3 Productive hacks for DXP integration & extensibility

There’s a reason Julia’s a loyal customer of Clean Getaway Corp. She loves its cleaning products, receiving push notifications to resupply and emails when her favorite items go on sale. For any issues, customer service quickly responds and has all the transaction information, so Julia can dive into the problem and receive a speedy resolution. What’s the secret to Clean Getaway’s success? DXP integration.

Since Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) accounted for 65% of the market share in 2021 and will only continue to grow, companies can’t afford to lose out on employing this aspect of digital transformation.

So, let’s see how to integrate this solution seamlessly. Before that, let’s define a DXP.

Key takeaways:

• Digital Experience Platforms support organizations using content management systems, AI and machine learning to leverage customer data to deliver personalized digital experiences.
• Integrating a DXP means the removal of data silos, increased customer satisfaction from the personalized experiences and reliable data for business decision-making. 
• When integrating a DXP, first evaluate your digital maturity level. Then, create a roadmap with an MVP. Finally, choose the right DXP provider for your business.

What’s a Digital Experience Platform?

Each interaction an individual has with your business is called an experience. The more experiences the audience has with your brand, the better you get to know their likes, dislikes and needs. Digital Experience Platforms support organizations by using AI and machine learning to leverage customer data to deliver the best possible digital experiences.

Content Management Systems (CMS) are the foundation for DXPs. A CMS is a solution for creating, managing and publishing the content which makes up the customer’s experience. Then, every time your customer interacts with your company, the DXP creates a data point. With enough data points, the DXP understands your customer and can enhance your to deliver a personalized experience. Personalization means tailoring every interaction directly to a customer’s interest. 

The DXP isn’t a single platform. It connects to solutions you already use for content creation and customer relationship management. What sets the DXP apart is its ability to analyze the data and turn it into a personal experience delivered across all channels (e.g., websites, mobile apps, IoT devices and social media). 

Advantages of DXP integration

There are at least four benefits to implementing DXPs within your organization:

• Unified touchpoints - The omnichannel nature of the DXP means that digital interaction across all touchpoints contributes to the overall customer experience. There are no data silos on a given digital channel. 
• Extensibility – DXPs can easily connect with other company solutions, such as marketing software and CRMs, providing a real-time and comprehensive view of each customer. Furthermore, this modularity means the platform can scale and grow with the business instead of turning into a legacy system.
• Artificial intelligence - DXPs collect user data (e.g., browsing habits, marketing campaign responses and product purchases) across all digital channels. Then, the built-in AI interprets the data and automatically applies recommendations to drive better results, such as which products to feature on the homepage or which content to highlight. This technology ensures each customer receives a personalized experience.
• Data-driven decision-making - DXP data is trustworthy. Businesses can analyze it to see which campaigns were most effective and see each touchpoint’s return on investment (ROI) to make decisions on future efforts.

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Productivity hacks for effortless DXP integration

Planning is essential when it comes to implementing a DXP. Let’s review four steps a business can take regarding DXP integration.

1. What is your business maturity level?

There are four levels that businesses fall under when it comes to digital maturity, as shown in the table below:

Where is your business in this digital maturity model? The answers to these questions can help you determine your level:

• Can you see buyer behavior and engagement across multiple digital channels?
• Are your marketing, sales, and service teams accessing unified customer data?
• Does your company effortlessly and decisively integrate new technologies?
• Do you see significant business results from those integrations?
• Do you frequently assess the impact of new technologies?
• Can your team quickly shift strategies and tactics based on evolving business intelligence?

The more you answer YES to these questions, the more digitally mature your organization is. Understanding where you are helps map out where you need to be with the DXP.

2. Create a roadmap and an MVP

A roadmap states the project goal and then breaks down that project into small stages that ultimately reach that goal. And, when setting a goal, choose your minimum viable product (MVP). An MVP is a version of the product that meets the needs of customers or users with the least amount of effort. For example, when integrating a DXP, the project’s goal or MVP could be eliminating data silos—only that. Later, another layer to add would be incorporating new technology into the DXP. By working on one aspect at a time, people can provide feedback to optimize that implementation before tackling another layer.

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3. Choose the right DXP provider

The right DXP provider will review your digital maturity and roadmap to gain insight into your technological requirements and deliver your ideal platform. Here are some considerations for choosing the best provider: 

• No company is the same. The provider should have in-depth knowledge of their product to tailor the integration for your business needs. 
• They should have a robust portfolio of successful integrations.
• When looking at quotes, examine the details of the offer. What are the deliverables? What’s the scope of the work or their approach to the project? Weigh the price by the quality of work.

Partner with Optimizely for your DXP integration

Does your business need to create personalized customer experiences, break down data silos and plan for evolving technology? Then it’s time to incorporate a DXP into your digital transformation efforts, and Optimizely is the perfect partner for you.