When To Select A Headless CMS Architecture

Headless Content Management System (CMS) or decoupled content management is fast gaining popularity, it enables businesses to engage customers with personalised content via multiple channels at any stage of the customer journey. The architecture promotes centralised content management across all channels.

The entire platform can now be managed from a single interface and content can be distributed in a universal format. With no presentation layer attached, the content in a headless CMS is considered pure, just one instance of it can be used for display on any device including websites, smartphones, tablets, IoT devices or even smart watches.

Traditional CMS tools have failed to address the user needs in several ways, like providing the required flexibility when delivering the content to an existing channel or integrating new delivery platforms.

Bluegrass Digital CEO Nick Durrant says while headless CMS architecture is nothing new, the demand for this kind of solution is growing as businesses look to deliver content to platforms outside of the standard web browser.

“This is important because it also addresses the issue where you can avoid binding your system architecture decisions into your chosen CMS. With the growth of API and microservices, a headless CMS solution provides many benefits without creating another legacy system to maintain,” he says.

It is like a traditional CMS but without any way to present the content being created and stored within it. However, one still has the benefits of content creation and publication workflow which allows for the creation, reading, updating and deleting (CRUD) of content.

Durrant says this might sound counterproductive at first, but the lack of a front-end delivery layer allows brands to use any front-end tool to present the content, enabling them to deliver content beyond websites and apps. “They can now reach any channel from smartwatches to virtual reality headsets and even other 3rd party content channels.”

He says this model allows breakthrough user experiences, it gives developers the great flexibility to innovate, and helps site owners future-proof their builds by allowing them to refresh the design without re-implementing the whole CMS.

Headless CMS is much easier to deploy and use. There is no tight coupling between business applications and CMS, this gives one the freedom to choose whatever technology and framework for the application. It fits well into microservice-based solution landscapes.

Furthermore, headless CMS offers improved scalability and security due to dividing responsibilities of authoring and delivery. Not only can delivery be separately scaled, but authoring can be completely hidden and not accessible to anyone outside the company firewall.

“As brands compete for your eyes and ears, it becomes a challenge for them to attract your attention. The main purpose is to get content in front of the right audience, not simply a hit and hope approach. Hence why one must ensure your website is driving the right customer experience,” he concludes.

It’s time to reconsider how content empowers digital experiences everywhere. The case for a headless CMS is compelling; it enables customers to consume content in many different contexts on their preferred mobile devices.