Juggling dozens of SKUs across multiple sales channels gets messy fast. Typos sneak in. Prices go out of sync. Promotions vanish. Before long, someone’s clicking the wrong product or chasing down an outdated spreadsheet. Sound familiar? That’s where BigCommerce product listing steps in.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to set up, manage, and fine-tune your listings, all from one central dashboard.
What Is a BigCommerce Product Listing?
A BigCommerce product listing is your digital storefront shelf. It’s the page that shows everything a buyer needs to decide, like photos, price, description, stock level, variants, and more.
In 2024, global retail e-commerce sales reached around $6 trillion, and they’re projected to grow by 31% to nearly $8 trillion by 2028, according to Statista. That means every listing is now competing in a massive, fast-moving market.
Each listing is like a mini-salesperson. It explains what the item is, why it’s worth buying, and what happens next. And when done right, it does that 24/7. Nearly 70% of carts are abandoned, often because the product page failed to answer a last-minute question.
But listings aren’t just about looks. They power key parts of your eCommerce setup:
- They sync with inventory tools to show real-time stock.
- They connect with search engines to drive organic traffic.
- They keep buyers informed, so they trust your store.
When listings are clean and complete, your SEO gets a bump. Products show up where they should. Shoppers stick around longer. Conversion rates climb.
Now imagine that across hundreds, or thousands of items.
Managing BigCommerce Product Listings from a Single Dashboard
Manually jumping between tabs, sheets, and channels? That’s a recipe for wasted time and missed sales.
Common pain points pop up fast:
- One team updates titles, another tweaks prices, and suddenly they don’t match.
- Promotions run out on one platform but stay live elsewhere.
- New arrivals take days to push across all sales channels.
That mess leads to confusion for your team and your customers. And mistakes are costly, especially when stock is limited or product launches are time-sensitive.
Centralizing everything in the BigCommerce product dashboard solves that. One login. One screen. One source of truth.
When you manage listings in one place:
- Changes sync instantly across all channels.
- Data stays accurate, so you don’t oversell or mislead customers.
- Updates take minutes, not hours.
McKinsey research shows that automating merchandising and data entry can eliminate up to 30% of routine retail tasks, freeing teams to focus on growth activities. We’ve seen it firsthand. Stores that automate product updates cut manual work in half. They spend less time fixing errors and more time planning their next campaign.
Clean, consistent listings mean smoother operations. And smoother ops mean more sales.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up and Managing BigCommerce Product Listings
Getting your products listed on BigCommerce isn’t rocket science. But doing it right, quickly, cleanly, and consistently, makes all the difference. Let’s walk through how to get it done.
1. Accessing Your BigCommerce Product Dashboard
First, log into your BigCommerce store.
Once you’re in the admin panel, click “Products” from the left-hand menu. This is your control room. From here, you can:
- View all existing listings
- Add new ones
- Edit, clone, or delete products
- Filter by brand, type, or stock status
You’ll also see inventory levels, price points, visibility settings, and linked SKUs all in one place. No more bouncing between platforms or tracking edits in Excel.
2. Creating and Organizing Product Listings
To create a new listing, just click the “Add” button in the dashboard.
You’ll fill in the basics:
- Product name (keep it short but searchable)
- Price
- Stock
- Category
- Images
Then come the extras like:
- Brand
- Product type
- Weight and dimensions
- Shipping rules
Want better click-throughs? Focus on naming. Instead of “Tumbler,” go for “Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler, 20oz, Leakproof Lid.” It’s clearer and search-friendly.
And don’t skip the category setup. Clean category trees make it easier for customers to browse. BigCommerce also lets you assign products to multiple categories without duplicate entries.
Automation apps can help organize things even faster, auto-assigning new items to categories based on tags or attributes.
3. Enhancing Listings with Rich Content
Good content sells. Start with a short, clear product description. Then dig into the details:
- Features
- Benefits
- Dimensions
- Use cases
Break it up with bullet points and short paragraphs. Use H2 or H3 headings to group similar info. This keeps things readable on both desktop and mobile.
For images:
- Use high-resolution photos (but keep file sizes web-friendly).
- Name files clearly (e.g., “blue-insulated-bottle-20oz.jpg”).
- Write short, descriptive alt text for each image. It helps SEO and makes your site more accessible.
Adding specs like materials or warranty info? Use a table or list. It’s faster for shoppers to scan and improves your on-page ranking.
4. Managing Variants, Options, and SKUs
Have a shirt that comes in five colors and six sizes? Don’t create 30 separate listings.
BigCommerce lets you manage all those options from one listing using variants. You can:
- Add option sets (like Size and Color)
- Assign unique SKUs and prices for each variant
- Upload variant-specific images
- Track stock individually for each combo
The dashboard handles this cleanly, showing every variation in one view. No need for manual matching.
Automation rules can control variant visibility based on stock levels, seasonal launches, or VIP access. No more hiding or unhiding items by hand.
With the right setup, even complex catalogs feel easy to manage.
Advanced Tools for Product Listing Management
As your store grows, so does the need to manage listings smarter, not harder. That’s where advanced tools come in.
Real-Time Inventory Tracking
BigCommerce includes built-in inventory tracking, and it’s solid. Stock levels update as orders come in, so you’re not guessing or double-selling.
The system syncs changes across every listing instantly. No lag. No manual refresh.
But what happens when a product sells out?
BigCommerce BackOrder picks up where BigCommerce stops. It lets customers place orders even when an item’s out of stock. They get notified once it’s back. You get to keep the sale.
Shops like RaceFX and MDT used BackOrder by GritGlobal to avoid losing thousands in missed orders. Instead of hiding out-of-stock products, they kept them live, and kept revenue flowing.
Bulk Edits and Automation
Editing product listings one by one? That’s fine for ten SKUs. Not so great when you’ve got 2,000.
BigCommerce lets you:
- Bulk update prices, inventory, or descriptions
- Import or export products using CSVs
- Apply changes by category or brand
But if you want to go faster, GritGlobal’s Atom8, a BigCommerce Automation app does the heavy lifting.
It runs bulk edits on autopilot. You set the rules, like:
- Lower prices during a flash sale
- Rename products with new model numbers
- Hide items with zero stock
Then Atom8 applies those changes for you, without touching a CSV.
It even connects with Google Sheets, Slack, and Klaviyo. So when a product is updated or launched, your marketing team gets a ping and your email flow stays synced.
Low Stock Alerts & Reporting
Don’t wait for “Out of Stock” to show up on your product page.
Set up low stock alerts in BigCommerce. Choose your threshold, like 5 or 10 units left, and get a heads-up when it’s time to reorder.
You can also pull reports straight from your dashboard:
- Track bestsellers and slow movers
- See how often you’re running low
- Spot trends across categories or seasons
Use that info to stay stocked up without overbuying. Use those alerts to decide which items to restock first based on customer demand, not guesswork.
With the right tools, managing BigCommerce product listings becomes less of a chore and more of a system. One that works while you focus on scaling.
Optimizing Your BigCommerce Product Listings for SEO
Great product listings don’t just sell, they get found. That starts with keywords.
Use natural, specific phrases in your product titles and descriptions. Think like a shopper. Instead of “Running Shoes,” try “Men’s Lightweight Running Shoes, Size 10.” Short, clear, and searchable.
Make sure your:
- Meta titles are under 60 characters
- Meta descriptions are punchy, with a clear benefit
- URLs are clean (no extra numbers or weird symbols)
BigCommerce lets you customize each of these. So use it.
Also add structured data like pricing, stock status, and reviews. This helps Google show rich snippets in search results, those neat boxes with stars and price tags.
Don’t forget internal linking. Link related products and connect them by category or theme. If someone’s browsing a winter coat, link to matching gloves or scarves.
Last step? Track your results. Use BigCommerce’s built-in reports or Google Analytics to see which pages pull traffic and which ones bounce. Then tweak.
Best Practices for Managing BigCommerce Product Listings
Managing listings isn’t a one-time job. It’s ongoing.
Stick to these habits:
- Keep naming and formatting consistent across all listings
- Use templates or style guides for titles and product specs
- Review your catalog every few months and archive anything outdated
Got old listings with broken links or old prices? Fix or remove them. They confuse shoppers and drag down your SEO.
And for the daily grind? Automate it.
Automation workflows can:
- Remove products from your storefront when stock hits zero
- Auto-tag new items based on keywords
- Notify your team when product data changes
That means fewer mistakes and more time for strategy.
Final Thoughts
Managing BigCommerce product listing doesn’t have to be a slog. With the right tools, smart habits, and automation from apps like Atom8 and BackOrder by GritGlobal, you can run a tight ship, even with a growing catalog.
Product listings are your front line. Keep them sharp, up to date, and optimized, and you’ll see the difference in traffic, conversions, and customer trust. Contact us if you want help setting it all up. We’re happy to walk you through it.
