Headless WordPress is a sizzling subject, and it’s more and more utilized by manufacturers and companies to realize important efficiency enhancements and ship dynamic content material throughout a number of touchpoints.
On the similar 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 imagine that headless growth will proceed to form the way forward for the net. That will help you as you discover this evolving internet structure, we put collectively the next information, which addresses among the most typical issues surrounding headless WordPress growth.
Learn on for a fast overview of eight of the largest misconceptions surrounding headless WordPress and see why not a single one is price holding up your headless aspirations!
Fable #1: Should you change to headless, you’ve gotten to take action unexpectedly
You could be involved that switching from a conventional WordPress website to a headless atmosphere is just like a conventional migration—there’s loads of pre-work, after which it’s important to make the change unexpectedly.
Whereas it’s positively potential to method a undertaking that approach, it’s not obligatory. You’ll be able to take a phased method to transitioning your entrance finish to headless. That is what WP Engine is doing with our personal website, transforming precedence pages over time to make sure every thing goes off and not using a hitch and our inner 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 remodeling your website in a couple of important methods. A phased method makes a developer’s work way more manageable, supplying you with loads of time to check, tweak, and alter your website modifications as an alternative of hinging the whole undertaking on a single “time to modify” second. And within the occasion that one thing does go awry, you gained’t lose your progress on different areas of the positioning.
Fable #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’ll lack among the inherent options WordPress has to supply, corresponding to Search engine optimization, RSS feeds, web page layouts, sitemaps, and customizability.
Conventional WordPress is commonly 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 conventional WordPress website simpler and quicker.
Due to this native flexibility, some builders and publishers additionally fear {that a} headless WordPress atmosphere might over-complicate the method, introducing too many variables to handle correctly.
Actually, 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 gained’t require a lot extra coaching, if any, to get them up and operating on a headless WordPress website.
And on the developer aspect, WordPress corporations and particular person builders are taking motion, constructing instruments that permit 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 enhancing the method of constructing headless web sites with WordPress! Plus, among the most wildly standard WordPress instruments, like Superior Customized Fields and WP GraphQL, are already headless-compatible.
Fable #3: Headless isn’t prepared for eCommerce
Should you’re already enthusiastic about headless and also you’ve began constructing some preliminary initiatives, however you’re fearful there aren’t many use instances 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 atmosphere utilizing among the world’s most-popular eCommerce platforms.
As a result of we’ve already constructed the connective know-how between Atlas and these standard eCommerce platforms, Blueprints almost remove the necessity to replatform or rebuild your eCommerce answer 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 velocity, stability, and safety for bigger eCommerce websites the place velocity, efficiency, and Search engine optimization-readiness are crucial.
Actually, Fight Nook—an MMA sports activities gear retailer—made the change to headless earlier this 12 months. In doing so, the positioning noticed an total efficiency increase (throughout Core Net Vitals and different web page velocity metrics) of 431% whereas enhancing conversions, bounce price, return on advert spend (ROAS), and income.
Fable #4: Headless is just helpful for giant enterprise websites
Headless has been touted as a safe answer for giant, advanced websites however there are numerous use instances 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 approach that’s significant and is sensible. 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 technique to steadiness velocity and publishing capabilities with a excessive quantity of content material.
For instance, Android Authority, a digital publication which influences greater than 50 million guests, was in a position to obtain as much as 6x improve 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 rapidly, and at scale.
WP Engine Atlas takes this concept a step additional, providing a rising toolkit of options developed particularly for headless WordPress. You’ll be able to attempt it out free of charge right here, utilizing a free sandbox account.
Fable #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 price. Whereas a headless construct will usually value extra upfront than a conventional WordPress web site, it additionally comes with limitless advantages when it comes to efficiency, safety, and even quicker growth cycles sooner or later. This implies you and your staff can tackle extra initiatives and earn extra money in the long term.
The price of a headless website may also rely upon the kind of website you’re constructing. Should you signify an SMB, you could assume headless is out of attain or out of finances, however the advantages will virtually actually outweigh the price improve if you take note of the positioning’s time-to-market, elevated velocity and conversions, improved content material autonomy, and extra streamlined growth practices.
Choosing the proper answer may also help you harness the facility of headless whereas remaining finances acutely aware. For instance, premium CMSs, like Contentful, can signify a heavy value every month for giant groups—and that’s simply in your CMS.
The identical will be mentioned of some frontend options, like Vercel—whereas the beginning value appears very inexpensive, the usage-based pricing can add up rapidly 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 finances. Whereas many individuals assume investing in one thing like headless is usually a huge value in itself, you’re additionally investing in your folks, their abilities and ongoing training, 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 larger potential because the know-how surrounding headless continues to enhance.
Fable #6: Studying find out how to develop headless websites is just too difficult
To be good at one thing, you normally should be dangerous at it for a bit of bit—however that doesn’t imply you shouldn’t take the time to be taught a brand new ability!
As we talked about above, studying to develop headless websites is an funding in your staff and the long run initiatives your company is able to finishing up. That mentioned, 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 approach that can really feel acquainted to WordPress builders.
Plus, Javascript builders are in excessive demand! It’s a really helpful ability to be taught and develop upon now as a result of it’ll doubtless improve your profession alternatives sooner or later.
Fable #7: Headless WordPress is just too new to leap on board simply but
This is without doubt one of the issues 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—yow will discover articles on the subject courting again at the least 5 years if not additional—which is an eternity in tech time.
And because the know-how continues to achieve momentum, extra groups and builders are beginning to present curiosity—in reality, we area questions from our company companions and the manufacturers we work with commonly concerning the ins and outs of headless WordPress.
Now’s the time to get forward of the curve whilst you can, as a result of headless is right here to remain. Your shoppers will definitely be asking about headless alternatives—in the event that they’re not already! Acquire a deeper understanding of headless now as a way to educate and pitch choices to your present and future shoppers.
Fable #8: It’s too tough to get began with headless
The reality is, you may attempt headless WordPress free of charge with Atlas!
Should you’re nonetheless on the fence about headless WordPress growth, we’ve obtained you coated. Join a free Atlas sandbox account to offer headless a take a look at run and see why many builders are already embracing it as the way forward for headless WordPress!
