Note: This article was last updated on January 14, 2026, to ensure all information is up-to-date.

Key Takeaways

• A Digital Experience Platform (DXP) unifies websites, apps, portals, and multiple channels into one system for managing customer journeys. 

• DXPs support digital marketing by unifying content and customer data.

• 80% of customers say a company’s experience is as important as its products.

• Organizations using personalization see a 20% increase in sales.

• DXPs enable faster scaling, better integration with existing systems, and real-time personalization.

• DXPs are essential for delivering a superior digital customer experience.

• Expert analysts predict that by 2026, 70% of enterprises will adopt DXPs.
   

What is a Digital Experience Platform?

A Digital Experience Platform (DXP) is software that helps companies build, manage, and optimize consistent experiences across multiple digital channels by managing web content and digital content. Instead of managing websites, apps, and portals separately, DXPs centralize operations, allowing brands to:
DXPs have evolved from traditional content management systems, expanding their capabilities to managing content and delivering it efficiently across different channels.

• Personalize experiences in real-time

• Integrate third-party tools like CRMs or ERPs

• Scale globally with multilingual support

• Manage content and deliver it seamlessly across different channels

“A DXP orchestrates multiple applications to allow the creation, management and presentation of seamless digital experiences.” –  Gartner

 

Why DXPs Emerged: The Forces Reshaping Customer Experience

Digital Experience Platforms did not emerge in isolation. They are a response to fundamental shifts in how customers interact with organizations.

Digital channels such as websites, mobile apps, and social platforms have become the primary way customers research, purchase, and engage with brands. At the same time, experiences delivered by digital-native leaders have reset expectations. Customers now compare every interaction, regardless of industry, to the best digital experiences they encounter elsewhere.

Advances in data analytics and personalization have further raised the bar, making it possible to tailor experiences to individuals rather than broad segments. Meanwhile, digital-first challengers have shown how quickly traditional business models can be disrupted when experience becomes a competitive advantage.

DXPs emerged to help organizations respond to this convergence of rising expectations, increasing complexity, and competitive pressure  – by unifying content, data, and delivery across digital touchpoints.

 

Why Companies Need DXPs

Consumers today expect frictionless, personalized experiences. Modern consumers demand seamless interactions across various digital touchpoints, such as websites, mobile apps, and chatbots. According to PwC, 32% of customers stop doing business with a brand they like after just one bad experience (PwC, 2023)

Challenges without a DXP:

• Inconsistent branding across regions

• Disconnected data that blocks personalization

• Time-to-market delays for launching new products

With a DXP:

• Consistency is maintained across all channels

• Data is unified for analytics and personalization

• Scalability allows quick adaptation to new demands

• Customer journey automation and optimization are enabled, helping businesses deliver cohesive experiences to both new and existing customers across various digital touchpoints
   

Core Capabilities of DXPs
 

Capability	What It Does	Why It Matters
Content Management	Centralizes creation, structuring, localization, and delivery of content across channels using headless APIs and structured content models. Supports multilingual publishing and AI-assisted content workflows.	Ensures consistent, scalable content delivery across touchpoints while enabling faster collaboration and global reach.
Personalization	Uses audience segmentation, behavioral targeting, external data, and AI-driven recommendations to tailor experiences in real time. Supports A/B and multivariate testing.	Increases relevance and engagement by delivering experiences aligned to user context, behavior, and intent.
Digital Asset Management (DAM)	Centralizes images, videos, and documents in a single repository with governance, permissions, workflows, and flexible delivery via APIs and CDN.	Improves reuse, consistency, and speed while reducing duplication and operational overhead across teams and channels.
Sites	Enables rapid creation and governance of websites and microsites using visual builders, templates, responsive design, and built-in SEO and accessibility controls.	Accelerates time-to-market while maintaining brand consistency and regional flexibility across large site portfolios.
Commerce	Supports product content, self-service ordering, inventory visibility, and personalized recommendations through integrated commerce and PIM capabilities.	Connects content and transactions to deliver seamless buying experiences and support complex B2B and B2C commerce scenarios.
Analytics & Optimization	Tracks site, journey, and asset performance using cohort analysis, path analytics, and testing to continuously refine experiences.	Enables data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement of digital experiences based on real user behavior.
AI	Accelerates content creation, personalization, decision-making, and assistance through AI-powered tools, agents, and integrated data platforms.	Improves efficiency and experience quality by augmenting teams with intelligent automation and context-aware insights.

 

How a DXP Works

A Digital Experience Platform (DXP) operates as the central hub for orchestrating personalized digital experiences across a broad range of digital touchpoints. At its foundation, a DXP integrates core technologies such as a content management system (CMS), customer data management, and marketing automation tools. This comprehensive solution empowers organizations to manage content, customer data, and digital interactions from a single platform.

By connecting different departments – like marketing, sales, and customer service – a DXP ensures that everyone has access to real-time insights into customer behavior and preferences. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are leveraged to analyze customer data from multiple sources, enabling the platform to optimize digital journeys and deliver highly personalized digital experiences. This integration of data management and content management allows businesses to adapt quickly to changing customer needs, enhance customer engagement, and deliver seamless digital customer experiences across all digital touchpoints.

Ultimately, a DXP streamlines the process of creating, managing, and optimizing digital experiences, making it easier for organizations to meet evolving customer expectations and drive business growth.

 

Digital Experience vs. Digital Transformation

Not all organizations pursue DXPs for the same reasons. Some focus primarily on improving digital experiences – launching better websites, enabling personalization, or supporting omnichannel delivery. Others aim for deeper digital transformation, rethinking how business operations adapt to customer needs.

True transformation extends beyond the experience layer into the operational core. It requires integrating systems, re-optimizing processes, and modularizing business services so they can evolve quickly. In this context, a DXP becomes more than a presentation platform. It acts as a connective layer between customer interactions and enterprise operations.

While some organizations begin with marketing-led use cases, the long-term value of a DXP lies in its ability to support both experience innovation and operational change, without requiring a complete platform replacement later.

 

Comparison of Leading DXPs

Digital experience platforms (DXPs) are comprehensive software solutions designed to help businesses create, manage, and deliver personalized, consistent, and seamless digital customer experiences across multiple channels and devices. Modern digital experience platforms DXPs are built to integrate with a wide marketing tech stack and various tools, enabling organizations to orchestrate workflows, automate processes, and deliver unified customer journeys.

 

Feature / Platform	Liferay DXP	Optimizely	Sitecore	Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
Content Management	Enterprise-grade CMS with multilingual, multi-site support; strong in portals and intranets	Strong headless CMS with intuitive UI; supports hybrid content delivery	Robust CMS with personalization and multisite management	Market-leading CMS, rich authoring tools, deep integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
Personalization	Role-based, adaptive personalization; integrates with user segmentation and permissions	AI-driven experimentation & targeting (Optimizely Experimentation engine)	Rules-based and AI-driven personalization	Advanced personalization powered by Adobe Sensei AI
AI	Integrated AI for content creation, translations, personalization, recommendations, analytics, and agent-based assistance via AI Hub and connected data platforms.	AI focused on experimentation, optimization, and predictive insights within marketing and conversion workflows.	Expanding AI capabilities across personalization, content operations, and customer insights.	Extensive AI capabilities via Adobe Sensei, spanning content creation, personalization, analytics, and automation.
Integration & Extensibility	Open-source heritage, API-first, strong integration with legacy systems (finance, gov, telecom). Supports integration with best of breed solutions, allowing organizations to connect various tools and technologies within their marketing tech stack for greater flexibility and extensibility.	API-first, integrates with commerce, CDPs, CRMs	Deep Microsoft ecosystem integrations (Azure, Dynamics)	Tight integrations across Adobe Experience Cloud & Analytics
Sites	Rapid creation and governance of websites and microsites using visual builders, templates, responsive design, SEO, and accessibility controls. Strong multisite and brand governance capabilities.	Supports site creation primarily through CMS and experimentation workflows; less emphasis on large-scale multisite governance.	Strong multisite management with centralized control, personalization, and experience orchestration.	Enterprise-scale site management with advanced design, authoring, and brand consistency tooling.
Digital Asset Management (DAM)	Integrated DAM for centralized management of images, videos, and documents with workflows, permissions, CDN delivery, and API-based reuse across channels.	Basic asset handling integrated into CMS workflows; typically complemented by third-party DAM solutions.	DAM capabilities available via Sitecore Content Hub, offering advanced asset management and governance.	Industry-leading DAM (Adobe Assets) with advanced metadata, AI-powered tagging, and tight Creative Cloud integration.
Commerce Capabilities	Commerce supported via integrations (Magento, Shopify, SAP, etc.)	Native commerce suite (B2B/B2C)	Available via Sitecore Commerce add-on	Commerce add-ons via Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Cloud & Deployment	Cloud-native (SaaS and PaaS on Liferay Cloud) or self-managed; hybrid flexibility	Fully SaaS, cloud-native	Available on Azure Cloud and hybrid models	Cloud Service (SaaS) or on-prem deployment
Analytics & Insights	Basic analytics; integrates easily with Google Analytics, Matomo, or BI tools	Built-in experimentation, A/B testing, campaign analytics	Sitecore XP (Experience Platform) with detailed analytics	Advanced analytics through Adobe Analytics and Real-Time CDP
Cost & Licensing	Cost-effective compared to peers; open-source roots reduce TCO	Mid- to high-range (subscription model)	High enterprise cost (license + Azure hosting)	Premium pricing; often highest TCO in the market
Best For	Organizations needing flexible, integration-friendly, cost-efficient DXPs (government, finance, telecom, B2B)	Companies prioritizing experimentation and A/B testing	Enterprises with Microsoft stack & complex personalization	Large enterprises wanting premium features & full Adobe ecosystem

Sources:

• Liferay DXP

• Optimizely DXP

• Sitecore DXP

• Adobe Experience Manager

• Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, 2025

• Forrester Wave: Digital Experience Platforms, 2025
   

The Value of Personalized Digital Experiences

Personalization is at the heart of DXPs. Research by McKinsey shows that 71% of customers expect personalization, and 76% feel frustrated without it (McKinsey, 2023). DXPs enable organizations to create personalized experiences and deliver personalized content across multiple channels, ensuring that each customer receives relevant and engaging interactions.

Customer success studies:

• Car manufacturer Škoda created highly personalized experiences for every one of their employees: a new intranet that takes into account 300 different user groups among their 40,000 employees to deliver exactly the right content at exactly the right time.

• Insurer Merkur Versicherungen uses Liferay to display personalized and role-based information and content, providing highly detailed content for different target groups via various channels.

• Telecommunications provider enables R-KOM personalizes self-service, allowing customers to manage personal data and contracts independently in the customer portal, lowering internal workload.

• Through personalized and more unified customer experiences, BRE, a leader in sustainable research for construction, made content is easier to find and can get updated faster, leading to major cost savings, improved operational efficiency, and a reduction of their digital footprint by 88%.

 

“Personalization is no longer a luxury  –  it’s a necessity.” –  Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation, ServiceNow [via bizzazz.com]

 

DXPs and Integration

Many organizations struggle with siloed data and disconnected business practices before implementing a DXP. Modern businesses use dozens of applications. Without integration, customer data remains siloed. A DXP acts as the orchestrator:

• Linking marketing automation with CRM

• Connecting content systems with e-commerce

• Providing APIs for third-party innovation

• Integrating various tools to streamline and improve business practices

That 82% of organizations rely on Digital Experience Platforms for multi-channel delivery (via dotstark.com) underscores why DXPs have become central to cross-channel consistency – without a unified platform, coordinating content, personalization, and governance across channels quickly breaks down at enterprise scale.

 

DXPs and Analytics

Data is the engine of continuous improvement. DXPs provide dashboards that track engagement, conversions, and churn. Analytics help organizations gain deeper insights into their customer base, enabling more effective digital experience management strategies.
Statistics:

• IDC reports that customer experience is a top investment priority for digital leaders, with 78% saying customer data plays a critical role in delivering it. (IDC, 2023).

• Machine learning and large-scale data analysis enable companies to anticipate customer actions, optimize advertising investments, and personalize at scale, leading to ROI increases of +30%.
   

Omnichannel Delivery

Omnichannel delivery is a cornerstone of any effective Digital Experience Platform (DXP), enabling businesses to provide consistent and personalized experiences across a variety of digital channels. With a centralized content management system at its core, a DXP allows marketers to efficiently create, manage, and deliver content to websites, mobile apps, social media, customer portals, and more – all from a single platform.

This unified approach ensures that customers encounter a cohesive brand experience, no matter which digital touchpoint they use. By integrating with multiple digital channels, DXPs empower organizations to meet customers where they are, whether on mobile devices, desktops, or emerging platforms. The experience platform can also tailor content and user experiences to the specific requirements of each channel, optimizing for device type and user context to deliver content that resonates.

As a result, businesses can exceed customer expectations by providing seamless, engaging, and personalized experiences across all digital channels, strengthening customer relationships and driving loyalty.

 

Scaling Globally with DXPs

Expansion into new markets is simplified with DXP capabilities like delivering and localizing content across various channels – including web, email, and mobile app platforms – to ensure consistent, personalized experiences for every audience. Key features include:

• Multilingual support (translation workflows)

• Localized experiences by market segment

• Compliance-ready frameworks for data regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA)

Customer Success Story

Energy and utilities solutions provider Itron achieved true localization with Liferay SaaS. Using Liferay’s multi-site capabilities, 15 regions have their own individual site experiences, where everything, from the products shown to the navigation, is localized in all the right languages.

 

Best Practices for Implementing a DXP

Successfully implementing a Digital Experience Platform (DXP) begins with a clear understanding of your business goals and digital transformation objectives. Key steps include:

• Assess current digital maturity

  • Evaluate where your organization stands today.

  • Identify specific needs and gaps your DXP must address.

• Select the right platform

  • Choose a DXP that aligns with your business requirements.

  • Ensure it offers the flexibility to scale and evolve with your organization.

• Develop a robust content strategy

  • Cover content creation, management, and delivery across all relevant digital channels.

  • Align content with audience needs and business objectives.

• Prioritize customer data management

  • Leverage AI and machine learning to analyze customer behavior and preferences.

  • Use insights to optimize digital journeys and deliver more relevant experiences.

• Ensure seamless technology integration

  • Integrate with existing marketing technologies such as:

    • CRM systems

    • Marketing automation tools

  • Enable a unified, 360° customer view for more cohesive experiences.

By following these best practices, organizations can streamline content management, improve data handling, and deliver personalized digital experiences that drive engagement and support long-term digital transformation.

 

Measuring the Success of a DXP

To gauge the effectiveness of a Digital Experience Platform, organizations should track KPIs that reflect their business goals. Focus areas include:

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)

  • Customer engagement

  • Conversion rates

  • Customer satisfaction

• Evaluate content strategy performance

  • Track content consumption, sharing, and engagement to understand what resonates with audiences.

• Leverage AI and machine learning for insights

  • Analyze customer data and user behavior in real time.

  • Gain deeper understanding of preferences and optimize digital journeys accordingly.

• Regularly assess platform performance

  • Integration capabilities – ensure smooth connections between systems.

  • User experience (UX) – evaluate usability and satisfaction.

  • Business impact – track operational efficiency and ROI.

• Continuously optimize

  • Ongoing measurement and refinement enhance customer engagement, improve digital experiences, and help maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

 

DXPs and the Future of Digital Experience

Gartner predicts that by 2026, 70% of large enterprises will use DXPs as the central hub for managing customer experience (Gartner, 2023).

Trends shaping the future of DXPs:

• AI integration for predictive personalization

• Composable DXPs (modular, API-first design)

• Voice and chat interfaces as primary touchpoints

Investing in DXPs prepares organizations for the digital future by leveraging advanced digital technologies and supporting emerging interfaces such as voice assistants, ensuring long-term growth and adaptability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

“DXPs are becoming more modular, with vendors breaking down monolithic platforms into independent, flexible components.” –  CMSWIRE, 2025