Providing excellent customer experience is key to thriving and competing, and our tech stacks are becoming increasingly important in doing so. It is more crucial than ever for brands to have technology that can continuously deliver as customer expectations and tastes change. It's harder to compete with slow, unreliable, and underperforming websites, which harms the user experience.
This article will discuss the advantages of a composable digital experience platform (DXP) strategy and how it may help your tech stack be future-proof. The martech scene has a plethora of tools at its disposal. The conventional content management system (CMS) that marketers are so accustomed to has developed into DXPs.
Sitecore’s Transition to Composability
Traditionally, DXP solutions took a monolithic approach offering bundled capabilities. However, modern digital businesses demand greater flexibility and integration of best-of-breed point solutions. Composable architectures allow discrete services to be assembled via APIs based on unique organizational needs.
Recognizing this trend, Sitecore embarked on an acquisition strategy to expand its toolset. Companies like Moosend, Four51, Reflektion, and Boxever were integrated to provide independent offerings in areas like marketing automation, commerce, personalization, and customer data. These services can now plug into any technology stack as standalone, API-driven options.
Sitecore’s Composable DXP Products
Let's examine some key products available through Sitecore's composable approach:
- Sitecore Experience Manager Cloud is a flexible headless CMS enabling fast development and integration of best-in-breed services.
- Sitecore Send provides personalized cross-channel email marketing automation via a cloud-native interface.
- Sitecore Personalize leverages customer data for 1:1 personalization through real-time delivery of relevant experiences.
- Sitecore Discover applies AI to power personalized product recommendations and search capabilities.
- Sitecore OrderCloud is a commerce solution unifying order management across channels via APIs.
- Additional tools include the Sitecore CDP, Content Hub, and Symphony for content management needs.
Benefits of a Composable DXP Strategy
| DXPs Provide: | Benefits To Your Organization | Benefits To Your Customers |
|---|---|---|
| An Integrated Technology Platform | Centralized APIs and open-platform microservices connecting content management, customer data, and analytics enable experiences that increase customer retention. | Consistent and connected journeys across multiple platforms. |
| Personalized Experiences | Leverage multiple channels unify touch-points and provide contextual experiences. | Value delivered at the right touchpoint to the right audiences at the right time. |
| Flexible Content Workflow | Cloud-based headless architecture that can deliver content across multiple channels. Allowing teams to provide great content and better experiences quickly, without a lot of reliance on IT. | Better digital experiences on preferred platforms and channels. |
| Greater Customer Visibility | Connected deep data between multiple systems that create more precise and actionable insights. | We optimized customer experiences for every interaction. |
| Future-Proof Scalability | Ability to bring together new best-of-breed technologies and allow businesses to efficiently upgrade and replace tools in their martech stack according to their needs. | Connected experiences for customers and better digital experiences. |
The Differences Between A CMS And A DXP
| Differences | CMS | DXP |
|---|---|---|
| Core Functionality | Content Management System | Digital Experience Platform |
| Content Management | Provides basic content creation, editing, and publishing capabilities | Offers advanced content management functionalities |
| Personalization | Limited personalization features | Advanced personalization based on user data |
| Multichannel Delivery | Supports content delivery to multiple channels | Enables seamless delivery across all touchpoints |
| Ecommerce Integration | Basic integration with ecommerce systems | Robust ecommerce capabilities and integrations |
| Digital Marketing Tools | Basic marketing tools and analytics | Advanced marketing automation and analytics |
| Customer Data Management | Limited customer data management capabilities | Comprehensive customer data management features |
| Customer Journey Mapping | Basic customer journey mapping functionality | Advanced customer journey orchestration |
| Third-Party Integrations | Limited integrations with external systems | Extensive integrations with various platforms |
| Scalability | Suitable for smaller to mid-sized websites | Scalable for large-scale enterprise deployments |
| Customization | Offers limited customization options | Provides extensive customization capabilities |
| Analytics and Reporting | Basic analytics and reporting capabilities | Advanced analytics and reporting features |
This chart provides an overview of the general differences between a CMS and a DXP. CMS platforms primarily focus on content management and delivery, while DXPs offer a broader range of tools and capabilities to manage the complete digital experience, including personalization, e-commerce, marketing automation, and customer data management. DXPs are typically more robust and suitable for larger enterprises with complex digital experience requirements.
What Lies Ahead for Sitecore Customers
With Sitecore's DXP transition ongoing, adopting strategic integrations now allows customers to gain competitive advantages. Experienced partners can help existing implementations fully leverage available capabilities while navigating interim changes.
As the shift towards complete composability occurs, independent plug-and-play services will give organizations even more flexibility to shape technologies around their specific needs. Those who actively engage with Sitecore's evolution position themselves to smoothly operate in an API-first future.
What’s Next?
Let's recap. Digital identity, strategy, and engagement are built on a CMS. A DXP is a comprehensive set of tools that delivers tailored interactions that scale and connect — over any channel and in any language.
Reach out to the helpful staff at QEdge if you're interested in learning more about adopting a composable DXP strategy for your company. We create Sitecore experiences that stand the test of time and execute marketing automation campaigns that outperform the competition. We can guide your Sitecore projects to success because of our years of experience and standing for Sitecore thought leadership.
