There’s so much brilliant technology within your grasp that it can be tricky to understand which platforms will deliver the best digital experiences for your customers. Making the right choice, however, can be crucial in terms of securing growth and stealing market share from your rivals.
In this article, we take a look at two distinct approaches that both offer a platform for success: content management systems (CMS) and digital experience platforms (DXP). Which option best suits your business depends on the exact nature of your needs, and it could be that elements of both are required. This type of overlap wouldn’t be a problem: it’s the beauty of the composable tech stack.
To help you figure out how CMS and DXP relate to each other, and which might make a difference to the impact of the digital experience you offer, let’s take a closer look at their qualities.
Making the case for CMS
A CMS is defined as the essential foundation and administration of a website, responsible for delivering content to users.
CMS market size reached $19bn by 2022, with estimates suggesting at least 76 million sites around the world are powered by such platforms.
The CMS facilitates the consistent creation, organisations and publication of web content. It can be considered the basis of devising and delivering your digital identity; so, in that sense, it’s a business-critical resource.
What’s more, the CMS has evolved since the early days of content management. Today, the latest technology has given rise to headless CMS.
Alongside efficiency and versatility, headless CMS enables fast, efficient scaling up and repurposing of content. In a world where consumers rightly expect compelling content that doesn’t just seem to be a rehash of old creative, the uniqueness of CMS-driven marketing can make all the difference to sales.
To summarise, here are three key features of CMS:
• High-tech tools for bespoke activity across channels e.g. email, chat and social, in one platform
• ‘Code agnostic’ - any type of web development system is compatible through an API
• Developed for developers, with a focus on technology
The down-low on DXPs
A DXP draws on multiple technologies to deliver optimal experiences across touchpoints. The platform underpins the connection of content, digital marketing and commerce operations in one place.
DXP is also big business: the global market was valued at more than $12bn in 2022, with further rapid growth expected by most analysts.
The platform can provide your business with the right tools to run your website; collect and manage customer and user data; run personalised email marketing campaigns and product communications; and much more.
DXPs also make seamless integration easy by connecting through APIs with external technologies, from CRM systems to chatbots. This means your customers is much likelier to enjoy the slick and consistent digital experience they crave.
Below are some of the major benefits of a DXP:
• Empowers business users to take a more proactive approach to building an ideal digital experience
• Provides out-of-the-box templates, such as landing pages, for efficient and simple delivery
• A single, scalable, cost-effective omnichannel solution with a handy dashboard for ease of operation
Choosing the right road
It’s important to realise that CMS and DXP aren’t mutually exclusive. If your business case demands it, both - or elements of either platform - can be used in harmony. Thanks to composable martech stacks, an API-first approach enables the integration of platforms and digital solutions from different vendors.
This creates an ecosystem where the best bespoke solutions for the task at hand can live alongside each other, interoperate and serve customers as they’ve come to expect.
MMT is on hand to help you select the most appropriate tools for the job. The platform you choose is really a product of your unique requirements; we can help you examine and define your objectives, required tech stack and overall strategy to ensure you take the right road. We even implement platforms and train employees how to get the best out of them in an efficient and secure manner.
Only then can you build feature-rich, customer-focused websites and content that accelerate growth, communicate your brand values and purpose, and turn a first-class digital experience into commercial success.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements and find a platform for success.
