Unlocking Potential at Progress: A Recap of the Progress Sitefinity Partner Roundtable

Gathering of Partners

The Progress/Sitefinity Partner Roundtable, held in the vibrant city of New Orleans from October 3rd to October 5th, was more than just an event; it was a well-run and engaging gathering that truly captured the spirit of the community wrapped around Progress/Sitefinity. The festivities commenced on Tuesday night with a kickoff / happy hour event on the 40th floor of the hotel. The breathtaking view of New Orleans served as a backdrop for this social gathering, providing the perfect setting for attendees to discuss.

A Day of Knowledge and Insight

Day two was packed with a series of modules and discussions, offering partners a deep dive into the world of Progress/Sitefinity.

Competitive Intelligence and Product Updates

Dale Young, Peter Bellas, and Chris Knepp of Sitefinity led a session on competitive intelligence, providing valuable insights into the competitive landscape. This was followed by product updates delivered by Sergei Sokolov, Senior Director of Product Management which included a glimpse of the next release, (V15) and the product roadmap, including new packages to better serve their customer base without the need for costly customizations. Tom Flierl introduced attending partners to Znode Technology and tactical marketing strategies that can be employed by partnering both technologies.

Sitefinity's Standing and Go-to-Market Strategies

The audience was brought up to speed on Progress/Sitefinity's recent achievements, including their performance in the latest Gartner results. It was revealed that the target customer for Sitefinity is the mid-size enterprise. Partners also received guidance on the go-to-market messaging for 2024, with a focus on their mission to become the #1 developer platform with experience management. The team emphasized their focus on going above and beyond just “content,” but on interactions, connecting data, and smooth integrations with other apps. With Sitefinity, a seamless experience awaits you!

Partner Activity and Brand Awareness

The Roundtable also recognized partner activities and their impact on social media, showcasing the community's involvement and enthusiasm. A significant highlight was the discussion about Progress/Sitefinity's new awareness initiatives to share their team’s wealth of knowledge and experience on all things tech. We can vouge for them here, their team knows their stuff. We had Linos Tadros as a guest on our webinar series https://www.hawksearch.com/blog/webinar-search-smarter-with-hawksearch  and he is a wealth of knowledge on all things Sitefinity. If you want to know the ins and outs of their program, you should give him a follow: https://twitter.com/linotadros!

The Power of Language Translation and Globalization

Day three kicked off with a module by Arnold Koh of Lionbridge Technologies. Koh shared intriguing insights about the translation industry, shedding light on the most popular languages in the world and their influence not only on website traffic but also on its effects on conversions. Two statistics that resonated with me revealed that 65% of respondents prefer website content in their native language, and 40% would not make an e-commerce purchase if the website was not in their language. The classic iceberg visual was projected to emphasize how content globalization can improve a website’s SEO.

A Gathering That Left Partners Excited for the Future

Attending the Progress/Sitefinity Partner Roundtable was a treat on multiple levels. The event not only provided in-depth knowledge about the product but also offered valuable insights into best practices and technology trends. The number one walkaway I grabbed was that variety is key, and of course, content is king. They spoke on the best practice of mixing content types across your site, videos, photos, text, anything that will engage your visitors. Sitefinity is forward thinking in how they will support your mixed content on your sites. Not only can you add a variety of content types to attract eyes, they’ve streamlined their UX by developing a widget for pulling mixed content types into rich, eyecandy for your landing pages.

In conclusion

The Progress/Sitefinity Partner Roundtable in New Orleans was a resounding success, encapsulating the essence of a thriving community, a commitment to growth, and a dedication to excellence in the world of technology and e-commerce. The future looks promising, and the partnership between Progress/Sitefinity and HawkSearch is stronger than ever. Here's to the exciting journey that lies ahead!