Business owners are always looking for a way to grow their revenue and get more customers. Fortunately, there is a solution that does just that! Meet headless commerce platforms.
These amazing solutions are becoming the new standard for eCommerce because they provide a simpler, more intuitive user experience.
Headless Commerce Platforms allow you to sell your products on any device, anywhere in the world.
It is no wonder they’re revolutionizing the way retailers do business.
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Headless eCommerce Vs. Traditional eCommerce Platforms
Traditional eCommerce platforms are designed with a desktop computer shopper in mind. It’s easier to build out products, design user interfaces, and refine marketing strategies for this type of scenario.
But when thinking about the massive growth of mobile shopping, it becomes obvious that traditional eCommerce needs an upgrade.
A headless commerce platform is focused on providing services that enable digital commerce through the internet.
These solutions are completely agnostic; they can support any retail touchpoint whether it be mobile, social media, or voice-controlled virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant.
Headless Commerce does not require you to use web browsers (like the traditional eCommerce) because they also allow you to sell your products directly from messaging apps, chatbots, social media posts, mobile apps, and other places that you probably didn’t even know existed!
Key Differences Between Headless eCommerce and Traditional eCommerce Options
There are several key differences between headless eCommerce and traditional eCommerce platforms.
Keep in mind that the list below is not exhaustive, but it does provide a good overview of what to expect when choosing your platform.
Ease of implementation
Traditional e-commerce platforms generally take longer to implement after signing up because you have to configure everything from scratch.
A headless commerce platform can be launched in minutes without writing any code or hiring expensive resources.
Customization options
Headless commerce solutions offer clients complete control over their branding while traditional e-commerce relies on templates built by developers which are very limited in terms of customization options.
Integration capabilities
It’s much easier for headless commerce to integrate other vendors and services because they base their technology on open source standards and APIs.
Developers can use the available SDKs to easily integrate services like PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.
Traditional e-commerce platforms generally can’t be integrated with other systems and require an army of consultants and developers who specialize in that particular platform.
Headless commerce solutions are built for scalability from the ground up because it’s cloud-based system.
Traditional e-commerce solutions usually go down during seasonal shopping sprees or other large influxes of traffic which makes them less desirable when you want to ensure availability 24/7 especially if you run a business that never closes.
Performance
A headless commerce system has been optimized while traditional e-commerce sites can take up to 10 seconds or more to load.
User experience
Headless commerce solutions offer a superior user experience that is completely personalized and offers the type of interface you would expect from a native mobile app, not some clunky website.
This is because headless commerce platforms use responsive design which means they scale perfectly on any device without compromising on usability or features offered by your eCommerce site.
Which Companies Are Using Headless Commerce?
The following firms are already using headless commerce solutions
Uber – The ride-sharing company switched to a new platform that allowed it to access the location of a customer and their payment options which gave them a better understanding of their customers.
Walmart – This large retail company uses headless commerce as part of its omnichannel strategy. They use messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Google Assistant as the main point of contact for customers, rather than using traditional eCommerce websites or apps.
Starbucks – This coffee retailer launched an integrated chatbot on WeChat with full integration for payments and loyalty programs. Their success is due to the fact they partnered with Tencent who knows how to do eCommerce in China!
Airbnb — operates similarly to Uber but instead focuses on finding homes for people to stay in when they’re traveling. Their headless commerce consists of tools like Kik, Siri, and Alexa integrations for customer service along with a chatbot on Facebook Messenger to help customers find homes.
GitHub – GitHub is the largest host for source code in the world that allows developers to collaborate on open source projects. They use headless eCommerce setups that consist of APIs that enable integration with the website, while the front ends are native mobile apps which gives them complete control over how their solution functions.
Boosted Boards – An electric skateboard company based out of California uses Twilio as an API gateway to connect their shopping platform to other messaging apps so customers can easily place orders through messaging apps using SMS or voice commands.
Hotel Tonight – a mobile app for hotels that allows users to book discounted rooms last minute. They use voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home to allow customers to make real-time requests.
Spotify – Instead of having their desktop app, they have moved towards an API-oriented architecture with one headless commerce platform built with the mobile apps in mind which gives them complete control over how their solution functions. This way it’s easier for them to replace or update parts of their technology without affecting other systems.
Nest – is owned by Alphabet which has allowed them to use headless commerce platforms without restrictions because they are essentially acting as another subsidiary within the organization. Their headless commerce is focused on integrating web chats into the user interface on the mobile app which allows them to give users help through conversational interfaces.
Nike – uses messaging apps like Kik or Siri for their consumer engagement, rather than traditional eCommerce sites. Their headless commerce setup consists of APIs that enable integration with these chatbots, while the front end is an iOS native mobile app that gives them complete control over how their solution functions.
Pinterest – this social network for visual discovery uses headless commerce solutions as part of their omnichannel efforts across all devices. They use Twilio as an API gateway to connect their shopping platform to other messaging apps so customers can easily place orders through messaging apps using SMS or voice commands
While it may appear that operating a headless commerce platform is more expensive than regular e-commerce, businesses need to consider the long term.
While it’s true that front-end development costs will undoubtedly rise in order to establish new and innovative digital sales channels, one must also consider how powerful these specialized technologies are when it comes to both client acquisition and client retention.
Developers can spend less money on sales and marketing activities if they build more possibilities and customization into e-commerce platforms’ front ends.
The headless commerce platform is a collection of digital services supporting eCommerce rather than a solution for web e-commerce specifically.
So, not having to deal with installing and maintaining an e-commerce application saves time and money in the long run.
You’ll save money on resources, from product licenses to hosting to website maintenance.
You will conserve funds on resources because you have more flexibility in customizing your site and reacting to client demands.
Increased flexibility and scalability
E-commerce sites are designed to handle a certain number of users, but how will retailers enable multiple payment options? How will they accommodate millions of online shoppers?
The key is headless commerce platforms, which make it possible for businesses to expand in an agile way.
These platforms are incredibly scalable and can easily be adapted to meet your eCommerce needs.
At a time when consumer buying habits and behaviors might change, as during the COVID-19 epidemic, it’s critical to have available an arsenal of digital assets that are both relevant and appropriate for their age group.
At the front end of a company, marketing solutions must be adaptable enough to meet new challenges or needs.
This includes modifying advertisements to appeal to consumers’ main interests, providing alternative delivery and pickup options, and tracking customer traffic on different digital platforms.
A headless e-commerce platform is flexible enough to shift with a company’s consumer base if their preferences change in an instant.
Headless commerce platforms are designed to be safe for their users, which means that the data is protected against malware and unauthorized access. These platforms are built on open-source software.
Also, headless commerce apps run full stack with user interface rendering happening within an isolated environment in front end web browser which prevents backend code from accessing disk space or memory of the OS running the eCommerce website.
When you install an e-commerce solution on your website, especially one made by a third party, there is always the risk that it could contain security vulnerabilities.
Unfortunately, these sorts of errors are very common because many eCommerce solutions are based on freely available packages created by large communities working together to provide components for larger projects.
You can’t possibly stay up to date with all the latest vulnerabilities when so many updates are released daily.
Not having to worry about the security of a headless commerce platform helps you save time and money in protecting yourself and your data from threats in cyberspace.
Faster time to market
Headless commerce solutions help businesses launch or relaunch e-commerce sites at record speeds by providing a codebase that’s been tested over months and years in the field.
It allows for lightning-fast development while also reducing costs significantly since there is no need to hire an external team of developers or professionals to build the foundations from scratch!
In addition, headless apps are web-based which means that changes can be made without going through the app store approval process, giving you even more flexibility when launching your website.
Another benefit is its open-source nature where one doesn’t have to deal with licensing or other vendor-related issues.
Lower risk of fraud or chargebacks
When you sell online, there’s always the risk that a buyer will make a purchase with stolen credit card information.
Chargebacks are another source of fraud that can be even more costly since sellers end up paying fines for transactions that they didn’t receive any money for.
Also, when merchants deal with different payment gateways, there is the possibility of incurring hefty fees to process each transaction.
This is why many headless commerce platforms have native support for various forms of cryptocurrency so merchants can immediately cash out in fiat currencies or use them to buy other tokens on an exchange without having to worry about transacting in cryptocurrencies themselves!
Having one wallet address to send and receive payments helps reduce errors along with making it possible for buyers to pay directly in crypto.
Headless commerce platforms are a great solution for business owners looking to grow their revenue and get more customers.
These headless solutions are tailored to be secure and stable, able to adapt quickly when your customers’ needs change, all without incurring unnecessary costs.
In this day and age where the number of eCommerce users continues to grow rapidly, it’s important that businesses move beyond just having a website and transition into providing an omnichannel experience for their buyers.
Headless commerce platforms ensure that no matter how customers want to shop online, your business will be ready!
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Rithesh Raghavan, Co-Founder, and Director at Acodez IT Solutions, who has a rich experience of 16+ years in IT & Digital Marketing. Between his busy schedule, whenever he finds the time he writes up his thoughts on the latest trends and developments in the world of IT and software development. All thanks to his master brain behind the gleaming success of Acodez.
