From publishing speed to personalization, every touchpoint your audience experiences is powered in some way by your WCM. That makes choosing the right one less about feature checklists and more about aligning with your content goals, team workflows, and long-term strategy.
A well-matched platform simplifies collaboration, adapts to change, and delivers consistently strong performance across devices and formats. The wrong one can slow teams down, limit flexibility, and require costly workarounds that never quite fit.
So how do you make the right call?
Rethinking What a WCM Should Do
For many organizations, content operations have grown more complex. Teams are producing more content, distributing it across more platforms, and personalizing it for more audience segments. The right WCM system should reduce that complexity, not add to it.
It needs to support a scalable structure for content reuse, offer enough flexibility to accommodate different business units and content types, and make it easy for both technical and non-technical users to contribute. It should also help enforce consistency—visually and editorially—so your brand feels cohesive no matter where or how people engage.
Strong governance tools, native or integrated analytics, and smart workflows are no longer extras—they’re essential. And as AI, voice search, and omnichannel delivery evolve, your system needs to be ready to keep up.
What to Look for in a WCM Platform
The strongest platforms strike a balance between capability and usability. Whether you’re evaluating options for the first time or replatforming from a legacy system, focus on five core areas that directly impact your team’s ability to operate efficiently and grow.
1. Scalability
Your content demands will increase — more assets, more contributors, more traffic. The platform should be able to handle that growth without slowing down or requiring a complete rebuild.
2. Flexibility
No two content strategies look exactly alike. A good WCM adapts to your structure, whether that includes modular content blocks, multilingual sites, or complex approval chains. Customization should feel achievable, not burdensome.
3. Ease of Use
Marketers and editors shouldn’t need to file IT tickets to make basic updates. Look for intuitive interfaces, in-line editing, and tools that make content publishing efficient even for those without technical skills.
4. Integration Readiness
Content rarely stands alone. Your WCM needs to integrate easily with CRM systems, ecommerce platforms, marketing automation tools, and analytics. These integrations power personalized experiences, campaign targeting, and performance tracking.
5. Security and Compliance
Role-based access, audit trails, encryption, and privacy compliance should be built-in. Especially for enterprise teams, your WCM must support secure operations at scale.
Features That Set Modern WCMs Apart
Today’s leading platforms go far beyond content publishing. They streamline operations and make it easier to deliver connected, engaging experiences.
- Visual editors and workflow tools help non-technical users move faster, while reducing bottlenecks and approval delays.
- Integrated digital asset management ensures your team has a central library of on-brand, up-to-date content — images, PDFs, videos, and more.
- Personalization engines allow teams to tailor content based on location, behavior, or past interactions. Whether built-in or via integrations, this feature is key for increasing engagement.
- Performance analytics show how content is performing and where optimizations are needed. Access to metrics like engagement, bounce rates, and conversions helps teams continuously refine their strategy.
- Security and governance features protect data and enforce publishing protocols, helping teams manage risk while moving quickly.
WCM Solutions We Trust: Contentful and Optimizely
At Nansen, we often recommend Contentful or Optimizely to clients, depending on their structure, content needs, and business goals. Each platform offers powerful capabilities and is well-suited to different types of teams and digital strategies.
Contentful is a headless, API-first CMS designed for structured content delivery across a wide range of channels. It’s particularly effective for organizations with developer-led teams that prioritize flexibility, scalability, and omnichannel experiences. Its modular architecture supports content reuse and distribution across websites, mobile apps, digital displays, and other endpoints.
Big name brands including KraftHeinz, BigCommerce, and Audible use Contentful to create digital experiences that convert.
Optimizely combines a traditional CMS with broader digital experience features. It includes built-in tools for personalization, experimentation, and ecommerce, making it a strong choice for teams looking to manage, test, and optimize content in one platform. With a marketer-friendly interface and low-code functionality, it’s designed to empower business users to act quickly without relying heavily on technical resources.
Optimizely has been named a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Digital Experience Platforms for six consecutive years, ranking highest for both vision and execution in the 2025 report. You can access the full report here.
Both platforms integrate well with modern marketing ecosystems and can be tailored to fit enterprise environments. Our team works closely with clients to identify the best fit based on team capabilities, long-term goals, and the role content plays within the broader digital strategy.
How Content Strategy Shapes the Right Fit
A good platform is only as useful as the strategy behind it. Understanding your audience, planning your editorial calendar, and aligning content with your business goals should all come first. Once your strategy is in place, the platform should support—not complicate—its execution.
This means your WCM should handle structured content across regions and teams, support multiple formats (from blog posts to product specs to interactive media), and allow for localization, content repurposing, and SEO optimization. It should also help your team stay consistent—especially when multiple people are involved in content creation.
Ultimately, the best WCM for your organization will be the one that supports the way you work while helping you adapt to what’s ahead.
Final Considerations
Your web content management system isn’t just a tool. It’s the engine behind every digital interaction your brand delivers. The more seamlessly it integrates into your operations—and the more it supports your teams—the more value it drives over time.
At Nansen, we work with brands across industries to evaluate platforms, implement scalable WCM solutions, and optimize them for long-term success. If you're thinking about replatforming or investing in a better system, we’re here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Ready to find a platform that works the way your team does — and grows with you? Get in touch to start your WCM evaluation with Nansen.
