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You are probably hearing the word Headless a lot , but what does it actually mean ?
The word Headless has heen thrown about the a commerce
In an industry full of acronym-laden geekspeak ( yes , that is a word according to Collins ), there is little wonder that confusion and ambiguity have seemed to work their way into the minds ot many .
So , let ’ s break it down . What is headless and how does it compare with traditional e-commerce platforms ?
- merce is the seoaration between the commerce platform and the customer interface ( the “ PWA *, or Progressive Web Application , in the diagram below ). This is how the word ‘ Headless ’ came to be the name of this revolution in e-commerce technology . By separating the ‘ head ’ from the commerce platform , a new path
did all features and interactions have to be delivered via the e commerce platform itself !
Goldilocks you say ? What size is right for your organisation ?
The biggest challenge in an overly granular environment ( such as Fragmented Microservices , as pointed out by Amplience in the diagram above ) is the ability to synchronise data between point solutions . It requires two way communication between each component , and transformation to suit each native data structure of products ( including inventory and price ), customers , orders , etc . This can create a “ Data Maintenance Hell ’ of spaghetti integrations with disparate systems for users to manage !
- pled architecture make it worthwhile . By breaking the linkage between frontend and backend code , the frontend practically
risk of upgrades to the platform . It also allows the user interface to be iterated independently of the backend , which means far less disruption for deployments and more agility for the business . Having a Headless backend also enables a frontend that is powered by ( PWAs ). These run inside the user ’ s browser , allowing a
apps );
• speeds by 65 per cent , and achieving PageSpeed / WebVitals scores over 85 / 100 );
• Higher customer visibility and engagement contributing to conversion rate increases ot up to 20 per cent such as push
In 2020 , the term Composable Commerce was introduced to more aptly describe the path the technology has taken since . ocularsaron in a crovo-nauve and multi-experience world . One commerce platform ( or backend ) can now serve multiple user in-
- business functionality within the services layer via components .
functionality you don ’ t want across multiple storefronts ( such as click-and- collect , which may not be available in all regions ).
• Increased ability to handle spotty internet connectivity ( e . g ., while in transit )
As stated by the MACH Alliance , “ By default , Headless is not necessarily an all or nothing game . It isn ’ t a suite and allows for modular introduction . Going with a Headless frontend frees the commercial and marketing teams and de-risks any future changes to the backend .” This means that you can still get value from your existing installations without the risk of starting everything from scratch .
times ; however , the track records of agencies such as Aligent ( which has been delivering Headless sites since mid-2020 ) prove
- diate commercial returns , and give wings to the future of your business .