Shopping online has become a part of daily life, just like grabbing a morning coffee. But there’s a buzzword changing the online shopping scene: headless commerce. It sounds technical, but it’s actually a simple idea changing how businesses build online shops and marketplaces.
In this article, you’ll learn about headless commerce, its principle and architecture, benefits, and use cases. Lots of handy info. Just don’t lose your head! Just kidding.
No, seriously, don’t.
Introduction to Headless Commerce
Imagine you have a food truck that serves delicious tacos. Initially, the truck can only sell tacos in one place at a time, and if you want to change the menu, it’s a big hassle that requires a lot of time and effort. This is like the old way of running an online store, where changing anything about how the store looks or works could be a big project.
Now, imagine if your food truck could magically split in two. One part goes around town, popping up at concerts, parks, and street corners, serving tacos wherever people are hungry. The other part stays behind the scenes, cooking up the tacos, coming up with new recipes, and making sure everything runs smoothly. This magical split allows the truck to meet its customers wherever they are, without slowing down or stopping the creation of delicious tacos.
Taco food truck unexpectedly split into two
Headless commerce is like this magical food truck. It separates the part of a business that you see and interact with (like the menu and the order window) from the part that handles all the complex stuff behind the scenes (like cooking and supply management).
This way, businesses can easily change how and where they sell their products, from websites to mobile apps to smart devices, without needing to redo all the hard work behind the scenes.
| Exciting fact: By 2028, the world of headless commerce is expected to grow significantly, showing that more businesses are catching on to this magic. They’re finding new and better ways to reach their customers, just like that magic taco truck finding new spots in the city. |
Understanding the “Head” and the “Body”
The “Head” (Frontend)
Imagine walking into a store. The way it looks, the music playing, where the products are placed—this is all part of the store’s “head.” In the online world, the “head” is the website or app you interact with. It’s the colors, layout, buttons, and menus. It’s everything you see and touch on the screen when you shop or browse online.
The “Body” (Backend)
Now, think about what happens behind the scenes in that store. There’s an inventory system, payment processing, and all the orders being managed. You don’t see these things, but they’re crucial. This is called the “body.” It’s all the technology that makes the website work. It keeps track of what’s in stock, processes your payment, and makes sure your order gets shipped.
Putting Them Together
In traditional online stores, the “head” and “body” are like a single machine. Changing anything about how the store looks (the “head”) means messing with the complex systems behind the scenes (the “body”). It’s a big deal—like trying to change the wallpaper in a room by tearing down the house.
Enter Headless Commerce
Headless commerce splits the “head” from the “body.” The “head” (what you see) can change without affecting the “body” (the behind-the-scenes technology). Want a new look for the website? Go ahead. Want to start selling on a new app? No problem. The “body” keeps working as usual, managing orders and payments.
This separation means businesses can make their online stores and marketplaces better and faster. They can try new things in the “head” without worrying about breaking the “body.” For the shopper, it means a smoother, more enjoyable experience, no matter where you’re shopping from—be it a computer, phone, or even a smart fridge.
A guy is shopping from a smart fridge and he wants a sweet taco. Disgusting.
The Benefits of Going Headless
Let’s get back to your taco truck to explore the juicy benefits of switching to headless commerce.
1. Flexibility and Customization
Think of your taco truck as being able to change its menu board and truck design anytime, without having to buy a new truck or change the kitchen equipment inside. Headless commerce lets businesses use any tool to redesign their online store’s look and feel, creating a unique customer experience.
What to consider: Just like needing a good eye for design and understanding of what your customers want, this flexibility requires creativity and some tech know-how.
2. Speed and Performance
Imagine if your taco truck could switch from a heavy, slow-moving vehicle to a sleek, fast-moving van depending on the crowd and location, without changing the kitchen inside. This is how headless commerce improves website speed and performance; the “body” (backend) stays the same, but the “head” (frontend) can be swapped out to ensure faster customer interactions.
What to consider: Keeping the truck running fast means regular maintenance and tuning, similar to needing a team to optimize your website’s frontend.
3. Omnichannel Experience
Picture your taco truck being able to serve customers at the park, at festivals, and even take orders online, all without setting up a new truck at each place. Headless commerce enables businesses to sell across various platforms like social media, mobile apps, and more, seamlessly.
What to consider: The challenge here is like managing multiple queues of customers in different locations. It requires coordination and a strategy to ensure everyone gets their tacos hot and fresh.
4. Future-Proofing
Using headless commerce is like having a taco truck where new cooking gadgets and tools can be easily added to the kitchen without needing a whole new truck. This way, headless commerce allows businesses to adopt new technologies and trends without overhauling their system.
What to consider: The downside is akin to staying updated with the latest cooking technology: it requires effort and knowledge to integrate new tools effectively and keep the operation running smoothly.
Taco truck with cutting-edge kitchen technology
How Headless Commerce Works Inside: A Simple Analogy
You’ve been serving tacos from your truck for many years. It’s time to expand your business, so you decided to open a taco restaurant.
In your new restaurant, instead of everyone shouting their orders to the kitchen, you have a waiter who takes your orders, goes to the kitchen, and brings back your delicious meals. In this scenario, the kitchen is the “body” or the “backend” of the restaurant, where all the cooking happens, and the dining area is the “head” or the “frontend” where customers see the menu, choose their food, and enjoy the ambiance.
In headless commerce, businesses operate similarly. The backend is where all the important stuff happens—managing products, processing orders, handling payments. The frontend is the part customers interact with, like websites, apps, or even smart devices. The waiter is an API. It’s a set of rules and protocols that allows the backend and frontend to talk to each other.
When you want to buy something from an online store, the API takes your order (like adding a product to your cart), communicates it to the backend (the kitchen), and then confirms back to you that your order is placed.
Because of this setup, businesses can change how their online store looks, add new sales channels, or update their systems without messing with the backend—all independently. The API operates like a bridge between the backend and the frontend, delivering functionality and visuals to customers.
The beauty of an API-first approach is like having a super waiter who can understand any language and take orders for any type of cuisine. It means businesses can be incredibly flexible and creative in how they sell their products, offering you a better shopping experience, no matter how technology evolves.
An “API” waiter delivers stuff from the backend to the frontend
In simple terms, headless commerce with an API-first approach makes online shopping better for everyone—businesses can innovate more easily, and customers get a faster, more enjoyable way to shop.
| In headless commerce, the frontend and backend are independent, allowing you to change one without affecting the other. However, they still communicate closely via APIs to execute functionality and deliver visuals to customers. |
Implementing Headless Commerce: A Closer Look at the Technology
Implementing headless commerce means setting up a system where your online store’s frontend (the part customers see) and backend (the part that handles the operations) work independently but communicate effectively.
Let’s see how this technology makes it possible and the considerations you should keep in mind.
The Foundation of Headless Commerce
At the core of headless commerce is a headless platform. This platform lives on a server or is hosted in the cloud, handling all the heavy lifting related to inventory, payments, orders, and more.
The magic happens when this platform connects to your frontend—be it a website, mobile app, or any digital interface—via an API (Application Programming Interface).
The beauty of this setup is the freedom it offers in frontend development. You can build your customer-facing side with any technology you prefer because the backend and frontend are independent. This means whether you’re using React, Vue, Angular, or even more traditional approaches, your choice won’t restrict your back-end capabilities.
Choosing the Right Backend Technology
The technology behind your headless commerce platform, particularly the backend, significantly impacts the ease, flexibility, and speed of development. One of the standout frameworks for building a headless commerce backend is Laravel, which utilizes PHP. Known for its simplicity, flexibility, and rapid development capabilities, Laravel is a top choice for businesses venturing into headless commerce.
The Role of API in Headless Commerce
APIs are the conduits through which your frontend and backend communicate. GraphQL stands out as a powerful and popular query language for API implementation in headless systems. It allows for more efficient data retrieval, giving developers the flexibility to request exactly what they need. This can lead to faster loading times and a more seamless experience for users.
Development Tools and Ecosystem
The ecosystem of development tools surrounding your chosen framework can greatly affect the development speed and ease. Laravel, for example, boasts a rich ecosystem of tools designed to streamline the development process. This ecosystem includes pre-built functions, libraries, and extensions that can significantly reduce development time and complexity.
Building Your Business Ecosystem with Headless Commerce
Headless platforms empower you to craft any frontend experience and seamlessly connect it to your backend. Moreover, you can integrate multiple third-party apps and services via APIs. This flexibility opens up various scenarios for using headless commerce:
- Creating a Business Ecosystem: Place the headless commerce platform at the heart of your business ecosystem, connecting various components—like websites, mobile apps, and third-party services—to it. This centralization can enhance efficiency and provide a unified experience across all touchpoints.
- Incorporating into an Existing Ecosystem: Alternatively, a headless commerce platform can be integrated as a component of your already established business ecosystem, complementing and extending your existing capabilities.
Considerations
While headless commerce offers numerous advantages, there are key considerations to keep in mind:
- Technical Expertise: Implementing and managing a headless commerce system requires a certain level of technical know-how, especially in dealing with APIs and managing separate frontend and backend systems.
- Initial Setup and Investment: Transitioning to a headless architecture can require a significant upfront investment in time, resources, and technology.
- Ongoing Management: The independence of front end and back end means managing two systems instead of one, which can add complexity to your operations but at the same time more structure and order to your development process.
| Headless commerce separates a store’s frontend design from its backend operations, enabling easier and faster development, and a flexible, customizable shopping experience through API connections. While it requires technical knowledge, initial investment, and ongoing management, this approach allows businesses to quickly adapt to customer needs and integrate new technologies efficiently. |
Real-World Examples of Successful Implementation of Headless Commerce
Several companies have boosted their growth by switching to headless commerce. Here are a couple of standout examples:
Walmart transformed its online shopping experience to be faster by adopting headless commerce with open technologies. By separating its website’s frontend from the eCommerce backend and utilizing a microservices architecture, Walmart created an app-like website. This strategic move led to significant eCommerce growth, surpassing its rivals.
Coca-Cola leverages headless commerce, powered by fully integrated APIs, to ensure a fluid experience across multiple channels for its worldwide customers. This method supports Coca-Cola’s expansion in its marketplaces, allows for personalized experiences, and facilitates collaboration with external partners and technologies.
Target addressed revenue losses linked to customers switching devices during their shopping journey by implementing headless commerce. This strategy improved the website’s conversion rate by offering a unified shopping experience across various devices, simplifying the process for customers to finalize their purchases.
Walmart marketplace built headless
Conclusion
Headless commerce is changing online shopping by separating the look of the store from its operational backend. This method offers great flexibility, allowing for easy updates and customizations. Benefits include better customization, faster performance, omnichannel experiences, and future-proof technology. Implementing headless commerce requires selecting suitable technologies, like Laravel for backend development and GraphQL for API communication.
Examples from leading companies like Walmart, Coca-Cola, and Target illustrate the effectiveness of headless commerce in enhancing online shopping experiences and improving business growth. Headless commerce enables businesses to adapt quickly to new trends, offering a streamlined and enjoyable shopping experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What exactly is an API, and why is it so important in headless commerce?
A: An API (Application Programming Interface) acts as a messenger that allows the frontend (customer side) and backend (operation side) of a headless commerce system to communicate. It’s crucial because it ensures that changes or updates on one end can happen independently from the other, making the system flexible and efficient.
Q: Can any business switch to headless commerce, or is it better suited for certain types of businesses?
A: While any business can switch to headless commerce, it’s particularly beneficial for those that require high levels of customization, operate across multiple channels, or need to quickly adapt to new technologies. It’s ideal for businesses looking for scalability and flexibility in their e-commerce strategy.
Q: How does headless commerce improve the customer experience?
A: Headless commerce allows for faster websites and apps, personalized content, and a seamless omnichannel experience. Since the frontend can be updated without affecting the backend, businesses can quickly adapt to customer preferences and market trends, improving the overall shopping experience.
Q: What are some challenges businesses might face when implementing headless commerce?
A: The main challenges include the need for technical expertise to manage separate frontend and backend systems, the initial investment in technology and development, and the complexity of integrating and managing multiple systems and technologies.
Q: How can businesses decide if headless commerce is the right choice for them?
A: Businesses should consider their need for website customization, speed, omnichannel capabilities, and future growth. If a business aims to provide a highly personalized and efficient online shopping experience across various platforms and devices, headless commerce might be the right choice. It’s also important to assess the readiness to invest in the necessary technology and expertise.
 | About the author: Yan Anderson is a seasoned eCommerce expert at CS-Cart, with more than 10 years in the field. He’s skilled in developing, managing, and scaling online marketplaces, making him adept at simplifying complex topics. Yan is passionate about teaching others, offering clear insights into the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in global eCommerce. |
