A thorough analysis of the BigCommerce platform

 A thorough analysis of the BIGCOMMERCE platform

BIGCOMMERCE Review:

Overview:

BIGCOMMERCE is a SaaS (software-as-a-service) E-Commerce platform used by over 60,000 businesses to build and manage online stores. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, BIGCOMMERCE enables selling across multiple sales channels including web, mobile, social media, and brick-and-mortar stores.

Some key features of BIGCOMMERCE include:

• Intuitive store builder - BIGCOMMERCE provides a drag-and-drop store builder to create professional-looking online stores without coding.
• Over 100 free and paid themes are available with easy customization options.
• The native mobile app is available to manage and view the store on the go.
• Marketing and SEO Tools, Built-in blogging to publish content and improve SEO.
• Email marketing integrations with MailChimp, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, etc.
• Coupon creation for promotions and loyalty programs.
• Ratings and reviews to build trust and social proof.
• Google Ads and Facebook Ads management from the store dashboard.
• List products across multiple channels while managing all orders from one dashboard.
• POS integration is available to connect online and retail stores.
• Multiple sales channels - Sell across multiple channels including your own online store, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, and more.
• Easily manage all orders from one dashboard.
• Secure hosting - Stores are hosted on a fast, secure, and scalable cloud infrastructure. The platform provides high uptime, unlimited bandwidth, and built-in SSL certificates.
• Over 250 shipping carriers - Supports integration with major shipping carriers like USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. Calculate real-time shipping rates at checkout. 
• Mobile commerce - Fully responsive stores work on any device. Native mobile apps allow managing stores on the go.
• Multiple payment gateways like PayPal, Apple Pay, Stripe, etc.
• PCI-compliant platform for secure online transactions. 
• Tax calculation capabilities in over 100 countries.
• Analytics and Reporting, View key metrics like traffic, conversions, average order value, etc.
• Abandoned cart reports and recovery tools to catch lost orders or sales.
• Integrates with Google Analytics for in-depth data.
• Customizable dashboard to track crucial business metrics.
• Customer Support, 24/7 support via live chat, email and phone.
• Free access to Knowledge Base, community forums, and webinars. 
• Dedicated management for bigger accounts.

Pricing:

BIGCOMMERCE has four paid plans suitable for different business sizes:

• Standard - $29.95/month, best for new small businesses. 
• Plus - $79.95/month, for growing businesses with up to $150k annual revenue.
• Pro - $299.95/month, for mid-market businesses doing over $400k annual revenue. 
• Enterprise - Custom quotes, for large businesses exceeding $1 million in revenue.

This is an update to prices as shown on BIGCOMMERCE's official website until the time this article was published.

The higher plans add more advanced features like gift cards, abandoned cart savers, and multi-channel listings.

Disadvantages of BIGCOMMERCE:

• Transaction fees - BIGCOMMERCE charges a transaction fee between 0.5% - 2% over the monthly subscription fees. This can add up for high sales volume businesses.
• Limited customization - While BIGCOMMERCE offers plenty of themes and customization options, highly complex stores may require coding capabilities beyond what the platform allows.
• No native support for the marketplace - Selling on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay requires integrating third-party apps. Support for multi-vendor marketplaces is also limited.
• Lack of significant cost savings - Compared to open-source platforms like Magento, BIGCOMMERCE doesn't offer substantial cost reductions for mid-high tier plans.
• Fewer apps than competitors - Shopify and WooCommerce have wider app marketplaces than BIGCOMMERCE though the core features are comprehensive.

How to Register and Own a BIGCOMMERCE Store:

1. Go to www.bigcommerce.com and click on the "Start Free Trial" button.

2. Enter your store name, email, password, and other details to create an account. 

3. Choose a plan - Starter, Standard, Plus, or Pro (all have 15-day free trials).

4. Set up a payment method like a credit card to activate the plan.

5. Use the store builder to customize the theme, add products, shipping settings, etc. 

6. Install apps, and payment gateways, and set up shipping carriers needed for the store.

7. Add content, images, categories, and products to launch the online store.

8. Once ready, upgrade to a paid subscription plan to get full access and go live.

In summary, the main downsides of BIGCOMMERCE are the transaction fees, limited customization, and marketplace support. However, the platform makes it easy to quickly set up and manage a professional online store with its user-friendly interface and extensive features.

Conclusion:

Overall, BIGCOMMERCE is an excellent E-Commerce platform with a robust set of features to build and customize an online store. It's suitable for small businesses starting out as well as established brands processing large volumes of orders. The easy-to-use interface, flexible design, and built-in marketing tools help businesses sell across multiple channels. With affordable pricing plans and reliable support, BIGCOMMERCE is one of the top hosted E-Commerce solutions available today.