Exploring the new Optimizely SaaS CMS

On July 16, 2024 (during my holiday), Optimizely, a leader in digital experience platforms, announced the launch of its new SaaS CMS, featuring the groundbreaking Visual Builder. This innovation marks a significant step in Optimizely’s commitment to providing marketers with unparalleled flexibility and tools to design, build, and optimize digital experiences. In this blog post, I’ll explore the key features of Optimizely SaaS CMS and how it can benefit your organization by enabling seamless content creation and delivery.

What is Optimizely SaaS?

Optimizely SaaS is a cloud-based content management system (CMS) that empowers organizations to manage their digital content effortlessly. Building on years of category leadership, Optimizely now offers customers the choice between SaaS and PaaS solutions to suit their organizational and business needs. The platform focuses on flexibility, scalability, and providing marketers with the freedom to create without the need for extensive technical support.

Key Features of Optimizely SaaS

Visual Content Builder

• Drag-and-Drop Functionality: The Visual Builder allows teams to design and modify web pages with a simple drag-and-drop interface. This feature removes technical barriers, enabling marketers to build personalized experiences quickly and efficiently.
• Interactive Preview: Users can see real-time changes as they build, ensuring that the final product aligns with their vision and brand identity.
• Customizable Elements: Optimizely’s Visual Builder provides fully customizable elements, allowing marketers to create stunning websites and engaging digital experiences.

Effortless Design and Advanced Content Modeling

• Effortless Design: The platform enables users to drag, drop, and customize layouts with ease, ensuring seamless brand alignment without relying heavily on developer input.
• Advanced Content Modeling: Easily structure and configure content to drive engaging user journeys and deliver the right message at the right time. This feature ensures that content is always relevant and personalized for your audience.

Multi-Channel Management

• Centralized Management: Manage websites, apps, and other digital channels from a single platform. This centralized approach simplifies content distribution and ensures consistency across all touchpoints.

Template Management and Customizable Workflows

• Template Management: Optimizely’s blueprint templates drive content reuse and efficiency, allowing teams to accelerate the content creation process.
• Customizable Workflows: Tailor approval processes to fit team dynamics and project needs, improving collaboration and productivity.

Seamless Integration and Deployment Options

• Integration with Optimizely Graph: The solution expands capabilities with Optimizely Graph, a set of APIs that provide faceted and fuzzy search functionalities. This enhances how users explore and find content within the integrated SaaS CMS platform.
• Edge Delivery via CDN: Content is delivered at blazing fast speeds through a CDN, making it globally available and ensuring optimal performance.

Flexible Hosting Options

• Partner Integrations: Optimizely offers the flexibility to leverage partners like Vercel and Netlify for hosting frontend experiences. The strengthened partnership with Vercel provides developers with advanced deployment capabilities, seamless scaling options, and robust performance monitoring.

Automatic Upgrades and Scaling

• Painless Upgrades: Users enjoy the latest innovations without the pain or costs of traditional upgrades, allowing them to get to market faster.
• Scalability: As a cloud-based platform, Optimizely SaaS offers the scalability needed to accommodate growing businesses and changing content demands.

Benefits of Optimizely SaaS

• Flexibility and Independence: Marketers can focus on creativity and speed, reducing reliance on developers and technical resources.
• Personalization and Engagement: Advanced content modeling and targeting features ensure personalized experiences that boost user engagement and conversion.
• Efficiency and Speed: With a suite of user-friendly tools and templates, Optimizely SaaS enhances content creation efficiency and speeds up time-to-market.

Rupali Jain, Chief Product Officer at Optimizely, emphasized the platform’s goal:

“We wanted to build the best CMS for marketing teams. By simplifying the front-end design and content creation experience, we give marketers the creativity, speed, and independence they have desired. Our CMS is now language-agnostic, allowing developers to get started quickly, whether they prefer a traditional or headless architecture. With painless upgrades and extensive capabilities, our new SaaS CMS and market-leading Visual Builder already stand out in today’s increasingly competitive landscape.”

Optimizely SaaS represents a significant advancement in digital experience management, offering marketers the tools and flexibility they need to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.