Digital Experience Platform Reviews

When it comes to user engagement, you need to use a wide variety of content and digital assets to attract and connect with new people. However, as you can imagine — or as you're currently experiencing — generating new content and managing existing content is a lot more complicated and time-consuming than it seems.

Fortunately, in the age of new technology, it's never been easier to engage with your audience via a digital experience platform (DXP). But what is an example of a DXP platform? Let's break down this concept, how it works, and how software like Lumavate can enhance your digital marketing strategy.

What are Digital Experience Platforms?

Digital experiences can take many forms, such as websites, landing pages, microsites, digital product guides, webinars, and much more. Basically, any type of digital content that engages the user can be considered a digital experience, although there should be some level of interactivity.

So, what does DXP mean? DXP, or a digital experience platform, allows you to create, curate, and manage each of these experiences from a single dashboard. You can also tie these experiences to a specific customer journey, connecting with each user at specific points along the sales funnel.

Typically, DXP software enables you to build specific content pieces and experiences from the front end, meaning you get to see how it looks to the end user. Ideally, the program allows you to do this without having to learn or master coding. Fortunately, Lumavate is a code-free solution, so anyone can learn it.

Also, keep in mind that some DXP programs only manage finished content, while others, like Lumavate, have a digital asset management (DAM) system. This way, you can manage individual assets and complete content pieces within the same platform.

Key DXP Functionality

While it may be easy to understand the value of a digital experience platform, it's also imperative to understand each of its functions. This way, you can compare programs more easily and choose the one that best suits your needs. Here's an overview of the functionality you should expect from a high-quality DXP.

• Content Management System - As you create content, you should be able to add and remove it from a digital experience. A CMS is different from a DAM, though, because it doesn't manage specific assets like photos or videos.

• Digital Asset Management - The best DXP software will include a DAM, as well as product information management (PIM). This way, you can categorize, organize, and share assets for different purposes across your business.

• Analytics - Data analysis is imperative to ensure you know which experiences drive the most engagement (and the most conversions). This way, you can make informed decisions about each step of the customer's journey.

• Customization - You need an easy way to change content after it's created, so there's consistency for each customer. High-quality DXPs will also allow you to change the customer's journey based on their interaction with a specific experience.

• Customer Data Platform (CDP) - High-end DXP technologies allow you to create customer profiles based on a user's interactions with your digital experiences. A CDP can have different features, such as integrating with e-commerce solutions or utilizing product information management software. Some systems may even incorporate interactive experiences like forms, surveys, SMS messaging, and more.

What Does a DXP Do?

A digital experience platform allows you to create and customize the customer's journey with your brand. By creating individual digital touchpoints, it's easier to move a prospect through the sales funnel until they convert to a customer.

As we've mentioned, a high-quality DXP will come with various tools, such as a front-end experience builder (ideally with no coding required like with Lumavate), a content management system, a digital asset manager, a product information manager, and a customer data platform. The more features a DXP has, the easier it is to customize the customer's journey and make changes on the fly based on the user's interactions with your digital experiences.

For example, one type of interaction could lead directly to a sale, meaning there's no need to showcase a digital experience aimed at getting the prospect to buy. Instead, you can switch to a post-purchase DXP customer journey to ensure satisfaction and repeat business down the line.

DXP vs CMS

What is the difference between DXP and CMS? Well, while most DXPs will come with a content management system (CMS), it is a unique tool. Content management systems are only designed to help you curate and organize existing (completed) content pieces. For example, if you have numerous blog posts, you need a way to archive and re-publish older pieces. Without a CMS, it's much harder to find a specific post, so you can promote it on various channels.

That said, a CMS doesn't allow you to turn existing content into a digital experience (like a website or landing page). It's only designed to help store and manage content, not do anything specific with each piece. That's where a digital experience platform comes in.

So, a DXP uses a CMS to make it easier to find content pieces to repurpose for a new experience. Best of all, programs like Lumavate can do all of this with no coding or technical experience required.

DXP vs. CDP

A customer data platform (CDP) is designed to capture customer data from each of their interactions with your business. The idea is to have a curated list of interactions, whether it's opening an email, buying a product, or speaking with a sales rep. By collecting and managing this data for individual customers on a single dashboard, it's much easier to curate content to engage with them directly.

However, while a CDP may be a useful tool within a digital experience platform, it's not built to create new experiences from scratch. Also, while it may catalog and report data sets, it doesn't provide access to content or digital assets. So, is CDP part of DXP? Yes, but not necessarily the other way around.

The Benefits of DXP Platforms

By now, you should be able to tell the benefits of digital platforms like Lumavate. However, here's a breakdown of all the advantages the best digital experience platforms have to offer.

Easy to Use

Anyone within your organization should be able to use a DXP. Because it works as a front-end builder, you don't need coding or graphic design experience to craft beautiful and engaging experiences. Anyone can master the software and customize the customer's journey along the way.

Built-In Content and Asset Management

Content and digital asset management are crucial because you need a quick and easy way to organize specific assets and content pieces. But does DXP replace CMS? No, both of these tools can work together for a seamless digital workplace. Also, for a DXP to be as useful as possible, it must have or integrate with a CMS. This way, you don't have to manage two programs or worry about siloing content in one program and not the other.

Access to Analytics

Data analytics is critical because it helps quantify your digital marketing strategy. Now, when you create and publish a new digital experience, you can tell whether it connects or engages with your customers. If it doesn't, you can focus your attention on experiences that actually help move the needle and cut anything that doesn't. Over time, you'll be able to refine your marketing strategy to convert more leads into loyal customers.

Personalization Capabilities

What are examples of digital experiences? A website, a landing page, a survey form, or a microsite is a perfect example of a digital experience, but you can't just create one and expect it to work for every customer. Instead, you need to be able to customize each experience to suit the preferences and needs of an individual customer or prospect. Even if you just need to change the color scheme or some wording on a page, a DXP allows you to make those edits on the fly.

Fast Implementation

When looking at a list of digital platforms, Lumavate offers a few unique benefits you can't find with other companies. For example, implementing your DXP is much faster with Lumavate, meaning you can onboard your staff and start creating experiences as quickly as possible. Other DXP platforms take a long time to implement, so it's hard to build and maintain momentum once it's up and running.

Expansive Functionality

Lumavate is far more than a digital experience platform. It also offers content management, data asset management, product information management, SMS messaging, form building, and over 40 other integrations. With so many customization options available, you can do everything from a single dashboard, helping to streamline your digital marketing efforts.

Cost-Effective

Some DXPs can cost thousands of dollars per month to integrate with your business. On average, Lumavate is 75 percent more cost-effective than the leading competition (i.e., Adobe Experience Platform).

No Technical Expertise Required

Lumavate is easy to master and doesn't require any coding or design knowledge. The creators of Lumavate made sure that anyone can rely on it for their digital marketing strategy, from small business owners to enterprise-level marketing teams.

Purpose-Built for Manufacturing

If you manufacture, distribute, and sell your own products, Lumavate is designed for you. This DXP software is built specifically for these types of companies so they can manage all of their front and back-end information in a single program.

Types of DXPs

There are three primary types of DXPs you can choose for your business, and each one has pros and cons. Here's a quick overview:

• All-In-One (Proprietary) - In this case, the DXP offers all the tools and solutions you need to create compelling digital experiences. However, it only integrates with its own systems and nothing similar. For example, if you try to use a third-party content management system, it won't work. Instead, the DXP will only integrate with separate systems like customer relationship management. This option can be cost-effective, but if you don't like one of the tools, you're out of luck.

• Third-Party Integration - Some DXPs only focus on providing a front-end builder, meaning you can sync the program with any number of third-party tools and systems. While this option gives you more flexibility to choose the best tools, it's also more time-consuming and costly because you have to find and implement each tool separately.

• All-In-One (With Third-Party Integration) - As you can imagine, the best digital experience platform is one that provides all the tools you need to create and manage digital experiences while allowing you to integrate with other software as needed. Lumavate is one of the only DXP providers that gives you the best of both worlds.

What is an Example of DXP?

Now that we've covered the basics of DXP systems, let's look at some digital experience platform examples. The primary companies operating within this space include:

• Adobe Experience Manager

• Sitecore DXP

• Liferay

• Acquia Digital Experience Platform

• Optimizely

• Lumavate

While each of these DXP examples is useful, most of them come with some significant drawbacks. For example, with Adobe, you need outside professional assistance to integrate the system into your business, and it can take a long time to get it up and running. Other DXP providers like the Acquia Cloud Platform may cost a lot more and only offer a handful of tools, forcing you to rely on third-party integrations.

Only Lumavate offers an all-in-one solution that can integrate with over 40 other tools and programs to help you get the most out of your system. By including a CMS, a product information manager (PIM), and a digital asset manager (DAM), you can build a strong foundation upon which to build better customer experiences.

DXP Costs

How much does a DXP cost? The answer depends on quite a few variables, including the provider you use, the amount of content or digital assets you have to manage, and the types of tools you need. On the low end, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars per month for a basic solution. However, enterprise-level DXPs can often cost hundreds of thousands or up to one million dollars per year.

Lumavate is often 75 percent more affordable than the leading competition, and it offers full price transparency. This way, you don't have to speak to a sales representative to get a quote for comparison. You can see what's included upfront and make an informed decision right away.

Why Companies Need a Digital Experience Platform

As you can see, using digital platforms is essential for building a better and more engaging digital marketing strategy. Now, instead of having to build experiences and curate content manually, you can handle everything from a single platform, all without technical knowledge or programming expertise.

Lumavate makes it easy to turn your digital assets and content pieces into better experiences that will captivate your customers and keep them coming back for more. We invite you to see what Lumavate can do for your business and discover the possibilities.