When consumer demands change or new technologies emerge, every business needs to act quickly in order to remain relevant. Precisely because such a total modification action requires a lot of time and money, with a headless commerce setup, where the front-end (a “website”) and the back-end (data that users cannot see) are separated, only specific parts need to be upgraded to implement the necessary changes.
This way, you can build one or more new “headers” independently of the back-end, which remains relatively static. A headless installation, to make data available to the front-end and communicate with the back-end, uses APIs. These are even used to integrate other components into the e-commerce ecosystem (e.g. an ERP system).
This is how the name headless comes about, as you have a headless setup when your front-end “head” is disconnected from the eCommerce platform and free to customize.
What are the benefits of Headless Commerce
- Greater flexibility and adaptability: Flexibility is as much about the consumer as it is about the e-shop. The former can shop from wherever they want (in-store or online), while the e-shop can also adapt to market trends without affecting the UX.
- Omnichannel capabilities: You can provide a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels (marketplaces, mobile devices, IoT, etc.) thanks to the use of APIs.
- Improved website performance: Your e-shop can achieve fast page load times and provide a smooth browsing experience to your customers.
- Fast time to market: Since the front-end and back-end can be developed independently, updates and new features are implemented quickly, reducing time to market.
- Security: ‘Headless’ systems by design enhance security in the CMS and are less prone to attacks.
Headless Commerce VS Traditional Commerce
Traditional e-commerce refers to the traditional buying and selling of goods/services online using a central platform, usually a website. This type of e-commerce is still the most common way for businesses to sell their products.
Unlike headless e-commerce, traditional commerce combines the front-end with the back-end of a website. This means that developers cannot easily customize or make changes to the front-end design. So small changes too can easily turn into complicated and time-consuming projects.
For example, even to make a small change to the website’s homepage, extensive back-end modifications must be made, which naturally increases the time to market.
Headless trade and challenges
Headless commerce has the power to give brands complete creative freedom, while allowing developers to create custom eCommerce experiences with their preferred technologies.
However, implementing a headless architecture is not as easy nor always appropriate for every business. Integrating different third-party services and tools into it can be a challenge, leading to compatibility and data synchronization issues.
Content management is also an issue, as marketers may need additional tools and training to effectively manage content across channels, thus affecting the effective deployment of marketing campaigns.
Addressing these challenges requires careful planning, but also resource allocation to ensure a seamless implementation of headless commerce.