Introduction

Customer demands, industry trends, and organizational requirements shift quickly. It is particularly true today when companies must accomplish more with fewer resources.

But how can companies quickly expand their brand to suit new needs?

With headless commerce's adaptability and speed. Headless commerce improves the customer experience and gives content-led companies more technological independence.

Over the past few years, the phrase "headless commerce" has gained popularity in the e-commerce industry.

Based on Headless Commerce Market Insights 2022, the market for Headless Commerce platform software is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2028.

But what is this, and how can companies benefit from it?

In this article, we will discuss headless commerce and its benefits, as well as some use cases and some of the best headless e-commerce platforms. Let’s get started!

What is Headless eCommerce?

Headless commerce is an architectural structure that separates the front-end from the back-end component.

The front-end component handles the user interface (UI), while the back-end handles the commerce business logic. And through APIs (application programming interfaces), these two layers converse and share information. In a nutshell, headless commerce is an eCommerce solution that doesn't use a front-end distribution component to store, handle, or distribute information.

The reason it's called headless is that the business logic back-end, also known as the body, is distinct from the online sales channels, also known as the head.

This separation provides more versatility for businesses, enabling companies to make adjustments to the front-end user experience more swiftly and easily.

How does Headless eCommerce work?

Now you know what it is, let’s dive deep and find out how it works from the leading headless eCommerce agency.

Let’s understand with a simple example: -

A clothing retailer who wishes to sell their goods online can use a CMS like BigCommerce or Shopify to handle their stock, purchases, payments, and other eCommerce capabilities.

Then, the retailer employs a front-end framework like React or Vue.js to create their eCommerce store's layout and user interface.

The front-end interacts with the back-end eCommerce software via APIs which are used to create software applications that enable the front-end and back-end to interact and exchange data in real time.

When their customer views the online store, the front-end uses APIs to ask the back-end eCommerce software for product details and other data, and the back-end provides the requested data in return.

The front end subsequently employs the information to build the user experience and showcase the products on the website.

How Headless eCommerce differs from traditional eCommerce?

In contrast to conventional eCommerce, it manages and designs its front end and back end separately.

Traditional eCommerce has a tightly connected front-end and back-end, which indicates that the operation and design of the website are closely related. The adaptability and capacity of the website may be constrained by this incorporation, making it challenging to personalize and modify.

In comparison, a framework divides the front-end design and presentation layer from the back-end commerce features. This decoupling enables retailers to create the user interface of their website or application using whichever front-end architecture or tech they choose.

Compared to traditional eCommerce, it offers greater adaptability, flexibility, and integration alternatives, but its implementation and upkeep demand a higher degree of technical know-how and development tools.

Key benefits of opting for the best headless eCommerce platform!

Omni-channel experience

First and foremost, the headless content management system will assist you in advancing your content anywhere and everywhere. For an eCommerce business, this means making your products, product videos, or blog posts available on any newly-established or upcoming channels.

Thanks to omnichannel sales, customers can make purchases using their laptops, cellphones, chatbots, or other digital platforms.

With the best platform, you can easily sell your products through Alexa Skills, digital signage, progressive web apps, and even refrigerators with touchscreens. This omnichannel presence means increased visibility and better earnings.

Getting the best of everything!

Another crucial advantage of headless commerce is the flexibility it provides businesses by combining content and e-commerce using a variety of platforms and technologies rather than being constrained by pre-packaged solutions.

As you might know, while WordPress is a popular content management tool, it doesn't always translate well to e-commerce. With Headless, you might utilize a retail platform without the need for integration.

You can even purchase a front-end framework of your choice that perfectly suits your headless eCommerce development requirements, such as Vuejs or Reactjs. With it, you can keep that and expand on it.

Faster page loads

You only have a few seconds after a visitor arrives on your website to ensure that your page loads in order to maintain their interest.

Traditional commerce platforms didn't give much importance to site speed. They are bulkier and take longer to process, which may discourage customers from finishing their purchases and result in bounced visitors.

A headless architecture makes designing pages that run quickly on desktop and mobile devices simpler. When you build your front end separately, the heavy back end exists independently from the pages that customers engage with.

According to research by Crazy Egg, accelerating a website by just one 1 increased conversions by 7%.

With headless architecture, customers can quickly navigate between your homepage, blog, product pages, and payment pages.

Integration made easier!

The majority of conventional e-commerce platforms offer some level of personalization, but the platform's front-end tools still limit these options.

These solutions remove constraints, allowing you to integrate multiple items right away. With best of this, you are able to integrate your brand into any new device, increasing your possibilities and customer exposure at the same time.

Take Domino's Pizza, for example. They debuted Dominos Anyware in 2017. Customers now have the choice to buy pizza not only from Domino's website but also from smart home devices like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Slack, and more. Customers are free to purchase in the manner that is most convenient for them at the time.

Controlled content management

Headless commerce enables brands to quickly roll out innovative front-end shopping experiences. Developers can save time on modifications because the front end is simple to modify. Therefore, web teams don't have to depend too heavily on the headless eCommerce development team and can be able to quickly implement the vision of an online store.

With these CMS, brands have more control over their content and be able to update the site more quickly, personalize the purchasing experience, and keep it running quickly even when there is a lot of traffic.

By using Headless, the brand can take full control of the customization and experience of its website without having to depend too heavily on experienced platform vendors and front-end developers.

Accelerated time to market

It helps businesses in achieving faster time to market by separating the front-end user interface (UI) from the back-end eCommerce functionality. It results in a faster development process because of the better flexibility when it comes to adding, changing, and managing the content & platform while also not affecting the underlying eCommerce platform.

With the best headless eCommerce developers can focus on building a beautiful front-end UI for their business needs without worrying about the complexities of the back-end eCommerce platform. This results in a faster development process, ultimately leading to faster time-to-market.

With the help of this, businesses can even enjoy flexibility in their design as well with the help of decoupled front-end and back-end. Brands can even experiment with different designs and user experiences without affecting the underlying eCommerce platform leading to quick responses to changing market trends and customer demands.

Best Headless eCommerce Platforms: Check out the 5 best ones!

BigCommerce

BigCommerce might be the best platform for you if you're searching for enterprise-level benefits with pre-built frameworks and tools. You have the flexibility and capability to run customized front-end shopping experiences thanks to the solution's sophisticated APIs, which enable a variety of headless commerce alternatives.

Bigcommerce, with an intuitive control panel and simple visuals and analytics, allows you to quickly connect numerous storefronts. Growing businesses can build distinctive client experiences which expand across numerous sites, devices, and solutions thanks to the platform's ease of use.

BigCommerce excels in terms of security, providing business-grade security against data breaches and unauthorized entry. The platform includes integrations and plugins for recognized tools. With a headless system, BigCommerce enables you to concentrate on creating customized storefront interactions.

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is one of the most suggested headless e-commerce platforms for online businesses in 2023 for a number of factors.

With the help of this headless eCommerce Shopify Platform, online store owners convert any digital screen or gadget into a rewarding sales channel. This platform is renowned for its ease of use, allowing you to create an online shop without having a strong technical background. Another noteworthy feature of this platform is the ability to handle heavy traffic by utilizing a content delivery network (CDN) that boosts bandwidth.

Additionally, Shopify flow enables you to streamline routine tasks like segmenting consumers, email campaign delivery, and purchase tracking. It is used by some of the leading businesses in the world to offer the best headless eCommerce solutions while also generating smooth customer experiences.

Magento (Abode eCommerce)

Magento (also known as Abode Commerce) is a headless commerce framework that allows for extensive customization. With the help of this platform, web developers may develop unique applications that cater to the requirements of their clients.

Magento's inventory control system lets you keep an eye on your stock in real time throughout all your locations. Magento is renowned for its analytics, which provides improved data visualization details like retention rates, value over time, and average order value. This platform has an intuitive interface with a single dashboard and sidebar menu that enables you to easily navigate through the service's essential features.

The Adobe Commerce Help Center provides a number of support tools that can be used to enhance your experience with an online shop.

Go headless with Vue Storefront!

Vue Storefront is designed specifically to help developers build solutions by offering them a flexible, scalable, and efficient front-end architecture that they can easily integrate with any headless CMS of their choice.

• Customized solutions - With Vue Storefront, you can build a custom commerce store that integrates with any back-end system without being limited to a specific CMS or platform.
• Better connection with back-end systems - One of the main benefits of using Vue Storefront for building. Its ability to work seamlessly with different back-end systems.
• Easy accessibility - With Vue Front, users can access the storefront on any device, including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops, without experiencing any performance issues.
• Retrieving & displaying content - Vue Storefront provides a set of API endpoints that can be used to retrieve and display content from any headless CMS eCommerce, including products, categories, and other relevant data.
• End-to-end integrations - Your developers can even use Vue Storefront's flexible architecture to create custom themes and components while also integrating third-party plugins and extensions to add additional functionality.

React Storefront

React Storefront is a modern, open-source framework for building headless eCommerce solutions. With react headless eCommerce, businesses can create fast, scalable, and flexible eCommerce storefronts that can be easily integrated with any back-end system or headless CMS eCommerce.

• Easy to scale: Storefront is designed to be scalable, allowing businesses to handle large amounts of traffic and transactions without any performance issues.
• Faster time to market: React Storefront provides a range of pre-built components and modules that can be easily modified or extended to speed up development time.
• Modular architecture: React Storefront provides a modular architecture that allows developers to add or remove functionality as needed, making it easy to customize and extend the storefront.
• Best-in-class features: This platform is designed to provide a fast and engaging user experience for your users with features such as lazy-loading, dynamic image resizing, and real-time search.
• Best for SEO: React headless eCommerce supports server-side rendering, which improves page load times and provides better search engine optimization (SEO) for online stores.
• Easy Integration: It also supports a range of popular eCommerce platforms, including Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and headless eCommerce Shopify, making it easy to integrate with your business’s existing systems.

To Conclude

Given the ever-evolving technology and touchpoints, it is the future of online purchasing. The majority of well-known eCommerce companies have already begun to move toward this IoT-era technology.

Using this framework can help you expand beyond the limitations of your conventional online shop and reach a broader audience.

If you are looking forward to leveraging this one-of-a-kind technology and developing a headless eCommerce solution, then look no further than Giriraj Digital - A leading headless eCommerce agency.

We have a team of experts who know the ins & outs of this and can help you with the technology.