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Data creation shows no signs of slowing down. The total amount of data created, captured, stored and consumed is projected to nearly triple, from 64.2 zettabytes in 2020 to 180 zettabytes by 2025. In this environment, companies need better ways to manage their digital content. New and emerging content management technologies, such as headless CMS, are redefining how companies can organize and share their stories. These new technologies allow companies to push content to new channels and reach customers where they are at the point of need — driving revenue and improving customer satisfaction.
To gain a deeper understanding of the current state of content management, Storyblok conducted a survey across a variety of industries and job roles. The State of Content Management survey collected more than 500 qualified responses from across the U.S. and select European countries. The survey found that while plenty of companies use legacy CMSs, many only have an average experience. As a result, some respondents are exploring headless CMS for a better way to deliver content to new channels.
Current CMS Challenges
Implementing a CMS should be a no-brainer for any organization. Without a CMS to manage content, organizations face a host of challenges, from time-consuming processes to security issues, lagging site performance or even a lack of workflow options. However, some of these challenges haven’t been resolved even as organizations may have migrated to a monolithic CMS. Monolithic systems tend to become more complex as companies scale, creating more process challenges than they solve. Monolithic CMSs are also difficult to future-proof, bringing them into ever-changing tech stacks and evolving workflows. For these reasons, many organizations use more than one CMS. In the survey, 63% of respondents said their company uses at least 2 CMSs.
Why do so many use multiple CMSs? A third of respondents need new technology stacks or need to move away from their legacy systems. Another third are trying to minimize their delivery risk. And one in five use multiple CMSs for their omnichannel capabilities. Meeting customers where they are with content has the potential to keep them engaged and develop brand loyalty and awareness, which in turn can lead to increased revenue. For this reason, many organizations use their CMSs for traditional channels like websites, mobile applications and ecommerce storefronts. Some are looking even further ahead, delivering content on channels such as voice-activated speakers, in-store digital screens — even smartwatches.
Emerging Solutions
As companies embrace new content channels and provide rich channel experiences where consumers are, they might find that their current system (or systems) doesn’t meet their needs anymore. Many companies have already found a common workaround: multiple CMSs. But what if there was another way? Headless CMS provides new ways to create content that are faster, easier and deliver better experiences than legacy systems. Slightly more than a third of respondent companies currently use headless CMS.
A single headless CMS solution has a number of advantages over traditional monolithic CMSs (or a group of them). Content silos are a persistent issue (and only exacerbated when companies have more than one CMS). A single headless CMS can place everything into a central content hub to be pulled as needed. Since it seamlessly integrates with any tech stack, a headless CMS can publish to any frontend device — including the new channels some companies are experimenting with. Finally, a headless CMS can fix security and performance challenges. By decoupling the front end from the back end, headless CMSs mitigate security risks, such as DDoS attacks.
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Many respondents who have switched to a headless CMS are already reaping the benefits. In the survey, 83% of headless CMS users reported efficiencies in time and productivity, while increasing KPIs and revenue growth. Specifically, a third of respondents called their headless CMS “time saving,” nearly one in six said it increased traffic to their site, while one in seven reported an increased ROI. Companies looking to tap into new markets and channel delivery areas should consider headless CMS as a way to increase customer satisfaction while decreasing budgets thanks to modern, efficient processes.
Conclusion
While no one can truly know what the future holds, one thing is certain: change is inevitable. The events of the past two years have made that abundantly clear. Omnichannel distribution has brought with it a host of new channels for content and companies are looking forward to different ways to use their CMS and push content out to consumers.
Change is constant in content creation and management, as consumers move to new channels and legacy systems lag behind with inefficient or unsecure processes. If your company is looking to expand into channels beyond websites and mobile apps, consider headless CMS as a way of getting there. These days, customers expect to be met where they are and your content should deliver on those expectations. A headless CMS makes that possible.
For full results of this research, read The State of Content Management 2022 at storyblok.com.