What is headless commerce?
Headless commerce is a web app architecture with the frontend separated from the backend. A funnier headless commerce definition could be derived from its name – it’s an ecommerce development approach where the head is separated from the body. In other words, if you go headless, your storefront is not so tightly linked with the store’s engine which allows you to overcome the frontend limitations of traditional ecommerce platforms, at the same time, using their engine capabilities.
Why choose headless commerce
Headless commerce infrastructure ensures way better performance and scalability than a regular website.
It allows you to easily integrate with multiple third-party services without compromising customer experience.
With headless commerce, you can create highly personalized shopping experiences across different touchpoints.
Headless approach ensures faster development and independent updates of the frontend and backend elements.
Read our article to learn more about headless commerce and how it works.
What’s the difference between traditional and headless commerce?
Unlike traditional platforms, headless commerce doesn’t rely on a single architecture that integrates both the frontend and the backend. While traditional ecommerce platforms typically provide drag-and-drop editors for creating storefronts with clear structure and minor customization opportunities, headless commerce relies on multiple frameworks and frontend tools that allows for advanced creativity. At the same time, with headless, you can use any established ecommerce engine that supports headless development to streamline inventory management, order fulfillment, etc.
What is a headless commerce tech stack?
- The most popular backend commerce platforms that support headless development are Shopify, Shopify Plus, and BigCommerce.
- Frontend frameworks for headless storefronts are React, Vue.js, Next.js, and Shopify Hydrogen. You can additionally use tools, such as Gatsby and implement Progressive Web App (PWA) technologies to enhance performance and UX.
- To connect backend with frontend, you can use headless CMSs, such as Contentful, Strapi, Prismic, and Sanity.
- For data exchange and connecting with third-party tools, use REST or GraphQL APIs infrastructures.
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