Some of the challenges that make businesses hesitant about adopting a headless CMS include that in the early days of headless content management, marketers needed help to adapt to the differences between headless and traditional CMSs. However, with Storyblok offering a user-friendly visual editor, those problems are a thing of the past.
The headless approach to content management continues to grow in popularity. According to the State of Content Management 2022 report from Storyblok, almost 83% of respondents noticed improvements in productivity, time management, revenue growth, and more after switching to a headless CMS.
Storyblok is a developer’s dream, and it’s friendly to marketers, but those looking to adopt this powerful CMS may still need assistance from a Storyblok partner. But how do you choose one?
Before choosing the best Storyblok partner, you may wonder what a partner is in the first place.
Storyblok partners are experts in working with Storyblok and can help you handle implementation, maintenance and answer questions that might pop up while using the platform. While headless CMSs are being chosen by enterprises more and more, they often need assistance with managing the entire process from start to finish, which becomes easier with the help of a partner.
The reasons you need a Storyblok partner will vary depending on the project type. Still, there are a number of benefits to opting for a partner to assist you rather than trying to handle everything yourself.
Storyblok Experience
A Storyblok partner has been vetted as an agency with solid experience working with Storyblok. This expertise can be helpful for any business that has chosen Storyblok as its next CMS and wants to get the most out of it.
Headless CMS Expertise
The headless CMS space can be daunting and confusing for developers and marketers who have never used one. A Storyblok partner can help educate employees about what is possible with a headless CMS and its freedom and flexibility.
Jamstack Experience
Storyblok is a Jamstack-ready CMS. The modern development approach is continuing to gather support, particularly among enterprises. However, suppose internal developers are accustomed to languages and frameworks other than JavaScript, for example. In that case, if migrating from a legacy platform, a Storyblok partner can help to navigate the Jamstack ecosystem.
Content Modeling
Content modeling is a process used to document the types of content associated with a brand, their content attributes, and the relationships between types and attributes. For those moving from a traditional CMS, the concept of content modeling may seem strange. A Storyblok partner can assist developers and marketing teams with the proper use of content models in Storyblok.
Implementation
Migrating from another CMS and implementing Storyblok can yield numerous benefits, but headless CMS implementation isn’t always straightforward. However, a partner can help streamline the implementation process, advising on how to properly set up Storyblok and integrate other tools in the tech stack.
Maintenance
While using Storyblok or any software system, everything won’t always run at 100% every single time. A Storyblok partner can help you handle any required maintenance to ensure that everything runs smoothly while using the CMS.
Planning for Scale
If you’re an organization that wants to scale, maybe tackling international markets as well, having a partner can help you optimize your Storyblok instance to meet scalability requirements.
After establishing the need for a Storyblok partner, you need to pick from the assortment of agencies and experts available. However, you can’t just choose an agency because they have worked with CMSs before. Here are some red flags you should beware of and some green flags you should be on the lookout for.
If the Storyblok partner doesn’t showcase experience building omnichannel applications, particularly for enterprise-grade companies, they might not have the expertise required to get what you need from a powerful CMS like Storyblok.
Some agencies offer discounted pricing to attract more customers. However, this is not a good thing for your business. It could be a red flag that they’re simply outsourcing the work to 3rd party agencies and developers who don’t fully understand your business and can’t guarantee the expected quality of work.
Headless CMS is different from traditional CMSs like WordPress and legacy or custom CMS platforms. A Storyblok partner should therefore have experience working with headless CMSs and be able to showcase that on their website in the form of case studies. Without that social proof and testimonials, you might not know if they can help with a Storyblok CMS.
Storyblok offers a partner portal that showcases approved agencies with various areas of expertise. If an agency is listed as part of this ecosystem, it’s a clear indication that they have been vetted by Storyblok directly, and they will likely be able to help you with exactly what you need.
While Storyblok experience is essential, a bit of variety can be a good sign for the flexibility of an agency and partner. If they have experience across several industries or solving different problems for their clients that go beyond just the CMS, they will likely be able to help you solve any issues that crop up for your business.
Storyblok is a headless CMS and part of the MACH ecosystem. The MACH movement is an important option for modern enterprises due to the freedom, flexibility, and scalability it provides. An agency with experience with other CMSs, eCommerce platforms, and tools in the MACH landscape can help you build the perfect technology stack for your business.
If you’re on the hunt for a Storyblok partner, you might wonder if the agency you’re considering can help you maximize a modern headless CMS. FocusReactive is an established Storyblok expert with the capabilities to help you with anything you need, from implementation to maintenance.
As a Next.js agency with modern frontend experience, FocusReactive can help to architect technically advanced websites that provide the performance and scalability a growing business requires. Whether you need a content-centric website built using Storyblok or want to add headless commerce to your tech stack, FocusReactive can help. We identify your business needs, help you pick the right solution, implement and offer after-project support to ensure that everything keeps working.
Interested in how FocusReactive can help? Take a look at how we work and what we’ve been able to accomplish for clients.