The world of ecommerce is constantly changing, and staying ahead of the competition requires flexibility, customization, and scalability. With platforms like Bigcommerce and Shopify Plus leading the charge in headless commerce, businesses now have access to powerful tools that separate the frontend user experience from the backend operations. But what exactly is headless commerce, and how can it benefit your business?
In this guide, we’ll explain the concept of headless commerce, compare the leading platforms—BigCommerce and Shopify Plus—and showcase how Monogram has partnered with both platforms to deliver high-performing, flexible solutions for our ecommerce clients.
What is Headless Commerce?
At its core, headless commerce is a decoupled architecture where the frontend (what customers see) is separated from the backend (where data and functionality live). This separation allows businesses to create highly customized and flexible customer experiences without being limited by the constraints of traditional ecommerce platforms.
One of the key benefits of headless commerce is that it empowers brands to innovate quickly. You can completely overhaul your frontend user experience without impacting the backend. Want to implement a new design or user interface? You can do that in isolation, reducing the risk of breaking your ecommerce functionality and speeding up deployment times.
By using headless architecture, businesses can:
- Customize the frontend experience with greater freedom: You're not restricted by the templates of traditional platforms, giving you more control over your branding, design, and user experience.
- Scale more effectively: Decoupling means you can manage backend processes like inventory and order management while updating or scaling the frontend independently, ensuring smooth operations during traffic spikes.
- Integrate third-party services seamlessly: Whether it’s a powerful CMS like Contentful or frontend frameworks like Next.js, headless commerce lets you easily plug in and play with the best tools available, creating a truly composable architecture.
- Improve performance across devices: By optimizing frontend delivery through technologies like server-side rendering (SSR) or static site generation (SSG), headless solutions can significantly improve load times on both mobile and desktop, enhancing SEO and overall user experience.
Monogram’s expertise in headless ecommerce solutions
Both platforms excel in providing the tools necessary to create a flexible, composable architecture. Whether you're looking for the technical flexibility of BigCommerce or the ease-of-use and speed-to-market offered by Shopify Plus, Monogram has extensive experience delivering headless ecommerce solutions tailored to our clients’ needs.
At Monogram, we specialize in building headless ecommerce solutions that integrate smoothly with your existing infrastructure while providing the scalability and performance necessary to grow your business.
Bigcommerce and Shopify Plus: Top headless ecommerce platforms for 2024
Now, let’s take a closer look at two of the leading headless ecommerce platforms for 2024: BigCommerce and Shopify Plus.
BigCommerce in headless mode
BigCommerce has emerged as a top contender in the headless commerce space due to its robust API capabilities and focus on scalability. As a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform, it allows businesses to manage their backend operations while freeing up the frontend for full customization.
Key Benefits of BigCommerce:
- Open API: Bigcommerce offers open APIs that allow developers to connect to virtually any frontend experience, from content management systems (CMS) to custom-built frontends.
- Multi-channel selling: It integrates effortlessly with popular platforms like Amazon, eBay, and social media channels, making multi-channel selling a breeze.
- Scalability: Bigcommerce is designed for growing businesses, making it a great choice for enterprises that expect large traffic spikes and increasing order volumes.
- No transaction fees: One of the platform’s standout features is its lack of transaction fees, making it an economical option for businesses at scale.
BigCommerce in action: How Monogram elevated headless capabilities
Monogram worked closely with BigCommerce to showcase and elevate the platform’s headless ecommerce capabilities. Here’s how we contributed:
- Demonstrating API flexibility: Monogram utilized BigCommerce’s APIs to integrate essential third-party tools, including Contentful and Makeswift, demonstrating the platform’s flexibility for creating custom workflows.
- Optimizing for performance: We built fast-loading user experiences using Next.js and Vercel to showcase BigCommerce’s potential in mobile and desktop environments.
- Creating scalable solutions: Monogram helped BigCommerce prove its ability to handle enterprise-level scaling, providing seamless user experiences even during traffic surges.
From a technical perspective, BigCommerce excels in providing developers with the flexibility to create tailored customer experiences while ensuring the backend infrastructure remains stable and secure.
Shopify Plus in headless mode
Shopify Plus has long been a favorite in the ecommerce world, but its headless capabilities have elevated it to new heights. Shopify Plus is known for being user-friendly and offering a wide range of integrations, making it an excellent choice for brands looking for both simplicity and power.
Key benefits of Shopify Plus:
- Ease of use: Shopify Plus is designed with a user-friendly interface that allows business owners and teams to manage operations efficiently without heavy reliance on developers. Even in headless mode, Shopify Plus provides an intuitive admin experience that non-technical teams can easily navigate.
- App ecosystem: One of Shopify’s standout features is its robust app marketplace, offering solutions for everything from marketing automation to AI-driven customer insights. In headless mode, businesses can leverage these apps while still maintaining control over the frontend experience.
- Omnichannel commerce: Shopify Plus enables brands to create consistent, seamless experiences across all channels, including social media, brick-and-mortar stores, and online. With Shopify’s POS system, businesses can manage inventory, sales, and customer data across physical and digital storefronts.
- Customization: While Shopify Plus offers great out-of-the-box themes, in headless mode, you can move beyond templates and build entirely custom frontend experiences. Shopify’s Storefront API lets developers connect custom frontends using frameworks like React or Angular for a tailored customer experience.
Shopify Plus in action: Monogram’s work with Birchbox
Monogram helped Birchbox, a leader in beauty subscriptions, enhance their Shopify Plus-powered ecommerce platform by:
- Personalizing user experiences: Using Shopify’s Storefront API, we enabled personalized product recommendations based on user behavior.
- Scaling for high traffic: We optimized Shopify Plus to handle high traffic volumes during promotions and launches, ensuring fast load times and reliability.
- Improving mobile performance: As a mobile-first brand, Birchbox needed fast mobile load times, which Monogram achieved by leveraging Shopify’s headless architecture.
Shopify Plus's flexibility lies in its balance between a fast go-to-market strategy and extensive customization. It’s especially attractive for businesses with limited technical resources or those looking to test new features quickly. Monogram has implemented custom Shopify Plus solutions that emphasize performance and adaptability, helping our clients stay agile in a competitive market.
Which platform offers the most value in a composable architecture?
Both BigCommerce and Shopify Plus have significant strengths when it comes to headless commerce. Choosing the right platform depends on your specific business needs:
- BigCommerce is ideal for large-scale enterprises that require more technical flexibility and advanced API usage. If you're operating in a high-volume, complex environment that needs detailed customization, Bigcommerce can provide the scalability and control to optimize both frontend and backend performance.
- Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is the go-to platform for businesses that value ease of use, a faster time-to-market, and integration with third-party apps. Shopify Plus is well-suited for brands with rapid growth trajectories that need to launch and iterate quickly, without compromising on customer experience.
Ready to explore headless ecommerce?
If you’re interested in learning more about how headless commerce can transform your business, let’s chat. Our team of experts can help you navigate the complexities of integrating headless platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify Plus into your existing ecommerce ecosystem. Schedule a consultation today to explore how Monogram can tailor a headless ecommerce solution for you.