The real benefits of adopting a Digital Experience Platform

Imagine going through an RFP process, picking a vendor, and spending a year implementing a new digital experience platform (DXP), only to find out that you’re still unable to do everything you want. This is the nightmare some marketing leaders face. They’ve invested time and money in a new platform but have failed to get the benefits of a DXP.

So, what went wrong, and how can you avoid making a similar mistake?

In this post, you’ll learn what we think the benefits of a DXP should be, why some DXPs fall short, and how to pick a platform that will empower your business to create the digital experiences that customers expect.

What benefits can you expect from a DXP?

Most analysts and companies define a DXP as a set of technologies that lets you create, manage, and deliver customer experiences across digital channels. That sounds simple enough, but it takes multiple capabilities to produce truly seamless, omnichannel experiences.

At Contentful, we believe the core benefits of a DXP should include:

• Brand consistency through unified digital content management and modular, reusable content that enables teams to assemble consistent experiences across regions and channels.

• Omnichannel delivery to meet your customers where they are with experiences tailored for every digital touchpoint.

• Integrated operations that eliminate silos for seamless collaboration that empowers teams to assemble cohesive experiences.

• Data-driven personalization that drives measurable return on investment (ROI) by enabling teams to experiment, gain valuable insights from customer data, and use those insights to optimize digital experiences.

• Speed and agility so you can ship faster and act on data in real time.

• Increased productivity through modular content, automated workflows, and contextual AI.

• Enterprise-level security and governance, including secure frameworks, reliable infrastructure, and compliance at scale.

• But not all DXPs provide these benefits to the extent modern brands need.

Monolithic vs. composability: Why the type of DXP you choose matters 

Because the definition of a DXP is so broad, the benefits of a DXP depend on the kind of DXP you choose, the DXP vendor, and the implementation. 

There are two main types of DXP: traditional or monolithic, and composable. Each type offers different benefits.

Monolithic DXPs 

Monolithic or traditional DXPs offer the convenience of an all-in-one solution or suite of tools. However, this convenience comes at the cost of flexibility and control. 

Fewer choices might initially be less overwhelming, but limiting yourself to a single vendor can leave you experiencing vendor lock-in. Often, this is associated with paying for features you don’t use and encountering unexpected limitations that necessitate costly integrations.

The inability to right-size your tech stack and the frustration of integrating more tools into something that promised all-in-one bliss negates the benefit of monolithic DXPs.

A modern DXP with more flexibility

In contrast, a DXP like Contentful acknowledges that no single vendor can provide the best tools for everything you need. Instead, we focus on providing a core set of capabilities and making it ridiculously easy to integrate your preferred tools. 

Adopting a composable architecture allows modern DXPs to offer the benefit of an infinitely extensible platform that meets you where you are now and supports your future needs. It’s like assembling a dream team where you have access to any player you want and can trade them at any time. 

In addition to the core benefits of a DXP, Contentful also enables you to:

• Maximize existing tech investments. Instead of forcing you to give up tools you love, a composable approach lets you combine existing tech with a modern DXP to maximize ROI. 

• Reduce technical debt. Assemble the stack you need from the start without the burden of features you won’t use. Everything is modular, so you can change and update tools without the fear of breaking things. No more missing page elements or broken tracking tags after an update.

• Choose the best vendors. A DXP that integrates tools from multiple vendors into one connected system gives you what you want for each function without the typical integration headaches.

• Create and connect new apps. The Contentful Marketplace has 120+ pre-built integrations, making it easy to get the new features you need. What’s more, you can use  Contentful’s App Framework to build exactly what you want, turning your platform into a unique competitive advantage.

• Be ready for the future. AI has already changed the way businesses create and ship digital experiences. Who knows what will be next? But with a composable architecture, you’ll be ready to plug it in and try it out. 

Contentful makes getting the benefits of a DXP easy

A composable approach might sound like too many options, but the right partners make it easy to get started. Contentful Professional Services and our extensive partner network offer expert guidance to help you get the benefits of a DXP faster.

BMW uses Contentful to power digital experiences across 160 dealership sites

BMW is a great example of how the right partner can fast-track results. Faced with the rise of online shopping, BMW set out to set a new standard in digital experiences. First, they needed a platform to connect a tangle of backend systems and content management systems (CMSes). In partnership with design agency TMWX (now part of Accenture Song), they chose Contentful to modernize the digital experience across 160 dealer-specific websites.

TMWX designed a digital experience that feels like an extension of the retailer. Contentful’s modular content and governance capabilities enabled them to keep brand messaging consistent across dealerships while giving each dealership the flexibility to add personal touches. 

The result is a digital experience that feels as polished and reliable as walking into a showroom — and it’s paying off with higher customer engagement, including a 47% jump in test drive bookings.

Case Study

BMW digitizes showroom sophistication with Contentful

Contentful enables BMW to connect with digital customers through on-brand, localized content to drive engagement.

Contentful Personalization helps Ruggable’s small team drive big results

Ruggable shows how easy it can be to get the benefits of a DXP, even if you have a small team. Ahead of Black Friday, their team used Contentful to quickly spin up modular content components, connect Shopify data, and schedule promotions without heavy developer support. What once took nerve-racking code changes was handled by just three people in four weeks. The payoff was immediate: campaigns went live smoothly, and personalization powered by Contentful drove a 7x increase in click-through rates and a 25% boost in conversions.

Case Study

Ruggable rolls out an efficient way to manage Black Friday and personalization

Learn how Contentful enabled Ruggable to execute time-sensitive campaigns and deliver a reliable experience despite high traffic.

A Modern DXP plus AI is a slam dunk for FIBA

Contentful made it easy for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to scale digital experiences across a global stage. “Contentful helps us turn things out like a factory — we can easily create a website for each event, even if there are 80+ of them in a given year,” shared Yann Thézénas, Project Manager at FIBA

That efficiency means fans around the world get timely, localized updates, even during high-pressure live events. Looking ahead, FIBA is beginning to leverage Contentful Marketplace apps like the AI Content Generator powered by OpenAI to speed up and scale translations.

Check out these demo videos to learn more about getting the benefits of a DXP from Contentful.

Case Study

FIBA enhances global fan engagement with Contentful

FIBA streamlined workflows to deliver faster, more reliable and dynamic digital experiences to fans and stakeholders during live events.

Choose a digital experience platform that fits you

Every business is unique. You know what works for you and what doesn’t.

A DXP must be able to reflect that, enabling you to pick and choose the components you need, connect them to the parts of your system that you already like, and make changes without breaking the entire stack.

Don’t trust your future to outdated platforms. Contentful is a modern DXP with a proven record of achieving measurable results, which you’ll happily share with the executive team.

See how Contentful can help you get the full benefits of a DXP built for your business. Contact sales for a personalized demo.

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