Optimizely: Forrester Wave Leader

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) have become essential for businesses seeking to enhance their online presence. The edition of the Forrester Wave for DXPs sees Optimizely claim the top spot for the first time.

Optimizely’s rise has been steady over the last few years. From our vantage, the strategy of acquisitions of key parts of the modern DXP has led to Optimizely’s continued rise. Optimizely acquired a CDP, and Welcome (marketing orchestration platform) which were key missing pieces. Now with continued integration of the acquisitions and growth in adopting GraphQL, OpenSearch, and Next.js Optimizely has shored up areas where formerly only Adobe could claim leadership. While other players like Sitecore followed a similar path of heavy investment in acquisition the migration path and continued struggles to fully integrate all the parts have caused them to stagnate.

The move to wholeheartedly target “Marketers” as the core audience/key buyer persona was at first painful and a huge departure from “Content and Commerce,” but the push to target marketing has proven successful. While Optimizely no longer pushes a strong commerce message and has lagged in investing in its core commerce functionality the vision provided by the “Welcome” platform is compelling. More recent moves including Optimizely One and fully embracing the potential of cloud-based platforms continue to help differentiate Optimizely from the pack.

Optimizely: Forrester Wave Leader 2023

What Optimizely Does and Its Use Cases

Optimizely, headquartered in New York City, is a powerhouse in the realm of digital experience platforms. Its strength lies in experience experimentation, AI/ML integration, and content management. It enables digital businesses to efficiently manage their content marketing platforms, aligning well with the needs of mid-to-large enterprises.

AI-Powered Content Workflows

Optimizely’s AI/ML capabilities, in strategic partnership with Azure and Google Cloud, significantly augment content creation workflows. This integration allows businesses to tailor content strategies, ensuring a bespoke brand voice and persona-specific interfaces.

Experimentation and Flexibility

Clients appreciate Optimizely for its experiment-driven framework. The platform’s architecture, built on a cloud-native foundation, offers significant flexibility and productivity, especially in content-focused industries.

We’ve been tracking with two prominent platforms in the DXP domain Optimizely and Sitecore for almost a decade now. While Optimizely (formerly Episerver) has long been on the Forrester Wave report its status as a leader is blossoming while Sitecore’s strategy is seen as strong but lagging behind the leaders.

Sitecore: Leading in Digital Commerce and Front-End Experience

Sitecore’s Functionalities and Applications

Sitecore, with its headquarters in San Francisco, excels in digital commerce and experience front-end development. It stands out for its ability to adapt to various business models, ranging from retail to B2B marketplaces. This versatility makes it particularly suitable for financial services and industrial manufacturing sectors.

Emphasis on Composability

Sitecore’s journey towards composability indicates its commitment to evolving digital experiences. Its acquisitions, like Reflektion and Boxever, have bolstered its capabilities, making it a robust choice for complex content and commerce experiences.

Comparing Optimizely and Sitecore

Harnessing Generative AI

Both platforms have integrated generative AI to enhance their offerings. While Optimizely focuses on content creation and experimentation, Sitecore leverages AI to optimize digital experiences, emphasizing human oversight of business outcomes.

Architectural Foundations

Optimizely’s cloud-native approach and periodic AI initiatives offer agility and adaptability. Conversely, Sitecore’s approach, combining legacy systems with modern acquisitions, provides a broader spectrum of functionalities, albeit with challenges in integration.

Market Orientation

Optimizely is ideally suited for content-focused, experiment-driven enterprises. Sitecore, on the other hand, fits well with businesses that require a combination of intricate content management and robust digital commerce capabilities.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Platform

Selecting between Optimizely and Sitecore depends on your business needs. If your priority is advanced content management and AI-driven experimentation, Optimizely is your go-to choice. For those needing a comprehensive solution for complex digital commerce and front-end experiences, Sitecore stands out.

Optimizely’s leadership in the Forrester Wave report is a testament to its commitment to providing a platform that not only meets current digital strategy needs but also anticipates and prepares for future trends and challenges.