Headless CMS vs Traditional CMS

Headless CMSs allow developers and designers to deliver content without a publishing interface, allowing for the creation of responsive and adaptive websites. They often focus on specific business needs and can provide content management for a wide variety of websites. Different CMSs have different strengths, so it’s essential to know your options before making a decision.

What is a headless CMS?

Headless CMSs are, as the name might suggest, a CMS without a front end. They allow users to provide content and store information without needing a website interface. This means that content can be stored and displayed in any format on any platform. This is particularly useful for any business where content is stored in multiple formats and needs to be displayed across many different platforms, for example, on a developer’s local machine, a staging website, and a live site.

Read about Best Headless CMS

What are common use cases?

When used in conjunction with an existing website, a headless CMS removes the need for server-side componentry and can be deployed on any platform. This allows developers to focus on the content and not the website itself. For example, a headless CMS could allow a shop owner to embed an online catalog on their website in any format they chose.

By removing the need for a website, a headless CMS can also be used to process incoming data. For example, a news website could use a headless CMS to gather data from social media platforms and display the articles in a uniform format. It’s common for CMSs to handle various tasks, such as content management and data processing, but it helps if the entire system is front-end-agnostic.

When used alongside a website, a headless CMS has the potential to reduce costs and time massively. This is because developers can focus on the data that will be displayed rather than working with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Headless CMSs vs. conventional CMSs

There are several headless CMSs available, with varying features and price points. Putting headless CMSs in context helps to understand the differences between them and conventional CMSs.

Conventional CMSs provide a publishing interface and front end and content storage. This means that the CMS needs to be installed on a server, with the front end connected to this server. This can lead to issues with scalability as the website’s popularity rises. Using a backend allows for content to be easily created and edited without an interface. However, it can still be a challenge if content needs to be displayed in different formats across different platforms.

Headless CMSs, by comparison, offer a much more user-friendly interface. They can be hosted on any server with enough horsepower. The interface can be tailored to the device/platform used and will not require software installation on a server. The data can be stored and displayed in any format on any platform. This offers the benefits of a conventional CMS but removes the need for a front end. Rather than processing content through the backend and front end, it’s possible to process content through a middle layer, which may offer additional benefits.

Benefits of using a headless CMS

There are many benefits to using a headless CMS, including:

1. Reduced costs and time

A headless CMS can save money for both small and large businesses. This is because it allows developers to focus on creating usable content rather than customizing a front end that is only being used for a relatively small number of users. This means that less work needs to be done, and costs can be reduced.

2. Scalability

As website traffic ramps up, scaling the platform can lead to issues. A conventional CMS requires an installation on a server that will increase as the number of visitors and page views grows. By comparison, a headless CMS can be hosted on any server and won’t grow with visitors.

3. Cross-platform support

A headless CMS allows you to build content in one format (e.g., XML) and present it in another (e.g. JSON). This can be beneficial if the same content needs to be displayed on mobile devices and desktops or if an e-commerce site needs to offer a particular format and use another format on its mobile app.

4. Reduced errors

As the platform for managing content is removed, there’s less chance of user-generated errors. When a CMS is used alongside a website, there’s the possibility of errors from user input. This can lead to pages not displaying correctly, leading to lost sales and damaged reputation.

5. Speed

A CMS can often become bloated as the number of features is added. This can result in sluggish performance on the front end, particularly when users navigate large websites. A headless CMS, by comparison, is more focused and user-friendly. This means that the website will load faster and perform better in both performance and usability.

Where to use a Headless CMS

Headless CMSs are great for several industries. For example, if you’re running an online shop that uses different types of content in various formats, it makes sense to use a headless CMS rather than create and maintain multiple websites. This is particularly true if all the content is stored on a single platform.

If you’re running a content-heavy website, such as an eCommerce store or news site, keeping your CMS as lean and user-friendly as possible makes sense. Depending on your business needs, this can help you deliver a better user experience, which will lead to higher conversion rates.

What are the downsides of using a headless CMS?

There are many downsides to using a headless CMS. These include:

1. Non-technical users are likely to struggle with the interface

A headless CMS’ user interface is not as intuitive or familiar to non-technical users. This means that less technical users may struggle if their only experience of a headless CMS is through the front end. This is one of the reasons why headless CMSs are most commonly used alongside a website.

2. Content management tasks will be more complex to handle

All the content management tasks that a conventional CMS can cover need to be handled in different ways in a headless CMS. This means that you may find yourself spending more time and effort on building, editing, and modifying content.

3. You’ll need to balance between customization and functionality

The lack of a front end makes it harder to provide a tailored user experience. This is likely to lead to a more minimalistic design, which means that extra options will be needed to get the best possible results.

4. Increased scalability needs to be considered

Most headless CMSs will have limits on the number of page views per month or the amount of data that can be stored. Unfortunately, this means that you may not be able to handle a large number of simultaneous users without running into issues.

5. Getting your content organized can be difficult

The interface is likely to be more abstract than a conventional CMS. This makes it harder for users to find the content they’re looking for and creates more opportunities for user error. This means that it’s essential to think carefully about the site’s hierarchy and how content should be organised before building a headless CMS.

What is Flatlogic Headless CMS?

Flatlogic Headless CMS is a headless CMS that can be used to create content in XML and JSON formats. It allows you to create content using an intuitive user interface.

The Flatlogic Headless CMS is built to be fast and scalable, so you can use it in any environment. This includes:

• 1. It can be used with a web server or used in a web application.
• 2. It can be scaled up as necessary, so you can add more plugins as your content grows.
• 3. It provides compatibility with multiple programming languages, including PHP, Java, Python, and Ruby.
• 4. Developers can build extensions that can be used across multiple platforms, including web and mobile apps.

Why should you use Flatlogic Headless CMS?

Headless CMSs could be the answer to your CMS needs. If you’re struggling to manage a large amount of content, your traffic is growing, and you have multiple websites, then a headless CMS may be the right solution for you.

Flatlogic Headless CMS is an excellent solution to create content quickly and easily. It’s almost as easy to use as WordPress, but it gives you the freedom to use your content in multiple ways.

However, if you’re planning to make changes to your content, it’s likely to be more complicated than a conventional CMS. This is due to the nature of a headless CMS, where you’ll have to structure your content differently and think carefully about how it should be displayed.

Learn more about Headless React CMS

Conclusion

Headless CMSs will make it much easier to create and manage content. This is a better solution for those who want to use the same content in different formats and use a website and mobile app.

As well as making it easier for you to create content, headless CMSs are also likely to make your own website more user-friendly. So if you’re having issues with your users getting through your website, it may be time to consider a headless CMS as a solution.

Flatlogic Headless CMS is the right choice for a growing business that needs to manage content effectively and without any issues. It fits the needs of eCommerce websites and can be used across multiple platforms.