According to a study by Harvard Business Review, over 70 percent of consumers agree that they use multiple channels during their shopping journey.

To stay competitive, it’s important to build a seamless experience across various channels such as websites, mobile apps, social media channels, etc.

If you are using a traditional eCommerce platform, optimizing content and design for each channel can cost you a lot.

The solution?

Go headless. Headless eCommerce is an approach to deliver unparalleled experience across multiple channels, thus helping businesses make data-driven optimizations to boost conversion rates.

So, what exactly is headless eCommerce? Is it right for your business?

Let’s discuss in detail.

What is Headless eCommerce?

Headless eCommerce is an eCommerce architecture in which the front-end is separated from the back-end, communication between the two occurs through APIs. This helps eCommerce businesses create personalized frontend experiences without disturbing the backend functionalities.

The headless architecture allows you to have complete control over creating and modifying eCommerce experiences. Using the advanced tools and cutting-edge technologies, you can easily organize and optimize your content across different digital touchpoints, such as websites, social media, mobile apps, etc.

In short? You can create a personalized experience across multiple unique storefronts based on your customers’ needs and your sales & marketing goals.

Headless eCommerce vs Traditional eCommerce

Key Benefits of Headless Architecture for eCommerce Businesses

Headless eCommerce helps businesses with better flexibility, scalability, and customer experience. It offers multiple benefits; here are some of the major ones-

1. Omnichannel Experience

Since customers are consuming content through multiple channels these days, it has become important for businesses to deliver an omnichannel experience to stay ahead in the competition.

With headless eCommerce, you can easily deliver content into different channels, such as mobile apps, smartwatches, etc., thus creating an omnichannel experience. An omnichannel marketing strategy can help in higher customer satisfaction rates and increased revenue for businesses.

Since the front-end is decoupled from the back-end, you can easily customize the front-end for different channels according to your customers’ preferences and behavior. And, during the process, the back-end won’t get disturbed.

2. Complete Freedom for UI/UX

As per the 2020 eCommerce leaders survey, majority of the brands agree that headless commerce can significantly improve customer engagement and conversions.

Headless architecture’s flexibility and customization capabilities allow you to create, test, and redefine the presentation layer, and choose designs that resonate with your customers’ expectations.

Unlike the traditional eCommerce architecture, you are not limited to pre-designed templates. Headless architecture gives you complete control over the visual design and layout of the front-end. Unleash your creativity, and craft UI/UX designs aligned with your specific branding needs.

3. Easier to Scale

When it comes to eCommerce, scalability is the foundation for growth. Headless commerce allows you to scale seamlessly, and handle the increasing number of users, transactions and the store’s data as your store grows.

The decoupled frontend backend systems enable you to make continuous improvements easily and quickly. This enables you to keep up with the latest technologies and deliver your customers with best-in-class experiences. So, whether you are rolling out new features to accommodate customers’ demands or integrating third-party software for data-driven insights, headless architecture makes it easier for you.

Moreover, you can seamlessly integrate new technologies into your systems, test & adapt to the latest trends, thus delivering exceptional customer experiences.

4. Flexibility and Quick Development

Headless eCommerce enables you to integrate any codebase or programming languages to develop unique, personalized user experiences across different channels.

In the headless landscape, you can use the latest, cutting-edge technologies and tools for storefront, payment gateways, etc., thus creating a fully-customized ecosystem for your eCommerce business.

For instance, if you see your audience getting inclined to a new platform, it would be a great idea to build an online presence there. For that, you need not change the entire architecture. Just focus on how to model and distribute content there and leave the rest on APIs.

Since the frontend is decoupled from the backend, updates and changes on either side don’t require rebuilding the systems on the other side. That means faster development and reduced overall costs.

5. Personalized Shopping Experience

When it comes to eCommerce, the key to building customer loyalty is to deliver a personalized shopping experience.

In the headless environment, you can integrate your systems with different touchpoints seamlessly. This way, you can deliver a personalized, consistent shopping experience to your customers no matter whether they are interacting with your brand through your mobile app or website.

What’s more? Data-driven insights about customer behavior enable you to have a better understanding about customer preferences. This way, you can customize content and marketing strategies to boost conversion rate of your eCommerce business.

6. Enhanced Security

The success of an eCommerce store depends on multiple factors, and website security is a major one. No doubt, delivering a secure shopping experience enhances customers’ trust and improves sales.

The decoupled nature of headless eCommerce offers enhanced security, thus ensuring complete protection of customer data and financial transactions. In case hackers get successful in accessing the public-facing website, they won’t be able to access private systems linked to the backend.

In headless commerce, often content delivered through APIs is read-only, this adds an extra layer of security.

What’s more? You can place the APIs in multiple layers of code to make it less vulnerable and avoid severe data breaches.

Thus, going headless gives you peace of mind that your digital assets are safe from potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Does Your Business Need Headless eCommerce?

Headless eCommerce offers unparalleled flexibility and customization, making it a perfect choice for businesses looking to deliver seamless digital experiences across multiple touchpoints and channels.

Every business is unique, and has their own requirements, goals, and budget. So, the decision to go headless totally depends on your business objectives.

We suggest you carefully analyze your eCommerce growth strategies and long-term vision, and see if headless eCommerce is aligning with them perfectly.

Here are some use cases where headless eCommerce platforms are advantageous over traditional platforms-

• Headless platforms work well with APIs, thus, websites and apps built using JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, and Ember.js can implement them.
• Financial institutions, which need custom web or mobile-based solutions need not spend thousands of dollars on commercial platforms or eCommerce apps. They can opt for headless architectures to display banners and promotional offers to boost cross-selling.
• If you are working in an industry that needs you to push your content to different channels or platforms to reach your potential customers, headless eCommerce can be the right option for you.

Key Factors to Consider While Choosing a Headless eCommerce Platform

Headless eCommerce has gained popularity among businesses looking to drive engagement and create unique, customized digital experiences across multiple touchpoints.

When you search for headless eCommerce platforms online, you get a lot of options. This makes selecting the right platform for your eCommerce business quite a challenging task. Here are some key considerations for you to make an informed decision-

Integration Capabilities

Integration helps ensure that users are getting a smooth front-end experience and the back-end functionalities are working properly.

When choosing a headless platform, always ensure that it allows integration with different analytics tools. This enables you to track key parameters such as traffic, sales data, etc. The real-time insights will help you optimize design and content to drive the best results.

Security

When it comes to online shopping, security is a key concern for customers. Any breach in your security systems may lead to identity theft and financial losses. This can cost you reputational damage and loss of customers’ trust.

So, when implementing any headless eCommerce solution, don’t forget to check security measures, such as encryption and two-factor authentication. This will help you ensure that customers’ sensitive data and your eCommerce operations are safe from potential cyber threats.

Also Read – How to Protect Your Website From Hackers? [7 Web Security Tips]

Pricing

This is another important factor to consider when looking for a perfect headless eCommerce solution for your business.

Since different headless eCommerce platforms have different pricing packages, you need to do in-depth research to find a platform that fits your budget.

If you are a start-up or small business, it’s good to choose a platform that won’t cost you too much. So, eCommerce solutions with basic functionalities will work well for you. In the initial phases, you may compromise with advanced tools that offer data-driven customer insights.

Thus, evaluate the pricing structures of different providers carefully, and go for the one that is offering the best value for your business.

Technical Support

Every eCommerce business owner has an objective- to deliver a seamless experience to anyone who visits their store. To keep your eCommerce website running smoothly and serve customers better, you need expert guidance and assistance.

Different headless eCommerce platforms employ different approaches when it comes to serving users seeking support and guidance. Some vendors offer customer support Monday through Friday while others offer support 24/7. The type of service you receive also depends on the service package you buy.

So, before you go with any headless platform, be sure to do in-depth research about their technical support and customer services. Additionally, check reviews from past customers on social media and other reputed sites to make the right choice.

Key Takeaways

Customers look for better experiences when buying products online. In fact, over 70 percent of the customers consider shopping experience as a key factor for making purchasing decisions.

Headless eCommerce solutions help businesses create personalized user experience optimized for channels and devices their customers use. With headless architecture, eCommerce businesses can integrate the latest technologies and tools with their digital assets for detailed analytics and understanding customer behavior. This helps them optimize digital experiences to meet customers’ expectations and adapt to the changing trends.

Do you need help setting up headless architecture for your eCommerce business? Get in touch with us today. Our experts will help you with custom, future-proof eCommerce solutions leveraging the industry’s best practices and cutting-edge technologies.

FAQs

Is Headless the Future of Online Retail?

In the competitive world of online retail, offering personalized shopping experience is a way to stand out. Headless eCommerce helps businesses innovate beyond pre-designed templates of traditional platforms, and optimize customer journeys for different devices and channels. Moreover, real-time insights about customer preferences and behavior can help ensure a cohesive experience to meet customers’ expectations, and increase conversion rate and customer loyalty.

Is headless eCommerce suitable for small businesses?

Well, it depends. If you are a small business looking for flexibility and customization in design and functionality, headless is for you. Also remember, going headless may cost you higher than a traditional eCommerce platform. The total cost for implementing headless eCommerce depends on several factors, such as the level of customization you need, platform you choose, etc.

How do I decide if headless eCommerce is right for my business?

To decide if headless eCommerce is right for your business, consider the following questions-

• Do you want to deliver a consistent, seamless shopping experience to your customers across different digital channels?
• Are you customizing your content marketing strategy for customers of specific segments across different channels?
• Do you want to deliver a personalized experience to customers based on their shopping preferences?

If your answer to any of these questions is YES, then headless eCommerce is for you.

How does headless eCommerce differ from traditional eCommerce?

The key difference between headless eCommerce and traditional eCommerce is that in the former, the front-end is decoupled from the back-end. This allows greater flexibility, scalability, and customization, enabling businesses to create seamless customer experiences across different channels without disturbing the back-end.

In traditional eCommerce, front and back ends are tightly coupled—if you make any modifications in the front-end, you need to change the back-end accordingly. It’s created for one channel, and can’t deliver optimal experience for other channels.

How does headless eCommerce improve omnichannel experiences?

Headless eCommerce allows you to provide a unified experience across different channels and touchpoints. You can modify the front-end for each channel based on the needs and preferences of your customers. Moreover, headless eCommerce allows integration with the latest tools and applications for detailed customer insights. This helps sales and marketing teams customize their strategies to achieve the desired results.