October 7, 2020

The latest buzz term in the online commerce world is “Headless Commerce”. Contrary to what the name suggests, this eCommerce approach is a wise and thoughtful one, bringing many benefits to retailers and brands. The idea behind headless commerce is quite simple, really. Every website or app has two ends that together form the online experience. The backend is the “under the hood” technology that makes sure things actually work, while the frontend is what the user experiences and is therefore more presentation focused. These two ends normally work together, so that every change to the page’s design (frontend) requires additional changes to the page’s mechanism (backend). But not when headless commerce is involved. It separates the two so that changes to one end don’t necessarily affect the other, leaving much room for flexibility and agility. Here’s how this groundbreaking concept improves online (and particularly mobile) shopping experiences:  

Special offers and live price updates 

When marketers want to launch a new special sale, uploading it onto the brand’s website and app requires the involvement of more than one developer. Since developers are always busy, and expanding the R&D team is costly, marketers sometimes have to put such plans on the back burner due to the lack of technical support. Being able to move fast without having to chase developers is extremely meaningful and enables the Marketing team to respond to market trends and needs almost immediately, live updating prices and offers. In addition, the fact that headless commerce is often API-based allows marketers to integrate their website and app to other helpful automation systems such as CRM and ERP.   

Dynamic and personalized content

Separating the back and front layers also allows for a lot more personalization, as well as dynamic content. shelfy.io’s dynamic shelf, which presents products based on shoppers’ behavior and preferences, can be shifted faster and easier thanks to this technology. Personalization also improves thanks to the ability to integrate AI technology with the system and adjust the content based on the algorithm’s conclusions, regardless of the slow legacy backend platform. 

Omnichannel shopping 

Combining in-store and online shopping is a great way of answering shoppers’ current preferences. Many shoppers use the retailer’s app to locate products and conduct research while physically shopping or before they head out the door. Headless commerce provides the necessary flexibility for omnichannel shopping and offers users an easier path between the online and offline channels. Online content can change in real-time according to users’ location and needs, giving different relevant information to shoppers at home and those currently at the store. 

How to get started 
Retailers and brands looking to make their eCommerce experience more agile, fast and easily integrated should definitely embrace headless commerce. Combining this approach with the rising power of mobile and IoT shopping makes even more sense, as real-time changes go hand in hand with mobility. To learn more about headless commerce and bring it into your online shopping channels, contact shelfy.io’s experts and we’ll put our heads together to create the best headless commerce experience for your business!