Key Points:
- BigCommerce is a paid-for eCommerce platform that allows business owners to easily set up online stores and sell their products
- This particular eCommerce platform is classified as a “Software as a Service” (Saas) platform, which simply means that you don’t own the software; instead, you just pay a monthly subscription to use it
- BigCommerce's platform has helped hundreds of brands find success with creative, catchy, well-built stores
The launch of a new online store can test the nerves of even the most confident business owners. But, choosing the right eCommerce platform - like BigCommerce - is half the battle. You need a service that’s fully functional (but easy to use) and offers beautiful templates and designs - and a great pricing structure. Having all of these features will make it much easier for you to create a solid online store that keeps your customers coming back for more.
All eCommerce platforms come with a plethora of pros and cons, and picking the right one comes down to your unique business needs. However, thanks to a number of great features, many online retailers find that this particular platform is a fantastic base for their store. Putting your store together may only take a few hours, but using BigCommerce eCommerce functions gives you a good chance for long-term, scalable success.
Table of Contents
What is BigCommerce?
At its core, this platform is a paid-for eCommerce platform that allows business owners to easily set up online stores and sell their products. And, since these stores are customer-facing, the platform is great for businesses using a direct-to-consumer model.
This particular eCommerce platform is classified as a “Software as a Service” (Saas) platform, which simply means that you don’t own the software; instead, you just pay a monthly subscription to use it. The platform has managed to gain a significant market share by setting itself apart from other eCommerce platforms like Shopify and Etsy. Some of these features include:
- Competitive pricing
- The ability to boost a business’s growth potential
- A selection of incredible themes
- An easy-to-use interface
- Supporting over 70 different types of discounts
- Offering key features that improve conversion
- Incorporating great SEO features
- The availability of customizable templates
- A suite of helpful tools
- The ability to sell digital and physical goods
- Letting users offer discount coupons and gift vouchers for their stores
- Full CMS functionality
- Being fully integrated with PayPal and other reliable payment gateways
- Automated image optimization
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Fully integrated with a variety of email marketing services
- Product review functionality
By incorporating all of these useful features, this popular platform offers great functionality for its users - and that’s exactly why it’s got the edge over many of its competitors.
How Much Does The Platform Cost?
Setting up an online store isn’t (usually) free, so of course, cost should be a consideration when you’re building your business. This particular platform offers a tiered monthly pricing plan that has something for all budgets, which is why it’s great for a startup or a company that’s already well-established. Each plan has different inclusions, so you’ll need to carefully consider the balance between what price you can afford and which features you need.
The monthly pricing plans are:
- Standard: $29.95
- Plus Price: $79.96
- Pro Price: $299.95
- Enterprise: The price of this particular plan varies depending on your business’s needs
The ‘Standard’, ‘Plus’, and ‘Pro’ BigCommerce pricing plans are specifically designed for individuals and small business owners who may not have the budget that big companies do. However, for larger businesses and corporations, the ‘Enterprise’ plan offers a customized option that allows them to use high bandwidth and incorporate advanced selling requirements.
If you’re particularly budget-conscious, you’ll be happy to know that any eCommerce business that uses the ‘Plus’ or ‘Pro’ plans can also access a discount of at least 10% if they choose to pay for their subscription annually instead of monthly.
Who Should Use The Platform?
From the discussion thus far, it’s clear that this particular eCommerce platform isn’t designed for any particular type or size of business. For that reason, any business can use it, including:
- Sole proprietorships
- Partnerships
- Small and medium businesses
- Large incorporated companies
- Fashion brands
- Technology companies
- Stationery stores
If you’re a recently established brand that’s still in the growth phase, you may be cash conscious and looking for ways to save money. This platform gives you the ability to protect your bottom line while still using its full suite of versatile features that include everything from multi-language stores to BigCommerce shipping.
10 Tips for Creating a Successful BigCommerce Store
No matter what type of business you are - or indeed, what size your business is - the most important thing is to create a store that appeals to customers. If you’re just starting out, you’ll want something that grabs people’s attention; and even if you’re a well-established company, there are always ways to improve your store to keep your customers coming back for more. Here are 10 tips for creating a store your customers will love:
- Create great product pages that incorporate good photography, detailed descriptions, and customer reviews
- Advertise your product (and store) widely through both digital and traditional channels
- Offer a variety of payment (and fulfillment) options
- Write an engaging "About Us" page
- Offer a simple checkout process
- Maintain great customer service
- Choose a catchy, easy domain name
- Design your store with a look that’ll appeal to your particular target audience
- Set up fully-integrated shipping solutions
- Set up analytics so you can track your performance (and see where you can improve!)
Another hot tip: the secret to making all of the above-listed processes work well for you is to ensure they’re all seamlessly integrated.
5 Successful Brands on BigCommerce
If you’re feeling a little daunted about the prospect of setting up a fantastic online store, don’t be. This major platform has helped hundreds of brands find success with creative, catchy, well-built stores. Here are just a few brands that have reached their goals with a good store:
- Natori: This luxury lingerie and clothing brand created a distinguished store with classy, elegant visuals that appeal to its customers.
- The Bearded Chap: Designed for gents rocking facial hair, this store offers distinctively modern aesthetics with an old-fashioned twist that harkens back to the days of the traditional barber - it’s something that continues to wow their customers.
- Skullcandy: This personal audio equipment brand needs no introduction - but their eCommerce store has been able to set itself apart with a truly unique design aesthetic that’s in line with their branding - and appealing to their customers.
- EZPZ: An online store that offers all-in-one placemats and plates for kids, EZPZ has fun, playful products - and displays them in an equally appealing way on their website.
- Rollie Nation: The product comes first at this online store - their "perfect travel shoes" make quite the impact with bold colors that come with plenty of personalities, and this is clearly showcased on their page.
Build Your Business with BigCommerce
Once you’ve made the decision to sign on for a BigCommerce pricing plan and use the platform to create an online store, the next step is to make it successful. The key to following best practices that will help you create a brilliant store that’s in line with your brand and that appeals to your target audience.
Once the orders start rolling in, Easyship can help you get them out by connecting you with over 250 courier solutions that can get your goods across the globe. Plus, we offer full integration with BigCommerce, so you can manage shipments and your online store seamlessly! Sign up for a free account now to gain access to our suite of useful shipping tools.
