Ecommerce or Digital commerce has undergone tremendous evolution over the last decade, specifically due to changing buying behavior. To keep up with this change, B2B ecommerce businesses had to introduce new technology, and some even had to overhaul their entire technology stack, leading to long time-to-market or poor customer experiences. Composable and headless ecommerce architecture mitigates this problem to a large extent.
Both composable and headless architecture are API-first architectures and allow businesses agility in delivering superior customer experiences and decreasing time to market when it comes to development.
Considering the fast-changing ecommerce landscape, choosing the right architecture to build an ecommerce platform is extremely essential today for a business, as it often becomes a bottleneck in scaling ecommerce operations. Additionally, it can also help you adapt to changing demand and competition. How? Suppose you need to add some technology or components for growing data volume. A good architecture provides flexibility for future changes, if needed, and offers scope for further improvement to optimize performance and support fast growth.
Let’s discuss the two approaches in detail.
What is composable ecommerce?
Composable ecommerce architecture is similar to building a Lego set, where each Lego brick represents a different software. All the bricks come together to build the Lego. Similarly, in composable ecommerce architecture, different software and applications come together to drive ecommerce business forward. This approach reduces dependency and gives e-commerce businesses high flexibility in choosing an eCommerce platform to meet their business needs.
In composable eCommerce, the platform is built using microservices. Each microservice is packaged with separate APIs so it can be easily integrated with different services and vendors. It is intended to perform specific functions (for example, product catalog management, shopping cart, payment processing). One can develop, deploy, and scale it individually without affecting the whole infrastructure or ecosystem.
Additionally, due to the API-driven nature of composable commerce, all the applications can easily communicate with each other via API (Application Programming Interface). For example, a payment microservice can communicate with an inventory microservice via APIs to ensure that products are available for purchase when a customer checks out. This allows businesses to easily upgrade or replace the tech stack quickly as needed.
Benefits of composable ecommerce
- Tailored functionality – Composable ecommerce empowers businesses to build an ecommerce business that primarily caters to their needs without the unnecessary functions that come with traditional solutions
- High Scalability – These are highly scalable. So you don’t have to worry about crashing when the demand goes up.
- Adaptability – As and when the need arises for new services, composable ecommerce platforms can accommodate the need.
Examples of composable platforms
BigCommerce and Shopify are two popular composable platforms.
Get in touch with us to explore how Ignitiv can help you leverage Composable Commerce for your unique business needs!
What is headless ecommerce?
Headless ecommerce separates the frontend from the backend. Traditional ecommerce platforms have frontend and backend tied together. Every time a business has to make changes to the backend, chances are the front end might get faulty. Headless ecommerce architecture mitigates this dependency. Additionally, businesses have a lot more options for building their front end. This is helpful in the current landscape when businesses have to cater to fast-changing shopping behavior. Ecommerce platforms can add or replace a new frontend technology as and when required.
Benefits of headless commerce
Front-end Flexibility
- Ample opportunities to customize user interface design.
- Ability to tailor the shopping experience to align with brand identity.
- Freedom to experiment with different layouts and features without backend restrictions.
Better User Experience
- Improved navigation and ease of use for customers.
- Enhanced personalization options to cater to individual preferences.
- Increased customer satisfaction through tailored shopping experiences.
Faster Website Performance
- Separate frontend and backend interfaces ensure faster loading times.
- Reduced downtime and improved responsiveness during high traffic periods.
- Optimized performance leads to lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates.
Examples of headless commerce
Many popular websites, including Nike, Venus, and Redbox, use headless architecture to streamline their services and improve customer experience.
Find out how Ignitiv can help you implement a headless solution to boost your online presence!
Key differences between Headless and Composable Commerce
Architecture
The main difference between headless and composable commerce is in their architecture and approach to building and offering customer experiences. Headless commerce separates the front-end (what the user sees) from the back-end (how the store works). This allows for more flexibility in designing the store’s appearance. On the other hand, composable commerce goes further by breaking down the back-end into smaller, independent parts. This makes it even more flexible and easier to scale and customize the store to specific needs.
Customization and Personalization
In headless commerce, customization is primarily focused on the front-end. This allows businesses to create unique and engaging user experiences tailored to their customers. However, the back-end functionalities are typically fixed and may limit the level of personalization. On the other hand, composable commerce offers customization at both the front-end and back-end, enabling businesses to adapt and personalize every aspect of the customer journey.
Flexibility
While headless commerce provides front-end flexibility, it usually relies on a single back-end system. This can limit the overall adaptability of the tech stack. However, composable commerce offers complete flexibility across the whole technology stack.
Implementation Complexity
Composable commerce can be more complex to set up due to its many interconnected parts. Headless commerce, on the other hand, is generally simpler to implement as it involves fewer moving parts.
Speed to Market
Headless commerce is easier to set up at first, so businesses can launch quickly. However, composable commerce is better for the long run because it lets businesses modify its components more easily as their needs change.
Cost
If we talk about the initial cost, headless commerce seems cost-effective initially, but it may require more investment as we scale and customize. While the initial cost for composable commerce is higher due to the need to set up and configure modular components, it is more cost-effective in the long run.
Here in the given table, you can find the basic difference between headless and composable commerce:
| Feature | Composable Commerce | Headless Commerce |
| Architecture | Modular eCommerce; multiple components | Separate frontend and backend |
| Customization and Personalization | Allows customization at both ends | Offers customization for frontend |
| Flexibility | Complete flexibility across the tech stack | Front-end flexibility with single backend |
| Implementation Complexity | More complex due to multiple moving parts | Requires integration of frontend |
| Speed to Market | Longer initial setup, greater future adaptability | Faster custom designs |
| Cost | Higher upfront cost, lower long-term costs | Lower upfront cost, potentially higher long-term costs |
When to choose headless ecommerce?
Headless e-commerce is an excellent architecture option for businesses that are looking to invest heavily in front-end development. Enterprises with large front-end teams can benefit tremendously from it, as brands that regularly update their UIs to personalize the shopping experience and deliver a superior omnichannel experience can benefit tremendously from it.
Consider choosing headless e-commerce if:
- You have a dedicated front-end development team ready to create custom experiences.
- Your brand frequently updates its UI to stay competitive and engage customers.
- You require a flexible architecture to support personalized shopping experiences.
- You want to optimize the customer journey across multiple channels.
- You plan to scale your e-commerce platform while maintaining high performance.
- You seek to integrate various tools and services without being restricted by back-end constraints.
When to choose composable ecommerce?
Composable ecommerce is likely to be a good choice for architecture for businesses that want to move fast without breaking their system. Businesses can integrate any application quickly. It is also an excellent choice of architecture for enterprises that want to experiment with technologies/ services to deliver great results.
Consider choosing composable e-commerce if:
- You want to integrate multiple applications smoothly without system disruptions.
- Your business uses different technologies and services.
- You need a flexible architecture to respond quickly to market changes.
- You want to enhance customer experiences through tailored solutions.
- You require a scalable system that can grow with your business needs.
- You want to maintain a competitive edge by adopting the latest tools and innovations.
Pros and Cons of Headless eCommerce and Composable Commerce
Both headless and composable commerce architectures can offer scalability and performance benefits. Here are some of them listed below.
Headless eCommerce
Pros:
- Front-end flexibility.
- Better user experience.
- Faster website performance.
Cons:
- Still reliant on a single back-end.
- Requires significant developer resources.
- Limited back-end customization.
Composable eCommerce
Pros:
- Fully customizable, modular architecture.
- Ability to choose best-of-breed services.
- Long-term scalability and adaptability.
Cons:
- Higher initial implementation complexity.
- Requires strong technical expertise.
- Potentially higher costs for multiple microservices.
Real-World Examples Headless and composable commerce
Many popular brands and global websites use Headless and composable commerce to grow their business and provide a good user experience. Here are some of them listed below.
Headless Commerce:
- Nike: Launched a mobile-first shopping experience with faster loading times and better visuals for a more competitive edge.
- Venus: Increased website speed and conversion rates by switching to a headless platform and creating a PWA (progressive web app).
- Staples: Gained flexibility and optimization by adopting a headless approach, allowing for easier updates and improved customer experience.
- Walmart: Outperformed competitors in ecommerce revenue growth by using open technologies to decouple its front-end website from the back-end and build a faster, app-like experience.
Composable Commerce:
- Miko: Uses AI for personalized shopping experiences, offering tailored product suggestions and content.
- Jollyes: Streamlined operations and improved customer service with a composable platform connecting inventory management, customer relationships, and online/in-store experiences.
- Phoenix Next: Created a highly adaptable mobile-first platform with composable commerce, prioritizing fast loading times and a seamless checkout process.
- Best Online Cabinets: Offers a customizable shopping experience with 3D visualization tools that allow customers to see cabinets in their kitchens before purchasing.
- LoveCrafts: Fosters a strong community of crafters by using a composable platform with forums, project sharing, and personalized content delivery.
Conclusion: Which one is right for your business?
In summary, headless ecommerce and composable ecommerce architecture differ in the way they connect front and back to allow flexibility for customization and adaptability for businesses to meet the evolving needs of the shoppers. To choose between the two, assess your current and future goals. So you can make an informed decision.
FAQs
Yes, Shopify is a headless ecommerce platform.
The basic difference between monolithic architecture and composable architecture is in their tech stack. In a monolithic platform, the front end and back end are not separable, while in a composable platform, we can customize the tech stack and scale the business with a best-of-breed solution in a modular approach.
MACH stands for Microservices, API-first approach, Cloud-native deployment, and a Headless approach architecture. It is a modern approach to building commerce solutions that helps businesses to quickly adapt and deliver seamless experiences across multiple channels.
Headless e-commerce separates the front-end presentation layer from the back-end commerce functionality. Thus, merchants have greater flexibility and customization, while traditional e-commerce tightly couples these components and so it has limited adaptability.
Ignitiv can help you design and implement a composable or headless e-commerce solution that aligns with your business goals and budget.
Decoupled means components in software are designed to reduce dependencies so that they could communicated with each other easily without any interference. It increases flexibility and we can easily replace any tech stack if needed.
Headless CMS is a content management system that decouples the content management backend from the frontend presentation. It is accessible through any device through APIs and provide more efficient content delivery.
