Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Migrate to Liferay 7.4

User experience (UX) can make or break a business. A clunky website, a confusing app, or a frustrating online journey – these all contribute to lost customers and missed opportunities. Research conducted by PwC found that 32% of all customers would stop doing business with a brand they loved after just one bad digital experience.

This scenario is a real possibility for businesses still relying on Liferay 7.3, as premium support ended in October. Now, more than ever, companies need to prioritize the customer experience to stay competitive. This brings us to an important question: is it time to migrate to Liferay 7.4?

The answer to that question is a resounding “yes!” From providing a seamless omnichannel journey to offering real-time support and personalized content, Liferay 7.4 empowers you to create digital experiences that delight your customers and foster lasting loyalty. We'll also examine how this upgrade streamlines development processes, allowing your team to build innovative solutions more efficiently.

But it's not just about aesthetics and intuitive design. Liferay 7.4 also addresses the growing need for robust security and regulatory compliance, especially in a world increasingly shaped by regulations like GDPR and initiatives like DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), which will come into force in January 2025.

Here, I’ll outline the benefits of Liferay 7.4, highlighting how better UX leads to increased customer loyalty, improved brand reputation, and, ultimately, a healthier bottom line. Now is the time to upgrade, and with the DORA deadline on the horizon, there’s no time to waste. If I haven’t convinced you already, dive into the case for Liferay 7.4

The 7.4 Advantage Summarized

Faster Innovation and Enhanced Experiences with Client Extensions

Key Benefits

• Faster access to new features and functionalities

• More stable and reliable digital experiences

• Seamless upgrades and reduced downtime

It’s a much-repeated truism, but businesses must adapt swiftly to stay ahead. Liferay 7.4 recognizes this need for speed, offering Client Extensions that empower developers to build customizations and integrations more efficiently. This translates to faster innovation cycles and a more agile response to market demands, ultimately enhancing the end-user experience. By enabling businesses to respond rapidly to evolving customer needs and market trends, they can roll out new features and functionalities quickly, keeping your digital experiences fresh and relevant.

Moreover, by decoupling customizations from the core Liferay code, Client Extensions minimize the risk of conflicts and errors. This results in more stable and reliable digital experiences, ensuring a smooth and frustration-free journey for your customers. Client Extensions also simplifies upgrading to newer versions of Liferay DXP. This means less disruption and downtime for your customers, allowing them to enjoy uninterrupted access to your services.

For example, if a retail company wants to integrate a new payment gateway into its Liferay-powered e-commerce platform, Client Extensions enables this integration to be implemented quickly and seamlessly. This provides customers with a wider range of payment options and a smoother checkout experience—which is key to ensuring they convert.

Unlocking Seamless Experiences Across All Your Devices with Headless API

Key Benefits

• Consistent and engaging experiences across all channels

• Faster loading times and improved performance on different devices

• Personalized content and services, no matter how they interact with the brand.

Today's consumers interact with brands through a multitude of channels: websites, mobile apps, smart devices, and more. Liferay 7.4's enhanced Headless API enables organizations to deliver consistent and engaging content across all these touchpoints, ensuring a seamless and unified user experience.

This means that whether your customers are browsing your website on their laptop, checking for updates on your mobile app, or interacting with your brand through a smart device, they will enjoy a cohesive and engaging experience. Content is tailored to their preferences and delivered with optimal performance, regardless of the device they choose.

Creating a More Engaging and Intuitive Customer Journey with Enhanced Fragments

Key Benefits

• A more engaging and intuitive online experience

• Easier navigation and improved access to information

Liferay 7.4 offers an expanded library of fragments, providing developers with the building blocks to create more dynamic and visually appealing pages. This translates to a more engaging and intuitive online experience for the end-user, making it easier for them to navigate your site and find the information they need.

With enhanced fragments, you can create interactive elements, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations that bring your pages to life and enhance the customer journey. For example, an e-commerce retailer could use enhanced fragments to create visually rich product pages with interactive elements, such as 360-degree product views and customer reviews. This provides customers with a more immersive and informative shopping experience, leading to increased engagement and conversions.

Connecting with Customers in Their Language

Key Benefits

• Improved access to information

• A greater sense of connection with the brand

Liferay 7.4's automatic content translation feature helps you create a more inclusive digital experience by making your content accessible to a global audience. With the integration of translation services from Google, Microsoft, and others, you can easily translate your content into multiple languages, ensuring that users can understand your message regardless of their native tongue.

This not only improves comprehension but also fosters a greater sense of connection with your brand. When users can access information in their native language, they feel more valued and understood, leading to increased engagement and loyalty. These connections aren’t only important in e-commerce; a healthcare provider, for example, could use automatic content translation to make its patient portal accessible to a diverse population. This ensures that all patients can understand their health information and treatment plans, creating a more inclusive digital experience.

Live Chat Integration for Real-Time Support

Key Benefits

• Quick resolution of issues and reduced wait times

• Increased accessibility to assistance, leading to higher satisfaction

• A more personalized and interactive customer service experience

Liferay 7.4 seamlessly integrates with popular live chat platforms, enabling you to provide immediate assistance to your customers. This means that help is just a click away, allowing for quick resolution of issues and reduced wait times. The integration is designed for easy implementation and management of different chat providers, giving you the flexibility to choose the platform that best suits your needs.

For the end-user, this translates to a more satisfying and efficient support experience. They can get help instantly, reducing wait times and frustration. Live chat provides an easy and accessible way for customers to seek assistance, leading to higher satisfaction. It also offers a more personalized and interactive customer service experience.

How Liferay 7.4 Empowers Developers, Enhancing Experiences

While Liferay 7.4 focuses heavily on enhancing the end-user experience, it also brings significant advantages for developers. The platform introduces tools and functionalities that streamline development processes and empower the creation of more robust and efficient solutions. Here, I’ll quickly run through the most exciting new features.

Objects: Low-Code Development Within Reach

In Liferay 7.4, Objects replace Service Builder, enabling the creation and management of custom data models directly from the Liferay interface without writing code. This accelerates development and allows teams to focus on innovation rather than getting bogged down in complex coding tasks.

Intelligent Search: Accurate and Relevant Results

Search enhancements in Liferay 7.4, including semantic search (in beta), offer advanced search capabilities and more precise filtering options. This translates to more relevant results for users and an overall improved search experience.

AI at the Service of Development

Liferay 7.4 integrates AI tools that facilitate automatic tagging of resources (text and images) and content generation. With the "AI Creator" tool integrated with ChatGPT, developers can automate content creation and improve project efficiency.

These improvements, along with other optimizations in Liferay 7.4, allow developers to:

• Accelerate development cycles:

  Build solutions faster and with less code.

• Improve efficiency:

  Automate tasks and simplify processes.

• Create more innovative digital experiences:

  Leverage new functionalities to deliver more engaging and personalized solutions.

Transforming Customer Journeys with Liferay 7.4

The research speaks volumes: user experience can make or break a business. The end of premium support for Liferay 7.3 marks a critical turning point for companies relying on this platform and a clear signal to prioritize customer experience and migrate to Liferay 7.4.

As explored throughout this article, Liferay 7.4 offers a wealth of features designed to elevate the customer journey. From enabling faster innovation cycles to delivering seamless omnichannel experiences, Liferay 7.4 empowers you to create a digital presence that captivates your audience and fosters lasting loyalty.

Don't just maintain the status quo; embrace the future of digital experiences with Liferay 7.4. If you're ready to migrate, reach out to Mimacom. Our team of experts can guide you through the 7.4 upgrade process and help you leverage the platform's full potential to achieve your business objectives.

Get in touch to start your journey towards creating exceptional digital experiences that enable you to stay ahead.