Overview

As one of the leading platforms for growing online businesses, BigCommerce is a paid-for, hosted eCommerce solution. The Saas (Software as a Service) means you don’t actually purchase the software but instead pay a monthly subscription fee. You can try out BigCommerce with a free trial to explore its features before signing up.

Starting at just $29.95 per month, the platform allows users to sell on marketplaces (like eBay or Amazon) as well as social media channels. Upgrading to the Plus, Pro, or Enterprise packages is worth the investment, with a range of tools to increase traffic to your online store and ultimately boost sales.

BigCommerce offers a complete platform to design and set up your eCommerce site with over 100 templates to choose from. You can sell physical items as well as digital goods. BigCommerce gives you the tools to accept payments, ship orders, analyze your business, and drive traffic to your site.

Ready to launch your online store? Keep reading to find out if BigCommerce stands out as the right choice for your business.

Features

All BigCommerce plans come with a responsive website, single-page checkout, shipping label discounts, real-time shipping quotes, professional reporting tools, a blog, product ratings, and reviews, and dedicated SSL. By signing up for BigCommerce, you gain access to over 100 professional and modern eCommerce themes.

You can get your site off the ground for just $29.95 per month. Upgrading to the higher tier plans gives you a wealth of tools that help you sell online and grow your customer base and monthly sales.

The most popular Plus Plan, for example, costs $79.95 per month and supports up to $180,000 in annual sales and charges lower transaction fees (2.5% + $0.30¢ per transaction). The Pro Plan also comes with features like Google customer reviews, product filtering, and custom SSL.

Page Builder Visual Editor

If you don’t have experience with web design, BigCommerce has easy-to-use tools to launch your online store. Start with one of the pre designed templates. Then use the drag and drop editor to customize your website as needed - no coding necessary. You can also adapt the design for mobile screens, so your website looks good on any screen size.

Conversion Features

Ultimately, when running an online store, you want to drive traffic and increase sales on your site. BigCommerce comes with a host of tools to help increase conversions (and boost sales). Offer your customers discounts and promotions. Your customers can conveniently pay using a range of digital wallets, including Amazon Pay, PayPal One Touch, and Apple Pay. In addition, SEO tools help drive traffic to your site and increase visibility on search engines.

B2B

BigCommerce B2B comes with a range of features to improve sales and productivity. You can easily segment customer groups by pricing, product access, and promotions. APIs automatically sync from third party systems, such as ERPs. You can also manage quotes using tools like Quote Ninja and BundleB22, provide custom pricing, offer bulk pricing, and more.

International Features

In a global economy, businesses need the right tools to serve customers around the world. BigCommerce offers just that, with features like multi-currency payment, cross-border fulfillment, and multi-language support. BigCommerce has offices in the UK, US, and Australia, so they can help with your international sales questions 24/7.

Other standout BigCommerce features:

• WordPress Integration
• Fast site speed
• Social integrations, including Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram
• Marketplace integrations, including eBay, Amazon, and Google Shopping
• Brick-and-mortar integrations automatically update with native POS systems

Payment Options

BigCommerce gives you the tools to accept leading payment solutions. Payment options include all major credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, coupons, discounts, and gift cards in a single deck. Each plan has different payment processing fees for special credit cards. You can choose from PayPal powered by Braintree, Square, Stripe, WorldPay, First Data, Cybersource, Authorize.net, and many more.

The Standard Plan charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. The more expensive plans offer lower rates. You pay less by upgrading. The Plus Plan charges 2.5% + $0.30 per transaction. Meanwhile, the Pro Plan charges 2.2% +$0.30 per month. Finally, the Enterprise Plan charges 2.2% + $0.30 or lower per transaction.

Plans and Pricing

BigCommerce offers four different pricing options to suit the needs of different types of businesses. The Standard and Plus Plans provide affordable eCommerce solutions for new and emerging businesses. The Standard Plan costs $29.95 per month and includes a full-featured online store. The Plus Plan costs $79.95 and, in addition to the online store, provides optimized conversion and customer group management.

Fast-growing businesses and established brands can choose from the Pro and Enterprise Plans. The Pro Plan starts at $299.95 and includes high-volume security and analytics as well as other advanced features such as product filtering and Google customer reviews. Established businesses can purchase the Enterprise Plan which tailors to your business needs. Customers can try out BigCommerce with a 30-day free trial.

Customer Support

Founded in 2009, BigCommerce is a leading eCommerce platform with over 600 employees and offices in the US, UK, and Australia. Customers can contact support available 24/7 by live chat, phone, or email. BigCommerce also hosts active social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google+, where you can access more guidance and information.

Word on the Street

So what do customers have to say in BigCommerce reviews about their experiences?

Customers like that they can try out BigCommerce with a free trial to explore features before signing up. They also see BigCommerce as a great value for money, with a low monthly subscription starting at $29.95 per month.

Other customer testimonials mention:

“In two years, we've seen a 150% increase in online sales. We had a big vision, and BigCommerce has not only supported us, they've grown with us.”

“Using BigCommerce, we're able to integrate our email service, Mailchimp, so we can easily export customer data. Because of that, email marketing — specifically our newsletter — has been our most effective way to drive traffic to the site.”

On the down side, some customers have reported suspicious charges through their subscription. They may have accidentally signed up for additional features without realizing. Just make sure to check your account to avoid any surprise charges and add-on fees.

Bottom Line

BigCommerce eCommerce platform gives customers the tools to design, build, and manage their online store with flexible pricing plans.