What is Headless Commerce and what are its advantages?

Currently, with the rise of headless commerce, changes in users' shopping needs are becoming faster than ever. Understanding the user has become a much more complicated task than before.

Users are looking for everything almost instantly, and their online purchases are no longer limited to just a computer or phone. Technology is making it possible for online shopping to be done from virtually any electronic device.

Many of the new developers and online sellers are opting to implement headless commerce on their websites. But, do you have any idea what Headless Commerce is? If the answer is no, don't worry, we'll help you understand more about the topic.

Headless commerce (or "headless shopping" in English) refers to the separation of the frontend from the backend in an e-commerce application. Its main benefit is that it allows businesses to modify both independently.

There are countless reasons why you should consider implementing headless commerce on your website or online store. The benefits will be gained from both the company's perspective and the end user, offering advantages to you as a seller, as well as to your buyers or potential customers.

How does Headless Commerce work?

Headless Commerce disconnects the interface between users and the administration of companies' online stores by installing an API between them, which manages the data exchange, offering the possibility to check and use both environments (independently).

Using headless commerce means you can get rid of the frontend used in traditional commerce. You use an API to send content anywhere. This relationship is no longer one-way: adapting a frontend doesn't mean you have to change everything in the backend.

This means that in a company, marketing, development, and sales teams no longer work separately; the collaboration of these teams is becoming more vital for the proper functioning of a company since content and commerce needs can come together and adapt faster than before.

Difference between headless commerce and traditional commerce

The biggest difference between headless commerce and traditional e-commerce is the customization and flexibility that the former provides.

As we mentioned before, in traditional commerce, the frontend is tied to the backend, which limits experimentation, customizations, and updates, for instance, updating the interface that the user sees. This is because this kind of change requires both backend and frontend involvement.

On the other hand, headless commerce allows these last two to work separately through an API that connects data from both sides. This makes the necessary changes in the frontend simpler to implement.

Benefits of using headless commerce

The benefits of headless commerce range from the advantages it offers to your visitors, to how beneficial it is for you as a commercial establishment.

Flexibility

First and foremost, headless commerce allows you to develop a more flexible extension of your online store. This means you don't have to worry about the limitations of your website; you'll have the freedom to create any type of item or product, and ensure it's visible or active on all digital channels you need.

In other words, it makes things easier for the marketing team to create a simpler shopping environment for users.

Compatibility for various platforms and devices

It's compatible with any electronic device, so any changes and optimizations you need to make can be done from any device you have at hand.

This new method has been integrated into many of the most popular web platforms and systems (although there are still some exceptions), and you don't need an account with an additional repository; headless commerce is already integrated into your website.

Practical for experimentation

And it's much easier to run experiments to see which design or structure works best for what your users are looking for. Headless commerce gives you the chance to test before launching a completely new site, or even change small details at no cost.

It allows you to implement and integrate new features on your site quickly and easily, resulting in faster innovation and much better service for your users.

Visibility

But the biggest advantage is that anyone or any company can implement this type of commerce on their websites. Headless commerce lets you sell items that don't need a sales window, like the products and services mentioned above.

Security

In addition to all of this, headless commerce also provides you with a better service for fraud detection, as it relies on faster and more accurate data.

Some disadvantages of using Headless Commerce

The cost is very high

One of the biggest problems with headless commerce is that it requires elaborate development, translating into a much larger budget to implement it and more work hours to complete it.

Not all eCommerce platforms can implement headless commerce

No puedes usar headless commerce con todas las plataformas, esto significa que debes elegir una plataforma en la que puedas desarrollarlo antes de comenzar tu proyecto.

Headless implementation can be complicated

Typically, those who adopt this model for their online stores are companies with large development teams and infrastructure, as implementing headless commerce requires a team with extensive programming experience.

Benefits of headless commerce for users

You can offer a better user experience since, with this new eCommerce model, you can be more creative with the design and content of your online store.

It's compatible with any electronic device, so your users won't notice differences or face difficulties when browsing on different electronic devices. It also reduces the time your users spend online, making them more likely to make purchases.

The experience that headless commerce offers your users will be much more personalized and secure, as it uses safer shopping features, such as PayPal checkout or a QR code payment. It provides a different experience than what you're used to in your physical store.

Remember, the world is constantly changing, and the Internet is changing even faster, and to remain relevant, we must adapt to the new market needs.

Headless commerce means that the customer doesn't have a window into your store, and you don't know who they are or what they want until after the purchase has been made. This can be frightening for some businesses, but it's also great because you can make more sales without having an expensive storefront with 24-hour staff on hand