Posted by: Adam Weston
05 September 2025
At a glance
- What platform selection clarity means for a content management system
- Why replatforming vs upgrading matters
- Q&A highlights from the webinar
- CMS platform comparison: Umbraco vs Optimizely ROI for enterprise
- Enterprise CMS cost vs DXP: total cost of ownership explained
- How Growcreate helps brands with platform selection
What is platform selection clarity?
Platform selection clarity is the ability to choose the right content management system (CMS) or digital experience platform (DXP) with confidence. It means aligning your choice with business goals, editorial workflows, governance and scalability.
According to Gartner, poor platform choices remain a leading cause of failed digital projects. The FCA requires financial firms to show governance in digital systems, and Harvard Business Review argues that aligning technology with organisational maturity is the key to competitiveness.
Pain points raised in the webinar
- Escalating enterprise CMS cost vs DXP licence fees without clear ROI
- Content bloat and confusing workflows
- Compliance gaps in hosting, residency, and audit trails
- Vendor lock-in from hasty platform adoption
- Delayed launches vs promises of a faster go-live CMS Umbraco for CMO
- Systems chosen for features, not strategic fit
Q&A highlights
Question from Theo Paraskevopoulos (Host): When should an organisation replatform rather than upgrade?
Answer from Mike Isaacs (Growcreate Technical Lead):
Replatforming is the right moment when sites suffer content bloat and inefficient workflows. It refreshes both the editorial and customer experience. Upgrades are better if workflows are strong, but the platform simply needs modern support.
Question from Theo: What are the key selection criteria for a new platform?
Answer from Jeroen Wijdeven (Growcreate CTO):
Criteria depend on maturity. Enterprises with advanced marketing teams should look at a DXP for customer experience such as Optimizely. Others may prefer a flexible content management system like Umbraco that can scale gradually.
Question from Theo: What type of organisation is a good fit for Umbraco?
Answer from Mike Isaacs:
Umbraco works for firms that want a lightweight, composable CMS with no licence fees. It scales from SMEs to enterprises, integrates natively with Microsoft Azure, and enables ROI gains through Umbraco cost savings vs Optimizely. Compared with PHP platforms, its .NET ecosystem ensures security and extensibility.
Question from Theo: What type of organisation is a good fit for Optimizely?
Answer from Jeroen Wijdeven:
Optimizely is best for enterprises with mature marketing functions. As a digital experience platform, it centralises AI-driven content, campaign planning, and DAM. For these organisations, the Optimizely DXP implementation timeline for enterprise may be longer than Umbraco, but the payoff is integrated marketing control.
Question from Theo: Where does AI fit in both platforms?
Answer from Jeroen:
Optimizely embeds AI directly into its suite.
Answer from Mike:
Umbraco leverages partner innovation. Growcreate delivers schema and AI extensions that reduce adoption risk and support Umbraco ROI reduction implementation time.
CMS platform comparison
| Feature | Umbraco | Optimizely |
|---|---|---|
| Licence model | Open-source, no licence fees | Commercial, subscription licence |
| Strengths | Flexible, extensible, composable | Centralised, marketer-first, AI-enabled |
| Best fit | SMEs to enterprises seeking control and Azure integration | Enterprises needing the best CMS for enterprise marketing |
| AI approach | Partner-led extensions, schema optimisation | Embedded AI tools in suite |
| ROI | Umbraco vs Optimizely ROI for enterprise favours Umbraco in cost efficiency | Optimizely delivers value in centralised marketing control |
| Risks if mis-chosen | Governance gaps without structured approach | High cost and lock-in without maturity |
| TCO | Lower – Optimizely vs Umbraco total cost of ownership often favours Umbraco | Higher – but predictable for marketing-led enterprises |
How Growcreate helps brands with platform selection
Growcreate applies a clear framework:
- Support – audit platforms, workflows, and compliance against ISO 27001 and FCA rules.
- Enhance – map maturity and align fit, whether a faster go-live CMS Umbraco for CMO or Optimizely for mature marketing.
- Evolve – roadmap tied to C-suite goals, backed by Cyber Essentials, Umbraco Platinum, and Microsoft Azure expertise.
Outcomes
- 25% saving by switching to Umbraco on Azure – real-world Umbraco cost savings vs Optimizely.
- A financial services firm passed FCA audit first time with Growcreate guidance.
- Publishing speed improved by 40% for a global client.
- 99.99% uptime achieved with Azure zone-redundant hosting.
Platform selection is a leadership decision that shapes growth and resilience.
With Growcreate, you Support, Enhance, and Evolve with clarity. Whether you are achieving faster Umbraco ROI or adopting the best CMS for enterprise marketing with Optimizely, we make sure your investment delivers measurable results.
Choose with confidence. Book a strategy call with Growcreate today.
Let's talk
FAQs
A CMS platform comparison is the evaluation of multiple content management systems to find the best fit. It covers licence cost, integration, scalability, and ROI for enterprise adoption.
An enterprise CMS focuses on content creation and publishing. A DXP for customer experience like Optimizely adds marketing, AI, and campaign orchestration. This increases cost but integrates more functions.
Umbraco typically delivers ROI through licence savings and faster implementation. Optimizely ROI comes from centralised marketing capabilities and scalability. Growcreate benchmarks both to fit organisational maturity.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Umbraco is lower due to no licence fees and flexible Azure hosting. Optimizely has higher upfront cost, but predictable ongoing support for marketing-driven enterprises.
Umbraco implementations often go live quicker, especially when the goal is streamlined content publishing. For CMOs, this means reduced time to market compared with the Optimizely DXP implementation timeline for enterprise.
