What is Headless Framework & How Is It Beneficial To My Business?
What is a Headless Framework?
Whilst a headless framework has been around for a while, we predict that it will become a framework that more and more businesses will invest into due to its many benefits. It will allow businesses to stand out from their competitors, with a more efficient backend interface and a significantly better user experience. With an increased digital landscape due to the Covid-19 pandemic, data security has never been more pertinent. Headless CMS allows for the separation of the frontend and backend of a site, allowing for you to store customer data and other administrative areas completely disconnected from the user-facing site. You can blend multiple CMS’ together in the backend, but from the user perspective, it is a seamless interface which works efficiently.
We break down the exact methodology of headless CMS, how it works, what the benefits are and whether it is right for you and your business.
Headless Framework Methodology
A traditional CMS is where both the frontend and backend interfaces are used in conjunction together. All information is stored on the same content management system. A headless CMS allows you to separate these interfaces, like using WordPress for your backend data-storage, and Shopify for your frontend, or customer-facing interface. A headless CMS completely separates content management and content delivery, allowing for web developers to easily manage and edit, and the marketing and business team to manage the content. With a ‘decoupled’ CMS, web developers are able to spend less time installing and customising the webpage or app, saving businesses time and money.
A headless CMS delivers content through an API (application programming interface), a software that allows two applications to talk to each other and share data. A traditional CMS is limited to websites, whereas a headless CMS can share content across multiple platforms and technologies, for example from website to app, and from desktop to an iOS or Android app.
Why Is It Beneficial?
The Headless Framework has huge benefits; from increased user and business security, to the ability to manage content across more channels.
A headless framework provides greater security. If someone was to hack your website, they wouldn’t be able to gain access to your data because the frontend interface is completely separate from the backend, and often located in an IP-blocked location. Your data and administrative areas are completely separated from your frontend website, making it near impossible for someone to access your data.
Another benefit to utilising headless CMS is that you can manage and share content across multiple channels. With the use of API’s, content can be shared across the web to apps, or from desktops to mobile devices with ease.
Yet another benefit is that your teams can operate independently of each other. For example, your marketing and web development team don’t have to be sharing the same access and using the same content interface, which can sometimes prove difficult and confusing for all involved. The usability and interface can be more simplistic for teams that are not across coding and web development.
Is A Headless Framework Right For You?
This depends on a number of factors, such as the scale and size of your business, website, content and team. There are so many benefits to a headless CMS, however there are some things to consider before switching.
- Do you have the right technical/web development team who understands the headless framework and can utilise it correctly?
- Do you want to be able to easily customise your frontend or customer-facing interface? A headless framework will allow for more customisation than a traditional CMS.
- Are you a business who stores critical or important information and data that needs protecting? A headless framework might be a great solution to your needs if you are storing data and want to be well protected.
- Are you looking to share your content across multiple channels and platforms? A headless CMS will allow you to become a true omnichannel business.
- Do you want to remain ahead of the tech game? A headless framework will allow for you to make changes to your frontend interface without having to change anything at the backend, and vice versa.
If you are looking to stay ahead in the latest technological methodologies, contact the professionals at TwentyTwo Digital for more information.