A DXP, or digital experience platform, is a type of content management system (CMS) designed to help businesses compose, oversee, deliver, and optimise the digital customer experience.
Driven by the need to stay ahead in the ever-changing modern world, many businesses adopt DXPs, allowing them to better communicate with customers and create meaningful relationships.
To understand why DXPs are essential, we first need to know what content management systems do.
About Content Management Systems
Content Management Systems (CMS) offer a broad range of benefits for businesses. Using a CMS, you can track, manage, create, and organise content within a digital space, such as a website or mobile app. This content can range from images and videos to written content.
CMS platforms can also allow access to multiple users, provide version management and control, and facilitate brand consistency across online spaces.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re planning on building a website to sell your homemade candles, but you have no idea about web coding. Through a CMS platform, you can use premade website templates (such as landing pages and category pages) and fill them dynamically from a database.
Whenever you update your sales database (such as adding a new product), your website will automatically reflect the changes thanks to your CMS.
How DXPs improve upon standard CMS platforms
While standard CMS platforms work well for many businesses, there are some limitations. Today, companies sell their products across multiple websites, and customers may never need to visit your website directly to make a purchase.
DXPs make omnichannel marketing (selling across multiple platforms) a seamless experience. You can now control and manage the customer journey at a larger scale and greater depth.
While a basic CMS will let you manage your website, with a DXP, you can push content to:
- Other websites
- Billboards
- Digital kiosks
- Customer portals
- IoT (Internet of Things) devices
- Much more
This seamless interplay between digital spaces means you can manage your website, brick-and-mortar store, and outsourced advertising efforts all from one platform.
The advanced flexibility, personalisation, and adaptability of DXP systems create a significantly better experience for customers and businesses when compared with traditional CMS platforms.
How DXPs benefit consumers
Today’s consumers are more tech-savvy than ever before—and with this knowledge comes higher expectations.
Modern customers expect businesses to recognise their needs and optimise their experience to suit. For example, a typical visitor to your desktop website may add an item to their cart, leave it for several days, then return to your website via a different device, such as their smartphone. This customer will expect to complete their purchase with ease despite switching between digital platforms.
With DXP technology, making this switch is easy—leading to more conversions and better relationships with your customers.
Conclusion
Digital experience platforms are an advanced type of content management system designed to streamline the customer experience. By using a DXP, you can manage, organise, and connect content across multiple digital platforms, saving you time, boosting sales, and vastly improving your relationship with your customers.
