Boosts site building speed with component reuse while facing e-commerce limitations
What is our primary use case?
I use Acquia primarily for front-end development and building reusable components. We employ a model approach with the paragraph model to build reusable components and layout builders.
We also utilize micro front-end concepts, tweak templating, and dynamic themes with personalization features, allowing users to configure their themes.
What is most valuable?
The best feature of Acquia is its deployment capabilities and the DX product, which recently released a new framework called DX Acquia. This framework enables faster site building, even for those who may not be technically strong, with pre-available theming and components. Acquia ensures we always have the latest releases available, which is a positive step forward in growth.
What needs improvement?
In terms of scalability, Acquia is not suitable for e-commerce; it's more suited for content publishing and marketing websites. Due to security concerns, Acquia and Drupal have not gained strength as fully transaction-based platforms.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Acquia for almost six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not had any issues with the stability of Acquia.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Acquia is comfortable with content-type websites, but not very scalable for ecommerce. It works well for content-rich, marketing-focused sites with flexible content management. Initially, there was difficulty running setups locally, however, Acquia Cloud has simplified the process.
How are customer service and support?
Acquia's platform support is generally good. During past projects where we needed platform upgrades, their support team was helpful, even though sometimes our team had to be involved in fixing issues.
On a scale from one to ten, their support is about a seven.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
Initially, we faced challenges with setup due to Acquia's enabling of Docker and related toolkits. However, with Acquia Cloud, the setup has become much easier.
What about the implementation team?
We worked collaboratively with the Acquia platform team, particularly during platform upgrades and issue resolutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Acquia licensing works on a yearly subscription basis. The subscription amount is typically covered by the client as part of the agreement. I'm not sure about the current pricing, but it was a yearly web subscription.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Acquia seven out of ten. I would recommend this product to other people, especially for smaller applications with limited budgets. The support is good, and having the owner of Drupal also own Acquia is advantageous.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Great digital DXP platform with asset management features and personalization tools but has unclear platform sizing
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the Acquia Digital Experience Platform (DXP) to develop sites and apps in the financial customer and retail sectors. We also work with big brand sites. We use the platform to build websites, mobile applications, solutions for digital asset management, and marketing campaigns.
How has it helped my organization?
The main advantage of using Acquia’s platform is the opportunity to work with a recognized firm, which gives us extensive commercial and marketing support.
However, there have been some structural issues within our organization that have led to changes and restructuring, which impacted our use of certain tools within the platform.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable aspects is working with a recognized firm, which sometimes surpasses the commercial and marketing requirements for big customers.
Additionally, they offer useful digital asset management features and personalization tools, although there have been compatibility issues.
What needs improvement?
One area for improvement is how Acquia sizes its platform for customers, which can be ambiguous and often results in penalties after doing business.
Issues with defining site requests and visits are not standard in the market. They also need to improve their support and technical advisory services. The manuals provided lacked clear and complete information.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution since 2017.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In three years, there was only one incident involving downtime of about forty-five minutes with a Bank, which was quickly resolved. Otherwise, the stability was quite commendable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is a challenging aspect due to some mysterious elements in the platform’s design. Minimizing issues was sometimes encouraged, which was not ideal. Scaling might mean increasing capacity or decreasing it, and this last, is the complex part.
How are customer service and support?
They are usually okay, and depending on the complexity of the ticket, we can reach good experts who are far from the CX knowledge base. However, once we had customer support service in Latin America, we faced unprofessional attitudes as tech advisors. Despite participating in advisory meetings, the experience with this particular was less supportive than expected.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had previously been developing on Drupal CMS before switching to Acquia Digital Experience Platform (DXP).
How was the initial setup?
Our first steps in 2017 were complex since we subscribed to an ambitious and complete DXP project with several modules for a mature customer. Now, we are very familiar with most of the platforms, and we have updated the Acquia methodology with our Agile way of work and always suggest approaching step by step your paint points while the customer adopts the expertise needed for the next step.
What about the implementation team?
We have implemented Acquia first for ourselves and then as a service to several customers—more than 7 customers with more than 45 sites, directories, apps, and digital signings.
What was our ROI?
On highly demanding traffic sites of large organizations with several digital channels, different brands, or assets that need to be healthy governance by efficient teams concerned with what they publish, the quality of the information, and the performance of their digital products, the ROI is over 40%/Y or hight when you quantify the easy and quick to go life with any modification.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is considered expensive compared to other vendors, but you have to make your own TCO calculations to understand its value. The service model is based on the demand, the level of SLA needed, and the other services the customers need to build and program for any digital products. Sometimes, the Platform Sellers want to quote you everything you possibly need, and we advise you to ramp up as you need the subscription as a preferred strategy to avoid wasting costs on features that your customers are not prepared to use.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes, as part of the company process, we are always looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the market offer to advise our customers and develop skills around them. I have been involved in integrating and developing Oracle's Colud application for Digital Experience and Customer Experience, Adobe AEM and the Marketing Suits, and several others for several years. Technology is becoming a commodity per-ce in its features and capabilities, especially if it is a SAAS or PAAS solution, a trend in the last few years. So, the main difference is how they compile for the market you are in and how well their value satisfies your customers' needs.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the product, as it fits well with specific dimensions and needs, depending on the customer and company's needs. However, it might be challenging for others with strong Microsoft, Google or similar product affiliations.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten, more for the company policy and unclear partnership with the integrators than for the technical aspects of the solution, which is higher than 7.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Facilitator for Improving Experience
What do you like best about the product?
Personalized content useful for targeting
What do you dislike about the product?
Cross channel integration can be better handled
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Data for customer analytics is well presented
Solutions Consultant
What do you like best about the product?
How campaign studio connects with various accounts and instances together and generates common combined dashboards and reports
What do you dislike about the product?
The tool is not very intuitive, you have to read to understand. For example, creating and starting campaigns, integration with external tools like salesforce
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
one view of the contacts and customers
Good Digital Marketing tool (if you are using Acquia CMS)
What do you like best about the product?
Acquia Marketing cloud offers Campaign, Targeting and CPD solution that are working very well in conjunction with Acquia Drupal Cloud (CMS). In this way, the complete integration between the tools is incredible. One of the best complete suite available in the marketing.
What do you dislike about the product?
When considering Acquia Marketing Cloud as a separate tool to be integrated with non-Acquia CMS, then the situation is a little bit different due to the complext integration required.
There is also a lack of business-ready views for the data retrieved and collected.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I'm solving the difficulty of having a single source of truth for Customer data to then enable a smooth content management and campaign management.
Acquia Marketing Cloud is indeed helping many clients I'm working with.
Easy to use
What do you like best about the product?
Optimizing digital experiences, building relevant customer moments, and enabling companies to embrace innovation
What do you dislike about the product?
No free trial, strong competition, pricing can be high
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Personalization solutions and innovative analytics with Acquia help businesses raise audience conversion rates. Its secure and resilient cloud DevOps makes it possible to effectively and efficiently launch and manage sites.
Acquia Marketing Cloud is a product of the present and the future!
What do you like best about the product?
The product is very convenient to use. Technically easy to set up. Minimal participation is required from technical personnel. Clear business logic. Convenient guide.
What do you dislike about the product?
There are no negative comments about the product.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It decreased operating activity. Easy system monitoring does not require a separate technician. Solves a problem with fault tolerance.
Lots of capabilities, but a bit of a steep learning curve.
What do you like best about the product?
The dynamic campaign workflows make complex scenarios possible.
What do you dislike about the product?
The UI can be confusing, such as putting "greater than -2 months" to express anything newer than two months ago in segment filters. We've also experienced many bugs that take a long time, months, to get fixed.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We are looking for a white-labeled marketing experience that we can use in a B2B setting. We have been able to build this quickly with many functionalities already available.
Frustrating
What do you like best about the product?
I like that I can use native Drupal entities for variable content and that content can be published across multiple sites.
What do you dislike about the product?
I find the Experience Manager frustrating to use at times. I also discovered that you can't bring any JS code into variable content, even if it comes from your own site. Also the Marketo Connector does not do any syncing of the database it only brings in records that already exist in Lift.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We are using to display variable content based on geo location.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
The real challenge with personalization is having a plan and the resources to execute. Also you need to make sure you can get the data that will allow you to personalize in a meaningful way. Otherwise it will not go well no matter what tool you pick.
Good personalization tool
What do you like best about the product?
It's easy to use and non-technical users can easily launch experiences with it. It's compatible with Drupal, making it super convenient if you are operating a website on Drupal. The account team is super helpful, willing to jump on a call to help you out or provide you with how-tos, docs, etc. that fit your use case and needs. The account team is really invested in making you and your experiences successful.
What do you dislike about the product?
The analytics for Lift is not that great, the reports are hard to navigate and at times buggy. In order to be a superior product, compared to the competition, Lift really needs to improve their analytics, making it more visual and easier to navigate. In addition, they need to better ensure that the data coming through is accurate, as at times we were unsure if it was accurate or not. Additionally, we ran into multiple bugs in the process of launching some experiences.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Personalization for the website. We were able to personalize multiple webpages and deliver a unique experience to users, based on different criteria that we set, such as geo or data from our Marketing database.
