Starting an online store can be exciting but also challenging. Choosing the right platform is important. The BigCommerce website builder offers a user-friendly way to set up your online shop without coding. Let’s explore how this platform can benefit various businesses and help you succeed online.
What is BigCommerce Website Builder?
BigCommerce is a platform that helps businesses create online stores. With the BigCommerce website builder, you can design your store, add products, and sell quickly. It offers tools that make it easy for anyone to build a professional-looking website.
You don’t need to be a tech expert to use it. The builder provides templates and features that simplify the process. This means you can focus on your products and customers instead of worrying about complex website setups.
Why Choose BigCommerce Website Builder for Your Business
Choosing the right platform can make a big difference in your online success. Here are some reasons why the BigCommerce website builder might be your best choice.
Budget-Friendly Options
Starting a business can be expensive. BigCommerce offers plans that fit different budgets. You can choose a plan that meets your needs without overspending.
- Affordable monthly fees make it accessible for small businesses.
- No hidden transaction fees help you keep more of your earnings.
- Different pricing tiers allow you to upgrade as your business grows.
- Free trials let you test the platform before committing.
- Cost-effective features reduce the need for extra expenses.
By offering budget-friendly options, BigCommerce helps you invest wisely in your business.
Time-Efficient Setup
Time is valuable, especially when starting a new venture. BigCommerce makes it quick to set up your store.
- An easy-to-use interface speeds up the design process.
- Pre-built templates help you get started fast.
- Step-by-step guides assist you through setup.
- Launch coaches are available to support you.
- Minimal technical hurdles save you time.
With BigCommerce, you can have your store up and running faster than you might think.
Customizable Templates
Every business is unique, and your website should reflect that. BigCommerce provides customizable templates to match your brand.
- Dozens of themes are available for different industries.
- It is easy to change colors, fonts, and layouts.
- Mobile-responsive designs ensure your site looks good on any device.
- Ability to preview changes before publishing.
- Options to switch templates without losing content.
These templates help you create a store that feels like your own.
High Level of Customization
Beyond templates, BigCommerce allows deeper customization to fit your specific needs.
- Access to HTML and CSS for advanced edits.
- Integrate with popular code libraries.
- Customize checkout experiences for your customers.
- Use APIs for more complex customizations.
- Ability to add custom functionalities.
This flexibility ensures your store can grow and change as your business does.
Extensive Integrations
Running an online store often requires multiple tools. BigCommerce integrates with many popular apps and services.
- Connect with payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe.
- Sync with marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
- Integrate with social media platforms for broader reach.
- Use marketing tools like email campaigns seamlessly.
- Access to an app marketplace for additional features.
These integrations make managing your business smoother.
Dedicated Support
Having support when you need it is crucial. BigCommerce offers assistance to help you succeed.
- 24/7 customer service via chat, email, and phone.
- Access to virtual training sessions.
- In-house launch coaches guide you through setup.
- Extensive knowledge base and tutorials.
- Community forums to connect with other users.
With dedicated support, you’re never alone on your journey.
No Coding Required
Not everyone knows how to code, and that’s okay. BigCommerce is designed for users without technical backgrounds.
- Drag-and-drop tools make designing easy.
- There is no need to hire developers for basic setups.
- User-friendly dashboards simplify management.
- Automated features handle technical tasks.
- Clear instructions help you navigate the platform.
This means you can focus on your business rather than on learning code.
User-Friendly Interface
A simple interface makes running your store less stressful.
- Intuitive design helps you find what you need quickly.
- A clean layout reduces confusion.
- The customizable dashboard lets you prioritize important tasks.
- Real-time analytics are easy to understand.
- It is accessible from any device to manage on the go.
A user-friendly interface keeps things straightforward.
Types of Businesses That Benefit from BigCommerce Website Builder
An eCommerce store is essential for boosting sales, enhancing the customer experience, and expanding your online reach. Online store builders make designing a seamless shopping experience for your customers easy.
That said, not all store builders are the same. The best choice depends on your specific needs and the stage of your business.
Here are some types of businesses that could benefit from using BigCommerce website builder:
New Businesses
If you’re starting and looking to save on costs without sacrificing quality or performance, using an online store builder is an intelligent way to design your website.
While eCommerce solutions require technical know-how, the advantages of building a new site from scratch outweigh any initial challenges. The process is much smoother without the need for reconfigurations or conversions.
These platforms offer everything a new business needs, from customizable themes and mobile optimization to advanced search and SEO tools to help customers easily find and navigate your store.
Growing Startups
Startups must be mindful of spending, avoiding services that don’t contribute to growth. An online store platform should provide immediate value and support business expansion.
BigCommerce website builder offers scalability and essential features to showcase your products. Its wide range of app integrations should make your workflow more efficient and streamlined.
A well-designed website will turn your store builder into an integral part of your team, driving the business forward.
Features like cross-channel commerce, customizable checkout, and flexible merchandising will help your brand stand out, all while keeping costs in check.
Hobbyist Sites
For many, hobbyist sites and side businesses eventually become their primary source of income. This doesn’t mean an eCommerce store is out of reach — it can be vital to any business you run.
Even if your eCommerce store is a side project, it still deserves a smooth, professional shopping experience. BigCommerce website builder provides ease of use without compromising quality, allowing you to make changes whenever you need.
Plus, with built-in analytics tracking, you can watch your store grow and optimize as needed.
Dropshipping Businesses
To successfully run a dropshipping business, your store must be built to support that model. Even though you’re not managing inventory directly and are partnering with wholesalers, you still need a solution tailored to this approach.
Dropshipping can complement a traditional eCommerce setup and help small businesses grow without relying on their supply chain.
Apps like Inventory Source, Printful, and AliExpress Dropshipping should easily integrate with your store, simplifying adding products and managing sales. These tools sync with your store, making it easy to run a dropshipping business.
Established Businesses
BigCommerce website builder can simplify operations for any business, large or small. Whether you sell physical products, services, or digital solutions, an online store can take your business to the next level.
One common challenge is scalability. Some websites are designed for small audiences, while others cater to large corporations and wholesalers.
But what about businesses expecting rapid growth? The builder scales with your company, expanding as needed and allowing you to manage multiple income streams seamlessly, all within one platform.
Private Label Products Businesses
Like dropshipping, the right eCommerce website allows businesses to sell products and services from various vendors. By partnering with multiple suppliers or wholesalers, you can offer your site a wide range of products.
Private label products are made by one company but sold under your brand. This involves sourcing items from different retailers, rebranding them, and listing them on your site.
With BigCommerce website builder, this process is straightforward and hassle-free, making it easy to manage and grow your business.
Comparing BigCommerce to Other eCommerce Website Builders
It’s important to know how BigCommerce stacks up against other platforms.
BigCommerce vs. Shopify
Both platforms are popular, but there are differences.
- Pricing: BigCommerce offers more features in its basic plan without extra fees.
- Customization: BigCommerce provides more out-of-the-box features, reducing the need for apps.
- Scalability: BigCommerce handles large catalogs better.
- Transaction Fees: BigCommerce doesn’t charge additional transaction fees.
- Support: Both offer firm support, but BigCommerce includes more features at each plan level.
Considering these factors, BigCommerce can be more cost-effective and flexible.
BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress, while BigCommerce is a standalone platform.
- Ease of Use: BigCommerce is generally easier for beginners.
- Security: BigCommerce handles security updates, while WooCommerce requires manual updates.
- Hosting: BigCommerce includes hosting; WooCommerce requires separate hosting.
- Maintenance: BigCommerce reduces the need for technical maintenance.
- Features: BigCommerce offers built-in features that might require plugins in WooCommerce.
BigCommerce simplifies the process, especially for those who need more technical expertise.
BigCommerce vs. Wix
Wix is known for website building, but how does it compare for eCommerce?
- eCommerce Focus: BigCommerce is dedicated to online selling.
- Features: BigCommerce offers more advanced selling tools.
- Scalability: BigCommerce handles larger stores better.
- Payment Options: BigCommerce integrates with more payment gateways.
- Support: BigCommerce provides specialized support for online stores.
For severe online businesses, BigCommerce offers more comprehensive tools.
BigCommerce vs. Squarespace
Squarespace is popular for design, but let’s see the comparison.
- Design Templates: Squarespace offers stylish templates; BigCommerce also provides professional designs.
- eCommerce Features: BigCommerce has more advanced selling features.
- Integration: BigCommerce integrates with more third-party apps.
- SEO Tools: Both offer SEO tools, but BigCommerce has more eCommerce-specific options.
- Pricing: BigCommerce includes more features in its plans, potentially offering better value.
If selling products is your main goal, BigCommerce might be the better choice.
BigCommerce Website Builder vs. Custom Builds
Building a custom site is often seen as a way for businesses to cut out the middleman and save costs in the long run.
However, most small businesses don’t have the time or resources to hire a developer to build a site from scratch. Custom website development is complex and requires extensive experience to execute properly.
If you need a new site and haven’t built one before, using an experienced site builder is likely your best choice.
BigCommerce website builder offers many advantages, but perhaps the biggest benefit is the control it gives you over your store’s appearance and your customers’ shopping experience.
Cost-Effectiveness
A custom-built eCommerce store can be expensive. Whether it’s hiring experienced staff or investing in training, building a site from scratch can cost more than it’s worth.
Using a platform like BigCommerce allows you to avoid those extra expenses and focus your budget on subscriptions and paid plans, making the process more cost-effective.
Support and Resources
Bigcommerce store builder offers a community of users who share tips through forums and a few customer support options.
For long-term success, especially if you need to be more tech-savvy, having 24/7 support is crucial. You don’t want to be stuck with a problem you can’t solve.
With reliable, around-the-clock support from a trusted store builder, you can confidently tackle any issue, knowing help is always available.
Beginner-Friendly
Building a store offers plenty of learning opportunities in eCommerce, but it comes with a steep learning curve and demands a lot of time—something many businesses can’t spare.
Rather than investing in a custom-built site from the start, using BigCommerce store builder allows you to quickly set up a fully functioning eCommerce store without the hassle of that learning process.
Plus, help is always available with a store builder whenever you have questions.
Integrated Security and Payment Systems
You want your information and your customer’s information to be safe. Selecting a reputable builder that ensures security is critical.
Keeping your and your customers’ information safe is paramount to your business’s success. This involves understanding and crafting a system with many integration capabilities, whether with payment gateways or security systems.
With a custom-built site, this is all on your shoulders. If you cannot prove your site is secure, it will be hard to hold onto customers.
By using a BigCommerce site builder with extensive experience with integrations and security, you can be confident that there will be no catastrophic situations. And if you’re confident, so are your customers.
Success Stories of Businesses Using BigCommerce Website Builder
Many businesses have found success with BigCommerce. Here are some examples.
Saddleback Leather Co.
Saddleback Leather Co. is a retailer known for its premium leather bags. Built with the help of the BigCommerce website builder, the hero section showcases various bags along with other travel and camping gear, complemented by sleek text and a white “Shop Now” button to start shopping.
The leather design of both the navigation bar and footer aligns perfectly with the store’s theme, giving the site a refined and cohesive look. Shoppers can also watch a YouTube video highlighting the flight bag.
A back-to-the-top button allows quick access to different parts of the page for easy navigation.
Beer Cartel
Beer Cartel is an eCommerce store specializing in high-quality beer at affordable prices. The site has multiple pages, each designed to encourage visitors to add products to their carts.
A prominent “Father’s Day” promotion highlights various beer packages, enticing shoppers to make quick purchases. To build trust and credibility, Beer Cartel showcases the logos of well-known beer brands it partners with.
Dinovite
Dinovite, a well-known pet nutrition brand, has been featured on over 450 news outlets including Fox, MSNBC, CNN, CBS, and USA Today.
The website is highly informative, showcasing the benefits of its products with compelling copy and high-quality images that make the homepage interactive and engaging.
Bold colors throughout the site add a fun and lively touch, while the detailed ingredients section helps potential customers understand product content, fostering trust and credibility.
LARQ
Justin Wang, CEO of LARQ, envisioned creating a self-cleaning bottle for use both at home and on the go.
LARQ’s website, built on BigCommerce, prominently displays the brand’s logo at the center of the navigation bar, offering a user-friendly experience for seamless browsing. The menu bar features drop-down options, allowing visitors to explore content effortlessly without needing to click through multiple pages.
Customers can also use the footer to access various parts of the site, including the “About Page,” for more information.
Leveraging BigCommerce Automation with GritGlobal’s Atom8
Automation can take your BigCommerce store to the next level. GritGlobal’s Atom8 offers tools to help you do just that. GritGlobal is a recognized leader in automation solutions designed for BigCommerce stores. The company’s primary product, Atom8, is an all-in-one BigCommerce Automation app that empowers merchants to optimize their eCommerce operations. With a focus on enhancing store performance, this tool streamlines manual tasks, boosts sales, and enables personalized customer experiences.
- Streamlining Sales and Boosting Revenue: Atom8’s automation features seamlessly integrate with BigCommerce to transform how stores manage their sales processes. Merchants can launch sales campaigns more efficiently by leveraging conditional triggers and BigCommerce customer segmentation. For example, the app allows businesses to send personalized re-engagement emails or offer targeted promotions to specific customer groups, increasing conversion rates and driving repeat purchases.
- Saving Time and Automating Workflow: Time-consuming tasks such as scheduling mass discounts, email campaigns, or updating product listings and pricing are simplified with this app. The app automates store activities like changing product availability and order tracking. Real-world examples demonstrate the significant time savings businesses have achieved using Atom8. For instance, Hobby Store Group saved countless hours by automating inventory updates and merchandising.
- Managing Inventory and Controlling Operations: It also helps businesses manage inventory levels, offering internal notifications for low stock and automating order control. Stores can set workflows to track high-risk orders, ensuring smooth operations. Additionally, Atom8 integrates with various third-party apps, including Slack, Google Sheets, and ShipStation, creating a seamless and efficient operational flow.
- Success Stories with Atom8: Companies like Lexair and Ultralight Outdoor Gear have seen transformative results with Atom8. Lexair significantly improved customer segmentation and order processing, leading to greater operational efficiency. Ultralight Outdoor Gear utilized the app to streamline inventory management, saving hours of manual work each day. Testimonials from these businesses highlight its ability to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and grow revenue.
Conclusion
Choosing the right platform can make your online business journey smoother. The BigCommerce website builder offers tools and features that suit various businesses. Whether you’re starting fresh or looking to grow, BigCommerce provides a powerful, user-friendly solution. Leveraging additional tools like GritGlobal’s Atom8 can enhance your store even further. Automation, customization, and dedicated support are just some benefits waiting for you. Ready to take the next step? Contact us to learn more about how we can help you succeed online.
