Digital Experience Tools – Off the Shelf, DIY or Bulk Buy?

You’ve nailed your new business model, have all the stakeholders aligned and you are ready to decide what your digital experience platform (DXP) solution is going to be.

Now comes the hard part - before you can even decide on which vendor you like, you have to figure out what the right buying approach will be.

According to a new in depth report from Digital Clarity Group (DCG) Digital Experience Platforms: Buyer Trends, Preferences, and Strategies, sponsored by censhare, buyers typically take three approaches to digital experience (DX) solutions: heterogeneous, homogenous, and bespoke.

Let’s take a look at each to help make this entire process a little easier.

Heterogeneous

According to the DCG report, 66% of buyers are using approach. This means that the vast majority of those investing in DX solutions are doing so through a variety of vendors rather than a single, holistic solution. They are very much avoiding putting all their eggs in one basket.

This can mean that you secure yourself a best of breed solution, where each piece of your DX infrastructure is coming from vendors that are regarded as the best in that field. But it also means that extra work and effort will be required from IT and marketing in order to integrate multiple tools.

Homogenous

Only 31% of respondents to the DCG survey said they prefer to buy from a single vendor offering multiple technology products.

Going this route can help to make implementation and execution smoother, since you just have one vendor to deal with. You can also assume that everything will play together nicely, right out of the box.

On the other hand, it’s rare that a one size fits all approach works in every instance. You’ll typically need some level of customization and according to DCG, buyers are sceptical that a single vendor really can provide the quality and spectrum of products they’re looking for.

Bespoke

By far the least used approach. Of the respondents who would choose the heterogeneous path, just 11% of them said they would also prefer to use open source or custom built approaches for their DXP solution.

This is definitely one of the hardest routes to go as it requires a significant amount of time and resources. But, it offers the most customization, ensuring that you’re getting the exact tools you need.

There is no single, correct approach to buying a DXP solution - it all comes down to what’s best for your business. And just because one business prefers a certain approach does not mean that this way will also work for you.

Staying educated about your DXP options is critical to choosing a solution that will be worth the investment. Ensure that you’re getting the most out of your DX strategy by downloading the full Digital Clarity Group DXP report for a range of case studies on how top performers have optimized their digital experience strategy.