A few months ago, we released the beta version of DXP360. The first members to sign up for the platform gained exclusive access to our Q1 Headless CMS Intelligence Report.
As we continue building our second intelligence report for the year, which will be released in the coming weeks, we wanted to share some key insights about the headless CMS and DXP industry.
Why This Intelligence Report
Whether you’re a vendor searching for an edge over competitors, an agency looking to start a new partnership with vendors in the space, or an enterprise business trying to select your next platform, navigating the ever-expanding headless CMS landscape can be challenging.
Vendors attempt to stand out on features that have become commoditized; agencies try to figure out what makes the best fit, and enterprises try to avoid even more decision paralysis, slowing them down.
Each stakeholder needs access to data to help them make the right decisions. What does that data look like?
DXP360 Quarterly Intelligence Reports - Data-Driven Insights for the Headless CMS Industry
Taking a Deep-Dive Into the Headless CMS Industry, the inaugural DXP360 Intelligence Report featured a data-focused analysis of the headless CMS market for the first quarter of 2023. With 53 vendors included in this first edition, it represents the broadest analysis of the industry available today.
Who made the cut?
Acoustic Content, Acquia, Adobe Experience Manager, Agility, Amplience, Apostrophe, Arc XP, Bloomreach, Bold, Brightspot, ButterCMS, CloudCannon, Contensis, Contentful, Contentstack, Core dna, CoreMedia, Craft CMS, CrafterCMS, Crownpeak, DatoCMS, Directus, dotCMS, Dynamic Web, Enonic, Evoq Content, HCL DX, Hygraph, Ibexa, Ingeniux, Jahia, Kentico, Kontent.ai, Liferay, Magnolia, Mura CMS, OpenText TeamSite, Optimizely, Pimcore, Prepr, Prismic, Salesforce, Sanity, Sitecore, Sitefinity, Siteglide, Solodev, Squiz DXP, Storyblok, Strapi, Tridion, Umbraco, and Zesty.
70+ publicly available data points showcase how these vendors stand up against each other in areas such as:
- The number of global offices and employees
- Amount of case studies across several industries
- Funding raised
- Quarterly and monthly traffic
- Social media followers
- Analyst recognitions
- How vendors choose to brand themselves
5 Key Statistics You Need to Know About the Headless CMS Industry After Q1
The Evolution of the CMS to the DXP
87% of vendors analyzed refer to themselves as some variation of CMS or DXP in their positioning and marketing materials.
The initial role of the headless CMS was to offer developers more flexibility in the frameworks and technologies they used to create websites. Going headless meant businesses could finally deliver content to digital kiosks, mobile apps, and the plethora of digital channels where their customers were.
But content, though central, isn’t the only component of the digital experience. The headless CMS space has evolved to become the digital experience platform (DXP) at the center of everything.
Many vendors have embraced this, and DXP is now the most popular classification in the industry, both among vendors themselves and review platforms like G2.
The Role of the Customer
Headless CMS vendors scored an average of 4.3/5 from customer reviews across G2, Capterra, and Gartner Peer Insights.
Enterprises searching for new platforms don’t just go to the pricing page and click to request a demo or talk to sales as much as vendors would appreciate that. Part of the process involves discovering what their peers say about the software, both good and bad.
An average score of 4.3 highlights the overall quality, effectiveness, and satisfaction vendors in the industry provide to their customers.
Small Teams Pack Big Punches
Just under half (49%) of the vendors in the headless CMS industry have teams of under 100 employees catering to global brands.
The other half are genuinely global brands, with some maintaining operations with over 500 employees.
While headless content management remains just one of the arms for some of the largest brands in the industry, it represents the primary offering for the majority. These smaller teams often have been able to move with agility and innovate while maintaining a laser-like focus. For the most prominent vendors, it means more resources for scaling and expansion. In both instances, the headless CMS space demonstrates the value that a well-structured team, regardless of size, can bring to the table.
Funding Isn’t Slowing Down
Over $6 billion in total funding has been raised by headless CMS and DXP vendors, with $4.5 billion coming from venture capital.
Funding rounds have accelerated in the headless CMS space, particularly in the last two years, and aren’t showing signs of slowing down. By expanding employee headcounts, pushing into new regions and countries, and powering a slew of marketing campaigns, headless CMS vendors are showing investors and the enterprises seeking them out that we’re just at the start of this journey.
Vendors Are Being Recognized
85% of vendors in the industry have received at least one analyst award recognition.
Awards and placements in landscape grids are crucial for any B2B platform. The fact that so many vendors have received accolades underscores the fierce competition throughout the industry and the need for differentiation as they try to boost brand awareness and attract more customers.
Where We Go Next
The inaugural report showcases a range of vendors. This includes many legacy vendors where the headless CMS forms a piece of a larger suite of tools and other vendors solely focused on building the best content management system for the modern enterprise.
Ultimately, as the industry evolves, there will be new entrants, some departing, and a lot more data to be analyzed. In future editions, expect more data about platform capabilities and other areas that can be used to assess the industry.
Want to get a copy of this report and access to future reports? Become a member of DXP360.com.