When talking about content management systems (CMS), ‘headless’ is a term that you will be hearing more and more. We outline what it is and what benefits it could bring to your online presence.
What is Headless CMS?
The term headless means the head / frontend (of the website, app, etc.) is uncoupled from the body / backend (content repository). This forms a content-first approach whereby APIs access and display content in any way desired, no matter what device or interface the audience is using.
A headless CMS has an interface to add content and an API to deliver content wherever it is needed. This approach means a headless CMS does not care about how and where your content gets displayed. It is only focussed on storing and delivering structured content.
Traditional CMS, like WordPress, have a coupled frontend and backend; you upload content and your audience views it on the same platform in the way the website was designed. This means content has to be replicated on other platforms separately, for example, you then upload the same or similar content to your app. It also means that any redesigns have to be done from scratch.
The headless approach allows the content to be used on any platform and technology you can think of. Therefore, it is considered to be a powerful option for mobile and web developers.
What are the benefits of Headless CMS?
As a retailer, should you be looking to go ‘headless’? Moving to a headless CMS can be a big step but it is one that comes with a number of advantages.
Headless CMS is:
- easy, fast, and flexible to develop on – a single piece of content can be reused and combined with several different presentation outputs, plus integrations with existing systems are simple and secure
- future-proof – by separating content and frontend presentation, any rebranding or redesigns can be done via an API rather than having to completely start content from scratch, content can then be redeployed without the need for technical changes
- omnichannel-friendly – rather than managing each channel separately, a headless CMS allows marketers to create a seamless experience across all touchpoints, maintaining consistency throughout a rising number of digital avenues
- scalable – the number of touchpoints and presentation platforms for your content are unlimited, headless can deploy content to any number of digital places
- quick to learn and use so costs less – content management is simple and fast, and it is quicker for your teams to create new functionality without the need for developers input
Is Headless CMS right for your business?
It is clear that the future of content management will involve the headless approach. How quickly retailers adopt it will depend on their resources and the ‘for the masses’ offerings of headless CMS providers such as Storyblok, Contentful and Prismic.
If you’d like to talk to our team about headless technology, please get in touch.
