How to choose the right Optimizely partner for your website
Stuck with a vendor who never quite delivers? Or overwhelmed by choosing the right partner to launch your Optimizely journey? You’re not alone.
Too many businesses invest in Optimizely only to find that the real challenge isn’t the platform, but the partner behind it. From missed deadlines to half-baked solutions and a complete lack of strategic thinking, the wrong agency can leave you stuck with underperforming sites, frustrated teams, and ROI that never shows up.
This guide is here to help. We’ll walk you through the essential criteria for finding an Optimizely (Episerver) partner and show you why Niteco is the top choice trusted by global brands to deliver fast, scalable, and measurable results.
Why choosing the right Optimizely partner matters
Optimizely is an industry-leading digital experience platform, but its value depends on the partner you choose to implement it. Without deep expertise and business alignment, you risk damaging your performance, your brand, and your customer experience.
Trying to go it alone can result in poor implementation, costly rework, and downtime that disrupts both internal teams and customers. It may even expose your business to security vulnerabilities and performance issues that undermine your ROI. If your platform is slow, unstable, or poorly configured, your users won’t wait they’ll leave.
Beyond technical risks, there’s strategic misalignment. A solution that doesn’t reflect your business goals, marketing needs, or customer expectations won’t drive results. That’s why it’s critical to choose a partner who not only knows the technology but also understands how to tailor it to your unique context.
A qualified Optimizely partner can help you:
- Extract maximum value from the platform’s full capabilities
- Build a solution that matches your business priorities from day one
- Navigate the complexities of setup, onboarding, and integration
- Accelerate your time to market, reducing overhead and delays
- Continuously optimize for performance, conversion, and growth
5 must-have criteria for choosing an Optimizely partner
Choosing a partner shouldn’t be guesswork. You need someone who’s certified, experienced, and aligned with your business goals. Here's what to look for:
Extensive experience with the full Optimizely
Optimizely is more than just a CMS, it's a powerful end-to-end ecosystem built to support business growth and scalability. While the CMS might be where many businesses start, growing organizations often expand into Commerce, Experimentation, Personalization, Campaign, Analytics.
That’s why you don’t just need a partner who knows the CMS. You need a partner with deep expertise across the full Optimizely Digital Experience Platform (DXP).
Choosing such a partner saves you from switching partners every time you adopt a new feature. It also avoids fragmented implementations, keeps your digital strategy aligned, and helps you go to market faster without unexpected costs or delays.
Official certification and partnership level
Optimizely designates partners based on expertise and track record. A Gold or Platinum Solution Partner status shows that the agency has successfully delivered multiple implementations and adheres to Optimizely’s highest standards. It's a quick way to filter for credibility and capability.
In addition to partnership tiers, Optimizely offers certification programs that equip partners with in-depth knowledge of the platform. These certifications help ensure that your business is supported by professionals who are trained and up to date with the latest features and best practices. Depending on your needs, you may want to look for certifications in specific areas like CMS, CMP, Experimentation, or SaaS.
Another notable recognition is the Optimizely Most Valuable Professional (OMVP) title - awarded to a select group of experts who demonstrate exceptional technical knowledge and active contributions to the Optimizely community. Working with a partner who has OMVPs on their team is a strong signal of top-tier capability and commitment to excellence.
End-to-end service offering
Choosing a partner isn’t just about getting a site up and running, it’s about building a long-term digital foundation. That’s why a reliable Optimizely partner should offer more than just development.
You want a partner that supports you through every stage of the project: from strategy and planning to implementation, testing (QA), and ongoing optimization. This kind of end-to-end support ensures that your platform not only launches smoothly but also evolves to meet your future goals. This also ensures continuity and avoids juggling multiple partners.
Relevant project experience and proven client success stories
Not all experience is equal. Your Optimizely partner should have hands-on experience with businesses similar to yours - whether in industry, size, or technical complexity. This relevance matters because it means they’ve already faced and solved challenges like yours, which helps reduce risk and save valuable time.
Look for proven success stories, not just claims. A strong partner will proudly share case studies, testimonials, and portfolio examples that demonstrate real, measurable outcomes. Their ability to deliver in similar scenarios builds trust and confidence that they can do the same for your business.
Community engagement and platform resource
A strong Optimizely partner doesn’t just implement the platform, they actively keep up with the latest product updates, features, and best practices across the entire DXP ecosystem.
You want a partner who’s actively engaged in the Optimizely community, sharing insights through blogs, contributing to discussions on forums, hosting webinars, or posting thought leadership on social media. This kind of involvement signals deep platform knowledge and a genuine commitment to helping clients succeed (this is why Optimizely has its MVPs in different tiers and Platinum is the highest).
An easy way to check? Visit their website and look at how frequently they publish Optimizely-related content. A partner who regularly educates and engages is far more likely to bring fresh, forward-thinking ideas to your project.
>>> Check out our Optimizely-related content.
Why Niteco is the best Optimizely partner
At Niteco, we’ve helped businesses worldwide succeed with Optimizely - and we don’t just implement the platform. We help you unlock its full potential.
As the largest certified Optimizely partner, we’re proud to have over 400 global experts, including 156 Optimizely-certified developers, working across time zones to deliver faster, smarter results. We're also staying ahead of the curve to having 3 Platinum OMVPs who help shape Optimizely products. Our global delivery model enables 24/7 productivity, shorter timelines, and lower costs.
What sets us apart is our deep understanding of the full DXP ecosystem and proactive approach with the support of our native AI assistant - Nia. Whether you’re looking to launch a content-driven CMS, integrate ecommerce, or build personalization at scale, we’ve done it before and done it well.
Take Electrolux, for example. We’ve delivered not only technical success but real business impact. Through strategic implementation and continuous optimization, Niteco helped Electrolux achieve:
- 11x return on investment
- 385% increase in conversion rate
- And numerous other performance improvements across key markets
Other brands we have worked with including Heineken, Panasonic, La Vie en Rose, NorthShore Care Supply, spanning across industries like finance, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. What they share is a need for digital performance, and they trust us to deliver. Learn more about our success stories here.
We combine technical excellence with business focus, helping you build not just a website, but a revenue-driving digital experience.
Ready to start your Optimizely journey? Partner with the experts who know the platform inside out.
to transform your business and drive results?
