8 trillion dollars… By 2026 Global eCommerce sales are expected to hit OVER 8 TRILLION DOLLARS!!! Thats $8000000000000 (12 zeros!).
Ecommerce is not a luxury. It’s not one strategy among many. For retailers, being online is a necessity In the ever-evolving world of eCommerce, businesses are constantly seeking ways to improve the shopping experience for their customers and gain an edge over the competition For online businesses looking to reach customers across multiple channels and touchpoints, headless commerce is particularly attractive. In this blog, we’ll explore the concept of headless commerce, compare it to traditional eCommerce, and delve into the six main benefits it offers.
What is headless commerce?
In traditional eCommerce, the front-end and back-end of an online store are tightly integrated, making it challenging to customise and optimise both aspects separately. This approach limits flexibility and innovation In contrast, headless commerce decouples the front-end (the “head”) from the back-end (the “body”), allowing businesses to build the front-end website using whatever tools or languages they like—all while leveraging a commerce platform for underlying infrastructure and back office logistics. This separation enables greater flexibility and opens up a world of possibilities for creating unique, engaging omnichannel shopping experiences Who said breaking up is hard to do? Now that we understand what headless commerce is and how it differs from traditional eCommerce, let’s explore the six key benefits it brings to the table.
The six key headless commerce benefits
1. Omnichannel experiences
Traditional commerce was largely based on single- and multichannel approaches, which are now outdated in the digital age.
- Single-channel commerce relies on a single distribution channel, such as a brick-and-mortar store or an online store.
- Multichannel commerce uses multiple distribution channels, but each channel operates independently.
Omnichannel commerce creates a unified and seamless shopping experience across all channels, both online and offline. For example, brands can convert their Instagram accounts into mobile storefronts by adding the Shop Now functionality to their posts. Customers expect a consistent end-to-end shopping experience since their journey is carried out on multiple digital mediums; headless synchronises data across all channels, including e-commerce websites, social media, ad pop-ups, and chatbots.
The results speak for themselves:
According to a study by the Aberdeen Group, businesses with strong omnichannel customer engagement see an increase in annual revenue of 9.5% rather than 3.4% In essence, headless eCommerce is created for omnichannel and provides substantial benefits on many levels.
2. Rich personalisation
Personalisation is how businesses tailor interactions and marketing campaigns to individual consumers. Done right, and you win a loyal customer who feels connected to your brand Headless commerce allows for advanced personalisation strategies. By harnessing the power of customer data and integrating it seamlessly into your front-end, you can create personalised product recommendations, content, and shopping experiences. This not only boosts customer satisfaction but also drives higher conversion rates and loyalty Customers are likelier to engage with and buy from brands that understand their preferences.
The results speak for themselves:
Nearly 35% of Amazon’s sales come directly from personalisation efforts, and 56% of these shoppers are more likely to be repeat buyers Once a nice-to-have bonus, personalisation is now essential for standing out in a highly competitive eCommerce market.
3. Flexibility
One of the standout features of headless commerce is that it allows for greater flexibility and customisation of the user interface without sacrificing functionality. With a headless approach, you can quickly adapt to changing market trends and customer needs, disrupting your entire eCommerce ecosystem Businesses can experiment with new features, frameworks, and infrastructures to speed innovation and deliver new engaging experiences that move customers smoothly through the purchase cycle across devices so they can take action quickly, efficiently, and securely, building trust and brand evangelists.
4. Agility and speed-to-market
In eCommerce, speed is everything. Headless commerce accelerates bringing new products or features to market quickly by separating the front-end and back-end. This allows development teams to work independently, making updates and enhancements faster and more efficient As our world continues to be dominated by visual experiences, brands need to continue to evolve to cater to their customer’s demands. Headless systems can help by providing flexibility and an agile way of working. They can enable the creation of technologies that can be reused in multiple ways, making it easier for brands to stand out from their competitors in our increasingly visually-oriented economy Headless commerce helps you stay ahead of the competition by enabling flexibility, agility, and faster time-to-market.
5. Best-of-breed integrations
Headless commerce allows you to choose the best tools and technologies for your business. Instead of being limited to the features of an all-in-one platform, you can integrate best-of-breed solutions that cater to your specific needs. This means you can seamlessly connect with third-party services for payments, shipping, marketing, analytics, and more. These integrations streamline your operations and enhance the overall customer experience.
6. Scalability and performance
Headless provides online retailers greater flexibility in design and user experience, faster time-to-market for new features, easier integrations with third-party systems, and improved scalability and performance Retailers can better plan for that growth—and mitigate future challenges—by quickly scaling your website up or down to accommodate traffic peaks, lulls, and app volume, whether you’re dealing with millions of requests per hour or managing thousands of sites.
Is headless commerce right for my business?
Just because headless commerce has plenty of advantages, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the right option for your business. Many retailers choose to partner with headless experts in London who will guide them along the way decide whether you’re better off using headless commerce or traditional eCommerce, you should consider the following factors:
- Budget
- Business goals
- Technical skills
- Level of customisation required
- Features and functionality required
- Customer needs and expectations
Setting up and managing a headless commerce system can take more time and money than a traditional eCommerce platform, so you should ensure that the value it can provide your business outweighs the cost If your business does not require the extra customisation and functionality or a multichannel presence, it may make more sense to stick with a traditional eCommerce platform However, if your business has outgrown its CMS or the functionality of traditional eCommerce platforms, or you’re looking for a way to differentiate yourself from your competitors, going headless could be the change your business needs to grow and thrive.