What is Shopify Plus Headless Commerce?

By Valtteri Savonen

August 28th, 2023

You're likely familiar with Shopify, which serves as a comprehensive eCommerce platform enabling businesses to establish and manage their online stores. It provides a wide array of functionalities, including tools for website creation, customizable themes, integration with payment gateways, tools for managing customers, and additional features.

The upgraded version, Shopify Plus serves as the upgraded and more comprehensive version of the standard version. It´s an advanced and robust eCommerce platform, designed to cater to the needs of even larger and more complex businesses. It provides a scalable and customizable eCommerce solution that goes beyond the capabilities of the standard Shopify platform.

Shopify Plus offers features such as enhanced customization options, greater control over the online store's functionality, dedicated support, and tools to handle high levels of traffic and sales. It is tailored for enterprises seeking a powerful eCommerce solution that can accommodate their specific requirements and growth trajectory.

In this article, we will cover the essentials of Shopify Plus Headless Commerce, and why you should build your online presence with it.

In this post:

Why Shopify Plus is beneficial for your business

Nowadays the eCommerce sector is experiencing swift and continuous expansion, showing no indications of deceleration in the near future. Utilizing pioneering technology for your online store is imperative to maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic landscape of eCommerce.

When you start to think about building an online store for your company, you might encounter the problem of which platform to choose. In today´s world, there are many options to choose from, but we think the most promising one is Shopify – especially Shopify Plus Headless.

Partnering Shopify Plus Headless commerce with Next.js allows you to enjoy a super-fast and user-centric online store that meets your brand’s identity without compromises. At Ikius, we are pioneers in the implementation of this area, already delivered several outstanding Shopify Plus solutions for businesses around the world.

In terms of data management, Shopify Basic's efficiency in handling substantial volumes falls short when compared to the capabilities of Shopify Plus. The reason behind this discrepancy lies in the more limited computing power of Shopify Basic, which consequently restricts its potential for scalability in contrast to the more generous resources offered by the Plus version.

Read more: Why use Next.js for eCommerce?

Easier online store management

Shopify Plus's Headless commerce solution involves decoupling the frontend presentation layer of an online store from the backend eCommerce functionality. In traditional eCommerce setups, the frontend (the visual interface that customers interact with) and the backend (the underlying system managing inventory, transactions, etc.) are tightly integrated.

However, with a headless architecture, these components are separated, allowing for greater flexibility, scalability, and customization. This also allows you to reduce costs due to needing only to develop the frontend and integrate it with the Shopify-maintained Headless backend.

With these implementations at your service, you´ll have more time to focus on the relevant operations of your online business by letting the features of Shopify Plus revamp your online sales.

Although the setup involves numerous components and the structure is slightly more advanced than that of a conventional Shopify store, the potential for customization is significantly expanded. Hence, if you're aiming for substantial growth, opting for the Plus option would be the ideal choice rather than settling for anything less.

Read more: Shopify vs. Shopify Plus: Which one is right for you?

Features of Shopify Plus

Fully customizable user interface: The headless system empowers you to seamlessly align your online store with your brand's identity, leaving no room for compromise. Additionally, it opens the door to a variety of personalization techniques, enabling you to captivate users
with customized product recommendations, content, and shopping insights.
Content management: Shopify makes it incredibly easy to manage content on your online store. Through its user-friendly interface and intuitive tools, you can easily update,
modify, and curate content, ensuring that your store's information remains current and relevant to your audience. This seamless content management experience empowers you to focus more on delivering engaging experiences to your customers and less on the intricacies of technical management. And if you already have an existing content management system (e.g., Dato, Sanity), the headless system allows you to integrate it seamlessly into the online store.
Scalability: A headless system allows you to lay the best foundation for a scalable, future
proof system that can always meet your brand's high demand.
Performance: Combining Shopify Plus Headless commerce with Next.js you can achieve
lightning-fast performance that meets the standards and requirements for great
user experience.
Reliability: Shopify Plus provides unlimited bandwidth and web hosting. The Shopify platform
also has a 99.99% average uptime so there is no worry about losing sales due
technical errors.
Security: Shopify Plus also provides the highest standard of security in the online realm. Your online store is safe due to the high level of encryption, bot protection, fraud analysis, chargeback recovery, and auto-reconciliation.
Flexible API integrations: With a Headless system, you have access to robust APIs that facilitate the integration of tailored solutions and third-party tools, enriching your store's
functionalities and expanding its capabilities.
Checkout: Shopify also provides the best-converting checkout through Shop Pay, which allows customers to check and purchase products easily.
Developing: The headless system excels in speedy and efficient development. This empowers
you to swiftly establish your online presence, enabling you to start selling more quickly.
Pricing: Shopify Plus pricing starts at $2,000 per month. For more complex, higher-volume
business structures the fee option flexes with your requirements.
More time: You´ll have more time to focus on the relevant operations of your online business by letting the features of Shopify Plus revamp your online sales.

Read more: Best 8 CMS for Shopify in 2023

Hire Nordic developers for your next online store project

If you are in the business looking for a super-fast, scalable eCommerce solution that can keep up with high demand, Shopify Plus Headless Commerce is your best choice.
Feel free to reach out to Ikius if you're considering employing Shopify Plus for your online store. Our experienced and ambitious team is here to assist you in transforming your concept into a precisely crafted and fully operational digital storefront.