The way we make a living online has evolved as the market has shifted from static websites to social and other interactive ones. More and more businesses these days are adopting “headless commerce,” or doing away with traditional management structures altogether. After all, the framework enables us to go above and beyond the bounds of the conventional model to communicate with our clientele.
In any case, you could be wondering what exactly is headless eCommerce and how it operates. Find out how to make the most of this innovative approach to online retailing with the information provided here.
Headless Business 101: What You Need to Know
In the traditional eCommerce framework, a store’s frontend (mostly its website) and backend are closely linked. On the other hand, headless commerce separates the store’s frontend (its “head”) from its backend (its “tail”).
This lets us set up and show off the front (or head) of the store in different ways, including through social commerce, digital marketplaces, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The best thing about headless eCommerce is that it can be changed in different ways to give each customer a unique experience.
To do this, a set of APIs or a separate layer is set up between the platform’s front end and its back end. The API can digitally change the whole experience for any user, depending on the devices they use and the metrics they want to reach.
Why you, too, should like headless commerce
Do you know that more than 60% of retailers have moved to or are planning to move to a headless framework? So, if you’re not sure if this is the right solution for you, you might want to look at its main benefits.
Doing things faster
One of the most important reasons to use headless commerce has to do with how well your store works overall. Since the frontend and backend would no longer be tied together, your store would load faster.
Flexible frontend
As I’ve already said, headless eCommerce can help you give your customers a customizable experience. This will make you stand out from the rest and give your customers a more unique experience.
Better ways of marketing
Using headless commerce solutions is also important because it lets you add different marketing plugins. With these tools, you can reach out to each customer at a different point in the marketing funnel.
Other things to think about
Aside from that, you could use a microservice architecture in your store with the headless framework. It will also make your online store more secure overall and give you full control over it.
How to Put Headless Commerce Solutions Into Practice
Headless commerce is all about building a framework based on your audience’s needs and their experiences. To do this, you must connect your CMS (Content Management System) to the APIs you need (Application Programming Interfaces).
The importance of a scalable backend
To begin, you must determine if your backend is capable of running a headless eCommerce architecture. Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Magento are just some of the popular content management systems and online storefronts that are compatible with it. Consider moving your store to a different service if your current commerce platform doesn’t allow for vertical scalability.
Bring Together the Necessary APIs
To develop headless commerce solutions, an independent API layer must be set up between the store’s front and back ends. Several adaptable APIs, such as Angular JS and React, are at your disposal. These tools will facilitate A/B testing and allow you to scale your store’s front end based on different parameters.
Put your APIs and frontend implementation through their paces.
As soon as the APIs have been implemented, cross-platform testing can be considered. In order to accomplish this, you need only use the implemented solutions available via the internet, social media, augmented reality, voice assistants, mobile devices, chatbots, etc. Before making the headless commerce solutions available to customers, make sure they have undergone extensive testing.
Converting from a conventional to a headless model may seem like a lot of work at first, but it will be well worth the effort. The change can be made independently, with the help of an expert, or by employing readily available solutions.
Cases of Successful Headless Commerce and What You Can Learn From Them
As you may already know, the headless commerce framework has been adopted by thousands of eCommerce brands and stores. You can learn more about how this model is being put into practise in the real world by looking at the following top headless commerce examples.
Nike
One of the first companies to offer headless commerce solutions for mobile users was Nike. In order to supply a headless experience on mobile devices, the company used technologies like React SPA and Node JS. Because of this, they saw a massive uptick in sales from mobile users.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Taking a headless approach allows us to easily scale our business across multiple platforms, which is one of its main advantages. Dunkin’ Donuts did the same thing by connecting its backend systems to digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Now. For instance, Google Help has AI-integrated features that make it easy to place orders from Dunkin’ Donuts.
Koala
The Australian market is likely familiar with the Koala brand of home furnishings. The company wanted to expand its global presence despite the fact that it was already very successful. They used Shopify Plus to help them create specialised web apps to accomplish this. It allowed them to categorise their customers according to factors like the platforms they used. They could easily increase their conversion rates by providing their audience with an engaging and personalised experience.
Hardware Store
One of the largest untapped markets today is augmented reality. However, if you’re interested in learning more, dependable headless commerce solutions can be seamlessly incorporated into the front end of your store. A while back, Home Depot did the same thing by adding AR and 3D visuals to their app. Users can now choose a product and see how it would look in their desired room before making a purchase.
Sephora
If you’re looking for a major beauty and lifestyle brand that has also adopted the headless commerce framework, look no further than Sephora. Visit their social media pages like Instagram or Facebook to view a complete list of their offerings. Without ever having to visit their website, you can place an order for any of their products straight from their social media pages. Due to a headless approach and the store’s decoupled backend, they were able to accomplish this.
Put Dropship Corporation to work for you to boost your shop’s success.
In order to boost your store’s efficiency, you can employ Dropship Corporation in addition to implementing headless commerce solutions. The official AliExpress dropshipping tool, it has a wide variety of features and is simple to integrate.
- Dropship Corporation features tens of thousands of merchants spread across a wide range of markets.
- By using the program’s Supplier finder function, you can quickly select the most reliable and reputable vendor for any product.
- Shopify, WooCommerce, and Wix, among others, can easily be integrated with Dropship Corporation.
- Free to use, Dropship Corporation provides handy options like product bundling, wholesale buying, and inventory management.
- Dropship Corporation also has automation features, such as automatic tracking, order status updates, and tracking number synchronisation.
FAQs
So, what exactly is “headless” electronic commerce?
A common eCommerce architecture, it separates the store’s user interface (UI) from the backend of the service. This allows us to expand our shop across multiple channels and give each customer an individualised shopping experience.
Why is it beneficial to have a faceless business?
You can reach more people and do more business with the help of a headless architecture. It can speed up service to clients and increase the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
Can you recommend any trusted headless commerce tools?
Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Magento, Gumroad, and Commerce JS are some of the most well-known and dependable tools you can use to implement a headless strategy. On the other hand, you may want to look into API-centric alternatives like Apicart, Foxy, Vue, Shogun, and Bloom Reach.
You’re up!
Okay, that settles it. I have no doubt that after reading this manual, you will have a better understanding of headless commerce and its advantages. Headless eCommerce is an alternative to the conventional eCommerce model that may allow for horizontal store expansion.
You can learn more about the model of headless commerce by examining the cases I’ve provided above. Further, you can use Dropship Corporation to supercharge your dropshipping business and centralise all of your operations. Because of its compatibility with a wide range of e-commerce platforms, it ranks among the top dropshipping solutions available.