Is BigCommerce headless the flexible solution your store needs?

Highlights

You’ll learn about the benefits of integrating BigCommerce with a headless CMS:

• Omnichannel personalization: Deliver localized, tailored experiences across digital touchpoints
• Flexibility: Adapts to customer demands and delivers modern experiences like PWAs and mobile-first designs
• Efficiency: Streamline workflows and real-time updates for faster campaigns
• Scalability: Handle peak traffic, complex catalogs and future growth

There’s no sign of e-commerce slowing down, and we have stats to prove our point. 

The online e-commerce market will generate $4.32 trillion in revenues by 2025. That’s why selecting the optimal e-commerce platform is a critical business choice. Many companies choose BigCommerce as their headless e-commerce platform because of its multiple benefits. BigCommerce serves customers through the complete process of building, innovation and growth.

But headless commerce alone cannot provide exceptional and brilliant results. To meet modern customers' dynamic demands and offer a personalized shopping experience, you need a headless content management system (CMS). 

A combination of BigCommerce with Contentstack's headless CMS is what you need. The separation of front-end and back-end systems helps you connect with various tools and technology while adapting to customer requirements.

But, first things first, what is BigCommerce headless?

Read on to explore the major benefits of BigCommerce headless and the advantages of integrating it with a headless CMS.

What is BigCommerce headless?

BigCommerce headless is a top headless commerce solution in which the front-end operates independently from back-end e-commerce capabilities such as inventory management and checkout. The platform gives you an effective back-end management system while encouraging you to customize front-end interfaces, depending on your requirements. Moreover, businesses can connect their favorite CMS, digital experience platforms (DXP) or custom front-end frameworks to the BigCommerce e-commerce engine. Thanks to headless technology, you get the freedom to build unique, super-fast and engaging user experiences without being stuck with standard e-commerce templates. 

BigCommerce grows with your business. Its API-driven approach keeps the customer experience the same across channels. Moreover, developers can work with all their favorite tools. Through APIs, themes and front-end frameworks, BigCommerce designs customizable storefronts. For example, some brands use frameworks like React to build interactive stores for customers to preview outfits or furniture in real time. Others create modern, mobile-first designs for better speed and usability.

But what distinguishes a headless e-commerce from traditional e-commerce? Let’s find out.

Headless e-commerce vs traditional e-commerce

Role of BigCommerce in headless commerce solutions

BigCommerce offers unmatched flexibility through its API-first approach. Strong REST and GraphQL API frameworks connect with multiple front-end frameworks, CMS platforms and third-party tools. Such a headless architecture provides customized storefronts that meet your customers' preferences and requirements.

BigCommerce integration with Contentstack connects your content creation and commerce tools. Integrating these two helps you develop interactive, responsive and scalable headless storefronts supporting omnichannel strategies. An open API policy and multiple integration options through its ecosystem position BigCommerce as the perfect solution for companies that need innovation.

Key features of BigCommerce headless

BigCommerce offers a variety of features that contribute to the success of an e-commerce store. Some key features are:

API-driven architecture

BigCommerce adopts an API-first approach that integrates with tools like headless CMS, inventory systems and payment processing systems. Because of the headless architecture, you develop fully tailored workflows and deliver unique customer experiences. It has a large app marketplace to support integration and meet diverse business needs. 

Flexible front-end development

Using the decoupled design of BigCommerce, developers can design e-commerce interfaces with front-end frameworks like Next.js, React and Angular. They create high-performance storefronts that meet your business needs. Higher performing storefronts increase your page speed, enhance your SEO and deliver personalized customer journeys. For instance, a fashion brand uses React to create a fun and interactive store. Their customers can mix and match outfits and try them on in real-time.

CMS and DXP integration

BigCommerce integrates with CMS and DXP. These integrations allow you to choose top content platforms and use them with the powerful, scalable e-commerce tools BigCommerce offers. Through BigCommerce, you can prepare outstanding content to reach your audience and operate your store. The platform offers all essential features to create immersive digital experiences and improve sales.

Personalization

BigCommerce offers personalized shopping experiences. The platform's flexible design and API-driven architecture simplify your customer journey. Custom product recommendations enhance customer engagement, conversion rates and loyalty. Companies looking to expand can use the platform to enter competitive markets. 

Multi-channel selling

BigCommerce integrates with sales channels like Amazon, eBay, Facebook and Instagram to reach a broader audience. Connecting these sales channels centralizes your inventory and order management. You are never out of inventory or have surplus. Your orders get processed on time and customers receive their orders. 

Scalability and performance

Headless commerce design creates flexible shopping solutions while bypassing the limitations of traditional commerce architecture. Your business delivers consistent custom experiences across websites, mobile applications and IoT devices. During peak online sales, the platform delivers exceptional performance by managing traffic spikes, further elevating the customer experience. 

Benefits of integrating Contentstack with BigCommerce

Omnichannel experiences with localized and personalized content

Contentstack's headless CMS and BigCommerce work together to deliver personalized, localized content across all your digital channels. This dynamic duo connects with your audience more effectively. As a result, you:

• Provide an engaging shopping experience
• Build stronger customer relationships
• Increase loyalty
• Enhance conversion rates
• Improve customer satisfaction

Example: An online clothing retailer implements seasonal marketing campaigns by showing winter products exclusively to colder regions and summer collections for warmer regions.

Enhanced flexibility for e-commerce businesses

BigCommerce's back-end tools and Contentstack's CMS deliver a solution supporting business growth. Such integration improves workflow efficiency and rapid content updates, giving you an edge over competitors. The headless architecture develops modern experiences like Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and mobile-friendly designs that match customer demands. Together, these tools maintain brand consistency and deliver personalized user experiences on desktops and smartphones. Through these, you can concentrate on expanding operations and staying efficient.

Example: Using this integration, a retailer launches seasonal campaigns, updates product catalogs in real time and creates personalized shopping experiences.

Improved performance and flexibility

The headless framework offers a highly scalable and flexible solution for growing your retail business. When the front and back-end are separate, you manage traffic spikes and complex product catalogs without disrupting the performance or user experience. The modular design easily adds new features, integrates additional tools and customizes the customer journey. Eventually, you maintain smooth operations and provide better performance. 

Example: When a fashion retailer integrates these tools, they can manage hundreds or thousands of SKUs, implement virtual try-on tools and update seasonal promotions. 

Better user experience and higher conversion rates

BigCommerce and Contentstack CMS work together to provide you with a customizable solution for growth. This combined approach improves your workflow efficiency and ensures content updates happen on time. The headless architecture delivers modern experiences to meet customer requirements. Smooth functionality across your platforms happens because of headless commerce, improving the user experience. These tools create memorable shopping journeys, ensure repeat business and higher conversion rates and strengthen brand loyalty.

Example: Fashion retailers use Contentstack and BigCommerce to personalize shopping. They recommend products based on browsing history and past purchases.

How to implement BigCommerce headless with Contentstack

Know your business requirements

Before integrating BigCommerce headless with Contentstack, look at your existing e-commerce setup and content strategy. Consider whether combining the two will be beneficial for your business. You can find answers to these questions to know your business requirements: 

• Do you want to deliver content across multiple channels?
• Do you want scalable solutions?
• Are you planning to provide personalized customer experiences?

If the answer to any of them is yes, it's time to implement BigCommerce with your headless CMS.

Set up your tech foundations

Set up your BigCommerce and ensure all your products, categories and payment gateways are installed. Before deploying Contentstack for centralized content management, finish your BigCommerce setup. Create content models like product descriptions, banners and promotional content, structure your data and define fields matching your website or application requirements. This approach keeps your content consistent and makes updating and managing your digital assets easy. You no longer have to manually change everything. Whether running a small website or a complex app, Contentstack makes your system flexible. adapatable and efficient.

Design and build your storefronts

The next step is to design and build your storefronts using frameworks like Next.js or Gatsby.js. These frameworks design fast, modern and engaging websites. Connect these to Contentstack for dynamic content delivery that accommodates unique customer needs, localized experiences and real-time updates. This setup makes your store look appealing and flexible enough to meet customers' needs.

Optimize and test for omnichannel success

Monitor how your systems are performing and run thorough tests to ensure everything works smoothly across all platforms. You can verify that the integration between Contentstack and BigCommerce offers excellent content delivery and reliable e-commerce functionality. Lastly, ensure the integration makes your website fast, ensures easy navigation and offers a smooth checkout process. As a result, you exceed customer expectations.

Future-proof your business with Contentstack and BigCommerce

With the Contentstack and BigCommerce integration, you stay ahead of competitors. Together, they make it easy for:

Continuous innovation at scale

Bring new tools, systems and technologies into your operations without disrupting your setup. You save time, minimize the use of resources and keep your business flexible and ready to grow. These platforms help you outsmart competitors and focus on innovation.

Higher scalability

Contentstack’s headless CMS, along with BigCommerce, helps you scale as you introduce new markets or additional sales channels. These platforms offer consistent messaging throughout a customer's multiphase buying experience.

Enhanced customer satisfaction

Customize every customer's shopping experience by delivering services matching their preferences. By meeting or surpassing customer expectations, you instigate multiple future purchases. Stronger relationships and higher brand loyalty result in sustainable growth. The combination of headless commerce and a modern CMS is powerful. It allows for a flexible and scalable e-commerce strategy that focuses on the customer and grows with your business.

FAQs

What is headless BigCommerce?

Headless BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform where the back-end of BigCommerce is separated from the front-end. APIs let businesses build custom storefronts.

What is the disadvantage of BigCommerce?

Though BigCommerce is highly flexible, you need skilled developers to use its headless architecture.

What is meant by headless commerce?

In headless commerce, the front end is independent from the back end of the online store. The front-end layer displays content to customers, and the back-end focuses on operational functions. As a result, you create personalized customer experiences that exceed expectations.

Learn more

A headless commerce like BigCommerce, together with Contentstack CMS, transforms your online business. You achieve smooth, customized buying experiences that exceed customer expectations. If you want to scale globally, improve personalization or deliver omnichannel experiences, this duo ensures your business meets every challenge it faces.

To deliver exceptional shopping journeys, integrating BigCommerce with Contentstack could be the change you always needed. If you want to know why these two platforms are the future of e-commerce and why you need them, talk to us.