Is Salesforce Experience Cloud the same as Communities?

The Salesforce ecosystem is constantly evolving. The introduction of the Salesforce Experience Cloud is not an exception that aids in providing connected digital experiences for consumers quite fast. 

As a recent update from Salesforce, the platform announced that the Community Cloud will now be known as the Salesforce Experience Cloud. The community cloud was a hybrid form of private cloud. However, the IT industry requires a much broader platform to recognize the unique needs of the consumers and reflect the potential of Salesforce in creating superior digital experiences.

Salesforce Experience Cloud is a digital experience platform that allows the organization to develop digital experiences for its partners, consumers, and employees on a large scale. The platform integrates the features and characteristics of Salesforce CRM, Experience Builder, and CMS with the advantage of efficient apps. Organizations can now quickly develop and work on websites, portals, and personalized content. Now it is all just a click away.

You must now be excited to know why Salesforce decided to rename Salesforce Community Cloud to Salesforce Experience Cloud. 

What does the renaming of Salesforce Community as Salesforce Experience mean?

Salesforce wants to change and enhance people’s lives and transform businesses. Salesforce always believed in building a community of experts, but now it is moving its motto to develop and build Community Experiences. The following points will help you understand why Salesforce renamed Salesforce Community as the Salesforce Experience.

1. Salesforce renaming is its way to show and validate the data-powered digital experiences that provide collaboration, automation, and real business value. 
2. It is an indication that Salesforce has moved away from the motto of “Clicks, or Code” to “Clicks, not Code.” It means that the organization understands the importance of unlocking business value through customization and development.
3. The move to rename Salesforce Community to Salesforce Experience indicates an action into the future. The Community Cloud provided Salesforce customers a chance of Salesforce-powered relationships with its users. Whereas the Experience Cloud is developed with the addition of Mobile Publisher and CMS. It gives more flexibility and efficiency to the user journey by integrating data and content of the platform to bring meaningful solutions. 

How is the Salesforce Experience different from the Salesforce Community?

With the renaming of Salesforce Community as Salesforce Experience, you can see changes and improvements in the tools used to design the sites. 

The Site that you used to develop using the Salesforce Community is now called the Site built using the Experience Cloud using either Visualforce or Experience Builder. You can notice the most significant difference between the two when using the terminology. Instead of referring to it as the Community where people interacted, it is now known as the Site. 

The other components in the Digital Experiences menu are also changed and simplified. So, Salesforce has replaced Community with the Experience Cloud Site in Experience Builder, Experience Workspaces, and other areas. 

The Experience Cloud provides a way to build communities and portals, forums, sites, and mobile apps to handle the organization’s content. The Experience Cloud is an evolution of the Community Cloud. 

In Conclusion

The information about the transition from Community to Experience Cloud is crucial before starting the journey as an Experience Cloud Consultant. Whether you are an existing user or a beginner, now you know the significant difference between the Salesforce Community and Salesforce Experience Cloud. 

As a next step, join the upgraded and industry-led course of saasguru and learn how this transition impacts your organization. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the difference between Salesforce Experience Cloud and Communities?

Salesforce Experience Cloud and Salesforce Communities refer to the same platform, but there has been a rebranding and enhancement of features. Salesforce Communities was the original term, but Salesforce has evolved the product into Salesforce Experience Cloud to represent its extensive capabilities better. Salesforce Experience Cloud provides more comprehensive tools to create connected, personalised experiences across various aspects and interaction points within the platform to engage customers, partners, and employees.

2. How much does Salesforce Experience Communities cost?

The pricing for Salesforce Experience Cloud can be variable, depending on the specific needs, features, and the scale at which a business plans to implement it. Generally, the price is $25 per user per month with a minimum 20 users.

3. How much does Salesforce Experience Cloud cost?

Salesforce Experience Cloud pricing can vary widely based on the specific needs, requirements, and scale of implementation for each organisation. 

Salesforce Sales Cloud Essential costs $25 per month; Salesforce Sales Cloud Service costs $80 per month and Salesforce Service Cloud Unlimited costs $330 per month.

4. How to use Salesforce Experience Cloud and Communities Effectively?

1. Strategic Planning:

• Identify clear objectives and goals for using the platform.
• Map out user journeys and define personalised experiences for different user segments.

2. Optimised Implementation:

• Ensure proper implementation and customization to meet organisational needs.
• Use the wide variety of features and functionalities at your disposal to increase user engagement.

3. User Training and Adoption:

• Provide comprehensive training to end-users and administrators.
• Encourage adoption through user-friendly interfaces and accessible support resources.

4. Regular Evaluation and Improvement:

• Regularly evaluate the platform’s performance and make any necessary modifications.
• Continuously improve and optimise user experiences based on feedback and analytics data.

5. What are the benefits of Salesforce Communities?

• Enhanced Engagement: Builds a connected and engaged community of customers, partners, and employees. Improves communication and teamwork while encouraging a feeling of community.
• Personalised Experiences: Delivers personalised content and experiences to different user segments, enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty.
• Streamlined Processes: Streamlines business processes and workflows, improving operational efficiency.
• Increased Business Value: Drives business growth by enabling organisations to create value-added services and offerings.
• Improved Customer Service: Provides an avenue for customer support and self-service options, reducing support costs and increasing customer satisfaction.

6. What are the benefits of Salesforce Experience Cloud?

• Comprehensive Toolset: Provides a large selection of features and tools to build integrated and immersive experiences across many touchpoints.
• Advanced Customization: Allows advanced customization to tailor the platform to unique organisational needs and user preferences.
• Robust Integration: Supports seamless integration with other Salesforce products and external systems, enhancing overall ecosystem cohesion.
• Data-Driven Insights: Employs advanced analytics to gather insights and optimise user experiences based on data.
• Scalability: Scales easily to accommodate growing user bases and expanding organisational needs.
• Brand Consistency: Reinforces brand identity and values by assisting in maintaining brand consistency across numerous points of encounter.