1) Introduction
Nowadays, most business owners think about creating an online presence for their organization. Some even scour through numerous websites finding an easy way to achieve that goal but often end up with incomplete or incorrect information.
If you also belong to that category of people, you've landed on the right page. In this article, we will discuss one of the world's best eCommerce platforms that can simplify your eCommerce journey and make it more blissful.
Any guesses on what we are talking about? Well, it's BigCommerce, a leading eCommerce website building platform.
2) What is Bigcommerce?
BigCommerce is a renowned hosted eCommerce platform that provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) services to merchants and retailers. It was founded in 2009 by two Australians, Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper, who accidentally met in an online chatroom in 2003.
The company was initially launched as Interspire and later evolved to BigCommerce, opening its first office in Texas, US. It was under the leadership of Machaalani and Harper for six years until HomeAway's former COO, Brent Bellm, took over as the CEO. In July 2020, the company filed for an IPO, going public the very next month. Today the platform has over 60,000 online stores and makes revenue in billions of dollars.
3) What are the features offered by BigCommerce?
Being a SaaS provider, BigCommerce offers numerous features for the smooth running of an online store. Here are some of BigCommerce's features that differentiate it from its competitors.
a) Product management
BigCommerce offers online sellers effective product management features like importing products, setting up inventory updates, analyzing order trends, updating inventory levels, and much more. It's the only platform that allows sellers to operate their eCommerce websites without paying third parties.
b) Multi-currency support
Since currencies differ from place to place, eCommerce websites need to provide multi-currency support to make cross-border sales.
Thankfully, BigCommerce comes of great help here.
Being partners with 5 top payment gateways, BigCommerce provides flexibility to online sellers. It converts the price of products into the customers' local currency and displays the value accordingly.
c) Multi-channel support
Acquiring customers has never been an easy task. Online sellers have to juggle between various platforms to reach a larger audience. But if the platform doesn't support multiple channels, all the efforts can go in vain.
Luckily, that's not the case with BigCommerce. Since BigCommerce allows online sellers to integrate with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, etc., it creates more opportunities for users.
d) Order management
At BigCommerce, online sellers can create and process orders hassle-free. The platform assists sellers from the time a customer clicks the buy button and helps process orders, print invoices, and packing slips in one go.
e) Tax and shipping
Tax and shipping are essential parts of every eCommerce platform. Flexibility in them decides how happy your customers are with your services.
At BigCommerce, online sellers don't need to worry about this aspect. They can offer features like next-day delivery, in-store pickup, free shipping, package tracking, and much more to customers. They can even help customers with discounts using their free app- ShipStation.
f) SEO friendly
BigCommerce is an SEO-friendly platform and allows users to increase the visibility of their eCommerce website by editing microdata and on page-SEO. It even offers online sellers SSL certificates with all its plans and helps create an SEO-friendly URL structure.
4) What are the different plans offered by BigCommerce?
BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial plan for online sellers to identify their business needs. Thereon, it requests them to choose from its four plans and fulfill the necessary payment conditions.
Here's a detailed look at the different plans offered by BigCommerce and its constituents.
4.1) BigCommerce Standard plan
The Standard plan offered by BigCommerce charges a similar entry-level amount to other popular eCommerce platforms such as Volusion or Shopify. Online sellers have to pay $29.95 a month to avail of the benefits mentioned below.
- a standard online store
- unlimited products, file storage, and bandwidth
- unlimited staff accounts
- access to multiple channels like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Facebook, etc.
- numerous payment gateways and shipping options
- coupons, discounts, and gift cards
- real-time shopping quotations
- free sitewide HTTPS and dedicated SLL
- mobile-friendly tools and pages
- built-in blog
- multi-currency support
4.2) BigCommerce Plus plan
One of the most popular BigCommerce plans, the Plus plan, charges online sellers $79.95 a month. It gives sellers access to all features available in the Standard plan along with benefits like-
- customer grouping and segmentation
- store credit cards- Here, customers can save their credit card details on the BigCommerce website.
- abandoned cart saver tool
- persistent cart- With this, customers can access their cart and pay for products through multiple devices.
4.3) BigCommerce Pro plan
The Pro plan isn't a lot different from the Plus plan, only it charges $299 per month from online sellers and allows a little increase in yearly sales, which is up to $400,000 a year. However, it gives sellers access to Google customer reviews and various product filtering options.
4.4) BigCommerce Enterprise plan
The Enterprise plan is the most advanced plan on BigCommerce's list. It offers a mix of all three plan features along with additional benefits such as multiple storefronts, unlimited API calls, and price lists. This plan is fit for businesses with very high sales volume, and its price can be negotiated by speaking with BigCommerce directly. Rest assured, sellers won't be charged as high as Shopify's Enterprise Grade plans, which demand $2000 a month for their features.
5) Pros and cons of BigCommerce
5.1) Pros
BigCommerce offers lots of benefits to its customers. Here's a list of features that differentiate it from its competitors.
a) Scalability
Despite being a large platform, BigCommerce supports all business sizes. Its unique pricing allows online sellers to choose plans based on their business requirements. It even gives them the flexibility to switch to a different plan, depending on their growth and profitability.
b) Omnichannel approach
BigCommerce follows an omnichannel approach. Instead of sticking to one medium of sale, it allows customers to sell through multiple platforms creating a seamless customer experience. The platform also connects all mediums to simplify the process of management for online sellers.
c) SEO benefits
Search Engine Optimization is essential for increasing the visibility of every eCommerce business. BigCommerce offers effective SEO tools like product-based search, most popular searches, optimized URLs, etc., to enhance the eCommerce website and gain better traffic.
d) Powerful built-in features
Built-in features are crucial for eCommerce websites. If an eCommerce platform doesn't offer many features, online sellers might have to rely on third-party integrations, which aren't always pocket-friendly.
Thankfully, BigCommerce is packed with numerous built-in features starting from its Standard plan to its Enterprise plan.
e) Secure platform
Security is a must for every eCommerce platform. Until the eCommerce website is secure, it won't be able to protect users' data and will be more susceptible to online fraud.
Fortunately, BigCommerce offers multiple security to protect eCommerce websites from any kind of scam. The platform offers an SSL certificate in all its packages making the eCommerce websites trustworthy.
5.2) Cons
a) Restricted sales volumes
Each BigCommerce plan comes with a limited annual sales volume. Online sellers crossing that limit would be automatically upgraded to the other plan and will be charged accordingly. Given below is the yearly sales volume limit for each plan.
- Standard plan- up to $50,000
- Plus plan- up to $180,000
- Pro plan- up to $400,000
Enterprise plan- For the enterprise plan, the annual sale limit and the yearly price is negotiable as per different business needs.
b) Not ideal for high-volume businesses
Though BigCommerce's Enterprise plan offers a custom price range and yearly sales volume, it's not ideal for big businesses. Its Pro plan itself allows an annual sales volume of $400,000. Even if sellers go beyond that, the platform can support a maximum of $100 billion. Businesses operating above that mark should look for other better alternatives, especially if they want to achieve a higher growth level.
6) How to open an online store at BigCommerce?
With top-notch selling and management tools, BigCommerce is an ideal choice for small-scale and mid-scale businesses. It offers great flexibility and healthy competition to online sellers trying to carve a name for themselves in the eCommerce industry.
For those of you who're looking for ways to create a BigCommerce store, here's a step-by-step guide to ease your burden.
Step 1- Sign up for an account
To create a BigCommerce store, online sellers should first sign up for an account. For this, you can visit the official BigCommerce website and click on START YOUR FREE TRIAL. Upon clicking the icon, you'll be taken to a page requesting details like name, number, email address, store name, and size of business. Carefully fill in those details and create a strong password.
Once done, you will be taken to a dashboard with an outline of recommended steps in creating an online store. Go through the outline and follow it religiously. But before that, set up your online store profile by going to Store Set Up > Store Profile.
Step 2- Create product categories
Creating product categories is a must for every eCommerce business as it helps users navigate through your store easily. On top of that, it gives Google an idea of your website structure, which might be useful for SEO.
Now, many people would debate creating product categories before adding products, but in our opinion, it makes adding products easier.
To create product categories, click on Products on the control panel and go to product categories. There you'll find already created sample product categories. If you find those useful, keep them; else click on the Create a Category link and fill in the mentioned fields. Though all of them are not necessary, at least add details like category name, category page URL, and a description of the category.
Step 3- Add products
Now comes the most important part, adding products to your BigCommerce store. For this, click on Products on the left side of your screen, and from the drop-down menu, select Add. Soon you'll see a dashboard in front of you with five main categories- product information, product options, storefront details, fulfillment, and SEO.
Fill in the mandatory sections. In case you want to provide more information, you can do that too. Once done, check it thoroughly and save the details.
Step 4- Configure back-office settings
Back office settings help in better functioning of your stores. Things like currencies, payment methods, and tax and shipping rates must be in shape to keep your business running smoothly. Here's how you can set up those categories.
Configuring currency- To set up currency settings, go to the main menu. Click on Store setup and press Currency. There you will find default settings, edit them as per your choice and save the information. To add currencies of other countries you'll work in, click on Add new currency and fill in the required details.
Configuring payment- Similar to currencies, payment options can be configured by going to Store Setup and pressing Payments. There you'll find various options to choose from. Once you've selected the options of your liking, save them and move to tax settings.
Configuring tax- Tax is a complicated aspect of the business. Hence, it's advised for sellers to consult an accountant before making any changes to default Tax settings.
Step 5- Set up shipping rates and methods
Go to Store setup and click on shipping. You'll be taken to a different dashboard requiring basic information on shipping origin. Once you've added the details, move on to Set Up Services. Here, you'll find a variety of shipping options starting from BigCommerce shipping services to other paid options. Select the one you prefer to use, or you can even skip this step for later.
Now set up shipping by editing the information as per specific time zones. To begin this process, click on Configure and go through the screen present in front of you. Set up shipping parameters and real-time shipping quotations for customers and save the changes.
Step 6- Design the store
After setting up the back-end, let's take a look at the front end i.e., designing your storefront. For this, you need to select a theme. Though the default theme is present for every storefront on the BigCommerce website, you can change it with the free themes available at your disposal. However, you must know that most themes aren't equipped with enhanced features, so be careful while selecting one.
Next, customize the theme by navigating to the Storefront and My Themes options. Work around the appearance of your store and save the changes made immediately. Lastly, add a logo and carousel images to your online store and save all the details.
Step 7- Customize store information pages
Adding details about your online store, your vision, your working procedure, etc., gives customers an idea about your brand and its structure. This helps save time in answering basic inquiry emails and phone calls.
To customize your store information pages, go to Store Setup and click on Web Pages. There you will find the default Shipping & Returns and Contact Us pages. You can add a few more necessary pages of your choice and add extra information about awards and recognition or case studies.
Step 8- Set up store navigation
The main reason for customers to shop online is comfortability and flexibility. If they don't get that on eCommerce platforms, they won't visit them. That's why having a user-friendly interface is crucial for every eCommerce website.
At BigCommerce, you can set up store navigation by visiting My Themes and editing the default store navigation settings.
Step 9- Review and test run
Before launching your online store, do a thorough check of all the parameters. Go through each tab and see whether or not everything is as per your preference. Once that's done, do a test run.
Step 10- Launch
After test-running your platform, look for any discrepancies. In case you find everything in place, launch your business and start inviting customers.
7) Conclusion
Going through eCommerce's features and plans could be overwhelming. Since all eCommerce platforms target somewhat the same aspects, sellers might get frustrated in differentiating them.
However, we suggest you spend some time knowing the platform before signing up for it because one wrong decision can make or break your upcoming online store. Also, do check out BigCommerce's FAQs to clarify any doubts in mind. Good luck!
8) FAQs about BigCommerce
8.1) What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a hosted eCommerce platform providing service-as-a-software (Saas) services to merchants and retailers.
8.2) Is BigCommerce free?
No, BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, after which it requests online sellers to select a plan for their company.
8.3) How many plans does BigCommerce offer?
BigCommerce offers four different plans to users, including Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans.
8.4) Does BigCommerce allow third-party integrations?
Yes, BigCommerce allows third-party integrations for the enhancement of eCommerce websites.
8.5) Is BigCommerce suitable for large organizations?
No, BigCommerce is best for small-scale and mid-scale organizations. Though it can manage a large-scale organization, it can't help it grow beyond a certain level.