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<h2>What is Headless?</h2>
Once upon a time all we had to worry about was our website.  As a result, life was simple.  You bought your ecommerce platform, designed your desktop website for desktop and just like that your ecommerce business was online.

Today, ecommerce is very different.  Mobile is of course the priority but as if that isn't enough, many more touchpoints now need consideration.  Voice, social commerce, shoppable video, AR/VR, chat…even in store digital are in play.  Many ecommerce touchpoints means a huge range of options from which brand owners can create a unique and engaging ecommerce experience.  Unfortunately developing multiple front-ends on a legacy ecommerce architecture brings a degree of complexity that increases costs and lengthens development cycles.

That’s where headless comes in.  A headless architecture is an ecommerce stack where the front-end is decoupled from the back-end systems that power the ecommerce business.  All the stuff a customer experience designer needs from the ecommerce platform – ecommerce functions like shopping carts, inventory management and customer management, and their related business processes - are provided to the front-end by APIs in a set of headless microservices, leaving designers free to focus on designing a great customer experience.
<h2>Why Headless?</h2>
An ex-M&amp;S ecommerce executive perfectly describes the difficulties that headless overcomes, in a recent article “<a href="http://retail-innovation.com/why-retailers-need-headless-commerce">Innovating without Headless was Hard – my Experience at M&amp;S</a>".

In a nutshell, retail innovation is harder and slower on a legacy ecommerce stack and it’s almost impossible to avoid ending up with a Frankenstein-like stack.
<h3>A truly differentiated experience</h3>
Digital apps as different heads:  As a designer you can create different experiences to do anything you can think of, plug them into the body and away you go.  Headless solves the problems inherent in legacy ecommerce systems built only for one front-end.  With a headless architecture digital apps get what they need from the platform APIs.
<h3>Headless opens up new touchpoints</h3>
Consider some of the newer ecommerce touchpoints on your wish list that are perhaps low priority because integration might be too expensive.  A headless approach allows your front-end designers to create what they want in the confidence that they'll be able to access what they need from the back end.
<h3>Quicker, faster, more seamless</h3>
To quote Under Armour: “<em>The entire customer journey from the moment they enter is objectively better, it’s faster, and they can move through the journey much quicker and more seamlessly. It’s almost painless to navigate from product pages to categories. We have double digit revenue growth, 3x return rate, 65% less pre-bounce.</em>”
<h3>Rapid Agile Development and Innovation</h3>
Headless makes it faster, simpler and therefore more cost effective to build working prototypes rapidly.  It significantly lowers the bar on trying something new.
<h3>Design Flexibility</h3>
Headless allows designers more creative freedom.  No more of your legacy ecommerce platform dictating what's feasible or having to build bolt-ons to cover gaps.  With the services data you need delivered as a microservice your designers are free to create the experience you need.

Shorter and simpler development cycles, easier to innovate, greater freedom in design and the opening up of new touchpoints.  A headless approach could free you to design a truly unique ecommerce experience.

There’s a great <a href="https://www.logicspot.com/tech/the-benefits-of-headless-commerce/%20">headless explanatory diagram here</a> in this article by our friends at Logic Spot.
<h2>Who’s using Headless?</h2>
M&amp;S are in good company! Zalando, Michael Kors, J Crew, Netflix, Nike, Feel Unique, Under Armour, Lancôme and many more large brands are already dabbling.  Not all of them are using headless across their entire digital experience, but all of them are showing positive results from headless in some aspect of their online business.
<h2>Where can I find Headless?</h2>
Headless is not new and there are some great API-first and headless-focused platforms around.  Designed for headless from the ground up, platforms such as CommerceTools are well worth a look.

While the established ecommerce platform providers’ suitability for a headless approach varies, many – like Magento and Salesforce Commerce Cloud - have invested heavily over the last 2 years in ramping up their APIs.

One of our favourites, Magento is a great fit as the back-end of a headless development.  You can take either a framework approach or use a headless CMS with the likes of Vue Storefront, DEITY, Contentless or Prismic.

For online businesses looking for more of an out-of-the-box solution, Shopify can work well in a headless approach via their Storefront API.
<h2>Where can I find out more?</h2>
If your ecommerce architecture is stifling your ability to innovate perhaps a headless architecture is the answer. To find out more about headless, <a href="https://diligentcommerce.com/contact/">click here to get in touch with us</a>.  We’ll happily spend some time explaining how it works and answering questions.

Off with its Head! Is Headless the Key to Creating a Truly Unique Ecommerce Experience?

Off with its Head!  Is Headless the Key to Creating a Truly Unique Ecommerce Experience?

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Over the last few years Shopify has risen through the ranks to become one of the world’s leading ecommerce platforms, powering nearly two million stores. And while there are many ingredients that make it such a popular choice its wealth of dedicated plug-and-play Shopify apps is certainly a front-runner. With just a few, easy-to-connect modules you can turn your store into an ecommerce juggernaut. But with so much diversity it can be difficult to know what app is going to give your site the cutting edge. As a specialist <a href="https://www.logicspot.com/about-us/partners/shopify/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shopify agency</a> with dozens of projects under our belt LogicSpot has invested a lot of time working with our customers to find those true gems that will make your life easy and your ecommerce store shine. Below you will find those special apps that we find ourselves recommending time and time again. <h3>Algolia - Search</h3> There's no shortage of powerful Shopify apps for Search but <a href="https://www.algolia.com/search-solutions/shopify/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Algolia</a> is our top pick. It plugs in seamlessly to deliver relevant AI-driven search results and spotlight the items you want your customers to see. What’s more, its powerful built-in analytics tool means you can constantly tweak and optimise your marketing strategy. <h3>Klaviyo - email marketing</h3> When it comes to direct-to-customer marketing, <a href="https://www.klaviyo.com/ecommerce-integrations/shopify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klaviyo</a> is the clear leader on Shopify. Supported by its robust CRM which keeps all your customer data in one place Klaviyo will send your customers tailored messages via email and SMS based on individual behaviour and preferences. And as a truly scalable platform Klaviyo can help your Shopify store flourish whether you’re a startup or a global empire. <h3>Cookiebot - cookie policy</h3> Cookie policy and GDPR in general can be a real thorn in the side of ecommerce businesses, and a costly one at that. And sorry if you're someone that's helped push legislation on this, or have instigated getting them in place everywhere - can we be done with them already, please?   For now, we have to make sure we're handling cookies and policy and permission correctly.  This is where <a href="https://www.cookiebot.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cookiebot</a> is a genuine saviour. Plugging straight into your Shopify site, it produces a customisable consent banner as soon as a customer lands on your site. And crucially, it regularly scans your cookies to make sure everything is above board and in line with current guidelines. <h3>Elevar - hooking up Google Tag Manager and more</h3> Another exclusive Shopify app, <a href="https://www.getelevar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevar</a> takes the hassle out of tagging and tracking data. Consolidating all the many channels you rely on to maximise conversions - from Google Analytics and Tag Manager to Facebook and TikTok - Elevar allows you to manage everything from one place. And underpinned by the leading data layer app on Shopify, you’ll get accurate trustworthy results as well as convenience. <h3>Matrixify - bulk import and export</h3> Being able to bulk import and export data is a godsend to anyone managing a busy eCommerce site. But on the flipside, it can be a frustrating process with inflexible file formats throwing up hundreds of errors. Want our advice? <a href="https://matrixify.app/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matrixify</a> is the app you need to make data management a pleasure. Using simple file formats you can manage all site data from a forgiving and intuitive interface, where you only need to import or export the fields you need. <h3>Wishlist King - wishlists done well</h3> For anyone lamenting a native Shopify wishlist, <a href="https://apps.shopify.com/wishlist-king" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wishlist King</a> perfectly plugs that gap. With a free set up that customises the app to blend in with the rest of your site, customers can manage their own wishlists, both when logged in and out. It also integrates with Klaviyo and Google Analytics, can work across multiple languages, and even allows for wishlist sharing across social channels. <h3>Globo Forms - forms, simplified</h3> Even with Shopify’s intuitive CMS, creating and embedding contact forms can be tricky without some coding knowledge. <a href="https://globosoftware.net/powerful-contact-form-builder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Globo Forms</a> can be easily plugged in to do the heavy lifting here with forms made easy through a simple drag and drop format. Even complex forms with multiple fields and file uploads can be built and embedded wherever you like in minutes. And on the subject of <a href="https://apps.shopify.com/partners/globo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Globo</a> they have some handy stock management tools too. Pre-Order can boost sales by allowing products to be ordered while you’re waiting for stock to be replenished. And Back In Stock lets customers sign up for alerts when an item is out of stock and receive an email or SMS the second it’s available again. An invaluable tool when we’re still in the midst of a supply chain crisis. <h3>Loqate - address verification</h3> <a href="https://www.loqate.com/en-gb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loqate</a> is the market leader when it comes to address verification. Quick to install and cheap to operate, it’ll save your customers valuable seconds at the Checkout. And in turn increase your conversions by allowing them to select their correct address as soon as they start typing. It will also help reduce annoying typos in delivery addresses and the detective work or returns that come with them. <h3>Stockist - store locator</h3> If you have traditional bricks and mortar stores, it’s well worth investing in <a href="https://stockist.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stockist</a>. The Stockist Shopify app offers you an out of the box but fully customisable store locator, complete with interactive map. It can help improve your retail sales around the world. And it can give you valuable insights into where your customers are shopping and what they’re looking for. <h3>Loyalty Lion - loyalty</h3> And finally, <a href="https://loyaltylion.com/uk/integrations/shopify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loyalty Lion</a> is up there with the best. From simple free packages to monthly payment models it engages your customers across a range of side-wide activities. From purchases and sign ups to referrals and reviews, Loyalty Lion rewards customers with points that can be redeemed for products and promotions. If you need any more convincing, just check out some of the<a href="https://loyaltylion.com/uk/customers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> case studies </a>documenting seriously impressive results.