Building an Effective Ecommerce Solution: BigCommerce vs. Other Platforms

In today’s digital age, e-commerce sales are expected to grow by 8.8%. And that’s where ecommerce development platforms are playing a vital role in building and running your online business. 

These platforms provide everything you need to create, manage, and grow your online store. With the right ecommerce solution, you can easily manage customer relationships, and analyze your business performance, all without being a tech expert.

In fact, businesses that switch to a better-suited platform often see a 30% increase in revenue even within the first year.

Though, there are many ecommerce platforms available, like BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, and Wix, it’s important to choose the right custom ecommerce solution for your needs. 

Now, the question is, how to choose a perfect headless ecommerce platform for your business?

In this guide, I will discuss how Bigcommerce can be the best platform for your ecommerce website and also come up with a review of some other popular platforms.

Again, there’ll be a comparison of BigCommerce to other platforms to better understand its strengths and decide if it’s the right choice for you. 

Why Consider BigCommerce as your Best E-Commerce Solution?

If you’re a ecommerce store owner or planning to sell your products on this marketplace, then you’ve surely heard about Bigcommerce. 

BigCommerce is a great multi-channel eCommerce solution that makes it easy for you to set up and manage your online store. It’s user-friendly and offers lots of customization options for your store to make it just the way you want it. With bigcommerce development services, you can further enhance and tailor your store to meet your specific business needs.

Again, Bigcommerce is proven to be a great platform for industries like clothing, electronics, and beauty. Plus, you get SEO tools, site search, personalization, unlimited products, and more. 

This way, you can focus on your business while they take care of the technical details. Moreover, BigCommerce offers many great features for businesses, such as:

• Store customization options: Bigcommerce offers you some premium store customization options like library template, sales channels, drag and drop site editor.
• Centralize product management: You don’t have to worry about any product management for your store. It centralizes product data and makes it easier to handle. This feature significantly helps boost customer engagement and increase sales.
• Great inventory control: BigCommerce stands out in maximum ecommerce platforms for its strong inventory management system. It lets you track inventory with a low stock alert and automate reordering to reduce lost sales. 
• Marketing and SEO capabilities: BigCommerce offers SEO-friendly URLs and tools to optimize search strategies with Google and Microsoft Bing. It also includes rich snippets to improve search results. These features help businesses boost online visibility and attract more traffic to their stores.

These are the main core features of BigCommerce. 

But, it doesn’t stop here. 

They offer many other cool features, like customer segmentation, bulk pricing, coupons, and gift cards with unlimited products.

In fact, you can also get help from any Bigcommerce development company to build your online store more effortlessly. 

You’ll have  complete Saas solution for your omnichannel ecommerce along with free consultation service. So, ultimately, this can be a perfect package to maintain your Bigcommerce platform in the best possible way. 

Though Bigcommerce offers many excellent features for any ecommerce store, sometimes people experience that, it’s not the most user-friendly website builder. 

As Bigcommerce offers thousands of unique and handy features, so it’s a little bit complex to use as a beginner compared to other simpler builders.

However, if you’re facing this issue, there is also a solution for you. You can get help from any Bigcommerce development company to build your online store more effortlessly. 

You’ll have complete Saas solution for your omnichannel ecommerce along with free consultation service. So, ultimately, this can be a perfect package from creating to maintain your Bigcommerce platform in the best possible way. 

However, apart from some drawbacks, BigCommerce is still the most demanding platform for ecommerce businesses. The biggest reason for its popularity is that it integrates with various trending and mandatory tools you need to effortlessly run your online businesses.

Let’s check out the tools and see how the integration capabilities with various tools and plugins help to significantly grow your business.

• Payment Gateways: 

Managing ecommerce payment gateways is tricky, as you’ve to deal with various payment methods and make the payment secure as well. But, with BigCommerce, it’s easier than ever. 

It connects smoothly with top payment services like PayPal, Stripe, and Square. That means you can set up safe payments, accept lots of payment types, and make transactions run smoothly without any headaches.

• Shipping Services: 

Shipping is one of the most tedious task for any ecommerce business as the shipping rates and rules are keep changing. You have to figure out shipping costs, handle deliveries, and deal with returns. 

However, BigCommerce connects with leading shipping providers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS. So, you’ll always have real-time shipping rates and efficient delivery tracking, which are key for your customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

• Marketing Tools: 

Now, if you go for marketing, you need to come up with good plans, see what customers are doing, and make your marketing better.  

BigCommerce also covers you up here. It works with tools like Mailchimp and Mailchimp alternatives. These are vital for any eCommerce business because these tools help you make targeted marketing campaigns, see who’s visiting your site, and improve your marketing to get more sales.

• Apps and Plugins: 

BigCommerce offers a variety of apps for ecommerce inventory management, customer reviews, and social media integration. 

These tools are important because they help you keep track of stock levels, gather and display customer feedback, and manage your social media presence.

• Customer Support Tools: 

Do you know, around 96% of consumers will leave a brand for a poor customer service experience?  

It’s because customer support is not just essential for your buyer’s satisfaction, it boosts loyalty, and brand reputation as well. And Bigcommerce integrates with platforms like Zendesk and LiveChat for providing excellent customer service. 

These tools allow you to quickly respond to customer inquiries and issues, improving overall customer satisfaction and loyalty.

BigCommerce VS Other Ecommerce Solution for your Business

Now, you know how Bigcommerce can be a great solution for your Ecommerce business. However, there are several other platforms to build an Ecommerce business, so let’s check out and get a brief idea on them.

Here are the other top 5 platforms for Ecommerce:

• Woocommerce
• Shopify
• Wix
• Magento
• Squarespace

Let’s go into the brief details with pros and cons of each of them.

Woocommerce:

WooCommerce, an extension of WordPress, is a powerful and flexible platform perfect for building and managing an eCommerce business. The best part of this platform is its easy setup process. Users can install and activate the plugin in just a few minutes. 

This platform offers extensive customization with a vast library of themes and templates, both free and premium. 

The platform is highly scalable, suitable for small businesses just starting out and enterprises with moderate traffic.

Additionally, WooCommerce supports a wide range of plugins and extensions, to enhance functionality for inventory management, SEO, marketing, and more.

Bonus Tips:

If I talk about the product feed generation in this platform, then it’s become easier than ever with plugins and you’ll get the most optimized feed.

One of the most reputed software companies Webappick has launched a WooCommerce Product Feed Manager Plugin to create an all in all product feed solution. 

So, if you’re a Woocommerce store owner, then look no further and try this Free plugin to manage your product feed for more than 130 advertising channels in just a seconds.

Pros:

1. Allow to promote products to any channels.
2. Requires no technical knowledge; just basic wordpress skills
3. Fast and simple layout options

Cons:

1. Charge extra cost for further extensions
2. Requires to operate with wordpress
3. The feature updating process is poor 

Shopify:

Shopify is also equally user friendly to create an ecommerce business even if you’ve no technical expertise. The platform offers a variety of designed themes to give your store a professional look right from the start. 

While customization is possible, it may require some close matches with Shopify’s Liquid templating language for more advanced changes. For businesses that need advanced customization, working with Shopify Plus developers can ensure that the store is tailored to specific needs, offering deeper functionality and design modifications.

This makes Shopify a great choice if you’re looking for a straightforward, easy-to-use eCommerce platform. Again, Shopify offers plenty of design options for deeper customization if needed.

While Shopify offers many advantages, some users may find its pricing plans to be higher than other platforms. Again, customizing certain aspects of the store may require coding knowledge or the use of additional apps. 

Despite these limitations, Shopify remains a top choice for businesses looking to establish a professional and scalable online presence.

The main pros and cons of Shopify are following:

Pros:

1. Need no technical skill; easy to use.
2. 24/7 customer support via calls, mails and chats.
3. For beginners, there’s pre-built themes and plugins

Cons:

1. Customization is limited; can’t build personalized stores.
2. If there is large inventory, it isn’t easy to scale with Shopify

Magento:

Magento is a strong and very customizable platform particularly for large enterprises and businesses that require advanced features and integrations. It’s especially suitable for businesses that want full control over how their store looks and works. 

But, it’s a bit harder to learn than other platforms, so it’s better for people who already know a bit about websites or have some technical skills. 

Sometimes, the store often requires knowledge of coding languages like HTML, CSS, and PHP, as well as familiarity with Magento’s own templating system. So, if you’re technically experienced or have a developer, Magento ecommerce platform gives you a lot of freedom to make your store exactly how you want it.

Again, Magento has a steeper learning curve compared to other platforms. That’s what makes it more suitable for experienced users who are comfortable working with complex systems. 

Let’s quickly find out some pros and cons of Magento:

Pros:

1. Robust and scalable ecommerce platform; suitable for small to big stores.
2. Highly customizable with some extensions or plugins.
3. A global platform with a large community of support.

Cons:

1. Requires technical skill to customize the function
2. Cost very high with developers and plugins
3. Demands a lot of resources if not properly optimized.

Wix:

Wix is a user-friendly website builder that offers a simple and intuitive setup process. This platform allows you to quickly create a professional-looking website or online store without the need for coding knowledge.

The platform also provides a wide range of professionally designed templates and allows you to do any kind of customization to match your brand’s identity. Wix also offers a drag-and-drop interface to easily add and arrange elements on your site, such as text, images, videos, and forms.

Again, for eCommerce businesses, Wix offers a dedicated eCommerce solution called Wix Stores. This feature enables users to set up an online store with ease, including product listings, shopping carts, payment processing, and order management. 

While Wix is known for its simplicity and ease of use, it may lack some of the advanced features and customization options offered by other platforms like Shopify or Magento. 

However, for small businesses or individuals looking to create a basic online presence or eCommerce store quickly and affordably, Wix is an excellent choice.

Pros:

1. SEO customization is available with Wix store
2. Huge attractive template collection
3. Offers drag and drop interface

Cons:

1. No external third party apps or plugins, no advanced features
2. Slow loading times (For big ecommerce store)
3. Websites aren’t transferable

Squarespace:

Squarespace stands out from other website builders with its focus on elegant design and ease of use. It offers a collection of beautiful templates with a modern and stylish look, perfect for creative professionals and businesses.

Unlike many other platforms, Squarespace provides an all-in-one solution, including hosting, domain registration, and website building tools, streamlining the setup process for users. 

It also has an intuitive drag-and-drop editor for easy customization to create unique and professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. Additionally those looking to improve their website’s search engine optimization (SEO) can benefit from hiring a Squarespace SEO expert to help them optimize their site for better visibility online.

Again, Squarespace offers robust e-commerce functionality for those online stores that mainly look for a visually stunning and user-friendly platform. This platform will be less perfect for tech niched websites.

Overall, Squarespace’s combination of stylish design, integrated features, and ease of use makes it a standout option for individuals and businesses seeking a polished online presence.

Pros:

1. It comes with most professional designed templates; strong design features
2. Support for up to a thousand pages, not limited to store size
3. Provides advanced security and privacy.
4. Get exclusive Squarespace discounts for premium plans and additional features.

Cons:

1. Not support complex websites designs
2. Offer limited customization
3. The costs add up to high

Comparison Table of Top 6 Ecommerce Solutions:

Now, you’ve already got a sound idea of top 5 ecommerce solution providers. But, why not check out the main features in one table to get a fast and clear understanding?

This table provides an overview of how each platform performs across different factors to help you make an informed decision based on your business specific needs and preferences.

Factors	Big commerce	Woo- commere	Magento	Shopify	Wix	Square space
Ease of Use	User-friendly interface	Requires basic WordPress knowladge	Requires technical expertise	Easy setup proces	Simple drag-and- drop editor,	User friendly with all in all solution
Best for	Growing businesses need scalability	WordPress users needing flexibility	Large enterpriserequiring customization	New and established online stores	Small business	Creatives and small businesses (If you mostly prefer Website Appearance)
Coding knowladge Required	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Customozing options	Extensive customization options	Customizable with themes/ plugins	Highly customizable	Customization is limited	Customization with Wix store	Stylish templates to customize, less personalizable
Pricing	Moderate	low	Comparatively high	Moderate	Minimum compared to other	Too high pricing

6 Key Considerations for Choosing a Platform for Ecommerce

Now, if you’re new to Ecommerce, then it’s common to become confused while deciding what factors to consider in major and what in minor, even what not. 

Here are the 6 key factors you should consider primarily before choosing any platform for ecommerce.

• Integration with third party apps:

Now, Ecommerce isn’t compacted with just selling your products, it has enlarged it’s functionalities into various ways. Now, every ecommerce owners not only wants to show their products when people search, but also to make the customers about their new lunches, special offers and so on. 

But, to do this, no one wants to go for manual process. Again, there are several plugins to do this job.

So, when you consider a platform for your ecommerce business, make sure your platform can integrate with tools such as email marketing tools, customer relationship management (CRM) software, accounting tools. As you add sales channels for growth, it’s critical that you can automate order processing through ecommerce integrations. Additionally, exploring the Top SaaS Tools for Small Businesses can provide you with a comprehensive suite of applications to enhance your business operations.

• Traffic handling 

Typically, a beginner eCommerce store starts with a few hundred to a few thousand visitors per month. But, as your business grows, this traffic can reach tens of thousands or even millions of visitors per month.

So, your eCommerce platform must handle this growing traffic without slowing down. For large businesses expecting lots of traffic, it’s essential to choose platforms known for their robust performance, scalability, and strong support infrastructure. 

Your selected platform should offer advanced server solutions, load balancing, and the capability to scale resources as needed. These features are must to ensure your site remains fast and reliable, even during peak times.

• Auto Update product pricing:

It’s natural for customers to compare prices between brands, and for this, you should also be aware of competitors’ pricing as a ecommerce owner. But, it’s hard to edit and monitor pricing each time, like for sales, discounts, Christmas, or so on.

That’s why, when you choose a platform for your online ecommerce store, you have to consider one that provides product pricing regulations.

You’ve to look for features like bulk pricing updates, discount codes, and dynamic pricing options. This will make it easy to set and adjust prices for your products at any time.

• Feature Expansion:

As your eCommerce business grows, you’ll need more features to support new functionalities and cater to an expanding customer base. Not only the ecommerce platforms, but the advertising channels where you’ll promote your products are also changing their features with almost every passing moment.

So, when choosing the best platform for ecommerce, you’ll need one that supports new functionalities and serves an expanding customer base. This is crucial because initial basic features may not suffice as your business operations become more complex. 

Look for platforms with large app stores, as they allow you to easily add new features, such as advanced analytics, marketing tools, or customer service enhancements, without extensive technical work. 

• Securing Your Shipments

One of the main concerns with E-Commerce, both for entrepreneurs and consumers, is security. Handling personal and financial information online always carries the risk of websites being compromised and customer data being stolen, especially credit card information entered daily.

So, ensure your platform integrates with secure and reputable payment gateways. These gateways often have their own security measures in place, further protecting your customers’ financial information.

• International Reach:

International selling is becoming increasingly popular as businesses seek to expand their reach and tap into global markets. So, when choosing an eCommerce solution, it’s crucial to consider its support for international sales to ensure a smooth experience for both you and your customers.

Your chosen platform should support multiple currencies and languages. Again, choose a platform in which the customization of addressing global customer is automated.

Free platforms might have basic international features, but paid platforms usually provide better support for global sales.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right ecommerce solution is crucial for the success of your online business. BigCommerce stands out with its robust features, scalability, and user-friendly interface, making it an excellent ecommerce platform for various business models. 

While platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, and Wix offer their own advantages, BigCommerce’s comprehensive toolset and flexibility provide a strong foundation for growth. By carefully evaluating your business needs and comparing the options, you can select an ecommerce website solution that ensures seamless operations, enhances customer experience, and drives long-term success.