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What is BigCommerce and How does it work?

Last updated: March 01, 2024
This article has been written and researched by our expert Avada through a precise methodology. Learn more about our methodology

Sam

Author

Daniel

Researcher

With over 95,000 live websites that utilize BigCommerce System to market goods and process payments electronically, it is seen that BigCommerce delivers a feasible and efficient interface to your need for eCommerce.

In this article, we will dive deeper into one of today’s most successful eCommerce solutions. Following that, there will be an explanation of what is BigCommerce and the operation process of BigCommerce.

What is BigCommerce?

What is BigCommerce?
What is BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is an e-commerce solution in which company owners can build a store and sell their items digitally. They can create and run their online stores remotely as long as they have connections to a web browser and the Internet. Besides, BigCommerce operates on its computers —therefore, you do not have to purchase web hosting and any other applications to make use of it.

BigCommerce is packed with a variety of personalized models that may help you to create a layout for your online shop. You may use it to market both physical and digital items of your store. Moreover, it will be easier for you to commercialize your brand with several available tools.

BigCommerce’s target customers predominantly are individuals who do not have much experience with designing websites. However, it is also useful software for technologically advanced customers and developers who need to modify their online stores’ HTML and CSS.

BigCommerce is renowned for its user-friendly interface. You can always build a website with BigCommerce even though you do not experience operating a website. BigCommerce is a perfect choice if you want to run an online shop and think about all of the technological challenges of hosting a website.

How does BigCommerce work?

After the question of What is BigCommerce, we will come to the operating system of it.

BigCommerce functions entirely in the cloud. There is no need to download anything to run this software. The only thing you need to do is register for an account and create a domain name to activate BigCommerce. After that, BigCommerce provides you with the right to use a newly-published website, a concept editor, and a revenue management panel so that you will be able to upload products and deliver transactions.

Suppose you are done with the registering process. In that case, BigCommerce will allow you to upload your goods to the database (through a streamlined system or manually), customize your information for delivery and taxes, create your website, and prepare a marketing strategy and get ready to run your shop.

BigCommerce’s well-known payment processor also enables users to receive payments on their websites securely. Besides, once consumers order your goods, the built-in features created exclusively by BigCommerce can be put into use to process orders, stay in touch with your customers, and your selling plan is also changed continuously.

BigCommerce Features

With a deep understanding of What is BigCommerce, it provides customers with a convenient eCommerce experience and a wide range of high-quality features and tools.

1. POS Integrations

BigCommerce is one of the first eCommerce sites to interact with more POS systems than any other company. It does excellently in combining online and offline transactions. If you are a manager to a crowded store or sell plenty personally, in this way, BigCommerce can help you to maintain track of inventory and keep them up to date.

Further Reading: How to integrate BigCommerce with a POS system?

2. Shipping Options

BigCommerce provides several delivery choices to its clients. You will get real-time quoting, give free delivery service to your customer, and print shipping labels. As a rule of thumb, having automated shipping operations such as shipment monitoring, in-store pick up, and next day delivery can result in pleased and fulfilled customers.

Delivering might be a barrier, but with tools offered by BigCommerce, it is a much simpler task for you to overcome problems related to this area. It allows third-party providers through BigCommerce solutions.

At the moment, BigCommerce is providing its consumers with an all-in-one service for next-level delivery operations. As a buyer, you can easily download the new BigCommerce Shopping app for free and then enjoy generous discounts provided by USPS, DHL, and FedEx.

BigCommerce Shipping Options
BigCommerce Shipping Options

3. Abandoned Cart Recovery

When one of your consumers enters the email platform and then decides to leave potential products out of their online shopping cart, you can immediately attract their attention back to the bought items by sending an automatic email. In addition, including personalized greetings or promo codes for discounts is another possible way.

BigCommerce Abandoned Cart Recovery Email
BigCommerce Abandoned Cart Recovery Email

Unexpectedly, these emails can help owners recoup an average of 12 to 15% of clients, whereas customized emails are six times more efficient than traditional ones.

Meanwhile, this tool’s only disadvantageous aspect is that BigCommerce does not give their cheapest plans to access it. It is seen that Abandoned Cart Recovery is a really helpful business tool; that is also the main reason why it is suggested in the Plus plan as the minimal kit.

4. Extra Apps

If you need to enlarge your website with mentioned tools, there are more than 600 apps available for you to select from the BigCommerce app store.

BigCommerce Apps
BigCommerce Apps

Compared to its competitors, BigCommerce offers its clients a much more exclusive app store. That is just because it already has too many attractive features in-house. For instance, there is no need to download as frameworks as you would need for Shopify. Also, this lowers expenditures since the third-party fees are born monthly.

BigCommerce: Pricing & Plans

BigCommerce Pricing and Plans
BigCommerce Pricing and Plans

With the information you get about What is BigCommerce, you might be interested in purchasing one of their plans for your upcoming store. BigCommerce provides customers with 4 different plans corresponding to 4 price ranges, from low to high, respectively:

  • BigCommerce Standard: $39 per month
  • BigCommerce Plus: $105 per month
  • BigCommerce Pro: $399 per month
  • BigCommerce Enterprise: the price varies based on requirements from your business.

You will receive a discount of 10% and a free trial for 15 days if you purchase the “Plus” and “Pro” plans every year. The first three plans are ideal for individuals and small firms or are an essential part of its product range. With the last plan, it is designed specifically for large corporations and businesses.

1. BigCommerce Standard

This is the cheapest offering of BigCommerce, which costs their subscribers almost the same amount of money as Shopify, Volusion, and Squarespace’s minimum eCommerce plans - $39.

However, as a whole, this is still far more elaborate than any one of these, providing:

  • A standalone online store
  • The ability to sell an unlimited number of products
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited file storage
  • Unlimited staff accounts
  • Gift cards
  • Ratings and reviews functionality
  • Multi-currency selling
  • Point of sale (POS) functionality (this lets you use a BigCommerce store to sell in a physical location)
  • Professional reporting
  • Automatic image optimisation
  • AMP (accelerated mobile pages) functionality

It makes sense to purchase the cheapest BigCommerce’plan because it offers everything you need to become an e-commerce online shop owner. Considerably, this plan accelerates higher support for cross-border, real-time transactions from various currencies with the automated conversion system.

2. BigCommerce Plus

Here you will see several extra features that are not provided by the BigCommerce Standard plan:

  • An abandoned cart saver tool
  • A ‘persistent cart’ (this saves products to a customer’s cart irrespective of the device used)
  • Stored credit cards (this allows your regular customers to save their card details on your store)
  • Customer grouping/segmentation.

The last-mentioned tool - customer segmentation is also a helpful tool as it helps you distinguish between diverse consumer segments, then based on their behavior and transactions, you can reward differently. Additionally, you may use this feature to build a rewards program.

3. BigCommerce Pro

Besides getting expanded feature sets from BigCommerce Plus, you will receive a substantially increased sales cap in this plan. This helps you make up to $400,000 of transactions using the Internet, with an extra $150 a month for every $200,000 you produce.

Another reason why this plan should be put under consideration is the availability of Google Customer Reviews - whereas it allows you to gather and display customers’ feedback. As soon as the consumer buys your products via the BigCommerce marketplace, he will be offered to express their thoughts towards the product on Google.

Google Customer Reviews
Google Customer Reviews

Once the customer, Google will then send them an email that includes a survey after their order has been delivered successfully. Then the result of the ratings will be presented on your optional Google Customer Reviews badge, Search Ads, and in Google Shopping.

Google Product Ratings
Google Product Ratings

4. BigCommerce Enterprise

When it comes to What is BigCommerce, you can hardly forget this plan, especially if you are managing a big company and looking for an advanced selling tool.

Generally, once you decide to buy an Enterprise plan, you will get more help from BigCommerce - comprehensive support can be offered by data transfer, configuration, account management.

These are features that are included in “Enterprise” but not cheaper plans:

  • Advanced product filtering
  • Price lists
  • Unlimited API calls
  • BigCommerce consulting
  • Priority support

You may need to conduct a conversation with BigCommerce regarding the price requirements, representing your business needs if you are involved in this plan. However, BigCommerce stated that their price comes with a lower range than Shopify’s enterprise-grade plan (which usually costs you approximately $2000 a month).

Recommendation: How to Choose the Right BigCommerce Plan?

Is it worth using BigCommerce?

Now you know What BigCommerce and related information to this platform are. By why does choose BigCommerce to create your online store is advantageous? It is easier to manage your products, consumers and orders.

BigCommerce’s features will let your customers filter for brands, categories, reviews, etc. With the “Quick Search Bar,” you can access and control your products effortlessly.

Furthermore, in this platform, you will be able to segment your customers into different groups according to the pricing, promotions, product access, and curate your store information tailored to customers’ different groups.

1. The most up-to-date SEO practices

There is a big effect on your market growth if you can optimize your store and search engine results. The great thing about BigCommerce is that it currently utilizes up-to-date SEO methods and procedures. In addition to numerous SEO-friendly features, including the auto-optimized title and URL, the platform includes keyword-rich details that users can add manually.

2. The help of BigCommerce’s user-friendly mobile websites in the selling.

Not only do you have a broad selection of styles for your websites, these themes also fit well on all mobile devices. With this advanced feature, you can refine your e-shopping cart immensely and boost your sales rate. The figure reveals that more than 71% of shopping cart abandonment occurs on poorly-designed mobile sites.

3. BigCommerce Customer Service is available 24/7 for you

BigCommerce also provides one of the most friendly and welcoming customer care departments. Not to mention a wide range of supporting programs for every big and small business.

This is why BigCommerce customer support is so fulfilling:

  • Dedicated expert support
  • Shorter wait times
  • Express routing for enterprise customers
  • 24/7 access to support team

4. BigCommerce is a built-in feature with various marketing tools and analytics.

Listed below are some of the most popular features of the marketing and analytics of BigCommerce:

  • You can sell gift vouchers.
  • Offer exclusive cart-level discounts.
  • Auto-generate and validate coupon codes.
  • Launch and publish email marketing campaigns.

Besides these tasks, you will also draw impactful market knowledge based on the data and boost the conversion rates based on the success parameters.

Further Reading: BigCommerce Reviews 2021: Features, Price, Support, Pros & Cons

Final thoughts

In conclusion, the rapid change of technology might offer businesses to approach a broader scope of consumers. Thus, many companies are looking for e-commerce platforms that could help them increase their sales annually. And, BigCommerce might be a great alternative. It is an e-commerce solution where you can set up your online store.

With its numerous features, it would be a helpful tool for you to manage your products, orders, customers, etc.

We hope that this article will help you understand What BigCommerce is, how it functions and clear your doubts about this specific software.


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.

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