What is BigCommerce Headless Commerce?

Discover One of the Best Headless Commerce Platforms!

 
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Headless commerce is changing the game for online businesses. It breaks apart the front-end and back-end of your website, to give you the freedom to design a custom shopping experience that works across websites, apps, and other devices. The back end does the heavy lifting for your business while APIs deliver content to any front-end you choose. But which Headless commerce platform should you choose?

BigCommerce is a great Headless Commerce platform option for B2C and B2B ecommerce companies alike! Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in! 

 
 

Anchor Group Headless Commerce Developers

Here at Anchor Group, we develop headless commerce websites using BigCommerce and Next.js. Get in touch to learn about the headless commerce development services we offer!

 
 
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How Does Headless Commerce Work?  

Headless commerce architecture is the foundation of what makes headless commerce different than traditional ecommerce development. The front-end and back-end of the website are decoupled, so you have more freedom to select the tech stack you want for your website.  

This diagram shows a high-level look at headless commerce architecture.

Headless Commerce vs Traditional Commerce

The architecture of headless commerce makes these websites a fundamentally different product when compared to traditional commerce websites. When it comes to headless commerce vs traditional commerce, the big difference is in flexibility and control.

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Traditional Commerce is Like a Model Home

There is a standard plan, so customizations need to fit within the plan. If you truly need a feature that the plan can’t handle, then you need to build customization that extends beyond the intended functions. We’ve all seen awkward-looking additions to houses, right? 

Traditional commerce platforms have the front-end and back-end tightly connected, which limits how much you can customize your site. Headless commerce, on the other hand, decouples these.

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Headless Commerce is Like a Custom-built Home

Headless Commerce is like a custom-built home because there is no standard floor plan. Instead, the owner and builder work together to create a highly customized solution to fit the buyer’s needs.

While traditional setups might be easier to get started with, headless commerce gives you more room to grow, innovate, and deliver seamless experiences across every touchpoint! It allows you to build a unique, fast, and scalable front end with powerful back-end operations.

 
 

Looking for Headless Commerce for B2B?

BigCommerce is great option for B2B Headless Commerce! Get in touch with our team to learn more!


 
 
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BigCommerce Headless Commerce Stack

Primary Elements of Enterprise Headless Commerce

A headless commerce stack is a collection of headless commerce tools, software, and headless commerce technology that works together to enable flexible, customizable ecommerce solutions. It typically includes a back-end platform like BigCommerce for headless commerce, a front-end framework (like Vue.js or React). An API layer to connect the two. More headless commerce software can be leveraged to get the most out of the website. For example, a headless commerce CMS (content management system) like Contentful allows for streamlined content management.

 
 

Ready to start building your BigCommerce Headless Commerce Stack?

Ready to start building your BigCommerce Headless Commerce Stack? Talk to one of our headless commerce consultants today!


Anchor Group’s Headless Commerce Development Services 

Headless Commerce Development Company with US-based BigCommerce Developers

Anchor Group is a headless commerce agency that offers headless commerce development services for BigCommerce. This includes headless commerce migrations and headless commerce implementations! Most of our headless commerce development services fall into the following categories, however this is not an exhaustive list. If you don't see the headless development service you are looking for, get in touch with our team!

headless commerce front end development

Custom Front-end Development

Headless commerce front end development companies can leverage a range options to build tailored ecommerce platforms through headless commerce open source resources.

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Headless Commerce API Integrations

Headless Commerce APIs are a critical driving force behind a successful project. This is where the flexibility of headless solutions comes in with headless commerce integrations.

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Backend System Customizations

Tailor functions to align with business processes to optimize operational efficiency. This could include optimizing your NetSuite environment.

headless commerce customization

Performance Optimization

Ensuring a successful project means headless commerce optimization for SEO, site for speed, scalability, and reliability. 

 
 

Looking for Headless Commerce for B2C?

BigCommerce is great option if you're looking to launch Headless Commerce for B2C! Get in touch with our team to learn more!


 

Headless Commerce FAQs

 
  • What is Headless Commerce?

    Headless commerce separates the front-end (customer experience) from the back-end (operations), letting you create customized, seamless experiences across multiple platforms. This approach gives you more freedom to select the tech stack you want for your website, and the ability innovate and scale while ensuring the back-end systems run efficiently behind the scenes.

  • Is Headless Commerce Flexible?

    Yes, headless commerce is very flexible. It decouples the front-end and back-end, so businesses can create unique, personalized customer experiences across multiple channels and platforms. It allows for faster updates, easier integrations, and the ability to scale without being limited by a traditional ecommerce system.

  • What is Headless Commerce Architecture?

    Headless commerce architecture is a system where the front-end (the user-facing part) is completely decoupled from the back-end (the system that manages inventory, orders, and other processes). It relies on APIs to connect the front-end to the back-end, enabling greater flexibility and scalability. 

  • What are the Benefits of Headless Commerce?  

    There are many benefits of headless commerce. Some include: 

    • Customization - Headless commerce allows businesses to create unique, tailored front-end experiences without being limited by a traditional platform’s templates.
    • Faster Updates - By decoupling the front-end and back-end, businesses can quickly update and change the user interface without affecting back-end operations.
    • Great Performance - The decoupled architecture allows for faster load times and the ability to scale operations independently, handling increased traffic more efficiently.
    • Scalability - Headless commerce allows businesses to scale their operations independently by separating the front-end and back-end. This means that the back-end can handle increased traffic and complex operations without affecting the front-end experience. 
    • Integrations - Headless commerce easily integrates with third-party tools such as CRMs, marketing platforms, and payment systems, enhancing business operations and customer insights.
  • How do I Get Started with Headless Commerce?

    There are a couple of things you need to do to get started with headless commerce. First, choose a platform that supports headless architecture (i.e. like BigCommerce). Second, select a front-end technology like React, Vue.js, or Angular. This will be used to build the customer-facing experience. Third, set up APIs to integrate the front-end with your back-end systems.

    *It’s important to work with developers who understand both the headless commerce back end and headless commerce front end processes, or partner with an agency like Anchor Group that specializes in building scalable, flexible ecommerce solutions.

  • What are the Top Headless Commerce Platforms?

    The top headless commerce platforms are BigCommerce, Shopify Plus, and Magento. These platforms are set up so their customers can leverage headless commerce.

  • What is a Headless Commerce API?

    A headless commerce API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of tools and protocols that allows the front-end and back-end of a headless commerce system to communicate with each other. APIs are critical in headless commerce since in the front-end and back-end of a website is decoupled. The APIs connect the customer-facing side (like websites or mobile apps) to the back-end systems (like product management, inventory, and order processing), enabling data to flow seamlessly between the two. This is very important! This allows businesses to create customized, flexible front-end experiences while maintaining centralized back-end operations. Headless Commerce APIs also give businesses the freedom to connect with tools such as CRMs, marketing automation platforms, and ERPs.  

  • How Does BigCommerce Handle Headless Commerce?

    BigCommerce enables headless commerce by through their API-driven platform that separates the front-end user experience from the back-end ecommerce operations. Headless Commerce BigCommerce allows developers to build custom front-end experiences using frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js, while the back-end handles product catalogs, order management, payment processing, and inventory.

 
 

Want a Future Proof Headless Commerce Website?

Our team is equipped and ready to build you a headless commerce user experience to help you gain and retain customers, empowering you to grow your ecommerce operations for years to come! Get in touch with our team!

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