How eCommerce can embrace digital transformation through headless content management platforms

Originally posted on Simply Commerce’s blog.

Explained: How Amplience uses API-first, headless content management technology to deliver content for some of the biggest household names in retail.

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Key takeaway: John tells Tim that the future of eCommerce is reliant on digital transformation, and if companies don’t shift their digital experience to meet the needs of their customers, they’re likely to move elsewhere.

John Williams discusses the need to embrace digital change, what it takes to ditch outdated monolithic platforms, and how eCommerce companies can avoid getting stuck in the “old world”.

Embracing digital transformation

In order to avoid lagging behind your competitors, adapting with the digital landscape will give you the best chance at successfully promoting your content. If you’re using an old, monolithic platform, it’s likely you’re unable to make the changes you want to, and once you do eventually make the changes, it’s too late.

Focusing primarily on the prominence of digital transformation in recent years, John says that if eCommerce companies are reluctant to embrace change, they will ultimately be unable to satisfy their customers’ digital needs. If an organisation cannot keep up with the demands of their customers, they are far more likely to take their business elsewhere.

He also recommends changing for your customers, not for the technology: “The reason to move is because of your own customers. Your own customers are now demanding more from your digital experience”.

John advises eCommerce companies to be as “agile and reactive” as they can be. One way they can do this is by using a headless content management system like Amplience.

What is a headless content management system?

It’s a lot easier to understand what a headless content management system is when you completely understand how a traditional content management system (CMS) works.

Traditional CMSs have been around since the early days of web development. Platforms like Wordpress and Sitecore were designed to store and present content elements like text, images and video on websites.

As the digital landscape is constantly evolving, enterprises are now creating their own websites, mobile sites, apps, and more. Traditional CMSs struggled to keep up with the changes as content couldn’t be repurposed to suit different digital platforms.

To reduce this problem, flexible solutions were created. Thus, the headless CMS was born. A headless CMS is a type of back-end content management system where the content repository “body” is separated or decoupled from the presentation layer “head.”

This reduces the limitations of a traditional CMS by cutting off the presentation layer (“head”), creating a headless CMS. Opting for this means you can choose an appropriate presentation layer to suit the platform’s needs.

Using headless content management systems

By using headless content management platforms, eCommerce companies have the freedom to do more with their content and experiences. Unleashing this freedom means faster mobile performance, higher engagement, and increased sales.

During John’s conversation on The FODcast, headless content management platforms are continuously praised by our guest, especially when discussing the speed of digital transformation.

Using a headless content management programme like Amplience means you don’t need to be concerned about time. Amplience lets you stay agile and reactive to an evolving digital landscape.

To learn more about headless content management systems, the changing digital landscape, and Amplience, you can watch or listen to John’s full interview.

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