A digital experience platform is a set of tools that allows businesses to manage and improve the digital experience across channels and devices. The integrated content platform enables creation, personalization, delivery, and optimization of digital user experiences.
DXPs evolved from other tools such as CMSs and web experience management (WEM) systems. The digital experience platform becomes a hub for content management, analytics, asset management, and data management. Some DXPs even allow you to build your own customized suite of technology.
What are the goals of a Digital Experience Platform?
The primary goal of a digital experience platform is to improve the user experience for customers on all platforms, whether that’s a website, mobile app, or blog. They allow you to meet customer expectations and ensure consistent marketing across every channel.
Digital experience platforms also help improve targeting accuracy by providing new insights into customer expectations. DXPs can pinpoint immediate customer needs and help marketers fill them at the right phase of the customer journey.
Types of Digital Experience Platforms
There are three types of digital experience platforms, each with slightly different uses.
- CMS DXP: Provides detailed analytics that accelerate the customer journey.
- Portal DXP: Focuses on integrating with different intranet portals, such as suppliers and partners.
- Commercial DXP: Primarily offers support for e-commerce transactions. They can manage data from online shopping carts and inventory.
Common Digital Experience Platform Capabilities
A DXP offers many useful features, either natively or through integration with other technologies.
- Delivery of content and experiences
- Cross-platform support
- Content and asset management
- Detailed, real-time analytics
- Optimization and personalization tools
- Customer data management
- Integration with other tools
Other features that a modern DXP may offer include:
- Commerce tools, like payment gateways
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Marketing management
- Campaign management
How to Evaluate Different Digital Experience Platform Vendors
If you’re considering DXP vendors, look for capabilities like:
- The tools you need in your industry
- A track record of excellent performance
- Robust security, backups, and reliability
- Scalability and openness to third-party systems
- Cutting-edge technology such as the latest AI
How A DXP Works in Your MarTech Stack
DXPs are a great execution channel, but without connecting data and other tools, it can easily become nothing more than an expensive CMS. To get the most out of your DXP, start by integrating a full-fledged customer data platform. CDPs collect customer data, and DXPs can help you use that data to get real results.
You also need to invest in the right application programming interface (API). An API allows two applications to communicate with each other. You can ease the integration process and build new features with APIs—they even help you maintain flexibility. In short, a great API is at the heart of your DXP’s connectivity and functionality.
