E-commerce is fast catching up with physical retail in brick-and-mortar stores. In 2019, almost 17% of all retail sales happened online, amounting to a staggering $602-billion in sales in the US market alone.
So, how do you get in on the action? Starting an e-commerce business might seem somewhat intimidating at first if you have no tech experience. However, it’s easier than you think, and there are plenty of resources online that can help you learn how platforms and retail strategies work.
The crux of your e-commerce business is your platform. There are numerous options to go for, and in this article, we’ll be looking at two of the more popular platforms available to you.
Shopify and BigCommerce are two well-known names in the e-commerce industry. Both companies offer e-commerce platforms to merchants, providing a “business-in-a-box” concept; that’s all you need to start selling online.
Visit Shopify Visit BigCommerce
Contents
- 1 How Do You Sell Online with BigCommerce or Shopify?
- 2 BigCommerce vs Shopify: Pros and Cons
- 3 BigCommerce vs Shopify – What are the Key Differences?
- 4 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify: Comparison Categories
- 5 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Ease of Use
- 6 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Design
- 7 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Domains and URLs
- 8 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – E-commerce Features and Tools
- 9 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Attracting Customers
- 10 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Merchant Support and Helplines
- 11 Shopify Vs. BigCommerce – Pricing Models
- 12 BigCommerce vs Shopify: The Final Verdict
- 13 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify FAQ
- 13.1 This is my first e-commerce venture, which platform is better – Shopify or BigCommerce?
- 13.2 I’m limited with startup capital, which is the better choice – Shopify or BigCommerce?
- 13.3 I know nothing about internet marketing, which is better – Shopify or BigCommerce?
- 13.4 I have a brick-and-mortar business – Which platform is best for my digital transition?
- 13.5 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Which Model Suits Newbies with Small Budgets?
- 13.6 BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Which Is the Better Choice for Scaling My Business?
How Do You Sell Online with BigCommerce or Shopify?
Selling online is simple if you use an e-commerce solution like Shopify or BigCommerce. Unlike platforms like WordPress that are more multifunctional, BigCommerce, and Shopify are purpose-built platforms for e-commerce.
When it comes to selling online, research shows that almost 50% of all online purchases come from mobile devices, as users adapt to mobile tech as their preferred means of accessing the internet for retail shopping. As a result, e-commerce platforms need to be mobile-ready, providing a high level of functionality for mobile navigation and shopping.
Fortunately, both Shopify and BigCommerce offer mobile-ready e-commerce solutions, and both products have unique features that make them suitable for the largest e-commerce stores.
When you’re assessing a SaaS e-commerce tool, it’s best to look for a solution that offers the following components.
- Fast loading times
- User-friendly design and interface
- Flexibility in design and mobile-ready interface
- Functional automation
- Cross-selling and Up-selling modules
- SEO and marketing features
- Good value for money pricing models
In our comparison of Shopify and BigCommerce, we give you everything you need to know about selecting the right platform to suit your current business and your future e-commerce needs.
BigCommerce vs Shopify: Pros and Cons
In this article, we’ll look at both offerings and unpack the pros and cons of using these systems, as well as how they can benefit your e-commerce business and user experience.
What are the Pros of Using BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is an excellent choice for newcomers to e-commerce. It’s “business-in-a-box” setup is attractive to novices and offers everything you need to set up an e-commerce store.
- Multi-channel selling – Allows you to integrate your e-commerce efforts across your site and social media networks.
- Built-in features – This platform comes with all the features built into the program; there no need for any external apps for SEO or other functions.
- SEO tools – This package comes with a complete suite of SEO tools to help you rank in Google and other search engines. SEO plays a vital role in e-commerce, and it takes some time for your SEO strategy to start gaining traction. However, with this feature of BigCommerce, there’s no need to hire experts to roll out an SEO strategy, this one works straight out of the box.
- Gift cards – You can issue and accept gift cards in your online store.
- Real-time shipping estimates – Fast shipping quotes for your customers, improving your user experience.
- Useful tools – Tools like the abandoned cart recovery setup are a blessing for improving conversion.
- Makes marketing easy – The built-in tools make your online marketing efforts much more manageable. There’s no need to go to the expense or effort of hiring an expert to improve your site’s performance or ranking online.
What are the Cons of Using BigCommerce?
- Complexity – While BigCommerce is an excellent choice for newbies to e-commerce platforms, the setup can be somewhat technical and confusing if you have no experience working with tech solutions.
- Learning curve – The learning curve can be a bit steep for beginners. For instance, the editor is challenging to navigate and takes some getting used to for newbies.
- Selling limits – There are certain restrictions on products and volumes you can sell through the platform.
- Apps and Add-ons – There are no apps or add-ons for this platform, and no built-in 1-click selling software.
What are the Pros of Using Shopify?
Shopify is the world’s most popular e-commerce platform for a reason – it comes with everything you need, and easy setup.
- No Selling limitations – There are no restrictions on what you can and can’t sell on the platform.
- The Shopify App Store – Shopify’s App Store has thousands of useful apps that can help you improve and enhance your store’s e-commerce experience for both you and your customers.
- Speed – Speed is everything online. If your site doesn’t load fast enough, your prospect will likely click away to another offer. Shopify loads in your browser quickly, ensuring your prospect follows through.
- Setup – Shopify has a user-friendly structure and a straightforward navigation system with a minimalist dashboard.
- Sales features – Shopify wins the award for the best sales features of any e-commerce platform; there is so much you can do with this platform to improve the performance of your e-store.
- Intelligent inventory management – The advanced Shopify plan inventory management system is a blessing for e-commerce entrepreneurs.
- Multi-channels selling – Shopify also offers you multi-channel selling opportunities across your social media platforms.
What are the Cons of Using Shopify?
- Limited multi-currency support – If you’re working with currencies outside of the US Dollar, then you might find the payment support somewhat disappointing with Shopify. Accepting foreign currencies requires the installation of currency apps that support your transactions.
- Design inefficiencies – If you want to undergo a rebranding and switch the templates on your Shopify store, you’ll need to reformat your site to manage the change.
- Third-Party Apps – While the Shopify App Store has plenty of functional and exciting apps, there is no built-in system with your platform, and you’ll need to add apps to gain custom functionality.
- Marketing – The SEO functionality and features on Shopify require the use of third=-party apps, and we feel it’s not as good as the standard SEO options available with BigCommerce.
- Payment gateways – If you want to use a third-party payment gateway outside of the Shopify gateway, you’re going to have to pay processing fees for the transaction.
BigCommerce vs Shopify – What are the Key Differences?
BigCommerce and Shopify are both dedicated e-commerce selling platforms – but they have distinct differences setting them apart from each other. Shopify is an established, e-commerce solutions provider.
The company started providing platforms in 2006, with over 820,000 merchants from all around the world signing up to use the platform. In 2019, Shopify e-commerce platforms raked in a massive $1,578-billion in online sales.
Founded in 2009, BigCommerce is also a leading name in the e-commerce industry. This platform amassed over $17-billion in sales over the last 11-years of operations.
The BigCommerce offering focuses on supercharging your store’s sales online. It gives users all the tools they need to optimize their store and start selling online. The tools come built into your platform, and there’s no need to use any third-party apps.
Shopify also has a great platform, but they give you more freedom to customize your e-commerce experience. The Shopify AppStore has thousands of useful apps that can upgrade your e-commerce platform. However, not all the apps are free, and taking too many onto your platform may end up boosting your monthly operating costs significantly.
If you look at the trends in the market, it seems like Shopify continues to see steady growth in new users of the platform. However, BigCommerce is tapering off into a more mature growth curve that’s falling behind Shopify in a big way. It seems like more people are migrating toward Shopify with their decision on the best e-commerce platform available.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify: Comparison Categories
- Category 1: Ease of Use
- Category 2: Design
- Category 3: Domains and URLs
- Category 4: E-commerce Features and Tools
- Category 5: Payment Solutions and Fees
- Category 6: Attracting Customers
- Category 7: Merchant Support and Helplines
- Category 8: Pricing Model
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Ease of Use
If you’re a newbie to e-commerce or a seasoned professional, ease-of-use remains a top priority for choosing your preferred e-commerce platform. A user-friendly interface saves you time when navigating through your platform to complete business tasks and maintenance.
We think that Shopify wins this round for the best user-interface, even if it’s only by a razor-thin margin. The idea behind the Shopify platform is that it’s user-friendly. It provides the ideal choice for a newcomer to e-commerce to get behind a turn-key solution for an online store.
Shopify achieves that objective, and they offer a range of apps to help improve upon the base model platform you get with your subscription plan. With a straightforward onboarding process, and an easy-to-navigate dashboard and editor, Shopify is the favorite platform for more than a million online stores.
BigCommerce is a more prominent e-commerce solution with more integrated features. As a result, it takes some getting used to when navigating the dashboard and editor.
The impressive array of features and functionality might be somewhat overwhelming for newcomers to e-commerce, and they might need help from an expert in learning how things work on the platform.
However, BigCommerce is showing signs of listening to its users’ feedback on social platforms. The company recently released a new merchandising feature called, “Store Design,” allowing users to edit their platform storefront on-screen.
Ease of use – Winner: Draw
Overall, Shopify is going to be the better choice for newbies and experienced users. Shopify offers a basic model of a store that you can customize to your needs with apps and add-ons to optimize your store and enhance your conversion.
BigCommerce comes as a comprehensive solution out-of-the-box. However, its depth of functionality is also its downfall, and new users might find the interface somewhat overwhelming.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Design
Every seasoned e-commerce expert knows that it’s first impressions that count when it comes to your website design. Sales features are useful at building your traffic. However, if you don’t have a smooth, unique, and eye-pleasing page design, no-one will stay on your site to look at anything.
Shopify might be somewhat basic in its design features available for store design. It doesn’t have the same functionality as other web-builders, such as Wix. However, we still rank it in the top 5 when it comes to the overall design features and applications available for creating your e-commerce store.
Shopify offers you 60 custom themes, with paid options costing between $140 to $180, depending on the functionality you want to include with your design. However, free themes are fantastic, and they have a professional-looking design. If you’re working with a budget, then there’s nothing wrong with going for a free theme on Shopify.
BigCommerce also offers you 12 free themes and 50 others that you can purchase. The themes cost anywhere from $145 to $245, but we feel thy don’t have the same level of attraction or quality as the top themes on Shopify.
Another critical aspect we need to touch on in this review is the compatibility of your platform with mobile. More buyers are switching to mobile, and you need to cater to these users with your strategy. Shopify has better mobile integration, and that adds up to more conversions and more sales.
BigCommerce also adapts for mobile, but it’s not as clean as the Shopify interface, and we think that’s a crucial component of deciding on the winner for the best design.
Best design – Winner: Shopify
Overall, both BigCommerce and Shopify are close contenders for the best design. However, we think that Shopify has a slight edge in this category, and they deserve the win.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Domains and URLs
Any experienced e-commerce entrepreneur will tell you that owning a domain that matches your store branding is the best way to create a brand identity online. Your URL should match your store name or be a close representation of it.
In some cases, it’s not possible to get a matching store name in the .com domain. Fortunately, there are other domains available that offer the same utility, but we recommend you stick to .com domains where you can.
Fortunately, both BigCommerce and Shopify allow for the use of custom URLs and domains for your store.
Best for domains and URLs – Winner: Draw
Not much to see in this category, both platforms allow for the use of custom URLs.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – E-commerce Features and Tools
BigCommerce is more of an industry-specific e-commerce solution, while Shopify offers you a broad range of uses, from newcomers to advanced stores that have huge listings. The flexibility in Shopify stands out, and the choice of add-on app features and template designs are of a higher quality than BigCommerce.
Along with design and ease of use, you need an e-commerce solution that offers you plenty of sales features to bring you more prospects that you can convert into buyers. Both platforms offer you sales features, such as the following.
- SSL security certificates – This acronym stands for Secure Sockets Layer. With this certificate, you have protection for your store against any online threats. An SSL provides a safe and secure connection and encryption for all payment processing data.
- Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery – If your customer abandons their shopping cart in the middle of their shopping, then the system sends the customer a reminder of their shopping cart if they sign up for your email list.
- Multi-channel social selling – Sell your products or services across all your social media channels as well.
- Powerful management of your inventory – Track your inventory., sales history, and your current logistics. Order stock automatically as it gets low, and quickly upload product images and descriptions to your store.
Sales Features – Shopify
Your standard Shopify store that you get with your basic package is a bare-bones model. Sure, it’s possible to set it up, so it’s ready to start processing sales, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get any business. You need to compete online for your share of the market.
You do this by dressing up your store and ensuring that it has all the features necessary to facilitate business with your customers.
With Shopify, the Shopify App Store offers you a solution for upgrading your Shopify store with all the bells and whistles it needs to succeed in the competitive world of e-commerce. Most of the apps you can use for free, but there are a few that cost a monthly or annual subscription fee. Make sure you’re aware of your costs, as monthly subscriptions for apps can add significantly to your operating costs.
We also like the Shopify Mobile app, which empowers you to manage your Shopify store from any location where you have an internet or Wi-Fi connection.
Shopify Payments is a custom payment gateway offered by Shopify to all its merchants.
If you choose to use Shopify payments as your preferred gateway, then you won’t have to pay and transaction fees. However, you can also offer up to 100 other payment gateways, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, and Stripe. Manage everything from your dashboard with ease.
Sales Features – BigCommerce
We like that BigCommerce includes built-in features that help your e-commerce business succeed. With BigCommerce, you can sell physical or digital products, as well as services. Unlike Shopify, the BigCommerce platform comes with an option for all three types, built-in and ready to use without the need to download and install any apps.
However, while the tolls are fantastic, newcomers to e-commerce might find them somewhat overwhelming, especially if they aren’t tech-savvy. With BigCommerce, you get everything included in the platform from the start, and it might take newbies some time to get their head around all the functionality on offer with the platform.
Features and e-commerce tools – Winner: Shopify
Shopify has an extensive app store with plenty of apps designed to help you manage sales funnels and improve your conversion rates. More developers are working on Shopify apps because of it being the most successful online selling platform for e-commerce.
However, you’ll need to spend some time searching and reading through forums to find the right information on the best apps to boost your Shopify sales strategy.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Attracting Customers
Having a platform stacked with features is no good if you don’t have a strategy to promote it to your target market. SEO is a vital component of e-commerce, and you need an SEO strategy that brings you results as fast as possible.
SEO Assistance
Most SEO strategies take time to pay off, and during the 3 to 6-months it takes for you to see results from your marketing efforts, you’ll be testing several different SEO tools to see if they work for you.
With Shopify, you have the option of using a range of apps to boost your SEO efforts and drive more traffic to your store. However, you must go out and locate the best SEO tools and apps yourself. As a result, you’ll need to rely on the advice of other users on YouTube or forums.
Built-in Marketing Tools
With BigCommerce, you get all your promotional and marketing tools with the platform. It’s a great way to simplify the marketing of your website. The included SEO tools ensure that you get off to a good start with your SEO campaign, eliminating the need to testing your tools as you already know they work.
Accelerated loading times are also a critical component of SEO. You’ll find it pleasing to know that BigCommerce offers you AMP-enabled automatically on all of the free design templates and the premium designs as well. Both platforms allow you to edit product titles, redirects, descriptions, and sitemaps.
However, BigCommerce offers better performance in the SEO department. The stores using the site ranking tools find that they rank higher than other Shopify stores on average. It’s important to note that Shopify has over 2,000-apps available on its Appstore.
Therefore, it’s challenging to wade through all the offering to find the right tools. And it also takes time to test these new SEO tools. During the testing period, you might find another tool and then must start your testing period again.
With BigCommerce, there is no testing of the tools included with the platform, and they seem to outperform those on the Shopify App Store as well. BigCommerce runs an additional App Store as well, but it has nowhere near the variety of customizable options and apps as the Shopify App Store.
Interfacing with existing platforms
When it comes to interfacing with other e-commerce platforms, both BigCommerce and Shopify sync with your eBay, Amazon, and social media stores, allowing you to manage multiple selling channels from one dashboard. It’s also possible to connect your Google product data feed on the Shopify and BigCommerce platforms.
Marketing automation option link with popular products like MailChimp for email campaigns, or with Active Campaign account for free integration. There is also no issue with integration with Amazons shipping and logistics centers.
However, Shopify does offer far more in terms of dropshipping integrations. You get integration compatibility with AliExpress, Doba, Oberlo, as well as Inventory Source. With BigCommerce, you only have integration with Doba in the app store.
POD strategies
If your Shopify model involves the use of a print-on-demand strategy, then both Shopify and BigCommerce support your marketing activities and integration needs. You have the option of integration with Printful, one of the most popular and reliable POD services online.
If you’re looking for a trust badge that pops up in search ads, then Shopify offers integration on all plans. However, you’ll need to be on the Pro Plan with BigCommerce for the same functionality.
Blogging
Both BigCommerce and Shopify come with blog modules. However, the blogging tool is nowhere near the same quality as a WordPress blog. It might make more sense to use a WordPress blog with the Shopify plug-in if you’re considering using a blog as a primary part of your marketing strategy.
Best platform for attracting customers – Winner: BigCommerce
Shopify is great for SEO and internet marketing compatibility. However, we feel that the built-in marketing and SEO tools with your BigCommerce platform better value for your money. You spend less time testing and get better results than using the SEO apps in the Shopify store.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Merchant Support and Helplines
During your e-commerce career, you’re going to encounter technical difficulties from time to time. We wish it weren’t so, but no e-commerce entrepreneur can get away without eventually having to deal with customer support.
When the time arrives for you to contact your merchant helplines, you want to ensure that your platform offers you multiple support channels to help you get back online. With both Shopify and BigCommerce, you get access to the following merchant support services on a 24/7 basis.
- 24/7 support via phone call
- 24/7 live merchant chat
- Help center services
- Support forums
- Email merchant support
- Video support and troubleshooting tutorials
- Advanced merchant specialist e-commerce support
When it comes to the best archive of support information, Shopify has a more extensive collection. However, let’s get real. When problems happen, all you want to know is if the live chat is competent and has the skills to sort out your problem right then and there.
You’ll find it pleasing that both BigCommerce and Shopify have great merchant support chats available 24/7. Shopify also offers merchant support through social media, providing a transparent environment that inspires confidence in the support team.
Best merchant support and helpline – Winner: Shopify
The only thing that makes Shopify the superior choice in this category is the redirection to relevant support pages in the merchant archives. Other than that, there isn’t much separating the two platforms. In the category of customer support services, and we highly recommend both.
Shopify Vs. BigCommerce – Pricing Models
If you’re setting up your first e-commerce business, then it’s a good move to keep your costs as low as you can until you start making money.
However, for both BigCommerce and Shopify, the free trials have limited functionality, and if you want to start selling, you’ll need a plan that includes a storefront. That means that you’ll need the $29 plan from Shopify or the $29.95 plan from BigCommerce. Already, the BigCommerce plan is going to cost you more than $11 extra per year.
However, as your business scales, you can adjust both your BigCommerce and Shopify plans to meet the new demands of your e-commerce store. The $79 per month Shopify plan includes useful features like issuing and receiving gift cards, lower fees on credit card transactions, and point-of-sale (POS) tools to improve your user experience.
Pricing Plans
Shopify offers you three different pricing plans, ranging from $29 / $79 / $299 per month. All of the pricing plans from both BigCommerce and Shopify allow you to upgrade so you can scale your platform as your business grows.
The Shopify Basic plan provides you with everything you need to launch your first e-commerce store online. You get all the tools, such as abandoned cart recovery and 24/7 support, ensuring you the best chance of success with your new venture.
Adding apps to your store might push up your monthly operating costs. However, if you do the right research, you can find free or affordable apps that add value to your conversion rates without costing you much money in the way of subscription fees. Keeping your business lean in the first 6-months to a year of operations will ensure you survive the early phase of your business model.
With BigCommerce, you must be on the $79.95 per month Plus plan to unlock features like abandoned cart recovery. However, this plan is the best option for growing an e-commerce store that makes up to $100,000 in sales every year, all on autopilot.
Trial periods
When starting, you can get a free trial of both platforms, available for 90-days. Both companies extended their free trials to 90-days recently, providing people with the opportunity to test the platform thoroughly, and their ideas, before getting charged for use.
You can even set up an account with each platform and see which one offers you the best option after a few weeks of use.
Best pricing plan – Winner: BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers the e-commerce entrepreneur better value for money when you consider all the features that come included in the package. There’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on apps and upgrades, and the basic plan has everything you need to start selling online right away.
Shopify is still a great choice, but we feel the Advanced Shopify plan might be a bit expensive, and you could probably get more value out of the BigCommerce platform.
BigCommerce vs Shopify: The Final Verdict
Choosing the best platform between Shopify and BigCommerce is no easy task. Selecting the winner depends on what you want to do with your e-commerce platform.
If you’re looking for the most user-friendly option to launch a small store selling a few products, Shopify is the better option. Shopify has no selling limits, and you can sell one, or one hundred products.
However, if you’re a business owner with several product categories and numerous items you want to list on your site, BigCommerce is probably the better deal. BigCommerce has a complete solution built into the platform, allowing you to get up and selling while improving your marketing and SEO as well.
BigCommerce is the more complex of the two, and inexperienced users of the platform might require a steep learning curve or the assistance of a professional that knows that they are doing with the platform.
Let’s run over our qualifying categories again to determine the best overall e-commerce platform in our final verdict.
Ease-of-Use
- Winner: Shopify
- Shopify is the more user-friendly of the two platforms. It’s easy to set up, load products, build listings, and start selling in as soon as a day. You get plenty of functionality in the basic package, and the addition of a few apps from the app store make managing your store and e-commerce business a breeze.
- If you’re looking to apply an e-commerce module to a larger organization, the BigCommerce will probably be the better choice. This SaaS tool has loads of functionality, but its probably going to be too much for a newbie looking to start a career in e-commerce.
Design
- Winner: Shopify
- Shopify has 60 themes you can apply to your store for a custom look. There are plenty of design tweaks available to enhance the visual aesthetic of your store, and 50 of the 60 themes are available for free use. The Shopify design also has a more mobile-friendly UX than the BigCommerce option, and that’s a critical point in the progression of e-commerce towards mobile devices.
Domains and URLs
- Winner: Draw
- Both platforms allow for the use of custom domains and URLs. Your URL is the backbone of your brand identity online, so it’s nice to see both platforms accepting this change.
E-commerce Features and Tools
- Winner: BigCommerce
- This section of the head-to-head review was the most challenging to decide. Both platforms offer a tremendous selection of features, with plenty of functionality on offer to suit any level of the e-commerce business.
- However, when we look at how many free features come built-in with BigCommerce, we would have to say that gives it the edge in this category.
Payment Solutions and Fees
- Winner: Shopify
- Both Platforms offer complete payment solutions integration. However, Shopify has the advantage of providing you no processing fees on transactions if you decide to use their payment gateway. That’s a significant saving that can add up over a year.
Attracting Customers
- Winner: BigCommerce
- BigCommerce offers you a suite of built-in SEO features that aren’t available with a Shopify platform. Since both Shopify and BigCommerce rely heavily on your investment into your SEO strategy, it’s nice to see that BigCommerce take this side of the business seriously.
Merchant Support and Helplines
- Winner: Shopify
- Shopify has better merchant support. The company runs a 24/7 live chat, and we got prompt response times whenever we entered a query. The representative was friendly, and they resolved our questions without any issues.
- Both companies offer decent levels of merchant support over multiple channels, including live chat, email, and phone. Still, we found the live chat to be better with Shopify, and the redirection to the relevant archived support pages is excellent.
Pricing Model
- Winner: Shopify
- It’s challenging to select a winner in this department. Both companies have an excellent value offering, and you can’t go wrong wither way. However, we might say that Shopify has a slight edge due to the diversity of the plans they have on offer.
- We also think Shopify’s extended 90-day trial during the COVID-19 pandemic provides excellent industry support people need at this trying time in the economy. Hopefully, the extended trial allows more people to start and succeed with an e-commerce business.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify FAQ
Do you still have a few questions lingering in your mind? We don’t blame you. Setting up and choosing your new business platform can be an intimidating experience. Look through these frequently asked questions to see if any answers give you some insight.
This is my first e-commerce venture, which platform is better – Shopify or BigCommerce?
We recommend you go with Shopify. First-timers will find the setup of BigCommerce too technical, and it might force you to abandon your e-commerce dreams if you can’t get the platform to run right. Shopify is a quick setup and has a user-friendly operation. Addon a few apps, and you’re ready to start selling in less than a day.
Shopify is also the better choice for individuals that want to start a small e-commerce store to test the waters. Say, for instance, you want to start a niche store selling specialized dog collars. It’s easy to build a few product offerings onto a page and start selling.
However, if you’re looking at listing hundreds of products as your business scales, the Shopify can grow with you as you evolve.
I’m limited with startup capital, which is the better choice – Shopify or BigCommerce?
Shopify is a great starter choice for anyone that’s trying to preserve their savings in this time of global crisis. Still, people need to try new methods of making an income that doesn’t endanger themselves or their families to the physical and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shopify’s free plan and its 90-free trial extension for the other plans make it an excellent way to start your online career. You could set up your store and start earning before the free trial period ends.
I know nothing about internet marketing, which is better – Shopify or BigCommerce?
If you know nothing about internet marketing, the BigCommerce offers a vast range of built-in SEO tools that promote your e-commerce store. However, we think that newbies, we still find plenty of utility in the Shopify apps available.
Apps from Shopify’s App Store also provide you with everything you need for an SEO strategy. However, it takes time to learn which add-ons work the best, and some apps are not free for use.
I have a brick-and-mortar business – Which platform is best for my digital transition?
BigCommerce would be the better choice in this situation. If your business has multiple product categories and dozens or hundreds of listings, then BigCommerce offers you a flexible and user-friendly system for larger e-commerce sites.
However, if you have no experience in using these types of tech solutions and tools, you might need some assistance and training when setting up your BigCommerce store.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Which Model Suits Newbies with Small Budgets?
Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer free trials. However, the Shopify CEO stated that the company wants to support the American and global economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the company is extending its free-trial period to 90-days and providing financial support of $200-million to qualifying e-commerce businesses in need of funding during this period.
It’s for this reason that we recommend you go with Shopify over BigCommerce if you have no previous e-commerce experience. It can take a few months to build your skill level and start to see traction in your marketing campaigns. By offering you an extended trial, Shopify is giving you the best opportunity to start turning a profit before your business’s expenses begin to catch up with you.
If you work hard and find the right niche, it’s more than possible to start earning a living from your e-commerce store, within the 90-day trial period.
Here are a few other reasons to use Shopify over BigCommerce.
Shopify offers you 1-click upsells, which are a proven and effective means of boosting your conversion rates and sales volumes.
BigCommerce will move you to a higher pricing bracket for transaction fees if you start selling more. Shopify doesn’t charge you any transaction processing fees if you use its payment gateway, “Shopify Payments.”
Shopify is an established leader in e-commerce, and there are far more developers working on apps for the Shopify platform. Therefore, there is far more functionality available on Shopify, and the rates for add-ons and apps are affordable, with many of them being free for use in your store.
Making your final decision of the right e-commerce platform to suit your needs depends on your individual needs. For large companies, go with BigCommerce, newbies will do better with Shopify.
BigCommerce Vs. Shopify – Which Is the Better Choice for Scaling My Business?
Both platforms are excellent choices for scaling your business. However, we would have to say that Shopify offers the best holistic platform for e-commerce success for someone starting as a newbie.
With Shopify, you can take your business from one store selling one product, into a conglomerate of storefronts selling hundreds of products. How far you want to take it is up to you. The apps and plan upgrades help you manage your growth, allowing you to scale your operations organically as you grow.
BigCommerce also offers plenty of functionality for scaling your business. However, this platform is best for medium to large-sized companies that are looking for a more extensive, more robust system, with plenty of onboard features and functionality.
You can’t go wrong with either one of these platforms, but we have to say that when it comes to choosing the best overall winner, Shopify is the better e-commerce platform and the gold standard for the industry.