In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, we are all constantly bombarded with the latest trends and technologies. "Ai", "Headless commerce", "CI/CD" are all buzzwords, each time presented as the ultimate solution for your tech stack.

We're going to narrow in on the 'Headless' trend and give some of our two cents on where the value really lies for merchants.

Where it all began

Between 2020 to 2023 businesses were abuzz with the prospect of decentralisation. The eCommerce industry was coming out of COVID and it was a golden time for digital budgets. Merchants moved funds from physical retail into digital and saw a huge uptick in sales. Digital teams and developers had more sway than ever before, and jumping on the 'headless' bandwagon was all the rage. Made sense. Risk was minimal. Merchants had greater digital cashflow, and the developer and agency buzz was hailing "Headless" as the future of ecommerce. Merchants were incentivised to be ahead of the next trend and so, went all in.

2 years on and we are seeing that not all investment plans work out. Headless is still here and is working amazingly for some large enterprise merchants, however we are seeing a huge swath of the ecosystem now contending with the complexity that comes with it. API maintenance, technical debt and lack of administrative control. The 'headless champion' has now become the 'headless chicken' for a lot of businesses.

At MILQ., we believe in empowering merchants to stay true to their vision and goals. We cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters: achieving a higher ROI through simplified, effective solutions.

The Headless Allure vs. The Costly Reality

The allure of headless commerce is undeniable. The promise of complete control over the front-end experience, decoupled from the back-end, seems ideal. However, the reality can be a complex and costly undertaking. As industry reports, such as those detailing "The True Cost of Headless Commerce," highlight, the development, maintenance, and integration of a headless setup can quickly escalate, draining resources and delaying time-to-market. In addition to this, the sheer number of choices and technical considerations can lead to "analysis paralysis," hindering decision-making and slowing down progress.

The Pitfall of Over-Reliance on Technical Guidance

Compounding this challenge is the tendency for merchants to lean heavily on developer or agency recommendations without a firm grasp of the underlying business implications. While technical expertise is invaluable, developers are often focused on implementation, not necessarily on strategic business outcomes. This can lead to solutions that don't fully consider the business's direction or goals, ultimately steering the business down a path of increased technical baggage and escalating costs. Many merchants who initially budgeted for growth-oriented improvements find themselves instead allocating those funds to ongoing maintenance and bug fixes.

In contrast, we have seen merchants who stay true to Shopify Plus' native frontend achieve larger scale for less, leveraging the true strength of Shopify's scalable platform with a wealth of built-in features. With the right strategic partner, businesses can leverage the power of Shopify Plus to achieve their goals without the need for extensive custom development. Shopify Plus is also rapidly improving its feature set, meaning that the out of the box option is even more powerful than ever. This approach allows for faster time-to-market, reduced costs, and a greater focus on strategic growth. Check out the Shopify Editions releases to just get a sense of how much has changed.

Reviewing The Headless Decision

If your business has found itself in the middle of a headless environment or considering whether it is right for you, take a step back and take some time to validate. Going headless is a major decision with major implications. There can be major benefits for the business that is armed up with an strong vision, strategy, development team; and have multiple isolated or specialised systems needing to communicate data efficiently for operations. In contrast, if you are a merchant whose operation less complex than this, then reconsider your approach and take advantage of all Shopify Plus can bring to the table. It is of course designed to be a merchant-first system and cover 95% of the use cases merchants need, today and long into the future.

Taking Back Independence and Control

While headless commerce may be suitable for certain businesses with highly specific needs, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. For many businesses, the simplicity and efficiency of Shopify Plus, coupled with the strategic guidance of an agency like MILQ., can offer a clearer and more profitable path to success.

MILQ. is a Shopify Plus agency that prioritises business vision, strategy and goals over purely technical solutions. We understand that e-commerce is not just about code; it's about driving sales, building customer relationships, and understanding the merchant operations.

We empower merchants to become "dev agency independent," enabling them to re-take control of their digital retail ecosystem.

If you're interested to learn more about making a shift from Headless or need help in reviewing your decision, don't hesitate to reach out. hello@milqdigital.com