Headless commerce has been causing a stir in the e-commerce world for some time now. Although it is not an entirely new approach, it has become increasingly important in recent months and years due to well-known players such as Adobe Commerce, Shopify and Spryker.
But what exactly is behind this concept? And is it suitable for your project? In this article, we will take a closer look at headless commerce and find out whether it could be a suitable solution for you.
What is headless commerce?
Headless commerce is an approach in which the front end and back end of an online shop are separated from each other. This allows the front end to be set up, developed and maintained independently of other parts of the system. The required data, such as products and categories, are provided via interfaces - the "head" of the system is removed, so to speak - hence the name.
One of the main advantages of headless commerce is the newly gained flexibility of being able to develop and deliver the visualisation independently of the underlying business logic. You can also benefit from an increase in performance, as the end product is leaner and specially optimised technologies are used.
However, it should be noted that headless commerce also requires more expertise, resources and efficient project management. Where a single team used to be sufficient, several teams may now be required to work together on the development and implementation of the concepts.
Advantages:
Flexibility: Changes to the design and user interface can be implemented independently of the other services and possibly even faster.
Performance: Due to the decoupling of the systems and the use of optimised technologies.
Disadvantages:
Higher development costs: It requires additional steps during implementation, increases the complexity of project management and requires specialised developers who are familiar with the various technologies.
More complex deployment: Due to the separation of backend and frontend, deployment requires better coordination and can lead to additional errors.
More complex maintenance: An additional application always means more work for the maintenance of the overall project.
The "traditional" monolith
In contrast to headless commerce, "traditional" monoliths combine the frontend and backend in an all-in-one solution. Many e-commerce frameworks are delivered with a fully functional front end that is already embedded in the overall project. This also utilises technologies that are used in other areas of the system.
With this approach, the frontend can therefore be developed together with all other areas of the application. In such a setup, both front-end and back-end developers can more easily work hand in hand on a project and implement new features.
Advantages:
Easier development: As the entire system is contained in a single code base, the development and implementation of new functions and updates is generally easier and faster.
Lower learning curve: For developers new to the project, it can be easier to familiarise themselves with a single code base than a distributed system with multiple independent components.
Lower development costs: The bottom line is that developing a monolithic system is more cost-effective as fewer specialised developers are required.
Total cost of ownership (TCO): In some cases, monolithic systems can have a lower total cost of ownership because less infrastructure and specialised resources are required.
Disadvantages:
Technology dependency: changes to a particular technology or component can affect the entire system, leading to potential compatibility issues.
Slow release cycle: As all changes need to be merged into a single code base, the release cycle can be slower.
Limited choice of technology: The choice of technologies for the entire system may be limited as all parts need to harmonise with each other.
The best of both worlds
With Spryker, the front end (YVES) is already separated from the back end (ZED) out-of-the-box. The data visible to the user (products, categories, CMS pages, etc.) is not retrieved via an SQL database, but is optimised and highly available using Redis or Elasticsearch. Spryker therefore already achieves high performance and scalability without the need for a completely independent application.
This approach enables high performance and scalability without the need for specialised tools or developers. The same tools that are used for the user experience in the storefront are also used in other areas of the application.
Spryker Oryx
With Oryx, Spryker now also offers a library to implement headless solutions more easily and quickly. In contrast to many other solutions, however, no JavaScript library is used for this, instead web components and pure JavaScript are used as the basis.
Developers who are already familiar with Spryker's architecture will find it easier to make the switch, as web components have already been in use for some time.
Conclusion
Headless commerce is undoubtedly more than just a passing trend and will continue to accompany us in the future.
In conclusion, the question arises as to whether the benefits are proportionate to the costs and time required for implementation and maintenance. The assessment of whether headless commerce is the right choice for your project therefore depends on various factors and requires individual consideration.
We will be happy to support you with the evaluation.