Brandon Jones

January 30, 2025
Adobe Commerce, Magento, Shopify

Despite its medieval connotations, a ‘headless’ website is far from outdated. In fact, it’s becoming an increasingly popular approach in modern web development.

If you’ve ever felt restricted by traditional platforms or struggled to deliver seamless content across multiple channels, a headless website might be the solution you didn’t know you needed. But what does the term ‘headless’ actually mean? And is it some new trend or a game-changing approach that’s here to stay?

Here, Envisage Digital’s expert developers break down everything you need to know about headless websites: how they work, what their benefits are, and how a headless CMS differs from a traditional CMS.

What Do You Want To Know?

What Does a Headless Website Mean?
How Does a Headless Website Work?
Benefits of Headless Architecture
What’s the Difference Between a Traditional and Headless CMS?
Examples of Headless Websites
Go headless with Envisage Digital

What Does a Headless Website Mean?

In short, a headless website is a digital platform where the front-end user interface is separated from the back-end content management system. This setup allows content to be stored and managed centrally while being delivered seamlessly to various channels, such as websites, mobile apps, or digital displays, through APIs.

Unlike traditional websites, where content and presentation are tightly connected, a headless website allows businesses to create more dynamic and flexible digital experiences. Developers can work independently on the front end to craft custom interfaces, while marketers can manage content easily across various channels.

By decoupling these layers, businesses can gain greater flexibility to design unique user experiences. It also means they’ll be more able to adapt to new technologies and scale content delivery across multiple touchpoints.

So now we know what the term ‘headless’ means, how does this work in the context of site building?

How Does a Headless Website Work?

A headless website operates by decoupling the backend and frontend, effectively treating them as two independent systems. The backend serves as the engine for managing and storing content, while the frontend focuses on displaying that content in a way that resonates with users.

The content is structured and stored in the backend, where it’s managed centrally within a headless CMS. Through APIs, this content can be delivered to a wide variety of platforms, such as websites, mobile apps, or even IoT devices. These APIs act as connectors, ensuring that content flows smoothly from the backend to the desired frontend systems.

Benefits of Headless Architecture

Adopting a headless setup for your website can have numerous operational benefits. Just five of these advantages include:

Flexibility for developers

Developers have the freedom to use the latest frontend technologies and frameworks without being restricted by backend limitations. Instead of being tied to pre-built backend frameworks, developers can work with modern technologies such as React, Vue.js, or Angular. This allows for faster development, more customisation options, and the ability to adapt to evolving trends.

Faster load speeds

Headless websites are designed to optimise performance by allowing the frontend to load only the necessary content through APIs. This is achieved by caching content from the CMS and delivering only the required data via APIs to the frontend, reducing unnecessary payloads. This results in faster page loading times, which in turn can provide a smoother user experience and potentially even improve SEO rankings.

Greater scalability

By decoupling the frontend and backend, businesses can scale their digital presence more easily. This will mean you can expand into new markets or add more digital touchpoints with a setup that can handle growing demands without overhauling the entire system.

Delivery across multiple channels

With a headless architecture, content can be seamlessly delivered across multiple channels that include websites, mobile apps, smart devices, and more. For example, product data and content can be shared with ecommerce platforms, progressive web apps (PWAs), or even voice assistants like Alexa. This will enable your business to reach your audience wherever they are.

Fit for the future

As new devices, platforms, and technologies emerge, headless architecture ensures your content remains adaptable. APIs make it possible to integrate with future systems, keeping your digital strategy relevant and resilient in the long term.

What’s the Difference Between a Traditional and Headless CMS?

While both traditional and headless CMS share the aim to help you manage and deliver content, their architectures and capabilities vary significantly. Here are some of the key differences between traditional and headless setups:

Feature	Traditional CMS	Headless CMS
Architecture	Tightly coupled backend and frontend.	Decoupled backend and frontend.
Content Delivery	Content is managed and displayed through the same system.	Content is delivered via APIs to any platform or device.
Frontend Development	Limited to built-in tools and templates.	Allows developers to use modern frameworks and technologies.
Flexibility	Restricted to the platform’s capabilities.	Highly flexible and customisable for unique user experiences.
Onmichannel Support	Primarily serves content for one output.	Supports multiple channels, including websites, mobile apps, and IoT.
Scalability	Difficult to scale due to tightly integrated layers.	Easily scalable by adding more touchpoints without reworking the system.
Performance	Can suffer from slower load speeds due to monolithic architecture.	Optimised for faster performance with modern frameworks and caching.
Adaptability	Less adaptable to emerging technologies or devices.	Future-proof, with APIs enabling integration with new technologies.
User Roles	Often combines developer and content manager roles in one platform.	Separates roles, allowing developers to build and marketers to manage content independently.
Use Cases	Best suited for simple websites with minimal customisation needs.	Ideal for dynamic, omnichannel, and highly customisable projects.

Examples of Headless Websites

Many leading global brands have adopted headless architecture to enhance their digital presence and deliver seamless, omnichannel experiences. Here are a few notable examples:

Nike: Nike uses headless architecture to provide a personalised and engaging shopping experience across its website, mobile app, and in-store digital displays.

Under Armour: Under Armour’s headless setup enables a fast and streamlined experience for customers browsing and purchasing products on various platforms.

Target: Target employs a headless CMS to deliver a consistent user experience across its e-commerce site and mobile app, allowing for fast performance and easy scalability.

Starbucks: Starbucks uses headless architecture to integrate its website, mobile app, and loyalty programme.

Tesla: Tesla’s headless approach powers its website, supporting e-commerce capabilities and providing a highly responsive user experience.

Go headless with Envisage Digital

Envisage Digital is your partner for all things Shopify headless. Our comprehensive Shopify services include expert headless Shopify development, which gives you the power to deliver a faster, more flexible, and highly customised e-commerce experience.

Our team specialises in creating custom Shopify headless frontends using modern frameworks. We allow you unparalleled control over your store's design and layout while ensuring your backend systems like inventory management, order processing, and payment functionality run seamlessly.

Get in touch with us today to explore how we can take your Shopify store to new heights.