z30s6ZbqstJ99H6q_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-17-.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"tech-talk-whats-coming-up-in-2025"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"How much is your legacy tech really costing you?","spans":[{"start":29,"end":35,"type":"strong"},{"start":36,"end":47,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Legacy technology impacts business innovation, productivity, and morale. Here, Harry explains how to identify the pain points and build a business case for better investment.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Harry Birch","job_title":"Senior Account Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z03qBJbqstJ979dY_GreatPeopleblogheaders-2-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2024-12-05","link":{"uid":"what-is-legacy-tech-costing-you"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z03qBJbqstJ979dY_GreatPeopleblogheaders-2-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"what-is-legacy-tech-costing-you"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"New collaboration: Great State and Longleat Safari Park","spans":[{"start":4,"end":19,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":55,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Longleat has selected us as their strategic digital partner! We're going to create an immersive digital experience as unique as a day out at their world-famous park. Read more here. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Great State","job_title":null},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z1xE85bqstJ98ews_Longleat_1808x1016.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"News","published":"2024-12-17","link":{"uid":"new-collaboration-great-state-and-longleat"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Z1xE85bqstJ98ews_Longleat_1808x1016.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"new-collaboration-great-state-and-longleat"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Dark Sites: The hidden page that could save your company","spans":[{"start":16,"end":27,"type":"strong"},{"start":39,"end":43,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"A Dark Site is a powerful tool in your crisis management arsenal that could make all the difference when disaster strikes. In this latest blog, Fame tells us more.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-10-15","link":{"uid":"the-hidden-web-page-that-could-save-your-company"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"the-hidden-web-page-that-could-save-your-company"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Dominating the conversation and making ripples across marketing, education, and culture – to name a few – 2024 was the undeniable year of AI. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For the first time ever, everyday people in everyday homes were discussing its merit, its purpose, and its potential. Now, with 2024 officially history, we're looking ahead to the future of digital customer experience. These are the 2025 tech announcements that have got our tech team buzzing and busy.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"It’s SASE, not sassy","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"SASE is a cloud-native architecture that combines several cloud technologies into a single, unified solution.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"With the ongoing shift to cloud computing and mobile workforces, the SASE architecture was created to address any potential security challenges posed by evolving enterprise standards. The new architecture now places users, devices, applications, and data outside of the enterprise data centre and network. In turn, this enables organisations to support remote and hybrid users automatically, connecting them to nearby cloud gateways.","spans":[{"start":255,"end":263,"type":"em"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The most common use cases for SASE include:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Augmenting or replacing VPNs for modernised secure access","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Simplifying contractor (third-party) access","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Threat defence for distributed offices and remote workers","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Data protection for regulatory compliance","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The new architecture's potential to reduce risk and cost and deliver improvements to operational efficiency and the hybrid user experience makes it the enterprise solution to watch in 2025.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Sitecore Stream enters the chat","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The digital experience platform is taking the leap into AI-assisted marketing. Positioned as a ‘marketing secret weapon,’ Sitecore Stream is the latest product in the company’s customer experience management ecosystem. It brings AI workflows, generative copilots, and brand-aware AI to the content-experience lifecycle and is designed to equip marketing teams with end-to-end content creation and delivery.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Stream is trained on your organisation’s brand, learning everything from its visual identity to messaging, from policies to onboarding. You can even ‘chat’ with Stream’s generative AI chatbot to discuss potential market opportunities, trends, and ideas – all while keeping your brand’s assets secure.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"On the project management side, Stream introduces AI-enhanced workflows and generative copilots to power content creation, web page design, briefing, campaign planning and roll-out, and A/B testing for CTAs (calls-to-action). Promising to make things faster, easier, and more efficient than ever, we’re curious to see how quickly and how far marketing teams embrace this end-to-end experience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Generative AI pushes on","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Great State is no stranger to the potential of Gen-AI. In 2024, we partnered with Bristol Airport and Voxly Digital to deliver the UK’s first airport chatbot powered entirely by generative AI. Less of a prediction and more of an inevitability, the conversation and momentum around generative AI isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And neither are the companies and products trying to make a name for themselves.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But it’s not without its detractors and controversy. With new updates expected from the biggest names in the industry, and ongoing legal and ethical battles taking centre stage, the future of AI is only just being written.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"At the very least, you can expect greater access to native multimodal LLMs (large language models), like ChatGPT. The software is quickly becoming a household name – a fact likely to be boosted by its most recent launch on WhatsApp. And with models getting faster and cheaper, home seems to be the next frontier for the technology. Get ready to see possible integration into the most popular home devices, like Alexa.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"And speaking of tech with a human name, would you trust an LLM if it was more human-like? The biggest developers are eager to do just that, hoping to bring models to life with faces, voices, and personalities. Are you ready for a new AI companion?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Here’s what’s up ahead for Generative AI in 2025:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"3D world building","spans":[{"start":0,"end":17,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Google Genie 2 is a foundation world model, capable of generating endless 3D environments from a single prompt. Controllable and playable by human or AI agent, the worlds are navigated using keyboard and mouse inputs.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Augmented computer use","spans":[{"start":0,"end":22,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Microsoft Copilot introduces AI-assisted browsing, while Claude 3.5 allows automation of, well, anything your computer needs. We may just start ‘asking’ our computers to help perform tasks in a more streamlined way.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Video generation","spans":[{"start":0,"end":16,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"With OpenAI Sora launching in the US – with a $200 monthly subscription – and the open-source Hunyuan Video boasting high-quality video generation, expect more experimentation with AI-generated video content.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Next generation customer experiences","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Whatever 2025 brings, unpredictability is almost the only certainty. The biggest tech trends might just fizzle while sleeper innovations and audience behaviours may surprise. The brands that embrace a flexible and fluid approach to marketing and strategy are likely to reap the biggest wins. Next generation customer experiences don’t just prepare for uncertainty, they’re built to respond faster than ever before. If you want to talk to us about an upcoming digital project you have planned, then get in touch. ","spans":[{"start":498,"end":510,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"tech-talk-whats-coming-up-in-2025"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Dark Sites: The hidden page that could save your company","spans":[{"start":16,"end":27,"type":"strong"},{"start":39,"end":43,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"A Dark Site is a powerful tool in your crisis management arsenal that could make all the difference when disaster strikes. In this latest blog, Fame tells us more.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":null},"published":"2024-10-15","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/ea5de/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png","srcSet":"/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/6b0e5/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png 200w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/a489e/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png 400w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/ea5de/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png 800w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/b36f0/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png 1200w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/cfd9e/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png 1600w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/96abc/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/0c129/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/0e93d/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp 200w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/2259f/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp 400w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/0c129/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp 800w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/45222/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp 1200w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/1f191/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp 1600w,\n/static/752abcca4e82786dbc4e048d8e9fbb67/70720/Zw1AXoF3NbkBXahr_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-14-.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"the-hidden-web-page-that-could-save-your-company"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Sitecore XP: Handling enterprise complexity with ease","spans":[{"start":21,"end":44,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"The larger your organisation, the more complex your digital ecosystem will be. Wherever you are on your enterprise journey, chances are there's a better way to be running things...","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-08-06","link":{"uid":"sitecore-xp-handling-enterprise-complexity-with-ease"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"sitecore-xp-handling-enterprise-complexity-with-ease"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Pre-Discovery: Ask better questions, get better answers","spans":[{"start":0,"end":14,"type":"strong"},{"start":18,"end":25,"type":"strong"},{"start":26,"end":35,"type":"strong"},{"start":41,"end":47,"type":"strong"},{"start":48,"end":55,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Introducing the Pre-Discovery. The essential, but often over-looked process that helps you ask the right questions, to get the best answers.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Tom Kingham","job_title":"Client Partner"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZqDWAR5LeNNTxc9I_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-9-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2024-07-24","link":{"uid":"pre-discovery-ask-better-questions-get-better-answers"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZqDWAR5LeNNTxc9I_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-9-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"pre-discovery-ask-better-questions-get-better-answers"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Getting ready for the Data Act 2025","spans":[{"start":8,"end":14,"type":"strong"},{"start":22,"end":31,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"The European Union's Data Act 2025 is set to revolutionise the digital landscape. There are big risks around compliance and even bigger opportunity if you move at the right time. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Ben Murphy","job_title":"Client Services Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrTFkUaF0TcGIyJh_dataact.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2024-08-13","link":{"uid":"getting-ready-for-the-data-act-2025"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrTFkUaF0TcGIyJh_dataact.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"getting-ready-for-the-data-act-2025"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Imagine getting to work one morning faced with a ransomware attack that’s crippled your entire business; no access to the network, no access to data, all your websites are down, and your customers are getting angry on social media?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This isn’t just a hypothetical scenario, unfortunately, it’s quite common.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This summer (2024), the UK's National Health Service (NHS) faced a major IT outage that affected critical services.","spans":[{"start":29,"end":82,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c288n8rkpvno","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The incident left doctors unable to access patient records, disrupted emergency services, and caused widespread chaos in hospitals across London.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But what if there was a way to maintain a lifeline of communication even when your primary systems fail?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"What if you could reassure stakeholders, provide critical updates, and maintain some semblance of control, even in the midst of chaos?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Enter the concept of a 'Dark Site' - a powerful tool in your crisis management arsenal that could make all the difference when disaster strikes.  ","spans":[{"start":145,"end":146,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"What is a Dark Site?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A Dark Site is a pre-built, inactive website, kept in reserve for emergencies.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s designed to be activated quickly if your usual communications channels, whether due to a cyber breach, technical meltdown, or even natural disasters, fail.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Think of it as a lifeboat: rarely needed but critical when all else is sinking.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"These sites live outside the everyday structure of a company’s web presence, making them less vulnerable to the same risks that might knock out a primary site. In the thick of a crisis, they’re switched on, enabling businesses to communicate vital information with stakeholders: employees, customers, and the public.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"And if you’re wondering if Dark Sites are only for when you’ve been hacked…","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Remember that time when KFC ran out of chicken and had to close their branches?!  It wasn’t a hack that did that, but what should have been a routine switch of supplier.  Instead, it caused a social media meltdown and KFC launched their own Dark Site, the response was poultry in motion.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}]}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyContent_width_image","type":"content_width_image","primary":{"caption":null,"content_width_image":{"dimensions":{"width":815,"height":544},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"content_width_imageSharp":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.4981617647058822,"src":"/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/e4fd3/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.jpg","srcSet":"/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/b754d/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.jpg 320w,\n/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/4dbff/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.jpg 640w,\n/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/e4fd3/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.jpg 815w","srcWebp":"/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/6a7ce/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/c172f/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.webp 320w,\n/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/c03cf/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.webp 640w,\n/static/f0be38002f93af82ce2b5157fa2895e6/6a7ce/Zw1BzoF3NbkBXaiY_kfcfck.webp 815w","sizes":"(max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px","presentationWidth":815}}}}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"heading2","text":"Why You Need a Dark Site in Your Crisis Plan","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"When a crisis hits, the public and your customers expect answers, fast.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Often, the first place they’ll go is your company’s website. And if that site is compromised, the absence of clear, credible communication can escalate an already volatile situation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Crisis communication is 80% about providing information, according to industry studies. The actions a company takes in those initial moments can sway public opinion and influence how the event is remembered long after the dust settles. A swift response backed by transparent communication can do a lot to reassure people that the situation is under control.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Over 40% of businesses that experience a serious data breach don’t fully recover. In this climate, clear communication isn’t just a courtesy, it’s a survival mechanism.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Dark Sites provide a crucial advantage: they allow companies to offer real-time updates, maintaining a semblance of control amidst uncertainty.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"When to activate your Dark Site","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Not every crisis calls for a Dark Site, but in certain cases, they can be a game-changer:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Dark Sites are designed to be the single hub for information for everything related to the crisis. They keep things separate from normal business operations, which can help avoid confusion and create a space dedicated solely to addressing the situation.","spans":[{"start":34,"end":60,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The decision to activate a Dark Site signals that the crisis has become the company’s top priority. It sends a strong message and a clear way of saying, \"We’re focused entirely on this.\"","spans":[{"start":103,"end":125,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The faster you act, the more control you have to shape the narrative of the story. A Dark Site allows companies to offer accurate, up-to-date information to the media and the public, helping to curb speculation and misinformation.","spans":[{"start":49,"end":81,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Designing an Effective Dark Site","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Simplicity is key when it comes to Dark Sites.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Consider the use case; people on small screens with sketchy 3G internet access, quick, clear, and functional is key. Keep the layout clean, less is more. Focus on crisis details, company response, and any instructions for the public... Basically, you can leave the parallax animations at home!","spans":[{"start":80,"end":108,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Pre-loading content is critical. Have press releases, images, and official documents ready to go in multiple languages, ensuring they’re suitable for the scenario. The Dark Site should be deployable within minutes, not hours, of an incident.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":19,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Commit to providing regular updates. Transparency is paramount during a crisis, and a silent or outdated Dark Site can undermine trust. Ensure someone is tasked with keeping the content fresh, particularly as new information emerges.","spans":[{"start":20,"end":35,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"And don’t forget SEO. While the primary function of a Dark Site is to respond to a crisis, that doesn’t mean you should abandon search engine considerations. You’ll want to control what gets indexed to manage the long-term impact on your brand.","spans":[{"start":17,"end":20,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Lastly, a Dark Site is only as good as your preparedness. Testing and rehearsing its deployment are vital. A well-designed site won’t do much good if it doesn’t work when the pressures on.","spans":[{"start":58,"end":80,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For a recent project where we created a Dark Site for a global client, we engineered a solution that prioritises speed, scalability and accessibility.  Using Next.js to build a lean, responsive UI that adapts seamlessly to any device size, ensuring critical information remains accessible whether viewed on a desktop or a phone.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"To simplify content management, we integrated Contentful as our headless CMS. This allows authors to easily publish content without grappling with complex publishing workflows. Contentful’s intuitive interface empowers non-technical users to manage crisis communications efficiently, a crucial factor during high stress situations.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The sites architecture was designed with performance in mind. We deployed the Dark Site to Vercel’s platform, taking advantage of their global Content Delivery Network (CDN). This strategic choice ensures our clients stakeholders worldwide can access the site with minimal latency, even during high traffic situations.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This technical approach meant we were able to rapidly develop the solution and will also ensure we can rapidly deploy the solution thanks to out of the box deployment pipelines between Contentful and Vercel.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Preparing for the unexpected","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A Dark Site is not just a backup, it’s a vital tool for protecting your reputation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Crafting an effective Dark Site requires strategic planning and technical expertise to ensure it can be activated swiftly and efficiently. As situations evolve, businesses that prioritise professional Dark Site development will be better equipped to manage the challenge and maintain stakeholder trust.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The real question is, are you ready to face a crisis without one?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Get in touch to find out. ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":25,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"the-hidden-web-page-that-could-save-your-company"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Sitecore XM Cloud: Living on the edge","spans":[{"start":9,"end":17,"type":"strong"},{"start":28,"end":37,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Ryan is here to talk about XM Cloud: Sitecore's headless CMS. Why is it interesting enough to write a blog article about, and what does it have to do with the Edge? Read on to find out. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Ryan Joyce","job_title":"Lead Frontend Software Engineer","profile_picture":null},"published":"2024-09-17","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/ea5de/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png","srcSet":"/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/6b0e5/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png 200w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/a489e/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png 400w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/ea5de/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png 800w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/b36f0/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png 1200w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/cfd9e/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png 1600w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/96abc/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/0c129/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/0e93d/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp 200w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/2259f/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp 400w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/0c129/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp 800w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/45222/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp 1200w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/1f191/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp 1600w,\n/static/6ae88fd573d10cb691c12031f8520a60/70720/ZuhS37VsGrYSvZ08_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-11-.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"sitecore-xm-cloud-living-on-the-edge"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Getting ready for the Data Act 2025","spans":[{"start":8,"end":14,"type":"strong"},{"start":22,"end":31,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"The European Union's Data Act 2025 is set to revolutionise the digital landscape. There are big risks around compliance and even bigger opportunity if you move at the right time. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Ben Murphy","job_title":"Client Services Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrTFkUaF0TcGIyJh_dataact.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2024-08-13","link":{"uid":"getting-ready-for-the-data-act-2025"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrTFkUaF0TcGIyJh_dataact.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"getting-ready-for-the-data-act-2025"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Enhancing Engagement with Sitecore Search","spans":[{"start":10,"end":20,"type":"strong"},{"start":26,"end":35,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"A frustrating search experience can be the difference between a loyal customer and a lost opportunity. Up there on the frustrating list? Not being able to find what you're searching for...","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-07-09","link":{"uid":"enhancing-engagement-with-sitecore-search"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"enhancing-engagement-with-sitecore-search"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Sitecore XP: Handling enterprise complexity with ease","spans":[{"start":21,"end":44,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"The larger your organisation, the more complex your digital ecosystem will be. Wherever you are on your enterprise journey, chances are there's a better way to be running things...","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-08-06","link":{"uid":"sitecore-xp-handling-enterprise-complexity-with-ease"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"sitecore-xp-handling-enterprise-complexity-with-ease"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sitecore is an enormously powerful Enterprise CMS. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you think of something like Wordpress as an inexpensive car that will handle popping to the shops and an occasional day trip, Sitecore is a helicopter. They can both get you where you're going, but Sitecore is a whole lot more of everything.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As you’d expect, a helicopter is more complex than a hatchback, and Sitecore’s feature set came with a steeper learning curve. Sitecore recognised this, and set about trying to streamline the development, content editing and dev-ops processes which leads us to where we are today: XM Cloud, Sitecore's headless SaaS CMS. To be clear, XM Cloud isn't a replacement for Sitecore, but represents another option for organisations - offering unprecedented flexibility, and a feature set that has evolved with modern web technologies, and the ever growing scope and complexity of their business requirements.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"I'm sure you have questions. What is headless? How is this better? Why is it interesting enough to write a blog article and what does it have to do with the Edge? ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"What is headless, and why do I care?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Headless development is an evolution of traditional rendering models that decouples the presentation layer and the CMS backend... In simple terms that means your UI can be built with whatever technology best suits your needs at the time, whilst your backend remains a consistent platform for content editors. They can be developed and deployed separately, the frontend requesting data from the backend via REST or GraphQL APIs and lends itself well to iterative development.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"What this means for businesses is that if you need to provide distinct user experiences across multiple output channels, you can do so by using the same single source of truth for your content. More interestingly you can use these sites as part of a composable stack - for example combining your eCommerce solution and your CMS in a single seamlessly consistent frontend.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Remember the tenuous Helicopter analogy at the beginning? Headless lets you take your content wherever you want, however you want, without being limited to and pre-defined routes.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"How is this better?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In the fast-paced world of web development, frameworks and concepts constantly evolve, but over the past few years, the popularity of frameworks like React has established Modular Architecture as a superior approach to frontend development. It has moved beyond being just \"a React thing\" as concepts like unidirectional data flow, immutability, and composability have simplified the process, allowing developers to build UIs rapidly and efficiently by reusing code.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"However, there are drawbacks to JavaScript—being inherently slow due to its high-level nature, it wasn’t designed with raw performance in mind. This brings us to the XM Cloud headless stack, which incorporates methodologies and techniques to harness the benefits of modern web development while addressing the performance issues encountered in the first wave of PWAs and Rich Web Applications.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Modular architecture pairs seamlessly with Headless CMS, where data can be retrieved at a page or component level and passed to the relevant UI pieces. The frontend and backend can be developed and released independently, and with well-configured CI/CD pipelines, even minor frontend changes can be deployed without impacting the backend code.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"XM Cloud leverages both SXA and JSS to offer flexibility in frontend development. SXA provides pre-built components for quick deployment without needing development resources, while JSS allows developers to create bespoke components with no limitations, offering enhanced functionality that can be managed through XM Cloud.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"When it comes to deployment, you have options. Traditional CMS solutions were Server-Side Rendered (SSR), constructing pages on-demand with significant performance overhead. Modern solutions like Static Site Generation (SSG) and Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) generate markup at build time, caching results for instant delivery when users request a page. ISR further enhances this by dynamically updating pages as CMS content changes, ideal for frequently updated sites.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In this setup, runtime is minimised, with HTML delivered directly to the browser. Any dynamic or personalised content is fetched separately, allowing users to interact with your site swiftly while targeted content loads in the background.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"\"I'm a marketer, and I have no idea what any of that meant...\"","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"XM Cloud does a lot of interesting things very well, but for many of the users the Content Editor Experience is the most important thing and just because the technology is interesting doesn't mean it'll be a good fit for your content authors.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Fortunately, they're covered too; XM Cloud gives content authors a whole bunch of powerful options via a WYSIWYG interface, some slick workflows, and user interaction data and personalisation customisation all baked in.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you want to find out more about that head on to here and have a look for yourself.","spans":[{"start":51,"end":55,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.sitecore.com/products/xm-cloud","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"The interesting part. The final piece of the puzzle.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"That’s what this whistle-stop tour of what a headless page is was all leading to - the most interesting part of all this is being able to host not just your content but also the build process on The Edge.*","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"*Capitalised for dramatic effect.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Vercel's hosting integrates seamlessly with Sitecore XM Cloud and personally I really like Next JS, but I don't want to focus too much on any single provider or frontend framework here. There are LOADS, some better than others, and they all have a bunch of overlapping features and which one you use depends largely on your specific needs and occasionally, budget.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"So, by using a headless CMS and ISR we've squeezed every last drop of runtime performance out of our app, our assets are being optimised by the CMS so we're consuming as little bandwidth as possible, we're reusing components and sending only the specific JS/CSS bundles a pages needs so we've eliminated as much runtime overhead as possible both on our servers and on our user's devices.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The final boss is the time it takes for the user's device to physically reach your server and grab all this data - Time to First Byte traditionally being one of the few things your developers had effectively no control over.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The XM Cloud headless stack (This was a Sitecore article, remember?!) is ideally suited to Edge integration from a tech standpoint, and can be deployed on the edge. Edge hosting effectively leverages edge compute and cache to bring the server closer to end users, reducing the time it takes for that data to get to end users, so you are able to not only store the cached output there but also build there too so your content will always be up to date, and as well as fast JSS deployments the cherry on top is automatic scaling and DDoS mitigation to create a fantastically secure, robust and performant site whilst retaining a great Content Editor and Developer experience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It's pretty good. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"So...what's next? ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you want to talk more about any of this kind of thing, get in touch, we're always more than happy to chat!","spans":[{"start":95,"end":108,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact/","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"sitecore-xm-cloud-living-on-the-edge"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Sitecore XP: Handling enterprise complexity with ease","spans":[{"start":21,"end":44,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"The larger your organisation, the more complex your digital ecosystem will be. Wherever you are on your enterprise journey, chances are there's a better way to be running things...","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":null},"published":"2024-08-06","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/ea5de/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png","srcSet":"/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/6b0e5/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png 200w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/a489e/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png 400w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/ea5de/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png 800w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/b36f0/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png 1200w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/cfd9e/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png 1600w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/96abc/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/0c129/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/0e93d/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp 200w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/2259f/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp 400w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/0c129/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp 800w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/45222/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp 1200w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/1f191/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp 1600w,\n/static/5645bfe50752954e4ab06b2e4d09e864/70720/ZrIAjkaF0TcGItke_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px-10-.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"sitecore-xp-handling-enterprise-complexity-with-ease"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The essential guide to B2B digital experience: Part 1","spans":[{"start":4,"end":19,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":45,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Risk-aversion, decisions by committee and reassurance. In this blog, Mo gets to grip with the very human processes involved in often very large, complex and expensive business to business purchasing decisions.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Mo Morgan","job_title":"Lead Product Strategist"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZnQbn5m069VX16mn_MoMorganBlogBanner_1-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2024-06-20","link":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZnQbn5m069VX16mn_MoMorganBlogBanner_1-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Enhancing Engagement with Sitecore Search","spans":[{"start":10,"end":20,"type":"strong"},{"start":26,"end":35,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"A frustrating search experience can be the difference between a loyal customer and a lost opportunity. Up there on the frustrating list? Not being able to find what you're searching for...","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-07-09","link":{"uid":"enhancing-engagement-with-sitecore-search"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"enhancing-engagement-with-sitecore-search"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The essential guide to B2B digital experience: Part 2","spans":[{"start":4,"end":19,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":45,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Just as there is no one type of customer, there is no one type of business, and a one-size technical solution is never going to fit all. In this blog, find out how to get IT right in B2B.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":7232,"height":4064},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%27sBlog-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-07-04","link":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part2"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":7232,"height":4064},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%27sBlog-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part2"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s not an uncommon challenge for an organisation to have more than one website.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Maybe there are different websites or microsites providing a unique function, maybe there are multiple brands under one business group - all with their own look and feel. It could even go as far as stretching to a global ecosystem of online shops serving multiple regions. And these sites could all have their own content needs or languages.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s already looking like a pretty complex digital ecosystem to manage, and it’s a pretty common state of affairs for many global organisations, and a bit head-scratch for those organisations looking to scale.   ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Lay it all out","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"So, what are the challenges that you might expect to come along with a digital estate as complex as this?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It can be expensive ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":20,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The more sites you have, the more license fees you’ll likely have. Also general support maintenance and development costs and the staff and partner relationship costs to manage each website. This can be significant for complex organisations.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Governance and security","spans":[{"start":0,"end":23,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The more digital tools and platforms you have, the more governance and security checks you need. You’ll likely be working with multiple agencies or partners and that adds additional risk when it comes to aligning credentials and standards to your business. Keeping on top of it all is difficult, and it takes just one weak link or out-of-date platform to put your business at risk.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Maintaining quality","spans":[{"start":0,"end":19,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It doesn’t take much to feel out of control; maybe a WordPress website has popped up for a market somewhere, or a country has decided to ‘tweak’ your branding; perhaps another website hasn’t been updated in years. It’s a challenge to offer your business entities the flexibility and independence they need, whilst keeping a steady hand on quality control. It’s important that if customers travel through your digital ecosystem it should feel like one journey. All of these challenges should be carefully managed to ensure business and brand consistency and a positive customer experience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Time and resource","spans":[{"start":0,"end":17,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Keeping multiple websites up to date takes time. Some brands or regions might be better at it than others, some may have more budget to spend and those that don’t may feel left behind. Making a group level change to the business strategy or brand can mean that you have to make hundreds of updates elsewhere, making the business less agile or even resistant to positive change.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Spirax Sarco, meet Sitecore","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As an agency, we’re well versed in dealing with these exact challenges. Spirax Sarco is a global provider of steam solutions, working across sectors as diverse as oil and gas, to catering and pharmaceutical. We’ve been working with them since 2017 on a huge range of digital transformation challenges.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Spirax has been going for an impressive 135 years and is home to three world-leading businesses and each of these has between two and six sub-brands with between 36 – 61 operating units each. All with their own digital requirements and needs.","spans":[{"start":191,"end":195,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Over the last 7 years, Great State has worked collaboratively with Spirax Sarco to help streamline tools and services, make time and budget efficiencies and improve governance and security.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Getting into the detail","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We started with the Steam Thermal Solutions brand to develop a platform that supports complex customer journeys for multiple audience types. We harnessed the power of the Sitecore Experience Platform for many reasons, but two key factors stood out.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"o-list-item","text":"It enabled us to manage brand consistency by providing a centralised platform to ensure uniform templates and standards across all websites.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"o-list-item","text":"Sitecore XP allowed us to centralise content distribution and translation efficiently across 54 operating companies globally in 23 languages. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"o-list-item","text":"Sitecore’s marketing automations and personalisation features allowed us to deliver a tailored and localised B2B experience. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This product stream delivered a simple, easy to use, CMS that empowers local markets to take control of their own content, allowing flexibility to cater for individual territory needs without compromising brand consistency. It also allowed for the removal of many legacy websites which were outdated and unsecure.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Since then, we have rolled out websites for three other Spirax Group brands and our efficient approach to code and component re-use enabled us to add value back to the business in a timely manner. We delivered against lean deadlines whilst releasing time back to internal teams to enable them to focus on other areas of growth, and from a cost perspective, cheaper builds allowed for hosting and maintenance savings across the business.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For each of these websites, individual brands were carefully applied to pre-existing components, to ensure that each website is a true representative of both its individual brand but also the overarching business strength and status.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"By making use of the Sitecore platform licence to host multiple websites on the same instance, we also simplified the digital estate and operational management. Using our component libraries, page builder templates and adaptable design system for new brands helped provide a 3x more efficient web build, and their teams are now free to create new content pages in just a few clicks with no developer admin.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The wider organisation now benefits from the stability of the platform, an average of 99.99% uptime, fully monitored and managed by our support team, with all incidents raised resolved within target resolution time and monthly service-level reporting and quarterly service-level reviews.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"The sun sets on legacy platforms","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Spirax has now decommissioned the legacy platforms that previously powered these websites, saving thousands of pounds in hosting costs. They now have a consolidated global platform based around a library of reusable components, meaning content editors can seamlessly move between all of their digital properties with autonomy and manage their workload from one place: Sitecore.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In conclusion, Spirax Sarco has found that managing a multi-brand, multi-operating unit, global business does not require a complex and unwieldy digital ecosystem, and the Sitecore Experience Platform has not only solved many challenges but also delivered large scale business efficiencies which are set to grow as the digital ecosystem expands.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Interested?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you have any questions about the ways Sitecore could support your brands complex digital needs, then get in touch. ","spans":[{"start":99,"end":116,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"sitecore-xp-handling-enterprise-complexity-with-ease"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Enhancing Engagement with Sitecore Search","spans":[{"start":10,"end":20,"type":"strong"},{"start":26,"end":35,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"A frustrating search experience can be the difference between a loyal customer and a lost opportunity. Up there on the frustrating list? Not being able to find what you're searching for...","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":null},"published":"2024-07-09","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/ea5de/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png","srcSet":"/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/6b0e5/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png 200w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/a489e/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png 400w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/ea5de/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png 800w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/b36f0/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png 1200w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/cfd9e/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png 1600w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/96abc/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/0c129/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/0e93d/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp 200w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/2259f/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp 400w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/0c129/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp 800w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/45222/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp 1200w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/1f191/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp 1600w,\n/static/dcf2cc1aa726b7453a4e021fa936db2d/70720/Zo02aR5LeNNTw8Cw_BLOGHEADERS1808x1016px.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"enhancing-engagement-with-sitecore-search"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The essential guide to B2B digital experience: Part 2","spans":[{"start":4,"end":19,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":45,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Just as there is no one type of customer, there is no one type of business, and a one-size technical solution is never going to fit all. In this blog, find out how to get IT right in B2B.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":7232,"height":4064},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%27sBlog-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-07-04","link":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part2"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":7232,"height":4064},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%27sBlog-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part2"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Building the business case","spans":[{"start":0,"end":56,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This article is the first in a series that seeks to provide answers and guidance when embarking on a move to Sitecore XM Cloud, and to start with, Technical Director Gary, is looking at some of the key benefits and strategic considerations of migrating. Let's get into it. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-02-20","link":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Making migration easy","spans":[{"start":0,"end":51,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is the second in a two part series from our Engineering Team. A group of Sitecore experts who are always eager to please. In this article, find out everything you need to know about migrating to Sitecore's XM Cloud: a powerful headless content management system that could transform your business. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-05-01","link":{"uid":"migrating-to-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"migrating-to-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"A frustrating search experience can be the difference between a loyal customer and a lost opportunity. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In the US alone, $300 billion is lost yearly due to bad online search experiences.","spans":[{"start":17,"end":29,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SdZmQpS0DPZxMeUKE4fK6GkrzjRHc9yEbG3RYIGgUhs/edit#slide=id.gcb6bae22f0_1_6055","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Users expect information at their fingertips, and navigating a website shouldn't feel like a treasure hunt. On-site search users who successfully found what they were looking for led to nearly doubled conversion rates.","spans":[{"start":186,"end":200,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://moz.com/blog/on-site-search?","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"The Importance of Good Search","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Effective search functionality is crucial in retaining users and helping with conversions, whether that is lead generation, product signups, or purchases from your e-commerce site.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"When users can't quickly find what they need, frustration sets in, and they are likely to abandon your site for a competitors. \n\nThe digital marketplace is unforgiving; a poor search experience can turn potential loyal customers into lost opportunities.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"52% of consumers abandon their entire cart and go elsewhere if they cannot find just one item.","spans":[{"start":17,"end":42,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SdZmQpS0DPZxMeUKE4fK6GkrzjRHc9yEbG3RYIGgUhs/edit#slide=id.gcb6bae22f0_1_6055","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Here's where Sitecore Search comes in. It's not just a search engine; it's a powerful tool that transforms users' interactions with your content, fostering engagement and driving conversions.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Traditional Search vs Sitecore AI-Powered Search","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Traditional search engines rely on basic keyword matching to deliver results.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"They scan the text of web pages for exact matches to the words in the search query, using an inverted index to map keywords to documents. This approach can be limited, often yielding irrelevant results and frustrating users, as it lacks the ability to understand the context or intent behind the search terms.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In contrast, Sitecore Search leverages advanced AI technologies to provide a more intuitive search experience. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It uses natural language processing (NLP) to comprehend the context and intent behind user queries, delivering highly relevant results. Sitecore's advanced indexing process organises content semantically, allowing for rapid and accurate retrieval. Its AI models predict user intent and pre-fetch relevant results, ensuring fast response times.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Combining UX and Technology","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Driven by AI, personalised search determines a user’s goal and serves up results based on its understanding of that goal.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For example, suppose the same user searches for ‘EV cover’ on an AI-powered search engine. In that case, the engine uses behavioural signals, such as past visits and queries, combined with NLP to correctly predict that they’re looking for information about car insurance for an electric vehicle. Relevant results are then delivered to the user. Best of all, the entire process takes just milliseconds.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Going beyond results, another area we think traditional Search lacks is giving users advanced refinement options within the results, a feature often seen on Product description pages in e-commerce.\n\nSitecore Search empowers users to filter results by date, category, author, or even specific criteria relevant to their industry. This granular control allows users to tailor their search journey and find the exact information they need, fast.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Think of it like browsing a well-organised library, where you can easily navigate to the specific section that holds the information you seek. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Beyond the Search Bar: Continuous Improvement","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The best search experiences are living entities that evolve with user needs.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sitecore Search provides comprehensive analytics that helps you understand how users interact with your search function. By analysing this data, you can identify:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Popular search terms: This helps you tailor content strategy and refine your information architecture. By understanding what users are looking for, you can ensure your content effectively addresses their needs.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Underperforming searches: Are there searches that consistently yield poor results? Analyse these terms to identify gaps in your content or improve their relevance.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"User journeys: Understanding how users navigate the search process further allows you to streamline it. A/B testing different layouts or functionalities can help you optimise the search journey for maximum user satisfaction","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"By harnessing the power of Sitecore Search, you can create a search experience that delivers results and builds trust, empowers users, and drives conversions.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Remember, search is no longer just a tool; it's a conversation starter, a gateway to deeper user engagement, and a powerful driver of brand loyalty.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Get in touch","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you're seeking a team of experts to map out and execute your route to success in B2B technical infrastructure, send us an email. ","spans":[{"start":114,"end":130,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"enhancing-engagement-with-sitecore-search"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The essential guide to B2B digital experience: Part 2","spans":[{"start":4,"end":19,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":45,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Just as there is no one type of customer, there is no one type of business, and a one-size technical solution is never going to fit all. In this blog, find out how to get IT right in B2B.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Fame Razak","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":null},"published":"2024-07-04","image":{"dimensions":{"width":7232,"height":4064},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%27sBlog-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/ea5de/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png","srcSet":"/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/6b0e5/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png 200w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/a489e/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png 400w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/ea5de/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png 800w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/b36f0/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png 1200w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/cfd9e/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png 1600w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/e791c/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.png 7232w","srcWebp":"/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/0c129/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/0e93d/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp 200w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/2259f/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp 400w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/0c129/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp 800w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/45222/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp 1200w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/1f191/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp 1600w,\n/static/efdb3ea77d231b78b5104c2e6c51632c/72c99/ZoUTIB5LeNNTwvly_Fame%2527sBlog-1-.webp 7232w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part2"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The essential guide to B2B digital experience: Part 1","spans":[{"start":4,"end":19,"type":"strong"},{"start":35,"end":45,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Risk-aversion, decisions by committee and reassurance. In this blog, Mo gets to grip with the very human processes involved in often very large, complex and expensive business to business purchasing decisions.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Mo Morgan","job_title":"Lead Product Strategist"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZnQbn5m069VX16mn_MoMorganBlogBanner_1-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2024-06-20","link":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZnQbn5m069VX16mn_MoMorganBlogBanner_1-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Webby's: David and Meg take Manhattan","spans":[{"start":0,"end":4,"type":"strong"},{"start":11,"end":27,"type":"strong"},{"start":32,"end":41,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Every year, the Webby Awards honour the best of the internet. The biggest movers and shakers from across the internet flock to New York for a big fat party, where literally everyone is a winner. That includes Delivery Manager Meg, and Joint Managing Director, David. Take a look at what they got up to. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Great State","job_title":null},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZkZFwCol0Zci9N_y_HEADER.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"news","published":"2024-05-16","link":{"uid":"the-webbys-david-and-meg-take-manhattan"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZkZFwCol0Zci9N_y_HEADER.jpg?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"the-webbys-david-and-meg-take-manhattan"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Making migration easy","spans":[{"start":0,"end":51,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is the second in a two part series from our Engineering Team. A group of Sitecore experts who are always eager to please. In this article, find out everything you need to know about migrating to Sitecore's XM Cloud: a powerful headless content management system that could transform your business. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-05-01","link":{"uid":"migrating-to-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"migrating-to-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"There is no one type of customer. And there is no one type of business. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"When it comes to enterprise IT and its role in B2B, there is no quick fix. But – there are a few easily implemented and easily adjusted solutions to help you on the path to modernising the B2B digital experience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Businesses come in all shapes, sizes, and industries. They all have different goals, different ways of working, and different technology estates. And these factors are constantly changing and evolving with time. But there are a few common traits that they all share when it comes to their technical real estate: technical debt, legacy tech, shadow IT, expensive tech cycles, no holistic digital strategy.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Technical debt is the result of decisions you make unknowingly, or knowingly, that will require reworking further down the line. Large organisations naturally accrue technical debt over time. They also typically have vast legacy technology that is closely tied to business operations.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"There is no one-size-fits-all tech solution","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Digital is complicated. Different parts of your business will have varied and specific needs – what finance needs is vastly different to what marketing needs. Not to mention, accounting for things like legislative requirements – both national and international – and customer groups.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A homogenous solution for all your business needs isn’t practical. Attempting to build one system that can meet all business requirements, always, is expensive and time-consuming. By the time it’s done, needs will have changed, customer expectations will have evolved, and you’ll be back in the infinite tech cycle of doom.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Crucially, it’s also important to remember that there is no such thing as future-proof technology. Obsolescence is a real and inescapable thing. But it’s not something to fear – it’s something you can plan for and mitigate. What organisations need is adaptable, flexible technology - supported by a clear organisational digital strategy - that’s built with awareness for current demand and potential evolution.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"3 pillars of a good digital estate","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"To achieve your business goals, it can be useful to consider these three pillars of digital success: flexible technology, management of legacy tech and tech debt, and pace of delivery. Let’s break it down.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Utilising flexible technology","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Breaking the endless procurement cycle","spans":[{"start":0,"end":38,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Trends, tools, and techniques from the commercial world can easily be ported to a global B2B setting, thanks to digital experience platforms evolving massively over the years.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Now, your front end can be decoupled from the content management system, which can be decoupled from the personalisation engine, which can be decoupled from the commerce engine. Need a UX/UI overhaul? Simply update your front end.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Composable architecture and swappable components, like those found with Sitecore, offer a suite of systems that can work together at will. Along with loosely coupled systems - designed for layers of abstraction and indirection between components - and SAAS + NoCode, these flexible technologies will support and cope with the complexities of your organisation, with less operational overhead.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Managing legacy systems","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"You don't have to replace everything in one go","spans":[{"start":0,"end":46,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s very common to find old, legacy technology within an enterprise digital estate that can’t communicate with modern systems. Building a roadmap is essential – you'll use it to validate decisions and keep momentum going. Most organisations don’t have one!","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Every organisation should have technical debt tracked in their backlog/s, so it can be prioritised and remediated. The longer you delay paying off this debt, the more it’ll cost you. Educate product owners and business stakeholders on why clearing this debt is important – the temptation of shiny features tends to be quite high, especially in larger organisations.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Intelligent use of abstractions can also make a huge difference to how you live with legacy systems: placing a layer in front of the legacy system that brokers communications, so the rest of the technology stack doesn’t have to. This avoids incurring technical debt all over your digital estate and instead concentrates it in the abstraction layer.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Replacing a legacy system wholesale is often impractical. This is where the ‘Strangler fig pattern’ can help. Instead of wholesale replacement, you instead create a façade – gradually migrating functionality to a more modern system (or systems). Calls to the legacy system are routed through the façade layer. It knows which bits of functionality have been migrated, and routes traffic accordingly. It’s a gradual shift that slowly, but surely, eases reliance on legacy systems in a digital architecture.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Maintaining innovation and pace","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"How to avoid issues with shadow IT","spans":[{"start":0,"end":34,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Enterprise IT is notorious for crawling along at a snail’s pace. There is a balance to be struck. Find that balance in your organisation.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We all know that maintaining pace is crucial. But not all teams should work the same way. Bring teams together, share ways of working, and let them adapt. If implemented and run in the right way, a composable architecture can act as a multiplier, enabling you to run multiple teams at once with less friction. And giving teams autonomy, ownership, and accountability for system components empowers them to innovate and deliver at pace.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But to do so, it’s also important to keep teams together – nothing disrupts the pace of delivery like moving people around all the time. Optimise for productivity, quality, and happiness by interrogating any decisions that will directly affect team members.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"And avoid drowning them in bureaucracy when it inevitably shows up – even when simply selecting day-to-day tools like Slack, Clickup, Jira etc. A flat structure will ensure everyone is aware of process, enabling teams to move quickly.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Where do I start?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"No matter where you’re starting from, and what your business goals are, it’s important to remember: there is no one-size-fits-all enterprise solution.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Think holistically about your customer and business needs. Develop a technical strategy, and a handy roadmap, to keep your organisation and teams on track with objectives, rationales, and solutions for business goals. Start small, create pace, deliver value quickly – and repeat.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"the-essential-guide-to-b2b-digital-experience-part2"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Making migration easy","spans":[{"start":0,"end":51,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is the second in a two part series from our Engineering Team. A group of Sitecore experts who are always eager to please. In this article, find out everything you need to know about migrating to Sitecore's XM Cloud: a powerful headless content management system that could transform your business. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":{"dimensions":{"width":500,"height":500},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate%2F92ffdb58-4241-49a8-a41a-cf470cc9ed92_gs-avatar-jameshobbs-new+%282%29.jpg?auto=compress,format"}},"published":"2024-05-01","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png?auto=format,compress"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/ea5de/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png","srcSet":"/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/6b0e5/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png 200w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/a489e/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png 400w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/ea5de/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png 800w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/b36f0/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png 1200w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/cfd9e/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png 1600w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/96abc/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/0c129/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/0e93d/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp 200w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/2259f/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp 400w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/0c129/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp 800w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/45222/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp 1200w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/1f191/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp 1600w,\n/static/66f333ca294759a2589f7ac0b7966b64/70720/ZjOFBUMTzAJOCfhS_Newcontractblogheader-1-.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"migrating-to-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Building the business case","spans":[{"start":0,"end":56,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This article is the first in a series that seeks to provide answers and guidance when embarking on a move to Sitecore XM Cloud, and to start with, Technical Director Gary, is looking at some of the key benefits and strategic considerations of migrating. Let's get into it. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2024-02-20","link":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great People: Introducing Gary Trimnell","spans":[{"start":0,"end":39,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Gary started out at Great State as a Multi-media Designer. Turns out that we paid him in chicken sandwiches which definitely wouldn't fly these days. Either way, it didn't put him off and 26 years later, Gary is our Technical Director and we'd be lost without him. Get to know him here. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Great State","job_title":null},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZipNDfPdc1huKy7s_2.png?auto=format,compress"},"article_type":"news","published":"2024-03-13","link":{"uid":"great-people-introducing-gary-trimnell"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/ZipNDfPdc1huKy7s_2.png?auto=format,compress"},"_meta":{"uid":"great-people-introducing-gary-trimnell"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"How Sitecore supports global expansion, at pace","spans":[{"start":0,"end":47,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Scale-up companies who are in their next stage of growth and looking to expand globally, find themselves in a complex transitional period. They need to remain profitable, maximise sustainability and retain culture all without growing their head count too aggressively. In this blog we explain how Sitecore can help. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-04-26","link":{"uid":"how-sitecore-supports-global-roll-out-at-pace"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"how-sitecore-supports-global-roll-out-at-pace"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is the second in a two part series from our Engineering Team. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Designed to tell you everything you need to know about Sitecore's XM Cloud: a headless content management system that is a foundation for a composable digital experience platform.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Leading on from our previous blog post about building a business case for moving to Sitecore’s XM Cloud, here we go into some more detail on what that migration might look like – and different options that you could take. ","spans":[{"start":45,"end":103,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/blog/articles/building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is a relatively high-level overview, so if you would like to understand your options in more detail then always, please get in touch with us.","spans":[{"start":125,"end":137,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact/","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Where’s your head at?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The first and most logical place to start would be to understand the type of platform you currently have – and this applies as much to an existing Sitecore XM/XP implementation as it does to a platform built with non-Sitecore technology.","spans":[{"start":69,"end":74,"type":"em"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Specifically, websites that are built using headless technology are significantly easier to migrate or re-platform to XM Cloud. This is because XM Cloud is natively headless.","spans":[{"start":68,"end":82,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"One of the greatest advantages of having a headless website platform is that it is easier to change the CMS that powers the content behind the scenes, compared to more traditional websites where the CMS itself is responsible for rendering out the pages.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you have a headless website already, you’re one step ahead; if you have a Sitecore headless website, even better, as the CMS integration technology is largely the same.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you’re not currently using headless, then you are going to need to rebuild your front-end. This is a really good opportunity to modernise your front-end and ensure that it is not only built with modern tooling, but that it meets accessibility, security and sustainability standards in addition to delivering a good user experience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Set a benchmark","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We’d then recommend carrying out some testing to establish benchmarks you can measure the new platform against. This could cover a range of areas:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Performance and load testing","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Security testing","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Accessibility testing","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"list-item","text":"Sustainability testing","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Which of those make the most sense will depend on your current platform and the migration approach you’re going to take.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For example, if the objective is to simply ‘lift and shift’ your current headless website onto XM Cloud, there may be some inherent performance benefits you’ll be able to realise – but the accessibility posture will be largely the same; you’ll be keeping the existing UI / UX.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"However, if you’re aiming for a bit more of a dramatic overhaul of what you’ve currently got – and a re-platforming is a great opportunity to do this – then it would make sense to benchmark as much as possible so you can quantify all the positive improvements you’re going to make!","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Define the migration approach","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The migration approach will likely vary depending on your organisation and the type of work you do on your website platform.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Some organisations have relatively static/unchanging websites, which are good candidates for migrating in one go onto XM Cloud. Other organisations have very dynamic websites that are constantly changing. Those often require a more nuanced, complex approach as it would be infeasible to stop all work in order to migrate to XM Cloud. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For example, if your website can be divided logically into sections, it might make more sense to adopt a gradual move to XM Cloud by migrating one section at a time.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"You can use a variety of tools to route traffic between two separate systems – for example, Sitecore XP and XM Cloud – in a way that means to end users, it’s all just one website. This is a good strategy for implementing an incremental migration to XM Cloud – shift across a section at a time.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Whether you adopt that approach or not, you will end up paying for XM Cloud at the same time as Sitecore XP, so we would encourage as much meticulous planning as possible to minimise the time you’ll be dual-running both systems.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Preparing for migration","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"There are several things you can do in advance of a move to XM Cloud that will make it easier when the time comes.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As already mentioned, if your websites are already headless, that’s a significant chunk of effort out of the way. If they’re not, it might be worth thinking about starting to rebuild your front ends using headless technology. If you’re already on Sitecore XM/XP, rebuilding your front end and using Sitecore JSS will put you in a great position for that migration over to XM Cloud.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you’re using some of Sitecore XP’s more advanced features such as personalisation, while XM Cloud has some basic personalisation features built in, it doesn’t have full feature parity with XP. One thing you could do is migrate your existing personalisation over to Sitecore Personalise – that works very nicely with XM Cloud and will ensure you don’t lose out on functionality when you migrate to XM Cloud.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Be bold","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The temptation is always to move everything from your incumbent system over to the new one – even if you overhaul the UI/UX, organisations will often choose to migrate all their content wholesale.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is a potential missed opportunity to massively simplify your website content and information architecture. When we recently re-platformed the Royal Navy to a Sitecore-powered headless website, we worked with them to drastically reduce the volume of content which resulted in a much leaner, more focused website that was better in line with the requirements of their audience.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Lifting and shifting all existing content, which has probably existed for a while, simply means that your website will be in line with the requirements of the incumbent website, not the new one. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Test, test and test","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Make sure that you are testing your XM Cloud website long before it’s ready to go-live. Postponing performance, load, accessibility, security and sustainability testing runs the risks of finding out about issues when it’s too late to meaningfully do anything about them.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Build this kind of testing into your development process – preferably automated – and you’ll get early sight of any issues, and early sight of how much faster and more efficient your new website is!","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Ensuring you have KPIs set for all the various metrics associated with this type of testing means you can track how well you’re doing against them, and take any action to rectify sooner – which is more cost efficient.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Need a hand?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We're Sitecore Gold Partners and we've been implementing complex Sitecore solutions with ease for over a decade. So if you'd like some support or guidance on your next technical project, speak to the team. ","spans":[{"start":187,"end":204,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact/","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"migrating-to-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Sitecore XM Cloud Series: Building the business case","spans":[{"start":0,"end":56,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"This article is the first in a series that seeks to provide answers and guidance when embarking on a move to Sitecore XM Cloud, and to start with, Technical Director Gary, is looking at some of the key benefits and strategic considerations of migrating. Let's get into it. ","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director","profile_picture":null},"published":"2024-02-20","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/ea5de/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png","srcSet":"/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/6b0e5/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png 200w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/a489e/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png 400w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/ea5de/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png 800w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/b36f0/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png 1200w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/cfd9e/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png 1600w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/96abc/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/0c129/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/0e93d/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp 200w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/2259f/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp 400w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/0c129/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp 800w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/45222/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp 1200w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/1f191/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp 1600w,\n/static/f447309a95032907c1fa69b76269458a/70720/bacec48a-7814-4a0c-b8e6-1d6cf075eaea_buildingabusinesscase.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"How Sitecore supports global expansion, at pace","spans":[{"start":0,"end":47,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Scale-up companies who are in their next stage of growth and looking to expand globally, find themselves in a complex transitional period. They need to remain profitable, maximise sustainability and retain culture all without growing their head count too aggressively. In this blog we explain how Sitecore can help. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-04-26","link":{"uid":"how-sitecore-supports-global-roll-out-at-pace"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"how-sitecore-supports-global-roll-out-at-pace"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"OrderCloud: the headless future of B2B commerce","spans":[{"start":0,"end":47,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"When there's a shift in consumer behaviour, the tech that powers e-commerce platforms needs to keep up. It's our job to stay one step ahead and prepare our clients for future consumer sentiment and technical innovation. In this blog, Gary explains how headless commerce platforms, like Sitecore OrderCloud, provide the flexibility and scalability to do just that. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/cc61bb7e-e111-44ad-ade1-1619a60ff93c_Trolley.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-07-06","link":{"uid":"sitecore-ordercloud---why-headless-is-the-future-for"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/cc61bb7e-e111-44ad-ade1-1619a60ff93c_Trolley.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"sitecore-ordercloud---why-headless-is-the-future-for"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going 'headless': What does it mean and what is the big deal? ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":62,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Headless Content Management Systems are popping up all over the place – but what are they and why might you benefit from having one? The answer isn't simple and it depends on a lot of factors, but luckily Technical Architect, Andrew, knows a thing or two about it.","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/442ab594-6ecb-4277-ab7b-59104b7aea89_headless+cop.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-02-07","link":{"uid":"headless-cms-whats-the-big-deal"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/442ab594-6ecb-4277-ab7b-59104b7aea89_headless+cop.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"headless-cms-whats-the-big-deal"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"CMS platforms. The direction of travel is firmly heading towards the Cloud, but building the business case to make the jump is not always straightforward, and can be a little daunting. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Many of our clients are already on Sitecore, and for those who are, the move to XM Cloud is very much in their radar. As such, we’re often asked several questions, or see gaps in the collective knowledge of those considering the move, that create hesitation, or a level of uncertainty.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"So I wanted to shed some light on this.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This article is the first in a series that seeks to provide answers and guidance when embarking on a move to Sitecore XM Cloud, and to start with I’m looking at some of the key benefits and strategic considerations of migrating.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"I will also look at how Great State’s Sitecore XM Cloud Migration Evaluation can support building a compelling business case for organisations contemplating moving from either Sitecore XM/XP or another platform to XM Cloud as part of their digital transformation journey. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Let’s get in to it…","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"What is Sitecore XM Cloud?","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you’re reading this, then you’re probably not new to Sitecore XM Cloud, but in case you didn’t know, XM Cloud stands at the forefront of the digital experience landscape, revolutionising how businesses interact with their customers online. \n ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sitecore XM Cloud is the latest evolution of Sitecore's Experience Platform, designed as a fully managed cloud-native SaaS (Software as a Service) offering. It integrates content management, digital marketing, and commerce capabilities, enabling organizations to deliver seamless, personalized user experiences across multiple channels. This platform stands out for its flexibility, scalability, and advanced features, which cater to the dynamic needs of modern businesses aiming to expand their digital footprint.\n \nOne of its key benefits is the headless content management system (CMS) approach, which separates the content from presentation. This flexibility allows businesses to deliver content across multiple channels and, ensuring consistent and engaging user experiences. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Minimising Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and maximising ROI\n","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another key benefit to migrating to Sitecore XM Cloud is that it represents a strategic investment that can lead to significant cost savings and a higher return on investment (ROI) over time. By moving to a SaaS model, organisations can reduce their total cost of ownership.\n \nA significant advantage of Sitecore XM Cloud is the elimination of traditional IT overheads. The hosting infrastructure and its management is all taken care of so businesses can enjoy a streamlined, maintenance-free experience and invest that money into other areas that will provide more direct value back to their business and their customers. This also means no more cumbersome upgrade processes or compatibility concerns, allowing IT teams to focus on innovation rather than maintenance.\n \nThe operational efficiencies gained through improved scalability, flexibility, and automation further contribute to cost-effectiveness, enabling businesses to allocate resources more strategically.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading2","text":"Building the business case","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Building the business case for migrating to Sitecore XM Cloud involves a comprehensive analysis of the platform's potential to drive digital transformation, enhance customer experiences, and achieve operational efficiencies.\n \nGreat States \"Sitecore XM Cloud Migration Evaluation\" service is designed to meticulously assess your current digital infrastructure and chart a strategic course towards Sitecore XM Cloud. This comprehensive evaluation provides businesses with a critical decision-making foundation for a seamless transition. Here's what you can expect from this service:","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"In-depth Platform Analysis","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Our experts conduct a thorough review of your current digital ecosystem, understanding your business and technical requirements and align them with the capabilities of Sitecore XM Cloud. We will look at infrastructure, content, integrations, and overall user experience to ensure no stone is left unturned.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"Migration Readiness and Gap Analysis","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We evaluate your preparedness for Sitecore XM Cloud, identifying the necessary enablement changes. Our gap analysis clarifies the steps needed to ensure a frictionless migration.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"Architecture and Integration Strategy","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We provide targeted architecture and infrastructure strategies tailored for the cloud environment. Additionally, we assess all third-party services and APIs for compatibility, ensuring they integrate flawlessly with Sitecore XM Cloud. Paying close attention to optimising performance, security and scalability.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"Front-end delivery modelling","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Moving to a headless platform will provide ultimate flexibility and no restrictions on how to implement the front-end digital applications, services and products that consume the content being served from via APIs , this will require careful planning to model the right approach for each entity. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"Financial Planning and Risk Assessment","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Understanding the costs estimates and investment timeline are crucial. We will calculate the Total Cost of Ownership and map out the potential risks and define strategies to mitigate them effectively.","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"Compliance and Security Review ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Ensuring adherence to regulations, we will understand your security and compliance requirements to the right controls and processes are in place to maintain them during and post migration. ","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"heading4","text":"Roadmap Creation","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We will create a comprehensive phased migration roadmap, complete with roles, responsibilities, and timelines, ensuring a controlled transition and ongoing support requirements are factored in (e.g. training).The evaluation will cumulate with a report that we will present back to containing our findings and recommendations including the migration roadmap and cost estimates for delivery. \n \nAs businesses continue to adapt to the evolving demands of the digital economy, embracing cloud-native solutions like Sitecore XM Cloud will be crucial in maintaining competitiveness and achieving long-term success.\n \nIf you would like to understand how Great State can help you on this journey then please get in touch.","spans":[{"start":700,"end":712,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact","target":"_blank"}}],"direction":"ltr"}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"building-the-business-case-for-sitecore-xm-cloud"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Unlocking efficiency with Umbraco cloud","spans":[{"start":0,"end":10,"type":"strong"},{"start":20,"end":39,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud is a cloud-based, all-in-one managed Umbraco CMS solution which makes it an ideal solution for web-transformation projects on an Enterprise scale. Our Umbraco MVP, Nurhak, illustrates why and how Umbraco Cloud gives the flexibility and scalability to deliver the results you need, at pace.","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Nurhak Kaya","job_title":"Technical Architect","profile_picture":null},"published":"2023-11-08","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/ea5de/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png","srcSet":"/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/6b0e5/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png 200w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/a489e/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png 400w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/ea5de/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png 800w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/b36f0/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png 1200w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/cfd9e/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png 1600w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/96abc/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.png 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/0c129/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/0e93d/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp 200w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/2259f/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp 400w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/0c129/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp 800w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/45222/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp 1200w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/1f191/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp 1600w,\n/static/d3dfaaf55916baff480a28f3f1445a7e/70720/f25428e5-d278-4cdb-8da2-d9879264322f_UmbracoCloud.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"unlocking-efficiency-and-flexibility-with-umbraco-cloud"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great State at Umbraco Spark 2023: the highlights","spans":[{"start":0,"end":49,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Spark is the Bristol-based conference which attracts visitors from all over the the world. We sponsored it, we hosted a talk, the whole front-end team headed over. In this latest blog, our Umbraco MVP, Nurhak, shares his highlights and insights... check it out!","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Nurhak Kaya","job_title":"Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco+Spark+header.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":null,"published":"2023-03-24","link":{"uid":"umbraco-spark-2023"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco+Spark+header.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"umbraco-spark-2023"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"MyNavy: Using Umbraco in the Enterprise","spans":[{"start":0,"end":14,"type":"strong"},{"start":21,"end":29,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"We frequently use Umbraco to deliver complex solutions. Its flexibility and ease of use make it the ideal platform to host enterprise integrations – no matter where the services live. MyNavy is a working example of the power of Umbraco as an enterprise solution - it boomed from hosting three product areas to seventeen, and it's still growing. Read on to find out how. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale+up+.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-07-12","link":{"uid":"mynavy-using-umbraco-in-the-enterprise"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale+up+.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"mynavy-using-umbraco-in-the-enterprise"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going green: Using Umbraco to reduce your carbon footprint","spans":[{"start":0,"end":6,"type":"strong"},{"start":11,"end":30,"type":"strong"},{"start":37,"end":58,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"There's a hidden cost to the explosion in internet-connected devices: the carbon footprint. Those who design digital services can play an active role in reducing the carbon impact of the digital products they design. CMS platforms like Umbraco can help you do just that and in this blog, James explains how. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green+bulb.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-09-18","link":{"uid":"going-green-using-umbraco-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green+bulb.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"going-green-using-umbraco-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco was recently rated the #1 CMS in Europe, scooping up an incredible 52 G2 awards. ","spans":[{"start":78,"end":80,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://sell.g2.com/best-software-criteria?utm_content=sell-banner&utm_term=&utm_campaign=KB_SellG2_DSA_UK&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzkW4MhmF6y3sNugNPk__JVf6K7BTIK55yXDd5FZIkgTnLcbtRxKFfkaArXPEALw_wcB"}}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"And for good reason; they have impressive stats to back them up: 48% of clients who move to Umbraco see ROI in just 6 months, and the average 'go live' time is a mere 4 months.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We’re in the exclusive Platinum Partner club. It's the badge of recognition that says we’re among the best in the business when it comes to implementing Umbraco solutions for our clients. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco is an open-source CMS that provides flexibility and value for money. But value for money doesn't mean it’s limited in what it can do. Our Engineering Team use it to implement enterprise-level solutions that transform businesses at scale, quickly. Umbraco Cloud specifically, plays a pivotal role in helping our clients establish their online presence and engage with their audience effectively. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Here, MVP Nurhak, illustrates how Umbraco Cloud can empower your enterprise-level web development projects.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"So, what is Umbraco Cloud?","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud is a cloud-based, all-in-one managed Umbraco CMS solution. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Everything is installed, configured and ready for development. Within a few minutes, you can create your Umbraco Cloud projects with multiple environments and start working on them. One of the biggest benefits is that you no longer have to worry about managing your hosting infrastructure, as Umbraco takes care of them using the Microsoft Azure’s proven and solid infrastructure.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud combines the flexibility and extensibility of Umbraco with the advantages of cloud computing to provide a comprehensive web development and content management solution.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"What are the benefits?","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Effortless Deployment and Scaling","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud takes the hassle out of server management. It offers an integrated hosting environment that handles deployment and scaling automatically. This means you can focus on writing code and creating content rather than worrying about server configurations.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Version Control and Collaboration","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud's built-in version control system, which allows multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously, delivering any changes rapidly. It integrates seamlessly with Git, enabling efficient collaboration and code management.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD)","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud supports CI/CD pipelines, making it easy to automate your development workflow. You can set up automated tests, build processes, and deployment pipelines to ensure a smooth and error-free release process.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Multiple Environments","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"With Umbraco Cloud, you can create multiple environments to test changes and updates before pushing them to production. This helps prevent issues and ensures a seamless user experience on your live website.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Security and Updates","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Security is a top priority for Great State and Umbraco Cloud. It regularly receives updates and security patches, helping to protect your website from vulnerabilities. Automatic backups are also part of the package, ensuring that your data is safe.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Scalability and Performance","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud's hosting infrastructure is designed for scalability. Your website can handle traffic spikes and growth without sacrificing performance. This is especially important for businesses that anticipate growth in their online presence.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"API and Integration Capabilities","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud offers a robust API that allows developers to integrate it with other systems and services. This flexibility is essential for creating dynamic and interactive websites.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Multilingual Support","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For organisations with a global audience, Umbraco Cloud's multilingual support simplifies content management and localisation efforts, allowing you to reach a broader audience effortlessly.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Cost-Effective Hosting","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud's subscription-based pricing model eliminates the need for upfront infrastructure investments. You only pay for the resources you use, making it a cost-effective choice for businesses of all sizes.","spans":[{"start":16,"end":48,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://umbraco.com/products/umbraco-cloud/pricing/"}}]},{"type":"heading2","text":"In conclusion","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Cloud is a technical powerhouse that combines the capabilities of Umbraco with the convenience and scalability of cloud hosting. It empowers developers and organisations to build, deploy, and manage websites efficiently, while also ensuring security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you're looking for a CMS that offers technical prowess and ease of use, Umbraco Cloud is a compelling choice to consider for your next web development project.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Want to chat to the team about building your next project on Umbraco? Then get in touch. ","spans":[{"start":79,"end":87,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact"}}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"","spans":[]}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"unlocking-efficiency-and-flexibility-with-umbraco-cloud"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going green: Using Umbraco to reduce your carbon footprint","spans":[{"start":0,"end":6,"type":"strong"},{"start":11,"end":30,"type":"strong"},{"start":37,"end":58,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"There's a hidden cost to the explosion in internet-connected devices: the carbon footprint. Those who design digital services can play an active role in reducing the carbon impact of the digital products they design. CMS platforms like Umbraco can help you do just that and in this blog, James explains how. ","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":{"dimensions":{"width":500,"height":500},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate%2F92ffdb58-4241-49a8-a41a-cf470cc9ed92_gs-avatar-jameshobbs-new+%282%29.jpg?auto=compress,format"}},"published":"2023-09-18","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green+bulb.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/d47f1/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/b5b92/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg 200w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/3ff6e/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg 400w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/d47f1/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg 800w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/86173/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg 1200w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/a5547/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg 1600w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/1bd97/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.jpg 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/0c129/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/0e93d/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp 200w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/2259f/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp 400w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/0c129/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp 800w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/45222/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp 1200w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/1f191/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp 1600w,\n/static/ee5d47e5b047394766f146dc912ac4d0/70720/f066cede-74e9-4063-9e4f-5f2ef64d0ec3_Green%2Bbulb.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"going-green-using-umbraco-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Curb your Co2 emissions with streamlined UX","spans":[{"start":0,"end":43,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Digital is embedded in almost every facet of our daily lives. Processes once run using physical materials are increasingly delivered digitally and given the scale of use, small changes to how we design experiences can make a big difference to energy consumption. Read on. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andy Ingle","job_title":"Head of UX"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/1652720a-2d57-4f3a-be06-aae9d2acc4ce_Sockets+etc.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2023-02-15","link":{"uid":"streamlining-ux-to-curb-co2-emission"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/1652720a-2d57-4f3a-be06-aae9d2acc4ce_Sockets+etc.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"streamlining-ux-to-curb-co2-emission"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Andrew McKaskill: A BIMA 100 Tech Pioneer ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":42,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another BIMA 100 superstar joins the ranks at Great State. Enter Andrew McKaskill, Technical Architect and official BIMA 100 Tech Pioneer! Read on to find out more about him, his career and how he secured a spot on the highly coveted list.","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/6f7bbd98-fc5e-4cba-9982-84df83c0e633_ANDY+MAC+BIMA+BLOG.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2023-05-18","link":{"uid":"andrew-mckaskill-a-bima-100-tech-pioneer"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/6f7bbd98-fc5e-4cba-9982-84df83c0e633_ANDY+MAC+BIMA+BLOG.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"andrew-mckaskill-a-bima-100-tech-pioneer"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Reduce, re-use and re-write your code  ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":39,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Slowly but (hopefully) surely, the world seems to be waking up to the looming climate crisis. What role can software engineering and related disciplines play in this global effort?","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/c5e5112a-cec2-4a42-b75e-1b88e381e047_treeeeeees.png?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2022-04-22","link":{"uid":"eco-friendly-software-engineering"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/c5e5112a-cec2-4a42-b75e-1b88e381e047_treeeeeees.png?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"eco-friendly-software-engineering"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"There’s a hidden cost to the massive explosion in internet-connected devices and the scale of adoption of the internet – the carbon footprint. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Whipping out your phone to quickly Google something is incredibly fast for users, but behind that sits a collection of systems and services of planetary scale, all of which are using electricity. If the internet was a country, it would be the sixth biggest consumer of electricity on the planet. This is only going to grow.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Those of us working in the digital industry have the power (and the responsibility) to do something to lessen the impact of the work we do, particularly as most of the carbon we generate is not visible to our end users. At Great State, we’ve embarked on a number of sustainability initiatives, and one of those is focused on our work with Umbraco.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"The size of the problem","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Some quick facts to quantify the size of the digital carbon footprint problem:","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Since 2010, the number of people using the internet has doubled","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"More than half the world’s population used the internet in 2020","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"An average search query results in 1.45g of CO2 being emitted","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Scale that out by the number of queries across the globe and that is a huge number","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Google, in 2018, used the equivalent energy of boiling 250 billion cups of tea","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In summary, all the lovely things we like to do on the internet on our phones and other smart devices are having a tangible, sizeable and accelerating impact on the environment.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"The impact of Umbraco","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco is a key technology for us at Great State, and they take their sustainability responsibilities as seriously as we do – which is exactly what we look for in a partner. They have published an Impact Report for 2022 which has a section dedicated to their environmental impact and what they are doing to reduce it.","spans":[{"start":198,"end":220,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://umbraco.com/umbraco-impact-report-2022/"}}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"More than 50% of their carbon footprint comes from their Umbraco Cloud and Heartcore products. This will continue to be Umbraco’s biggest challenge in terms of reducing their carbon emissions, but they are not alone in this game - they have the support of a tech giant, namely Microsoft. ","spans":[{"start":277,"end":286,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/"}}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"All Umbraco Cloud plans are hosted on Microsoft Azure, which gives all Umbraco Cloud websites a proven and solid foundation, but these websites also directly benefit from Microsoft’s decade of innovation and decisive actions to create sustainable solutions.","spans":[{"start":28,"end":53,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://24days.in/umbraco-cms/2022/choosing-umbraco-products-for-clients/"}},{"start":171,"end":224,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/corporate-responsibility/sustainability/report"}}]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Helping Umbraco to become even greener","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"By migrating their tech stack to .NET Core (now .NET), Umbraco benefitted from a significant increase in speed and efficiency, in addition to being able to run on multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, MacOS). This means websites built on Umbraco 9 can be 50% more efficient than websites built on previous versions using legacy technology. This is one reason why Great State work with our clients to get them onto newer versions of the CMS – in addition to being able to benefit from new features. Umbraco 8, the last version to run on the legacy tech, goes into extended support in Feb 2024 – so it’s a great time to upgrade to a newer version and reap the benefits.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another Umbraco sustainability initiative is the formation of a dedicated Umbraco Sustainability Community Team, a group of people comprised of Umbraco employees and industry experts, whose focus is to improve the sustainability of Umbraco and advise digital agencies and customers on best practices to make their digital solutions more environmentally friendly. Great State team members are part of this community group, along with several other unrelated Umbraco community groups, meaning we get a chance to influence Umbraco and learn from peers who are facing similar challenges.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Adopting the right techniques","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"At Great State, we have formed an internal sustainability working group which has been pulling together guidance and best practices for the agency on how to build in sustainability from the very beginning of projects.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This includes guidance on everything from hosting infrastructure, software architecture, creative / design approaches, and user experience design. For example, considering offer a ‘low carbon’ mode for websites which users can choose to activate which removes videos and reduces images to lower the overall footprint of pages.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"By adopting these techniques, we’ve been able to reduce the carbon footprint of a new website for a client by 40% compared to the previous version. This massively benefits their search engine optimisation, overall user experience and conversion, and it’s better for the planet – a reduction of more than 2.3 tonnes of carbon a year.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Talk to us","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you want to understand more about the work we’ve done in the sustainability space, or want to get a handle on the environmental impact of your current digital estate, please get in touch with us.","spans":[{"start":177,"end":197,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact"}}]}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"going-green-using-umbraco-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"MyNavy: Using Umbraco in the Enterprise","spans":[{"start":0,"end":14,"type":"strong"},{"start":21,"end":29,"type":"strong"}],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"We frequently use Umbraco to deliver complex solutions. Its flexibility and ease of use make it the ideal platform to host enterprise integrations – no matter where the services live. MyNavy is a working example of the power of Umbraco as an enterprise solution - it boomed from hosting three product areas to seventeen, and it's still growing. Read on to find out how. ","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect","profile_picture":{"dimensions":{"width":500,"height":500},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/4c7f1382-1845-4883-b3d4-d993c13a709b_GS_Avatar.jpg?auto=compress,format"}},"published":"2023-07-12","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale+up+.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"src":"/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/d47f1/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.jpg","srcSet":"/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/b5b92/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.jpg 200w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/3ff6e/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.jpg 400w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/d47f1/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.jpg 800w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/86173/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.jpg 1200w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/a5547/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.jpg 1600w","srcWebp":"/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/0c129/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/0e93d/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.webp 200w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/2259f/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.webp 400w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/0c129/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.webp 800w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/45222/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.webp 1200w,\n/static/8922fbd03ba75d4a4fceb93ae4755505/1f191/8f105dad-11b0-4c67-b0eb-23a90f3c9d98_scale%2Bup%2B.webp 1600w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"mynavy-using-umbraco-in-the-enterprise"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Gen Z appeal: how the Royal Navy got it right ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":45,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"We collaborate with the Royal Navy on more than just their digital transformation projects. We help them capture the attention of Gen Z audience through multi-channel creative campaigns. In this blog, find out how we influence and attract new recruits through multi-channel creative campaigns. Read on. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Ruston Butcher","job_title":"Account Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":674},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/c9c3b9fa-6ee4-4652-b398-56dd3a1859c3_Blog_Burst_Cover_1200x674.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2023-04-04","link":{"uid":"a-burst-of-gen-z-activity"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":674},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/c9c3b9fa-6ee4-4652-b398-56dd3a1859c3_Blog_Burst_Cover_1200x674.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"a-burst-of-gen-z-activity"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"My First CodeGarden: expect the unexpected ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":43,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Aimee Smith is one of our newest developers who has already made a huge impact on the engineering team. She recently attended her first Umbraco CodeGarden. She didn't expect the Hawaiian shirts, boxing matches or the ukulele performance, but she did expect some cracking insights... find out more.  ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Aimee Smith","job_title":"Software Engineer"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/04598b58-2d83-4fec-ae99-224e5233a334_codegarden+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Opinion","published":"2023-06-28","link":{"uid":"my-first-code-garden"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/04598b58-2d83-4fec-ae99-224e5233a334_codegarden+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"my-first-code-garden"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Andrew McKaskill: A BIMA 100 Tech Pioneer ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":42,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another BIMA 100 superstar joins the ranks at Great State. Enter Andrew McKaskill, Technical Architect and official BIMA 100 Tech Pioneer! Read on to find out more about him, his career and how he secured a spot on the highly coveted list.","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/6f7bbd98-fc5e-4cba-9982-84df83c0e633_ANDY+MAC+BIMA+BLOG.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2023-05-18","link":{"uid":"andrew-mckaskill-a-bima-100-tech-pioneer"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/6f7bbd98-fc5e-4cba-9982-84df83c0e633_ANDY+MAC+BIMA+BLOG.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"andrew-mckaskill-a-bima-100-tech-pioneer"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Last month at CodeGarden, the annual Umbraco conference, CTO Filip Bech-Larsen talked in his keynote about different flavours of Digital Experience Platforms (DXP):","spans":[{"start":37,"end":44,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/partners/umbraco"}}]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Composable DXP: where you create your platform by stitching together (or composing) best of breed SaaS solutions. ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":15,"type":"strong"}]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Platform DXP: where you integrate your marketing products directly into the platform. These could be first or third-party products, but the administration is all contained within the Umbraco platform.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":14,"type":"strong"}]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Hybrid DXP: the cross-over point in the middle, where some services are provided inside the platform, and some are provided by SaaS solutions outside.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":12,"type":"strong"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"While other CMS systems tend to steer towards either the composable or platform options – Filip was keen to point out that Umbraco was a great fit across all three.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This wasn’t really news to us because we use Umbraco regularly to deliver complex solutions – we have long known that its flexibility and ease of use make it the ideal platform to host your enterprise integrations – no matter where the services live.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"MyNavy as an enterprise solution","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"MyNavy is a great example of an enterprise solution built around Umbraco. It’s an employee empowerment platform designed to help enhance the lived experience of serving personnel in the Royal Navy, by providing them access to information and IT services from their personal electronic devices, anywhere in the world.","spans":[{"start":0,"end":6,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/work/casestudy/my-navy"}}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s been so successful that over the last three years it has grown into an application that is accessed by 65% of serving personnel on a regular basis. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"When we first started developing MyNavy, it featured only three areas covering basic payroll, career development information, and content relating to health and wellbeing. Today, it contains services from over seventeen different product areas, covering everything from healthcare vaccination reminders to interactive base maps, each with their own dedicated product owner from the relevant department. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyContent_width_image","type":"content_width_image","primary":{"caption":null,"content_width_image":{"dimensions":{"width":1920,"height":1080},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"content_width_imageSharp":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"src":"/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/e3107/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.jpg","srcSet":"/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/b754d/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.jpg 320w,\n/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/4dbff/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.jpg 640w,\n/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/e3107/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.jpg 1280w,\n/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/0979f/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.jpg 1920w","srcWebp":"/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/80f20/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/c172f/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.webp 320w,\n/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/c03cf/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.webp 640w,\n/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/80f20/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.webp 1280w,\n/static/425a59ae75843095454b44614551508b/14e3c/647e400d-18ef-48b6-8f97-b83e76e69098_GROWTH.webp 1920w","sizes":"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px","presentationWidth":1280}}}}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Due to the strict governance and security requirements of computer systems within the Ministry of Defence, all the enterprise integrations within MyNavy are based on the Platform DXP model – ultimately making Umbraco the ‘Control Centre’ from which everything in MyNavy is managed.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Identity and Authentication","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"MyNavy contains a large amount of secure and personal information, so it’s vital that all access is protected and authorised. To do this we had to integrate our modern web frameworks with the legacy protocols supported by the Ministry of Defence’s external facing authentication platform. Our identity integration also provides access for non-military personnel to conduct development and testing using pre-defined mock personas.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"User Communicator Role","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"One of MyNavy’s most-valued features is the announcements, which include everything from Fleet wide communications down to unit level news. As MyNavy is used by over 64% of the Royal Navy regularly, the management of the announcements would overwhelm a centralised comms office. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"To combat this problem, we created the User Communicator Role, which allows us to delegate fine-grained responsibility for communications to users within each Unit, Base, or Group. This reduces operational load on the Communications team while ensuring that user communicators can only publish announcements to the appropriate audiences.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Ucommerce","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"One of the services launched in 2022 was an Online Clothing Store – designed to provide a click-and-collect service for personnel to replace or requisition items of uniform. We used UCommerce to power our e-commerce area, integrating it with our Umbraco back-office and hosting it in our secure hosting environment alongside core Umbraco applications. This integration has proven so successful that some units have mandated that all orders be processed through the system to reduce time wasted on unnecessary travel to stores, and to ensure personnel receive up-to-date notifications about their order status.","spans":[{"start":182,"end":191,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://ucommerce.net/success-stories/mynavy/"}}]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Travel","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The travel product area (still currently in limited trial) reduces the administrative cost of booking duty travel and accommodation for serving personnel. It allows users to create a travel itinerary electronically including requesting military coaches and minibuses, as well as integrations with Google Places API to find Hotels, Google Maps Directions API to provide directions and travel time estimates, and National Rail Enquiries API to search for train journeys. The itinerary is then sent to the travel cell who can book the services directly, rather than having to identify the facilities needed first. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Much more to come","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"At this year’s CodeGarden, myself and Cdr Morgan Long (the previous Product Owner of MyNavy) gave a talk on the evolution of MyNavy in which we described in more detail the technical and business advantages of building an enterprise solution on an open-source CMS like Umbraco. MyNavy has already been rolled out and the serving personnel in the RAF. MyNavy continues to iterate and expand, with each new addition to its functionality driven by the needs of personnel.  and there are ambitions to take the application even further. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you’d like to learn more about how we did it, then please do get in contact and I’ll be happy to help. ","spans":[{"start":61,"end":78,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact"}}]}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"mynavy-using-umbraco-in-the-enterprise"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"How Sitecore supports global expansion, at pace","spans":[{"start":0,"end":47,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Scale-up companies who are in their next stage of growth and looking to expand globally, find themselves in a complex transitional period. They need to remain profitable, maximise sustainability and retain culture all without growing their head count too aggressively. In this blog we explain how Sitecore can help. ","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director","profile_picture":null},"published":"2023-04-26","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore+blog.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/d47f1/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/b5b92/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg 200w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/3ff6e/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg 400w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/d47f1/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg 800w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/86173/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg 1200w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/a5547/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg 1600w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/1bd97/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.jpg 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/0c129/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/0e93d/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp 200w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/2259f/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp 400w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/0c129/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp 800w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/45222/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp 1200w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/1f191/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp 1600w,\n/static/ccec90e8b2e1d63720aa3f1621a962df/70720/94e0c29c-c40c-4060-bb1b-d30e31fbcf95_sitecore%2Bblog.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"how-sitecore-supports-global-roll-out-at-pace"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great State at SUGCON Europe 2023","spans":[{"start":0,"end":33,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Our Software Engineering Team recently headed to the Sitecore User Group Conference. They not only had a chance to enjoy the Spanish sun, but to crucially get the low down on what's coming over the horizon for Sitecore users, and what this could mean for the businesses on the CMS platform.  ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore+option+1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-04-12","link":{"uid":"great-state-at-sugcon-europe-2023"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore+option+1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"great-state-at-sugcon-europe-2023"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going 'headless': What does it mean and what is the big deal? ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":62,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Headless Content Management Systems are popping up all over the place – but what are they and why might you benefit from having one? The answer isn't simple and it depends on a lot of factors, but luckily Technical Architect, Andrew, knows a thing or two about it.","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/442ab594-6ecb-4277-ab7b-59104b7aea89_headless+cop.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-02-07","link":{"uid":"headless-cms-whats-the-big-deal"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/442ab594-6ecb-4277-ab7b-59104b7aea89_headless+cop.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"headless-cms-whats-the-big-deal"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going global with Sitecore internationalisation ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":48,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sitecore is a powerful enterprise digital experience platform which brands can use to take their businesses global. Sitecore can support any design – it’s the design itself that must be flexible and adaptable. Head of Engineering, James, explains how its done. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/dd0a9759-5bc8-4e72-8acf-19ca0d6661b4_Internationalisation.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-01-06","link":{"uid":"going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/dd0a9759-5bc8-4e72-8acf-19ca0d6661b4_Internationalisation.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Scale-up companies who are in their next stage of growth and looking to expand globally, find themselves in a complex transitional period. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"They're starting to shed the agility they once had as a start-up but have some way to go before they have the stability of a mature and established business.\n\nFrom a commercial perspective, they must navigate their way through a significant amount of change. They need to manage the rate of growth, remain profitable, maximise sustainability, retain culture and attract fresh talent, all without growing their head count too aggressively.\n\nAlongside this, there are many technical and operational challenges that are equally as complex. In this article, we look at some of the ways Sitecore can support this change at what can be a vulnerable time for a business.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Keeping pace with user expectations","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As the business develops into new markets there will be the need to consider how to communicate to a global audience and drive conversion across a more diverse demographic of users with cultural, linguistic and regulatory differences. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Firstly, internationalisation needs to be considered and Sitecore provides comprehensive support for this across its entire product suite, from localisation of content through to distribution.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Our Head of Engineering, James Hobbs, digs into this topic in more detail in this recent blog article.","spans":[{"start":94,"end":101,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/blog/articles/going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"}}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"But beyond this, users expect to receive relevant and meaningful content and communications, tailored to their individual needs. In turn, managing and optimising these experiences and expectations at scale grows exponentially, as the consumer base becomes larger and more diverse. \n","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is an area that Sitecore excels at. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Its market leading suite of AI personalisation and marketing automation capabilities span the full end-to-end customer journey and enables personalisation at every touchpoint that customers interact with the business.\n\nSome examples from their product suite, include:","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Sitecore Send – provides personalised email engagements that can include tailored content recommendations, predictive analytics and smart audience tagging to segment customers based on their behaviour and preferences. ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":13,"type":"strong"}]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Sitecore Search – utilises natural language processing (NLP) and behavioural analytics to deliver contextual search results. ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":18,"type":"strong"},{"start":124,"end":125,"type":"strong"}]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Sitecore Personalise – provides real-time predictive personalisation to decide the best content, offer(s) or product(s) that are the most relevant to each individual user across any channel. ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":23,"type":"strong"},{"start":31,"end":32,"type":"strong"},{"start":41,"end":42,"type":"strong"},{"start":124,"end":125,"type":"strong"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Not only does Sitecore come with a comprehensive suite of powerful functionality, but its intelligent machine learning algorithms do the heavy lifting, providing the ability to scale rapidly without needing to hire an army of content editors to maintain it. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Keeping pace with technology\n","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"As the business scales it is important to think carefully about the new technologies that are put in place. They need to meet the immediate requirements but more crucially need to provide a solid foundation from which to build upon. That said, evolving the digital estate does not mean throwing everything away and starting again.\n\nSitecore is a composable digital experience platform and provides a suite of standalone API-driven SaaS products and services covering content, engagement, and commerce. This allows seamless integration with either existing systems or new ones that are needed as new markets are entered and new services developed or inherited through acquisition or merger with other organisations. This helps maintain momentum through the transition and enables the ability to adapt the technology quickly as the business evolves and requirements change.\n\nIntroducing new technology platforms into the business and building out the infrastructure to support them can be complex and time-consuming. This puts an additional burden on the IT department to not only up-skill the team and configure the solution in the first place but also support, maintain, and optimise it ongoing. \n\nSitecore’s Managed Services and supported SaaS products can help mitigate this, by providing the ability to spin up new environments and services quickly but also providing peace of mind that the infrastructure and core applications are being taken care of without having to increase the workload on the IT team or adding headcount.\n","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Streamlining operational efficiency\n","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"During rapid expansion, there are several operational challenges that can impact the ability to sustain growth. However, moving at speed, should not come at the expense of efficiency or quality.\n \nOnce the infrastructure and core technology platforms are in place, there will become the need to start rapidly creating new products and services across multiple markets. This in turn, significantly increases the management overhead required to manage and optimise the content and customer experience. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"AI is woven throughout the entire Sitecore product suite. It provides a layer of intelligence and ways to increase efficiency by taking on some of this load. Helping with some of the more repetitive tasks, including automated content creation and optimisation, workflow automation (including content tagging, meta data creation) and real-time analytics and insights. \n","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In addition,  its granular and scalable API-driven and headless content federation and distribution capabilities maximises the reusability of content. Empowering individual markets to manage their own content at a local level, whilst maintaining brand consistency and communications centrally and globally.\n","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In conclusion, Sitecore supports scale-up businesses by supplying them with the tools and technologies to increase efficiency and confidence to expand their digital presence – quickly, at scale and with confidence. \n \nWe have just scratched the surface of how Sitecore can help. If you would like to know more then get in touch. ","spans":[{"start":315,"end":327,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact/"}}]}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"how-sitecore-supports-global-roll-out-at-pace"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great State at SUGCON Europe 2023","spans":[{"start":0,"end":33,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Our Software Engineering Team recently headed to the Sitecore User Group Conference. They not only had a chance to enjoy the Spanish sun, but to crucially get the low down on what's coming over the horizon for Sitecore users, and what this could mean for the businesses on the CMS platform.  ","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":{"dimensions":{"width":500,"height":500},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate%2F92ffdb58-4241-49a8-a41a-cf470cc9ed92_gs-avatar-jameshobbs-new+%282%29.jpg?auto=compress,format"}},"published":"2023-04-12","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore+option+1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/d47f1/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg","srcSet":"/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/b5b92/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg 200w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/3ff6e/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg 400w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/d47f1/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg 800w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/86173/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg 1200w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/a5547/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg 1600w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/1bd97/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.jpg 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/0c129/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/0e93d/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp 200w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/2259f/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp 400w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/0c129/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp 800w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/45222/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp 1200w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/1f191/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp 1600w,\n/static/a880596918be4f6774f3c01fc90e3c27/70720/21250030-a322-49bf-84df-a842ca29c13d_sitecore%2Boption%2B1.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"great-state-at-sugcon-europe-2023"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going 'headless': What does it mean and what is the big deal? ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":62,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Headless Content Management Systems are popping up all over the place – but what are they and why might you benefit from having one? The answer isn't simple and it depends on a lot of factors, but luckily Technical Architect, Andrew, knows a thing or two about it.","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Andrew McKaskill","job_title":"Lead Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/442ab594-6ecb-4277-ab7b-59104b7aea89_headless+cop.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-02-07","link":{"uid":"headless-cms-whats-the-big-deal"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/442ab594-6ecb-4277-ab7b-59104b7aea89_headless+cop.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"headless-cms-whats-the-big-deal"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going global with Sitecore internationalisation ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":48,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sitecore is a powerful enterprise digital experience platform which brands can use to take their businesses global. Sitecore can support any design – it’s the design itself that must be flexible and adaptable. Head of Engineering, James, explains how its done. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/dd0a9759-5bc8-4e72-8acf-19ca0d6661b4_Internationalisation.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-01-06","link":{"uid":"going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/dd0a9759-5bc8-4e72-8acf-19ca0d6661b4_Internationalisation.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Upgrading Sitecore: you need a plan ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":36,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"After more than a decade of performing Sitecore platform upgrades, we look back on how the process has changed and offer some expertise on what makes the process seamless. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Ben Richardson","job_title":"Lead Software Engineer"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/5320bdc6-17f7-4552-a62f-bc4671eeeee9_SiteCore+blog+image.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2022-06-13","link":{"uid":"upgrading-sitecore-you-need-a-plan"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/5320bdc6-17f7-4552-a62f-bc4671eeeee9_SiteCore+blog+image.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"upgrading-sitecore-you-need-a-plan"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"An intrepid squad of Great Staters from the Software Engineering team made a trip to sunny Malaga to attend SUGCON – the Sitecore User Group Conference.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Day 1 – the future is headless","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The day kicked off with some senior Sitecore execs giving us an overview of the current state of the Sitecore ecosystem and what’s coming up. It’s abundantly clear that while ‘traditional’ Sitecore (now known as Platform DXP – Sitecore XM & XP) isn’t going anywhere any time soon, Sitecore has made a big commitment to headless technology and composable architecture.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"That’s not a revolutionary strategy by any means – the writing has been on the wall for a while now – but the level of resources they are committing to their new product suite (now known as SaaS DXP) is significant, including several recent acquisitions and a desire to promote integration between the products that make up their cloud suite.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After the keynote from Sitecore, the conference split into four tracks:","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Plenary","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"XM Cloud","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Path to composable","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Marketing","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Next.js and Vercel","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We heard from Vercel, creators of Next.js – a framework we use very heavily at Great State – who have struck up a close partnership with Sitecore. We’ve been doing a lot of work recently with headless Sitecore and have been impressed with how their Next.js SDK has continued to evolve.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Next.js is our framework of choice because of its inherent flexibility. It's capable of generating static sites (very fast, great for SEO), server-side rendered websites (still fast, great for dynamism), but crucially it also has a middle option – incremental static regeneration – which is the best of both worlds. Combining the component-based approach React & Next.js offers with Sitecore’s enterprise content and personalisation capabilities gives organisations a lot of possibilities.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It’s clear that Sitecore are keen to push Vercel as a robust option for hosting the front end for Sitecore-powered headless websites, and Vercel certainly has a bunch of advantages if you’re using Next.js – they made it, and have first class support for all Next.js features.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"XM Cloud","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another hot topic at the conference was XM Cloud – Sitecore’s SaaS enterprise content management system offering. While headless options have been available in Sitecore for a long time – either by rolling your own or using JSS – XM Cloud is a fully-featured, mature enterprise offering in this space that is now being used in production by a range of different organisations.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It couples one of the main selling points of the original Sitecore platform DXP – enterprise grade content management – with not having to worry about upgrades and infrastructure, alongside support for analytics, personalisation, and some other interesting new features like Sitecore Components. Unlike other SaaS CMS offerings, it also allows you to run your own custom code and run it locally, which was the focus of some of the talks, and a real point of differentiation.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Sitecore Search","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We also had a deep dive into Sitecore Search and the technology that sits behind it. Sitecore Search is part of Sitecore’s SaaS product suite, and it brings customisable AI-powered high-performance search to your websites – whether they run Sitecore or not. It can be used instead of or alongside existing search providers like SearchStax / Solr, and it’s built on top of the same technology as Sitecore Discover and shares some of the features. Where Sitecore Discover is far more product & e-commerce focused, Sitecore Search is a more generalist offering suitable for any website.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Day 2 – making the future a reality","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The next day covered a host of topics, building on the previous day – still with a heavy focus on XM Cloud and the other SaaS platform products.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A particularly interesting initial talk was around approaches and tips for migrating advanced Sitecore implementations to XM Cloud. This is particularly timely as the majority of customers using Sitecore will be using either self-hosted Sitecore XM/XP or Sitecore Managed Cloud, whereas XM Cloud is a very different proposition. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another challenge with migrating is a lot of traditional Sitecore customers will be using MVC rendering rather than the more modern, headless approach offered by JSS. Sitecore implied that they may end up supporting MVC rendering in XM Cloud at some point – which is interesting – in order to aid migration, but in the meantime it’s evident that you will have a much easier time migrating if you’re already using Sitecore as a headless CMS.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Sitecore CDP, Personalise and Discover ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Another very interesting talk covered how to use Sitecore CDP, Sitecore Personalise and Sitecore Discover together. We were shown how, given the composable nature of these products, it’s relatively easy to knit them together – in this case, feeding in insight from CDP and Sitecore Discover to deliver personalised content and results to users. You can even expose some of the machine learning model data and results from Discover by using a drag and drop interface in Personalise, and feed insight back into CDP.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This kind of example illustrates the benefits of integrating specialised systems together as opposed to the traditional all-in-one monolithic approach – as long as the systems have good APIs, you can accomplish all kinds of things!","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Sitecore Components","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After a bunch of lightning talks covering everything from APM to women in Sitecore, we learnt about Sitecore Components, a feature of XM Cloud that is specifically designed to make the lives of content editors and marketers easier. Components gives users the ability to create reusable components without needing to write any code, using a visual interface. These kinds of things have existed for a long time, but they’ve often been quite limited in their capabilities. This implementation seems very well thought-through, and it’s even possible to create components that call external data sources and use the data as part of their rendering – again, without writing any code.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Some control should be applied – otherwise you risk content editors going totally rogue and wrecking the visual identity of your brand – but it’s a nice productivity feature that genuinely seems flexible enough to be useful.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading4","text":"Content Hub ONE","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We then heard how the German Sitecore User Group rebuilt their legacy Wordpress website using Content Hub ONE. By all accounts, Content Hub ONE is a far newer product than the other CMS (or CMS-like) offerings from Sitecore like XM Cloud, traditional XM / XP etc, but for simple use cases it may suit requirements. There are some caveats – you can’t upload PDFs to the media library, for example – but it sounds like as a product Sitecore will continue to evolve it to eventually become competition to the likes of Contentful and other SaaS CMS.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The conference ended with a very funny and engaging closing keynote by Microsoft legend, Scott Hanselman, which had everyone in the room laughing and nodding their heads. One of the best talks I’ve seen in a while, which I won’t try to summarise here as it was an hour long.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"TLDR;","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"SUGCON was excellent fun, and we all learnt a lot about what Sitecore have planned for the next year or so. So many of the talks were practically focused, which for us is perfect – we’ll look to leverage this insight with our Sitecore clients to help them make the most of the technology.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you're interested to hear about how Sitecore can help your business, and how we can make it work for you, then get in touch. ","spans":[{"start":114,"end":126,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact"}}]}]}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyContent_width_image","type":"content_width_image","primary":{"caption":null,"content_width_image":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within+blog+sugcon.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"content_width_imageSharp":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"src":"/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/e3107/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.jpg","srcSet":"/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/b754d/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.jpg 320w,\n/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/4dbff/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.jpg 640w,\n/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/e3107/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.jpg 1280w,\n/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/a5547/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.jpg 1600w","srcWebp":"/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/80f20/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/c172f/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.webp 320w,\n/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/c03cf/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.webp 640w,\n/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/80f20/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.webp 1280w,\n/static/95fba88a86fd32da7cbeac2f7e23c81d/1f191/29734de1-9f21-4ff9-a932-c08a08c02d10_within%2Bblog%2Bsugcon.webp 1600w","sizes":"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px","presentationWidth":1280}}}}}],"_meta":{"uid":"great-state-at-sugcon-europe-2023"}}},{"node":{"article_type":null,"title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Great State at Umbraco Spark 2023: the highlights","spans":[{"start":0,"end":49,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Umbraco Spark is the Bristol-based conference which attracts visitors from all over the the world. We sponsored it, we hosted a talk, the whole front-end team headed over. In this latest blog, our Umbraco MVP, Nurhak, shares his highlights and insights... check it out!","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Nurhak Kaya","job_title":"Technical Architect","profile_picture":null},"published":"2023-03-24","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco+Spark+header.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/d47f1/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg","srcSet":"/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/b5b92/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg 200w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/3ff6e/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg 400w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/d47f1/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg 800w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/86173/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg 1200w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/a5547/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg 1600w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/1bd97/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.jpg 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/0c129/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/0e93d/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp 200w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/2259f/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp 400w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/0c129/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp 800w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/45222/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp 1200w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/1f191/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp 1600w,\n/static/c045841e60b6ff2c9540137e5c4b369f/70720/4bdcc3d6-8545-4bc9-8078-efd4b9740cf9_Umbraco%2BSpark%2Bheader.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"umbraco-spark-2023"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Umbraco Code Garden 2022: Well worth the wait ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":46,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Code Garden 2022 was well worth the wait. A rich programme of talks and an opportunity to connect with some of the best minds in tech. We offer you our Code Garden 2022 run down! ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Nurhak Kaya","job_title":"Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/cf50f88a-6c63-4add-b61b-fa99cd6d13a3_BLOG+HEADER+1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2022-07-05","link":{"uid":"code-garden-2022-well-worth-the-wait"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/cf50f88a-6c63-4add-b61b-fa99cd6d13a3_BLOG+HEADER+1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"code-garden-2022-well-worth-the-wait"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"12 Years of Collaboration: A Digital Takeoff with Bristol Airport","spans":[],"direction":"ltr"}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"One website, one designer, a client relationship spanning over ten years, and a whole lot of digital progress. Introducing our latest project to go live: Bristol Airport. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Humphrey","job_title":"Lead Experience Designer"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1800,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/08ae4c26-c596-494c-90c4-7f00b79b7577_BRS_Blog_Hero.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2022-11-28","link":{"uid":"a-digital-take-off-with-bristol-airport"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1800,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/08ae4c26-c596-494c-90c4-7f00b79b7577_BRS_Blog_Hero.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"a-digital-take-off-with-bristol-airport"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Three minutes with an Umbraco MVP","spans":[{"start":0,"end":33,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Nurhak recently joined Great State, and around the same time was awarded official 'MVP' status from Umbraco. However in the world of tech, MVP stands for Most Valuable Person, not Player, and it means that Nurhak is a real asset to the team. Find out why. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Nurhak Kaya","job_title":"Technical Architect"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/d4cc2d9f-564a-443e-b516-d5054b7c8246_mvp+2.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2022-08-09","link":{"uid":"three-minutes-with-an-umbraco-mvp"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/d4cc2d9f-564a-443e-b516-d5054b7c8246_mvp+2.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"three-minutes-with-an-umbraco-mvp"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Me and a group of intrepid Great Staters headed across the River Avon to attend Umbraco Spark a few weeks ago. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It's the Bristol based Umbraco conference which attracts attendees from across the world to share knowledge and insights about the latest Umbraco developments. It was a big year for me, not just because Great State was one of the event sponsors but also because I was one of the speakers. Looking at the event lineup, I knew it would be a fantastic day.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"First up, Umbraco HQ pays us a visit","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We have a close relationship with the team at Umbraco HQ and it's always a good time when we get together. The day before Umbraco Spark, we spent a few hours with Mike Pedersen and Lasse Fredslund from Umbraco HQ. We talked about the exciting roadmap of Umbraco products, and shared our ideas over some obligatory burgers and beers. The fun didn't stop - I joined the Umbraco Spark pre-party in central Bristol. It was great seeing some familiar faces while meeting new people from the Umbraco community.","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyContent_width_image","type":"content_width_image","primary":{"caption":null,"content_width_image":{"dimensions":{"width":1600,"height":900},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark+blog+2.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"content_width_imageSharp":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"src":"/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/e3107/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.jpg","srcSet":"/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/b754d/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.jpg 320w,\n/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/4dbff/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.jpg 640w,\n/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/e3107/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.jpg 1280w,\n/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/a5547/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.jpg 1600w","srcWebp":"/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/80f20/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/c172f/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.webp 320w,\n/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/c03cf/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.webp 640w,\n/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/80f20/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.webp 1280w,\n/static/1422bc2d7a017b56515d3b074823c1c2/1f191/4f8de909-d069-4424-a70c-85854fd2273c_Spark%2Bblog%2B2.webp 1600w","sizes":"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px","presentationWidth":1280}}}}},{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"heading2","text":"Some highlights","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We had the opportunity to listen to two different tracks of talks during this year's conference. Since they were all so fascinating, we divided and conquered and made an effort to attend as many presentations as we could.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"The new Umbraco back office","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Jacob Overgaard and Lasse Fredslund from Umbraco HQ talked about the new back office of Umbraco, which will be available in v13, including some of the implementation details like how to use the Extension API to extend the core functionality. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"The compassionate developer and open source","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Laura Weatherhead from the Umbraco Community gave the second talk in the same room, and she talked about how compassion can impact the micro and macro structures of open-source communities. Specifically in terms of the far-reaching positive effects it can have on contributor confidence and engagement. This was a new take on an interesting topic and I was really glad I made it to the session. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"A great talk about digital sustainability by Rick Butterfield","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Rick and I met at the previous Codegarden. He is such a wonderful guy, and his presentation on \"Decarbonising the planet, one Umbraco upgrade at a time\" truly impressed me. He provided us with some information and gave us advice on how to create more sustainable solutions for our clients. Such as how to develop more environmentally friendly solutions for our clients by switching to greener hosting options, optimising and decommissioning app resources, and updating Umbraco projects to the most recent Umbraco version.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Playmaker: Dances with Wolves","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Lee Kelleher, the current Umbraco MVP record holder, and senior backend developer Luke Hook gave another excellent presentation. They discussed how they upgraded the Wolverhampton Wanderers FC website from Umbraco v7 to the most recent version while also developing a modular architecture that they could use to other projects. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"A sustainable approach to the web","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Great State places a high priority on accessibility and sustainability. So it made sense to attend Tom Morris and Neil Clark's presentation on sustainable development techniques, which included things from image optimisation to hosting selection. I'm going to take a lot of learnings from this session back to the team so we can implement them on our own projects. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Ultimate guide to upgrade your Umbraco v7 and v8 projects to v11","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This year, I had the privilege of speaking at Umbraco Spark about my 12-steps for upgrading Umbraco v7 and v8 projects to the latest version of Umbraco. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Prior to my talk, I spoke at the Umbraco Community Day event this year and wrote two Skrift articles on the same subject. The room was full to the brim because this has been a popular issue this year, and it was wonderful to learn that several attendees had followed my previous guidance on the topic and successfully upgraded their Umbraco projects. ","spans":[{"start":29,"end":54,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9OaSwK3OI"}},{"start":85,"end":100,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://skrift.io/issues/how-i-upgraded-my-umbraco-v7-project-to-umbraco-v11/"}}]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Content recommendations in a world of composable architecture","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sean Thorne and Matt Sutherland talked about the current Umbraco integration with Angolia as one of the third-party technologies that may be used for content recommendation engines. This was a fantastic presentation to demonstrate how these methods could be applied to produce product suggestions and individualised search results for website visitors. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Creating a better editor experience: Bringing accessibility to life in our authoring tools","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This was a top-quality talk by Danny Lancaster about the importance of creating accessible solutions, the current Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines, and how the Umbraco community can make a meaningful and impactful difference to web users. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"pAInting: Using AI to decorate your Umbraco content","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is not the first time that Emma talked about how to use AI with Umbraco. This time, Emma showed us how to use AI to generate media image from Umbraco content. She also discussed whether these AI generated images were art or ethical. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Getting to grips with Github Actions will make your life better in every way","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The final talk of the day was by Carl Sargunar. Carl demonstrated several Github tricks, such as simple, extensible, and repeatable Github actions for managing software libraries and packages. ","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Final thoughts","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It was a bumper year for Umbraco Spark and I left feeling amazed at how both the CMS and the Umbraco community keeps on innovating, developing and improving. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Later on, I had a chance to reflect on my first Umbraco Spark experience, which was in 2020, just before the UK's first COVID- 19 lockdown. Nobody was really sure about how to \"securely\" greet each other, but it is fair to say that Umbraco Spark 2020 gave me the final push that I needed at the time to be more visible within the Umbraco community and also contribute more to Umbraco. I also realised that this year's event was even better! #h5yr","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you're interested in learning more about our Umbraco expertise, then get in touch. ","spans":[{"start":48,"end":55,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/partners/umbraco"}},{"start":72,"end":84,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact"}}]}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"umbraco-spark-2023"}}},{"node":{"article_type":"Tech","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"The Great Firewall of China: what you need to know","spans":[{"start":0,"end":50,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"China is responsible for over 40% of global e-commerce transactions by value. Their sizeable population is digitally-savvy however it's a complex environment to operate in from afar. Business success in China requires an understanding of a few fundamental factors - read on to find out how best to get started in the region. ","spans":[]}],"seodescription":null,"seotitle":null,"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering","profile_picture":{"dimensions":{"width":500,"height":500},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate%2F92ffdb58-4241-49a8-a41a-cf470cc9ed92_gs-avatar-jameshobbs-new+%282%29.jpg?auto=compress,format"}},"published":"2023-03-14","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"programming_language":null,"singleAspectRatioImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.779527559055118,"src":"/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/d47f1/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg","srcSet":"/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/b5b92/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg 200w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/3ff6e/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg 400w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/d47f1/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg 800w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/86173/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg 1200w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/a5547/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg 1600w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/1bd97/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.jpg 1808w","srcWebp":"/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/0c129/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/0e93d/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp 200w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/2259f/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp 400w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/0c129/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp 800w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/45222/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp 1200w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/1f191/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp 1600w,\n/static/f6262620b203224a60f0804c4244adc7/70720/02d875af-3619-4b5d-b116-83dde1f7b310_CHINABLOG3.webp 1808w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px","presentationWidth":800}}},"link":{"uid":"building-a-china-friendly-website"},"related_blogs":[{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Going global with Sitecore internationalisation ","spans":[{"start":0,"end":48,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Sitecore is a powerful enterprise digital experience platform which brands can use to take their businesses global. Sitecore can support any design – it’s the design itself that must be flexible and adaptable. Head of Engineering, James, explains how its done. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"James Hobbs","job_title":"Head of Engineering"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/dd0a9759-5bc8-4e72-8acf-19ca0d6661b4_Internationalisation.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2023-01-06","link":{"uid":"going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":1808,"height":1016},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/dd0a9759-5bc8-4e72-8acf-19ca0d6661b4_Internationalisation.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"going-global-with-sitecore-internationalisation"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Building the foundations for scale with Adobe","spans":[{"start":13,"end":29,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Experts from our consulting, experience design and technology teams shared..","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Miranda Glover","job_title":"Business Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":844,"height":475},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/75396a8d-6021-4591-b8a1-6f0580114403_Building-the-foundations_844x475.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"News","published":"2019-10-09","link":{"uid":"building-the-foundations-for-scale"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":844,"height":475},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/75396a8d-6021-4591-b8a1-6f0580114403_Building-the-foundations_844x475.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"building-the-foundations-for-scale"}}},{"blog":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_article","title":[{"type":"heading1","text":"Sitecore Content Hub – taking control of your prize assets","spans":[{"start":0,"end":58,"type":"strong"}]}],"summary_text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"The pandemic has driven businesses to place a greater emphasis on optimising how they market to their customers through digital channels. Here we look at how Sitecore Content Hub can help solve some of these challenges. ","spans":[]}],"author":{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Person","name":"Gary Trimnell","job_title":"Technical Director"},"thumbnail":{"dimensions":{"width":800,"height":450},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/fba26f3f-41fa-444a-936c-1848071774c4_ContentHubBlog1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"article_type":"Tech","published":"2022-04-04","link":{"uid":"sitecore-content-hub"},"image":{"dimensions":{"width":800,"height":450},"alt":null,"copyright":null,"url":"https://images.prismic.io/greatstate/fba26f3f-41fa-444a-936c-1848071774c4_ContentHubBlog1.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"_meta":{"uid":"sitecore-content-hub"}}}],"body":[{"__typename":"PRISMIC_Blog_articleBodyText","type":"text","primary":{"text":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"China is a fascinating environment in which to do business online. Their sizeable population is digitally-savvy and responsible for over 40% of global e-commerce transactions by value.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"However, China is also a complex environment in which to operate digitally - from both a technical and a regulatory point of view. Success in China requires an understanding of some fundamental factors and this article will set out two key complexities and our recommendations for how best to get started in the region.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Firewalls & licenses","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"The Great Firewall of China","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Internet traffic both in and out of China is heavily fire-walled by the Chinese government. This gives the government the ability to restrict the flow of information and services for a variety of reasons, with little recourse for foreign companies if they run into trouble.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Websites hosted outside of the firewall will therefore be slower to load for Chinese customers. With the double whammy of both firewall restrictions and the physical distance between you and your target audience, this will negatively impact your conversion rates. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If your website has dependencies on third-party services that are hosted outside China, that can cause more problems. For example, using Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics, which are often blocked by the firewall, can cause performance and functionality issues.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"China has also blocked certain versions of the TLS protocol (which secures the connection between users and servers) which utilise ESNI (Encrypted Server Name Indication) as it has allowed people to bypass some of the censorship in the past.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"ICP licenses","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"An ICP license is mandatory for anyone hosting a website on a Chinese server in mainland China, including the use of Content Delivery Networks. Without an ICP license, a Chinese-hosted website would be operating illegally. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Chinese hosting companies are unlikely to do any business with you until you have obtained a license. Some will help you with the process, which is entirely in Chinese and potentially complex.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"There are two primary types of ICP license: an ICP Commercial License and an ICP Filing. The commercial license is for transactional websites, the filing is for informational websites.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Having a license means you can use Chinese hosting services – better for Chinese users - and potentially avoid legal problems – better for you.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading3","text":"Our recommendations","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Assuming that you either don’t currently have a Chinese website, or you have one that is hosted outside of China and not well optimised, these recommendations can be followed in order.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Implement a China-friendly site","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Whether you have an existing digital platform that you want to roll out in China, or are building a new Chinese website from scratch, you must ensure that it is China friendly:","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Identify third-party libraries that are likely to cause issues (e.g. Google)","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Identify Chinese alternatives (e.g. Baidu)","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Ensure your platform is capable of serving these alternatives for your Chinese site","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Gather metrics from China-friendly analytics services to establish a client-side performance baseline benchmark","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"That last step is crucial as it will provide a baseline against which further optimisations can be measured. Services exist that can automate some of this work for you, such as Chinafy.","spans":[{"start":177,"end":184,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.chinafy.com/"}}]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Implement a China CDN","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"This is by far the quickest route to improving site speed for Chinese consumers. A Chinese CDN will cache copies of your pages and serve them to users from servers within China – meaning any existing hosting doesn’t need to change.","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Obtain an ICP license","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Identify the most appropriate China CDN","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Provision and configure the CDN","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Route your Chinese domain to the CDN","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Gather metrics to establish performance differential between baseline benchmark and now","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Particularly dynamic sites (e.g. e-commerce or ones that incorporate heavy use of personalisation) may not benefit as much from this approach if calls back to a server outside of China are still required.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It may be that utilising a CDN delivers enough of a performance improvement to warrant stopping activity here and continuing to monitor performance.","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Implement Chinese hosting","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If performance is still not satisfactory, then the next logical option would be to host your Chinese website on servers within China.","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Obtain ICP license","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Identify the most appropriate China hosting","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Provision and configure infrastructure","spans":[]},{"type":"list-item","text":"Gather metrics to establish performance differential between previous benchmarks and now","spans":[]},{"type":"heading2","text":"Work with an experienced partner","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We have lots of experience working with international organisations, including those with a presence in China, and those with e-commerce functions.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"We’ve just concluded a piece of work with a global manufacturing business who were encountering issues with their existing Chinese website. We’ve worked alongside them to provide a detailed assessment and set of recommendations for how they can improve their Chinese customer experience – some of those insights are in this article.","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you want to find out more about how we can prepare you to expand into the Chinese market - reach out to us here. ","spans":[{"start":110,"end":114,"type":"hyperlink","data":{"link_type":"Web","url":"https://www.greatstate.co/contact"}}]}]}}],"_meta":{"uid":"building-a-china-friendly-website"}}}],"totalCount":40}}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":true,"rootQuery":"\n  query PrismicBlogArticlesTech {\n    prismic {\n      allBlog_pages {\n        edges {\n          node {\n            heading\n            seodescription\n            seotitle\n          }\n        }\n      }\n      allBlog_articles(sortBy: published_DESC, where: { filter_fulltext: \"FilterTech\" }) {\n        edges {\n          node {\n            ...prismicBlogArticleFields\n          }\n        }\n        totalCount\n      }\n    }\n  }\n"}}