A new report from WP Engine, has found 73% of businesses now utilising headless architecture, up 14% from 2021 and nearly 40% in the last five year.

The vendor's latest State of Headless 2024 found nearly 98% of those not currently using this web architecture are also planning to evaluate headless solutions over the next 12 months. The research, commissioned by WP Engine and conducted by Censuswide in July 2024, surveyed 1015 chief technology officers, chief marketing officers and IT decision makers from organisations achieving an average of approximately US$800 million in annual revenue covering the US, UK and Australia.

While nearly two-thirds find budget concerns a barrier, 83% of respondents agreed digital experiences are important to their organisation's success and 60% believe their website infrastructure budget will increase over the next 12 months. 16% of respondents expect a 26%- 35% impact on bottom-line financials following headless implementation, while another 16% expect an 11%- 20% impact.

Those using headless technology also claimed to feel better equipped for the future, and they're also more likely than those who have yet to adopt it to rate their organisation's ability to scale websites as good, responding at 79% and 62%, respectively. Nearly 70% pointed to competitiveness as the top benefit of using headless. More than 70% of respondents view enhanced technology and innovation as top benefits of using headless within their organisations, with 26% specifically citing omnichannel enablement as a key advantage. Just over one-fifth of companies with 250-499 employees also cited AI integration as one of the primary reasons for using headless.

The report also found Chief marketing officers are more involved in the adoption and utilization of headless than chief technology officers, with 63% heavily involved in developing, designing, marketing, or managing their organisation's website versus 52% of CTOs. Three in four CMOs surveyed are currently using a headless technology approach with their company's website(s) and 81% agree that implementing headless technologies makes it easier for companies to deliver a consistent content experience.CMOs are 11% more likely than CTOs to integrate different tools with headless technology, however, they are 18% more likely to find it more challenging to manage these tools and report results.

"The results of WP Engine's 2024 Headless Report truly underscore the importance of investing in modern, flexible technologies that not only better equip organisations for the future but also position them to drive more impactful and cohesive web experiences," said Ramadass Prabhakar, Chief Technology Officer at WP Engine.

"Headless is no longer an emerging technology, it is a mainstay that organisations will need to fully embrace to maintain a competitive advantage and manage digital change effectively."