BigCommerce was founded in Australia in 2009 by founders Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper. They created an ecommerce platform that went public (IPO) in 2020. BigCommerce has 130,000 merchants spanning 150 countries. The average merchant earns $250,000 in annual sales.
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that helps retailers build and run their online stores. Unlike traditional ecommerce platforms, BigCommerce offers tools for both B2C and B2B businesses. The platform offers web hosting, payment processing, and security features that enable you to sell to a global audience.
How does BigCommerce work?
BigCommerce works by allowing merchants to build their online stores by paying a subscription fee. They offer built-in tools for managing your products, customizing your online store, and managing your payments in one place. You can also optimize your online store for SEO to generate search traffic.
The platform is secure as it has both SSL and PCI DSS for security and compliance. You can build and design your store using the drag-and-drop editor to make theme changes. You can sell unlimited products and manage large inventories on the platform, even product variants like size and color. Store owners can also build multiple, unique storefronts on the platform with their own domains from a single backend.
What you need to know about selling on BigCommerce
BigCommerce tends to have high costs and subscription fees. Their pricing plans cap your earning potential. For example, you can earn up to $50,000 annually with the $29 plan. If you make up to $180,000, you’ll need to pay $79 each month. If you earn up to $400,000, the cost is $299 monthly. Once you surpass the highest pricing plan, you’ll be moved to an enterprise plan with undisclosed costs depending on your sales volume. One thing to note is that once you pass the sales volume threshold, you’ll automatically be charged the next subscription tier, which can cause sticker shock for sellers who aren’t aware.
While BigCommerce does have a free trial of 15 days, it doesn’t offer a free plan. If you don’t make any sales in your first month, you’ll still need to pay a subscription fee. Some BigCommerce alternatives offer a free plan for beginners. New online retailers often struggle to generate sales because they haven’t yet built brand recognition. Without sales, paying for a subscription can increase your debt rather than your revenue.
BigCommerce caters to more high-volume, multi-channel physical retail. If you’re looking to sell content as a content creator, it may not be the best platform for you. Most BigCommerce sellers only sell physical products. However, if you’re looking to sell both digital and physical products, other tools may better suit your needs. For example, you can sell digital products like courses, memberships, and coaching services easily on BigCommerce.
BigCommerce also has a steep learning curve. It’s not a good platform choice for beginners, as it’s complex to set up and use. You’d need to watch many tutorials or training videos to learn how to create your website. Other ecommerce platforms offer more user-friendly functionality, even if they have advanced features.
While some aspects of building your store require no coding experience in BigCommerce, others do. For example, you may need to know how to code to edit themes and better customize them to your branding. Without coding knowledge, you might struggle to make simple edits.
Is BigCommerce the best platform to sell products?
No, BigCommerce isn’t the best platform to sell products; Payhip is. Payhip lets you build an online store for free, with no monthly subscription. Plus, you can sell more than just physical products on your store. You can also sell online courses, memberships, coaching services, and digital downloads like ebooks. To start selling products online, sign up for free.