The headless CMS is more than a buzzword. It’s a trend that’s making waves in the digital world. It’s not just a CMS. It’s an agile approach to user experience. This includes content creation, personalization, and analytics.
Technically, the headless CMS is a back-end content management system that allows content to be accessed via API (Application Programming Interface). It can then be displayed on any device or channel.
The concept of “headless” is the idea of removing the front end (the head) from the back end (the body). You can add any “head” to your “body”.
There are differences between traditional CMS and headless CMS
Each CMS has its approach and the main difference lies at the core. Traditional CMSs have the website connected to the content. Any content creation must wait until the website is live. Everything you wish to do in your front end must be done in the back end. Marketers and content creators depend on developers to make major changes or create landing pages.
Conversely, working with a headless CMS gives you the ability to plan your content and build relationships between them. You can then feed that content to any digital channel through APIs. You can be omnipresent and have an overview of everything. Developers can work with creatives, reducing the time-to-market.
Here is a detailed overview of the differences.
| Traditional | Headless | |
| Architecture | Architecture with the frontend presentation layer and linked backend database. | Decoupled architecture: The front-end presentation layer and the backend database layer are separated. |
| Channel Delivery | Predefined technology and structures limit the number of channels that can be integrated at once. Integrations of new channels require extensive customization. | With APIs, you can connect to any frontend channel and receive omnichannel content. |
| Workflows | Restrictive workflows can lead to content silos, content bottlenecks, and channel-specific restrictions. | Facilitates communication and collaboration between teams to iteratively develop and deploy content. |
| Integrations | Integrations should be compatible with the current architecture, or they will require additional resources and custom build. | Flexible integration with any technology required to complete the job using APIs |
What are the benefits for marketers?
A headless CMS has the greatest advantage because it was designed for the IoT age. An omnichannel strategy is a great option for marketers. It’s easy to implement. Below, we will discuss more and explain why marketers should go headless.
Omnichannel
We discovered that a headless CMS can be used independently of any platform, thanks to its decoupled nature. It acts as a content repository and can be used to feed content to any channel or device. It allows brands to be consistent across channels and can meet customers on any device, thereby offering an omnichannel customer experience. Consumers can switch between channels without having to restart their customer journey.
This has been a trend in recent years, and any successful brand will tell you that it is now a common practice. Most eCommerce platforms can be accessed on mobile devices and websites. These channels can be managed with moderate success using a traditional CMS, although it is not an easy task. It would be difficult to add additional channels like virtual assistants without a headless CMS.
A seamless user experience across devices means that you have complete analytics and can use this information to help you achieve the right level of personalization.
Reusability of Content
All content can be found in one place, which makes it easier to manage. A headless CMS allows content creators and marketers to reuse individual pieces of content to create reusable templates.
Some CMSs are headless, such as Storyblok. They offer modular content blocks. These blocks allow for the automation of a part of the content creation process and move towards data-driven, automated content generation.
No More Data Silos
It’s simple to overcome siloed content management that is done manually with a headless CMS. Content team members can quickly make changes across all channels. This minimizes the impact of product changes and redesigns.
Time to Market
It is clear to see that many of the benefits flow from each other. The fact that content can be edited and created in one place and that modular content blocks can be reused greatly reduces time-to-market.
The creative team now has the tools to target, optimize, and test those user journeys. This is a great bonus.
Content Governance
Depending on how large a company is and how much content it publishes there will be a set of guidelines and quality control procedures for publishing entries.
A headless CMS allows you to take a strategic approach when managing and publishing content. You can plan, schedule, publish, edit, re-edit, and schedule content using features like versioning, custom workflows, approval processes, and custom user permissions. There are many ways to make mistakes or fix errors before content reaches users.
The Key Take-Away
Miami Digital Marketers know that content is at the core of any digital experience. Your agency’s approach to content creation and delivery will have a major impact on your clients and business. We recommend that you become a headless entity and begin building future-proof CMS projects.
