BigCommerce, the final overview

I. Introduction to BigCommerce

A. What is BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is a leading e-commerce platform that empowers businesses of all sizes to build, launch, and grow their online stores. Founded in 2009, BigCommerce has quickly become one of the most popular and trusted e-commerce solutions, with over 60,000 active merchants across 150 countries.

B. Features and benefits of using BigCommerce

BigCommerce provides a wide range of features and benefits to help merchants create engaging and personalized shopping experiences for their customers. 

Some of the critical features of BigCommerce include:

• Powerful store builder: BigCommerce offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder that makes it easy to customize your storefront and create a unique brand experience.
• Mobile optimization: With over 80% of online shoppers using their mobile devices to shop, BigCommerce ensures that your store is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices.
• Flexible payment and shipping options: BigCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways and shipping providers, allowing you to offer your customers the most convenient and secure payment and shipping options.
• SEO-friendly: BigCommerce provides built-in SEO features to help improve your store’s visibility on search engines and drive more traffic to your site.
• Integrations: BigCommerce integrates with over 600 apps and services, making it easy to add new functionalities to your store as your business grows.

Brief history of BigCommerce

BigCommerce was founded in 2009 by Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper. Since then, the company has multiplied and raised over $200 million in funding. In 2020, BigCommerce went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange, cementing its position as a leading player in the e-commerce industry. Today, BigCommerce continues to innovate and expand its platform, offering new features and functionalities to help merchants succeed in the ever-changing e-commerce landscape.

Headless Options for BigCommerce

A. What is headless e-commerce?

Headless e-commerce is an approach to e-commerce architecture where the website’s front end is decoupled from the backend e-commerce platform. This allows for greater flexibility and customization in terms of design and user experience and the ability to integrate with other technologies and channels.

Do you want to learn more about headless technologies? We have written some blogs about this technology: 

• EXPLORING THE HYPE AND REALITY OF MACH ARCHITECTURE
• 5 REASONS TO CHOOSE FOR A HEADLESS WEBSITE SOLUTION

HEADLESS E-COMMERCE: A NON-TECHNICAL OVERVIEW 

Why would a merchant choose headless for BigCommerce? 

Headless e-commerce options provide merchants with greater flexibility, scalability, and control over their store’s user experience, design, integrations, and feature.

B. Advantages of using headless e-commerce with BigCommerce

By using headless e-commerce with BigCommerce, merchants can take advantage of the following benefits:

1. Flexibility: Headless e-commerce allows for greater flexibility in frontend design and user experience without impacting the backend e-commerce functionality.
2. Scalability: Headless e-commerce architecture can scale easily to accommodate growth and changing business needs.
3. Integration: Headless e-commerce enables integration with other technologies and channels, such as mobile apps, social media, and voice assistants.

While headless e-commerce offers many benefits, the most significant advantage of creating a headless e-commerce webshop with BigCommerce is the enhanced webshop performance and user experience, which can lead to increased conversion rates. 

By decoupling the frontend presentation layer from the backend functionality, headless commerce allows for faster load times and greater flexibility in design and customization. This means that businesses can create highly responsive and visually stunning webshops that are optimized for performance, regardless of the device or platform their customers are using. 

With a faster, more seamless user experience, customers are more likely to stay engaged with the webshop and make purchases, resulting in higher conversion rates and increased revenue for businesses. Overall, the improved webshop performance and user experience made possible by headless e-commerce with BigCommerce are key factors in helping businesses succeed in the highly competitive world of online retail.

If you want to read more on Headless e-commerce we have written the following blogs: 

WHAT IS HEADLESS ECOMMERCE, AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM TRADITIONAL ECOMMERCE PLATFORMS

COMPARING WORDPRESS, DRUPAL, MAGENTO, SHOPIFY AND BIGCOMMERCE AS A HEADLESS E-COMMERCE CMS

C. Headless e-commerce options for BigCommerce

1. BigCommerce API, BigCommerce offers a robust API that allows developers to access and manipulate data from the BigCommerce platform.
2. GraphQL, GraphQL is a query language for APIs that enables developers to retrieve and manipulate data more efficiently than traditional REST APIs.
3. Storefront API, The Storefront API is a headless e-commerce solution provided by BigCommerce that enables merchants to create custom frontend experiences using modern frontend frameworks such as React and Vue.js.

4. Other options

– Other headless e-commerce options for BigCommerce include using third-party headless ecommerce platforms or custom development solutions.

IV. Getting Started with BigCommerce Ecommerce Projects

Steps to get started with BigCommerce ecommerce projects;

1. Sign up for a BigCommerce account: To get started with BigCommerce, you’ll need to sign up for an account. BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, so you can test the platform and see if it fits your business.
2. Choose a template or design your own: Once you’ve signed up for an account, choose a template from the BigCommerce template library or create your own custom storefront using the drag-and-drop store builder.
3. Set up your store settings: Next, you’ll need to set up your store settings, including payment and shipping options, taxes, and other store policies.
4. Add your products: With your storefront set up, you can start adding your products to your store. BigCommerce provides a range of product options, including digital downloads, subscriptions, and product variants.
5. Launch your store: Once you’ve added your products and configured your settings, you can launch your store and start selling online!

B. Best practices for BigCommerce e-commerce projects

As more businesses turn to e-commerce to reach customers worldwide, it’s crucial to implement best practices to ensure your online store stands out from the competition. 

For businesses using the BigCommerce platform, there are several key best practices to remember when building and optimizing your e-commerce store. By following these best practices, businesses can create a seamless and engaging online shopping experience for their customers while also driving growth and revenue for their business. This report will explore these best practices in more detail and provide tips on how to implement them effectively in your BigCommerce e-commerce project.

• Optimize for mobile: With more and more shoppers using their mobile devices to make purchases, ensuring your store is fully optimized for mobile is essential
• Focus on user experience: User experience is critical to the success of your e-commerce store. Ensure your store is easy to navigate, with clear calls to action and a streamlined checkout process.
• Leverage integrations: BigCommerce integrates with over 600 apps and services, so take advantage of these integrations to add new functionalities and improve your store’s performance.
• Use data to inform decisions: BigCommerce provides powerful analytics and reporting tools to help you make data-driven decisions about your store’s performance and growth.

VI. BigCommerce Themes and Templates

BigCommerce offers a variety of themes and templates that merchants can use to create a professional and attractive storefront. These themes and templates are designed to be mobile-responsive and optimized for conversion, with built-in features such as product filtering, search functionality, and quick view options.

Benefits of using BigCommerce themes and templates

• Professional design: BigCommerce themes and templates are designed by professional designers and developers, so you can be sure that your store will look great and function well
• Time-saving: Using a pre-designed theme or template can save you time and effort since you won’t have to create a custom design from scratch
• Mobile-responsive: All BigCommerce themes and templates are mobile-responsive, meaning they will look great on any device, from desktop to mobile
• Conversion optimization: BigCommerce themes and templates are optimized for conversion, with built-in features such as product filtering, search functionality, and quick view options.

C. Popular BigCommerce themes and templates

The design and layout of an e-commerce store can have a significant impact on the success of the business. BigCommerce offers a range of themes and templates that businesses can use to create a visually appealing and highly functional online store. From highly customizable options to minimalist designs, there are themes to suit the needs of every business.

• Cornerstone, Cornerstone is a highly customizable theme designed to be visually appealing and highly functional. It offers a range of features, including product filtering, multi-level menus, and customizable homepage sections.
• Stencil, Stencil is BigCommerce’s default theme, offering a modern, clean design that is easy to customize. It includes features such as a mega-menu, a homepage carousel, and quick view options.
• Foundation,Foundation is a responsive theme that is designed to be fast and lightweight. It includes a homepage slider, customizable product pages, and a responsive design.
• Meridian, Meridian is a minimalist theme that offers a clean and modern design. It includes features like a full-width homepage slideshow, product filtering, and a customizable footer.
• Customizing BigCommerce themes and templates, BigCommerce themes and templates can be customized using the built-in customization tools, which allow you to modify the theme’s colours, fonts, and other design elements. For more advanced customization, you can use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to customize the theme.

V. BigCommerce Integrations

BigCommerce offers a range of integrations with third-party applications and services to help merchants streamline their operations, increase sales, and grow their business. These integrations can be easily accessed through the BigCommerce app store or through third-party providers.

Types of BigCommerce Integrations

For BigCommerce we see the following important integrations

• Payment Gateways, Payment gateway integrations allow merchants to accept customer payments securely and efficiently. BigCommerce offers many payment gateway options, including PayPal, Stripe, and Mollie
• Shipping and Fulfillment, Shipping and fulfilment integrations allow merchants to manage their shipping operations more efficiently, including printing shipping labels and tracking packages. Popular integrations include ShipStation, Shippo, and ShipperHQ.
• Marketing and Advertising, Marketing and advertising integrations allow merchants to promote their products and increase sales through email marketing, social media, and other channels. Popular integrations include Mailchimp, Facebook Ads, and Google Ads.
• Analytics and Reporting, Analytics and reporting integrations allow merchants to track their store’s performance and gain insights into customer behaviour. Popular integrations include Google Analytics, Klaviyo, and Metorik.

Other Integrations

Other integrations include various tools and services, such as accounting software, customer service, and inventory management. Popular integrations include Quickbooks, Zendesk, and TradeGecko.

• QuickBooks,OnlineQuickBooks Online is a popular accounting software that integrates seamlessly with BigCommerce, allowing merchants to manage their finances and sales in one place. With this integration, merchants can sync their orders, products, and customers between the two platforms and streamline their accounting processes.
• Mailchimp, Mailchimp is a popular email marketing service that integrates with BigCommerce to help merchants create and send email campaigns, automate marketing workflows, and increase customer engagement. With this integration, merchants can also use advanced analytics to track their email campaign performance and optimize their marketing efforts
• ShipStation, ShipStation is a shipping and fulfilment software that integrates with BigCommerce to help merchants manage their shipping operations more efficiently. With this integration, merchants can automate their shipping process, print shipping labels in bulk, and track their packages in real time.

VI. BigCommerce SEO

Overview of BigCommerce SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential aspect of online marketing that helps businesses improve their visibility on search engines like Google. BigCommerce offers a range of built-in SEO features and tools that can help merchants optimize their website for search engines and increase their organic traffic.

Features and Benefits of BigCommerce SEO

Some of the key features and benefits of BigCommerce SEO include:

• Customizable page titles, descriptions, and URLs
• Built-in Google AMP support
• Automated sitemap generation
• Mobile-friendly themes
• Fast page load times
• Integration with popular SEO tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console

Best Practices for Optimizing BigCommerce SEO

To optimize BigCommerce SEO, merchants should follow best practices that include:

• Keyword Research, Conduct keyword research to identify relevant keywords and phrases to target in your content.
• On-page Optimization, Optimize your page titles, descriptions, headings, and content to include your target keywords and provide value to your audience.
• Technical SEO, Ensure that your website is technically sound, including factors such as site speed, mobile responsiveness, site structure, and schema markup.
• Off-page Optimization, Build high-quality backlinks to your website from reputable sources to improve your website's authority and increase your visibility on search engines.

Popular BigCommerce SEO Tools
BigCommerce also offers integration with popular SEO tools to help merchants further optimize their website for search engines. Some of the popular SEO tools that integrate with BigCommerce include:

Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that provides insights into your website's traffic, user behavior, and performance. By integrating Google Analytics with BigCommerce, merchants can gain valuable insights to improve their SEO and marketing efforts.

SEMrush
SEMrush is an all-in-one SEO tool that provides keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, and other features to help merchants optimize their websites for search engines. With BigCommerce integration, merchants can easily track their website's performance and identify areas for improvement.

Moz
Moz is a popular SEO tool that provides keyword research, site audit, and link-building tools to help merchants improve their website's visibility on search engines. With BigCommerce integration, merchants can easily optimize their websites for search engines and drive more organic traffic.

SEO Conclusion

A. Recap of key points:

• BigCommerce offers a range of built-in SEO features and tools to help merchants optimize their websites for search engines and increase organic traffic.Best practices for optimizing
• BigCommerce SEO include conducting keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and off-page optimization.
• Popular BigCommerce SEO tools include Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Moz.

By following best practices and leveraging BigCommerce's SEO features and integrations, merchants can improve their website's visibility on search engines and drive more organic traffic, leading to increased sales and growth for their business.

VI. Conclusion

• BigCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform that offers a range of features and benefits for merchants looking to sell their products online.
• BigCommerce's themes and templates allow merchants to create beautiful and functional online stores without the need for coding experience.
• BigCommerce integrations with third-party tools and services provide merchants with added functionality and flexibility to run their e-commerce business.
• BigCommerce's built-in SEO features and tools help merchants optimize their websites for search engines and drive more organic traffic to their online store.

B. Future outlook for BigCommerce and headless e-commerce

BigCommerce is well-positioned to take advantage of the growing trend towards headless e-commerce. It allows merchants to decouple their frontend and backend systems to create more flexible and scalable e-commerce experiences. As more merchants look to take advantage of headless eCommerce, BigCommerce is likely to continue to innovate and offer new solutions to meet the needs of its customers.

C. Final thoughts and recommendations

Overall, BigCommerce is an excellent choice for merchants looking to start or grow their e-commerce business. Its wide range of features and integrations, user-friendly interface, and powerful SEO capabilities make it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. We recommend that merchants consider BigCommerce when evaluating e-commerce platforms and take advantage of its powerful features and integrations to drive growth and success in their online business.