The best way to envision a headless e-commerce platform is to separate the frontend from the backend. On the frontend, you can have numerous interconnected elements delivering a unique user experience while not requiring any backend effort. Unified CMS platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Joomla do not offer this functionality.

The entire headless maze of functions hinges on APIs that create an ecosystem of calls and data pushes between frontend elements. For instance, a button with a converting call to action (CTA) lives on a content component, pressing it can trigger processes in one inventory management element and/or a payment processing sequence that’s managed by another standalone module.

There are so many advantages to running a headless e-commerce model, including:

Smoother Inventory Management

A self-contained inventory management system allows for a specialized experience for both the owner/admin and their customers. Often, such a tool allows for changes to inventory levels to be applied from the frontend. This removes any skill gap that hinders nontechnical team members from participating in inventory management processes.

Supports Multiple Frontends

Multiple frontend options inflate the number of choices that e-commerce store owners have when designing their applications. It also means their target market can undergo a tailored commerce experience based on where they are and when they visit the platform, among other factors.

Using polls and specific customer categories, companies can create a story that users can use to explore products. A personalized experience makes a big difference in sales.

Flexible Payment Solution

Older e-commerce platforms often specify what payment solutions are compatible (and thus mandatory to comply with) with their underlying frameworks. This limits the total calling population to individuals already using those select payment solutions and often passes the processing costs to the customer.

Flexible payment options open e-commerce businesses to the world by accepting the latest financial solutions (cryptocurrencies) as a means of tender.

Fast Content Updates

A frontend content management portal entirely cut from other e-commerce modules performs faster compared to mainstream CMSs. Unless necessary, content lives on the files it’s written and not in a central database. This makes for a lighter overall application to load and encourages changes to be made through A/B testing where you can craft and test the perfect copy and images.

Better Team Input

When you detach the majority of your storefront’s elements from the backend, it simplifies the effort required for their upkeep which allows for more participation from individual team members across departments. In addition, the input has less impact on the rest of the e-commerce platform, which reduces the risk of having everyone actively take part in content, inventory, and support functions.

Less Prone to Downtime

If one component of the headless e-commerce store fails, the chances that it affects other modules are remote. This allows for near-perfect uptime performance and better SLA objectives satisfaction. Whereas with uni-framework and CMS-only storefronts, one component failure is certain to cause ripples (errors and total failure) across the platform.