Unveiling BigCommerce: All You Need to Know

In today's business landscape, many entrepreneurs prioritize establishing an online presence for their companies. However, finding accurate and comprehensive information on how to achieve this goal can be challenging. This is because there are numerous websites to sift through.  

This blog introduces you to BigCommerce, which is one of the world's top eCommerce platforms. It can streamline your eCommerce journey making it a seamless experience. 

What is BigCommerce? 

BigCommerce is a well-known eCommerce platform offering software-as-a-service (SaaS) to merchants and retailers. Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper established it in 2009 after first meeting in an online chatroom six years earlier.  

Interspire is the original name of BigCommerce before rebranding. Today, it has more than 60,000 online stores and generates billions of dollars in revenue.

What are its Key Features?

BigCommerce is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider having several tools for smoothly operating an online store. 

Here are some of the characteristics that set BigCommerce apart from its competitors:

Product Management:

It provides comprehensive product management features. They include product imports, order trend analysis, and inventory level updates. It also permits sellers to manage their eCommerce websites without relying on third-party services.

Multi-Currency Support:

BigCommerce understands the importance of multi-currency support for cross-border sales. As partners with five top payment gateways, BigCommerce offers flexibility to online sellers. They achieve this by converting product prices into customers' local currency, displaying the value accordingly.

Multi-Channel Support:

It enables online sellers to reach a larger audience. Integrating with platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and others makes it possible. This multi-channel support opens more opportunities for sellers to connect with customers. 

Order Management:

BigCommerce simplifies the order management process, allowing sellers to create and process orders effortlessly. The platform assists sellers from the moment a customer clicks the buy button. It also helps with order processing, invoice and packing slip generation in one go.

Tax and Shipping:

These are crucial aspects of any eCommerce platform, and BigCommerce offers flexibility in these areas. Online sellers can provide a range of features. They include next-day delivery, in-store pickup, free shipping, and package tracking. It offers a free app called Ship Station to help sellers with discounts for customers.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)-Friendly:

BigCommerce is SEO-friendly and allows users to enhance the visibility of their eCommerce websites. It offers SSL certificates with all its plans and assists in creating an SEO-friendly URL structure.

What are the Different Plans? 

It provides a 15-day free trial for online sellers to assess their business requirements. Afterward, sellers can choose from four different plans and fulfill the necessary payment conditions.   

Let’s take a detailed look at the various plans offered by BigCommerce and their features:

BigCommerce Standard Plan 

The Standard plan is comparable to the basic plans of other eCommerce platforms such as Shopify or Volusion. It offers the following advantages

• 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 SSL 

• Mobile-friendly tools and pages

• Built-in blog 

• Multi-currency support

BigCommerce Plus Plan 

The Plus plan is one of the most popular ones and it includes all the features of the Standard plan. It also additionally offers:

• Customer grouping and segmentation

• Storage of credit card details on the BigCommerce Website, 

• Abandoned cart saver tool

• Persistent cart, enabling customers to access their cart and pay for products through multiple devices.

BigCommerce Pro Plan 

The Pro plan is like the Plus plan giving access to Google customer reviews and various product filtering options.

BigCommerce Enterprise Plan 

This most advanced plan combines the features from the other three plans. Additional benefits include multiple storefronts, unlimited API calls, and price lists. This suits businesses with high sales volumes. You can directly negotiate the pricing with BigCommerce.  

Benefits of BigCommerce

It provides a wide range of advantages to its customers, setting it apart from its competitors. The following features differentiate BigCommerce:

• Scalability 

Catering to businesses of all sizes, BigCommerce offers unique pricing plans. They permit online sellers to choose one based on their specific business requirements. Additionally, it provides the flexibility to switch to different plans.

• Omnichannel Approach 

BigCommerce adopts an omnichannel approach, enabling customers to sell through multiple platforms, creating a seamless and consistent customer experience. The platform also connects and simplifies management across various sales channels.

• SEO Benefits 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for enhancing the visibility of an eCommerce business. BigCommerce provides effective SEO tools. They include product-based search, optimized URLs, and popular searches, to improve the eCommerce website’s traffic and performance.

• Powerful Built-in Features

Built-in features are vital for eCommerce websites, removing the need for expensive third-party integrations. BigCommerce offers built-in features across all its plans. From Standard to Enterprise, they empower online sellers with a rich feature set.

• Secure Platform  

Security is paramount for eCommerce platforms to protect user data and prevent online fraud. BigCommerce ensures website security through multiple measures, including SSL certificates in all its packages, instilling trust and reliability in eCommerce websites.

What are the Steps to Set Up an Online Store on BigCommerce? 

BigCommerce is an excellent choice for small-scale and medium-scale businesses. It offers top notch selling and management tools that provide flexibility and healthy competition in the eCommerce industry.  

If you are looking to create a BigCommerce store, here is a step-by-step guide to help you out.

Sign up for an Account:

Go to the BigCommerce website (click on the domain link) and click on 'Start Your Free Trial' to sign up for an account. You'll need to provide some basic information about your business, such as your name, email address, and business type.

Choose a Plan:

BigCommerce offers a range of pricing plans to fit different business needs. Select the plan that best suits your requirements and remember that you can always upgrade or downgrade later if needed.

Set up your Store:

You can set up your own store once you have signed up. This involves selecting a theme, adding products, and setting up payment and shipping options. You can also configure other settings such as taxes and customer accounts.

Customize your Store:

BigCommerce allows for extensive customization, so you can make your store look and function exactly how you want it. You can customize the design, add apps and extensions, and configure other settings to match your branding and business needs.

Launch your Store:

When you're ready, you can launch your store and commence business transactions. BigCommerce provides tools to help you market your store, manage orders, and track your performance. This enables you to focus on growing your business.

Jobin & Jismi is a certified BigCommerce partner providing exceptional services to clients. Our team of experts make use of the best tools and technologies to help customers expand their business. We provide custom designs, development, integration, and support services. This provides an exceptional online selling experience for all types of businesses.  

If you are interested in delving deeper, do not hesitate to get in touch with BigCommerce Certified Partner Jobin & Jismi. Our team has access to the latest tools and technologies to help our clients thrive and expand their businesses.