The State of B2B eCommerce Report

The needs and expectations of B2B buyers are evolving rapidly, and the demands for seamless self-service buying and e-commerce experiences are growing.

We compiled results that show that while there is a movement of early innovators who are prioritizing their eCommerce experience, and removing friction wherever possible, there is still a gap between buyer expectations and company execution when it comes to eCommerce. 

While headless architecture has been around for quite a while now, like most technological advancements, it was mainly confined to larger businesses prone to such early adoption techniques when it first got its start.

As those businesses began using it and started seeing the benefits, it became clearer how powerful and useful this method was.  

Once the advantages of utilizing this technology grew more obvious and people started talking more about it, the idea of headless eCommerce platforms and websites made their way into the mainstream. The concept has been gaining more traction, growing in relevance, and getting a fair amount more recognition as of late.

As more people began selling online, technology evolved to meet their needs as well. This led to quite a few major advances for headless eCommerce in 2022—a trend that is expected to continue well into 2023 and beyond. This boom in capabilities and discussion has been having quite a profound effect on the eCommerce landscape.

Articles surrounding topics like the top headless commerce platforms and which companies have become the best headless eCommerce businesses have been flooding sellers' feeds. More and more mainstream SMBs have started thinking about modernizing their eCommerce businesses as well in response.

These sellers see the writing on the wall. They've noticed the clear shift towards headless eCommerce, the large-scale adoption of the technology, and the explosion in topics surrounding it in eCommerce discourse online. It's become rather obvious that the future of eCommerce is headless. All that's left for them to do now is figure out how they plan to implement it in their own businesses.  

The ability to utilize headless eCommerce architecture and reap the rewards of doing so may have been limited to the biggest brands at first. However, in light of all the recent progress made and the innovation taking place in the field, it has also become more widely available for smaller businesses to benefit from.

When discussing which are the best headless eCommerce platforms available, the answer will depend on the criteria you use. No one platform will be the right fit for every business across the board. Any decision should take into account the needs of your particular business, not just which platforms are considered to be the best overall.

One thing is clear though. Headless eCommerce can make or break a business. Having or lacking the benefits it provides can easily be the difference between success and failure. As time moves forward, the businesses that don't make the switch will fall further behind the longer they wait.

Headless commerce is a complex topic. Especially because the technology is so new to so many people, most sellers don't yet have a clear grasp on the concept.

To understand why headless eCommerce platforms have become so popular and why everyone is making such a big deal about the idea, first you'll need a thorough understanding of the more basic concepts.  

Let's start with the most fundamental questions. What is meant by the phrase headless commerce and what is a headless website exactly? The subject can be quite technical. However, the basic idea of headless commerce is that the front end and back end are not connected.

In traditional commerce, the front end of the site—the part that shoppers interact with directly—is connected to the back end of the site—the part that stores all the code, data, content, and functionality. When users interact with the front end by clicking on an item, the back end responds to this request by presenting the page for that item with all the content and information.

Much like driving a large tractor-trailer, having the front and back of a site connected limits what it can do, makes it less flexible, and impedes its ability to freely and easily change course. The abilities and benefits of headless commerce vs traditional commerce lie in that distinction.

When you look at headless commerce examples, you notice differences in speed, maintenance agility, and functionality. Many well-established businesses have made the switch to headless commerce companies. This proved that not only can an existing brand change its architecture to become headless, but that the benefits of doing so are vast and powerful, including going a long way toward future-proofing their business.

Now, we're even starting to see a lot more headless commerce startups pop up. Newer businesses with headless websites have greater flexibility. They can easily change when they need to without large investments of time or money. This is a huge advantage, especially in the beginning stages of growth.

Headless eCommerce examples can be invaluable in understanding what headless eCommerce is and what makes the software so versatile and useful to businesses.

There are also a wide variety of use cases. There isn't just one right way to implement the headless architecture. The industry you're in can also have a lot to do with which approach would be best suited to your business.

Try to look at several different headless application examples. This can provide a deeper understanding of what's possible and highlight all the ways that existing businesses are using the technology to their advantage. Once you have plenty of examples of unique use cases, it can help to begin narrowing your search.

Specific examples can be found for particular industries like manufacturing and technology. You can even get more exact by looking into specific niches like plastics manufacturing or medical technology. There are also plenty of examples specifically for headless B2B eCommerce. It's also wise to make sure that you understand how a headless eCommerce API works to connect the two sides.

There are a plethora of resources available to walk you through all the details. They can provide in-depth explanations for how the technology works, the different uses, the benefits, and how they apply to different industries. They can also help you understand the best way to find the right headless eCommerce platform for your business.

Headless eCommerce examples can be invaluable in understanding what headless eCommerce is and what makes the software so versatile and useful to businesses.

There are also a wide variety of use cases. There isn't just one right way to implement the headless architecture. The industry you're in can also have a lot to do with which approach would be best suited to your business.

Try to look at several different headless application examples. This can provide a deeper understanding of what's possible and highlight all the ways that existing businesses are using the technology to their advantage. Once you have plenty of examples of unique use cases, it can help to begin narrowing your search.

Specific examples can be found for particular industries like manufacturing and technology. You can even get more exact by looking into specific niches like plastics manufacturing or medical technology. There are also plenty of examples specifically for headless B2B eCommerce. It's also wise to make sure that you understand how a headless eCommerce API works to connect the two sides.

There are a plethora of resources available to walk you through all the details. They can provide in-depth explanations for how the technology works, the different uses, the benefits, and how they apply to different industries. They can also help you understand the best way to find the right headless eCommerce platform for your business.

Headless platforms are the foundation of headless eCommerce.

Finding the right headless eCommerce platform is important and shouldn't be rushed into. Many businesses that are just beginning their headless journey will start by testing out some headless eCommerce open-source options. This can be a useful starting point.

Especially for headless commerce startups with a limited budget that aren't ready to make an investment into a more reliable and powerful option, this can be a great entry point to get their feet wet and learn the basics. You can often find decent open-source software options for headless eCommerce on GitHub.

Once you're ready to commit to using the technology you can make an investment in a more substantial option with a better headless eCommerce API. Many strong success cases have come out of options made for popular platforms that don't require huge financial investments like headless eCommerce for Shopify. This is a great way for smaller businesses to find headless commerce success without breaking the bank.

We can't stress the value that can be provided by open-source eCommerce software enough.

When it comes to headless eCommerce platforms, open-source options are by far the easiest point of entry for anyone looking to experiment with the technology. Searching for open-source eCommerce on GitHub can provide a lot of free options and some good information.

This is a very dense topic that has a lot of technical aspects to it. It's best to take your time learning everything you need to know. Don't rush into anything just for the sake of getting started. Do your research to understand the technology and how it can be used to your advantage before you begin testing out the software.

This method will ensure that you already know what you're looking for and what features and options will work best for you. There's nothing to be gained from jumping into any area of business completely blind. Once you have that groundwork set up and you have an idea of what you're looking to achieve and what you'll need to do so, you can start.  

Testing the open-source options will give you some hands-on experience with the software and help you learn what things you prefer and what you're looking for in the ideal option. Once you're ready, you can switch from a headless commerce open-source program to a fully developed and professionally built headless eCommerce platform.

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