What is Headless Commerce?
Every e-commerce platform consists of two functional halves — the frontend and the backend. Headless commerce is where the frontend presentation layer is separated from the backend commerce layer in an e-commerce platform. So, e-commerce platform becomes service and the frontend is decoupled, that’s why we say “headless”.
Differences between headless vs traditional architectures for commerce
A traditional architecture for e-commerce platform is as one integrated system where the backend that stores content and product information is tethered to the frontend which is responsible for the layout. In traditional platform there is little room to make customizations easily. UI updates require backend changes, and any addition of new user interfaces also requires backend adjustments, the workload required always involved both front-end and related back-end changes. So, in classical approach the frontend and backend worked together, while headless commerce allows them to be independent.
Headless commerce involves eliminating the ‘head’ or front end of traditional commerce and uses an API to send content to any place. The relationship is no longer two-way: adapting a frontend doesn’t mean changing the entire backend.
For example: We have shop where we use headless approach as our backend is SAP Hybris platform and for frontend we use React.js.
Benefits of headless commerce
Flexibility of customizations
Having the flexibility of a headless system means developers can make quick changes to the frontend as needed, without making those changes on the backend. Changes as big as making a custom checkout flow and as small as adding a new field to a customer account are easy when having a decoupled architecture.
Developers Can Use Any Programming Language
Headless commerce allows developers to use any programming language they like, so they can choose whatever they’re most comfortable with. Traditional e-commerce platforms, developers have to use a particular programming language when building and modifying an online store.
Speed
A decoupled architecture allows you to make rapid changes without disturbing the back-end, and vice versa. It also means new functionalities and integrations can be applied with much less time, because of the openness of the architecture
Omnichannel retail
The buyer no longer needs to open a website in order to browse or purchase a product. The variety of sales channels has made the move to an omnichannel strategy essential for any business that wants to retain its relevance. And the main feature of an omnichannel experience is that the user receives the same quality and customization on any device or platform. With headless commerce, you can add new touchpoints easily without building a business case for a new backend every time you want to add a new frontend. This opens the door to more integrations.
Headless commerce provides ecommerce retailers with a new standard for flexibility, adaptability, and customization that can be done quickly as needed to enhance the customer experience.
API Economy
Bringing E-commerce systems to the basis, and to create a new solutions that focus only on the e-commerce logic, that has a flexible layer of APIs, that implements a separation between functions means introducing them into a new type of tech economy — API Economy.
API Economy is defined as “the exposure of an organization’s digital services and assets through application programming interfaces (APIs) in a controlled way.” It is a bundle of code that essentially acts as a bridge between digital services, allowing one app to access information or capabilities from another.
APIs play a critical role in unlocking the usefulness of data and information assets by enabling them to be combined with internal or external assets.
Just to remember that Back in 2002, Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos threatened to fire any employee connecting systems without using an API, Bezos now sits at the helm of the world’s third-largest tech company.