How to Get More Out of Sitecore XP It Doesn't Always Make Sense to Move to XM Cloud

Customers on Sitecore XP may feel that everyone around them is recommending that they migrate to XM Cloud. Although Sitecore has stated that it plans to continue offering updates and support for XP, XM Cloud has become the flagship of the Sitecore product suite.

This has created some doubt among customers, particularly those who have heavily invested in Sitecore XP over the years, with regular maintenance, upgrades, and custom integrations.

However, while there may be a situation in the medium to long-term future where Sitecore XP is no longer supported, that day hasn’t arrived yet, and it means that companies using Sitecore XP can squeeze a few more years out of their XP implementation.

In this post, we’ll explain why it may make sense for you to stay on XP, how to get the most value out of it while on it, and how to prepare if you may want to migrate to XM Cloud down the road.

Why Stay on XP

For Sitecore XP customers, there are a few situations where staying on Sitecore XP for the foreseeable future would be more beneficial than migrating.

You’re in a Highly Regulated Industry

Companies in highly regulated industries, such as financial services or healthcare, might require complete control over customer data and strict guidelines for securing that data.

XM Cloud and other SaaS products are HIPAA-compliant for the healthcare industry. However, for other regulated sectors, remaining compliant and protecting customer data is easier to accomplish using a solution like XP, whether on-premises, managed services, or in a private cloud.

You’re Currently Using All of XP’s Features

One of the appeals of XM Cloud is the ability to adopt a composable architecture, which allows you to select only the products you will use to run your business instead of investing in a platform DXP.

However, if your company uses everything Sitecore XP offers, there is no need to migrate. The goal of any tech stack, whether composable or not, is to help your business achieve its business and marketing goals, which can be achieved with XP. Additionally, if you want to improve XP's personalization features, you can integrate products such as CDP, Personalize, and Content Hub in a composable setup as well.

Your Implementation Is Highly Customized and Deeply Integrated

Suppose your Sitecore XP implementation has a high level of customization with bespoke templates and components and is deeply integrated with multiple automations and glue code throughout the rest of your tech stack. In that case, it will likely be a complex migration project that might not be immediately worth it. 

Maximizing the Value of Your XP Implementation

After deciding to stay on Sitecore XP, you want to ensure you’re extracting the most value out of it. Here are some ways to maximize the value of your existing XP implementation. 

Perform Required Maintenance & Upgrades

Many of the struggles that XP customers face regarding performance or security issues can be resolved by performing regular maintenance and upgrades to the latest version of XP, without requiring migration to an entirely new product.

Add SaaS Products in a Composable Ecosystem

With XM Cloud’s composable philosophy, companies typically choose the best features and tools to fit their use cases. However, those tools are also available on Sitecore XP. Businesses may find that implementing Sitecore CDP & Personalize and Sitecore Search or Content Hub provides a better overall experience alongside their existing Sitecore XP solution.

Test AI and Automations

With the introduction of Stream, Sitecore has made advancements in the use of AI & LLMs. However, Sitecore Stream is also available for Sitecore XP, meaning companies can implement it to test new AI workflows and automations without migrating to XM Cloud first.

Setting the Stage For a Future Migration to XM Cloud

While Sitecore XP still offers a tremendous amount of value, there may come a time when you do want to migrate to XM Cloud. In fact, a Total Economic Impact Study has shown that migrating from on-premises Sitecore XP to XM Cloud can yield a 371% ROI over three years and increase digital conversions by 50%, so there will be a temptation to migrate eventually. However, that doesn’t mean you need to migrate today. In fact, a portion of this ROI can be attributed to the benefits of going headless, such as improved page speed and performance, which is also possible on XP.

If you choose to make that move, there are ways to continue improving the digital customer experience on your XP implementation while making future migration to XM Cloud easier.

Build Headless Websites

Enterprises that eventually migrate to XM Cloud must build their websites using a headless approach instead of a traditional one. To start preparing for this eventuality, build websites headlessly on Sitecore XP.

Following this approach allows businesses to realize some performance improvements without having to migrate, while also making a future migration to XM Cloud much easier.

Upgrade First, Migrate Later

If you’re not running the latest version of Sitecore XP, it's best to upgrade to the latest version before considering migrating. Businesses on anything before Sitecore 10 should definitely upgrade to take advantage of features like an improved editing experience. An upgrade also provides performance and security enhancements to keep your implementation running smoothly.

Get More Out of Your Sitecore XP Solution with Oshyn

As a certified Sitecore partner, Oshyn delivers deep content‑management know‑how. We’ve steered countless enterprises through upgrades, implementations, and migrations across the entire Sitecore suite, helping them to transform customer interactions into standout digital experiences.

Oshyn can help you determine the best route for your business, whether that means adding new enhancements or upgrading to the latest version of Sitecore XP, preparing for the eventual transition to XM Cloud, or migrating to XM Cloud immediately. We handle everything end-to-end, so you can continue maximizing your DXP's value.

• Audits: An Oshyn Sitecore Audit provides an in-depth understanding of your site’s current state and what you need to do next to improve your implementation.

• Upgrades: Oshyn’s proprietary upgrade processes and tools streamline upgrades, making them faster, up to 30% less costly, and with less impact on your day-to-day operations during the upgrade process.

• Composable Implementation: Oshyn helps you transition to a composable DXP by implementing SaaS products alongside your XP implementation.

How a Sitecore Upgrade Improved Performance for a Semiconductor Company

When support for their Sitecore 9 implementation ended and performance began to lag, a leading semiconductor manufacturer turned to Oshyn for help.

Leveraging our proprietary upgrade framework, we moved them to Sitecore XP 10.4, streamlining the transition and laying the groundwork for effortless future updates. Since then, PageSpeed Insights scores have skyrocketed 113 % on desktop and 300 % on mobile, while security risks dropped and marketplace conversions climbed.

Looking for similar results? Contact us to see how we can help.