Ecommerce CMS Focus: Introduction to BigCommerce

a person using an online store on a mobile phone

BigCommerce is an ecommerce CMS solution that can scale with your business. With ecommerce sales expected to exceed $743 billion by 2023, there’s plenty of opportunity for online business growth. To take full advantage of this, however, you need a CMS that can support your business website for the long haul. And BigCommerce could just be that CMS! It offers features for businesses of every size and matches its competitors in pricing. In this article, we explain how BigCommerce works, the features it offers, and the different pricing plans.

What is BigCommerce?

You may be wondering, do I really need a CMS? Well, the short answer is yes! With over 63.6 million websites using a CMS, you can’t afford to get left behind. One great option is BigCommerce.

BigCommerce is an SaaS (Software as a Service) and ecommerce CMS that allows business owners to set up an online store without the hassle of online web hosting. Instead of purchasing a web host and a web designer, BigCommerce has all the tools you need to get set up online easily. All you have to do is pay a monthly fee to have access to the software and use it to sell your products. BigCommerce even helps you market your products, both digital and physical, with some of their additional tools.

You don’t need any coding skills to use the platform, although if you do know some code you would be able to add even more functionality through the custom HTML and CSS feature. 

Any SaaS service comes with some limitations. You won’t be able to control whether they change their features or pricing. What makes it valuable, however, is how easy it is for you to manage your online store and customer engagement. This ecommerce CMS is great for newer stores that still need the assistance of a platform to manage most of the more complex parts of owning an online store. 

Another outstanding feature of this platform is its ability to scale with you. While most of the plans are affordable for anyone to use, they have more complex plans for bigger businesses. So as your business grows and develops, you can adapt your plan with BigCommerce as needed.

Features of BigCommerce

a person making a purchase on an online store

You can view a list of the standard BigCommerce CMS features for ecommerce below. All these features are included with every plan. 

  • 12 free store templates
  • Unlimited products 
  • Integration with PayPal
  • Full CMS
  • SEO features
  • Automated image optimization
  • Integration with email marketing services
  • Discount coupons
  • Product review functionality
  • Change HTML and CSS
  • Reporting
  • Unlimited file storage
  • Gift cards
  • Multiple currencies
  • AMP functionality

How Much Does BigCommerce Cost?

BigCommerce offers 4 different pricing plans, depending on the type of business and the features you need. All plans come with a free trial to demo the software and determine whether it fits your online store needs. The trial lasts an entire month. 

The Standard plan is $29.95 per month, and its pricing is competitive against other well-known brands like Shopify, Volusion, and Squarespace. BigCommerce’s Standard plan is more comprehensive than many of its competitors. You get all the features of an online store, including unlimited storage, an unlimited number of products, gift cards, and multiple currencies. 

The Plus plan is $79.95 a month, and it is best suited for businesses wanting to take their CMS to the next level. You’ll find additional functionality like abandoned cart saver tools, stored credit cards, and customer segmentation. 

The third highest plan from the BigCommerce ecommerce CMS is the Pro, and it is a step up at $299.95 a month. The main advantage of this plan is that it offers up to $400k in sales before charging additional fees. You can also display your Google Customer Reviews, which can help drive sales as your customers see more social proof. 

The last plan from BigCommerce is the Enterprise plan. To get a quote with this plan, you’ll need to contact their team to discuss your needs in greater depth. It’s for larger businesses with many team members looking for a CMS with especially advanced functionality. 

Using BigCommerce as Your Ecommerce CMS

With the CMS market expected to generate about $123.5 billion by 2026, your business will benefit substantially from choosing the right CMS. BigCommerce is perfect for business owners who are looking to scale with their platform. Starting at an affordable price, the features available allow you to grow your CMS as your store grows. Any store owner looking for ways to run their online store more efficiently should look at BigCommerce as a possible solution.