Why a composable DXP is critical for scalable, personalized B2B digital experiences

Highlights

You’ll learn why a composable DXP matters for scalable, personalized B2B digital experiences.

• Modular agility: Swap and update best-of-breed modules without technical overhauls
• API-first integration: Connect data sources, AI and other relevant tools via APIs
• Scalable personalization: Activate unified profiles and deliver 1:1 content in real time
• Resilience & ROI: Isolate failures, reduce vendor lock-in and accelerate time-to-market

Opt for a composable DXP to take control of your digital strategy.

Statistics show that B2B buyers now demand the same speed, relevance and ease they get with B2C transactions. About 80% expect real-time responses, according to Salesforce.

Monolithic DXPs are not built to deliver such experiences. Their outdated structures require heavy developer involvement, which leads to slow updates. They are also difficult to scale. So, a flexible approach would suffice, and composable DXPs offer that architecture.

What is a composable DXP?

A composable DXP is a modular platform that allows you to combine multiple digital components to create, optimize and deliver digital experiences. It enables you to combine best-of-breed solutions via APIs to deliver personalized experiences at scale. It supports faster campaign rollouts, fewer disruptions and a streamlined workflow.

Key components of a composable

Everything about a composable DXP supports your ability to build at your own pace and pick and choose solutions. Its components include:

• Best-of-breed modular solutions: These are individual tools that offer specific capabilities. So, instead of relying on a single vendor suite, you integrate specialized tools to manage data, content, search, commerce, etc. They increase agility, as you can swap them as the business sees fit.
• API and microservices: Each component interacts through APIs, and microservices break functions into small, independent services that can be scaled or deployed individually. Both support system resilience and scalability.
• Packaged business capabilities (PBCs): These are self-contained software components that deliver a specific business function. Each one includes its own data, logic and APIs, and can be deployed independently.
• Headless CMS: A CMS that decouples content management from its presentation. The front-end agnostic approach allows you to publish to multiple channels via a single source of truth. It supports personalized, omnichannel experiences.

Composable DXP vs. monolithic DXP

Given that monolithic DXPs are all-in-one solutions, they may seem convenient. However, these systems are built on legacy code and are tightly coupled. Hence, you cannot quickly roll out features or make changes because, for every tweak, you have to rebuild the entire thing. They are also built on large code bases, making it difficult to find and isolate relevant code.

A composable DXP addresses these issues with its API-first and modular build. You can replace outdated tools with new ones and launch campaigns and experiences more quickly. If one part of the platform goes down, it does not affect the other modules. This makes it resilient. With APIs, you can plug into new technologies on the go. No need to write and rewrite code.

Why composable DXPs are winning in B2B markets

The short answer is flexibility. In essence, you can compose and recompose digital experiences. You can select and integrate the services and tools that best suit your business needs. You are not locked into vendor solutions that serve no purpose. 

The freedom, control and ability to scale digital experiences—all of that comes with composability. A composable DXP also offers a headless CMS for dynamic content publishing. Here are other reasons. 

Need for personalized customer journeys

McKinsey reports that 76% of B2B buyers expect content that addresses their specific role and business needs. A composable DXP supports the seamless integration of CDPs and modular personalization engines. As such, you can collect, unify and activate customer data that enables you to deliver 1:1 content. The headless CMS within it also supports dynamic content delivery triggered by real-time user signals, such as device, sessions and location.

Built for emerging technology adoption

As new technologies, such as AI and AR, become part of the buying process, businesses want a flexible system that can adapt. Given that composable DXPs are built on the MACH principles, they offer plug-and-play capabilities. That way, you can integrate new technologies, be it IoT, AR/VR, AI automation and more.

Powers omnichannel orchestration

Zipdo reports that 70% of buyers are more inclined to trust a brand when the message stays the same across channels. A composable DXP offers an API integration layer, event-driven automation and centralized content delivery. The headless CMS allows you to create content once for delivery to multiple platforms via APIs. That way, customers get consistent messaging and branding on all platforms.

Enterprise-grade integration and security

Composable DXPs offer seamless API-based integration with legacy systems, ERPs and marketing automation platforms, which is essential for large B2B ecosystems. Its modular design makes it easy to identify and isolate security vulnerabilities. That way, you can promptly address threats without affecting other modules.

Better ROI than legacy systems

The modular architecture ensures you only integrate the tools you need. So, you can maintain a lean system and avoid costly vendor lock-ins. Also, the use of APIs and reusable components allows you to launch new features and experiences faster. You get more agility due to quicker iterations. You can integrate new solutions without architectural overhauls. This saves time and IT resources, supporting a faster time-to-market.

Case studies

GetYourGuide

The GetYourGuide website struggled to cater to its over 500,000 visitors due to limited bandwidth. The bottleneck impacted its ability to adapt to new travel trends. Contentstack enhanced its tech stack, enabling it to personalize customers' journeys and improve the customer experience.

Pedro Torres, the product manager, explained the changes. "With Contentstack, we can deliver on — and exceed — what customers are expecting, regardless of device, and consistently deliver those experiences as soon as new travel opportunities become available."

Read more about how GetYourGuide enhanced customer experience via Contentstack. 

Leesa

Leesa struggled to align its brand across products, which negatively impacted the customer experience. Switching to Contentstack DXP enabled them to track customer interactions, allowing them to personalize product pages and enhance the overall experience.

Richard Bilton, the Director of Technology, said. “Thanks to Contentstack’s Modular Blocks, we’ve really upped our game when it comes to personalization.” 

Keep reading to see how Leesa delivered tailored and seamless customer journeys.

How to start your move to a composable DXP

Moving to a composable DXP should be a gradual and phased process to minimize disruption. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Executive and strategic alignment: Set clear digital goals, like reducing time-to-publish or improving personalization. Get leadership buy-in by linking those goals to business impact.
2. Tech stack and vendor evaluation: Audit your existing tools to spot gaps, bottlenecks and overlaps. Research DXP vendor solutions based on the issues you identified. That way, you can pick the best DXP solution for your business needs. 
3. Team readiness and skills: Offer your marketing and IT teams hands-on training in modular workflows, APIs and microservices. Assign clear ownership for each component. That way, you can track and improve performance over time.
4. Pilot and phased implementation: Pick one channel or region to test. Deploy a single microservice, like a search upgrade or personalization module. Measure engagement and conversion rates. Document the system’s performance and iterate.
5. Optimization continuously: Set up analytics to track the system’s performance, integrations and security. Then, use that to make continuous improvements. Also, review business processes and goals, and integrate new solutions when you need to upgrade or improve them.

FAQ section

What is a composable digital experience platform (DXP)?

A composable digital experience lets you upgrade or replace functions in your system so you can personalize and adapt faster. You can swap tools like personalization or analytics without overhauling your entire system.

What is the difference between user experience and digital experience?

User experience focuses on one product or interaction. Digital experience covers every touchpoint across all channels.

What is the difference between DXP and CMS?

A CMS is primarily used to create, manage and publish content, while a DXP enables you to manage, personalize, optimize and deliver entire digital experiences across multiple channels and customer touchpoints.

Learn more

Modern businesses need to be in control of how they serve their customers. That includes access to data, crafting relevant and tailored experiences and ease of use of essential technologies. Through its modular and API-first design, a composable DXP allows you to combine all the necessary elements required to deliver personalized experiences at scale.

Contentstack EDGE is built on MACH principles—offering seamless integrations, flexible AI-driven automation and enterprise-grade security. It is your sure bet to deliver engaging experiences that help you attract and keep your most valuable customers. Talk to us today to get started.