Shopify Headless Commerce: Is It Worth Your Resources?

If you're like most business owners, you're always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to increase your revenue. One of the latest trends in ecommerce is headless commerce. But what is it, and more importantly, is it worth your resources? In this blog post, we'll take a look at Shopify Headless Commerce and determine whether or not it's a good fit for your business.

What is Shopify Headless Commerce?

Simply put, headless commerce is a decoupled architecture that allows you to build your ecommerce store using any programming language and framework. The front end of your store (the part that your customers see and interact with) is completely separate from the back end (the part that powers your store). This separation gives you a lot of flexibility and allows you to build a unique shopping experience for your customers.

One of the biggest benefits of headless commerce is that it's extremely scalable. Since the front-end and back-end are separate, you can easily add new features and functionality to your store without affecting the rest of your site. This makes it easy to grow your business without having to start from scratch every time you want to make a change.

Another benefit of headless commerce is that it's more secure. Since the front-end and back-end are separate, hackers have a harder time accessing your data. This is because they would need to breach two systems instead of just one.

How Does Shopify Headless Commerce Work?

Shopify headless commerce is a type of eCommerce architecture that decouples the frontend development from the backend. This means that the front end can be developed using any programming language, framework, or platform, and the backend can be developed using any technology stack.

The main advantage of this approach is that it allows for much greater flexibility and scalability. For example, if you want to add a new feature to your frontend, you don't have to rewrite the entire backend. You can simply add the new code to the frontend and it will work with the existing backend.

Another advantage of headless commerce is that it makes it easier to develop mobile apps. Since the frontend is decoupled from the backend, you can develop a native app for each platform. This means that you don't have to worry about compatibility issues between the different platforms.

Content aimed at the end user is controlled by a backend system, such as a content management system (CMS). You can use as many backend systems as you like with headless storefronts. These include:

• content management systems
• progressive web apps
• customer relationship management platforms
• digital experience platforms

These extra SaaS (software as a service) solutions, such as a mobile app or a vending machine, create touch points for customers. You receive client data via API calls whenever they interact with your storefront.  That data is then stored in your backend system.

The data collected by the various touch points can be used to create a 360-degree view of the customer. This allows you to provide a personalized experience for each customer, which can lead to increased sales and loyalty.

Headless commerce gives you the freedom to choose the best tools for each job, without being limited by the capabilities of a single platform. It's a great choice for businesses that want to create unique customer experiences or that need the flexibility to scale quickly.

The Benefits of Headless Commerce for Your Business

There are many benefits of headless commerce for businesses. Here are some of the most important ones:

Increased Flexibility and Scalability

One of the biggest benefits of headless commerce is that it's much more flexible and scalable than traditional eCommerce platforms. This means that you can easily add new features or scale your business without having to rewrite your entire codebase.

Improved Customer Experiences

Another big benefit of headless commerce is that it allows you to create much better customer experiences. This is because you can collect data from all of your various touchpoints and use it to create a 360-degree view of the customer. This allows you to provide a more personalized experience that can lead to increased sales and loyalty.

Customers appreciate being able to shop on their terms and they're more likely to buy from a company that understands them.

Build Better Mobile Apps

Since headless commerce decouples the frontend from the backend, it's much easier to build mobile apps. This is because you don't have to deal with the complexities of traditional eCommerce platforms. Instead, you can focus on building a native app that provides an amazing user experience.

With the whole world turning to more convenient ways to shop,  it’s evident that businesses need to make a change too. Mobile applications are the future of shopping, and headless commerce helps make that happen by giving developers free rein over the data they provide consumers.

Developers will also be able to more rapidly split test different versions of an application. This is due to the fact that they don’t have to rely on a lengthy process of redeploying an entire eCommerce website each time a change needs to be made.

Hit the Market Much Faster

If you're looking to launch a new eCommerce site, headless commerce can help you hit the market much faster. This is because you don't have to build everything from scratch. You can simply use existing APIs to get up and running quickly.

One way this works is by leveraging pre-built components that are available in the Shopify App Store. For example,  you can use an app like ReCharge to handle subscription billing. This way, you don't have to worry about building this functionality yourself.

Better Control Over Your Data

With headless commerce, you have much better control over your data. This is because all of your data is stored in APIs which can be easily accessed by any third-party service. This allows you to easily integrate with other platforms and services without having to worry about losing control of your data.

For instance,  if you're using a traditional eCommerce platform, you might have to give up control of your customer data to the platform in order to use their payment processing service. However, with headless commerce, you can keep all of your data and simply use an API to connect to the third-party service.

Improved Customizability

Another big benefit of headless commerce is that it's much more customizable than traditional eCommerce platforms. This means that you can easily add or remove features without having to rewrite your code. This allows you to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs.

Customers are 40% more likely to overspend their budget if the shopping experience is tailored to their own needs. Headless brands have the agility essential for keeping up with consumer acquisition trends.

The Benefits of Shopify Headless Commerce for Your Customers

There are plenty of benefits that come along with using Shopify headless commerce for your customers. For one, they'll be able to browse and purchase products faster and more efficiently. Additionally, since there's no need for a middleman, prices are often lower than on traditional ecommerce platforms. Lastly, customers will have access to a wider range of products since headless commerce doesn't rely on a specific platform or marketplace.

Let's take a closer look at what Shopify headless commerce can offer your customers.

Provide a Balance Between Privacy and Personalized Content

With headless commerce, customers can choose how much information they want to share. This provides a balance between privacy and personalized content, which is something that many shoppers are looking for nowadays.

Additionally, since headless commerce doesn't require cookies or tracking pixels, it's a more secure way to shop online. This is especially important for customers who are concerned about their privacy and security when shopping online.

For example,  let's say a customer is looking for a new pair of jeans. They might start their search on a traditional ecommerce platform, where they're required to create an account and provide personal information such as their name, email address, and shipping address. However, with headless commerce, the customer can browse anonymously without having to create an account or provide any personal information.

Another benefit of using headless commerce is that it offers a more customized shopping experience. This is because businesses can choose which channels to use for their headless commerce strategy. For example, they can choose to sell through their website, mobile app, or even a voice-activated device such as Amazon Echo.

This flexibility gives businesses the ability to tailor the shopping experience to each individual customer, which is something that traditional ecommerce platforms lack.

Offer a Faster and More Efficient Shopping Experience

Another benefit of Shopify's headless commerce is that it offers a faster and more efficient shopping experience. This is because there's no need for a middleman, which means that prices are often lower than in traditional ecommerce platforms.

What's more, customers will have access to a wider range of products since headless commerce doesn't rely on a specific platform or marketplace. This is perfect for shoppers who are looking for something specific and don't want to be limited by what's available on a particular ecommerce site.

Think of it this way,  if a customer is looking for a new pair of jeans, they'll be able to find them faster and more easily on a headless commerce platform.

Plus, since headless commerce is built on Shopify's API, businesses can take advantage of the platform's vast ecosystem of apps and integrations. This means that they can add features and functionality to their headless commerce setup without having to start from scratch.

Creating an Omnichannel Experience

74% of consumers have utilized numerous channels to begin and finish a purchase, indicating that the customer journey is growing increasingly complicated. Another 76% prefer a variety of e-commerce outlets based on the situation at hand.

With so many different channels to choose from, it can be difficult for businesses to create a cohesive omnichannel experience. This is where headless commerce comes in.

Since headless commerce doesn't rely on a specific platform or marketplace, businesses can sell through any channel they want. This gives them the ability to create a cohesive omnichannel experience for their customers.

For example, let's say a customer is looking for a new pair of jeans. They might start their search on Google, where they'll find a link to the business's website. From there, they can browse the different styles of jeans that are available and narrow down their choices.

Once they've found the perfect pair of jeans, they can add them to their shopping cart and checkout on the website. However, if they're in a hurry, they can also choose to purchase the jeans through the business's mobile app.

This flexibility gives customers the ability to shop how they want when they want. And it gives businesses the ability to create a seamless omnichannel experience that meets the needs of their customers.

Build Better Trust and Foster Brand Loyalty

When customers feel like they can trust a business, they're more likely to become loyal fans. In fact, 85% of consumers say that they're more likely to make repeat purchases from businesses that they trust.

Headless commerce helps businesses build better trust and foster brand loyalty by offering a more personalized shopping experience. This is because businesses can use customer data to tailor the shopping experience to each individual.

For example, let's say a customer is looking for a new pair of jeans. The business might use the customer's purchase history to show them similar styles of jeans that they might like. They might also use the customer's location to show them jeans that are available in their size and in their area.

This personalized shopping experience shows customers that the business is paying attention to their needs and wants. As a result, customers are more likely to trust the business and become loyal fans.

Getting Started with Shopify Headless Commerce

If you're considering making the switch to Shopify headless commerce, there are a few things you should know.

First of all, headless commerce enables you to decouple your eCommerce backend from your frontend, giving you greater flexibility and control over your store's design and user experience.

However, this increased flexibility comes at a cost - headless commerce can be more complex and resource-intensive than traditional eCommerce solutions.

That said, once you've made up your mind, you'll quickly see that the pros outweigh the cons. Here's how you can get started with Shopify headless commerce.

Choose a Headless CMS

Headless content management systems (CMS) provide the easiest way to manage the information being distributed via different channels. You can tailor your front-end output for each user using a single CMS, which will allow you greater control over what material is sent where and when it's most appropriate - without having separate back ends or API integration problems! 

In addition, there are also SaaS options that may be more cost-effective if this type of system isn't quite right either due to its complexity; they offer prebuilt platforms so all you need to customize them according to how your business operates.

Sync Your APIs and CMS

To make the switch from a more traditional eCommerce platform, we advocate taking modest steps rather than going all in. Create APIs for smaller pieces of your headless CMS and sync them with backend codes so that you can independently manage content on multiple channels without affecting other parts or having to rely exclusively on one system like Shopify Plus subscriptions do nowadays!

Doing this will also help you to keep track of things more easily and know what needs to be updated and where, as each channel can have its own unique requirements.

Shopify Headless Commerce Use Cases

When you’re running an online store, there are a lot of moving parts. You need to worry about your product catalog, your inventory, your fulfillment process, and of course, making sure that your customers have a great experience when they visit your site. And if you want to be successful, you need to make sure that all of these pieces work together seamlessly.

That’s where Shopify headless commerce comes in.

Multi-Channel Integration

If you’re selling on multiple platforms, headless commerce can help you manage your product catalog and inventory in one central place. This means that you can update your products and pricing in real-time, across all of your channels.

This is especially helpful if you’re selling on both your own website and on marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. With headless commerce, you can manage your product catalog in one place, and push those changes out to all of your sales channels automatically.

Streamlining PCI Compliance, Providing Fraud Protection, and Enabling Checkout Security

When you’re running an online store, you need to be PCI compliant. This means that you need to have certain security measures in place to protect your customers’ credit card information.

With headless commerce, all of your customer data is stored in one central location. This makes it easier for you to comply with PCI regulations. And it also provides an extra layer of protection against fraud.

Headless commerce can also help you enable checkout security features like SSL encryption and three-dimensional Secure (3-D secure). These features protect your customers’ credit card information during the checkout process, and they can help you avoid costly chargebacks.

Endless Customization Possibilities

One of the benefits of headless commerce is that it gives you complete control over the look and feel of your website. With a traditional “monolithic” eCommerce platform, you’re limited to the themes and templates that are available.

With headless commerce, you can use any front-end framework that you want. This means that you’re not limited by the platform’s built-in themes and templates. You can create a completely custom look for your website, and you can tailor the user experience to match your brand identity.

Is Shopify Headless Commerce a Good Choice?: What Webinopoly Experts Have to Say

At Webinopoly, our team of ecommerce experts has a lot of experience with Shopify. We're often asked by our clients if headless commerce is a good idea for their business. While there are pros and cons to using a headless commerce platform like Shopify, we believe that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for most businesses.

Some of the advantages of using Shopify for headless commerce include:

• Shopify is a scalable platform that can grow your business.
• You have complete control over the look and feel of your ecommerce site.
• Shopify offers a wide range of features and plugins to choose from.

There are some potential downsides to using Shopify as well, including:

• It can be more expensive to set up and maintain a headless commerce site on Shopify.
• You'll need to invest in additional resources to manage your headless commerce site.

Overall, we believe that the benefits of using Shopify for headless commerce outweigh the drawbacks. If you're considering using Shopify for your ecommerce business, we recommend talking to one of our experts to see if it's the right platform for you.

How Our Experts Can Help You

Webinopoly is a full-service ecommerce agency. We can help you with everything from choosing the right platform for your business to designing and developing your ecommerce website.

If you're interested in learning more about Shopify headless commerce, we invite you to contact us today. One of our experts would be happy to answer any of your questions.

The Bottom Line

Shopify headless commerce is a great choice for businesses that are looking for a scalable platform with complete control over the look and feel of their ecommerce site. While there may be some additional costs associated with using Shopify, we believe that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for most businesses.

If you're considering using Shopify for your ecommerce business, contact Webinopoly today to talk to one of our experts. We'll help you determine if Shopify is the right platform for your business and assist you with setting up your headless commerce site.

What do you think? Is Shopify headless commerce a good choice for your business? Let us know in the comments below.