Mobify has announced the launch of the Mobify Front-end as a Service. The service provides a new way to build, test, run and evolve fast, immersive front-end experiences.
Mobify says its front-end is suitable for businesses moving to “headless” architecture. The enterprise front-end separates the customer-facing experience from backend systems. According to Mobify this unlocks agility, future-proof customer experience investments, and activate the value of backend systems.
Increasingly retailers and brands manage their digital experiences with a commerce-led or experience-led approach. The front-end experience is built within either the CMS or eCommerce platform, so it’s tightly coupled to the backend.
As a result of the tightly coupled architecture, every time there’s a leap in technology, retailers have to replatform. This often requires rebuilding everything from scratch, which is risky, and requires costly re-orgs and retraining. While revamping means squeezing more out of what you have by layering on point solutions and redesigns.
Unlocking the headless ecosystem
The service can be deployed to support API-driven front-end experiences. This includes Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for mobile, tablet and desktop. The service supports Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and native apps, touchpoints like voice, chat, and augmented and virtual reality. As an API-driven solution, Mobify’s solution allows businesses to unlock the agility of headless ecosystems with lighter and more frequent front-end updates. Mobify contrasts this approach with the large website redesigns or siloed customer experiences. The new front-end service can be integrated with best-of-breed ecommerce, content, analytics and other solutions, without the need to build custom experiences from scratch or wait for heavy redeployments of backend systems.
According to Gartner, Inc. Innovation Insight for API-Based Digital Commerce report, “Some companies seeking to innovate are moving beyond the inflexible and architecturally closed ‘monolithic’ commerce applications of yore, toward experience-led or API-based platforms that allow more refined control over the user interface and overall digital customer experience.”
German beauty giant Cosnova, has three major brands including Essence, the highest selling cosmetics brand across Europe. Consnova is undertaking a headless approach using Mobify as the front-end for ecommerce, CMS, personalisation, and other technologies. According to Cosnova Chief Digital Officer Dirk Lauber, “With Mobify we’re able to have a much more flexible, modular digital architecture. The customer experience components on the front-end can evolve for each brand without having to build and maintain duplicate code and integrations to our backend systems. For customers, this mean delivering more consistent and reliable experiences in our content, pricing, promotions and inventory across all channels. We need to enable innovation in our customer journeys.”
Mobify’s Front-end as a Service provides:
- A single, unified front-end experience across all screens, brands, and regions.
- A flexible environment offering the freedom to build custom experiences, without starting from scratch.
- A future-proofed front-end ready to adapt to emerging digital experience technology, backend upgrades and organisational changes.
According to Igor Faletski, Mobify CEO: “We know from creating apps on the web that amazing digital experiences drive top-line growth. Rather than worrying about foundational technologies like building and maintaining a hosting environment.
“Mastering modern web technologies and integrating with backend systems. An API-driven Front-end as a Service lets businesses focus on innovating and differentiating the digital experience to delight their customers.”
Reducing time, costs and maintenance challenges
Mobify’s Front-end as a Service reduces the time, costs, and maintenance challenges associated with going “headless” with:
- A scalable Application Delivery Network to deploy, host, and manage high-performing front-end apps
- A comprehensive set of developer tools to build, test, and deploy amazing shopping experiences with Progressive Web Apps, Accelerated Mobile Pages, and native apps on a single codebase.
- A powerful API-friendly architecture that integrates ecommerce, CMS, personalization, analytics, and third-party platforms and empowers teams to easily, swap, or remove any backend system
- A world-class network of technology and implementation partners focused on faster go-to-market timelines and lower development costs
Shoppers expect digital experiences to be fast, immersive, personalised, engaging, and easy. Businesses recognise that amazing digital experiences drive top-line by improving SEO, boosting revenue, and ultimately increasing brand equity.
Mobify drove over $1 billion in Gross Merchandise Value via Front-end as a Service in 2018 and is projecting to double that in 2019. Customers include digital innovators like Lancôme, Debenhams, Paula’s Choice, Crabtree & Evelyn, Mackage, Syo & Kioa, Carnival Cruise Line, US AutoParts, Hobbycraft, and PureFormulas.
Enterprise Times: What this means for business
Digital experience technology is advancing faster and faster due to advancements in cloud, mobile networks, and tech giant investment. On top of this, there are more touchpoints and variations than ever before, which means more to test, build, and operate. It was easy back when a website was just a static catalogue built for desktop, then eCommerce for desktop emerged. Then eCommerce for multiple devices. Then native apps, then app-like experiences, then A/R, voice, chat – you get where we’re going with this!
As a result, many businesses are attracted to an API-driven approach because it unlocks the agility of a commerce approach. Businesses can pilot, pick and choose among a wide range of platforms powering transactions behind the scene. Headless Commerce also supports fast, immersive experiences with Progressive Web Apps, Accelerated Mobile Pages, and native apps.
Mobify’s Front-End as a Service contrasts with the traditional approaches to eCommerce. To date, Enterprise Times was unable to find any other major operators who offer front-end as a Service. Mobify need to further provide more information about the structure of the service. The revenue model developed to support this service or the applications that comprise Front-end as a service.
This is an interesting development from Mobify. However, Mobify needs to provide more information, before businesses can evaluate, if the service is an effective business option.
