You've invested in Optimizely, you are keen to capitalise on the promise to accelerate your digital strategy - personalised experiences, faster experimentation, measurable improvements in engagement and conversion.
But somewhere between go-live and today, is it matching up to expectations. ?
Digital leaders who find themselves underwhelmed by the performance of their digital experience platform- may find it is not because of any lack of capability in the platform.
The problem can be that the implementation, the operational team or the support model around it hasn’t fully unlocked the potential.
In this article, we’ll explore the five most common reasons Optimizely investments can fail to meet ambitious expectations - and what you can do to turn the situation around.
The Problem
You may have launched a CMS-led project but stopped short of integrating more of the Optimizely One suite. Many businesses start with Optimizely’s CMS but don’t activate the rest of the platform, missing major value areas like:
Optimizely has evolved into a powerful DXP. If you’re treating it like a content management tool, you’re leaving performance gains on the table.
The Fix:
Conduct a platform usage audit. We work with our clients to benchmark their current usage against the full Optimizely One stack, identifying underused modules, integration gaps, and areas for quick-win activation.
Some of the powerful features in the Optimizely One suite can be accessed, with limits, within the basic CMS licence without additional requiring licences - as long as it is implemented in a way that supports your aspirations.
The Problem
Too many implementations follow a linear model:
scope > build > go-live > handover.
That may put a tick in the project box but it doesn’t help you create sustained business impact. We see the best results when our clients explore:
Is your team and Optimizely partner orientated around the platform as a tool? Optimizely One is a vast toolset. It’s not a question of buying the box and you have it for ever. The components should be applied to your specific needs.
Equally, it is perfectly reasonable that you don’t need all the elements of the suite but it does need to be implemented to address your business needs. Any viable product implementation will not get you part of the way. You should look at a programme of ongoing development and enhancement to develop the platform. Learning from your team and your customers as they interact with your platform.
If your current partner only resurfaces at renewal time, you're missing out on the iterative improvements Optimizely is designed to support.
The Fix:
Treats your platform as a product, not a project. We see our clients achieve the best results when implementing monthly roadmaps, and always-on performance reviews to ensure digital progress doesn’t stall post-launch.
The Problem:
Your team are still operating in the same way they did before. You have a large team who are all interacting with the site.
Your implementation project put a lot of the development resource into the visitor experience but failed to understand how your organisation develops and publishes content.
When the project launched, a raft of new technology landed on your team in one go and there has not been a time for the individual processes to be refined and improved.
You may have also failed to implement a test and learn strategy that prioritises insights to drive product development over top-down direction.
Look at how team suggestions can be incorporated into your testing plans to gather insights from the widest group.
The Fix
We call this phenomenon the Adoption gap, and there is a route out of it. Identify champions within the team who can focus on taking the tech to the team and can take a lead on advocacy, sometimes across disconnected or disparate teams.
Ensure you have an effective feedback loop in place and a method for onboarding experimentation suggestions.
And be comfortable starting small.
The Problem
It’s not uncommon to outpace the partner who got you started. As your business matures, your needs inevitably change through:
Unfortunately, you mayfind your Optimizely partner can struggle to evolve with you. If they remain reactive, slow to act, and unable to challenge your thinking with strategic guidance, you may have outgrown the relationship.
The Fix:
Look for a partner that offers a low-risk transition model - one that ensures continuity while enabling deeper technical, strategic, and commercial value.
For example, as an Optimizely Platinum Partner, we bring:
The Problem:
Without a feedback loop that passes from test to insight into action, it’s hard to prove the value of your digital efforts. You’re left wondering:
Your stakeholders want verifiable insights. But siloed systems, unclear KPIs, or incomplete implementation can create a fog of uncertainty.
The Fix:
Optimizely’s Experimentation and Data Platform are built to give you clarity - if they’re implemented properly. And we help our clients surface the right metrics, set up dashboards, and define ROI frameworks that resonate with the boardroom.
We connect:
If it isn’t clear that Optimizely is delivering the results you expected, it may not the technology that’s failed.
It’s potentially the implementation, the integration, or the partnership model supporting it.
The good news? All of that can be fixed-with the right partner.
At Mando Group, we specialise in helping our clients: