Headless Commerce and CMS Insights and Statistics 2024

What do the Nike, Tesla, Bloom & Wild, Toyota, Impossible Foods, Etsy, NASA websites all have in common?

At MAJOR we love Headless. In this article, we’ll highlight the numbers showcasing the transformative impact of headless commerce and CMS, you'll see it's not just about following a trend. The statistics reveal a compelling story of increased engagement, conversion, and streamlined digital experiences that are hard to ignore.

Headless in a Nutshell

In the digital realm, 'headless' refers to an architectural approach that separates the front-end experience (the interface users interact with) from the back-end functionality (the engine room, if you will, where all the processing happens and the data hangs out). This separation is key to why headless is heralded as the next big leap in web development, offering unparalleled security, flexibility and speed over more traditional monolithic CMS’s.

By the Numbers: The Undeniable Impact of Headless

At MAJOR we think the future of digital engagement and conversions is unmistakably steering towards headless commerce and CMS, but don't take our word for it, the statistics speak loud and clear.

Headless architecture adoption has seen a remarkable 25% increase since 2019, with 64% of enterprises now leveraging its benefits for greater flexibility and speed. The traction it's gaining underscores a significant shift towards more decoupled, service-oriented architectures.

A substantial 62% of companies acknowledge the pivotal role of headless commerce in amplifying engagement and conversions, a testament to its effectiveness and efficiency in today's digital ecosystem.

Moreover, an overwhelming 92% of businesses are convinced that delivering a robust digital experience becomes notably easier with headless commerce platforms at their disposal. This consensus underscores the seamless integration and flexibility that headless architectures bring to the table, allowing businesses to effortlessly adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape.

The customer experience, the heart of digital strategy, has been positively transformed by headless technology, with 92% of respondents affirming its impact on enhancing customer interactions. This reinforces the idea that headless technology is not just about backend efficiency but also about creating meaningful, dynamic customer experiences.

The economic potential of headless commerce is equally impressive. Valued at $1.32 billion in 2020, the global headless commerce market is projected to surge to $13.08 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 30.1%. This growth trajectory reflects the expanding adoption and investment in headless technologies across sectors.

Looking ahead, the Headless CMS market is on an upward trajectory, expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2032, highlighting the sustained, long-term potential of headless technologies. Furthermore, 54% of firms utilising APIs, a key component of headless architectures, report enhanced productivity, emphasising the operational benefits alongside strategic gains.

The New Standard for Digital Excellence

The move towards headless commerce and CMS is not just a fleeting trend but a fundamental shift in how businesses approach digital experiences using the modern web. With tangible benefits ranging from improved engagement and conversion rates to accelerated market readiness and enhanced customer experiences, the headless paradigm is setting a new standard for digital excellence.

If you're diving into the headless world and need some straight-talking advice or want to explore how these platforms could revolutionise your digital presence, we're here to help cut through the noise and get you on the right track.

Choosing the Right Tools

We use a plethora of the best Headless solutions here at MAJOR. Here are some quick summaries of our favourites. We'd love to demo them to you if you are interested.

Storyblok

Storyblok boasts global reach and recognition for its scalability and ease of use, especially with its visual editor and robust tech ecosystem. It's the darling of businesses needing to pump out content across various channels without breaking a sweat.

Adopted by major brands like Tesla, Adidas, Netflix, Deliveroo and Pizza Hut.
Leading headless CMS with a global presence in over 130 countries, empowering teams throughout the content lifecycle.
Ideal for a wide range of use cases including websites, mobile apps, eCommerce, smart screens, and PoS.
Recognised for excellence by Gartner's Voice of Customer Report for Web CMS as a Customers' Choice.
Offers unlimited scalability, seamless integration with any technology, and enables publishing to any frontend.
Features a visual editor that simplifies content creation with live preview, drag-and-drop components, and collaboration workflows.
Provides a comprehensive asset manager and composable components for granular control and flexibility in content creation.
Supports extensive customisation through robust frontend SDKs and native and custom extensions.

Prismic

Here's a page builder and CMS hybrid that's music to the ears of marketers and developers alike. Fast updates, consistent design, and blistering page speeds are the order of the day, with Prismic's deep tech integrations ensuring that websites aren't just built but continuously improved.

Adopted by major brands like The Royal Opera House, Evri, Rakuten and Bershka.
Combines a page builder with a flexible CMS, empowering companies to build continuously improving websites.
Facilitates fast content updates, ensuring design consistency and quick page load speeds.
Deep integration with popular web technologies like Next, Nuxt, and SvelteKit for building high-performing websites.
Headless architecture provides the freedom to choose tech stacks, improving performance and simplifying maintenance.
Introduces Slices and Slice Machine for reusable components and automated component creation, enhancing brand consistency.
Enables collaborative work between developers, marketers, and agencies for standout website creation.
Ideal for fast-paced development environments.

Kontent.ai

One of our ‘Enterprise level’ favourites. Kontent.ai distinguishes itself by prioritising efficiency, adaptability, and governance, making it a compelling option for enterprises looking to leverage content as a pivotal asset in their digital strategy. It is celebrated for its agility and effectiveness in streamlining content production and deployment, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and market engagement.

Adopted by major brands like AC Milan, Hotels.com, the University of Oxford, Cadbury and Zurich Insurance Group.
Kontent.ai boasts remarkable statistics such as a 10x increase in content production speed, a 53% decrease in bounce rates, and a 25% increase in basket size, evidencing its positive impact on business metrics.
Native AI capabilities embedded within the platform assist in every phase of the content lifecycle, from initial drafting to final translations for global markets, enabling faster and more intelligent content creation and optimisation.
Praised for its scalable architecture and its flexibility in integrating with best-of-breed tools, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes and sectors. It supports a wide array of use cases, from internal knowledge bases to international media operations.
Its cloud-native, headless setup is designed to meet the needs of both developers and content creators, facilitating the delivery of high-quality digital experiences across any channel without the usual constraints of traditional CMS platforms.
Kontent.ai commits to the highest standards of security and governance, backed by certifications like ISO 27001, 27017, SOC 2, and HIPAA compliance. This ensures that content operations are both secure and reliable.
Flex pricing model that adapts to the specific needs of a business, ensuring that organisations only pay for what they genuinely need.

Strapi

Strapi.io is an open-source hero for those who love to tinker and tailor their content management. Its flexibility, coupled with a supportive community, makes it a favourite for developers looking to craft custom digital experiences without being boxed in.

Adopted by major brands like Toyota, Walmart, NASA, IBM and Ebay.
Open-source headless CMS built on Node.js, offering customisation and flexibility with RESTful or GraphQL APIs.
Founded in 2015 and has grown through community contributions, becoming a respected name in the headless CMS space.
Supports self-hosting or deployment on Strapi Cloud, providing control and avoiding vendor lock-in.
Seamless integration with various plugins and providers, enhancing CMS capabilities.
Strong community support with a dedicated Discord channel for collaboration and learning.
Trusted by companies across industries, including Algolia, Rails, and SendGrid, for content management needs.
Enables companies to create unique digital experiences with ease, thanks to its commitment to open-source principles.

Contentful

Known for driving business momentum with its content-centric approach, Contentful empowers creative teams and integrates with AI to automate and enhance content creation and distribution.

Adopted by major brands like KFC, BMW, Audible, Costa and Bloom & Wild.
Versatile headless CMS enabling businesses to create content-first, multi-brand, and omnichannel experiences.
Founded in 2013, known for its user-friendly interface, developer-friendly infrastructure, and scalable platform.
Empowers creative teams with Contentful Studio for visually crafting content experiences without coding.
Integrates with AI technologies for automating content creation, enhancing the creation and delivery of on-brand experiences.
Adopted by major companies like Shopify and Spotify for personalised digital experiences.
Offers a flexible and extensible tech stack, making it a preferred choice for businesses seeking innovative content management solutions.

Sanity.io

Sanity.io is a leading headless CMS, transforming content creation, management, and distribution by treating content as data. A go-to for businesses wanting to turn their content into a competitive edge.

Adopted by major brands like Nike, SONOS, Figma, Morning Brew, and Condé Nast.
Its exceptional developer experience and client-centric approach has earnt Sanity a strong reputation in the CMS industry.
Enables businesses to unleash creativity and speed with its composable content architecture, helping them to future-proof their operations and drive growth.
Features a Composable Content Cloud for unmatched flexibility and scalability, making it a favourite for businesses aiming to leverage content as a competitive edge.
Offers customisable editing interfaces and real-time collaboration for an unparalleled content creation experience.
Its Content Lake acts as a single source of truth, syncing and storing content as JSON, facilitating scalable customer engagement and future-proofing operations.

As we look towards a future defined by agility, personalisation, and efficiency, headless technology stands out as a critical enabler for businesses aiming to thrive in the digital age. If you have any questions, we'd love the opportunity to answer them and maybe run you through some demos of the platforms too. Get in touch now.

The Unignorable Stats Signalling the Rise of Headless Technology