Benchmarking Headless CMS Maturity: A Practical Guide for Businesses

In the last few years, headless CMS has become one of the most popular tech trends, with up to 36% of global CMS users already embracing it. However, such a big investment in time and resources is not one to be taken lightly. You need to be ready to make the best use of it once you adopt it.

How can you be sure? By knowing your headless CMS maturity.

Headless CMS maturity isn’t a measurement of how successful your company is, but rather, of how ready you are to embrace headless CMS. It represents the sweet spot where your technical skills meet your business needs. This article will walk you through why that maturity measurement matters and help you determine where you fall on the scale.

Why does maturity matter for headless CMS?

Headless isn’t a cure-all. It’s a powerful tool, yes, but that doesn’t make it the right fit for every company at every stage. If you jump on it before you’re ready to take advantage of it, even the best product will become a burden.

That’s because headless is a big investment for any company. It comes with a technology curve to navigate, financial investment, work for developers, and more. You need to know what you’re getting into and be ready to fully embrace it to make it worth your effort. Otherwise, you could end up in over your head and deeply unsatisfied with your new headless CMS.

How do I determine my company’s headless CMS maturity?

There are three maturity levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert. We’ve detailed what these look like and what actions you can take at each stage to get to the next below.

Keep in mind that this is not a perfect science. Your company might even embody traits of more than one category. The key to an accurate answer is to be realistic about where you’re at and consult your teams to make sure everyone is on the same page. With a consensus, you can find where you stand.

Level 1: Beginner

A company at this level is just discovering how headless CMS may benefit them. They have an interest in expanding but lack the resources to do so. They may not have a robust enough development team or may not fully understand how to take advantage of their current technology. Companies might also have significant technical debt thanks to using tools like page builders.

Nevertheless, there may already be proof-of-concept projects embracing potential technology in the works. Companies may also be in the process of crafting a dedicated content strategy and building an in-house team that can align their goals with their current resources.

There’s nothing wrong with being at the Beginner level. A simple or small company could succeed at the Beginner level indefinitely. However, if you’re looking to grow, this should just be the starting point.

If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you may be at the Beginner level:

• Would you be unable to fully explain the concept of headless to someone who had never heard of it before?
• Do you outsource many of your development or marketing needs?
• Are you still developing concrete goals for your business and its technology?

What to do at the Beginner level

• Research the basics of headless CMS and compare it to your needs as a company
• Identify what goals you’re trying to achieve and investigate if technology is what’s holding you back from them or something else (strategy, size, product, etc)
• Consider proof-of-concept projects – if you want headless CMS to expand your audience, for example, add a new channel to your current system and see how it performs

Level 2: Intermediate

At this level, some technical changes may already have been made. Instead of page builders, more sophisticated (but still monolithic) CMSs are in use. Companies are likely using several disjointed tools including eCommerce and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms to build a makeshift Digital Experience Platform (DXP). They’re probably in a growth phase and are making progress, but might not know exactly how to continue it or where it’s leading them.

Intermediate users still face issues. Their non-cohesive setup can lead to technologies and departments not working together as well as they should. They may face issues with content silos, reaching more users, creating a tech stack that won’t become outdated, improving their SEO, and building a content creation process that is more efficient. They may also still grapple with challenges from the Beginner level like reducing technical debt.

If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you may be at the Intermediate level:

• Are you familiar with the benefits of headless, but not sure what specific business use cases your organization could leverage them for?
• Do you know what resources your company would need to achieve the migration process, but don’t quite have them yet?
• Are you aware of different headless providers, but can’t tell which will serve you best?

What to do at the Intermediate level

• Lay out a practical road map of future growth and what you’ll need to achieve it
• Realistically consider the cost of migrating to headless in terms of resources and time, and decide if it’s an investment you can afford to make at your current stage
• Actively research specific headless vendors and compare options against your needs

Level 3: Expert

Those at the Expert level are ready for or already using a headless CMS. Their chosen technology relies on MACH principles, therefore future-proofing it and preparing it to adapt to changing needs. In addition, companies are using this technology for sophisticated tasks such as outputting different content formats to different channels, dynamic personalization, and internationalization.

They may also be relying on or developing custom solutions to fit their exact needs. Moreover, all of this technology exists for a specific reason: to support an advanced, agile marketing strategy. There is no room for tools that do not perform, and as such, the tech stack is highly optimized.

If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you may be at the Expert level:

• Are you able to adapt your tech stack to evolving needs quickly and with minimal interruption?
• Do you have a clear understanding of what teams and objectives will benefit from using headless, and how?
• Are you already using a headless CMS?

What to do at the Expert level

• If not already completed, find your perfect headless CMS provider and make the switch
• Continue to repeat tasks from previous headless CMS maturity levels to assess opportunities for growth and improve the DXP

Key takeaways

Complete a headless CMS maturity assessment before you invest in a new system. Whether you’re at the Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert levels, taking stock will help you make sure you’re prepared to get the most out of your investment with the least amount of friction.