Nov 13, 2024
Optimizely SaaS CMS is a headless content management system that is managed by Optimizely. As a headless CMS, Optimizely SaaS CMS allows enterprises to manage and distribute content across multiple platforms.
Unlike Optimizely CMS — the platform as a service (PaaS) version hosted on-premises or via managed cloud services — Optimizely SaaS CMS follows the software as a service (SaaS) model and is hosted in the cloud where Optimizely manages upgrades and updates.
In this post, we’ll explore how the SaaS CMS works, what’s included, the benefits, and how it compares to the traditional Optimizely CMS.
How Optimizely SaaS CMS Works: Built on Headless Architecture
Optimizely SaaS CMS decouples the content management backend from the frontend presentation layer. This lets marketers deliver rich digital experiences to any device or platform. The headless CMS also offers improved flexibility, scalability, and other benefits that modern businesses need.
Since the backend and frontend of the CMS are separated, each part of the application can operate independently. The advantages of this headless architecture include:
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Performance: Headless architecture helps enterprises boost website speed and improves loading times.
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Scalability: Developers can configure multiple websites and applications without affecting the functionality of current sites.
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Enhanced Security: Separating content from the presentation layer can help reduce vulnerability to potential attacks such as distributed denial of service (DDoS).
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Future-proofing: Enterprises can maintain a flexible architecture where their website or app adapts to technological changes. If new channels are introduced, it’s easier to publish content on them than it is when using a legacy solution.
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Composability: The combination of headless architecture and a SaaS delivery model means that businesses can more easily adopt a composable approach and build a digital experience platform that fits their needs.
With this new product architecture, Optimizely allows businesses to more easily adopt a composable approach if they desire. However, they can also link all of the other products in the Optimizely suite together and create a seamless experience for marketers by using Optimizely One.
What’s Included?
Some of the features available with Optimizely SaaS CMS include:
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User-friendly Design: Drag and drop and customize layouts easily to ensure that content aligns with brand guidelines.
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Advanced Content Modeling: Structure and configure content to deliver the right content on the right channel at the right time.
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Multi-Channel Management: Centralized management of websites and content applications across multiple channels.
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Template Management: Improve efficiency with content reusability.
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Customizable Workflows: Tailor content approval processes to fit team dynamics and project needs.
Visual Builder
The key feature of Optimizely SaaS CMS (also available in CMS 13) is the Visual Builder. The new tool provides marketers a user-friendly interface for creating engaging and personalized experiences.
It offers capabilities including a WYSIWYG editor, the ability to preview content on any device, side-by-side editing, and an Interactive Preview for testing buttons, forms, and other elements as they would appear on a live site.
Benefits of Optimizely SaaS CMS
Optimizely’s SaaS CMS offers several benefits for both business users and developers.
Business Users
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Improved user-friendly editorial experience
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Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) due to reduced implementation and maintenance costs
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The latest features and updates are delivered automatically
Developers
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Leverage the same core code base but with better support for headless solutions
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Less dependency on .NET and .NET-specific configurations
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More frontend framework options
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More out-of-the-box integrations
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Reduced learning curve to get started
How Optimizely SaaS CMS Compares to Optimizely PaaS CMS
Both Optimizely CMS and Optimizely SaaS CMS offer robust features that enable enterprises to manage their content for various use cases. However, they are different in a few ways.
Hosting and Maintenance
The PaaS CMS is implemented and managed by the business or with the help of a third-party partner. This also extends to any patches or maintenance that need to occur to maintain peak performance. With the SaaS CMS, hosting and ongoing maintenance are handled by Optimizely.
Versionless
With the PaaS CMS, developers needed to upgrade to the next version of the CMS and fix issues that occurred during the upgrade process. With the SaaS CMS, those upgrades are handled automatically by Optimizely.
Decoupling of the ‘Head’ from the Core
The presentation layer in Optimizely CMS was embedded using the MVC framework. This meant that .NET developers needed to integrate the frontend into the solution during implementation. With the SaaS CMS, organizations can host the frontend on a platform like Vercel or Netlify instead.
Scalability
Optimizely SaaS CMS offers automatic scaling managed by Optimizely, which can help businesses during peak traffic times. With the PaaS CMS, scaling needs to be managed by the development team.
Select the Right Optimizely CMS For Your Needs With Oshyn
Optimizely SaaS CMS provides enterprises with the performance improvements and flexibility of a headless CMS. It also offers the reliability and user-friendliness of the Optimizely brand, particularly with Visual Builder.
Optimizely handles automatic updates and maintenance so businesses can enjoy the benefits of SaaS and not worry about managing upgrades and security patches themselves.
However, for businesses that still need a CMS that can be hosted on-premises due to regulatory or other constraints, Optimizely CMS remains a suitable solution that includes many of the content management and marketing features found in the SaaS CMS.
Regardless of which CMS hosting model you’re considering, having a partner to help you make the best choice and with the implementation is invaluable. Oshyn is an Optimizely partner available to help businesses with every aspect of their Optimizely solution, from design support to ensure that everything is aligned, to implementation, DevOps, and more.
If you’re comparing DXP solutions and wondering how Optimizely stacks up, check out our article: Sitecore vs Optimizely.
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