CMS users and related tasks

Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) is designed to interact with website visitors and for collaboration among platform users. This topic describes typical users and related tasks used in scenarios. See Access rights to configure user groups and roles in CMS.

An administrator configures system settings from the administration user interface, including search, languages, personalization, and user access. Administrators usually have extended access rights compared to other user groups and can access all parts of the Optimizely platform. They may also have administration access to integrated third-party systems. The administrator may also be the contact person to communicate with the website developers.

A community member or a visitor can add content if social features and community functionality are available for the website. This content includes forum and blog postings, reviews, ratings, and comments, in which case an editor or a specific moderator role for large websites and online communities may need to monitor this type of content on the website.

A content editor is someone with access to the editorial interface who creates and publishes content on the website. Content editors, who understand the website content, work with search optimization for selected content in search results. Editors may also want to follow up on content with unusually high or low conversion rates to update or delete this content.

A customer service representative (CSR) works in the Optimizely Commerce Connect order management user interface. Tasks may include updating or creating orders, updating customer information, and managing subscriptions and payments. Customers often initiate the manual order work through a support function.

A developer is someone with source code access and programming skills. Developers work with website configuration, implementation, maintenance, and functionality development. They create the rendering templates for content and product catalogs, configure ecommerce settings, and manage indexing and customized search features. Developers may also install integrations and third-party extensions. Developers may be associated directly with the organization owning the website or with an external partner company.

A marketer creates omnichannel campaigns and content with targeted banner advertisements to ensure customers get a consistent on-site experience. The marketer also monitors campaign KPIs to optimize page conversion. A marketer who understands the website content may also optimize search for campaigns and promote content using personalization features.

A merchandiser typically works with stock on an ecommerce website to ensure that the strongest products are put in focus. This role may create landing pages, enrich product content, set product pricing, coordinate cross-product selling, oversee delivery and distribution of stock, and deal with suppliers. A merchandiser may want to identify search queries with unusually high or low conversion rates to adjust the search. May also work with product promotion using personalization features.

A recipient is an individual who has opted-in to receive emails from a business, for example, when purchasing from the website. Recipients and their associated data are managed in recipient lists used for omnichannel marketing. You can track and analyze recipient actions, such as clicking links in an email and providing input to website owners and users for further marketing actions.

A user is someone who logs in to the CMS user interface to work with different parts of the platform. Users can belong to one or more user groups and have different roles, depending on which parts of the Optimizely platform they use, their tasks, and the size and set up of the organization.

A visitor is someone who visits a website to find information or to use services. If the website is an ecommerce site, the visitor can be a customer with purchasing intentions. Customers can purchase on an ecommerce website "anonymously" (payment and shipping details provided) or by registering an account. Visitors may also contribute to website content as community members, which usually requires registration of an account profile.

A website owner is someone with overall business or technical responsibility for the content and performance of one or more websites. The website owner may monitor reports for activities such as page conversions, customer reviews, or sales progress; rarely creates content but can be involved in the approval of content created by others. A website owner may also have administrative access and be the owner of mailing clients used for organizing campaign mailings.