Nodes’ Sitecore MVP 2019 is Christopher Nash. Chris is a keynote speaker, author and he has been a part of the international tech scene for more than 20 years. With Chris’ many years of experience from the industry and his new title as Sitecore MVP 2019, we were curious to learn how he build his position in the Sitecore space. So we asked him a couple of questions. In this Q&A with Chris Nash, you get to know Chris even better. You also get Chris’ view on where to focus to make the most of the Sitecore platform in 2019.
An MVP in the Global Sitecore community
The Sitecore MVP (Most valuable professional) program awards select Sitecore Community members from around the world who provide valuable expertise to the Sitecore ecosystem. You have been a part of the community for several years now. How does it feel to be chosen as an MVP in the global Sitecore community?
“The most rewarding thing for me is the people — other members of the community — that I get the opportunity to collaborate with as part of the MVP program. There are many whom I know and, I am sure, many new Sitecore experts that I will get to meet. A program like this one provides great opportunities for networking, exchanging new ideas and hearing about the things that other MVP dream about when it comes to the SItecore platform and cool solutions for creating better customer experiences using data and technology.”
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The Sitecore ecosystem is a bunch of hardcore enthusiasts
Q: How would you describe the Sitecore ecosystem/community, and how does it create value for you as a professional to be a part of it?
“What’s really nice is that the community is made up individuals with a diverse range of interests and backgrounds. There are people who have a business backgrounds, strategists, marketers and some pretty hardcore techies. It’s pretty cool that there are a lot of complementary skill sets. So you can get into a conversation and get into solution mode where a hands-on strategist like myself can brainstorm with a Sitecore architect and coders about how make better Sitecore solutions. I am looking forward to these conversations.”
The Sitecore secrets are found in the community and Twitter
Q: For enterprises and their employees using Sitecore, where would you suggest them to keep track of what is happening, and where to get the most valuable knowledge about the platform?
“One important place is the community forum at community.sitecore.net. Here, just by looking at the questions being asked, you can get s sense of some of the innovative ways the Sitecore platform is used. Otherwise Twitter is no doubt the best place to find the best blog posts, articles and a lot of entertaining stuff from the community. It always amazes me how technology transcends cultures, borders and politics. You can get a sense of that when you follow #scmvp and other Sitecore hashtags on Twitter.”
Enterprises should leverage the data collected by Experience Database
Q: Enterprises using the Sitecore Experience platform, what should they focus on right now to make the most of the platform as you see it? Where can Enterprises using Sitecore make the most value for their customers right now?
“My biggest recommendation is to take time to understand the data collected by Experience Database. Sitecore’s out-of-the-box analytics only scratches the surface in providing insights. Companies may pretty quickly dismiss Sitecore analytics — and Sitecore as a marketing tool — because they can’t see the value of the data. But there is actually a lot of really useful and valuable data for insights and for leveraging automation and list segmentation. And of course for personalization. A lot of companies who use Sitecore don’t realize the valuable data they have in Experience Database. At Nodes, we have created a custom aggregator for Experience Database data that enables companies to use a standalone data repository connected to Business Intelligence (BI) tools such as Power BI or Tableau or similar. We have customers who realize they can skip investments in other analytics and BI tools once they see what they have got with Experience Database.”
Watch Chris Nash’s presentation from the event; ‘The future of digitally connected customer experiences’
Learn how organizations can reach the next level by providing connected customer experiences across digital touchpoints? The video is from an event in Copenhagen January 2019 hosted by Nodes and Sitecore.
2019 is about “cross-track” collaboration on projects
Q: Looking at the rest of 2019, when and where will you share your knowledge around Sitecore and Strategy?
“Capabilities and themes that I will focus on in 2019 include the importance of “cross-track” collaboration on projects. For example, between my role (digital experience strategy) and UX designers, front-end and back-end developers and even hosting specialists. In 2019, I am also focused on automated personalization measurement based on insights provided in BI tools. This lays the foundation for providing machine-learning based solutions using Sitecore. Another important focus is what I call the connected Sitecore architecture. This architecture combines web, mobile web and mobile apps. This includes the ability to use Sitecore technologies such as the Universal Tracker for triggering and measuring experiences for app users. It also includes the ability to provide in-app messaging using content and segmentation from the Sitecore platform. So there is lots of fun stuff to chase … and not the least of which is my day job as digital experience strategist for the Sitecore practice and Nodes Agency.”
Indlægget Q&A with Sitecore MVP Chris Nash blev først udgivet på Nodes UK.
