Sitecore, the leading provider of .NET Web Content Management System (CMS) software, today announced that Beliefnet, one of the largest multi-faith online communities for spirituality and inspiration, is using Sitecore’s Web Content Management System (CMS) to power its newly designed online community.

Beliefnet, a subsidiary of Fox Entertainment Group, is a definitive source of spiritual information presented without a specific editorial view or spiritual affiliation. As a leading authority for major news organizations including The Wall Street Journal, Chicken Soup for the Soul and Fox Faith, Beliefnet’s new Web strategy was designed to better engage its users with social networking features including blogs, videos, quizzes and photo galleries.

Sitecore’s CMS provided the software tools needed to develop a new website that can be easily updated by the editorial staff, while providing a platform to quickly deliver engaging Web experiences. Furthermore, Sitecore’s solution offers content tagging, advanced multimedia delivery and integrated social networking features.

“After reviewing more than fifteen CMS solutions, Sitecore was the only vendor that provided the customization capabilities, ease-of-use and social networking functionality that we needed to build an engaging online community,” said Jason Rodriguez, CTO, Beliefnet. “Since launching the new site, our editorial staff can easily create, update and reformat content on their own – a huge time saver for them and the IT team.”

Working with Sitecore partner, Digitaria, the Beliefnet site was redesigned to provide improved accessibility for both the Beliefnet staff and the end-user. The installation of the Sitecore CMS simplifies management of content and streamlines the process for the content administrators. New publication guidelines and specifications are automatically enforced through the CMS. The sophisticated tagging system built into the new design gives Beliefnet the ability to constantly rotate content – preventing content and digital assets from being buried by the significant volume of articles and media on the site.

“With the explosion of social networking tools and increased content consumption on the Web, user engagement is critical in building a strong online community,” said Paul Markun, VP Marketing, Sitecore. “Sitecore’s solutions give organizations like Beliefnet the ability to better engage their online community with a Web experience that builds loyalty, increases site visitors and ad revenue – a measureable ROI that not all technology investments can deliver.”