BigCommerce

The aptly named BigCommerce has been delivering intuitive and high-powered eCommerce tools to businesses of all sizes since 2009.

They’re carved out a space as one of the leading eCommerce platforms, and all companies, whether you’re an army of one or a multinational corporation, can benefit from the powerful tools that BigCommerce offers.

What Is BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is a SaaS eCommerce platform that offers a suite of features and integrations with many of the most prominent players in the eCommerce world.

While the company was launched to cater to small businesses, it has also become a well-regarded tool for enterprise-level operations.

What Is BigCommerce Used For?

The platform is used to sell goods or services online.

BigCommerce offers a hosted eCommerce solution delivering web hosting, software, and all the tools needed to launch an eCommerce store.

How BigCommerce Works

BigCommerce allows users to create a professional-looking website for their products while streamlining all the backend processes necessary for the store to run smoothly.

Through the dashboard, store owners can add products, create collections and categories, and manage orders and returns from one location.

There’s also detailed analytics information and tools for managing your SEO, sales channels, and marketing efforts.

In other words, you never have to leave BigCommerce to handle any aspects of your store.

Notable Features of BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers users a powerful suite of tools and features that make it easier than ever to manage your eCommerce operations.

Let’s take a closer look at the five most critical elements of the platform.

1. Unlimited Bandwidth, Storage, and Product Uploads

BigCommerce’s most note-worthy feature is its lack of limits on any of its plans.

You can add as many products to your store as you want, supported by unlimited storage and bandwidth.

2. Conversion Tools

The platform has several tools designed to boost conversions.

Every BigCommerce plan includes a single-page checkout to reduce customer friction when it’s time to make a purchase.

Administrators can also add product videos and reviews to product pages, making it easier for customers to see the product in action and read what other users have to say about their experience.

Users can also create discount and coupon codes for store products, and the bulk pricing feature allows you to give customers a volume-based discount to incentivize larger purchases.

Abandoned cart recovery and persistent cart features are available with the Plus and Pro plans, which deliver additional conversion tools.

None of these features are new in the eCommerce space, but what separates BigCommerce is that they’re included in the base price of your subscription.

3. Excellent Uptime

Site uptime is one of the most critical aspects of running an eCommerce store.

Nothing deals a more significant blow to customer confidence than your site being down or loading slowly.

BigCommerce utilizes Amazon Web Services to deliver a fast and consistent experience to all users, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee.

4. Integrations

BigCommerce offers an industry-leading slate of software integrations, including Quickbooks, Hubspot, Salesforce, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics.

Altogether, there are 49 different integrations currently available for BigCommerce sites.

5. Cross Channel Sales

Customers are making purchases across more platforms than ever before.

Today, customers are just as likely to purchase something they see on Instagram or Facebook or on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay as they are to buy from a dedicated eCommerce retailer.

BigCommerce lets you list your products for sale on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google Merchant Center, and Instagram without any additional hoops to go through.

Are There Any Minimum Requirements Necessary To Use BigCommerce?

Everything you’ll need to run your store is contained within the BigCommerce platform, so there are no minimum requirements for using their service.

How Much Does BigCommerce Cost?

BigCommerce offers three different pricing plans catered to small and midsize businesses.

They also provide custom enterprise solutions for larger companies which you can discuss with the company.

Each plan comes with unlimited bandwidth, storage, and products.

The Plus and Pro tiers also feature support for Google customer reviews and product filters.

In addition, Pro accommodates unlimited API calls and multi-storefronts.

Its three price tiers are:

• Standard: $29.95/month
• Plus: $79.95/month
• Pro: 299.95/month

Does BigCommerce Have an Enterprise Version Available?

Yes, BigCommerce offers custom solutions for enterprise-level companies, and you can contact them directly for more information on what the enterprise packages include.

While BigCommerce was launched as a tool for SMBs, its platform has become popular with larger businesses because of its depth and selection of tools.

Some of BigCommerce’s Enterprise clients include Ben & Jerry’s, Skullcandy headphones, and Gibson Guitars UK.

Who are BigCommerce’s Main Alternatives?

BigCommerce is far from the only competitor in this space.

Indeed, there are a few viable options you’ll want to consider before making your final decision.

1. Etsy

Etsy is one of the largest marketplaces in the world for small businesses.

There’s a wide range of goods for sale on the site, but this marketplace is a bit more specialized than most.

In particular, Etsy focuses on handmade goods, vintage pieces, art, crafts, and craft supplies.

Sellers can list their items on Etsy for $.20 per item, while the company assesses a fee of 3-5% depending on the payment processor you choose when the item sells.

You can also advertise your products on the site in exchange for a larger fee being assessed when your item sells.

Etsy is an excellent marketplace for small businesses with a clearly-defined specialist focus.

If you’re in the business of vintage, artsy pieces, clothing, or jewelry, Etsy is a compelling choice for entrepreneurs and small businesses getting their start.

Overall, Etsy is a versatile option, and an excellent platform to consider if you’re looking for different types of niche products to sell.

2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is one of the largest competitors to BigCommerce, with a few critical differentiators.

Most importantly, WooCommerce is an open-source plug-in that works exclusively with sites that use WordPress as their CMS.

It’s free to use WooCommerce for your site.

However, many of the plug-ins and integrations, as well as almost all of the premium themes, are sold a la carte.

While it looks like the most affordable option on paper, the costs of creating a beautiful and functional WooCommerce site add up.

Moreover, BigCommerce has less of a learning curve, and you can get your site running faster than if you’re building out a WooCommerce site from scratch.

But if you have a background in web development, WooCommerce is an effective option to execute your vision.

3. Shopify

One of the closest competitors to BigCommerce is Shopify, which has a near-identical business model.

Shopify allows store owners to build out an excellent eCommerce site quickly, and it’s loaded with integrations, free plug-ins, and other tools that make it easy to bring visitors to your site and convert them to customers.

Shopify’s pricing is virtually identical to BigCommerce, but the two differ significantly in plan features.

Its basic plan doesn’t offer nearly as many features as BigCommerce, but its higher tiers provide an excellent feature assortment that some users may find superior.

The Shopify platform is often a better fit for stores with a brick-and-mortar location, as they offer adaptable POS tools that allow you to integrate your online and physical businesses seamlessly.

BigCommerce doesn’t offer a POS system with their plans, but there is a free integration with Square you can use to run your physical store.

Check out our other review of Shopify!

How Does BigCommerce Differentiate Itself From Competitors?

BigCommerce has plenty of competitors, so how does the tool stand out from the crowd?

Firstly, it provides a broad selection of native tools and plug-ins, meaning you don’t have to spend to get the functionality you’re looking for.

Moreover, BigCommerce has an impressive theme selection from top developers.

While there aren’t many free options, what are available are easy to navigate and designed with conversion in mind.

Who Is BigCommerce Best For?

BigCommerce is the best choice for growing small and midsize to enterprise businesses that need top-quality eCommerce tools and don’t have brick-and-mortar locations.

The Plus and Pro tiers, not to mention the Enterprise plan, offer flexible scalability.

Why Is BigCommerce Best for Growing Businesses?

While smaller businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit, BigCommerce is more suited to companies that expect growth.

BigCommerce delivers an extensive suite of tools, giving you everything you need to sustain continued growth.

Is BigCommerce Easy To Use?

There may be an eCommerce platform or two that’s more user-friendly than BigCommerce, but it couldn’t be by much of a margin.

BigCommerce is incredibly easy to use, with an intuitive dashboard that allows store owners to manage their entire eCommerce business in one place.

What Features Do Some Users Love?

BigCommerce users love how they’re able to add unlimited products, variations, and media to support product pages.

There are tons of native conversion tools available on every plan, making it easy to design a store that users will love.

BigCommerce also comes with excellent marketing tools to help you identify and target the type of customer your store needs to grow.

What Features Do Some Users Find Frustrating?

One aspect that’s bothersome to some users is the sales cap on each plan.

Once your store amasses a certain amount of annual sales, you’ll need to bump up to the next plan level, even if you don’t feel you need to switch.

BigCommerce also doesn’t win much favor with their customer service department.

While their support staff is cordial and responsive, many are unequipped to assist with higher-level issues.

The result is that it often takes a few days to get a resolution for your problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most common questions people have when researching BigCommerce.

Wrapping Up

BigCommerce is a powerful eCommerce platform with many native tools and plug-ins that make it easier to operate and grow your online store.

Their three-tiered plans offer flexibility, ensuring BigCommerce remains one of the best options on the market for eCommerce stores.

Are you a BigCommerce user?

Please sound off in the review section below, and let us know how you feel.