How headless solutions could benefit your ecommerce store
23/02/2023 - Digital Marketing
If you have heard the term ‘headless’ being bandied around, then you may be keen to learn more about what this means in the digital world.
In the ecommerce space, headless is now a serious option for businesses. But if you are still asking yourself ‘what is a headless solution?’, then you need some answers before even considering bringing it into the fold of your own business.
So without further ado, let Un.titled talk you through everything you need to know about headless commerce, and why headless solutions might be a good fit for your ecommerce store.
What is headless commerce?
First things first, what exactly do we mean by headless commerce?
In a nutshell, headless involves the separation of the systems that control the frontend and the backend of a website’s architecture. Headless is also known as ‘decoupled architecture’ and can encompass a variety of solutions working on different platforms, in a unified way, to deliver an outstanding web offering.
Exceptional front-end experiences can be created using best-of-breed technologies, and these can be linked to the best solutions for your business across a variety of areas in the backend. This may include content management systems, product information management solutions, and enterprise resource planning solutions for example.
Headless offers a viable alternative to monolithic ecommerce solutions, where all these factors are handled through a single platform. But with headless, a whole gamut of alternative options are opened up which can help take things to a new level.
Why should you consider headless?
Headless commerce opens up a new world of possibility when it comes to creating engaging, exciting front-end experiences for your customer base.
Elements such as greater personalisation can be brought into the fold, while higher levels of design flexibility enable creatives to push the boundaries of what is possible with your website. Improved SEO capabilities and a quicker speed of delivery are also possible with a headless approach.
The benefits in the backend include being able to use a best-of-breed solution to take processes and management capabilities up a notch.
Essentially, headless offers flexibility in abundance. You have a fully functional backend coupled with a frontend tailored to your specific wants and needs.
It also offers the options to more easily expand your offering by incorporating new functionality or replacing parts of the solution without affecting the whole system.
So if you want a commerce project that gives you ample options to play with, the headless approach delivers this on a plate.
Which platforms work with headless?
Many big-name platforms can be used as part of a headless approach.
Shopify is a platform we know well at Un.titled, and the introduction of the GraphQL API has made Shopify compatible with headless commerce through Shopify Plus. This offers a highly customisable solution that can be easily integrated with CRM, CMS and ERP systems, among others.
BigCommerce also offers functionality around headless, with the backend able to be decoupled from the frontend. BigCommerce is tailored for integrations and APIs that align with your requirements. This means everything from Google and Drupal to Mailchimp and Amazon can be integrated with the main system in a headless way.
It’s worth noting that BigCommerce is a member of the MACH Alliance. This industry body supports open, best-of-breed enterprise technology systems, which makes the solutions that comprise the alliance strong contenders for headless projects.
Other platforms that can be incorporated into headless projects include Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and Drupal to name a few.
Why might headless not be the right fit?
With headless, the technical architecture can be complicated and costs can potentially be high. This is because of the various licensing costs associated with the solutions deployed within the architecture.
Development and support expenditure also need to be factored in, while logistical elements, such as managing various solutions at once, should be considered. You will typically need a good support structure within your team to control and manage all the different moving parts.
But with the potential to deliver a heightened offering and achieve more with headless, if it sounds like a good fit for your business then there are ample reasons to move ahead with your headless ambitions.
Additionally, any headless project will certainly benefit from working with an expert in the field who can deliver the all-important requirements associated with headless projects and development.
Make Un.titled your headless honcho
At Un.titled, we have the expertise required to support your organisation in reaching your headless ambitions.
With a team full of experience and understanding as to how to get your headless site off the ground, be sure to consult Un.titled and see where headless can take you.
