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Smart Content Module. What Is It and Why Do You Need It?

2019-12-16

Drupal recently rolled out Smart Content to help you personalize and customize your websites (as well as the websites you create for your clients) on a deeper level and turn them into true works of art.

If you’re tired of static, “dumb” websites and want to create something new and exciting, you definitely ought to give Smart Content a try.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about Smart Content and why you need it in your life.

What is Smart Content?

Smart Content is a relatively new toolset designed with the goal of enabling real-time, anonymous website personalization for all Drupal 8 websites.

Smart Content allows developers and website owners to leverage browser conditions, third-party APIs, and cookies to display unique, personalized content for different website visitors.

Smart Content Features

Smart Content, by itself, doesn’t have a ton of functionality. However, the real magic happens when it’s combined with other Drupal modules. Some specific features that it has to offer, include the following:

Blocks

Smart Content uses blocks rather than fields.

When you start using the Smart Content Module, you can insert a block onto any of your website’s pages. This, in turn, allows you to easily swap out, hide, or display content based on the specific conditions that the website’s administrator sets.

You can add blocks to any part of a website, and you can also add them to several regions on one webpage.

Segments

Smart Content also uses segments.

Segments are specific sets of conditions that you or the website administrator can create. Once you’ve created these segments, it’s easier to use them to display certain blocks of content to different users based on the criteria they meet.

Conditions

One of the key components of Smart Content that separates it from other modules is the variety of conditions you can set.

When you use Smart Content, you can set simple conditions like browser language or more detailed conditions related to a particular industry. You can also utilize information gathered from existing segments or marketing automation campaigns.

With the right conditions, you can target first-time website visitors with a particular message or show another user mobile-specific content to meet them where they are. The options are just about endless.

Why Do You Need It?

As a web developer, you’ll be able to enjoy a lot of great benefits when you start using the Smart Content module, whether it’s for your own projects or for your clients’ websites. This module offers a lot of perks, including the following:

Improves Data Collection

Smart Content makes data collection a breeze. When you combine it with other modules, it’s easier than ever for you to learn about the people who are visiting your website.

Why does this matter? Well, when you know more about who’s using your website, it helps you to create the type of content that these people are more likely to want to see in the future.

You can even work on tailoring your specific products and services to better suit their needs and preferences.

Connects with Other Systems

Don’t forget, you’ll see the real power of Smart Content when you pair it with other systems in Drupal.

It helps you to connect all aspects of your website so that everything works together and informs each other in a smoother and more efficient way.

This helps you utilize the full potential of artificial intelligence and marketing automation to see the greatest benefits to your website and your business.

Improves Business Reputation

Smart Content is a must-have for any business owner. When you start using Smart Content for yourself or your clients’ websites, you can use it to improve your (or their) reputation.

Since Smart Content allows for unique content based on the user, you’ll be able to establish a reputation for putting out lots of fresh material on a regular basis. It also helps to free up the content team so they can focus on creating new material more frequently.

Customization helps to enhance the buyer’s experience as well, which increases the likelihood that they will make a purchase and become a repeat customer.

Improves User Experience

Speaking of the buyer, Smart Content is great for website visitors, too.

It allows them to have more productive interactions with your website since the information that is irrelevant to them gets pushed away. It helps them find what they need faster, too, and they’re less likely to click away because they’re overwhelmed or unable to find what they’re looking for.

As a result of them having a positive experience, users are also more likely to share your website (or your clients’ website) with their friends and family members. This, in turn, gives you more data to work (which also allows you to further enhance your website) with in the future.

How to Get Started

It’s pretty easy to get started with Smart Content. All you have to do is download and install the Smart Content module for free from Drupal.

Once it’s installed, you can start practising and learning the ins and outs of how to incorporate it into your website, as well as the websites you develop for your clients.

There are lots of different ways you can utilize Smart Content within your website. For example, you can use it to provide blog post readers with different calls to action depending on the way they interact with your site.

You can also use the Smart Content module to better tailor product and service offers to the people who are most likely to take advantage of them.

Get the Smart Content Module Today

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why you ought to get the Smart Content module.

If you haven’t downloaded this module, now is the perfect time to do so. Lots of people are already using it, and you don’t want to get left behind.

Remember, too, that the sooner you download it and start practising, the easier it’ll be for you to customize your website (and your clients’ websites) and enjoy all the benefits outlined above.