Headless e-commerce is an increasingly used concept among professionals. This is a unique and truly timeless technology with irreplaceable benefits in terms of control, security of the innovation process and adaptability (in response to increasingly extreme changes in the market) for an e-shop. Headless e-commerce is based on an Application Program Interface (API) and offers fast and reliable services. With the arrival of this technology, companies should be capable of reducing their reaction time to expected and unexpected changes, especially compared to (non)headless competition. But let’s go back to the very beginning and look at the essence of headless e-commerce.  

What exactly is headless e-commerce?

Headless e-commerce is characterised by the revolutionary division of the functions of e-commerce platforms, separating the “head” (the front-end) from the rest (the back-end) of the e-commerce application. To clarify briefly, in the world of technology, the front-end is the part of the site visible to customers, while the term back-end includes the whole information technology system on which the platform’s operation is based.

It’s this step that will free your site from the limits of templates or countless updates that accompany an application. With an imaginary “shrinking of the head” you will lighten the presentation layer of the web page – it will be less restricted and will offer you the option of optimising it exactly according to your ideas. This type of e-commerce architecture is thus the basis of freedom when building anything; it allows you to enrich the customer experience with something new and offers control and security not only in everyday processes, but also in the long-term direction of the company. 

A “single body” of traditional web structures

In the past, one system was traditionally used for everything – for managing and developing the entire e-commerce platform, which often, as a result of the company’s organic growth, led to a security risk or excessive use of investment resources. The problem was the “monolithic” architecture of the platform itself and the complicated process due to system constraints.

Today, traditional e-commerce web pages still have a front-end layer as standard, which ensures that everything runs uniformly, as a “single body”, so to speak. This structure simplifies the process of building an e-shop and ensures a universal experience for your customers. What can be the problem then? Traditional systems very often offer inflexible templates and add-ons that can worsen the overall impact and possibilities of your website. The simplicity you gain in most traditional structures may be at the expense of the speed, integration, or optimisation of your site. 

When layers are separated – API website structures

The implementation of the API structure ensures the separation of individual layers but also their interconnection as well as seamless communication between them. Overall, the back-end layers are brought closer to the surface, which allows users to become more familiar with your system. The great advantage of this application technology is the simplification of all development and adaptation processes linked with the positive growth of the company. 

The API ensures that your e-shop is not limited by available integrations, and it allows your site to integrate seamlessly with various other programs. Adaptation to headless allows you to change and adapt not only the appearance of the e-shop, but also user functions without any restrictions. For example, you can successfully avoid stopping all traffic during a user update.

5 reasons to choose headless e-commerce

We have already mentioned some of the advantages, but let’s look again at why headless e-commerce is a good choice. 

1.     Back-end flexibility

Headless e-commerce offers a lot more back-end flexibility, since it allows you to work directly with systems. It allows you to integrate different marketing automation tools without having to worry about compatibility issues. With a traditional site structure, you would have to find an add-on that is compatible with the template used by the website; furthermore, it would probably offer you only limited control. 

More detailed composition of the programming part

This technology of the future offers space not only for improving marketing and user functions, but also for a more detailed composition of the key programming part. These are functions without which no business can successfully operate – inventory management systems, payment channels, an accounting system, a subscriptions program, a check-out process or customer account management. All this ensures the basic functionality and secure running of the company directly from behind the scenes. And headless e-commerce offers a unique space for a better reworking of these systems.

2.     Omnichannel options

Whether customers view your e-shop's website on a computer or mobile device, the e-shop should display properly and provide sufficient security; otherwise, you may lose not only a sale but the customer completely. Here, too, headless e-commerce offers you many more possibilities than traditional web structures. 

The term omnichannel represents a strategy that focuses on offering a unified communication and experience across various sales or communication channels. Headless e-commerce allows your page to apply this strategy without replicating systems. In addition, it guarantees you the same wide scale of options for creating a unique customer experience on each channel. 

3.     Control of integration

Some companies also use headless e-commerce to integrate their shops into one domain. API allows them to develop additional functions or implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to track all the potential customers and opportunities generated from specific e-shops. 

Reducing the risk associated with optimisation

Headless e-commerce brings an incomparable reduction of the risk and time associated with optimising as part of the trend toward increasing customer satisfaction and purchasing power. Unlike its monolithic predecessors, it represents an ideal compromise on how to do the most possible for the customer while also avoiding unwanted technical complications or unexpected costs.

No risky step into the unknown

Many companies may initially see deciding on headless e-commerce as a risky move. But this is not the case. The aim of adapting to a headless architecture is not to bring security compromises – neither in the important area of ​​back-end architecture, nor overall. The building of a business on a reliable and solid foundation is key, not only for security, but also for an advantageous position or viability in a highly competitive and fast-growing market.

Prior to the arrival of the unique timeless technology of the headless system, the chances for destabilisation and collapse of the entire online platform were incomparably higher than today. It necessary to be aware that with the application of this type of web architecture, you are not really taking a risky step into the unknown; you are embarking on a reliably designed boat that can carry your company to exactly where you need it to be. Are you still hesitating? Start building headless e-commerce together with us today. We happily advise you and answer all of your questions.

Theshop.dev is a unique universal administration for your e-shop. We will be happily help you not only with fast and flexible headless approach, but also with comprehensive multilingual, currency and domain e-shop administration. We offer quality technical support when creating the e-shop and its operation, guarantee the security of sensitive data and the creation of a unique experience for your customers. Schedule your first free consultation and demonstration of the platform with us today.