Optimizely vs WordPress

2023. Automattic launches an AI writing assistant for WordPress



Automattic has introduced an AI assistant for the widely used content management system Wordpress.com. Now, when composing a post or page, users have the option to incorporate an "AI Assistant" block into their content. By inputting prompts in natural language, users can avail themselves of the AI assistant's text generation capabilities. Beyond providing content suggestions, the AI assistant can facilitate the creation of organized lists and tables within blog posts. Additionally, it has the ability to adjust the tone of a post, adding elements of informality, skepticism, humor, confidence, or empathy. The assistant can also generate post summaries and propose suitable titles. Initially, the Jetpack AI Assistant block offers a complimentary trial allowing users to submit 20 requests. Subsequently, a subscription fee of $10 per month is required to access this feature.


2021. Optimizely to acquire Welcome to help marketers drive Customer Experience outcomes



Optimizely, a leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Welcome, a four-time Gartner Leader. Welcome combines the top capabilities of content marketing platforms (CMP), marketing resource management (MRM), and digital asset management (DAM) into a unified solution. This acquisition will enable the combined company to empower marketing teams worldwide to generate tangible business value by delivering improved customer experiences. In today's digital-first landscape, the internal marketer experience plays a pivotal role in shaping the external customer experience. Marketers, operating in an increasingly hybrid work environment, bear the responsibility of driving business growth and promptly adapting to the ever-evolving needs of the digital consumer. However, the complexity and fragmentation of the marketing stack hinder their ability to provide personalized and contextual experiences, as well as create relevant content at scale.


2021. Automattic acquires analytics company Parse.ly



Automattic, the profit-making company associated with the open-source web publishing platform WordPress, has recently completed the acquisition of the analytics provider Parse.ly. Parse.ly equips creators, marketers, and developers with tools to gain insights into content performance, demonstrate its value, and deliver personalized content experiences that yield meaningful outcomes. While WordPress and Parse.ly already exhibit compatibility, the objective is to enable Parse.ly customers to access WPVIP features (enterprise hosting and support for publishers) and enhance the availability of Parse.ly data to WPVIP publishers. Additionally, there exists potential to incorporate more commerce-related data into Parse.ly, considering Automattic's ownership of WooCommerce.


2020. Episerver to acquire Optimizely, the world’s leading Experience Optimization platform



Episerver, recognized as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, has made an official announcement regarding its agreement to acquire Optimizely, the leading provider in experimentation and optimization solutions. This strategic union results in the formation of the most advanced digital experience platform, enabling the optimization of every customer interaction throughout the entire user journey. By combining Episerver's expertise in creating digital experiences through content and commerce with Optimizely's capabilities in experimentation and optimization across touchpoints, marketers gain the power to develop experiences that continually improve and evolve over time.


2016. WordPress.com turned on HTTPS encryption for all sites



WordPress.com is implementing automatic HTTPS support for all its sites, requiring no user action. Each website is now equipped with an SSL certificate, which is indicated by a green lock in the address bar. Besides the heightened security, this improvement has the added benefit of Google's preference for HTTPS-supported websites over those limited to HTTP. Consequently, your WordPress.com website is expected to achieve higher rankings in Google search results.


2015. WordPress.com goes Open Source and gets a desktop app



The fully hosted version of WordPress, known as WordPress.com, has recently undergone a significant update. The first major change is the complete separation of WordPress.com from the WordPress core. It now functions as an admin interface that interacts with the WordPress core similar to other third-party interfaces and apps. This is achieved through the utilization of a REST API, enabling tasks such as fetching posts, publishing new content, and uploading photos. Secondly, the WordPress.com development team has transitioned to an entirely new stack. Instead of relying on PHP and MySQL, they have built the platform using JavaScript and API calls. Consequently, when accessing the website, the server distributes a fully functional WordPress client that primarily runs within the user's browser. Lastly, the entire system is open source and hosted on GitHub. Additionally, a new Mac app is available for download, offering an alternative way to access WordPress.com. Similar to the Slack desktop app, it harnesses web technologies and desktop features to provide users with a comparable experience to the WordPress.com website, along with extra features like notifications. Windows and Linux apps are currently in progress and will be released in the future.


2015. Website personalization service Optimizely raises $58M



Optimizely, the renowned company synonymous with A/B testing, has secured $58 million in funding. While Optimizely is widely recognized for its tools that enable customers to test different variations of their websites and determine the most effective one, it has been expanding its horizons. The company ventured into new territories by introducing Optimizely for iOS last year, followed by the recent launch of Optimizely Personalization. As a result, Optimizely has established itself as a leading service for optimizing websites (according to Alexa) and mobile apps (according to MixRank). Esteemed customers such as CNN, Microsoft, and Virgin America have entrusted Optimizely with their optimization needs. Despite the existence of numerous A/B testing tools in the market, Optimizely stands out by prioritizing the development of "best in class products" and fostering integrations with a diverse range of partners.


2015. A/B website testing service Optimizely to focuse on personalized experience



A/B website testing tool Optimizely extends its capabilities beyond testing by introducing a new product called Optimizely Personalization, enabling online publishers to deliver customized experiences to their users. The personalization features of this product can be categorized into four key areas. Firstly, there is the ability to connect data, allowing companies to utilize their customer data and integrate information from services like BlueKai, Tealium, and Lotame. Secondly, there is the functionality to discover audiences, where Optimizely suggests various audience segments that companies can target with personalized experiences. Thirdly, there is the option to optimize experiences, allowing the creation of different pages tailored to specific segments. Lastly, there is the capability to understand impact, enabling the analysis of data to determine the effectiveness of personalization in driving engagement, purchases, or any other desired outcomes.


2015. WordPress acquired e-commerce plugin WooCommerce



Automattic, the company responsible for WordPress, has made an acquisition by acquiring WooCommerce, the developer of a highly popular e-commerce WordPress plugin. This plugin enables website owners to effortlessly transform their self-hosted WordPress sites into fully functional online stores. With a staggering presence in the online store landscape, WooCommerce powers a substantial number of over 650,000 online stores. While WooCommerce offers user-friendly features, especially compared to other e-commerce solutions, it still requires some assistance during the initial setup process. The demand for easy-to-use shopping solutions is increasingly becoming a key selling point for web-based platforms. Competitors of WordPress.com, such as Squarespace, have integrated storefront modules, and other companies like Shopify, Big Cartel, and Bigcommerce offer hosted solutions to cater to this growing market.


2015. Optimizely unveiled revolutionary website statistics engine


The website optimization platform Optimizely has introduced a new feature called Stats Engine, which enhances the company's experience optimization platform. This feature provides test results that are consistently valid and unrestricted by the limitations of traditional statistical analysis. Developed in partnership with statisticians from Stanford University, Stats Engine leverages innovative statistical analysis techniques. Alongside the platform's proprietary algorithms, it enables customers to interpret and take action on data with greater speed and confidence than ever before, according to the company.