When it comes to pursuing new initiatives, organisations often find themselves facing a multitude of challenges. These challenges can arise from a variety of sources, including technological constraints, shifting market trends, and changing consumer preferences.
To stay competitive in this ever-evolving business landscape, organisations must remain agile and adaptable, able to pivot quickly in response to new opportunities or unforeseen obstacles. Whether it’s launching a new product line, expanding into new markets, or overhauling existing systems and processes, organisations must be prepared to navigate a range of challenges and overcome them in order to succeed.
According to Salesforce’s State of Commerce report, the top obstacle hindering organisations’ ability to embark on a digital transformation journey is technology constraints. These limitations often show up as slow and complicated behind-the-scenes processes, making it difficult for businesses to be flexible and adapt to changing consumer preferences and tough economic conditions.
The report reveals that a staggering 34% of organisations find themselves taking weeks or even months to implement changes to their digital storefronts. This delay hampers their ability to respond swiftly to market demands and innovate in a timely manner. In a world where speed and flexibility are paramount, these organisations are at a clear disadvantage.
Source: Salesforce State of Commerce
To combat these limitations and foster digital agility, many companies are turning to headless architecture. Headless commerce is a modern approach that separates the customer-facing (front-end) experience from the underlying technical framework (back-end), giving businesses the flexibility to create and personalise their online stores according to their unique requirements. This separation empowers organisations to make changes rapidly without being restricted by complex back-end systems, ensuring a seamless and dynamic customer experience.
The report also shows that companies which have adopted headless architecture are reaping the benefits of increased agility. An impressive 76% of businesses leveraging headless commerce agree that it has provided them with enhanced flexibility, enabling them to make changes to their digital storefronts more efficiently. Actually, 32% of these companies reported being able to implement website changes within hours, compared to the meagre 19% of organisations that operate without headless architecture.
The advantages of headless commerce extend beyond nimble website updates. Companies embracing this architecture are more likely to expand rapidly into new channels, as 77% of headless implementers are doing, compared to 54% of non-headless companies. The ability to adapt quickly to emerging platforms and consumer touchpoints gives these businesses a competitive edge in an increasingly diverse and omnichannel marketplace.
Furthermore, headless architecture propels organisations to excel in digital commerce. The report reveals that 55% of companies with headless implementations are leading the way in digital commerce proficiency, while only 30% of non-headless organisations can claim the same achievement. Moreover, headless adopters are more likely to attribute their overall success to digital commerce, with 58% acknowledging its significance, compared to 37% among non-headless companies.
Source: Salesforce State of Commerce
The State of Commerce report also sheds light on the growing prominence of headless commerce. A staggering 80% of businesses that are currently without headless architecture have plans to implement it within the next two years. This trend is applicable to any organisational size, as 57% of leaders across all business scales express their intention to adopt headless commerce within the same timeframe. Interestingly, the report highlights that the travel and grocery industries are leading the way in embracing headless architecture, while the health and beauty sector appears to need to get more familiar with its potential.
Source: Salesforce State of Commerce
By adopting headless commerce, organisations position themselves at the forefront of digital agility and innovation. This architectural approach not only enables swift changes to digital storefronts but also opens doors to new channels and opportunities for growth. As businesses strive to remain competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape, headless commerce emerges as a powerful solution, empowering organisations to adapt, excel, and thrive in the dynamic world of digital commerce.
It’s clear that the era of headless commerce has arrived, and organisations that embrace it today will undoubtedly gain a significant advantage in the digital marketplace tomorrow. If you want to know more about this or other digital transformation trends and which of them might be a good fit for your organisation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Wiktoria Kaglik, Content Marketing Specialist @ Waeg, an IBM Company
