The CMS is dead, long live the CMS

With more than 64 million websites powered by some form of CMS (content management system), it’s fair to assume you’re reading this article thanks to one of them offering a quick, easy and low code way to publish content.

Since the internet was created, the CMS has been a key tool for marketers, publishers and web developers to drive sales, increase online visits and form closer relationships with their customers.

However, with the explosion in data processing technology, coupled with the growth of APIs, AI and online threats, not to mention the recent rise in DXPs (digital experience platforms), does this mean that time is up for the CMS?

The simple answer is no.

Far from being redundant, the cloud has injected content management systems with a new lease of life, allowing them to evolve to such as degree that they aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving. This is clear with data showing that the global CMS market is expected to reach $43.1bn this year.

Nowadays, a cloud-based CMS doesn’t just help teams to manage and publish content quickly, it underpins everything involved in a leading marketing strategy. From helping marketers integrate third party services – including microservices – to maintaining brand consistency, enhancing marketing spend or enabling a brand to rapidly expand its online presence during a major launch; a modern CMS is integral to the marketer’s playbook.

Scaling at speed

A huge benefit of operating in the cloud is the ability to rapidly drive scale. We worked with Dyson to help launch its 360 Eye™ robot vacuum cleaner and had just five weeks to create a website from scratch for the Japanese market.

We delivered the website. But what we didn’t anticipate was every marketer’s dream (and web developer’s nightmare) – the launch went viral. Instead of the expected 150,000 visitors from Japan, the site attracted 2.5 million visitors from around the globe within 24 hours.

To help cope with this huge swell in demand, we deployed the site to four data centres around the world, as well as localising the site into 15 languages to meet customer interest in rapid time.

So, rather than being dead, thanks to the cloud and the ability to disseminate content in a secure, managed, robust and scalable way, a CMS has never been more important. But, with DXPs gradually increasing in sophistication, the new generation of CMS must be extensive enough to enable people to deliver first-class digital experiences – in a secure, flexible, rapid and effortless way – and this is where the future of the CMS lies.