Shopify vs BigCommerce: 2024 Comparison

1. Overview of Shopify vs BigCommerce

2. Ease Of Use

3. Pricing

4. Design and Customisation

5. App and Integration Ecosystem

6. SEO Capabilities

7. Security and Performance

8. Payment Gateways and Transaction Fees

9. Scalability and Performance

10. Multichannel Selling

11. Customer Support

12. Abandoned Cart Recovery

13. Internationalisation and Localisation

14. Inventory Management

15. Analytics and Reporting

16. Mobile Responsiveness

17. Closing Comments: Shopify vs BigCommerce

18. FAQs of Shopify vs BigCommerce

Welcome to this overview of two leading ecommerce platforms: Shopify and BigCommerce. In the world of online retail, these two platforms stand out as robust and feature-rich solutions that help businesses establish and grow their digital presence. When it comes to setting up an online store and managing your ecommerce operations, Shopify and BigCommerce offer powerful tools right out of the box. Both platforms provide free trials, making it easy to explore their capabilities and determine which one suits your specific needs. While there are many similarities between these ecommerce giants, there are also key differences that set them apart.

In this comprehensive comparison, we will dive into everything from the basics to the pros and cons, exploring features like starter templates, available apps, customer ratings, and more. So, whether you're a small retailer or a large enterprise, this guide aims to provide you with a clear picture of the differences between Shopify and BigCommerce, ultimately helping you make an informed decision about which platform is the right choice for your ecommerce venture.

Shopify's Dashboard Known for its simplicity, Shopify offers an intuitive interface that requires no coding knowledge. It provides an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, allowing users to create a professional-looking online store quickly. Shopify's user-friendly interface makes it an excellent choice for beginners. Both platforms offer guided setup processes, but Shopify's setup wisard is often praised for its simplicity and ease of use. It walks you through the essential steps of building an online store, from choosing a theme to setting up payment gateways and shipping options. Shopify and BigCommerce offer customer support via email, live chat, and phone. Shopify is often praised for its exceptional customer support, with 24/7 availability and quick response times

BigCommerce Use interface: While BigCommerce also boasts a user-friendly interface, it offers more advanced features and customisation options. It may have a steeper learning curve compared to Shopify, but it provides greater flexibility for experienced users who want more control over their store's design and functionality. BigCommerce's setup process is straightforward, but it may require a bit more time and effort to fully configure the store- some users find its backend navigation and organisation slightly more complex compared to Shopify. BigCommerce provides reliable customer support to help merchants use the platform, but some users have reported slightly longer response times compared to Shopify.

Shopify Shopify offers a range of pricing plans to cater to different business needs. Shopify offers different pricing plans starting from Shopify Lite at £5 per month, Basic Shopify at £25 per month, Shopify at £65 per month, and Advanced Shopify at £344 per month. Shopify Plus starts at $2,000 per month and scales on a perctenage model as an enterprise grows. Read more about Shopify Pricing in the UK here. Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, allowing users to explore the platform and its features before committing to a paid plan. Additional transaction fees are charged if you don't use Shopify Payments.

BigCommerce BigCommerce provides pricing tiers including Standard at $39 per month, Plus at $105 per month, Pro at $399 per month, and Enterprise which requires custom pricing. This offers merchants scalable pricing options to accommodate businesses of all sizes. BigCommerce also provides a 15-day free trial to test out its capabilities and determine if it meets your business requirements.

When comparing the design and customisation options of Shopify and BigCommerce, both platforms offer a range of features to help you create visually appealing and personalised online stores.

Shopify Both Shopify and BigCommerce provide a selection of professionally designed themes and templates to choose from. Shopify offers a larger variety of themes, including both free and paid options, with different styles and layouts to suit various industries. With its theme editor and HTML/CSS access, you can customise your store's design to match your branding. Shopify's Theme Editor provides extensive control over colours, fonts, and other visual elements, enabling you to create a unique look for your store. However, customisation options might be limited for those without coding experience or the help of a web designer. Shopify provides access to the Liquid templating language, which allows for more advanced customisation options. If you have coding knowledge or are willing to hire a web developer, you can make extensive modifications to the theme's code and create highly customised designs.

BigCommerce BigCommerce provides a range of customisable themes and customisation options that are mobile-friendly and optimised for conversions. The platform also offers a more comprehensive set of design tools, including HTML/CSS and Stencil framework access, enabling advanced customisation options for users with coding skills. BigCommerce uses Handlebars as its templating language, which also offers customisation options, but it might require a slightly steeper learning curve compared to Shopify's Liquid.

Shopify AShopify's App Store is extensive and offers a wide range of third-party apps and plugins. It features thousands of apps across various categories, including marketing, sales, inventory management, customer support, and more. This vast selection provides users with a high level of flexibility and enables them to enhance their store's functionality according to their specific needs.

Shopify's App Store is known for its high-quality apps, as each app undergoes a strict review process before being listed. It ensures that the apps available are reliable, secure, and offer a seamless experience. Additionally, Shopify's app ecosystem boasts a diverse range of apps, including both free and paid options, catering to businesses of different sizes and industries.

Shopify has strong integrations with popular third-party services, such as social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram), email marketing tools (Mailchimp, Klaviyo), shipping carriers (UPS, FedEx), accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero), and more such as YouTube selling. These integrations allow for smooth connectivity between your online store and other tools, streamlining your business operations.

BigCommerce While BigCommerce's App Store may not be as extensive as Shopify's, it still offers a solid collection of apps and integrations. The store includes a range of apps in categories like marketing, analytics, shipping, payment gateways, and more. The selection may be smaller, but it covers the essential functionalities needed to run an online store effectively.

BigCommerce also maintains quality standards for its apps and ensures that they are reliable and secure. The store features a mix of free and paid apps that cater to various business needs. Although the number of options may be more limited compared to Shopify, the available apps still provide valuable features and functionalities.

BigCommerce integrates with popular services and platforms, such as Facebook, Google Analytics, PayPal, UPS, and USPS. These integrations enable seamless connections with external tools for marketing, analytics, shipping, and payment processing. While the integrations may not be as extensive as Shopify's, they cover the key services required for running an online store efficiently.

Shopify Shopify provides a solid foundation for SEO with its clean and well-structured code. It offers customisable title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs, allowing you to optimise your pages for search engines. Shopify offers built-in SEO features, including customisable headings, alt tags for images, and automatic generation of sitemaps. These features help search engines understand the content of your store and improve your site's visibility in search results.

Shopify's App Store features numerous SEO-related plugins and apps that can further enhance your store's SEO capabilities. These apps provide features like advanced keyword optimisation, schema markup, structured data, and automated SEO analysis.

Shopify themes are responsive by default, ensuring that your store looks and functions well on mobile devices. Mobile optimisation is a crucial factor for SEO, as search engines prioritise mobile-friendly websites in their rankings.

BigCommerce BigCommerce also offers a well-structured platform that is optimised for search engines. It provides customisable title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs, allowing you to optimise your store's pages for better search visibility.

BigCommerce allows URL rewriting, which gives you greater control over the structure and keywords in your URLs. This feature enables you to create keyword-rich URLs that can positively impact your SEO efforts.

BigCommerce provides granular control over page-level SEO elements, such as meta tags, headings, and image alt tags. You can optimise these elements to improve your store's visibility in search results.

BigCommerce offers a selection of SEO-optimised themes that are designed to be search engine friendly. These themes are built with clean code and follow best practices for on-page optimisation, providing a strong foundation for your SEO efforts.

BigCommerce integrates with popular SEO tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, allowing you to track and analyze your store's performance in search results. These integrations provide valuable insights into your SEO strategy and help you make data-driven optimisations.

Shopify Shopify prioritises security and provides a secure hosting environment for online stores. It offers SSL encryption, ensuring that sensitive customer data is protected during transmission. Shopify also regularly updates its software and conducts security audits to address vulnerabilities and maintain a secure platform.

Shopify is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, which is the highest level of security certification in the payment card industry. This compliance ensures that customer payment information is handled securely and in accordance with industry standards.

Shopify boasts a robust infrastructure with multiple data centers, ensuring high uptime and reliability for online stores. It manages server maintenance and upgrades, minimizing downtime and keeping your store accessible to customers.

Shopify is known for its performance optimisation efforts. It provides fast and reliable hosting, leverages a global content delivery network (CDN), and employs advanced caching techniques to ensure quick page loading times and a smooth shopping experience for customers.

BigCommerce Security Measures: BigCommerce prioritises security and employs various measures to protect online stores and customer data. It offers SSL encryption, regular security updates, and adheres to industry best practices to ensure a secure environment.

Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce is also PCI DSS Level 1 certified, providing a high level of security for payment processing. This compliance ensures that customer payment information is handled securely and meets industry standards.

BigCommerce maintains a high level of uptime and reliability for online stores. Its infrastructure is designed to handle high traffic and minimise downtime. BigCommerce actively monitors server performance to ensure optimal uptime and accessibility for your store.

BigCommerce emphasises performance optimisation to deliver fast-loading online stores. It leverages a global CDN, advanced caching techniques, and server-side optimisation to optimise page load times and provide a smooth shopping experience for customers.

ShopifyShopify offers a wide range of payment gateway options, including its own payment solution called Shopify Payments. In addition to Shopify Payments, it supports many external payment gateways, such as PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, and more. This provides flexibility in choosing the payment providers that suit your business and customer preferences.

Shopify Payments is an integrated payment solution that allows you to accept credit card payments directly on your store. It provides a seamless setup process and offers competitive transaction rates for merchants using Shopify as their platform and payment gateway. Shopify Payments also eliminates the need for third-party payment gateway setup and management.

Shopify charges transaction fees on each sale unless you use Shopify Payments as your payment gateway. The transaction fees vary depending on the subscription plan you choose, ranging from 0.5% to 2% per transaction on the Basic and Shopify plans. With the more advanced plans (Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus), transaction fees tend to be lower than the lower tiered plans.

BigCommerce BigCommerce offers a range of payment gateway options as well, including popular providers such as PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Authorize.Net. It supports a variety of regional and international payment gateways, allowing you to choose the ones that best suit your business and customer needs.

Built-in Payment Options: BigCommerce includes built-in payment options like PayPal powered by Braintree, which enables you to accept credit card payments without the need for additional setup. This integration simplifies the payment process and provides a seamless experience for your customers.

Transaction Fees: BigCommerce does not charge any transaction fees on top of the fees charged by your chosen payment gateways. However, keep in mind that payment gateways themselves may have their own transaction fees, which vary depending on the provider and your specific agreement with them.

Shopify Shopify is a highly scalable platform that can accommodate businesses of all sizes. It offers different subscription plans, ranging from Basic to Advanced and Shopify Plus, to meet the specific needs and growth trajectory of your business. Shopify's infrastructure is designed to handle high traffic and can scale seamlessly as your store expands.

Shopify emphasises performance optimisation to ensure fast page loading times and a smooth shopping experience. It provides reliable hosting, a global content delivery network (CDN), and advanced caching techniques to optimise the performance of your online store.

As a Shopify store grows, merchatns can move up the different subscription plans organically. This growth can be sped up by the various third-party apps within the app store that can improve functionality of Shopify websites and better improve KPIs such as conversion rate, average order value and lifetime value.

BigCommerce BigCommerce is also known for its scalability, allowing businesses to grow and expand their online stores. It offers different subscription plans, including Standard, Plus, and Pro, to cater to businesses of various sizes. BigCommerce's infrastructure is built to handle high volumes of traffic and can scale seamlessly as your business grows.

BigCommerce emphasises performance optimisation to deliver fast-loading online stores. It leverages a global content delivery network (CDN), advanced caching techniques, and server-side optimisations to ensure optimal performance and a smooth shopping experience for customers.

BigCommerce provides a robust set of built-in features that contribute to the scalability and performance of your online store. These features include advanced product options, flexible pricing rules, and inventory management tools, allowing you to manage and scale your store efficiently.

Shopify Shopify offers seamless integration with various sales channels, including popular online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. It also supports social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, allowing you to sell directly on these channels. Shopify's integrations enable you to manage your inventory, orders, and product listings across multiple channels from a single dashboard.

Shopify provides a robust POS system that allows you to sell in-person through physical retail stores or pop-up shops. The POS system integrates with your online store, providing a unified inventory management and order processing solution across both online and offline channels.

Headless commerce capabilities enable you to decouple the frontend and backend of your online store. This allows you to create custom frontends or utilise specialised frontend tools to build unique shopping experiences across multiple channels. It provides flexibility and customisation options for selling on various channels. Shopify offers headless commerce through Hydrogen & Oxygen. Shopify's multichannel capabilities extend beyond just integration with external channels. It enables you to create custom sales channels, such as wholesale or B2B portals, and synchronise your inventory and orders across these channels. This omnichannel management approach allows you to maintain consistency and streamline operations across different selling channels.

BigCommerce BigCommerce offers integration with various sales channels, allowing you to expand your reach beyond your online store. It integrates with popular marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, enabling you to sell your products on these platforms. BigCommerce also supports social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram for selling directly through these channels.

Big commerce also offers headless commerce functionality, similar to Shopify. In addition to this, BigCommerce offers omnichannel features like inventory synchronisation, order management, and centralised reporting. These features allow you to manage and track sales across different channels, ensuring consistency and efficient operations.

Shopify 24/7 Support: Shopify provides 24/7 customer support via various channels, including live chat, email, and phone. Their support team is available round-the-clock to assist with any inquiries, technical issues, or questions you may have about using the platform.

Shopify offers a comprehensive Help Center and extensive documentation to guide users through various aspects of setting up and managing their online stores. It includes step-by-step tutorials, video guides, and an active community forum where users can seek assistance and share knowledge.

Shopify offers dedicated support channels for merchants, including priority access to customer support. Depending on your subscription plan, you may have access to more advanced support options, such as priority phone support or dedicated account managers.

BigCommerce Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce provides 24/7 customer support through multiple channels, including live chat, email, and phone. Their support team is available around the clock to address your inquiries and assist with technical issues.

BigCommerce offers a comprehensive Help Center and extensive documentation to help users navigate the platform and resolve common issues. The Help Center includes guides, tutorials, and a community forum where users can seek advice and share experiences.

BigCommerce provides dedicated support for enterprise customers. Depending on your subscription plan and business requirements, you may have access to a dedicated account manager who can provide personalised assistance and strategic guidance.

Shopify Shopify offers a built-in abandoned cart recovery feature that allows you to automatically send email reminders to customers who have left items in their shopping carts without completing the purchase. You can customise the content and timing of these emails to encourage customers to return and complete their purchase.

With Shopify's abandoned cart recovery feature, you can create customised email campaigns targeted specifically at customers who have abandoned their carts. You can set up automated email sequences, personalise the content, and include incentives like discounts or free shipping to entice customers to come back and complete their purchase.

Shopify provides analytics and tracking features that allow you to monitor and measure the effectiveness of your abandoned cart recovery campaigns. You can track metrics such as the number of recovered carts, revenue generated, and conversion rates to evaluate the success of your strategies and make data-driven improvements.

BigCommerce BigCommerce offers an abandoned cart saver feature that helps you recover lost sales by automatically sending email reminders to customers who have abandoned their carts. You can customise the email content, timing, and incentives to encourage customers to return and complete their purchase.

With BigCommerce's abandoned cart saver, you can create customised email campaigns targeted at customers who have abandoned their carts. You can set up automated email sequences, personalise the content, and include incentives like discounts or free shipping to entice customers to return and complete their purchase.

BigCommerce provides reporting and analytics tools that allow you to track and analyze the performance of your abandoned cart recovery campaigns. You can monitor metrics such as recovered carts, revenue generated, conversion rates, and customer engagement to assess the effectiveness of your strategies and make informed optimisations.

Shopify Shopify offers multilingual support through the use of third-party apps. These apps allow you to translate your store's content into multiple languages, enabling you to cater to international customers and create localised shopping experiences. You can manage different languages and currencies within a single Shopify store.

Shopify provides a wide range of international payment options to further enable internationalisation, allowing customers from different countries to make purchases in their preferred currencies. It supports major payment gateways that facilitate transactions in multiple currencies, making it easier for international customers to shop on your store.

Shopify integrates with various shipping carriers and provides tools to streamline international shipping. You can set up shipping zones, calculate accurate shipping rates based on destination and weight, and print customs forms. These features help you efficiently handle international shipping and fulfill orders worldwide.

BigCommerce Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce offers multilingual support through third-party apps. You can leverage these apps to translate your store's content and provide localised shopping experiences for international customers. Multiple languages can be managed within a single BigCommerce store.

BigCommerce supports a wide range of international payment gateways, enabling customers from different countries to make purchases in their local currencies. It integrates with various payment providers to ensure smooth and secure transactions for international customers.

BigCommerce provides built-in international shipping solutions, allowing you to set up shipping zones, specify shipping rules based on destination and weight, and print shipping labels. It integrates with popular shipping carriers to simplify international shipping and order fulfillment processes.

Shopify Shopify provides robust inventory tracking features that allow you to manage your product inventory efficiently. You can easily track stock levels, receive alerts for low stock, and set up automatic notifications for out-of-stock products. Shopify also supports product variants, such as size or color options, which can help you manage inventory for different variations of the same product.

Shopify enables you to sync your inventory across multiple sales channels. When a product is sold, the inventory is automatically updated across your online store, marketplace integrations, and any other connected channels. This helps prevent overselling and ensures accurate inventory management.

Shopify allows you to organise your products using collections, tags, and categories. This makes it easier to manage and categorise your inventory, enabling customers to navigate and find products more efficiently. You can also set up automated collection rules based on criteria like product type or vendor, which simplifies the process of organizing and updating your inventory.

BigCommerce BigCommerce provides comprehensive inventory management tools to help you efficiently manage your product inventory. You can track stock levels, set low stock alerts, and manage product options and variants. BigCommerce also supports backorders and pre-orders, allowing you to manage inventory for products that are temporarily out of stock.

Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce offers inventory syncing capabilities across multiple sales channels. When a product is sold, the inventory is automatically updated across your online store, marketplace integrations, and other connected channels. This helps ensure accurate inventory management and prevents overselling.

BigCommerce provides bulk editing and import/export features, allowing you to make changes to your inventory in bulk. This is particularly useful when you need to update inventory quantities, prices, or other product information for a large number of products simultaneously. The import/export functionality simplifies the process of managing and updating your inventory efficiently.

Shopify Shopify provides a built-in analytics dashboard that gives you an overview of your store's performance. It includes key metrics such as sales, orders, conversion rates, and average order value. The dashboard provides visualisations and reports to help you track and understand your store's performance at a glance.

Shopify offers advanced reporting features that allow you to dive deeper into your store's data. You can generate detailed reports on sales, customer behavior, and product performance. These reports provide insights into areas such as best-selling products, customer demographics, and sales trends, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to optimise your business.

Shopify seamlessly integrates with Google Analytics, one of the most powerful analytics platforms. This integration allows you to leverage the advanced features of Google Analytics, including custom reports, goal tracking, and advanced segmentation. It provides in-depth insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. br>

BigCommerce BigCommerce offers an analytics dashboard that provides an overview of your store's performance. It includes key metrics such as sales, orders, conversion rates, and average order value. The dashboard provides visualisations and reports to help you monitor and analyze your store's performance.

Customisable Reports: BigCommerce allows you to create custom reports to analyze specific aspects of your business. You can generate reports on sales, customers, products, and other metrics based on your unique requirements. This flexibility enables you to focus on the metrics that matter most to your business and gain insights tailored to your needs.

Integration with Google Analytics: Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce integrates with Google Analytics, providing access to advanced analytics features. By connecting your BigCommerce store to Google Analytics, you can leverage custom reports, goal tracking, and advanced segmentation. This integration offers in-depth insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.

Shopify Shopify offers a wide range of mobile-optimised themes that are designed to provide a seamless and responsive experience across various devices. These themesg are built with mobile responsiveness in mind, ensuring that your online store looks and functions well on smartphones and tablets.

Shopify provides a mobile app for iOS and Android that allows you to manage your online store on the go. The app lets you track sales, view analytics, manage inventory, and process orders from your mobile device. It provides a mobile-friendly interface and functionality optimised for smaller screens.

Shopify's checkout process is optimised for mobile devices, offering a smooth and user-friendly experience for customers. The checkout pages are designed to be responsive, ensuring that the purchase process is seamless and easy, regardless of the device used.

BigCommerce BigCommerce offers a variety of mobile-optimised themes that are designed to provide a consistent experience across different devices. These themes are built with responsive design principles, ensuring that your online store adapts and functions well on mobile devices.

Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce provides a mobile app for iOS and Android that allows you to manage your store on the go. The app provides functionality such as inventory management, order processing, and analytics, optimised for mobile usage.

BigCommerce's checkout process is also optimised for mobile devices, providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for customers. The responsive design ensures that the checkout pages adjust to different screen sizes, making it easy for customers to complete their purchases on mobile devices.

Shopify is a renowned company that provides a comprehensive ecommerce solution for businesses of all sizes. When it comes to design, Shopify offers a wide selection of professionally designed templates that cater to various categories and industries. These templates provide a polished and visually appealing storefront to attract the attention of visitors and shoppers. Whether you're selling physical products, digital goods, or services, Shopify has something for everyone. One of the reasons Shopify has garnered millions of users is its user-friendly interface and usability. Store owners can easily set up their online shops without any technical knowledge or coding skills. Shopify provides a website builder that allows users to create and customise their online stores with just a few clicks. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced entrepreneur, Shopify's intuitive platform makes it a breeze to get started.

To enhance the shopping experience, Shopify offers a range of sales features, including the ability to add customer reviews, create product collections, and run promotions. These features can increase conversions and help store owners effectively showcase their products. When it comes to payment processing, Shopify provides seamless integration with various payment gateways, making it easy to accept credit card payments from buyers. Store owners can choose their preferred payment processors and manage transactions with ease. While there are credit card fees associated with payment processing, Shopify offers competitive rates and transparent pricing structures.

In terms of shipping, Shopify provides a range of shipping tools and integrations to streamline the shipping process. Store owners can generate shipping quotes, print shipping labels, and even offer free shipping promotions. Shopify also offers integration with major shipping carriers, allowing businesses to easily manage their shipping operations. To ensure secure transactions and protect customer data, Shopify provides SSL certificates for all online stores. This ensures that information exchanged between the store and the customer remains encrypted and secure. These SSL certificates contribute to the trustworthiness and credibility of the online shop.

Shopify offers a content management system that allows store owners to manage their products, inventory, and pages with ease. The platform also provides resources and support for search engine optimisation (SEO), allowing businesses to optimise their online stores for better visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. Shopify has a dedicated help center and a supportive community of experts who can provide guidance and assistance. Additionally, Shopify offers 24/7 customer support to address any concerns or issues that may arise.

One notable aspect of Shopify is its seamless integration with other platforms and marketplaces. For example, store owners can connect their Shopify stores to platforms like Walmart and Pinterest to expand their reach and attract more buyers. Shopify also offers a point-of-sale (POS) system, Shopify POS, which enables businesses to sell products in physical retail locations. This allows store owners to seamlessly manage inventory, sales, and customer data across both online and offline channels.

For small businesses, Shopify offers plenty of resources and tools to help them grow. From file storage and customer group management to advanced analytics and inventory tracking, Shopify provides the necessary features to support small business operations. In terms of competition, Shopify's strengths lie in its robust features, scalability, and user-friendly interface. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or a large enterprise, Shopify has the flexibility to accommodate your business needs.

BigCommerce is a robust ecommerce platform that offers a wide range of features and capabilities to help businesses of all sizes succeed in the online marketplace. When it comes to pricing, BigCommerce offers different plans to accommodate businesses with varying needs and budgets. Whether you're a small startup or an enterprise-level company, BigCommerce provides options such as BigCommerce Standard and BigCommerce Enterprise. This flexibility allows you to choose the plan that aligns with your financial goals. BigCommerce provides a trial period during which users can explore and evaluate the platform's features and capabilities. This trial allows you to experience the platform firsthand and determine if it meets your specific requirements before committing to a paid plan.

Order management is made easy with BigCommerce. The platform offers intuitive tools to manage and fulfill orders, track inventory, and handle customer communication. This ensures a streamlined process from the moment a customer places an order to its successful delivery. BigCommerce supports a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and other popular payment gateways. This ensures that you can provide your customers with their preferred payment options, ultimately improving their shopping experience.

Whether you're looking for pre-designed templates or custom designs, BigCommerce offers a wide selection of professionally designed themes. These designs are responsive, ensuring your store looks great on any device. Additionally, you have the flexibility to customise and personalise the design to match your brand. The backend functionality of BigCommerce is user-friendly and intuitive. From managing your products and inventory to customizing your shopping cart and checkout process, the platform provides a comprehensive backend that is easy to navigate and control.

BigCommerce allows you to create staff accounts, enabling multiple team members to access and manage different aspects of your store. This feature is especially useful for businesses with larger teams or those who require specific roles and permissions. BigCommerce is used by companies around the world, including in Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Its global reach ensures that you can expand your business to different countries and cater to a diverse customer base.

BigCommerce offers support for gift cards, allowing you to offer this popular sales feature to your customers. Gift cards are a great way to attract new shoppers and increase customer loyalty.When it comes to customer service, BigCommerce provides dedicated support and resources to help you resolve any issues or answer your questions. From a help center and documentation to community forums and direct support channels, BigCommerce ensures that you have the assistance you need. BigCommerce prioritises the checkout process to reduce cart abandonment and improve conversions. By offering a seamless and secure checkout experience, you can provide your customers with a hassle-free purchase journey.In terms of SEO, BigCommerce provides features like customisable metadata, header tags, and URL structures, allowing you to optimise your product pages for search engines. This helps improve your store's visibility and drives organic traffic.

BigCommerce offers a wide range of payment options to accommodate various customer preferences. From credit cards to alternative payment methods, you can provide your customers with a convenient and secure checkout experience.BigCommerce provides a user-friendly content management system that allows you to easily manage and update your store's content. Whether it's creating new pages, organizing your products, or adding blog posts, BigCommerce gives you the tools to keep your store fresh and engaging.

Conclusion: BigCommerce vs Shopify Both Shopify and BigCommerce are powerful e-commerce platforms that cater to different business needs. Shopify excels in simplicity and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for beginners and smaller businesses. On the other hand, BigCommerce offers more advanced customisation options and is well-suited for larger businesses or users with coding skills.Consider your specific requirements, budget, design preferences, and growth plans when deciding between Shopify and BigCommerce. Evaluate the features, pricing, customisation options, SEO capabilities, and support offered by each platform to make an informed decision. Whichever platform you choose, both Shopify and BigCommerce can provide a solid foundation for your online store's success. Looking for a Shopify or Shopify Plus Agency? We are a Shopify and Shopify Plus specialist agency in London. We work with ambitious brands to design, develop and launch ecommerce solutions for growth. Get in touch today if you'd like learn more about our Shopify Expert services!

Q: Which platform, Shopify or BigCommerce, is better for beginners?

A: Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer user-friendly interfaces, but Shopify is often considered more beginner-friendly due to its intuitive drag-and-drop editor and simplified setup process. BigCommerce, while still accessible, may have a steeper learning curve due to its more advanced customisation options.

Q: Can I migrate my store from Shopify to BigCommerce or vice versa?

A: Yes, both Shopify and BigCommerce provide migration tools and services to help you transfer your store from one platform to the other. However, the process may involve some manual work, especially if you have customisations or integrations that need to be reconfigured. If you require assistance migrating over from one ecommerce platform to another then consider Charle as a migration agency.

Q: Do Shopify and BigCommerce offer SSL security for online transactions?

A: Yes, both platforms prioritise security and provide SSL encryption to protect online transactions and customer data. They also comply with industry standards, such as PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance.

Q: Can I sell internationally with Shopify and BigCommerce?

A: Yes, both platforms support international selling. They offer features like multi-currency support, localised pricing, global shipping options, and language translations to cater to customers from different countries.

Q: Do Shopify and BigCommerce charge transaction fees?

A: Shopify charges transaction fees if you use external payment gateways instead of their proprietary payment gateway, Shopify Payments. The transaction fees vary depending on your chosen Shopify plan. On the other hand, BigCommerce does not charge any additional transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway you use.

Q: Are there any considerations when setting up an ecommerce store on either Shopify or BigCommerce?

Yes, running an ecommerce store involves various considerations and costs. Money is a significant factor, as you need to manage and optimise your costs effectively. There are a lot of things to take into account when setting up an ecommerce store, especially if you're using Shopify or BigCommerce as your platform. Other types of ecommerce platforms such as Wordpress also have their strenghs and weaknesses. These include degree of costs, customization, server uptime, search engine optimization abilities and so on. Overall, we recommend Shopify as a clear winner as we believe there is nothing else of its kind out there in the library of ecommerce platforms out there. Shopify offers flexibility and numerous customisation options that anyone can get the hang of, but it's essential to research and choose the right apps, plugins and themes for your specific needs.

Developers play a crucial role in creating a successful ecommerce store. Their expertise and knowledge can help you navigate the complexities of customisation and ensure a smooth user experience in every category of the online store. Note that also investing in search engine optimisation (SEO) is vital to increase your store's visibility. Properly categorising your products and optimising your website's content, meta tags, and URLs can improve your ranking in search engine results.

Design elements, such as your logo, can make a significant impact on how your store is perceived. Hiring someone to create a professional logo and a bespoke theme is a worthwhile investment. Additionally, consider offering a percentage discount or running promotional ads to attract and retain customers. There are tons of options available, including Shopify apps, which can enhance your store's functionality and provide additional features. With these adjustments, your online store is likely to attract more customers and loads more traffic.

As your ecommerce store grows, you may need to expand your team and hire staff members to handle various aspects of your business. Customer groups are an effective way to segment your audience and tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. Whether you cater to retailers, individuals, or specific customer groups, it's important to prioritiSe their needs and provide exceptional service.

When building your ecommerce store, having a table of contents and clear navigation is essential. It helps customers find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Additionally, protecting your customers' data and privacy is crucial. Be mindful of IP addresses and take necessary measures to ensure secure transactions, especially if you're involved in dropshipping and shipping products anywhere.

Consider leveraging existing libraries and APIs to save time and effort. They can provide ready-made solutions for various functionalities, such as payment gateways and shipping integrations. However, be cautious with redirects and ensure they are properly set up to avoid any broken links or confusion for your customers. Choices are abundant when it comes to ecommerce platforms. Oberlo, for example, is a popular choice for dropshipping, while Shopify offers a comprehensive suite of features and a user-friendly interface. Remember to consider your target audience and the specific requirements of your country when selecting a platform.

Attracting people to your ecommerce store can be challenging, especially when starting from scratch. Marketing efforts, including advertisements and social media campaigns, are crucial to gain visibility and reach potential customers. Don't underestimate the power of targeting specific demographics or running ads in locations like Singapore to attract local customers.

Q: Are there any other factors that merchants should think of when choosing Shopify or BigCommerce?

One notable difference is that Shopify has a stronger presence in multiple countries, including Canada, where it was founded. Meanwhile, Bigcommerce has a larger team based in the United States. However, both platforms cater to businesses in various countries and provide support for multiple currencies and payment methods.

Reviews and user feedback play a significant role in the decision-making process for store owners. Both platforms have garnered positive reviews and have been praised for their ease of use, robustness, and ability to scale. Merchants can find plenty of resources, such as tutorials, guides, and community forums, to help them make informed choices and grow their businesses. When it comes to checkout, Shopify offers a streamlined and user-friendly process that can help reduce cart abandonment. It provides various payment methods, including Shopify Payments, which allows merchants to accept credit card payments without additional transaction fees. Bigcommerce also offers a seamless checkout experience with support for multiple payment gateways.

Gift cards are a popular option for shoppers, and both Shopify and Bigcommerce provide built-in solutions for offering gift cards to customers. This feature is particularly useful during holiday seasons or special occasions, as it helps increase revenue and attract new customers. Each platform has its own strengths and unique selling points. Shopify is known for its ease of use, extensive app ecosystem, and strong brand presence. Bigcommerce, on the other hand, focuses on providing a comprehensive enterprise-level solution with advanced features, making it suitable for larger companies or businesses with complex needs.

Q: Can I customise the web design of my store on Shopify and BigCommerce?

A: Yes, both platforms offer customisation options. Shopify provides a wide range of pre-designed themes that can be customised using their theme editor. BigCommerce also offers customisable themes and provides access to HTML/CSS and the Stencil framework for advanced customisation.

Q: Are there limits on the number of products or bandwidth on Shopify and BigCommerce?

A: Shopify and BigCommerce both offer unlimited bandwidth on all their plans. However, there are variations in product limits. Shopify's product limit varies depending on the plan, while BigCommerce does not impose a specific product limit on any of its plans.

Q: Do Shopify and BigCommerce offer support for SEO optimisation? Both platforms offer robust SEO capabilities, including customisable meta tags, URL structures, XML sitemaps, and canonical tags. They also provide features for optimizing page speed, mobile responsiveness, and content creation, such as blogging functionality.

Q: Can I integrate third-party apps and tools with Shopify and BigCommerce?

A: Yes, both platforms offer app integrations to extend the functionality of your store. Shopify has a larger app store with numerous free and paid apps available. BigCommerce has a smaller app marketplace but still offers a range of integrations for various purposes.

Q: What level of customer support is provided by Shopify and BigCommerce?

Both platforms offer 24/7 customer support through various channels, including live chat, email, and phone. They also provide comprehensive documentation, video tutorials, and community forums to assist users in troubleshooting issues and finding solutions.

Q: Are there any industries that better suit Shopify, and any industries that better suit BigGommerce?

While both Shopify and Bigcommerce can be used by businesses across various industries, there are certain industries where each platform may have particular strengths or advantages.

Industries that may better suit Shopify:
Fashion and Apparel: Shopify's intuitive interface, extensive theme options, and strong design capabilities make it a popular choice for fashion and apparel brands. It offers flexibility in showcasing products, creating lookbooks, and integrating with fashion-focused apps.

Beauty and Cosmetics: Shopify's ability to create visually appealing product pages and its robust inventory management features make it suitable for the beauty and cosmetics industry. Additionally, the platform's emphasis on user experience can enhance the customer journey for skincare and beauty product shoppers.

Handmade and Crafted Goods: Shopify's user-friendly interface and vast selection of themes and apps cater well to businesses specializing in handmade and crafted goods. It provides features for showcasing product details, inventory tracking, and integrating with popular marketplaces like Etsy.

Dropshipping: Shopify's integration with popular dropshipping apps like Oberlo simplifies the process of sourcing and fulfilling products for dropshipping businesses. Its user-friendly interface and extensive app ecosystem make it a preferred choice for dropshippers.

Industries that may better suit Bigcommerce:
B2B and Wholesale: Bigcommerce's focus on enterprise-level features and robust inventory management capabilities make it a suitable choice for businesses operating in the B2B and wholesale sectors. Its ability to handle complex pricing structures, customer group segmentation, and volume discounts are particularly beneficial for these industries.

Electronics and Technology: Bigcommerce's scalability and ability to handle large catalogs with intricate product variations and options make it a good fit for businesses in the electronics and technology sectors. The platform's robust API capabilities can also support integrations with complex third-party systems.

Automotive and Parts: Bigcommerce's ability to handle extensive product catalogs, advanced search functionality, and integrations with automotive-specific tools makes it a strong choice for businesses in the automotive and parts industry. Its ability to manage fitment data and offer comprehensive product information is beneficial for customers searching for specific parts.

Health and Wellness: Bigcommerce's advanced inventory management, comprehensive customer segmentation options, and ability to handle complex product variants make it suitable for businesses in the health and wellness industry. The platform's scalability can accommodate the growth and changing needs of these businesses. Q: Why should merchants consider Charle as their Shopify agency?

Merchants looking for a reliable and skilled Shopify agency should strongly consider Charle as their top choice. Charle stands out from the competition by offering a comprehensive range of services, including web design, web development, and seamless migrations from platforms like Bigcommerce, Magento, Wordpress, and more. Charle understands the importance of visually appealing and user-friendly designs for a successful ecommerce store. Our team of experienced designers excels in creating captivating and professional designs that align with the merchant's brand identity and target audience. By incorporating the latest design trends and best practices, Charle ensures that the store stands out and delivers an exceptional user experience.

Charle's development team is highly skilled and proficient in Shopify. We possess in-depth knowledge of Shopify's features, functionalities, and APIs, enabling them to build custom solutions tailored to the merchant's unique requirements. Whether it's developing custom themes, creating custom functionalities, or integrating third-party apps, Charle's developers go above and beyond to deliver high-quality and reliable solutions. If a merchant is currently using Bigcommerce but wishes to migrate to Shopify, Charle provides a seamless transition process. We have extensive experience in migrating stores from Bigcommerce to Shopify, ensuring that all data, products, customer information, and SEO elements are accurately transferred. Charle's migration process minimises downtime and potential disruptions, allowing the merchant to quickly resume operations on the Shopify platform.

Charle values strong client relationships and prioritises customer satisfaction. We take the time to understand the merchant's business goals, challenges, and vision for their ecommerce store. By actively involving the merchant throughout the design and development process, our team ensures that the final product aligns perfectly with your expectations. Our in-hpuse team provides regular updates, seeks feedback, and addresses any concerns promptly, fostering a collaborative and transparent partnership.

We have an impressive track record of successfully delivering Shopify projects across various industries. Our portfolio showcases a diverse range of ecommerce stores that highlight their design and development capabilities. This breadth of experience demonstrates our ability to adapt to different business needs and deliver outstanding results consistently. After the initial development phase, Charle offers ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure the smooth operation of the Shopify store. They proactively monitor the store's performance, security, and updates, making necessary adjustments and improvements as required. This commitment to long-term support reassures merchants that they can rely on Charle even after the project is completed. Interested in growing a Shopify store, either from scratch or migrating from a platform such as BigCommerce? Get in touch with us today.

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