Here’s why it may not be the right approach for every business
Headless CMS and e-commerce platforms are a hot topic, and it’s certainly true that they can offer significant benefits. However, it’s also the case that a headless solution won’t be the perfect fit for all businesses, and it’s crucial to evaluate the potential downsides, and cost implications, before making the switch. To help steer you toward the best decision for your company, this article will outline the top four factors to consider before deciding if you should drop the guillotine and go headless.
Re-cap: What is headless e-commerce?
A headless platform is an architectural framework, where the customer-facing frontend of your web shop is decoupled from the backend commerce and CMS functionality. Instead of a direct connection, software interfaces called APIs link these two functions together. The benefit to this approach is that the different parts of the ecommerce and web solution - such as product landing pages, databases, checkout, CMS, marketing and inventory - can be updated and managed individually. The headless approach offers a range of benefits, from improved website loading speeds, to the ability to quickly make changes without days or weeks of developer time. Importantly, by providing access to content through APIs, a headless system makes it simple to implement a truly omnichannel approach to your store.
1. So why would you choose not to go headless?
Headless has a high setup cost
Building a headless e-commerce platform from the ground and connecting the required elements through APIs is a huge development task. This is not only an expensive process, but it will have a dramatic effect on how your organization operates, which has cost implications too.
For example, a headless solution can lead to increased operational costs, because separating the frontend from the backend requires double the deployment, management and hosting resources. Managing the additional workload may require hiring-in resources from a specialist agency to assist with the development and deployment process. In contrast, a traditional monolithic platform approach is likely to require far less outside help.
However, it’s also worth pointing out that the pain and cost of implementing a headless platform is offset by the ability to implement new features and user experiences more easily and in far less time.
2. So why would you choose not to go headless?
Headless adds the need to manage tech stacks individually
In a headless platform, splitting up your tech stacks between the frontend and backend creates more work for your development team. In short, by moving to an API-controlled headless approach, you are now handling multiple vendors and technologies, each with their unique quirks, vulnerabilities, and methods of being updated, configured and maintained. In a headless platform, splitting up your tech stacks between the frontend and backend creates more work for your development team. In short, by moving to an API-controlled headless approach, you are now handling multiple vendors and technologies, each with their unique quirks, vulnerabilities, and methods of being updated, configured and maintained.
On the flipside, the headless approach also allows you to update the backend without needing to also take down the frontend web shop, so arguably the benefits again outweigh the disadvantages. What’s important is that you’re aware of the costs and additional resources a headless platform requires, before taking the plunge.
3. So why would you choose not to go headless?
Headless is not suitable for young e-commerce businesses
Headless solutions offer a tremendous number of possibilities for established, growing e-commerce businesses, but the truth is that many of these advanced functions will not be relevant to smaller companies.
Smaller web stores simply need a functioning e-commerce solution that can offer products and facilitate a transaction with the minimum of hassle. As such, smaller businesses should consider a traditional e-commerce solution first, and weigh up whether the features and abilities of a headless platform are balanced by the increased cost in resources and time. That said, it’s also important to consider your growth plans and growth potential. Headless platforms offer powerful omnichannel capabilities, which are in line with the modern, agile way of running a business. If your business plan includes rapidly growing into other channels, then it may be worth taking a headless approach from the outset.
However, for most younger and smaller businesses, headless may be too much too soon.
4. So why would you choose not to go headless?
Headless comes with a steep learning curve
While a headless platform gives you more flexibility, it also adds increased complexity. We’ve already discussed this from a technical viewpoint, but adding complexity also has an impact on your staff.
By changing the fundamental components of your e-commerce platform, you’re also changing the workflows of every member of staff who deals with the frontend and backend of your shop. This will necessitate training your marketing team to operate the new platform, and up-skilling and resourcing your development team, ready to manage the new environment.
Training and developing new skills are only part of the challenge, however, because a headless platform also changes how your different departments will need to interact. As an example, by de-coupling the frontend from the backend, the marketing teams become more reliant on the IT department to update and launch projects and campaigns on the website.
The benefit is that it becomes easier to deploy new content across multiple channels, and create even better brand exposure through more effective storytelling. Marketers can also create more personalized customer experiences due to the flexibility the headless platform affords.
However, none of this is possible without effective staff training, and a great synergy between the IT-department and marketing. As such, you must carefully evaluate whether you have the resources necessary to up-skill your departments and manage change within your business.
What is the right choice for you?
Should you go headless?
Deciding for or against a headless e-commerce platform is ultimately a choice between the increased flexibility and features of a headless development, versus the security and the ease-of-maintenance of a traditional solution.
However, providing you can meet the challenges outlined above, and prepare to manage change within your business, the many business benefits of a headless platform are undeniable.
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