What is Optimizely. A guide for Digital Leaders

If you're exploring a platform change or trying to untangle your digital stack, you're probably hearing the name "Optimizely" a lot. But what exactly is it? And is it right for your business?

This guide breaks it down without the fluff. Whether you're in tech, digital, or on the hook for delivering growth, we'll show you how Optimizely fits into the picture, and where it beats the alternatives.

From A/B Testing to DXP Powerhouse

Optimizely started as a testing tool. It let teams run A/B experiments on websites to see what worked. Then Episerver acquired it in 2020, merged their CMS and commerce products, and relaunched the brand as Optimizely, a full digital experience platform (DXP).

Today, Optimizely offers a unified suite of tools for content management, personalisation, experimentation, commerce, and insights - all under one roof.

Optimizely One: The Full Ecosystem

The latest evolution is Optimizely One, described as the "first operating system for marketing". It’s modular, cloud-native, and built to support the entire digital lifecycle:

• Plan: Campaign and workflow tools

• Create: Content and asset management

• Deliver: Multi-channel publishing and personalisation

• Optimise: A/B and multivariate testing

• Analyse: Real-time performance insights

You can use it as a whole platform or plug in just the parts you need.

Who It's Built For

Optimizely is best suited for mid-to-large organisations who need to:

• Launch and test content at speed

• Tailor digital experiences to customer segments

• Run experiments that drive growth

• Manage complex websites or ecommerce platforms

It’s used across sectors like finance, utilities, retail, and professional services - where experience, compliance, and performance all matter.

Optimizely vs Sitecore vs Adobe: A Quick Comparison

Should You Choose Optimizely? A Quick Test

Ask yourself:

• Do we want to reduce time to market?

• Are we stuck with legacy CMS or bloated platforms?

• Do we need built-in experimentation without bolt-ons?

• Do our marketers want more control?

• Do we want to pay only for what we’ll use?

If you answered "yes" to three or more then Optimizely could, and most likely should, be your next move.

What You’ll Need To Succeed

Optimizely isn’t just a switch you flip. You’ll need:

• Clear goals: What are you trying to improve? Conversion, speed, satisfaction?

• The right partner: Someone who’s not just ticking boxes but helping you think strategically (we can help there).

• Internal alignment: Marketing, product and IT need to speak the same language.

• A rollout plan: Start small, prove value, then scale.

Use Cases by Role

• Marketing: Faster publishing, personalisation, and no dev bottlenecks

• Product/UX: Run experiments before committing dev time

• IT/Platform Leads: Reduce complexity and lower technical debt

• Execs: See ROI, move faster, lower cost of change

A Platform That Grows With You

Optimizely is evolving fast. With AI-powered features like Opal, real-time personalisation, and a more open, composable approach, it’s designed to support modern digital transformation, not hold it back.

If you’re replatforming, overhauling your digital experience, or just tired of hitting walls with legacy tools, it’s worth a look.

FAQs

Q: Is Optimizely just for A/B testing?
No, it started that way, but it’s now a full DXP with CMS, commerce, personalisation, and analytics.

Q: What’s the difference between Optimizely CMS and Optimizely One?
Optimizely CMS is the content platform. Optimizely One is the full suite including CMS, experimentation, AI tools, and more.

Q: Is it easy to migrate to Optimizely?
With the right partner, yes. One who has been there and done it - again and again. We’ve done it for clients seamlessly to reduce time-to-value and maximise ROI.

Q: How does pricing compare to Sitecore or Adobe?
More transparent and modular, so you pay for what you need, not a bloated licence.

Can I keep my existing CRM or CDP?
Yes, Optimizely plays well with others. It integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Segment, and more.

Ready to explore?

We’ve helped ambitious digital leaders get more out of Optimizely - faster. If you want to see what a replatform could look like, or how Optimizely compares to what you’ve got, get in touch.

Free Replatform Feasibility Session: We'll help you map the risks, costs, and opportunities. No slide decks, just straight answers.

We’ll help you map it out.

We’re all in with Optimizely - it's the only DXP we work with. As a long-term, Platinum Partner, we know what it takes to make it work - and what trips teams up. You can see some of our work in action here.

If you want a faster, simpler, more strategic way to unlock Optimizely’s full value, let’s talk.