Web applications in 2024 are rapidly evolving to keep up with changing consumer needs and expectations. Headless commerce is the future of web development, enabling businesses to deliver enhanced user experiences all from a single back end.

This article will dive into why your brand should be looking at headless commerce in 2024, as well as compare Shopify’s headless solution with Next.js. We’ll also share Rooster Marketing’s expertise in commerce and how you can get started with your digital transformation today.

 

E-commerce in 2024

In 2024, an e-commerce function is an expectation for consumers, not the bonus it has been considered previously. As such, ensuring that your e-commerce features are fully operational, optimised for the customer journey and user-friendly, then you’ve got a winning combination on your hands. Headless commerce is the answer.

 

What is headless commerce?

Headless commerce simply separates front-end customer experiences from the back-end functionality of an e-commerce web application.

According to Shopify, through decoupling these layers, you can create multiple front-end experiences for different customer touch-points, parallel to tailored back-end services that meet your brand’s complex operational needs.

 

Benefits of headless commerce

Headless commerce is truly one of the fastest-growing trends in e-commerce, largely due to the range of benefits that your brand can experience, including the following.

 

Creative control

By breaking the traditional template mould of e-commerce, a headless structure enables you to personalise your website experience and create the exact look and feel that your brand desires.

And without limitations; your business doesn’t have to make any design sacrifices and even split test what you build, so that you can further optimise the customer experience.

 

Improved site performance

Websites that rank with Google have a lightning-fast average load speed of 1.65 seconds, according to WebsiteBuilderExpert. This is what your business should be aiming for. Especially as 82% of consumers say slow page speeds impact their purchasing decisions, as per data from WebsiteBuilderExpert.

Not only does this impact bounce rate, but it also affects your business’s bottom line. Improving your website speed by just 0.1 of a second improves retail conversions by 8.4% and the average order value increases by 9.2%, according to Deloitte.

Faster-loading pages, across both desktop and mobile, is just one of the many benefits of headless commerce.

 

Tool integration

According to Shopify, with powerful APIs, headless commerce enables you to integrate all your existing systems and create a shopping experience that uses a programming language tailored to your business needs.

As a result, web developers can change and optimise functionalities without impacting the entire platform. This enables your website to be completely and truly yours, with all of the capabilities you need it to have.

 

When it might not be worth it

Of course, if your brand is already thriving, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend switching to headless commerce, as it might not be worth the time and financial resources to do it.

However, if your brand is seeking a more personalised, tailored approach to the customer experience, with more flexible development for the back end – and you have the resources to do so – then consider whether headless commerce might be the best path for you.

 

Building headless commerce

Using platforms like Shopify and Next.js, headless commerce can be seamlessly adopted into your web development strategy.

Shopify’s robust ecosystem enables a re-platform to headless commerce. With complete customisation, Shopify’s full suite of tools includes built-in SEO and marketing features to help drive traffic to your e-commerce store. Its innovative flexibility enables developer freedom, as well as the capability to sell across multiple channels, all with a single back end.

Similarly, the user-centric, separate front-end approach of Next.js enables your headless commerce to thrive, building fast, SEO-friendly web applications that are tailored to your business needs. These websites perform seamlessly and provide an excellent foundation for your online presence.

 

Shopify’s Hydrogen & Oxygen vs. Next.js

Hydrogen & Oxygen

Hydrogen and Oxygen are Shopify’s official development stack for headless commerce. This collaboration of features truly enables your brand to build high-quality, immersive storefronts that are quick to build and can be scaled infinitely.

Next.js

Next.js brings speed, performance and scalability to headless commerce.

With features like server-side rendering (SSR) and static-side generation (SSG), Next.js ensures that your web applications can load quickly, enhancing the customer experience and improving retention.

Due to being a React framework, Next.js is more suitable for a wide range of projects, providing the necessary flexibility and ecosystem support for headless commerce.

 

Which should I choose?

The choice your business makes will solely depend on the types of projects you’re working on and whether your business wants a Shopify-centred experience or a more general and flexible framework, like Next.js.

 

Why Rooster Marketing?

With over 15 years of experience in delivering integrated marketing campaigns, we know the best tools and services to use to enable your business to thrive. Our team of web development experts create visually stunning, user-friendly websites that are sure to entice your audience and encourage them to engage with a comprehensive range of functions.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you get started on your e-commerce journey.