Headless WordPress is a sizzling subject, and it’s more and more utilized by manufacturers and businesses to attain vital efficiency enhancements and ship dynamic content material throughout a number of touchpoints.
On the identical time, there are a variety of lingering myths about headless, and headless WordPress particularly, which proceed to skew the view for curious potential adopters.
Although these myths are persistent, there’s each cause to consider that headless growth will proceed to form the way forward for the online. That will help you as you discover this evolving net structure, we put collectively the next information, which addresses among the commonest considerations surrounding headless WordPress growth.
Learn on for a fast overview of eight of the most important misconceptions surrounding headless WordPress and see why not a single one is value holding up your headless aspirations!
Delusion #1: In case you swap to headless, you’ve got to take action abruptly
It’s possible you’ll be involved that switching from a standard WordPress web site to a headless surroundings is much like a standard migration—there’s loads of pre-work, after which you need to make the swap abruptly.
Whereas it’s positively potential to method a challenge that means, it’s not mandatory. You may take a phased method to transitioning your entrance finish to headless. That is what WP Engine is doing with our personal web site, remodeling precedence pages over time to make sure every thing goes off and not using a hitch and our inside groups aren’t slowed down in an all-or-nothing course of.
Transferring to headless is greater than a migration—it virtually all the time requires rebuilding and transforming your web site in just a few vital methods. A phased method makes a developer’s work way more manageable, providing you with loads of time to check, tweak, and alter your web site adjustments as a substitute of hinging your entire challenge on a single “time to change” second. And within the occasion that one thing does go awry, you received’t lose your progress on different areas of the positioning.
Delusion #2: WordPress isn’t one of the best CMS for headless growth
Whereas different CMSs like Contentful, ContentStack, and Strapi have positioned themselves because the heroes of headless, they will lack among the inherent options WordPress has to supply, corresponding to Web optimization, RSS feeds, web page layouts, sitemaps, and customizability.
Conventional WordPress is usually praised for its flexibility and extensibility, due largely to its open-source codebase, plugins, and themes. Builders have quite a few choices for integrations and customizations that make constructing a standard WordPress web site simpler and sooner.
Due to this native flexibility, some builders and publishers additionally fear {that a} headless WordPress surroundings could over-complicate the method, introducing too many variables to handle correctly.
The truth is, utilizing WordPress in your headless initiatives can really be a lot easier for groups to undertake because of the integrations made obtainable. As a result of most publishers and entrepreneurs are already well-versed within the CMS, they received’t require a lot further coaching, if any, to get them up and working on a headless WordPress web site.
And on the developer aspect, WordPress firms and particular person builders are taking motion, constructing instruments that enable headless WordPress builders to make use of the programs and frameworks they love.
For instance, the instruments we create and handle at WP Engine—like Faust.js, the WordPress-specific headless framework, and its React-Gutenberg Bridge—are already bettering the method of constructing headless web sites with WordPress! Plus, among the most wildly in style WordPress instruments, like Superior Customized Fields and WP GraphQL, are already headless-compatible.
Delusion #3: Headless isn’t prepared for eCommerce
In case you’re already enthusiastic about headless and also you’ve began constructing some preliminary initiatives, however you’re apprehensive there aren’t many use circumstances of headless eCommerce success, WP Engine has you coated.
We’ve already constructed an Atlas BigCommerce Blueprint and an Atlas Shopify Blueprint to simplify the method of constructing a headless surroundings utilizing among the world’s most-popular eCommerce platforms.
As a result of we’ve already constructed the connective expertise between Atlas and these in style eCommerce platforms, Blueprints almost remove the necessity to replatform or rebuild your eCommerce resolution for headless—simply arrange the connector and go!
Not all eCommerce platforms are created equal—and instruments like WooCommerce are highly effective choices for small-to-medium-sized companies (SMBs)—however a headless, API-driven method can guarantee pace, stability, and safety for bigger eCommerce websites the place pace, efficiency, and Web optimization-readiness are crucial.
The truth is, Fight Nook—an MMA sports activities gear retailer—made the swap to headless earlier this 12 months. In doing so, the positioning noticed an total efficiency enhance (throughout Core Net Vitals and different web page pace metrics) of 431% whereas bettering conversions, bounce charge, return on advert spend (ROAS), and income.
Delusion #4: Headless is just helpful for giant enterprise websites
Headless has been touted as a safe resolution for giant, complicated websites however there are numerous use circumstances and several types of initiatives the place a headless method affords widespread advantages.
Mergers and acquisitions, for instance, will be tough from a technical perspective as model stakeholders search to combine their methods in a means that’s significant and is smart. Headless structure affords the front-end freedom wanted to satisfy particular model necessities whereas connecting to present knowledge sources corresponding to a buyer relationship administration (CRM) platform, an eCommerce retailer, or WordPress.
Publishing, information, and media websites in want of content material administration independence alongside peak efficiency are additionally turning to headless as a solution to steadiness pace and publishing capabilities with a excessive quantity of content material.
For example, Android Authority, a digital publication which influences greater than 50 million guests, was in a position to obtain as much as 6x enhance throughout all Lighthouse metrics with out disrupting its publishing cadence after adopting WP Engine Atlas for headless WordPress.
When a headless construct empowers content material creators by counting on WordPress as its CMS, it opens up a world of prospects, marrying the creation of wealthy, dynamic content material with the facility to ship it shortly, and at scale.
WP Engine Atlas takes this concept a step additional, providing a rising toolkit of options developed particularly for headless WordPress. You may strive it out totally free right here, utilizing a free sandbox account.
Delusion #5: Headless growth is just too costly
Few issues in life come and not using a price ticket, and a few builders argue that headless initiatives merely come at too excessive a value. Whereas a headless construct will typically value extra upfront than a standard WordPress web site, it additionally comes with infinite advantages when it comes to efficiency, safety, and even sooner growth cycles sooner or later. This implies you and your staff can tackle extra initiatives and earn more cash in the long term.
The price of a headless web site may even rely upon the kind of web site you’re constructing. In case you characterize an SMB, you might suppose headless is out of attain or out of funds, however the advantages will virtually actually outweigh the fee enhance whenever you keep in mind the positioning’s time-to-market, elevated pace and conversions, improved content material autonomy, and extra streamlined growth practices.
Selecting the best resolution may also help you harness the facility of headless whereas remaining funds aware. For instance, premium CMSs, like Contentful, can characterize a heavy value every month for giant groups—and that’s simply in your CMS.
The identical will be stated of some frontend options, like Vercel—whereas the beginning value appears very inexpensive, the usage-based pricing can add up shortly for giant websites, and even mid-size websites can incur $3,000+ in month-to-month payments, only for the entrance finish.
We suggest discovering an answer that matches your wants AND your funds. Whereas many individuals suppose investing in one thing like headless generally is a large value in itself, you’re additionally investing in your individuals, their abilities and ongoing schooling, your web site, its efficiency, your future effectivity, and your speed-to-market. That’s the true ROI of headless WordPress.
Investing in studying headless now means future-proofing your web site, what you are promoting, and your company whereas prepping your self and your staff to unlock even higher potential because the expertise surrounding headless continues to enhance.
Delusion #6: Studying how you can develop headless websites is just too sophisticated
To be good at one thing, you normally should be unhealthy at it for just a little bit—however that doesn’t imply you shouldn’t take the time to be taught a brand new talent!
As we talked about above, studying to develop headless websites is an funding in your staff and the longer term initiatives your company is able to finishing up. That stated, the educational curve doesn’t should be fairly so steep.
WP Engine is making instruments like Faust.js to coach builders and make it simpler to get began in your headless journey. It’s particularly constructed with WordPress builders in thoughts, so it features in a means that may really feel acquainted to WordPress builders.
Plus, Javascript builders are in excessive demand! It’s a really helpful talent to be taught and broaden upon now as a result of it should possible enhance your profession alternatives sooner or later.
Delusion #7: Headless WordPress is just too new to leap on board simply but
This is likely one of the considerations we hear from builders most frequently: that headless WordPress is simply too new to leap on board with proper now.
To them we are saying: The place have you ever been? Headless WordPress has been round for fairly some time now—you’ll find articles on the subject relationship again a minimum of 5 years if not additional—which is an eternity in tech time.
And because the expertise continues to achieve momentum, extra groups and builders are beginning to present curiosity—in actual fact, we area questions from our company companions and the manufacturers we work with frequently concerning the ins and outs of headless WordPress.
Now could be the time to get forward of the curve when you can, as a result of headless is right here to remain. Your purchasers will definitely be asking about headless alternatives—in the event that they’re not already! Acquire a deeper understanding of headless now with a purpose to educate and pitch choices to your present and future purchasers.
Delusion #8: It’s too tough to get began with headless
The reality is, you may strive headless WordPress totally free with Atlas!
In case you’re nonetheless on the fence about headless WordPress growth, we’ve bought you coated. Join a free Atlas sandbox account to offer headless a check run and see why many builders are already embracing it as the way forward for headless WordPress!
