While Sitecore and Omni CMS are robust platforms widely adopted in the higher education sector for their extensive content management capabilities, they are not without their limitations. Despite their strengths, institutions may encounter challenges in fully realizing the potential of these CMS solutions for higher ed personalization.
Personalization in higher education goes beyond simply addressing students by their names. It involves delivering tailored content and digital experiences that cater to individual needs and preferences, which in turn helps enhance student engagement, recruitment, and retention.
Read more to explore the specific limitations of Sitecore and Omni CMS, including complexity, scalability, integration, and cost. Understanding these constraints is crucial for institutions aiming to optimize their digital strategies and elevate the student experience.
Personalization plays a critical role in transforming various aspects of higher education. Here are some key areas where personalization makes a significant impact:
The following five elements are instrumental in implementing personalization in higher education.
Sitecore is a digital experience platform that helps organizations deliver highly customized and engaging digital experiences. It improves student engagement with marketing automation, seamless integrations, and insightful analytics.
The following features of Sitecore will benefit Higher Ed personalization.
While using Sitecore for Higher Ed personalization, organizations will come across the following limitations.
Omni CMS, formerly known as OU Campus by OmniUpdate, is a content management system designed specifically for higher education. Omni CMS streamlines content creation and management for institutions, allowing non-technical staff to easily update and personalize websites.
The following features of Omni CMS will benefit Higher Ed personalization.
While using Omni CMS for Higher Ed personalization, organizations will come across the following limitations.
The following table compares the basic aspects of Sitecore and Omni CMS.
| Aspect |
Sitecore CMS |
Omni CMS |
| Cost |
High implementation and maintenance costs |
More cost-effective, lower total cost of ownership |
| Learning Curve | Steep learning curve for staff and administrators |
Gentle learning curve, easier for non-technical staff |
| Flexibility | Highly flexible but requires technical expertise |
Less flexible, more template-driven |
| Integration | Complex but extensive integration capabilities with various systems and third-party tools |
Easier integration with common higher ed systems, but limited in scope |
| Scalability | High scalability, suitable for large institutions with diverse needs |
Limited scalability, best for small to medium-sized institutions |
| Real-time Data Processing | Strong capabilities but complex to implement |
Limited real-time data processing capabilities |
| Personalization Features | Advanced personalization features but can be complex to configure |
Basic personalization features, easier to set up but less advanced |
| User Experience Customization | Highly customizable user experience, requires technical skills |
More out-of-the-box solutions, less customization needed |
| Support for Multi-channel Personalization | Comprehensive but requires significant setup and management |
Insufficient support for extensive multi-channel personalization |
| Content Management | Advanced content management capabilities, but can be overwhelming for new users |
User-friendly content management, easier for staff to handle |
| Analytics and Reporting | Powerful analytics and reporting, but can be complex |
Basic analytics and reporting, easier to use but less detailed |
| Maintenance and Updates | Requires ongoing technical maintenance and updates |
Easier maintenance with less frequent need for technical updates |
To cope with the limitations of Sitecore and Omni CMS in higher education personalization, organizations can use open-source solutions like WordPress and Drupal.
Drupal is an open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensive customization options. Ideal for complex, large-scale websites, Drupal enables higher education institutions to create highly tailored digital experiences.
Its modular architecture, extensive library of modules, and strong community support make it a versatile choice for institutions seeking advanced personalization and scalability.
WordPress is the world’s leading content management platform. It is known for its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options. WordPress offers a vast ecosystem of plugins and themes, enabling seamless integration of advanced personalization features.
With strong community support and continuous innovation, WordPress empowers educational institutes to create engaging and dynamic digital experiences with ease.
The following table compares Drupal, WordPress, Sitecore, and Omni CMS with respect to higher education personalization.
The University of East London, founded in 1898, is ranked in the world’s top 250 young universities. The university’s vision is to advance knowledge and drive innovation for positive change.
UEL’s website provides information on courses, admissions, careers, and research opportunities. The old website existed on Sitecore, and UEL needed a platform with better system performance, flexibility, personalization and security.
Axelerant helped UEL migrate from Sitecore to Drupal. The new website offers improved functionalities such as advanced course search, personalization, and a unified content hub. It is equipped to better understand user access and evaluate the site's data, thus enabling student retention through personalization.
Want to implement a similar solution? Axelerant’s experts come with extensive experience in implementing complex WordPress and Drupal development solutions.
We can help you choose the right CMS platform and personalize it to suit your digital experience needs.
Speak to our experts to find out how.