What is headless ecommerce architecture?
Find out how your brand’s ecommerce can be faster, more flexible, and more functional when you adopt the headless commerce approach.
5 minute read
Find out how your brand’s ecommerce can be faster, more flexible, and more functional when you adopt the headless commerce approach.
5 minute read
On this page
Headless architecture refers to a software design approach where the front-end presentation layer of an application is decoupled from the back-end content management system (CMS) or business logic. With headless architecture, you can leverage multiple backend systems such as: A headless e-commerce setup (part of a bigger approach called composable commerce) becomes an omnichannel experience. Eight advantages to headless commerce: Whether a headless commerce solutions is right for you will depend on your business needs.
Headless architecture refers to a software design approach where the front-end presentation layer of an application is decoupled from the back-end content management system (CMS) or business logic.
In a headless architecture, the front-end, also known as the "head," is responsible for rendering and displaying the user interface (UI), while the back-end, or the "body," focuses on managing data and business processes.
Headless commerce front- and back-end systems work as a team and, designed correctly, can independently handle specialized tasks without taxing the other.
In a headless commerce system, the path to purchase can include an array of internet-enabled buyer touchpoints such as social media platforms, e-commerce websites, mobile apps, online marketplaces — and now emerging touchpoints such as augmented reality (AR), Internet of Things (loT) devices, vehicle-mount computers, smart clothing, and intelligent implant devices.
In traditional e-commerce platforms, (like Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce) front- and back-end systems are tightly coupled. In headless ecommerce platforms, the back end is left without its “head” or frontend (presentation layer), where the term “headless” is derived.
A decoupled setup effectively allows an e-commerce business to build digital storefronts, or front-end public-facing systems that work like a digital concierge to guide shoppers through the experience. Meanwhile, the storefronts connect to the same back-end system that operates tools for the sales management, website security, data processes, multimedia features, and business logic.
Headless architectures also falls under the umbrella of microservices, small applications that allow marketplaces to choose the right tech providers for each business function without changing the rest of the system.
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) allow these connections to communicate with existing enterprise ecosystems on the back-end. With their help, you can create various customer touchpoints and whenever they engage with your store, information about that interaction is transmitted to your backend systems through an API call.
With headless architecture, you can leverage multiple backend systems such as:
A headless e-commerce setup (part of a bigger approach called composable commerce) becomes an omnichannel experience. Businesses’ marketing and merchandizing teams can create consistent and fully customized customer-facing digital storefronts and deliver memorable experiences across channels without disturbing the back-end infrastructure.
Headless commerce solutions empower business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) merchants to offer rich and relevant experiences from homepage to checkout.
More businesses are gravitating toward a headless system. According to a recent State of Commerce report, 77% of organizations who use headless architecture state that it gives them greater agility, allowing for optimization to their front-end experiences more quickly, meet various customer expectations, and improve conversion rates.
Headless architecture embeds commerce functionality into an entire touchpoint network.
Strategists focus on how to take the business to the next level from a growth standpoint. Whether a headless commerce solutions is right for you will depend on your business needs.
Traditional e-commerce platforms were designed with a desktop computer shopper in mind. A traditional platform might make sense for example if you’re a small and midsize business (SMB) that would require more staff or resources to build and maintain a headless framework.
As a company and its business needs grow, its e-commerce structure must also increase, and can become unwieldy, slow, and difficult to scale.
Headless can offer a powerful solution for e-commerce businesses looking to future-proof their brand with greater flexibility, scalability, and omnichannel capabilities — especially with the increased presence of artificial intelligence (AI) or voice search integration.
Sitecore OrderCloud is a cloud-based, headless, API-first ecommerce platform that empowers businesses to customize ordering experiences across their customers’ preferred devices, sales channels, and apps.