What's a Headless CMS & why should you care?
By Brendan Byrne Tuesday, October 29, 2019
One of the problems with websites is their lack of flexibility. A typical website consists of a template which comes with standard features, plugin options and pages that use the template. It means you may need to compromise on what your website can do and how it dovetails into your other business systems.
Now imagine a world where you can pick and choose components so your website becomes future proof. Or a world where you can pull and push data from other sources such as your accounting or inventory software, as well as display the same content in your internal training, and your Mobile App.
Sound interesting?
It’s called Headless CMS and it could change your marketing and business systems forever.
Traditional vs Headless CMS
A typical website follows a tree hierarchy where page tabs and dropdown boxes define how users navigate around your website. The frontend and backend of the website are intrinsically connected with all the content stored and created in the backend.
In addition, the structure of a traditional website won’t cope with significant changes to the way you wish to operate your business. For example, changing your website to an e-commerce platform will usually require a whole new website to be built.
As technologies evolve and the number of marketing platforms increase, businesses are finding they need to frequently invest in new websites to accommodate their changing business environment.
Headless CMS systems overcome these challenges by providing a highly flexible and agile structure for your website. In particular, the frontend and backend are separate which means you use the Headless CMS system to create, store and manage your content. Then you choose the API (Application Program Interface)
tools that are best for your business so you can display that content.
As a result, Headless CMS allows you to fully integrate your website with other business software like your customer data management system, mobile apps, accounting software, inventory management systems, online booking software, staff roster management systems etc.
From a marketing perspective, it means your content can be used on any device and channel without limitation. That includes mobile apps, email marketing campaigns, multiple websites, online chat boxes, augmented or virtual reality experiences, electronic point-of-sale displays etc. As well as any new
platforms that come onto the scene.
Why go Headless?
Headless CMS systems are ideal for businesses:
- Who want to grow their e-commerce abilities
- Are content rich or have content that requires rapid changes
- Experiencing rapid growth
- Planning to maximise their omni-channel marketing options
- Who have multiple sites or independent operations that require better co-ordination of customer experience, uniform branding and integrated operating
- systems
- That understand changes to technology and channels should not require an entire re-work of your business model.
Why do we care about the technology you use?
While One Orange Cow is a digital marketing specialist, we take a holistic view of your business. Yes, we want to help you grow. But how you look online and how that integrates into your overall business operations is just as important to your future growth.
To discover if Headless CMS is right for your business or to begin standing out from the online crowd, get in touch today.