By Peggy Chen, SDL
Deploying
a new web content management (WCM) platform for an e-Commerce site may feel
like you’ve been thrown into open waters — What kinds of predators lie beneath
the surface, How can you stay afloat, and What will it take to succeed?
are all questions that might run through your mind as you swim through various
WCM offerings looking for the right solution.
Choosing
the right platform requires research and foresight, as blindly diving into one
solution may not garner the best results for your company. Audiences are now
more empowered and
knowledgeable than ever before, and your retail businesses cannot afford to
deliver poor online experiences, as there is always another e-Commerce business
knocking at your e-customer’s door.
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If you find your current e-Commerce or WCM system prevents building a
true connection with customers, then it’s time to change. Take this challenge head-on
in a strategic way, focusing on achieving engagement goals without compromising
sales. You can gradually switch over and replace parts of the old experience
with a better, newer one. If you’re in the market for a new WCM platform, there
are a couple of emerging trends worth noting.
Explore Uncharted Seas
Firstly, the ongoing debate between best-of-breed and single suite approaches.
It’s an argument that resurfaced in recent years, and by all accounts, isn’t
going away anytime soon. Particularly when you consider that the pendulum
has now shifted — almost three-quarters (70%) of brands currently take a heterogeneous approach to their digital
experience platforms, meaning they combine best-of-breed components to build
the desired DXP and continuously extend its functionality for better customer
engagement. Gone are the days when a one-size-fits-all approach provided all
the answers. Retail brands want to control — and the ability to build — their
own digital ecosystems, according to the study by Digital
Clarity Group.
Traditional
e-Commerce systems only have very limited content management capabilities, so
the key is to explore what your company truly needs, and put the digital
experience at the front and center of your research. When considering a WCM
provider, look at how your content is delivered, how it will help you engage
and how it will combine with aspects like compliance, security and scalability —
all important factors. With the right WCM-driven experience at the front end,
the commerce system can work at the backend doing what it does best, handling
the product information and transactional elements.
Swim With A New School of Fish
Secondly, the debate
between headless and traditional WCMs. Most companies are currently on their second
or third generation “traditional" CMS, so they have quite some
experience with it, and know what to ask for when they engage with vendors
during a replacement cycle. In many cases a traditional CMS can do the job,
provided you select the right one. But headless CMSs — which simplify the way
of delivering dynamic content to mobile devices — can make a real difference,
particularly to e-Commerce-led customer experiences. Some systems even allow
you to work both in a traditional and headless manner, combining the best of
both worlds. If you’re looking to achieve any of the following with a WCM, then
the headless approach may be best for you.
1. Rapidly deliver
online stores and web sites to a wide range of devices
2. Manage campaign sites,
sales offers and other short-lived online properties
3. Syndicate content to affiliate sites/companies, or for instance your e-Commerce environment
4. Reuse content on other channels, in particular mobile apps, but also other devices such as POS displays and kiosks
5. Reuse content on social channels
But
most importantly, remember that it’s all about the customer experience. What
experience do you provide now, and what kind of experience do you want them to
have in the future? Recognize what approach and features matter most and
make the most sense given your company’s future goals. Businesses with customers
across regions should be able to ensure their WCM systems are able to easily
localize content into any language, as the first step toward delivering
relevant and personal experiences. While markets have become global, customers
still understandably want localized information and approach a business and its
products from multiple geographies, channels and platforms. Do
the appropriate research now and save yourself from drowning in these complex issues
later.
Peggy Chen joined SDL in 2014 and is currently Chief
Marketing Officer, with responsibility for communicating the strategic
direction of SDL’s brand, products and services across all channels in support
of customer acquisition and retention. Prior to SDL, Chen was at Oracle where
she drove go-to-market strategies leading Product Marketing and Product
Management teams. Chen holds a Bachelors and Masters of Engineering in
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
