{"id":41890,"date":"2022-12-23T15:00:18","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=41890"},"modified":"2022-12-23T11:13:04","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T10:13:04","slug":"headless-commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/headless-commerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know About Headless Commerce"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The <strong>modern shopper is an online shopper<\/strong>, and all online audiences are spoilt for choice. While an online store conceivably has an unlimited number of shoppers potentially dropping in on their website, actually reaching customers is a whole different story, while retaining them is another. In the past, we\u2019ve talked about various marketing techniques such as <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/beginners-guide-to-neuromarketing\/\">neuromarketing<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/ultimate-guide-to-content-marketing\/\">content marketing<\/a> as a way to reach new people and get them into the top section of a <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/complete-guide-to-creating-high-converting-sales-funnel-in-wordpress\/\">sales funnel<\/a>. In this article, we will be talking about something a little different: <strong>headless commerce \u2013 a way to quite literally give your shoppers what they want.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In this article, we will be providing you with a brief intro on what headless commerce is, when it is useful, as well as reviewing some of the options offered by headless commerce providers. If you feel like you already know you want to engage in headless commerce, you can skip right down to the reviews.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Here\u2019s the breakdown for you:<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-is-headless-commerce\">What is Headless Commerce<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#headless-commerce-pros-and-cons\">Headless Commerce \u2013 Pros and Cons<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#best-headless-commerce-providers\">Best Headless Commerce Providers<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;new-ecommerce-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-is-headless-commerce\"><\/a>What is Headless Commerce<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-Headless-Commerce.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What is Headless Commerce\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-Headless-Commerce.jpg 970w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-Headless-Commerce-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-Headless-Commerce-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-Headless-Commerce-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Headless commerce does not have a nice sound to it, does it? It invokes the chilling figure of the headless horseman, or the gruesome image of the headless chicken. Still, don\u2019t let yourself be seduced by the somewhat awkwardly chosen name \u2013 <strong>it has some major advantages.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]See, when you <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-start-an-online-store\/\">set up an online store<\/a> on your website, your website visitors can access your store, and see your products, your payment shipping conditions, your branding, your design, your visuals\u2026 You also get saddled with storing all the customer data and managing all their profiles in a secure way.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Headless commerce is all about <strong>separating the front and back ends of your website<\/strong> and <strong>handling all the commercial aspects of the store on a different platform<\/strong>. Basically, it disconnects your front end from your back end \u2013 hence \u201cheadless\u201d. Headless commerce solutions provide an independent commerce platform for your storefront.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]But should you resort to it?<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"headless-commerce-pros-and-cons\"><\/a>Headless Commerce \u2013 Pros and Cons<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Headless-Commerce-\u2013-Pros-and-Cons.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Headless Commerce \u2013 Pros and Cons\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Headless-Commerce-\u2013-Pros-and-Cons.jpg 970w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Headless-Commerce-\u2013-Pros-and-Cons-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Headless-Commerce-\u2013-Pros-and-Cons-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Headless-Commerce-\u2013-Pros-and-Cons-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]On the <strong>pro<\/strong> side, you get <strong>website speed<\/strong> \u2013 with the bulk of your data stored on a different platform, the website will load faster. This means a better ranking on search engine results pages (or SERPs), but also makes for a better user experience. It is <strong>easier to scale<\/strong> an external data storage, too.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The other effect of outsourced data storage is security. Now, <strong>online security<\/strong> is a major concern, and you shouldn\u2019t take it lightly. However, by not storing your customer data on your own website, you get one headache fewer, and everybody can use that.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Another positive effect is that <strong>you can make your website whatever you like<\/strong>. This means increased flexibility for your front end. Certain store solutions, such as Shopify, Etsy, and many others impose a certain uniformity. With a headless solution, you can make full use of WordPress\u2019s versatility and make your store really your own. This also means you can <strong>easily adapt your front end<\/strong> if needed, without changing the entire architecture of your store.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]On the <strong>con<\/strong> side, we primarily have the <strong>budget<\/strong>. WooCommerce is basically free \u2013 or at least has a free version that can be made into a fully functional store. A headless solution means paying for access to an external commercial platform.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]While you retain flexibility on the front end, <strong>you lose control over the back end<\/strong>. This is obvious, as you are no longer in control of the back end of the website. You need to pick a headless solution provider you can really trust.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Finally, there\u2019s the <strong>admin<\/strong>. You need to invest time and effort into maintaining your website\u2019s front and back end, and this means two different platforms. With a self-managed store, you only have the one.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"best-headless-commerce-providers\"><\/a>Best Headless Commerce Providers<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A lot of e-commerce solutions support headless commerce. Here is our selection of headless commerce services, in brief.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">BigCommerce<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BigCommerce.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"BigCommerce\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BigCommerce.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BigCommerce-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BigCommerce-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BigCommerce-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]First, we have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigcommerce.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BigCommerce<\/a>. BigCommerce handles all your customer accounts, orders, and inventory management. It also offers some styling options, the better to fit any website layout or style.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]One WordPress-specific advantage of BigCommerce is that it was specifically engineered to integrate with WordPress. BigCommerce\u2019s developers have created a dedicated WordPress plugin that connects your website with your BigCommerce account.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The BigCommerce WordPress plugin can be installed across a variety of websites, all connected to a single BigCommerce account, making it easy to tailor several shopping experiences using only one commerce platform. The plugin also lets you set the sync frequency, meaning that you have full control over how often an automatic crosscheck occurs, avoiding failed purchases and undue confusion.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">OroCommerce<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OroCommerce.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"OroCommerce\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OroCommerce.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OroCommerce-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OroCommerce-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OroCommerce-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OroCommerce<\/a> is an <strong>open-source<\/strong> ecommerce platform <strong>geared toward wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers<\/strong> \u2013 a business-to-business (<strong>B2B<\/strong>) solution. It offers a wide variety of powerful features, including customizable workflows, reporting, pricing, and permission controls out of the box. You can use a single OroCommerce account across unlimited front-end instances (websites).[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]OroCommerce uses RESTful API to ensure <strong>easy cross-platform and cross-device integration<\/strong>. To make it work best with WordPress, OroCommerce uses a free addon to its software called <a href=\"https:\/\/extensions.oroinc.com\/orocrm\/extension\/orocrm-woocommerce-connector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WooCommerce Connector<\/a>. The plugin makes it easy for you to sync your commerce platform and your website, has workflow support, and adds calls, tasks, and reminders to customer orders to ensure the best possible customer experience.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Adobe Commerce (formerly known as Magento)<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Adobe-Commerce.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Adobe Commerce\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Adobe-Commerce.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Adobe-Commerce-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Adobe-Commerce-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Adobe-Commerce-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]An Adobe company, <a href=\"https:\/\/business.adobe.com\/products\/magento\/magento-commerce.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Magento<\/a> is <strong>a market leader in cloud commerce<\/strong>, and that includes headless commerce, as part of the <strong>Adobe Experience Manager<\/strong> CMS. Adobe boasts a future-proof, API-forward approach for maximum flexibility and cross-platform integration. This boils down to a bold claim: you can use any website architecture, including WordPress, in conjunction with Adobe. Like WordPress, the Adobe Experience Manager is easily scalable and presents a robust, general-purpose architecture for any kind of online store.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">In Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]As you can see, there are good reasons to look into headless commerce as an approach to growing an online store. You do need to bear in mind that most headless solutions are premium services, so this is not for minor players and new entrants to the online market. However, if you can make use of the headless approach, it is the best way of providing a tailored shopping experience for your visitors.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Headless commerce may be a strange-sounding term but it&#8217;s an eCommerce model that actually makes a lot of sense for many businesses. In this quick guide, we&#8217;re explaining all you need to know about the headless commerce architecture, the way it works and how it can benefit your online business<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16990,"featured_media":41916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[336,56],"class_list":["post-41890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-backend-front-end","tag-ecommerce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16990"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}