What is a Headless CMS?

Introduction

If you are interested in any manner, in web development then without a doubt you have heard of Headless (CMS) before. It seems that everyone in recent years is trying to go Headless, whether or not they know what it means. In this article, we are going to try to explain what a Headless CMS is and what are the benefits of using one instead of a traditional CMS.

Traditional CMS VS Headless CMS

First things first, what is the difference between Traditional CMS and Headless CMS?

A traditional CMS 

WordPress. Probably the biggest example of  a traditional CMS which means that it combines both “what” (content) and “how” (design) of your website into one system. This makes this platform extremely easy to use, like dragging and dropping building blocks; but it also limits creativity and future possibilities. Imagine it as if it were a pre-built house; perfect for fast living, but not ideal for major renovations.
In other words, traditional CMS is user-friendly pre-built house whereas headless CMS is a kind of modular furniture for endless possibilities. Choose which suits you best according to your needs and desired level of control!

A Headless CMS

Headless CMS vs. Traditional CMS: Two Approaches for different needs:

When marketing teams are wondering whether they should go headless, the real question should be: Are we ready to embrace extreme channel delivery flexibility that headless offers while scarifying some ease of use?

We made a pro-cons list to help you decide:

Headless CMS: Think of it as a content vault open to anything and any channel.

• Pros: Developer freedom with any frontend framework, omnichannel delivery, APIs for smooth integration, enhanced security, and flexible content structure. It's fast, efficient, and future-proof.
• Cons: Not marketer-friendly, requires technical expertise, lacks built-in features like preview and editing, and setup can be resource-intensive.

Traditional CMS: Imagine a user-friendly website builder with drag and drop features - no technical training needed. 

• Pros: Quick setup, design templates for non-coders, easy content management with collaboration tools, and centralized content organization. Great for small businesses and beginners.
• Cons: Limited flexibility, restricts you to web content, requires ongoing maintenance, and locks you into specific developer skills.

Going back to making a choice, it all depends on your business and team needs. 

• For developers seeking ultimate flexibility and omnichannel delivery, Headless is the way to go.
• For businesses prioritizing ease of use and not in immediate need of omnichannel deliver. Traditional CMS offers a simpler path.

Remember, a hybrid approach combining both types of systems is also an option. Consider your technical capabilities, content goals, and future aspirations to make the best decision for your digital journey.

Let's dig deeper - How does a Headless CMS actually work?

A headless content management system (CMS) is a back-end only content management system (CMS) built without a front-end presentational layer.

The way you should look at it is: 

• like a content repository where you have all your content organized in categories and structures. It is a place where you can change, edit, update content but without worrying about how it looks. Basically you are doing all of this blind. No preview or mirror to see how it will look. 

Then comes the 

• delivery layer: a headless CMS delivers your content via API as data that can be consumed by any number of front-end applications or devices, whether it's a website, a mobile app, an IoT device, or even a smartwatch meaning it is fully omnichannel. The CMS does not limit then as it offers builders the freedom to create any digital experience they imagine, thanks to his elasticity 

This approach is suitable for businesses that need to distribute content across multiple devices or platforms and want to have their own customized front-end experiences. With a headless CMS, however, there are no compatibility issues or fear of being trapped on one platform since it will be easy to design custom user experiences in relation to any context.

Some of the benefits of headless cms include:

• Flexibility: Utilize any front-end technologies while building your platforms so that developers can exploit their skills in creating unique experiences.
• Omnichannel Delivery: Publish content on various websites, applications, devices and more from the central repository.
• Performance: These APIs are lightweight which means that faster load times and better UX are assured.
• Scalability: You should make sure easily scale your content management and delivery independently as you grow your needs

Nevertheless consider:

• Technical Expertise: Headless CMS requires more technical knowhow compared with traditional ones when setting up and managing them
• Steep Learning Curve: The decoupled nature raises learning curve for both content creators and developers.

Consequently intelligent organizations seeking agility, omnichannel delivery or future-proof technology should go for headless CMS as an option. However, it is important to assess your technical capabilities and specific requirements before making the move.

The Hybrid Approach - The Decoupled CMS

What is a decoupled CMS?

Consider headless content management as a sub-set of decoupled content management (as decoupled CMS is headless, and then some).

A decoupled CMS (a.k.a. hybrid CMS), has your content managed separately and is front-end agnostic, just like a headless CMS. Yet, it has front-end delivery tools in the box, like templates for you.

The difference is that the back-end and front-end are not “coupled” to each other through a database like with a traditional CMS. Instead, the front-end and back-end communicate to each other through calls to an API.

So, remember when we chopped the “head” off a traditional CMS to make it headless? Well, imagine the same here, except keeping the head. It’s not attached to the main body as with a traditional CMS - but you aren’t totally left to your own devices when it comes to front-end delivery, like with a headless CMS, either. 

4 Well-Known Brands that Have Embraced Headless

1. AMAZON

Probably the pioneer adopter of Headless architecture. With its flexible approach, Amazon gives shoppers the ability to make orders via many different channels all integrated between them: Echo with voice command, Dash, which handles orders specific to devices it’s connected to, Alexa, phone etc.

2. NIKE

In a strategic move to a mobile-first approach, Nike adopted a headless commerce structure for a more robust mobile and personalized shopping experience. 

3. MCDONALD'S

The fast food business was definitely in need of a headless innovation to offer customers more convenient ways to order. McDonald's was among the first to embrace the headless architecture and create a more satisfactory ordering experience by combining mobile, kiosk, 3rd party like ubereats or doordash. 

4. TOYOTA

Car manufacturers are also entering the sphere with new user experiences designed to delight the customer and increase sales. Toyota has brought the dealership experience online, allowing users to browse location and filter on all components while being able to view cars inside out.