Headless eCommerce and CMS
The headless approach enables your clients to utilize best-of-breed platforms and systems to deliver content and commerce to their customers.
What is Headless?
"Headless Ecommerce" and/or "Headless CMS" is the separation of a front-end and back-end web application into different distinct systems. Some platforms are designed to be headless, but most applications of headless involve building a replacement front-end for a platform with the intent of not using the default front-end.
While not entirely a new or unique idea, the rise of APIs has unlocked many benefits of the headless approach for retailers and brands who are looking for greater flexibility within their digital channels.
Who Needs Headless Websites?
Headless is most often used by mid-market and enterprise brands or retailers who want unlimited flexibility within omnichannel approaches or those who must provide rich user experiences across multiple touchpoints.
Brand Benefits
The headless approach offers a number of benefits:
- A faster time to market compared to custom implementation.
- The ability to join multiple back-end systems into a cohesive front-end experience.
- Full control over the end-to-end platform and the ability to swap components out in-line while leaving other systems and processes intact.
- It enables your marketing team to make updates to your client's website without having to involve the IT Dept.
User Benefits
Headless offers benefits to customers because it allows brands to offer:
- Rich customer experiences across multiple devices and channels.
- More personalized experiences thanks to better access to data in legacy systems.
- Headless often offers integration with other apps and platforms users already love.
The Best of All Worlds
The headless approach enables clients to utilize best-of-breed platforms and systems to deliver content and commerce to their client's customers. For example, a Shopify back-end can power transactional ecommerce while a CMS system like Contentful serves rich content to users (and search engines) - all while also integrating legacy systems where needed behind the scenes.
The headless approach allows you to select from Open-Source, SaaS, hybrid, and custom platforms to meet your client's end-to-end business requirements without needing to build everything in-house.
Cloud & On-Prem Technologies
Headless can unlock more than just multiple software & app platforms - it can also provide your clients the ability to create the optimal mix of technologies to meet their specific needs. A headless approach can enable cloud-based SaaS platforms to work with on-premises and legacy technology seamlessly.
Headless Shopify
Many of today's forward-thinking retailers use Shopify's powerful API to create headless commerce systems to provide custom branded user experiences across multiple channels.
Headless Magento
Magento's open-source nature allows retailers to customize their ecommerce software to work for their specific business processes instead of settling for a platform that can't.
Headless BigCommerce
Bigcommece has invested heavily in their API to unlock the ability to be used in technically complex headless approaches while offering simple back-end management of ecommerce.
Headless Wordpress
WordPress is still the most powerful CMS and is loved by marketers and content creators, but is resource-heavy and has technical limitations that can be sidestepped in headless applications.
Headless Contentful
Contentful was built for headless, so there are very few limitations and can be used to create truly unique content and branding experiences for customers.
Headless HubSpot
HubSpot's investment in enterprise functionality and CMS has unlocked its powerful marketing and sales automation for headless approaches that need commerce or legacy enablement.
Is Headless Right for Your Client?
Headless isn't always the right solution, but for mid-market and enterprise retailers and brands looking for extreme flexibility & multi-channel integration, it's the way to get "the best of all worlds."
We can help your client understand the benefits and limitations and set expectations that can make their entire technology and marketing stack work in harmony.
Learn More About:
- The benefits of headless for your client's organization
- What headless can and can't do
- How to approach a headless undertaking successfully
- How to build the right tech stack
- What to look for in platforms & vendors
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