Top 6 headless commerce platforms in 2024: How to choose the right one

Highlights:

You'll learn about:

• When selecting headless commerce platforms, the factors to consider include scalability, compatibility, cost-savings, customization, security and omnichannel ability.
• 6 headless platforms like Contentstack and their main features.
• The steps to transition to a headless platform.
• Strategies that help you deal with the challenges of implementing a headless solution

Keep reading to learn more!

Over the past few years, your customer’s purchasing behavior has changed. They are slowly moving away from brick-and-mortar stores and adopting online shopping. The main driving force of the change is the internet era and the immediate satisfaction it provides.

But what makes e-commerce platforms unique is that they are personalized and flexible. Because of these advantages, e-commerce sales exceeded $5.7 trillion in 2022. 

However, customers' expectations are regardless of their shopping experience. Your customers want a personalized and pleasant shopping experience. How can you meet customer’s expectations? That’s why most e-commerce brands are adopting a headless commerce platform.

Read this article to understand headless e-commerce solutions, discover their architecture and benefits, and review the top platforms that will take your online business to a new level.

What is a headless commerce platform?

Headless commerce platforms involve decoupling front-end and back-end in an e-commerce store. This decoupling allows developers to tailor their UI without affecting back-end systems like inventory management, order management, and payment processing. Since more than 92% of businesses deliver personalized experiences with a headless platform, using such a platform is important. 

What is the architecture of a headless commerce platform?

The architecture of a headless platform differs from the more traditional e-commerce platform solution. The front and back end typically communicate using an application programming interface (API) to deliver content.

The decoupled system creates immense opportunities for customization and scalability, which are far beyond the capabilities of traditional commerce systems. When a customer makes a purchase on your e-commerce business, the headless system uses the API to communicate the request between the front and the back end. Let’s understand this with an example:

If a customer uses your mobile app to order a product, the UI triggers API calls, which reach the back-end or the order management system. After processing the customer’s order, the order management system communicates this to the interface. As a result, a customer can review their order status.

The process is the same, regardless of whether your customer uses tablets, mobile apps and phones, IoT devices, or desktops. 

Benefits of headless commerce platforms

Here are some headless commerce benefits:

Provides flexibility in content delivery

With headless commerce, you manage and distribute content from a centralized location through different channels such as websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices. This provides a seamless content delivery through all the touch points, resulting in a uniform and seamless user experience.

Using a unified headless approach improves customer satisfaction and allows for greater customization and personalization in content delivery. As a result, you meet individual users' unique needs and preferences. With these platforms, you effortlessly adapt to evolving technologies and customer expectations, staying ahead in the competitive landscape.

Increases performance

Separating the back-end and front-end technologies enables developers to perfect user interfaces to minimize speed, ensure faster page load time, and offer a smoother shopping experience. As a result, you can perfect and improve your e-commerce store, resulting in enhanced performance and distinguishing yourself from other online stores.

Offers advanced analytics and data-driven insights

Many headless e-commerce platforms offer analytics capabilities, providing valuable data-driven insights. With these insights, you can refine your strategies, enhance customer engagement, and make informed decisions to drive continuous improvement and growth.

These systems track and examine how customers interact with your e-commerce website. Understanding these behaviors creates a more personalized shopping experience.

Plus, real-time metrics on sales, cart abandonment rates, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) allow you to monitor your business health. This pinpoints areas that need attention and those that are performing well.

Apart from these, a headless platform gives you product and inventory insights and the ability to evaluate your marketing campaign.

Ensures unlimited customization

The ability to control all aspects of your online website is essential. The headless e-commerce approach gives you this control because it decouples the user interface from back-end operations. As a result, you customize the user experience according to your customer’s requirements.

For instance, if your customer behavior analytics show a convoluted user journey, it might discourage sales. You can calibrate the interface within a headless environment to improve navigation and ensure customer satisfaction. 

Likewise, if market indicators show that your store’s theme does not reflect the emerging brand identity, you can switch to an attractive and relevant aesthetic. The ability to quickly experiment and make adjustments is priceless as it helps you respond to changing market dynamics. 

Enhances SEO optimization

Having full control over displaying and delivering content ensures you develop SEO tactics suited to the customer’s requirements, leading to higher search rankings, greater visibility, and more organic traffic.

For instance, a headless platform generates optimized URLs, meta tags, and structured data, making your website more visible on search engines. This can result in better ranking in search results, increased organic traffic, and improved online presence for your business.

Best headless e-commerce platforms in 2024

With so many headless e-commerce platforms, comparing features and transitioning to top headless commerce platforms can increase your online business growth and visibility. The top 6 platforms to consider are:

Contentstack

As a digital experience platform (DXP) leader, Contentstack provides a headless solution that integrates seamlessly with any headless e-commerce solution to help you deliver customized and engaging content through various channels. Contentstack offers an API-first, robust analytics solution that is agile, scalable, and future-ready to respond effectively to the dynamic needs of your modern business. Also, it offers a user-friendly interface.

The platform’s innovative and cutting-edge solutions increase customer engagement, loyalty and overall customer satisfaction. With Contentstack, you develop outstanding digital experiences that resonate with your target audience.

Let’s understand how Contenstack helps an e-commerce site like Dawn Foods to create a personalized omnichannel experience and make their business more agile.

Case study

Dawn Foods chose Contentstack's MACH digital infrastructure for its ease of use and flexibility. With Contentstack's headless content management system (CMS), they empowered their marketing team to create personalized omnichannel experiences without developer assistance. They achieved agility, publishing six major releases in just six months.

The online order site became 80% faster than other sites using a monolith content management system. Overall, Dawn Foods experienced improved speed, agility, and the ability to make content changes quickly.

After using Contentstack, Gireesh Sahukar, Vice President of Digital at Dawn Foods, said: 

“I have worked with content in other systems such as Adobe, Kentico, Sitecore, and more. It was pretty painful. To think that my team is managing all the content without needing technical skills whatsoever is astonishing.”

Read the full case study here.

Key features:

• Content modeling
• Content management flexibility
• Personalization and localization
• Omnichannel capabilities
• Real-time content preview
• Extensive API integrations
• High-level security and compliance
• Developer-friendly tools

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus helps you design an intuitive and customizable interface, allowing you to create an online store based on your requirements. The headless solution ensures you generate value from the API-first approach and integration capabilities. It also offers limitless opportunities for innovation and development.

Whether you are a startup company or an already established e-commerce organization, headless Shopify offers omnichannel reach and limited personalization.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce makes your business agile and scalable and ensures better performance. This platform grows and customizes your business operations, improving the customer’s journey. Furthermore, its API-based architecture enables seamless integration of front-end and back-end systems, making it easy to deliver content and UI/UX design.

Key features:

• Powerful back-end platform
• API-driven interactions
• Flexible front-end connections
• Enhanced content and commerce integration

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce Commerce Cloud combines commerce, service, and marketing into one integrated platform. This platform uses AI-enabled personalization, global reach, and omnichannel commerce capabilities. On this platform, you develop exclusive online shopping experiences that increase customer loyalty and drive brand expansion.

The headless architecture of Salesforce Commerce Cloud ensures customization, which starts with discovery and ends at the delivery stage. This makes your business agile and helps you respond swiftly to evolving market demands.

Key features:

• Unified commerce
• AI-powered personalization
• Robust order management
• Superior inventory management integrations

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerce offers functions like scalability, making it a perfect solution for different sizes of companies. Its open-source system helps you create a personalized and custom-made solution. Primarily, it allows you to create customized shopping avenues and boost your brand recognition.

Key features:

• Personalized shopping experiences
• Powerful SEO tools
• Robust analytics

Sitecore

The headless solution offered by Sitecore provides personalized and immersive user experiences across all channels. It offers an API-first approach that allows you to design unique front-ends while ensuring integration with back-end systems. The platform provided by Sitecore includes AI-driven personalization and analytics features that give you valuable insights to keep perfecting your strategies to increase customer engagement.

Key features:

• Experience management
• API-first approach
• Flexibility in design
• Personalization at scale

Choose the right headless e-commerce platform for your business

Having identified the best headless solutions in the market, let’s explore what you should consider when adding a headless architecture to your existing tech stack. As many platforms are available, making a choice sometimes becomes very challenging. Avoiding the marketing hype and choosing one that offers everything is essential. Here are some factors to consider when purchasing a headless commerce system:

User interface

When selecting headless commerce solutions, choose a user interface that is easy to use and free from clutter. The ideal platform presents a well-organized and intuitive environment that simplifies interaction rather than complicates it. Ensure your platform’s back-end operations are straightforward.

While you may invest time in understanding the system's intricacies, your customers expect an immediate, seamless shopping experience. The user interface should facilitate quick orientation for shoppers, helping them purchase easily.

Integration

The platform should connect to existing and upcoming systems such as enterprise resource platforms, inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), payment gateways, product information management (PIM), and marketing tools. Integrating the platform with other systems may enhance efficiency and maximize the value your platform can bring in various business activities.

Customization

The platform that you select should provide many options for customization. This personalizes your storefront API according to your brand's identity and exceeds your loyal customers' expectations. With so many custom-made features and tools, you can create a truly immersive and personalized shopping experience that lasts.

Security

In e-commerce, where handling sensitive customer details is critical, choosing a platform that guarantees safety measures and safeguards customers’ vital information becomes imperative. Protecting customer information can establish trust and confidence, building long-term relationships with your valued customers.

Support and community

Having enough support from the platform provider when setting up and running your online store. A reliable platform provider solves technical issues and provides advice on improving your store’s performance.

Moreover, being a part of the vibrant community of an exciting developer and other users gives you recommendations or even some kinds of collaborations. As a result, you navigate the complexities of running an online store and stay ahead of the competition.

API flexibility

The main reason for choosing a platform that provides API flexibility is the increasing complexity of digital commerce. This will connect you with numerous systems and software, automate the processes, and personalize your platform according to the specific requirements. An API-rich environment allows the development of innovative features, high-quality user experience, and revenue growth.

Omnichannel capabilities

To interact with customers, an omnichannel approach is critical. The selected channel offers personalization to every touchpoint. Omnichannel capabilities provide a seamless and consistent user experience, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Making the transition to headless e-commerce platforms

Changing to a headless commerce architecture necessarily involves comprehensive planning and thoughtful execution. Here's a roadmap to guide your business through this transition:

Make an assessment

Begin with an in-depth evaluation of your current e-commerce environment. Know the weaknesses of your current platform and what a headless solution can bring.

Set clear goals

Set clear goals for your transition. This includes improved website performance, omnichannel uniformity, and personalized user experiences.

Research to select a platform

Evaluate your business requirements and each platform's front-end and back-end functionality to choose between a headless e-commerce system. Consider scalability, flexibility, integration potentials, security level, support services, and price.

Create a plan and implement the headless architecture

Create a comprehensive migration blueprint involving data migration, system integration, and user design. The plan should encompass timelines, roles, and responsibilities for implementation. 

Next, start your transition with the setup of the new platform, data migration, and integration of relevant systems. Validate functionality at every stage and make changes wherever necessary.

Test your platform

Perform comprehensive testing to ensure the functionality of the new platform. Look for bugs, performance issues, and customer journey validation across all touchpoints.

Launch and monitor

After successful testing, go live with the new headless commerce approach. Keep on monitoring performance and make changes where appropriate.

Challenges of switching to a headless commerce platform

Moving from a traditional e-commerce solution to a headless architecture poses numerous challenges. You can use these methods to overcome the challenges you face:

Technical complexities

While it’s not easy to implement and manage headless commerce, you can tackle this challenge by using employees with technical know-how. They can help you implement IT systems or partner with technology vendors.

Data migration

You’ll find it difficult to migrate your data from your platform to a headless architecture. To overcome this, you can use reliable data migration tools that validate the data in every step for accuracy and authenticity.

System integration

Integrating a new system with an old one is always difficult. Select a platform with high functionality in terms of integration to make this process easier.

Costs

Changing to a different platform can be expensive. Calculate your budget and evaluate the total cost of ownership, including costs associated with future scalability, maintenance, and upgrades.

Customer experience

It’s essential to ensure a smooth transition for the customer. You can schedule the transition during non-peak times and communicate well with customers to manage their expectations.

Future trends in headless commerce

You may see changes in how your customers purchase products online. This includes providing hyper-personalized global shopping services and experiences based on individual preferences and ensuring AI integrations to provide valuable analytics. You will see recommendations and greater security features to create a safe and secure online shopping environment. 

The future of digital commerce is brighter and more dynamic than ever, with a higher focus on the customers.

FAQs

What is headless commerce, and what’s the role of decoupling?

Headless commerce decouples the front and back-end systems. This gives you more flexibility and personalization in content delivery and helps you change your user interface design.

Which are the best headless commerce platforms? 

Some of the best platforms are Contentstack, Adobe Commerce, and Sitecore.

Is a headless CMS better than WordPress?

A headless CMS is better than WordPress because it separates content management from content delivery, providing added security and cross-platform compatibility. However, using a headless CMS requires more technical knowledge and may involve design complexities.

Why is headless commerce faster?

Headless commerce is faster because the front end and back end operate independently, helping you provide updates without disturbing the overall system. Additionally, API helps you deliver optimized content across different platforms, ensuring quick loading times.

What is the future of headless commerce?

The future of headless is bright as many industry experts believe it’ll become mainstream in the coming years. The flexibility and scalability it provides are better than traditional e-commerce platforms. The decoupled architecture will increase user experience and provide optimized content delivery

Learn more

While companies are slowly adopting headless commerce, it’s transforming how e-commerce businesses work. This is because a headless platform creates a personalized feeling that does better than any other platform by bringing next-level flexibility, user experience, and reporting.

Are you ready to take your e-commerce business by leap? You can schedule a free demo to understand how a headless commerce platform like Contentstack can benefit your customers’ journey.