Articles

Storyblok Article

<hr /> When acclaimed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a> columnist <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-brooks">David Brooks</a> spoke at a college commencement in 2019, he observed two key emotions at play during the event. One was happiness. The other was joy.As he explained <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/opinion/happiness-joy-emotion.html">in an article</a> recapping his experience, “happiness” usually involves a victory for one's self, usually around personal accomplishments. “Joy,” on the other hand, is the transcendence of self—or as he put it, “the present life gives you as you give away your gifts to others.”Once upon a time, the web was a joyful place to explore. It felt new and undiscovered, a world where almost anything was possible. There were fewer walls and more open spaces, and building experiences felt creatively ambitious.My, how things have changed. In today's world of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management,</a> practitioners might struggle to say they’re happy when creating experiences—and even less happy with the CMS tools they use.But are they experiencing joy? When was the last time you felt joyful about managing content? It’s not a trick question. I think most of us in the CMS industry never really stop to think about this distinction. As it turns out, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/storyblok">Storyblok</a> has been focusing on that lack of joy—and working to bring it back. That effort has been crystallized by the launch of its new <a target="_blank" href="https://storyblok.com/lp/labs">Storyblok Labs</a>, a place for marketers and developers to get early access to the platform’s latest headless content management innovations. The goal is simple: Help Storyblok users explore and adopt its latest innovations with greater speed, intelligence, and confidence—so they can stay ahead of market trends and learn new ways to outperform competitors. These benefits are delivered in the form of new features that aren't generally available but are free to use and easy to turn on and off.Most importantly, Storyblok has thoughtfully infused joy into its Labs experience, so customers feel a sense of uninhibited wonder as they experiment with new ideas.“Creating content is supposed to be fun and full of possibilities,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/storyblok-is-writing-its-next-chapter-with-an-80m-series-c-heres-why-it-matters">Dominik Angerer</a>, CEO of Storyblok. “But for users of legacy CMS platforms, it’s become a slow and frustrating chore filled with restrictions. We believe working with a CMS should be a joyful experience that makes it easy for brands to use content to make a bigger, faster market impact. Storyblok Labs is a natural next step in driving that vision forward.” <h3 id="a-lab-that’s-purpose-built-for-exploration">A lab that’s purpose-built for exploration</h3>I’ve commented in the past on Storyblok’s clean, intuitive, super-sharp interface, which makes using its headless CMS that much more inviting. Thanks to user feedback, its UI has a lot of differentiated value baked into it, and the evolution of Labs was no exception. This is a reflection of the company’s approach to serving the needs of both marketers and developers across its ecosystem."By speaking to our customers, we were able to uncover one result our customers experience when working with Storyblok: how much easier it makes their lives,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julius-hemingway/">Julius Hemingway</a>, Product Marketing Team Manager at Storyblok. “For many, the payoff in how we remove the barriers between developers and marketers has led to much greater productivity, which has been rewarding."On the theme of “ease of use,” Storyblok Labs establishes that in abundance. When first entering the environment, you’re greeted by a suite of tools that prioritize speed, agility, and control – all designed to help users stay ahead of what’s next and pioneer new ways of working with their teams.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:89.54%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1740007620258.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Storyblok Labs provides an easy on/off capability for test driving new features. Source: Storyblok website. Each new feature in Labs offers a guided walk-through video and an interactive demo (both are high-quality assets). You can easily toggle the features on and off in your space, with higher-level admin controls to manage your team’s access—and important layer of governance that controls the guardrails around exploration.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:87.89%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1740007620515.png" alt="A screenshot of a video chat

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Storyblok Labs offers interactive videos, demos, and other feature components. Source: Storyblok website. Within Labs, you can also create a free demo space to test drive any of the new features. And as an early adopter, you get to help shape the product with Storyblok by providing your feedback at the bottom of each feature page. In this sense, it’s paving the roadmap and enhancing Storyblok’s feature set as it develops.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:86.83%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1740007620282.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Storyblok Labs allows you to create your own space to explore features. Source: Storyblok website. Here’s a quick snapshot demo of Storyblok Labs:<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWy5V3XllkU"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eWy5V3XllkU" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <h3 id="new-features-in-the-playground">New features in the playground</h3>While still relatively new, Storyblok Labs is already hosting a few new features that you can start playing with. According to the company, Storyblok Labs will be regularly updated with new features designed to enhance the entire content lifecycle—covering everything from ideation to creation, publishing, and maintenance.Here’s an overview of the features you can test drive today: <h4 id="ideation-room">Ideation Room</h4>Our “ideas” live in lots of different places. Drafts are often scattered across other applications, making it difficult to work together. Ideation Room is a slick workspace where you and your team can centralize everything within Storyblok and rally around the creation and optimization of content—all with the help of AI. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:85.21%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1740007619889.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Ideation Room provides a familiar interface for collaborating on content. Source: Storyblok website. The first thing to note about Ideation Room is the layout. It feels instantly familiar, like a Word or Google Doc, providing users with a clean canvas for creating. You have a lot of direct domain over adding links, basic styles, and more to your content. You can also leave comments, putting the collaboration features front and center. You can also toggle to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.storyblok.com/docs/editor-guides/visual-editor">Storyblok’s handy Visual Editor</a> to preview how an article will present in its published format as a blog or other content type. This is a cool solution that helps streamline the content creation process.To get more up close and personal, here's a video tour of the tool:<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-hbLAUDB68"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6-hbLAUDB68" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <h4 id="ai-translations">AI Translations</h4>Translating content into different languages has become an essential tool for many brands and content professionals. Translation and localization services are handled in a multitude of ways, and often with third-party services. With Storyblok’s new AI Translations, you can translate entire pages or individual text fields with just one click—making the entire process less cumbersome to manage. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:85.59%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1740007620371.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Ideation Room provides a familiar interface for collaborating on content. Source: Storyblok website. AI-powered translation has become a trusted engine for handling multilingual sites, giving content professionals more accurate results when switching languages. Now, having a built-in feature will make the journey much easier for Storyblok users. <h4 id="concept-room-(preview)">Concept Room (Preview)</h4>Currently in preview, the Concept Room will enable users to map out their project structure and visually design their experiences with drag-and-drop tools. You’ll be able to link ideas directly to components in Storyblok’s Visual Editor and bring content to life faster and more efficiently. And like the other features in the Labs, you’ll be able to collaborate more fluidly on the structure of your entire project. You can sign up for launch notifications within Storyblok Labs.<h3 id="the-verdict">The Verdict</h3>“Joy” is fleeting, and any opportunity to capture more of it is a good thing. I think Storyblok’s commitment to delivering delight—through exceptional customer experiences—has served them exceedingly well. Heck, Dominik Angerer <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/storyblok-is-writing-its-next-chapter-with-an-80m-series-c-heres-why-it-matters">has personally told me</a> that he’s never had a customer leave because of his product, and that speaks volumes about Storyblok’s culture and customer intimacy.Said more simply: They understand their users. On its surface, Storyblok Labs is a kind of early-adopter skunkwork for rolling out new features. It’s an incubator for experimenting and optimizing its tools for prime time and developing an effective feedback loop within an exclusive channel. But Labs is more than this: It’s an investment in the value of partnerships, a vessel of trust for loyal and emphatic users who are on this journey together and contributing to the evolution of Storyblok’s CMS. It's also a reflection of the company's spirit, and how their people and products are delivering a missing quotient in what we do.As far as the actual features go, I really like the intention of the new Ideation Room. <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/copy-and-paste-makes-waste-not-with-pantheons-content-publisher-for-google-docs">I recently reviewed Pantheon’s Content Publisher</a> for Google Docs, and I love the idea that content creators have access to greater choice when it comes to familiar authoring tools. While not an apples-to-apples feature comparison, I dig how Storyblok is supplying a similar canvas for creating and connecting the loose parts of a content ecosystem—and driving it all back to its Visual Editor. In this sense, they’re improving the overall authoring and editing experience and attracting more users to work in its platform across the content lifecycle.Finally, the composable angle can't be overlooked. Storyblok continues to add the right kinds of features while reinforcing its value within composable architectures as the engine for powering digital experiences. Developers continue to have deep control while editors now have robust visual tools for doing their jobs more effectively. The Storyblok Labs “playground” is a great “proving ground” for nurturing these new attributes and gaining valuable insight around impact—particularly as brands build more ambitious solutions. We might not be happy with everything about our CMSes. However, some vendors are trying to think beyond the mundane and help content creators visualize a more joyful experience. As David Brooks observed, joy is all about the “present” life gives you as you give away your gifts to others.Is Storyblok Labs that “gift” to content management? I'd say it's worth exploring. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-storyblok?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Storyblok? <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Can content management be ‘joyful’ again? Storyblok Labs promises fun and possibility in its innovation playground  

matt-garrepy

<hr /> It wouldn’t be December without a Christmas story that warms your heart. Especially if it’s three sizes too small. Of course, every good holiday tale needs a protagonist who experiences some magnificent transformation. So let’s start with a little Scrooging before pouring the spiked egg nog.Our merry friends at <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/storyblok">Storyblok</a>, a headless CMS that has positioned itself simply as a “content management system,” recently published some sobering survey data. The big takeaway: 93% of marketers and developers say their current CMS is falling short of expectations, and a lot of the frustration stems from integrations.To that end, the consensus among survey participants is that platform integration failures could impact revenue this holiday season, a time when brands and retailers are banking on digital commerce to stuff their annual stockings. ‘Twas the nightmare before Christmas? Indeed. And it's likely to result in an urgent call-to-action to improve reliance on the stack – specifically the CMS layer – in 2025. Ho, ho, hold on a minute. It’s not to say that cheeks aren’t rosy in other areas of the digital marketing machine. The study indicated that businesses are spending an average of over $453,000 on martech per year. That’s healthy by any measure, but the effectiveness of that investment could be in jeopardy if <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems</a> aren’t living up to their fullest potential. So what’s a brand to do? It’s not as simple as asking Santa for a solution. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/storyblok-is-writing-its-next-chapter-with-an-80m-series-c-heres-why-it-matters">Storyblok’s CEO Dominik Angerer</a>, whom I’ve spoken to multiple times this year, the core challenges can be traced back to legacy systems that lack flexibility and interoperability – and a move to headless could turn that lump of coal into a diamond.“This survey shows that many companies are hitting the limits of their current CMS,” he said. “They are dreaming of a CMS that’s keeping all their systems in sync without constant workarounds.”And dreaming of sugar plum fairies who deliver an easy transition, right? Therein lies part of the problem: moving to a new CMS can be costly and time-consuming, and embracing composable architectures (more the domain of large enterprises) can take years to fully realize. Time is also tight, and organizations need to move quickly, especially when the holiday blitz is a 'Blitzen. This is why many platforms have embraced a multi-CMS ecosystem – with a strong reliance on headless platforms – to roadmap a more holistic solution. But is headless really the panacea for all these challenges? Let’s unwrap some of the data that Storyblok left under the tree.<h3 id="deck-the-halls-with-integration-frustration">Deck the halls with integration frustration</h3>With customers like Adidas, Netflix, and Disney on its roster, Storyblok has cultivated deep insights around use cases and patterns for headless CMS at a global enterprise level. That was clearly a benefit when conducting the research, which reflects how some of the world’s biggest brands feel stymied by outdated legacy tech stacks that can’t keep pace with their evolving needs.For the research itself, Storyblok surveyed 300 IT and marketing leaders at global businesses, a third of which had stated revenues of over $100 million. Participants were asked a range of questions about their company’s CMS with an explicit focus on the arc for integrating new tools and applications as part of their existing tech stack. One important note, which speaks to the reality of the enterprise market and a smidge of headless bias: all surveyed companies in the report use monolithic CMSes. That’s not a shocker, but it’s a relevant assumption that the data might be telegraphed around inherent criticisms of large enterprise CMS and DXP platforms. To that end, 93% of respondents aired grievances, specifically around the limited integration options with other services and tools in their tech stack. Two in five also stated that they are constantly in need of a better integration experience, while a quarter found integrations “difficult,” illustrating the urgency for more flexible solutions.So much for the “seamlessly integrates” tagline that often accompanies the marketing around many platforms in the ecosystem. Humbug.<h3 id="all-i-want-for-christmas-is-up-to-date-content">All I want for Christmas is up-to-date content</h3>Outdated content is an epidemic, particularly for highly distributed global organizations – and it’s not just at the CMS layer. Maintaining up-to-date digital assets has been a precarious function as well, which is why we’ve seen significant investments in <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/cloudinary-assets-brings-new-ai-powered-features-to-its-api-first-intelligent-dam">AI-powered capabilities across DAMs and PIMs</a>. As Dominik Angerer stated in <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/storyblok-is-writing-its-next-chapter-with-an-80m-series-c-heres-why-it-matters">one of our previous interviews</a>, “A CMS can’t just be a place where your content is sent to die." And yet, it often is for so many companies – something the research also manages to codify. According to the study, frustration over outdated content continues to be a widespread problem. Most respondents reported that 20% to 30% of their CMS content is no longer relevant, with only one-third updating content on a monthly basis – or less. To make matters worse, 37% admitted to not having an audit or update process that works for them. Translation: there’s no reliable governance, which can result not only in poor experiences for users but also financial and even legal liabilities. <h3 id="jingling-with-marketers-and-developers">Jingling with marketers and developers</h3>The elves aren’t playing nicely in the workshop – a fact we’ve been abundantly aware of for quite some time. As headless CMS platforms rose in popularity, marketers were left in the cold, becoming more reliant on developers to modify their digital experiences. At the same time, monolithic CMS and DXP platforms inherited more complexity (often through acquisitions), resulting in a similar paradigm.I’ve been chatting about this with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/uniforms-enterprise-visual-workspace-unifies-content-data-ai-and-technology-in-a-single-cloud-for-marketers">industry leaders like Darren Guarnaccia</a> for the last few years. In 2023, he noted that while composable headless technologies are a boon for developers and technical audiences, “it’s been kind of horrible for the businesses.” This reality underscored the mad rush to add visual building, previewing, and editing capabilities to CMS tooling – from <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-introduces-new-saas-cms-with-visual-builder-for-marketers">Optimizely</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/agility-cms-web-studio-aims-to-streamline-content-creation-and-collaboration">Agility</a> – and nearly every platform now has it as an expected feature. But these new capabilities are still catching up, and technology isn’t the only sore spot. According to Storyblok’s research, the collaboration between marketers and developers continues to be strained, with 40% saying it’s either “ineffective” or “nonexistent.” That’s a big number, and likely reflects some of the cultural challenges that exist between marketing and IT functions.What’s at the core of this rift? Basic stuff, really. For example, a marketer might want to update a post or make fast edits across multiple pages. Unfortunately, in many legacy CMS deployments, that might require the help of a developer each time (Darren referred to these instances as “tickets,” which those of us with support experience know all too well). This is because certain types of changes in a CMS are often complex and can ripple across an entire site. Of course, this back-and-forth can create huge bottlenecks and delays, utlimately adding months and potentially extra zeroes to the cost of a project. But Dominik feels this is where a modern headless CMS can differentiate and solve the problem. “A headless CMS can eliminate these holdups,” he said. “These flexible, integration-friendly systems meet the needs of both marketers and developers.”<h3 id="last-christmas,-i-gave-you-my-content…">Last Christmas, I gave you my content…</h3>And the very next day? Well, at least some users start a slow, downward slide toward CMS regret. In fairness, the honeymoon might last a little longer. But when you’re sold on the potential of “seamless integrations,” only to find that things aren’t so seamless, it feels like Krampus coming down the chimney. At this time of the year, brands are under increased pressure to drive conversions and sales. Clearly, some teams are disillusioned by their experiences and most of the blame lands in the boots of the tech stack. And yet, the problems persist. Storyblok published a previous study that revealed almost half of all businesses are literally “embarrassed” by their website. Ouch. That same report also found that business leaders estimate a poor website UX leads to $72,000 in lost sales each year.To be sure, there’s some predictable marketer’s lament in all of this (every brand pro is on a quest for what they don’t have). But it does codify how disappointing a legacy CMS experience can be for many users and organizations – despite spending all that previously mentioned cheddar on martech. Looking ahead, integration will continue to scale in importance. This is due to the accelerating growth of new technologies and the persistent need to manage data from multiple systems. According to Storyblok, this must be prioritized – because what’s at stake is the continued erosion of time, money, and resources.There are many choices when it comes to CMS platforms. Most are solid in their own way, and it’s usually not just the architecture or functionality that makes them naughty or nice – it’s how they’re applied as part of a broader stack. In some cases, headless is an ideal solution. But when a decision about any CMS isn’t carefully approached, it can result in a less-than-satisfying outcome.In terms of reaching the limitations, some practitioners might be approaching their problems from the wrong vector – and certain strategies could be employed to resolve the bottlenecks and challenges. In this case, headless CMSes have an advantage when it comes to integrating with other solutions that displace the issues or extend capabilities in the right way. That said, large enterprise DXPs have made significant headway when it comes to delivering more modular solutions for their customers, which can offer some of the same benefits of interoperability and API-driven integration. Do you mine a lump of coal, hoping it keeps burning? Or do you make the leap to something new? This realm of optimization is something that many organizations will be wrestling with as they assess the 2024 holiday season and beyond. The good news: we’re talking about the challenges, and working to overcome them.Who knows? Maybe next Christmas will bring some cheerier numbers. Until then, we'll be making our list and checking it twice. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-storyblok?--talk-to-us.-">Looking for guidance on Storyblok?  <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to us. </a></h4><hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2025"><a href=" https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25">CMS Kickoff 2025</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaMeet industry leaders at our third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">so secure your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a>

Legacy CMS leaving a lump of coal in your stacking? Research says the best gift could be headless

Storyblok is writing its next chapter with an $80M Series C. Here’s why it matters

What's the story with CMS in 2023? Ask <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank">Storyblok</a>.
The headless CMS vendor just published a compelling set of <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-cms-2023-global" target="_blank">reports</a> about the current state of CMS, reflecting respondents' opinions across 7 countries.
The studies offer interesting data on the most popular content management systems, the pain points and features driving users to new systems, and how organizations plan to change and improve their CMS.
Storyblok published "The State of CMS 2023" global report in February, featuring survey data from 1,639 respondents. Last week, it offered <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-cms-2023-united-states" target="_blank">a focused US edition</a> reflecting the opinions of 624 respondents. Both samples shed light on various topics, including how users leverage their CMS, which teams represent the largest portion of users, and whether they anticipate using their CMS in the future.
<h2>Monoliths are still winning the popularity contest</h2>
Based on Storyblok's research, platforms like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-cloud-adds-new-headless-cms-capabilities-updates-to-commerce-integration/">Adobe</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wordpress-keeps-classical-editor-alive-acquires-frontity-to-expand-headless-capabilities/">WordPress</a>, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/reviews/webflow-review-hybrid-website-builder-and-cms-bridges-the-design-code-chasm/">Webflow</a> remain the leading CMS choices among respondents. It's worth noting that while WordPress continues to own the largest market share as an open source CMS, other vendors like Adobe are considered DXPs – which include CMS as part of their stack. 
In the research, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless</a> accounted for 36% of CMSes. Headless architecture is still a much newer application of content management, and Storyblok hypothesized that lower adoption rates might be due to a lack of knowledge – particularly in the US.
Storyblok also noted that there had been a marginal increase in the percentage of those surveyed using a headless CMS and a marginal decrease in those using a monolithic CMS since its previous <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-content-management" target="_blank">2022 State of CMS</a> report.
Other data pointed to US respondents as being more receptive to trying a new CMS for proof of concept – suggesting that headless adoption rates might change if they received more exposure to headless concepts. 
Also worth noting: users seem to be "keeping the faith" in their current CMS. Accoring to the research, 87% percent of respondents believe their current system will be effective in the coming years.
<h2>Omnichannel is driving a multi-CMS model</h2>
In the U.S. data, 42% of respondents reported utilizing more than one CMS, indicating that one system might not meet the needs of different departments or functions within a company. However, 44% said they utilized only one CMS – nearly an even split. 
Of those utilizing only one CMS, most respondents indicated two to three teams within their organization are using the same CMS, with marketing and sales dominating that usage.
Because there was a strong quotient of organizations using more than one CMS, the study's analysis contends that one CMS cannot satisfy the needs of each department, and functionality might be limited with a monolithic approach.
Respondents to the study said their CMS is used most prolifically for websites, mobile apps, and eCommerce. In a change from <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/storybloks-cms-report-shows-enterprises-are-still-scared-of-omnichannel-content-experiences/">last year’s study</a>, the third most listed reason for organizations to use more than one CMS was to satisfy the need for omnichannel content – a decisive indication that additional multimedia channels are gaining importance in traditional marketing strategies.
<h2>Customers using headless CMS reported satisfaction</h2>
Those surveyed who had switched to a headless CMS overwhelmingly reported satisfaction with their choice. The leading reason: headless CMS is “time-saving." Increased ROI and traffic were also listed as top reasons (among others).
While monolithic platforms may still have the upper hand, headless is clearly gaining ground. The need for omnichannel content has also crept up as the role of marketing to consumers continues to shift. With headless CMSes promising great opportunity in this space, it’s something to watch before the next State of CMS drops.
"The State of the CMS 2023" reports offer relevant and revealing data about the trends in the CMS market – and are well worth a read. You can download them at the links below:
<a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-cms-2023-global" target="_blank">The State of the CMS 2023 Report</a>
<a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-cms-2023-united-states" target="_blank">The State of the CMS 2023: United States Report</a>
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok is a next-generation headless content management system revolutionizing how storytelling scales. With an API-first approach, it helps users create and scale content to any digital channel. Features like the visual editor and digital asset manager mean content creators can work independently. The power of headless’s best-of-breed approach also means that developers can build a perfectly customized tech stack, all protected by Storyblok’s ISO 27001 security certification. Add the benefit of Storyblok’s advanced collaboration suite, and all these teams can come together to work together directly within the CMS. In a constantly changing world with more user experience demands than ever before, brands such as Netflix, T-Mobile, and MindValley trust Storyblok to provide secure, personalized experiences to their users.

Storyblok Publishes Reports on the State of CMS in 2023, Reveals Insights on US and Global Markets

cms-critic-staff

Storyblok State of CMS 2023 graphic and logo

It’s happened to all of us: an online ad piques our interest in an item, and suddenly we’re debating a purchase.
Then, you link to the product’s <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/netlify-to-host-headless-commerce-summit-for-talks-on-building-world-class-e-commerce-experiences/">e-commerce</a> store, only to find that it’s slow, unresponsive, or just bad. You refresh a few times and pray for a digital miracle. Maybe you browse a bit, holding your nose. But if you’re like many people, you give up and head to a competitor's site.
Many outside factors can impact an online purchase decision. Even if an item is lucky enough to make it to a cart, it’s frequently left for dead. You could chalk some of this up to pre-buyer’s remorse or other real-world distractions, but a new study from <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/netlify-to-host-headless-commerce-summit-for-talks-on-building-world-class-e-commerce-experiences/">Storyblok</a> – a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a> provider – suggests that poor website design could be the culprit.
According to the company’s survey published this week, 60% of consumers estimated that on average, they abandon five purchases per year just due to poor website performance.
Five purchases may not seem like a lot, but collectively it adds up to billions in unrealized revenue, all due to a less-than-stellar website experience.
<h2>Bad websites mean big business losses</h2>
As Einstein once theorized, time = money. Or was that <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/350999364678568583/" target="_blank">Gary Larson</a>?
Time is indeed the enemy of all websites, particularly those with transactional e-commerce experiences. It starts with performance, and according to the <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lighthouse/blipmdconlkpinefehnmjammfjpmpbjk?hl=en" target="_blank">Lighthouse</a> keepers at Google, pages should ideally load on mobile and desktop in <a href="https://seattlewebsearch.com/2020/11/your-website-needs-to-be-faster-than-3-seconds/" target="_blank">less than three seconds</a>.
Storyblok’s study takes the time conundrum a step further, digging into a user’s behavior on a web page and how the design experience might further impact their likelihood of sticking around. Based on the survey, 42% of participants said they decide whether to remain on a page in less than 10 seconds, while 20% decide in less than five. That means websites don’t have a lot of time to impress shoppers and convert interest into purchases.
And what about those “extra” features some sites make a point to have? Well, put earmuffs on those chatbots because ease of navigation, faster loading speeds, and a simple web design matter a lot more to shoppers.
“Consumers want easy-to-navigate, intuitively designed, and fast-loading websites,” said Storyblok CEO and co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikangerer/" target="_blank">Dominik Angerer</a>. “However, a lot of e-commerce websites are falling short. Five purchases per shopper in missed sales may not seem like a lot, but when you scale this up to the number of potential new customers businesses are missing out on, it becomes a very significant amount of money.”
<h2>Avoiding “website embarrassment”</h2>
A great UI/UX can significantly impact a website’s <a href="https://raoinformationtechnology.com/blog/importance-of-ui-ux-design-for-your-website/#:~:text=A%20high%2Dquality%20UI%2FUX,brand's%20offered%20items%20and%20services." target="_blank">trust and credibility</a>. That’s why leading brands invest significantly in design and usability testing, as well as enhancing accessibility to ensure digital equality.
Still, getting the digital gum off your shoes can prove daunting in a world littered with bad UX. Let’s say a consumer actually decides to proceed with a purchase on a poorly functioning website. It turns out that experience still gives them the “ick”– and they would rather forget about it.
According to Storyblok’s survey, 42% of Americans and 18% of Europeans revealed that on at least one occasion, they were too embarrassed to say where they purchased a product – all because the website was so poorly designed.
Maybe we call this… digital shame?
Kudos to Storyblok for uncovering this data point, which is both entertaining and alarming. All jokes aside, any company that might be the target of this shame isn’t just missing out on sales – it's damaging the reputation of its brand.
<h2>Leveraging headless CMS and composable commerce to improve website experiences</h2>
As talk elevates around a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/02/business/global-recession-fears-explained/index.html" target="_blank">looming economic recession</a>, online shopping continues to be the gem in an otherwise rusting crown of retail. Outlooks are still trending upward, with 23% of those surveyed anticipating more holiday purchases online this year. Meanwhile, 51% of respondents are planning to make the same number of online purchases as last year.
To meet the shifting demands of online consumers, Storyblok sees technology as a key activator for improving the digital experience in an omnichannel world. This is crystallized by the rise of composable commerce and the need to meet consumers anywhere, anytime, on any device or form factor.
“Additional functionality is still an important factor in attracting customers, but it’s critical to get the basics right first,” said Angerer. “For example, by investing in a headless, composable commerce tech infrastructure, companies can set the foundation for a great, fast-performing user experience.” 
<h2>Shopping in a metaverse marketplace</h2>
<a href="https://www.solodev.com/metaverse/" target="_blank">The metaverse</a> has become all the rage in 2022, with leading brands investing heavily in AR/VR strategies – particularly when it comes to e-commerce. According to Storyblok’s survey, transactions in virtual and augmented reality environments might be gathering more attention.
In fact, 42% of respondents said they would be encouraged to make more purchases with an AR or VR experience. Surprisingly, that percentage rose to a whopping 57% when filtered to the U.S. market. That’s big news for retailers who are struggling to find new opportunities for growth.
The results of this study echo what we’ve heard over and over for years: consumers don’t just want products. They want experiences – and giving them what they want isn’t as hard as it might seem. New features aside, brands that provide a great UX with an easy-to-use, easy-to-navigate website and an abundance of payment options will make it hard for shoppers to say no, even if the storefront is in a virtual world. 
If e-commerce sites can KISS (keep it simple, stupid) and make up with shoppers, they’ll likely feel less “ick” at the bottom line. And investing in quality design and the right technology stack – including <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">composable, MACH-ready solutions</a> – can help keep the gum off everyone’s shoes.
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok is a headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform. Developers create flexible components that are independently managed by content teams through a collaborative visual editor and customizable workflow. Published content is delivered through an API, so changes are made once and will appear everywhere: websites, mobile, IoT, the metaverse, and beyond. This approach reduces maintenance and makes content management more efficient. Leading brands such as Adidas, Renault, and Marc O’Polo use Storyblok to manage and share their content with the world. Storyblok was named the #1 CMS for 2022 by G2.
 
<a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff23/program" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/12/cms-kickoff-2023-banner-1024x151.jpg" alt="CMS Kickoff 2023 banner" /></a>
<h2>Join CMS Industry Leaders, Digital Agencies, and Users at CMS Kickoff 2023</h2>
January 17-18 in St. Petersburg, FL
Don't miss the only conference tailored for everyone working with content management systems, from beginners to experts! Featuring two packed days with a carefully curated mixture of talks, workshops, activities, world-class facilitators, thought provokers, speakers, and session leads. Mingle with CMS experts, system integrators, and users from around the globe at this exclusive event in beautiful St. Petersburg. 
Register today at the <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff23/program" target="_blank">CMS Kickoff 2023 website</a>.

Storyblok Study Reveals Poor Website Performance Costs E-Commerce Companies Billions

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The "Muskavation" of <a href="https://twitter.com/cmscritic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> continues, and the social media giant's newly anointed King is forcing many tech companies to reassess their remote work strategies.
Could this mean the end of <a href="https://zoom.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zoom</a> calls in pajamas and board meetings interrupted by cats?
And who, exactly, is resuming their commute back to the office?
While the remote work phenomenon might be in the rearview for many employees, it seems that developers will continue to drive the trend – and even shape its future. This is according to a recent survey published by <a href="https://www.netlify.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netlify</a>, a buzzworthy platform that's powering modern web development.
The company announced the findings last week from its third annual <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3700082-1&amp;h=3410126094&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fjamstack.org%2Fsurvey%2F2022%2F&amp;a=%C2%A0Jamstack+Community+Survey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jamstack Community Survey</a>, the definitive pulse on global trends across the Jamstack web developer ecosystem. An acronym for Javascript, APIs, and Microservices (the "JAM"), <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-jamstack-static-site-generators-for-2021/">Jamstack</a> is an architectural model that decouples the web experience layer from the data and business logic – improving the flexibility, scalability, performance, and maintainability of modern apps. 
"The Jamstack Community Survey is created by the community, for the community," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathias-biilmann-christensen-a5a3805/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Biilmann</a>, co-founder and CEO of Netlify. "The findings will not only help developers learn from their peers but also help business leaders better understand how developers can be change makers within their organizations. They can learn about what tools and processes they need to be most impactful."
Along with prognosticating the future of remote work, the survey also revealed interesting data from developers about Web3, the growth of serverless and edge computing, and where content management systems fit in the mix.
<h2>For developers, remote work isn't going away </h2>
As Covid-19 lockdowns become a footnote in recent history, the impact of remote work is undeniable. In the last two years, it has cemented itself as "the new normal." 83% of developers claim to be working more than half the time remotely, while 76% say they've maintained or increased their frequency of working remotely in the last year.
What's clear in the survey results is that remote has become the preferred way of working for developers. In fact, 87% say they enjoy remote work – and an astounding 55% said they would quit their jobs if forced to return to an office. Someone should send Musk the memo. 
According to the survey, 33% of respondents have already changed jobs in the last year, increasing the likelihood that developers will not hesitate to "job-hop" if they need to. It's worth noting that remote work flexibility and career growth opportunities were the most frequently cited reasons for leaving a job, followed by compensation.
Clearly, developers value freedom a little more than finances. At least right now. 
<h2>Web3 hope... or hype?</h2>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Web3</a> has captured the tech zeitgeist throughout 2022, with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/bitcoin-responds-to-ftx-contagion-by-heading-for-a-weekly-gain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bitcoin</a> starting the year at around $50,000 to the beleaguered <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/15/ftx-says-could-have-over-1-million-creditors-in-new-bankruptcy-filing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FTX exchange just declaring bankruptcy</a>. 
While the concept of a new web composed of decentralized blockchains (DeFi) is intriguing, Web3 has also been the target of mistrust and skepticism. According to the survey, 7% to 10% of developers have tried technologies like cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but only 3% report using them regularly.
To help gauge the hope and the hype for the future, Netlify also asked developers to share their general attitudes toward Web3. The findings were mixed: 42% of developers either don't know what Web3 is (or don't care), while 31% had negative feelings about it.
Bottom line: the survey shows that Web3 is still a long way from mass adoption, and developers continue to be slow and cautious about embracing it. 
<h2>Building better web experiences with serverless and edge </h2>
Jamstack is continuing to evolve the modern web by helping developers build more dynamic websites. Developers are relying on cutting-edge cloud technologies to achieve this, including <a href="https://goserverless.solodev.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serverless computing</a>.
To that end, Netlify's 2022 Jamstack report found that serverless is now officially mainstream: 70% of developers report using it, up from 46% last year – a jaw-dropping adoption rate. Meanwhile, some 47% of developers are experimenting with edge dynamic sites, a sign of the continued innovation happening at the network edge.
Serverless technology is enabling Jamstack websites to grow their capabilities while maintaining the simplicity of development and deployment that is the hallmark of the platform.
<h2>Web frameworks and programming languages </h2>
To build dynamic web apps, developers require flexibility. They want to choose whichever web framework best suits their needs, and they now have plenty to choose from.
Among the landscape of options, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/uxpin-merge-review-sync-react-components-with-prototypes/">React</a> continues to be the overwhelming favorite, with 71% of developers reporting they build with it – 3% more than last year.
Riding React's popularity is <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-jamstack-static-site-generators-for-2021/">Next.js</a>, which uses React and is the overall most popular web framework. In fact, 1 in 2 developers (47%) say they have built sites using Next.js in the last year. However, competition remains strong: newer entrants like Astro (11%) and SolidJS (6%) have had promising starts, and Remix (10%) and Sveltekit (15%) have grown steadily year over year. Vite saw an 18% increase since 2021, with a third (32%) of developers using it.
"We're thrilled that a third of the Jamstack community is embracing Vite as they build for the modern web," said Matias Capeletto (aka Patak), from the Vite Core Team. "Vite's usage more than doubled in a year, thanks to being adopted by many modern app frameworks and web tools. The pace of innovation continues to accelerate. Vite's Rollup-based Plugin API allows the ecosystem to share solutions and collaborate in ways we haven't seen before."
Regarding programming language preferences, the great <a href="https://www.typescriptlang.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TypeScript</a> migration continues, with usage growing 110% in the last two years. 21% of developers now call TypeScript their primary programming language, while the number of developers who say the same about JavaScript has dropped from 63% to 53% in the same timeframe. However, JavaScript isn't going anywhere soon: 96% of developers say they use it, even if it isn't their primary choice.
<h2>The CMS of choice is still WordPress, but... </h2>
In the world of Content Management Systems (CMS), things continue to evolve. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wordpress-keeps-classical-editor-alive-acquires-frontity-to-expand-headless-capabilities/">WordPress</a> is still by far the biggest winner, with 37% of devs saying they use it – even though their reported satisfaction with it is lower than many alternatives.
Interestingly, WordPress as a stand-alone CMS is losing share. At the same time, 22% of respondents said that they're using WordPress as a headless API to power a Jamstack website – and that number is growing.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/storybloks-cms-report-shows-enterprises-are-still-scared-of-omnichannel-content-experiences/">Storyblok</a>, a newcomer to the survey, reached 9% usage amongst respondents, a strong showing for the up-and-coming <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a>. 
"More and more developers realize the potential of headless architecture in building and deploying better web experiences," said Dominik Angerer, CEO and founder of Storyblok. "At the same time, we believe that the content team utilizing the power of Jamstack with a headless CMS like Storyblok gets the content tools they need and love for creating great experiences on the frontend."
To explore the findings in more detail, you can view the <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3700082-1&amp;h=4098052836&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fjamstack.org%2Fsurvey%2F2022%2F&amp;a=full+methodology+of+the+survey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">full methodology of the survey</a>.
<h2 class="wcag-arialevel-3">About Netlify</h2>
Netlify is the platform your developers love for building highly-performant and dynamic websites, e-commerce stores and web apps. By uniting an extensive ecosystem of technologies, services and APIs into one workflow, Netlify unlocks new levels of team productivity, while saving time and money. As pioneers of the Jamstack movement, Netlify brings together all modern web frameworks, serverless functions and edge computing into one platform to deliver unmatched user experiences. Millions of developers and businesses build with Netlify, from Fortune 500 companies like Unilever and Verizon to companies changing our digital experiences like Peloton and Twilio. Get started for free at <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3700082-1&amp;h=2291442546&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.netlify.com%2F&amp;a=netlify.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">netlify.com</a>.

Netlify Publishes Jamstack Community Survey, Shows Developers are Driving the Future of Remote Work

Image of the Netlify logo with the icon and text against a dark blue background.

<a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a>, a content management system (CMS) category leader for 2022 that empowers developers and content teams to create better content experiences across all digital channels, just announced its expansion into the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region.
In its press release, the company noted that across APAC, brands such as Pizza Hut Australia, FC Sydney, Liberty Finance Australia, Vicinity Centres, Treasury Wine Estates, Crimson Education, Octopus Deploy, and Akasa Air already use Storyblok as the content engine for their digital experiences. 
In recognition of the massive growth potential throughout APAC, Storyblok has hired <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgpaterson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marcus Paterson</a> as its APAC Sales Manager. Marcus has held leadership roles at National Australia Bank, Fuji Xerox, and Leidos Australia. Now based in Thailand, Paterson will support customers across the region and while being tasked with growing a sales team and related support roles.
“After working throughout APAC for over 20 years, I’ve come to understand the unique challenges that companies face in this part of the world,” said Paterson. “Agile and secure content management continues to be something that all sorts of businesses struggle with. With Storyblok, your marketing and content teams have a future-proof CMS that enhances content experiences at any scale.”
<h2>Surveying APAC professionals about CMS</h2>
To understand more about content management in APAC, Storyblok surveyed 301 professionals who use a CMS in both Australia and Singapore. The survey revealed the following key insights:
<ul>
<li>Only 13% of APAC companies are happy with their monolithic CMSs</li>
<li>46% are considering moving to a headless CMS</li>
<li>The CMS features that are most important: #1 Security, #2 Website speed, #3 Easy to use for content creators</li>
<li>61% are worried about the security of their CMS</li>
<li>67% use 2 or more CMSs</li>
<li>68% deliver content in more than one language</li>
<li>12% are using their CMS to deliver content in virtual reality, and 9% in augmented reality</li>
</ul>
“Based on our great success so far in APAC, we knew now was the right time to invest more heavily in the region,” said Sascha Ploebst, VP of Sales at Storyblok. “The data shows us that local companies are ready to move to headless CMS solutions to improve their digital storytelling.”
“Our expansion into APAC is an important milestone in the global growth of Storyblok,” said Dominik Angerer, Co-Founder and CEO of Storyblok. “Audiences all over the world demand better content experiences that traditional CMS platforms were never built for. Storyblok already offers a cloud-native CMS to manage all content in one place with data centers in the US, Europe, and a dedicated instance in China. I’m also proud to announce that we are planning to offer a locally hosted option in Australia soon for organizations that need this.”
To see the full survey results, you can download The State of Content Management in APAC report: <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-cms-apac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-cms-apac</a>
<h2 style="font-weight:400">About Storyblok 
</h2>
Storyblok, a content management system (CMS) category leader for 2022, empowers both developers and content teams to create better content experiences across any digital channel. Storyblok enhances audience experiences with best-in-breed performance, security, optimized omnichannel storytelling, and robust personalization. Storyblok enables content teams to create and manage content intuitively and independently with drag-and-drop visual editing, custom collaboration workflows, and a world-class digital asset manager – and empowers developers to build anything, integrate with everything, and publish everywhere with Storyblok’s headless CMS architecture.

Storyblok Expands to APAC to Transform Digital Storytelling Across Region

<a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a>, a leading headless content management system (CMS), is back with another interesting study – this time, releasing its findings from a new survey of 208 retail and e-commerce professionals who directly manage enterprise CMS systems. 
The survey, released today, reveals the results of the latest digital retail trends happening around the Metaverse, CMS proliferation, and increasing website security attacks.
<h2>Content Management Systems Gone Wild</h2>
By now, we know that consumers use a combination of devices, platforms, and channels to access digital experiences – and the buyer's journey is becoming more non-linear. While mobile will likely continue to be a key orchestrator, brands are still motivated to understand these diverse channels so they can connect with audiences whenever, wherever, and however they choose. According to Storyblok's <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/storybloks-cms-report-shows-enterprises-are-still-scared-of-omnichannel-content-experiences/">previous research</a>, enterprises are still scared of investing in omnichannel experiences.
And yet...
Retailers' customer touchpoints have gone omnichannel, and the number of CMS systems deployed by enterprises is broadening as a result. 76 percent of enterprises surveyed have already deployed more than one CMS, and just over 10 percent have deployed five or more CMSs. Gone are the days when one monolithic CMS could handle it all. 
"Because of the increasing variety of channels that customers now use to interact with brands, retailers are having trouble delivering the experience that customers expect," said Dominik Angerer, CEO &amp; Co-founder of Storyblok. "Managing multiple CMSs adds another layer of management burden. Moving to a headless CMS architecture can help streamline channel management by replacing custom integrations with standard APIs." 
<h2>Metaverse E-commerce Experiences Are Increasing</h2>
While many brands are still discussing what the Metaverse even is, retailers and e-commerce companies are already taking action. 
Slightly more than 20 percent of retailers and e-commerce companies are already extending their CMS to display content into Metaverse environments to showcase their branded images and products. 
Enterprises are reporting that their CMS currently delivers content into alternative digital channels, including: 
<ul>
<li>16 percent into Virtual Reality environments </li>
<li>11 percent into Augmented Reality</li>
<li>17 percent to Smart Speakers</li>
</ul>
"These survey findings speak to the curiosity among consumers to try out interesting new digital environments, and the need for retailers and e-commerce sites to keep pace," said Thomas Peham, Storyblok's Vice President of Marketing. "A headless CMS architecture is by far the easiest way to deploy content to new channels as quickly as they arise, via simple APIs."
<h2>Cyber Hackers Find New Attack Vector</h2>
Malicious cyber attacks on retail enterprises have found a new point of entry: the Content Management System (CMS). 1 in 5 enterprises surveyed (20.6 percent) are seeing an increased number of attacks coming in via their CMS.
"As websites become more vital to business operations and host a wider variety of digital asset types, web-based attacks become critical vectors, and securing the CMS is now essential," said Sebastian Gierlinger, VP of Engineering at Storyblok. "In response to these risks, modern CMS architectures are often 'headless,' meaning that the back-end repository is not directly coupled to the front-end presentation layer, so if one end is attacked, the other end is not also compromised." 
Enterprises should also be verifying that their current CMS platform is certified to the latest ISO 27001 Information Security Management standard. In addition, the APIs used by the CMS platform should be protected with a <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/tls-1-2-to-become-the-minimum-for-all-aws-fips-endpoints/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TLS v1.2 (or higher)</a> encryption protocol. 
<h2>Survey Methodology </h2>
The findings above are from a survey of 781 US-based retail and e-commerce-related enterprises fielded on SurveyMonkey during August 2022, of which 208 respondents were further qualified as directly managing or working closely with the website Content Management System (CMS) at their company. The results cited in this document are based on the 208 qualified respondents and have a margin of error of +/-6% at a 90 percent confidence level. 
Additional results from the survey can be requested by contacting <a href="mailto:rich.mullikin@rocketscience.com">rich.mullikin@rocketscience.com</a>. 
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok, the content management system (CMS) category leader for 2022, empowers both developers and content teams to create better content experiences across any digital channel. Storyblok enhances audience experiences with best-in-breed performance, optimized omnichannel storytelling, and robust personalization. Enable content teams to create and manage content intuitively and independently with drag-and-drop visual editing, custom collaboration workflows, and a world-class digital asset manager. Empower developers to build anything, integrate with everything, and publish everywhere with Storyblok's headless CMS architecture. Leading brands such as Adidas, T-Mobile, Harvard Business School, Renault, and Marc O'Polo use Storyblok to shape their digital storytelling. See why Storyblok was named the #1 CMS for 2022 by G2 at <a href="http://www.storyblok.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.storyblok.com</a> and follow Storyblok on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>.

Storyblok Releases Results from Survey of US Retail Professionals; Reveals Trends in Headless CMS, Metaverse & VR E-commerce, and Website Security Attacks

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<a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a>, a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/headless/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headless</a> content management system (CMS) that empowers both developers and content teams to create better content experiences across all digital channels, announced the launch of its all-new CMS. <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/mp/v2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok V2</a> includes a fresh user interface complete with an all-new design experience, collaboration tools, and an enhanced digital asset manager designed to improve content workflows.
"We've been fortunate to have a front-row view inside the content operations of some of the world's leading businesses," said Alexander Feiglstorfer, Co-Founder and CTO of Storyblok. "We built V2 because companies need flexibility and smarter workflows to adapt and scale to support the ever-increasing complexity of omnichannel digital experiences. After testing it in beta with our 82k+ users over the past year and listening to their feedback, we're finally ready to show even more companies what content management should be like in the 21st century."
<h2>What is New in V2?</h2>
 Storyblok's V2 brings an all-new visual editor with a new UI and navigation buttons to make content creation easier.
V2 includes updates such as a renewed digital asset manager, a new in-engine image editor that removes the hassle of using different tools to edit images, and an improved Blocks Library. 
With V2, you can find your blocks straight from the visual editor. That means you can edit and create components directly in this area. They've also streamlined how you work with your teams with the new Discussions feature, which helps you collaborate directly within the CMS.
<h2>Delivering Scalable Digital Experiences with a Composable CMS</h2>
Storyblok's <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-content-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The State of Content Management 2022</a> report revealed that 47.96% of businesses use 2 to 3 CMSs, and 47.08% said 2 to 3 different teams use those CMSs. Storyblok's robust headless CMS architecture enables developers to build anything, publish everywhere, and integrate with any technology stack. Content teams are empowered to create independently with a visual editing experience, Google Docs-style collaboration suite, composable components, presets, and powerful publishing workflows. 
V2 also introduces support for a US data center, providing Storyblok users with additional hosting options across the US and Europe. All of this results in a scalable digital experience for audiences that delivers fast performance, optimized omnichannel storytelling, and robust personalization and localization.
"We live in a world of connected channels and interfaces and expect modern digital experiences for every digital interaction. But most CMSs in use today were built at a time when there were only desktop web browsing experiences," said Dominik Angerer, Co-Founder, and CEO of Storyblok. "Many businesses fail at managing content across departments and are not capable of providing high performance, personalized experiences at scale. It's time for businesses to fix these challenges. Storyblok V2 is the content engine for any digital experience and helps businesses tell their stories on any channel."
A Forrester report called The Forrester Wave™: Agile Content Management Systems (CMSes), Q1 2021 said: "As organizations produce more experiences that leverage a common back end, the value of those services and assets increases relative to the cost to create them. Brands grapple with the challenge of delivering content to new endpoints (e.g., web, mobile, smart displays, voice assistants, and marketplaces), so it's important to manage content and experiences centrally to drive reuse. This makes updating and analyzing — and optimizing — experiences more efficient as well."
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok, the content management system (CMS) category leader for 2022, empowers both developers and content teams to create better content experiences across any digital channel. Storyblok enhances audience experiences with best-in-breed performance, optimized omnichannel storytelling, and robust personalization. Enable content teams to create and manage content intuitively and independently with drag and drop visual editing, custom collaboration workflows, and a world-class digital asset manager. Empower developers to build anything, integrate with everything, and publish everywhere with Storyblok's headless CMS architecture. Leading brands such as Adidas, T-Mobile, Harvard Business School, Renault, and Marc O'Polo use Storyblok to shape their digital storytelling.

Storyblok Launches New CMS Experience to Shape the Future of Digital Storytelling

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<a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a>, a headless content management system (CMS) that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform, just announced the launch of its $1.5M Partner Fund. 
This new initiative will enable Storyblok to support the growth and success of its agency partners and develop co-marketing activities. The goal: evangelize a best-of-breed, headless architecture as the foundation for agencies to create and scale better content experiences for their clients.
In its press release, Storyblok says that the money will be distributed to partners through multiple initiatives. This includes a $5K budget that every Storyblok Certified Partner can use to highlight its collaboration with Storyblok in any way they wish. This can encompass events, guerilla marketing, content development, ad campaigns, and more. 
On a fun note: from now until September 10th, Storyblok is also running a contest for Certified Partners to submit their most creative co-marketing ideas for the chance to double their dedicated budget to $10K.
<h2>Expanded benefits for Storyblok Certified Partners</h2>
In addition to the new Partner Fund, <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok Certified Partners</a> will receive benefits such as free development spaces with Storyblok’s CMS, revenue share, the ability to build custom apps, a dedicated success team, and much more.
“Partners played an important role in the growth of Storyblok during the past couple years,” said Barry D'Arcy, VP of Partners at Storyblok. “We appreciate the steps they took to help us get where we are today, and so we as a partner team and Storyblok as a whole would like to pay those good deeds forward to all of our partners, both old and new. The Partner Fund is one example of how we want to support our partners’ growth and boost their businesses with Storyblok. We all have stories to tell—let’s do it together.”
At CMS Critic, we've followed Storyblok's "storied" rise over the last few years as the company expanded its global footprint through partnership channels. This includes the development of a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/interview-headless-cms-storyblok-expands-partner-program-with-u-s-agency-campbell-ewald/">partner program with U.S. Agency Campbell Ewald</a> in 2021.
“We’ve seen so many great marketing initiatives around Storyblok that allowed our partners to grow,” said Thomas Peham, VP of Marketing at Storyblok. “With the $1.5M Partner Fund, we not only want to help our partners with a dedicated marketing budget, but also team up with them to tell more stories at scale while shaping the future of digital storytelling together.”
Get more details in the <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/partners/partner-playbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Partner Playbook</a>, and visit the <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Partner Program</a> page to learn how to become a Storyblok Certified Partner.
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok is a headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform. Developers create flexible components that are independently managed by content teams through a collaborative visual editor and customizable workflow. Published content is delivered through an API, so changes are made once and will appear everywhere: websites, mobile, IoT, the metaverse, and beyond. This approach reduces maintenance and makes content management more efficient. Leading brands such as Adidas, Renault, and Marc O’Polo use Storyblok to manage and share their content with the world. Storyblok was named the #1 CMS for 2022 by G2.
For more information, visit <a href="https://www.storyblok.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.storyblok.com</a> and follow Storyblok on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>.

Storyblok Launches $1.5M Partner Fund to Help Agencies Shape the Future of Digital Storytelling

With a name like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/storyblok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a>, we expect a good story.
That's exactly what we received yesterday when the headless CMS player <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/mp/storyblok-s-technology-ecosystem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the launch of its new <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/partners/technology-ecosystem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Technology Ecosystem</a> – a curated collection of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/mach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MACH</a>-ready technology solutions that can be integrated together with Storyblok as the central content hub. 
According to Alin Tanase, Technology Partner Manager at Storyblok, having a dedicated Technology Ecosystem was the "missing piece of the puzzle" in the company's growing partnership program. Building it from the ground up and relying on agency experience helped Storyblok see the gap and identify the potential. 
<h2>A MACH-driven technology ecosystem </h2>
The Storyblok Technology Ecosystem provides a ready-made set of integrations for e-commerce, localization, deployment and hosting, personalization, marketing, analytics, and more – allowing businesses to build successful digital experiences across channels with best-of-breed, composable technology. 
Launched in 2015, Storyblok has embraced the principles of MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud, and Headless) from day one. Having <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/mp/storyblok-joins-the-mach-alliance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined the MACH Alliance</a> last November, Storyblok believes the future belongs to marketplaces that are built with MACH in mind – and its new ecosystem reflects a continued commitment to the tenants of building scalable MACH architectures. 
The new Technology Ecosystem provides integrations for some of the biggest names in e-commerce, including <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BigCommerce</a>, <a href="https://www.netlify.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netlify</a>, <a href="https://cloudinary.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloudinary</a>, <a href="https://commercetools.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commercetools</a>, <a href="https://spryker.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spryker</a>, <a href="https://www.shopify.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shopify</a>, <a href="https://lokalise.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lokalise</a>, <a href="https://www.vuestorefront.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VueStorefront</a>, <a href="https://ninetailed.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ninetailed</a>, <a href="https://www.algolia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Algolia</a>, <a href="https://instantcommerce.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instant Commerce</a>, <a href="https://www.centra.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centra</a>, <a href="https://www.scayle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SCAYLE</a>, and <a href="https://vercel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vercel</a>. The library features add-ons and plug-ins to Storyblok's API-driven CMS to extend its functionality, increase its value, and deliver a best-of-breed, future-proof platform designed to fit any need. 
"We want to offer businesses a strong ecosystem of powerful API-led technologies to support the growth of their digital offerings," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrydarcy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barry D'Arcy</a>, VP of Partners at Storyblok. "Partnering with other best-in-class solutions allows us to co-innovate and deliver better digital outcomes." 
We had the chance to connect with D'Arcy last year, and he <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/interview-headless-cms-storyblok-expands-partner-program-with-u-s-agency-campbell-ewald/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared some of his views</a> on the CMS market and the value of being headless.
<h2>Powering the future with Jamstack and cloud technology partnerships</h2>
According to analyst firm <a href="https://www.forrester.com/bold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forrester</a>, the future of digital experiences lies in ecosystems. They recommend picking an ecosystem rather than just a single vendor, as innovation through such communities will help organizations gain speed, agility, and resilience.
Storyblok seems to be squarely focused on this vision. While the company provides a vendor-specific headless CMS platform, the development of a corresponding technology ecosystem will help expand the value of its technology across a composable channel of options – enabling users to build in multiple directions without the persistent challenge of monolithic vendor lock-in. 
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-jamstack-static-site-generators-for-2021/">Jamstack</a> will play a crucial role in the new technology ecosystem, which is evidenced by comments from Netlify – a key partner in this new initiative. "Jamstack is an approach to build for the web that has generated a large global community and movement over the past six years," said Sarfaraz Rydhan, Senior Director of Business Development at <a href="https://www.netlify.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netlify</a>. "Netlify is focused on bringing the modern web community together and enabling the benefits of Jamstack with our platform alongside partners and customers. We are delighted to be part of Storyblok's Technology Ecosystem to help empower our customers to build better digital experiences with the Jamstack."
Storyblok is also offering integrations with infrastructure players like Cloudinary to power the management of digital video and media assets. "Cloudinary firmly believes in establishing relationships with other software companies that share our belief in headless, API-first software and composable technology," said Gary Ballabio, VP of Technology Partnerships at <a href="https://cloudinary.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloudinary.</a> "Which is why we're so excited to be a part of the Storyblok Technology Ecosystem."
You can visit the <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/partners/technology-ecosystem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Technology Ecosystem</a> page to learn more and see the full list of partners.
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
<a href="http://Storyblok – an enterprise headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform – today announced the launch of its Technology Ecosystem. This new program is a curated collection of MACH-ready technology solutions that can be integrated together, with Storyblok as the central content hub. The Storkblok Ecosystem is a curated collection of tech solutions that can be integrated together, with Storyblok at the center. It’s a universe of endless technology possibilities. Some of the technology partners include BigCommerce, Netlify, Cloudinary, Commercetools, Spryker, Shopify, Lokalise, VueStorefront, Ninetailed, Algolia, Instant Commerce, Centra, SCAYLE and Vercel. “We want to offer businesses a strong ecosystem of powerful API-led technologies to support the growth of their digital offerings. Partnering with other best-in-class solutions allows us to co-innovate and deliver better digital outcomes.” said Barry D'Arcy, VP of Partners at Storyblok. &quot;Jamstack is an approach to build for the web that has generated a large global community and movement over the past six years,&quot; said Sarfaraz Rydhan, Senior Director of Business Development at Netlify. &quot;Netlify is focused on bringing the modern web community together and enabling the benefits of Jamstack with our platform alongside partners and customers. We are delighted to be part of Storyblok's Technology Ecosystem to help empower our customers to build better digital experiences with the Jamstack.&quot; &quot;Cloudinary firmly believes in establishing relationships with other software companies that share our belief in headless, API-first software and composable technology - which is why we're so excited to be a part of the Storyblok Technology Ecosystem,&quot; said Gary Ballabio, VP of Technology Partnerships at Cloudinary." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a> is an enterprise headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform. Developers create flexible components that are independently managed by content teams through a collaborative visual editor and customizable workflow. Published content is delivered through an API, so changes are made once and will appear everywhere: websites, mobile, IoT, the metaverse, and beyond. This approach reduces maintenance and makes content management more efficient. Leading brands such as Adidas, Pizza Hut, and Marc O'Polo use Storyblok to manage and share their content with the world. Storyblok was named the #1 CMS for 2022 by G2.
For more information, visit <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.storyblok.com</a> and follow Storyblok on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>.

Storyblok Launches New Technology Ecosystem Featuring MACH-Ready Solutions

Ask anyone at <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/aws-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member-reflects-growth-of-cloud-native-solutions/">AWS</a> about the importance of security, and they're likely to say it's  "job zero" – and for good reason.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that cybersecurity threats and data breaches are on the rise, reaching epic proportions last year. According to <a href="https://www.sonicwall.com/news/sonicwall-the-year-of-ransomware-continues-with-unprecedented-late-summer-surge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SonicWall,</a> a leading security provider, there were nearly 500 million ransomware attacks through September 2021, with a staggering 1,748 attempted attacks per organization.
That's equivalent to a single business receiving 9.7 ransomware attempts every day. Yikes.
While many software platforms have embraced security standards in an effort to validate their trust, not all content management systems (CMS) have invested in these credentials. However, as more CMS platforms move to SaaS delivery and enterprise self-service, security is becoming a more pressing issue than ever before.
While new benchmarks for security compliance continue to emerge, the International Organization for Standardization – <a href="https://www.iso.org/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also known as ISO</a> – has long been an institution for normalizing critical business practices and product requirements. Along with providing a heightened degree of technical governance around key information security requirements, ISO's 27001 certification might offer a new model for CMS platforms to project a more secure posture across global markets.
To that end, <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a> – an enterprise headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform – recently announced that it had received <a href="https://www.certipedia.com/quality_marks/9000020037?locale=en&amp;certificate_number=01+153+2100668" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISO 27001 certification</a> from TÜV Rheinland, an independent third party. This critical certification verifies that all of Storyblok’s products, operations, support processes, and data storage protocols meet the highest international security standards when it comes to managing information security. 
To understand more about how users view their CMS security, Storyblok surveyed 530 professionals who personally use a CMS in the United States, UK, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. We had a chance to chat with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgierlinger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sebastian Gierlinger</a>, VP of Engineering at Storyblok, about the data they received from the survey – as well as some of his insights on the headless CMS market. You can read our Q&amp;A below. 
<h2>Understanding the perception of security for CMS users</h2>
If you don't already know from personal experience (and we hope you don't), security problems can be very expensive for enterprises – and in some cases, even sink a business. 
In a report called <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/The-Four-Tenets-Of-SaaS-Application-Security-And-Protection/RES165119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Four Tenets Of SaaS Application Security And Protection</a>, analyst firm Forrester said: “Losing data in a SaaS application because of insufficient data protection is every CISO’s and compliance officer’s nightmare. Mitigation costs can exceed $3 million to $3.5 million per incident — and that’s a conservative estimate.”
Once again, we'll insert a yikes for dramatic purposes. 
Storyblok conducted its survey to better understand the collective psyche of CMS users as it relates to security. The results were quite revealing and reflect the elevated concern felt across software markets. Here are a few of the most telling data points gleaned from respondents:
<ul>
<li>64.3% worry about the security of their CMS</li>
<li>80% said security is extremely important or very important to them when choosing a CMS</li>
<li>More than half (55.5%) said their CMS has new security issues on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis</li>
<li>46.4% had a CMS security issue affect their content</li>
<li>21.7% conduct security updates 5-9 times per month</li>
</ul>
<h2>The rise of headless and the impact on CMS security</h2>
There's no question that <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless</a> has been powering the energy in the CMS market for the last few years. More businesses are making the move from traditional monolithic platforms to decoupled systems that provide greater agility with API-first architectures. This has been reflected in the rapid rise of composable solutions and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">MACH</a> (Microservices, APIs, Cloud-first SaaS, Headless) architectures – and the proliferation of the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">MACH Alliance</a>. 
There are many advantages to using a headless CMS. While they don't provide the same backend rendering capabilities as a traditional CMS, they do offer more flexibility, scalability, and ease of use. But there's also one key advantage of headless that is often overlooked: security. By maintaining a separated frontend and backend, a headless architecture is much less susceptible to security threats like distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
To learn more about Storyblok’s commitment to the highest standards of security, visit its <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/trust-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trust Center.</a>
<h2>Q&amp;A with Sebastian Gierlinger, VP of Engineering at Storyblok</h2>
CMS Critic had an opportunity to connect recently with Sebastian Gierlinger. He shared some of his views on the headless CMS market, particularly around security, as well as the rise of MACH. 
As Gierlinger noted in the company's press release, “Traditional CMSs have a bad reputation for the security headaches they cause, and for a good reason. Getting the ISO 27001 certification was especially important to us because it ensures that any enterprise using Storyblok to share their content with the world is doing so on the most secure, enterprise-grade headless CMS available on the market.”
<hr />
CMS Critic (CC): Where are the top security advantages with a headless CMS versus traditional?
Sebastian Gierlinger (SG): Generally speaking, Headless CMS reduces the exposure of infrastructure that’s front-facing. This reduces the surface of potential attacks. In addition, the hosting infrastructure of a Headless CMS is less complex compared to a traditional CMS.
<hr />
CC: The headless CMS market is growing, but so too are the platform options. How important is the ISO certification to differentiating across an expanding field of competitive players?
SG: Security is a major concern for many enterprises, and the ISO certification of Storyblok recognized that all our products, operations, support processes, and data storage protocols meet the highest standards. Customers do expect best-in-class security, and we believe that Storyblok’s ISO certification provides more proof that we deeply care about the modern enterprise tech stack and making it as secure as possible.
<hr />
CC: How is infrastructure (ie, Cloud) playing into the overall security posture for CMS users – particularly with headless?
SG: A headless CMS is built on top of a best-of-breed approach that sits on cloud infrastructure solutions. While on-premise hosting has been the default situation up until recently (a few years ago), we would argue that cloud infrastructure tends to be more secure as it comes with security resources, 24/7 support, and uptime guarantees. With those things in place, there’s hardly anything that could really go wrong. Sure, cloud infrastructure isn’t 100% safe from security attacks or other issues; however, the likelihood of an AWS outage tends to be much smaller than that of an on-premise infrastructure managed by you and your team.
<hr />
CC: How specifically is the ISO certification reinforcing trust for Storyblok? Are there specific tenants of the ISO standards that were challenging to meet – but now provide heightened security that other platforms aren’t able to meet?
SG: During the ISO certification process, we did not apply for any exemptions in the statement of applicability (SoA) and met all specific requirements right away. 
We are really proud that the ISO certification covers the entire operation, maintenance, and development of Storyblok’s CMS and all related services. In order to fulfill those requirements, we had to make sure that Storyblok establishes secure processes and standards in all departments across the organization.
<hr />
CC: On the same topic: how is the ISO certification supporting Storyblok’s global growth strategy? Do you foresee this as an opportunity to grow your customer base in other markets where the ISO certification is preferred or even required?
SG: We do see existing and potential customers in all regions requesting security standards that are now being met with the ISO 27001 certification. Also, leading analyst firms reassured us that ISO 27001 certification is a top priority amongst many enterprises. Other security certifications can be mapped and fulfilled with ISO 27001.
Overall, ISO 27001 is definitely an important requirement in many European countries; however, we also see US-based companies requesting this certification.
<hr />
CC: As of late, there’s been increased attention around MACH. We see that you are a member of the MACH Alliance – can you talk about the importance of being an open, best-of-breed technology in this ecosystem? Is this proving to be a differentiator?
SG: The MACH principles provide an innovative solution for creating and launching the modern enterprise tech architecture and building new experiences quickly and efficiently. Additionally, as the MACH principles adhere to the best-of-breed approach, organizations can easily add and replace tools as needed, unlike in monolithic structures.
Due to working with structured or atomic content, the way in which content moves within its ecosystem has been radically transformed. 
Content creators are now decoupled from developers due to CMS platforms, giving them the freedom to power on without leaning on developers for minuscule changes or edits. Simply put, the way we work has evolved along with our technology.
Overall, we believe that the MACH principles are becoming the standard way that the modern enterprise stack should look like. And with the MACH Alliance, we've found a group that tells this story on a global scale.
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok is an enterprise headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform. Developers create flexible components that are independently managed by content teams through a collaborative visual editor and customizable workflow. Published content is delivered through an API, so changes are made once and will appear everywhere: websites, mobile, IoT, the metaverse, and beyond. This approach reduces maintenance and makes content management more efficient. Leading brands such as Adidas, Pizza Hut, and Marc O’Polo use Storyblok to manage and share their content with the world. Storyblok was named the #1 CMS for 2022 by G2.
For more information, visit <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.storyblok.com</a> and follow Storyblok on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>.

Storyblok Earns ISO 27001 Certification for Secure, Enterprise-grade Headless CMS: Q&A with Sebastian Gierlinger

Storyblock featured image of ISO 27001 logo with Storyblok logo icon and headshot of Sebastian Gierlinger

We've all heard Blue Oyster Cult's iconic rock mantra, "Don't Fear the Reaper."
But what about "Don't Fear the Omnichannel"?
(Before we proceed any further: if you're not familiar with Blue Oyster Cult – or their megahit – we strongly recommend <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVsQLlk-T0s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will Farrell's interpretation</a> with more cowbell...)
Classic rock references aside, it seems that most enterprises are still trepidatious about investing in omnichannel content experiences, particularly when it comes to connecting with more advanced endpoints like IoT (<a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-the-internet-of-things-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-iot-right-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internet of Things</a>) devices. Despite the magnetic allure of distributing content to these diverse and engaging channels, it seems that many large brands and organizations are remaining on the digital sidelines, holding back their expansion.
This was codified by a compelling study conducted by <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storyblok</a>, an enterprise <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a> that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform. The report, entitled <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/state-of-content-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The State of Content Management 2022,</a> analyzed survey results from professionals across a wide range of industries in the United States, UK, Germany, and Sweden – focusing on how they manage content in their organizations.
The results? Well, let's just say that the Reaper was in full force: according to Storyblok's research, the percentage of enterprises interested in delivering content to IoT devices like voice-activated speakers, AR/VR, and smartwatches is in the single digits.
Shocker? Well, maybe not.
<h2>Why the slow growth for omnichannel content experiences?</h2>
Despite widespread claims that many companies have been pursuing advanced omnichannel content strategies, the data in Stoyblok's report shows that most enterprises are taking a cautious approach and continuing to focus on websites and mobile apps. 
Is this fear? Perhaps – in part. More of the current attitude may be a result of the overall market opportunity and how consumers behave with these different devices. There's certainly been significant adoption of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home, but only <a href="https://martech.org/roughly-1-in-4-u-s-adults-now-owns-a-smart-speaker-according-to-new-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25% of U.S. adults own one</a> – and according to Pew, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/01/09/about-one-in-five-americans-use-a-smart-watch-or-fitness-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only one in five people</a> own a smartwatch. 
Sure, that's still a lot. But when the majority of the market is engaging with experiences on websites and mobile apps – and nearly <a href="https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world#:~:text=According%20to%20Statista%2C%20the%20current,world's%20population%20owns%20a%20smartphone." target="_blank" rel="noopener">85% of people worldwide own a smartphone</a> – that might be why some enterprises are still dragging their feet. 
Furthermore, it seems that a lack of understanding of how a headless CMS can unlock these channels is contributing to the slow growth. Enterprises may not realize the true technical requirements and content operations needed to power these strategies, and it's clear that many are unaware of the tools available in a headless CMS for managing omnichannel content experiences.
 “This data proves that enterprise adoption of newer content platforms has a long way to go, but we’re still in the early days of advanced digital transformation projects,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikangerer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dominik Angerer</a>, Co-Founder, and CEO of Storyblok. “Once more companies understand how a headless CMS makes it possible for one content hub to easily publish content everywhere, the growth of omnichannel content experiences will accelerate at a much more rapid pace.”
We had a chance to ask Angerer a few questions about Storyblok's report, the future of headless and commerce, and the growing prevalence of MACH in the marketplace. In fact, a big part of how Storyblok and other headless CMS platforms are evolving the space is by delivering MACH-based solutions that are composable and highly extensible.
MACH stands for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless – all attributes that modern headless CMSes are furiously embracing. As part of its market commitment, Storyblok <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/mp/storyblok-joins-the-mach-alliance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined the MACH Alliance</a> last November, entering the velvet-roped VIP room for platforms that fully exhibit the MACH principles.
<h2>Understanding the role of headless CMS in the omnichannel ecosystem</h2>
By now, we know that consumers use a combination of devices, platforms, and channels to access digital experiences – and the buyer's journey is becoming more non-linear. While mobile will likely continue to be a key orchestrator, brands are still motivated to understand these diverse channels so they can connect with audiences whenever, wherever, and however they choose. 
Clearly, the role of the headless CMS in this expanding ecosystem is critical, and Stoyblok's research takes a keen interest in uncovering how enterprises are using their content management systems to make connections in new places – particularly across the IoT. According to the report, when asked which platforms and channels they serve with their CMS, 7.2% of respondents said voice-activated speakers, 6.6% said AR/VR and only 3.7% said smartwatches. Again, these figures appear much lower than the market zeitgeist might reflect.
That said, the enthusiasm to ride the omnichannel wave is pervasive. When asked which platforms and channels they plan to serve with their CMS in the future, 9.6% said voice-activated speakers, 6.5% said AR/VR, and 5.1% said smartwatches.
Some other noteworthy metrics gathered from respondents include:
<ul>
<li>47.96% use 2 to 3 CMSes in their organization</li>
<li>47.08% have 2 to 3 different teams use the CMS in their organization</li>
<li>35.5% said time-consuming processes were a pain point that made them move to a CMS</li>
<li>34.91% use a headless CMS</li>
<li>82.91% have seen improvements in ROI, budget, and performance since switching to a headless CMS</li>
</ul>
<h2>The rapid rise of headless commerce</h2>
While the investment in omnichannel content experiences has been slower than expected (blame the Reaper), what might accelerate its continued growth is <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-headless-commerce-platforms/">headless commerce</a>. Buyers are browsing in multiple places, and brands need to be prepared at every endpoint to engage them along their journey. Decoupling the frontend means any endpoint becomes a part of a company's digital shopping ecosystem; it also means that they won't have to re-platform from a tightly-coupled monolithic solution that limits any API-first scalability (more of the MACH action). 
One of the other big advantages of a headless commerce strategy is having an agile framework for e-commerce – giving brands the ability to test, experiment, and optimize based on different audiences. It also gives sellers the freedom to customize their various channels, from websites to apps, without impacting the backend. These experiences can be powered by a single headless commerce system, or connected to a CMS that powers the core of the omnichannel strategy. It's these capabilities that make the case for composable platforms. 
<h2>Q&amp;A with Dominik Angerer</h2>
CMS Critic had an opportunity to connect with the co-founder and CEO of Storyblok. He shared some of his views on headless commerce, MACH architecture, and where Storyblok sees its competitive strength.
<hr />
CMS Critic (CC): Based on your data, eCommerce is the third largest area served by a CMS. In your opinion, how is the rise of headless commerce impacting the trend?
Dominik Angerer (DA): The rise of headless commerce is the natural reaction of an architecture that proved itself in the CMS space to be faster to implement and easier to extend and combine. With the adoption of headless commerce now we will see an increased acceleration of the adoption of headless CMS and other API-first tools related to commerce. The education efforts for new and existing players will be less as the understanding of benefits (speed, security, ROI) is already a given. 
<hr />
CC: How do you see the increased awareness of MACH principles and composable systems impacting the future?
DA: The MACH principles are here to stay. Businesses using a composable, best-of-breed approach usually tend to perform better by creating faster, more streamlined user experiences for their clients across platforms and channels. This is because a composable architecture gives all stakeholders the best tool at hand for a respective job while allowing those systems to be well connected through an API-first approach. I believe that composable systems must provide a great developer experience and a great editor experience, as this naturally results in a better UX on the frontends.
<hr />
CC: In question 11, we see a huge shift in the measurable impact of switching to headless, a little over 82%. That said, what do you think the 17% of respondents have issues with? Where is there room for improvement? Did you inquire about this?
DA: The fact that 82% of businesses saw an immediate improvement after making the switch to a headless CMS is very exciting. Given our experience with 100,000+ projects running on Storyblok, a couple challenges the remaining percentage could have involve the following:
<ul>
<li>Education: In most cases, businesses making the switch to a headless architecture do not have previous experience with this approach. This usually brings a learning curve for everyone involved in this process.</li>
<li>Migration &amp; Enablement: Changing CMSs usually requires the development of a migration path from the old system to the new system. Storyblok does offer ways to migrate data to your new Headless CMS (see <a href="https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/07/wordpress-headless-cms-storyblok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">example tutorial here</a>); however, migrating data, content models, etc., can be a unique challenge depending on your previous setup and systems. </li>
</ul>
While we see those challenges, we also see examples where businesses saw a massive decrease in the hidden costs of a CMS when switching to headless (think of training, maintenance, hosting, and so on).
<hr />
CC: With the largest growth among headless CMS platforms, where do headless vendors see the growth opportunities? How will they differentiate over time?
DA: We will see a split based on the groups working with the CMS. Some will dedicate more time and resources into the pure developer angle and will go the route to become more of a database with API (“content platform”), others will focus on the collaboration between the marketers and trying to enable them even more with previews, automation, content planning, and become closer to a DXP.
<hr />
CC: More specifically: where does Storyblok see its competitive strength? Where does it best compete when buyers are evaluating CMS solutions?
DA: We believe that Storyblok is the only Headless CMS for enterprises that provides the best developer experience as well as the best editor experience. Because of that, organizations such as Adidas, Marc O’Polo, and Greggs are able to build better performing digital experiences, launch new marketing campaigns faster, and manage all of their content in one central place - no matter the frontend.
<h2>About Storyblok</h2>
Storyblok is an enterprise headless CMS that enables developers and marketers to deliver powerful content experiences on any digital platform. Developers create flexible components that are independently managed by content teams through a collaborative visual editor and customizable workflow. Published content is delivered through an API, so changes are made once and will appear everywhere: websites, mobile, IoT, the metaverse, and beyond. This approach reduces maintenance and makes content management more efficient. Leading brands such as Adidas, Pizza Hut, and Marc O’Polo use Storyblok to manage and share their content with the world.
 For more information, visit <a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.storyblok.com</a> and follow Storyblok on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyblok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/storyblok">Twitter</a>.

Storyblok's CMS Report Shows Enterprises Are Still "Scared" of Omnichannel Content Experiences

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