What is a headless CMS and why should you want one too?
Presentation websites and massive customer portals often have clients built on simple architecture. However, over time this causes them problems. But you can opt for a modern solution that will free you from many worries.
What is monolithic architecture?
Imagine monolithic architecture as a combination of frontend (the part visible to us visitors), backend (the part where all the magic with data happens) and a content management system (abbreviated as CMS). Together, these three parts function as one inseparable whole.
It's a bit like a snowball
You start with a small website, and as your company grows, developers pile on new enhancements, additional functionalities, and updates. This means lots and lots of code. And over time, it becomes somewhat chaotic, where only those who understand the entire history of the website and have been with the company for many years can navigate.
The solution starts to become slower and slower due to this piling on: for developers, your work in administration, and for visitors to your website. Loading takes several seconds. And what do you think a customer will do when they see a blank page for several seconds? You're right, they leave to shop elsewhere.
What is a headless solution?
In contrast to monolithic architecture, a headless solution is a web architecture that does exactly the opposite: it separates the backend part of the content management system (CMS) from the frontend part. These two sections communicate via API.
At PUXdesign, we work with the headless CMS Orchard Core and we have enjoyed working on it so much that we built our own website on it.
Why? What makes it so great? Read on to find out everything.
Who is headless CMS suitable for?
You are probably wondering if headless CMS is suitable for you and your website.
If you are looking for a solution that…
- runs very fast,
- anywhere in the world,
- is modern,
- offers freedom in customization,
- is secure,
- scalable
- and more reliable…
...then you are a direct candidate to build your website, e-shop, or customer portal on a headless CMS.
7+1 reasons to choose it
There are several advantages to headless solutions. Let's finally introduce them.
Freedom in modifications
The advantage of a headless CMS for the client is that they can easily swap the presentation layer – meaning they can make changes to the frontend – without affecting the backend at all. And of course, the same applies in reverse.
Let's illustrate this with an example: if you contact us at PUXdesign with a request that it's time to redesign the website, with a headless CMS we do not need to turn the entire solution upside down, as would be the case with a monolith. We only replace the presentation layer/frontend – meaning we change the content, graphics, images, and their display. The technical foundation on the backend remains unchanged.
“For me, a great advantage is that thanks to the FE department, a redesign can be done solely in the visual aspect of the website, while the content and images can remain completely the same. This is largely how we approached the Easy Software redesign, and it would be a problem with the monolith.”
Otherwise, you might decide to expand your website with a customer portal after several years of operation. With a monolithic architecture, this would be a problem, but with a headless CMS, we can prepare everything on the backend, without the changes affecting the presentation part of the website in any way.
In an era where much greater emphasis is placed on the frontend and changes or improvements to the presentation part of websites occur almost continuously, this separation of the presentation and technical parts is a very welcome relief.
You will also appreciate headless CMS in this case for more efficient development. A separate frontend and backend allow for changes or improvements to be implemented on the website simultaneously, yet independently of each other.
Scalability
Scalable website = extensible website.
One of the features of headless solutions is the ability to scale. This means that as your online presence grows over time, we can scale the solution to ensure consistently fast operation. You can imagine this as distributing the frontend solution across multiple servers around the world or moving it to a so-called CDN (Content Delivery Network).
Would you like a fast and accessible website anywhere in the world? At PUXdesign, in conjunction with headless solutions, we utilize Content Delivery Network (such as Amazon CloudFront CDN), ensuring that clients' presentation websites run smoothly anywhere in the world. If you have dozens of company branches across Europe, America, or even Asia, having a solution built on headless CMS is practically a necessity.
Third-Party Integration
Connecting to ERP, payment gateways, CRM, or other third-party systems or applications – this is a crucial skill that can encounter complications in older, large projects built on monolithic web architecture. Due to the tight coupling of the frontend and backend, adding code may break the display of some website elements or the functionality of other dependent parts of the website. This, of course, means additional repairs.
By separating the frontend and backend in headless solutions, you eliminate these potential pitfalls – the integration of third-party services is designed for this. The code is more modular, and adding a new service to the CMS backend does not affect the frontend part.
Security
Security from the external environment
From the beginning of the article, you know that the separate frontend and backend communicate via API. And here lies the advantage regarding security: securing just the API is much easier for developers than securing the entire website.
“If the CMS is secure, then even if there is a bug directly on the frontend, no attacker can do much with it. Because the frontend often serves only to display information from the CMS – and if the API is secure, everything is fine.”
Security from People Inside
In addition to external security, it is necessary to consider the complete limitation of human error. Of course, even the best developer occasionally makes a mistake. However, the advantage of a headless CMS is that this momentary inattention of the frontend developer does not affect the backend (or vice versa). The frontend and backend operate independently of each other, unlike monolithic architecture, so any issue can simply be rewritten, allowing you to continue working cheerfully.
Maintenance
Do you remember the analogy of the snowball when we explained what monolithic architecture is? This analogy leads to another benefit of headless CMS – easier maintenance. A continuously growing and increasingly complex solution is much harder to keep together than a clean and clear system. Not so with headless CMS.
When developers feel that even headless solutions are quite large and contain too much code:
- they can replace the frontend part with a new one while keeping the backend and content in the CMS,
- convert the frontend solution to a new, more modern platform,
- update the CMS separately from the frontend, or replace it with another CMS while maintaining the same API
Switching to a Different Frontend Platform
Would you like to switch to a different frontend platform, but are concerned that it will mean a complete migration of the entire website? With headless solutions, you can put those worries aside. You can have the frontend on a different platform, while the backend remains unchanged on the original CMS.
Cloud Services
Deploying solutions on cloud services like AWS or Azure is often simpler with headless CMS. The separation of frontend and backend allows for independent deployment to cloud services. This makes it possible to manage these two parts separately, whether it involves scaling the server on which the solution runs, placing it in a CDN, or exposing just the CMS or frontend.
Unlimited Requirements
It is also interesting that headless solutions are ready for various frontend solutions, meaning you can build a presentation website, e-shop, customer portal, or even an application on it. You always have one source of data that you can use for various solutions.
Example: If you have a customer portal and a presentation website, you will use the same CMS for both, but manage each product separately. Alternatively, you can have the same data and manage content in one place, but use both a web and a mobile application for display.
When is the ideal time to switch to a headless solution?
In conclusion, let's discuss when is the ideal time to transition from a monolithic architecture to a headless CMS.
This comes at the moment:
- when you are starting a brand new project,
- or planning a major redesign
- and also if the original monolithic solution can no longer be properly maintained.
Our developers will arrange for you:
- to prioritize custom design and website functionality according to client wishes,
- to change the architecture,
- to create an API and connect the frontend with the backend,
- to supplement with cloud services,
- to integrate third-party services,
- we can also ensure the transition gradually, in parts of the website.
To help you calmly compare these two options, we have summarized the most important points from this article into a concise table.
Would you like to discuss the possibility of transitioning your presentation website or another solution to a headless CMS?
Contact us, and together we will come up with the best solution.
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