Let’s see how to get there and onward again. If you do content for a living, this blog is for you. Even more so if you believe that the experience is greater than the sum of its parts, be they written word, visual content or UX design. Whether you’re passionate or just practical about technology, you’re welcome to read on…
What Makes a Great CMS the Right CMS?
The short answer is you. That’s right, it really depends on who’s asking. And the long answers may vary based on what you’re looking for. CMS. Content platform. Digital experience platform (DXP). What’s in a name really? What you call it just cannot be more important than the purpose you need it to serve.
Modern users demand meaningful experiences every time they engage, ramping up the pressure to create and deliver content efficiently across a host of digital channels. Content and user experience can make or break your business and brand, and you risk learning it the hard way in these times of digital interaction, intelligent apps and smart devices.
As a marketer, you don’t just get a front row seat—you’re living the new paradigm of omnichannel content delivery and adaptive user experiences. You are shaping it and being shaped by it. This doesn’t mean, though, that you try so hard to step out of the box only to end up in another.
What I mean is, we should know better than to limit ourselves to thinking solely in terms of screens and pages. Quality content isn’t that which fits various screen sizes. We are well beyond that point already. If responsive websites are a ubiquitous commodity, why should immersive, all-round digital experiences be a luxury?
CMS, Content Platform and Omnichannel Delivery
A good traditional CMS gives marketers the right tools to create and manage quality content and do so at scale—independently, comfortably and effortlessly. That's the way it is and the way it has been for a while now. The modern twist is the tools to distribute content are no longer a distant second—they are just as important.
You need your business to efficiently engage your customer base and want to get your message across to the general public. To succeed, you need to cater to a multitude of platforms, devices and touchpoints—beyond a traditional channel such as a website.
Indeed, corporate websites are no longer the be all, end all of any business’ digital presence. Connected and enabled through technology, are we not simply spoiled for choice? Smart devices, internet of things (IoT), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) bring about newer, more advanced and more exciting interactions and experiences. It’s a challenge for enterprises to not only respond but anticipate and adapt to a new reality that’s far from static.
So, how do we go about it? As marketers, we need to respond to the demand for differentiated experiences while maintaining a consistent, cohesive messaging and brand strategy. We need to achieve through iteration, not repetition. We need to understand and use technology to our advantage. We need to rely but not depend on developers in our day-to-day work.
So, how does a CMS fit in the picture? For one, traditional websites are something to look beyond but not leave behind just yet. In that sense, a CMS is more than just a mere website backend—a more sensible and appealing proposition is a content platform, which can power an entire ecosystem around your website. Microsites, mobile apps or progressive web apps (PWAs) that not only consume the content created and stored in the backend but take full advantage of the platform’s underlying features and services such as single sign-on (SSO), user authentication, third-party integrations, security and personalization.
Website and Beyond: Decoupled Content Management
So, you may be on the lookout for a modern CMS to spearhead your rebranding effort. Or you’re thinking big and considering a broader platform (DXP) to create a seamless, cohesive customer experience and assert your digital presence across a vast landscape of touchpoints and use cases.
Let’s look at what drives the decision-making when shopping for a new content platform, keeping in mind that enterprises have similar goals but often deal with unique challenges.
- Need to move on from a legacy / custom framework
- About to rebrand and the opportunity is ripe
- Looking for scalability and an enterprise-grade PaaS
- Ready to evolve from web content management to omnichannel content delivery
The reasons may vary but the bottom line is the same. Organizations grow and their needs change. Technology’s evolving and reshaping the digital landscape. Businesses can adapt and rise to the challenge or fall behind and struggle to catch up.
By the way, you can have more than one correct answer in the options above. Moreover, what seems the relevant one now will likely change sooner than you might imagine. Digital maturity is less about checking the most boxes—it’s about your vision for the long run.
Check out the infographic below for how Sitefinity is superbly equipped to both serve as a traditional CMS and pull the strings of an entire ecosystem with headless content delivery to multiple frontend consumers.
Want to experience Sitefinity firsthand? Go ahead and get a free 30-day trial. For an extra bit of context, the State of Digital Experiences is an excellent read and an insightful look at what businesses see as key to their success in a rapidly evolving and highly competitive digital playground.
Anton Tenev
Anton Tenev was a Sitefinity Product Marketer.