What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform that allows businesses of all sizes to create and operate their online stores. It was founded in 2009 and is based in Austin, Texas. The platform provides a variety of features and tools to help businesses manage their online sales, including product catalog management, order management, payment processing, shipping integration, and marketing and analytics tools.
BigCommerce is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, which means that businesses pay a monthly subscription fee to use the platform and do not need to worry about managing the technical aspects of their online store. The platform is designed to be user-friendly and customizable, allowing businesses to create an online store that reflects their brand and meets their specific needs. BigCommerce also offers a range of integrations with third-party applications and services, such as social media platforms, accounting software, and shipping providers.
BigCommerce pricing
BigCommerce offers several pricing plans to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Here are the current pricing plans as of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021:
- Standard Plan: $29.95/month: This plan includes all the basic features needed to start an online store, including unlimited products, staff accounts, and storage. It also includes features such as a website builder, responsive design, and SEO features.
- Plus Plan: $79.95/month: In addition to the features offered in the Standard Plan, the Plus Plan includes advanced features such as customer groups and segmentation, abandoned cart saver, and stored credit cards.
- Pro Plan: $299.95/month: This plan includes all the features of the Plus Plan, plus additional features such as Google customer reviews, product filtering, and custom SSL.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing: This plan is designed for high-volume businesses with specific needs. It includes all the features of the Pro Plan, plus additional features such as custom facets, advanced API support, and priority support.
It’s worth noting that BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial for all plans, so businesses can test out the platform before committing to a paid plan. Additionally, businesses can save up to 10% on annual plans.
Core selling features
BigCommerce offers a range of core selling features that are designed to help businesses sell more products online. Here are some of the key selling features of the platform:
- Mobile responsive design: BigCommerce offers responsive design templates that automatically adapt to different screen sizes, ensuring that the online store looks great on any device.
- Flexible product catalog: BigCommerce allows businesses to manage a large number of products with ease, including detailed product descriptions, multiple images, and customizable options.
- Multi-channel selling: BigCommerce allows businesses to sell products on multiple channels, including social media platforms and marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, which can help to increase sales and reach new customers.
- Built-in SEO features: BigCommerce includes built-in SEO features that can help businesses optimize their online store for search engines, including customizable URLs, meta descriptions, and sitemaps.
- Secure checkout: BigCommerce offers secure checkout options, including SSL encryption and fraud protection, which can help to build trust with customers and reduce the risk of chargebacks.
- Payment and shipping integrations: BigCommerce integrates with a variety of payment gateways and shipping providers, making it easy for businesses to accept payments and manage shipping and fulfillment.
- Abandoned cart recovery: BigCommerce offers features to help businesses recover abandoned carts, including automatic email reminders and the ability to save customer carts for future checkout.
These features and others make BigCommerce a robust and powerful e-commerce platform that can help businesses of all sizes to sell more products online.
Differences between the BigCommerce plans
The main differences between the BigCommerce plans are the features and capabilities that are included at each level. Here are some of the key differences between the plans:
- Standard Plan: The Standard Plan is designed for small businesses and includes all the basic features needed to start an online store, such as unlimited products, staff accounts, and storage. This plan also includes a website builder, responsive design, and SEO features.
- Plus Plan: The Plus Plan is designed for growing businesses and includes all the features of the Standard Plan, plus advanced features such as customer groups and segmentation, abandoned cart saver, and stored credit cards. This plan also includes custom SSL and a dedicated SSL certificate.
- Pro Plan: The Pro Plan is designed for high-volume businesses and includes all the features of the Plus Plan, plus additional features such as Google customer reviews, product filtering, and custom SSL. This plan also includes priority support.
- Enterprise Plan: The Enterprise Plan is designed for large businesses and includes all the features of the Pro Plan, plus additional features such as custom facets, advanced API support, and priority support. This plan also includes personalized onboarding and support from a dedicated account manager.
In addition to the above differences, each plan has a different limit on the annual online sales volume, which ranges from $50,000 to $400,000, depending on the plan. The plans also differ in terms of the number of staff accounts that are included, as well as the level of support that is available.
Ultimately, the choice of which plan to use depends on the specific needs and goals of the business. Smaller businesses with limited budgets and sales volumes may find that the Standard Plan is sufficient, while larger businesses with higher sales volumes and more complex needs may require the features and support offered by the higher-tier plans.
BigCommerce Enterprise
BigCommerce Enterprise the highest level plan offered by BigCommerce and designed for large businesses with complex needs. This plan includes all the features and capabilities of the Pro Plan, plus additional features such as custom facets, advanced API support, and priority support.
Some of the key features of BigCommerce Enterprise include:
- Custom facets: BigCommerce Enterprise allows businesses to create custom facets, which are filters that help customers find products based on specific attributes such as size, color, and material.
- Advanced API support: BigCommerce Enterprise includes advanced API support, which allows businesses to integrate their online store with third-party applications and services, such as inventory management and accounting software.
- Priority support: BigCommerce Enterprise offers priority support, which includes personalized onboarding, a dedicated account manager, and 24/7 phone support.
- Scalability: BigCommerce Enterprise is designed to scale with the needs of the business, allowing businesses to handle large volumes of online sales without experiencing downtime or performance issues.
- Customization: BigCommerce Enterprise offers a high level of customization, allowing businesses to create a unique online store that reflects their brand and meets their specific needs.
In addition to these features, BigCommerce Enterprise offers enterprise-grade security and compliance, including PCI DSS compliance, SSL encryption, and fraud protection.
BigCommerce Enterprise is a customized solution, and the pricing is not publicly available. The pricing for this plan is tailored to the specific needs and requirements of each business. Businesses interested in BigCommerce Enterprise should contact BigCommerce directly to discuss their specific needs and receive a custom quote.
Transaction fees and sales limits
BigCommerce does not charge any transaction fees on top of the payment gateway fees. However, the payment gateway provider may charge a fee per transaction, which varies depending on the provider and the plan chosen.
Regarding sales limits, each BigCommerce plan has a limit on the maximum annual online sales volume allowed. Here are the sales limits for each plan:
Standard Plan: Up to $50,000 in annual sales volume
Plus Plan: Up to $180,000 in annual sales volume
Pro Plan: Up to $400,000 in annual sales volume
If a business exceeds the sales limit of its plan, it will be automatically upgraded to the next plan level. BigCommerce will notify the business in advance of the upgrade and adjust the billing accordingly. In the case of BigCommerce Enterprise, there is no sales limit, and businesses can process unlimited sales volume.
BigCommerce templates
BigCommerce offers a wide range of templates, also known as themes, to help businesses design and customize their online stores. These templates are designed by professional designers and developers and are fully customizable, allowing businesses to create a unique and professional-looking online store that reflects their brand and style.
The templates offered by BigCommerce are divided into several categories, including:
- Industry-specific templates: BigCommerce offers a range of templates designed specifically for different industries, such as fashion, electronics, and health and beauty.
- Mobile-responsive templates: All templates offered by BigCommerce mobile-responsive, meaning that they are optimized for viewing on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
- Customizable templates: BigCommerce templates are fully customizable, allowing businesses to change the colors, fonts, and layout of the template to match their brand and style.
- Free and premium templates: BigCommerce offers both free and premium templates. The free templates provide a basic design and functionality, while the premium templates offer more advanced features and customization options.
In addition to the pre-built templates, BigCommerce also offers a drag-and-drop website builder called Page Builder. This tool allows businesses to create custom pages and layouts by simply dragging and dropping content elements onto a canvas.
The templates offered by BigCommerce provide businesses with a great starting point for designing and customizing their online store, while the customization options allow businesses to create a unique and professional-looking online store that meets their specific needs and goals.
Product options, variants and categories in BigCommerce
Product options, variants, and categories are important features of BigCommerce that help businesses organize and present their products to customers. Here is an overview of each feature:
- Product options: Product options are attributes or variations of a product that customers can select when making a purchase. Examples of product options include size, color, material, and quantity. In BigCommerce, businesses can create product options and assign them to specific products or product groups.
- Product variants: Product variants are different versions of a product that have different combinations of product options. For example, a t-shirt may come in different sizes and colors, resulting in several product variants. In BigCommerce, businesses can create product variants and assign them to specific products.
- Categories: Categories are groups of products that share similar attributes or characteristics. In BigCommerce, businesses can create categories and subcategories to help customers navigate their online store. Products can be assigned to one or multiple categories.
Organizing products with options, variants, and categories can help businesses streamline their product management and provide a better shopping experience for customers. BigCommerce makes it easy for businesses to manage these features and provides a variety of customization options to ensure that products presented in a way that meets the specific needs and goals of the business.
BigCommerce’s abandoned cart saver feature
BigCommerce’s abandoned cart saver feature is a marketing automation tool that helps businesses recover lost sales by sending targeted emails to customers who have abandoned their carts. When a customer adds products to their cart but does not complete the purchase, BigCommerce’s abandoned cart saver feature automatically sends an email to the customer reminding them of the items left in their cart.
Here are some of the key features of BigCommerce’s abandoned cart saver:
- Automated emails: The abandoned cart saver feature sends automated emails to customers who have abandoned their carts, reminding them of the items left in their cart and encouraging them to complete the purchase.
- Customizable email templates: Businesses can customize the design and content of their abandoned cart emails to match their branding and messaging.
- Targeted messaging: Businesses can include personalized messaging and product recommendations in their abandoned cart emails based on the customer’s browsing and purchase history.
- Coupon codes: Businesses can include coupon codes in their abandoned cart emails to incentivize customers to complete their purchase.
- Conversion tracking: BigCommerce provides conversion tracking data, allowing businesses to see how many customers have returned to complete their purchase after receiving an abandoned cart email.
The abandoned cart saver feature is available on all BigCommerce plans, and businesses can set up and customize the feature through their BigCommerce account. By using the abandoned cart saver feature, businesses can recover lost sales, increase their conversion rates, and improve their revenue.
Selling in multiple currencies
Selling in multiple currencies is an important feature for businesses that operate in multiple countries or sell to customers around the world. BigCommerce offers a range of options for businesses to sell in multiple currencies, including:
- Automatic currency conversion: BigCommerce can automatically detect a customer’s location and display prices in their local currency. This feature uses real-time exchange rates to ensure that prices are accurate and up-to-date.
- Manual currency selection: Customers can choose their preferred currency from a dropdown menu on the website, allowing them to view prices in their local currency.
- Currency rounding: BigCommerce can round prices to the nearest whole number in a customer’s local currency, making it easier for customers to understand and compare prices across different countries.
- Multiple pricing tiers: Businesses can set different prices for the same product in different currencies. This is useful for businesses that want to offer regional pricing based on local market conditions.
- Multi-language support: BigCommerce supports multiple languages, allowing businesses to translate their website and product information into different languages for customers around the world.
Selling in multiple currencies with BigCommerce is easy to set up and manage through the platform’s built-in features. By enabling customers to view prices and make purchases in their local currency, businesses can improve the customer experience and increase their sales in international markets.
BigCommerce shipping options
BigCommerce offers a range of shipping options that businesses can use to manage their shipping processes and provide a seamless experience for their customers. Here are some of the key shipping options available in BigCommerce:
- Real-time carrier rates: BigCommerce integrates with a range of shipping carriers, including FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL. This allows businesses to offer real-time carrier rates to customers at checkout, based on the weight and destination of their order.
- Shipping labels and tracking: Businesses can generate shipping labels and tracking numbers directly from BigCommerce, streamlining their shipping process and providing customers with real-time updates on their order status.
- Shipping rules: BigCommerce allows businesses to create shipping rules based on a variety of criteria, such as shipping destination, product weight, and order value. This can help businesses set up complex shipping scenarios and provide accurate shipping rates to customers.
- In-store pickup: Businesses can offer in-store pickup as a shipping option, allowing customers to pick up their order at a physical location rather than having it shipped.
- Third-party shipping apps: BigCommerce has a range of third-party shipping apps available through its app marketplace. These apps can provide additional shipping features and integrations with other shipping carriers.
BigCommerce’s shipping options are flexible and customizable, allowing businesses to set up their shipping processes in a way that best meets their needs. By providing accurate shipping rates and real-time tracking information, businesses can improve the customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.
BigCommerce SEO features
BigCommerce offers a range of built-in SEO features to help businesses optimize their online stores for search engines and improve their search rankings. Here are some of the key SEO features available in BigCommerce:
- Customizable URLs: BigCommerce allows businesses to customize the URLs of their products, categories, and pages, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index their content.
- Meta descriptions: Businesses can customize the meta descriptions of their products, categories, and pages, providing search engines with more information about the content of their website.
- Header tags: BigCommerce automatically generates header tags for product titles and descriptions, making it easier for search engines to identify the most important content on a page.
- Mobile responsiveness: BigCommerce offers mobile-responsive themes that optimized for mobile devices. This can improve the user experience for mobile users and improve the website’s search rankings.
- Site speed: BigCommerce offers fast page load times and has built-in features like content delivery network (CDN) integration and image optimization to help improve site speed. This can also improve the website’s search rankings, as search engines prioritize fast-loading websites.
- Sitemap generation: BigCommerce automatically generates XML sitemaps for businesses’ websites, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index their content.
- Google AMP integration: BigCommerce integrates with Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), which can improve page load times on mobile devices and improve search rankings.
By using BigCommerce’s built-in SEO features, businesses can improve their search rankings and increase their online visibility. The platform’s user-friendly interface and integration with popular SEO tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console also make it easy for businesses to track their SEO performance and make data-driven decisions to improve their online presence.
BigCommerce customer support
BigCommerce offers a range of customer support options to help businesses get the most out of their ecommerce platform. Here are some of the key support options available in BigCommerce:
- 24/7 live chat and phone support: BigCommerce offers 24/7 support through live chat and phone. This allows businesses to get help with any issues they encounter, no matter the time of day.
- Email support: Businesses can also get support through email, with response times typically within 24 hours.
- Help center: Big Commerce has an extensive help center that includes articles, tutorials, and videos covering a wide range of topics related to the platform.
- Community forums: Big Commerce has a community forum where businesses can ask questions and get support from other BigCommerce users and experts.
- Professional services: BigCommerce offers a range of professional services, including website design and development, marketing, and migration services. These services can help businesses get up and running on the platform quickly and effectively.
- Developer documentation: For businesses with more technical needs, BigCommerce offers developer documentation and API documentation to help them integrate with third-party applications and customize their online store.
BigCommerce’s customer support options are comprehensive and designed to help businesses of all sizes succeed on the platform. With 24/7 support, extensive resources, and professional services available, businesses can get the help they need to optimize their online store and achieve their ecommerce goals.
Key pros and cons of BigCommerce
Here are some key pros and cons of using BigCommerce as an ecommerce platform:
Pros:
- Robust ecommerce features: Big Commerce offers a wide range of ecommerce features, including a powerful CMS, product options, inventory management, and more. This makes it a great choice for businesses of all sizes.
- Flexible payment options: BigCommerce integrates with a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square. This allows businesses to offer a variety of payment options to their customers.
- Strong security: BigCommerce offers strong security features, including SSL certificates, PCI compliance, and fraud detection. This helps keep both the business and their customers’ data secure.
- Extensive customization options: BigCommerce offers a range of customization options, including customizable themes, CSS and HTML editing, and access to a developer network. This allows businesses to create a unique online store that meets their specific needs.
- Multi-channel selling: BigCommerce integrates with a range of marketplaces, including Amazon, eBay, and Facebook, allowing businesses to sell their products on multiple channels.
Cons:
- Higher pricing: Big Commerce can be more expensive than some other ecommerce platforms, particularly for businesses that require more advanced features or higher levels of support.
- Steep learning curve: Because of its extensive features and customization options, BigCommerce can have a steeper learning curve than some other platforms. This may require more time and resources to set up and manage.
- Limited design flexibility: While Big Commerce does offer a range of customization options, some businesses may find the design options limited compared to other platforms.
- Transaction fees: While transaction fees charged for most plans, they are still a part of the Enterprise plan, which may a consideration for larger businesses.
- Limited bandwidth: Some plans may have limited bandwidth, which can result in additional fees if exceeded.
FAQ
Sure! Here are some frequently asked questions about BigCommerce:
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is an ecommerce platform that allows businesses to create and manage an online store. It offers a range of features including website design, product management, payment processing, and more.
How much does BigCommerce cost?
Big Commerce offers a range of pricing plans starting from $29.95 per month. The cost of the platform varies depending on the features required and the size of the business.
Can I try BigCommerce before I buy it?
Yes, Big Commerce offers a 15-day free trial that allows businesses to test the platform and its features before they commit to a subscription.
Is BigCommerce easy to use?
BigCommerce can have a steeper learning curve than some other platforms due to its extensive features and customization options. However, the platform offers extensive documentation, resources, and customer support to help businesses get up and running.
Does BigCommerce offer mobile-friendly designs?
Yes, BigCommerce offers a range of mobile-friendly designs that optimized for smartphones and tablets.
Can I sell products on multiple channels with BigCommerce?
Yes, Big Commerce integrates with a range of marketplaces and social media platforms, including Amazon, eBay, and Facebook, allowing businesses to sell their products on multiple channels.
Does BigCommerce offer SEO features?
Yes, Big Commerce offers a range of SEO features, including customizable URLs, meta tags, and optimized product descriptions to help businesses improve their search engine rankings.
Does BigCommerce offer customer support?
Yes, BigCommerce offers 24/7 customer support through live chat, phone, and email, as well as an extensive help center and community forum. Businesses can also access professional services such as website design and development.
Does Big Commerce charge transaction fees?
Transaction fees charged for most plans, but a part of the Enterprise plan, which may a consideration for larger businesses.
Is BigCommerce secure?
Yes, Big Commerce offers strong security features, including SSL certificates, PCI compliance, and fraud detection, to help keep both business and customers’ data secure.