Integration is actually better than disruption – and AEM Forms and Adobe Campaign Standard want to set out an example of this eternal truth. In the digital space, that is.
After all, more and more tasks are transferred from the real world to the web. Thus, it’s crucial to find the right tools to digitally enable customers and employees. AEM Forms, Adobe Campaign Standard and the combination of both: Is that how you can achieve the unachievable? We asked some experts: the users. The result is this list of the 5 most interesting insights about AEM Forms, Adobe Campaign Standard − and the combination of both.
1. Supporting virtually all types of forms
AEM Forms works on a component basis. Once developed, they can be used across different forms. This way, the same styling and features are implemented anywhere needed. For rather simple cases, AEM Forms has an extensive library of out-of-the-box components. With minimal development, they can be used to create different forms. But the components can also be extended, which makes it possible to support more complex business cases.
The component based approach of AEM Forms can also facilitate the development process for bigger projects. You can create simple forms, promote them to start with only a limited amount of components and functionality. Later on, you can still add new components and features − without impacting the existing, simpler forms.
2. Empowering webmasters
Many systems in the market have been primarily made with the technical functionalities in mind. As a result of this, it’s the technical users who maintain the system and create new content, as requested by the business. By creating AEM Forms, Adobe allows business users and webmasters themselves to join the fun. Webmasters are able to drag and drop components into the forms and link them to each other with preconfigured rules. That makes sense − as webmasters usually have a much shorter line to business, which makes it easier for business ideas to translate into form. For technicians, this means they can sit back and wait until they can get their hands dirty on some really complicated issues or development.
3. (Re-)using form data
Form data are ideally captured, so business people can analyse them and take some actions. AEM Forms and ACS facilitate this. The data submitted in the form can be sent directly to ACS, where it is saved in the database. The data can stay there to be used for action.An example of such an action is sending mails. ACS can use form data or even data coming from backend systems, to send personalized mails to users. The mail content can be dynamic, based on the input. This way, mails are optimized, depending on the purpose and the person to whom they are sent.
Companies tend to have multiple systems, all containing bits of information. This mingle-mangle of information can be matched with data in ACS and used to create new files. The marketeers can even create their own workflows, to select files they can analyse. Once again, the technicians are left out, waiting to be requested. It has to be noted though, that more elaborate workflows may still require technical people to get involved, as soon as database knowledge is required.
4. Integrating Analytics
AEM Forms can be integrated with Adobe Analytics and/or Google Analytics. Doing this, opens up a lot of data that can be used to optimize the conversion rate on your forms. You can track where customers drop out of your flow the most, for instance −and act on it.
5. Full of functionalities
Both, AEM Forms and ACS, have lots of functionalities that can be used to meet specific needs. Some useful features are:
- Forms supports autosaving. This will allow a user to start again on the same place in the form, after dropping out of the flow at a certain point.
- There is a prefilling mechanism in Forms. This could be used for example in combination with autosaving. Prefilling can also be done from a marketing mail, where one could gather data from ACS to prefill.
- Mailing in ACS has support for A/B testing: Test mails will be sent to two target groups, and the more successful version will be sent to the remaining group, after a configurable amount of time.
Of course, this comes at a price. More functionalities also mean more data and possible problems. AEM Forms and ACS allow to select wisely and choose which functionalities are desirable and which less important for the specific ecosystem.
In a nutshell
AEM Forms and Adobe Campaign have a lot of potential to help companies reach their digital goals. Developers might (not) like to hear this, but the systems empower non-technical users and allow them to take up formerly more technical tasks. This means webmasters and business users are asked to become more involved in the making of forms and digital deliveries, thus shortening the line between content and business. It is thus important to find the right mix of people – for content that’s delivered exactly as planned by business.