Locked into a traditional CMS? Headless CMS could be the solution
Sometimes it can be headless to invest money in a more advanced solution. But when it comes to CMS, it's the “headless CMS” that applies. Our developer Marcin Zajadło explains what it is — and why you should know it.
Traditional CMS that are “coupled”
A content management system (CMS) is the tool web editors use to manage the content of a web page. Traditionally, CMSs have been so called “coupled”, which means that the front end and the backend are tied together. Content and design settings are handled and stored in the back-end.
This is on its way out. We have new ways of doing that now, and it brings benefits for both administrator and visitor.
Marcin Zajadło, Senior Developer at Increo
The great decoupling
It's “decoupled,” and primarily the “headless CMS” variant, he's talking about. Here the backend and frontend are two different systems. Here, content is also created and edited under the hood, but it is delivered through an API.
A solution that is headless is much more flexible. You are not tied in the same way as in a traditional variant. The content posted can be flexibly controlled by the frontend developer and displayed anywhere in the frontend, explains Marcin.
That is, you can send and view the content on other devices and channels, such as mobile applications, or give it directly to customers.
In many ways, the API becomes an open door. You can work with the frontend and backend separately, without having to close the other. Everything will be faster.
- Marcin Zajadło, Senior Developer at Increo
Save money on afterwork
In addition to making your CMS faster, headless' increased flexibility makes it easier for you to make major upgrades and changes later. It can save you huge sums of money.
When we built a system for Elveguide some time ago, we chose to make it headless. This year, the customer came back and wanted a new website and an app. Thanks to us making an API in the first round, it became a pretty narrow case.
Marcin explains that they would not have had time to reach the finish line if a new backend had had to be created from scratch. Thus, the customer could praise themselves happily over the choice they made at the time.
They paid extra for it two years ago, but ended up saving money anyway. Headless is simply more scalable, flexible, and much more forward-thinking.
Here you can read more about the website we developed for River Fishing.
Is headless CMS right for your business?
Of course, it depends on the goals and user tasks of the website, but it is worth thinking about these questions: do you imagine that the website will develop a lot in the future? Do you know if you are going to take in new product segments or offer new services? Is a fast and seamless user experience really important? If the answer is yes to one or more of these questions, you will want to consider a headless CMS solution.
Want help figuring out which technology is best for your business? Get in touch with us and we'll invite you for fresh coffee and a no-obligation chat.
