The Headless Commerce Structure
In a headless commerce structure, the presentation layer, which is generally a theme or template is decoupled from the eCommerce platform. However, it stays connected to the backend systems like ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning), PIM (Product Information Management), OMS (Order Management System), and other applications through an API layer. APIs are employed to deliver commerce services and pave the way for solid, secure, scalable solutions, which are platform agnostic, highly flexible, customizable and ready for any number of omnichannel integrations.
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3 Reasons To Choose Headless Commerce
#1: Flexibility & Customization
You can manage the content and deliver it to any channel. Since there’s no front-end, developers can create user experience from scratch without any constraints – to suit your brand’s image and identity. This is inconceivable with monolithic commerce platforms where templates and pre-packaged software determine user experience. Customization also involves quick and easy inclusion of systems like PIMs, OMS, ERPs, shipping logistics; modification, enhancement, extension via apps; as well as adding a custom checkout flow or a new field to customer account. It’s all achievable with a headless architecture.
#2: API Delivered Commerce
In a headless architecture, the presentation layer is removed, which hands you the power to define where commerce takes place, with the help of APIs. Data is made available, no matter what device or channel users are on. A variety of omnichannel networks can be enabled, from web applications to IoT devices, and integrated with content management systems. The two sets of APIs mostly used are REST and GraphQL. These APIs can be integrated with any touchpoint, to create advanced omnichannel experiences.
#3: Get Future Ready
With headless commerce, brands can quickly implement and develop new solutions at a much faster pace, as user experiences can be crafted from scratch because of no interdependencies, and no need for reconfiguring any back-end logic. This is primarily because a decoupled architecture facilitates seamless integration with new systems and reaches consumers swiftly. Headless commerce makes it possible to support newer technologies and trends, so that absolutely nothing slows down innovation.
Want to Deliver Commerce Functionalities Where Your Customers Are? Do It With Headless Commerce
Simplicity and Scalability
Brands focus on creating engaging front-end experiences on diverse touchpoints and devices. It’s much simpler to scale and adapt your business according to your needs, as backend can output whatever you want and get it delivered wherever you wish to. This makes way for quick and easy entry into newer regions and markets. The scalability can:
- Minimize the likelihoods of security breaches as a platform can be constantly scaled into a more safe and secure version.
- Help your business adapt better, since your backend can output anything, anywhere as per your wishes
- Meet evolving consumer demands by linking systems seamlessly to improve innovation, and increase ROI.
Multi-platform Shopping Experience
Once the logic and the functional layer is detached from the content, generating outstanding customer experience on multiple output channels becomes easy. That’s because the need for re-platforming to add any new channel is completely eliminated, especially considering the proliferation of IoT devices, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), conversational commerce, etc. A multi-platform shopping experience can:
- Power direct-to-consumer channels, for highly optimized and engaging buying.
- Enable innovative engagement strategies without causing any disruption in the back-end.
- Create room for channel-specific targeting of merchandise along with proactive marketing.
CMS Agnostic Decoupled Commerce
A headless commerce platform is front-end agnostic, which means it has no single front-end system or can have multiple heads, so that it can be accessed by the user anywhere. Content can be published on any channel, or device through APIs. In this, front-end developers get a unique advantage to use their preferred tools and frameworks. It comes in handy for:
- Customization with the help of integrations that are most suitable for your particular business and your bottom-line.
- Personalization across all web assets, entire UX, as well as customer fulfillment due to tight API integrations.
- Speedy alterations that enable you to make quick changes to your front-end, without touching the back-end.
Open Source Commerce for Innovation
Open source commerce has become the ideal choice for enterprises looking for customizability and extensibility, needed for extraordinary results. It’s relatively easy with open source to adapt to technological innovations in the field of IoT, recommendation engines, and AI assistants, that have become common place to the digital commerce industry. Open source can:
- Handle the robustness, modularity and scale needed to build superior digital commerce engines required by enterprises today.
- Offer modularity that ensures faster development by ceasing over dependence on developers, making changes easily manageable.
- Play a key role when it comes to carving out fulfilling experiences, for shoppers as well as for administrative purposes.
- The Focus of Organizations is ‘Customer-Centric’
- The Paradigm Shift in Digital Commerce
- Comparison: Traditional Commerce vs Headless Commerce
- How Does the Architecture of Headless Commerce Work?
- Is Headless Commerce Right for You Now?
- Building Your Headless Commerce Implementation Plan
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