Get the most out of your online presence: Why a .NET upgrade is your next big move

These days, digital transformation is no longer just an option. It has become a necessity for staying ahead in the competitive landscape and if you're still hanging out with the old .NET Framework, it's time to think about stepping up to Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) Version 12 and Optimizely Commerce 14, all shining and running lightning-fast on .NET Core. Why? Because this isn't just about keeping up; it's about leaping forward into better performance, stronger security, killer conversion rates, cross-platform support and access to the latest technology.

This move isn't just tech talk; it's about transforming your site into a speed machine and giving your users an experience that'll keep them coming back for more. This blog post will explore the critical importance of a .NET upgrade, underlining its role in facilitating a seamless digital transformation journey. 

How just a few seconds' delay in loading time can impact conversion rate.

The rationale behind the move to .NET Core

The transition from .NET 4 to ASP.NET Core, meaning .NET 5 and beyond (the newest version is .NET 8, released in November 2023), marks a significant milestone in web development. This upgrade offers a plethora of new features and capabilities, including a dramatic improvement in performance – up to 1,200% in specific areas – making it a game-changer for developers, business users, and customers alike. Moreover, the shift to ASP.NET Core facilitates a faster and easier development process, complemented by quicker release cycles through open-source community participation.

How current and future ASP.NET Core versions will be rolled out and supported.

For website visitors, this upgrade translates into a faster, more seamless digital experience, directly impacting user satisfaction and engagement. Business users will benefit from increased efficiency in website management tasks, while improved site speed boosts search engine rankings, making websites more discoverable. Additionally, the move to a unified platform with ASP.NET Core, which amalgamates the best features of previous .NET versions into a single runtime and framework, signifies Microsoft's commitment to continuous improvement. This ensures regular feature updates, making an upgrade to the latest version an essential step for future-proofing digital assets, reducing the effort and time required for subsequent upgrades, and staying competitive in the fast-evolving digital landscape.

Benefits of upgrading to .NET Core

Upgrading an outdated site to the latest version of .NET is not merely a technical refresh; it's a strategic business decision that carries significant advantages. The transition from older .NET frameworks to the newer ASP.NET Core, meaning the latest version .NET 8, brings with it enhanced website performance, development efficiency, and a commitment to future-proofing your digital assets. Each of these benefits plays a crucial role in not only maintaining but elevating a business’s competitive edge in the digital arena.

Enhanced website performance

As mentioned, the performance improvements possible with ASP.NET Core are nothing short of revolutionary, boasting up to 1,200% better performance in certain areas, according to Optimizely. This enhancement directly impacts key business metrics: conversion rates, user experience, and SEO rankings. Faster website performance leads to a smoother, more engaging user experience, reducing bounce rates and encouraging users to spend more time interacting with the site. This heightened engagement leads to higher conversion rates, as users are less likely to abandon the site due to frustration with loading times. Furthermore, speed and user experience, as represented by the Core Web Vitals, is a ranking factor for search engines like Google. Improved loading times can result in better visibility in search results, driving more organic traffic to the site and increasing the potential for conversions.

Get crucial insights into your website performance with the Niteco Free Audit tool.  

Optimizely’s results in working with the latest .NET versions show that sites using these new frameworks saw the following improvements: 

• 4x Better Response Time
• 5-10x Faster Site and Commerce Operation
• 3x More Server Requests could be handled

Development efficiency 

While the old .NET Framework is of no use for mobile app development, ASP.NET Core’s cross-platform support is a game-changer for development teams, allowing for the development and hosting of solutions in the Desktop, Cloud, Mobile, AI, Gaming, IoT and other realms. This flexibility ensures that businesses can select the best platform for their specific needs without being tied to one in particular. 

How ASP.NET Core enables you to work seamlessly across platforms.

The streamlined development process, facilitated by ASP.NET Core, reduces the time and effort required to bring new features and improvements to market. This rapid development capability is crucial for businesses that need to respond quickly to changing market demands or customer needs. Additionally, the more potent development engine provided by .NET 8 improves developer efficiency, enabling the creation of complex, high-performing web applications with less code. This not only speeds up the development process but also reduces the potential for bugs and security vulnerabilities. 

Future-proofing your business

With Microsoft phasing out support for older versions of .NET, the move to ASP.NET Core is essential for future-proofing your web applications. Upgrading ensures continued access to the latest technological advancements, including improved personalization features and support for headless architecture – both of which are becoming increasingly important in delivering tailored digital experiences to users. By migrating to the latest version, businesses also mitigate the risk of security vulnerabilities and performance issues that come with unsupported software. Furthermore, embracing ASP.NET Core positions businesses to easily adopt future innovations from Microsoft, ensuring that their digital offerings remain at the forefront of technology trends.

When should you get a .NET upgrade?

The optimal time for a .NET upgrade could come at vastly different times depending on your business requirements. However, one thing has become pretty clear looking at Microsoft’s roadmap: it doesn’t pay to delay. Support for most pre-5 .NET releases has already ended, so it’s a good idea to jump on your very next opportunity for an upgrade. Are you considering a website redesign or have pending upgrades with platforms like Optimizely? Then it's the perfect opportunity to perform all these updates at once. Upgrading during such times not only enhances site performance but also ensures that you get the latest features and capabilities offered by these platforms, giving you a modern, secure, and efficient digital presence that meets the evolving expectations of users and the digital market.

But even if you’re not already planning work on your web presence, you should upgrade sooner rather than later, since your website might be falling behind in performance, security, or user engagement. One primary indicator of such a decline is the current site performance; if your website is experiencing slow loading times, frequent downtime, or compatibility issues across devices and browsers, it's a clear sign that an upgrade is necessary. For instance, studies show that web pages with a loading time of under 2 seconds show an average bounce rate of 9%, while that number jumped to 38% for pages with a loading time of 5 seconds. Another study suggests that just a one-second delay in the loading time of a page can cause a 7% decrease in your conversion rate. For transactional sites, such differences in bounce and conversion rates can lead to significant losses in customer satisfaction and, ultimately, revenue. It’s clear, then, that a .NET upgrade is in your best interest.

Partnering with Niteco for your upgrade

Niteco has upgraded more than 500 websites to ASP.NET Core, ensuring amazing improvements in performance, user experience, and ease of use for its clients. Our team also prides itself on its proven ability to perform upgrades to ASP.NET Core that are faster, safer, and more budget-friendly than other agencies’ offerings.

To get your own exclusive, unbeatable offer for a .NET upgrade and find out more about our service, go to .NET Upgrade.