With the changing trends in e-commerce, it is very important to choose the right platform for your online business. A well-built online store can streamline your business processes, automate routine tasks, provide a variety of in-built features, and help you create a dynamic website without any technical skills or barriers. 

BigCommerce is a powerhouse platform for establishing your online store, powering over 44,000 online shops. It offers all the features you could ask for to enhance the functionality of your operations. BigCommerce, with its diverse plans, is the best software-as-a-service (SaaS) e-commerce platform for businesses across a variety of niches. It has all the features and tools you need to create, host, and run your online shops. 

If you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of this platform and learn its website set-up procedure, this blog is meant for you. This ultimate guide covers everything from BigCommerce pricing plans and its key features. So, continue reading to learn more! 

Understanding BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the most widely used cloud-based e-commerce platforms. It offers a variety of tools, including in-built SEO features, robust page builder, abandoned cart recovery, consumer segmentation, and more. Furthermore, BigCommerce offers scalable plans that cater to different levels of business complexities, from small businesses to large e-commerce brands with multiple stores. This e-commerce website builder offers some of the following features:

• Easy website creation with customizable themes and mobile-responsive templates.
• Product and order management tools. 
• It allows customers to store their credit card information and keep their shopping cart contents on their devices for an easy checkout process.
• Customers can easily find the goods they want using different filters, such as price, size, color, brand, etc., with product filtering.
• Over 55 payment processing options and no transaction fees when using BigCommerce’s native payment option.
• API support with high-tier plans for easy integration with your ERP or other platforms.
• Seamlessly connect your storefront to multiple marketplaces. 

BigCommerce Pricing Plans

As we have already seen, BigCommerce is a well-rounded e-commerce platform with multiple features. Before we learn how to set up your website with this platform, it is crucial to understand BigCommerce pricing structures. The platform offers 4 plans, including Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise.

Furthermore, you can choose to buy the BigCommerce pricing plans either monthly or yearly, depending on your convenience. 

Let's take a closer look at these BigCommerce plans and understand the features that each of the tiers offers. 

1. BigCommerce Standard Plan ($29/month, annual billing)

The BigCommerce Standard plan is good for new and small businesses with less robust needs.

• The best thing about this BigCommerce plan is that there are no transaction fees for creating unlimited goods, storage space, bandwidth, and staff accounts.
• You can use the many themes and styles with the Standard BigCommerce plan to make an online store that fits your business and niche. The best part is that most of these work well on phones and are fast. 
• With this plan, you can even add discounts, gift cards, reviews and rates of products, and other helpful marketing tools.
• Besides that, you can sell your goods on many sites, like eBay, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

2. BigCommerce Plus Plan ($79/month, annual billing)

This BigCommerce pricing plan is perfect for businesses that need advanced features that the basic plan doesn't offer. Some of its notable features include:

• You can create and manage up to 5 online storefronts with this plan, and if you want to create more storefronts, you can do so after paying $50 per month. 
• Point-of-Sale system integration to sync your online and offline operations for easy inventory and payment management. 
• Convert sales through emails to recover abandoned carts. 
• Autosave billing information for recurring customers for convenience. 

3. BigCommerce Pro Plan ($299/month, annual billing)

BigCommerce Pro plan is perfect for big online shops selling thousands of items yearly. It contains the features of both the Standard Plan and the Plus Plan as well. Additionally, it includes:

• Integrate Google Reviews of your products into your website to build credibility. 
• Product filtering facilities allow users to find the items they are looking for quickly. 
• The plan allows you to sell your goods at up to 8 different locations, including physical stores, and syncs easily for streamlined management. 
• Manage your inventory from up to 8 different locations with this plan. 

4. BigCommerce Enterprise Plan

There is no set price for the BigCommerce Enterprise plan. It contains advanced features like unlimited API calls and SKU-level pricing for various B2B consumers, along with all the features from other plans. You can contact the BigCommerce team if you think your business doesn't fit into the Standard, Plus, or Pro plans and you need a custom plan that is tailored to your needs. Send the BigCommerce team all the information about your store, and they will figure out what you need and send you a price that fits your needs.

Additional Costs in BigCommerce Price Plans

You will also have to consider additional costs that will need to be invested to grant other functionalities to your online. Some of these include:

1. Domain Name

The most important thing for any online shop is to have a good domain name that matches your brand identity, ideally the name of your business. With a domain name, people can navigate to your website effortlessly and recognize your brand. You can buy the domain name in two different ways.

• Firstly, you can buy the domain name directly from BigCommerce. It costs $13-$15 a year. If the domain is popular with .com, .net, or .edu extensions, it may have a higher cost.
• Second, you can buy the domain name from any third-party domain provider, like Godaddy or NameCheap. 

2. Themes

You will need to purchase a theme to create your website. The themes form the skeleton of your website, which you can customize with your content and according to your needs. 

• BigCommerce store currently has over 130 paid themes and 15 free themes. Themes include arts and crafts, food and drink, gifts and specialty items, health and beauty, sports and leisure, and more.
• The paid themes cost between $150 and $300. These premium themes come with many advanced features and functions that can help you change the look of your online store.

3. Apps & Integrations

If you want to give your online store more features and functions, BigCommerce has over 600 apps and integrations to streamline operations, such as Payment, Analytics, Marketing, and more. On the BigCommerce marketplace, paid apps cost from $0 to $50. Some apps also offer a free trial. 

4. Transaction Fees

Another great thing about BigCommerce is that it doesn't charge transaction fees like other platforms. However, for third-party payment providers like PayPal and Stripe, BigCommerce charges fees to handle the payments.

• As for PayPal, which Braintree runs, BigCommerce charges 2.59% plus $0.49 for each credit or debit card purchase in the Standard plan. 
• This fee is lower in the Plus and Pro plans. The costs are due when the customer uses a debit or credit card to pay.

Set up Your BigCommerce Store in 7 Easy Steps

Now that you have chosen your BigCommerce website plan let’s explore the step-by-step process of how to set up your BigCommerce Store. To create your store, follow these steps:

Step 1: Sign Up for BigCommerce

• Navigate to the official website of BigCommerce and choose your plan. 
• You get a free trial to start exploring the platform. In the signup process, you will enter your name and industry.

• Fill up the required details and click on the Proceed to Store button.

Step 2. Choose and Customize a Theme

• Choose a theme that complements your branding and user experience by clicking on the “customize a theme” button.

• After picking a theme, you can customize it further to suit your brand identity. 
• Use the BigCommerce theme editor to change your colors, fonts, and layouts. You can also add your logo and other branding elements to your website. 

Step 3. Add Products

• After that, you will have to add the products to your store. Online sales are made simple. Manage your catalog with BigCommerce. 
• Products can be added one by one or imported in bulk using a CSV file. Include a description of the product, high-quality images, and other attributes to help customers make an informed purchase.

Step 4. Payment and Shipping Options

• Set up your payment and shipping options with many gateway options, such as PayPal, Stripe, or Square, for an easy checkout process. 
• Pick the payment methods that work the best for your business and customers. 
• Similarly, configure your shipping details to include different rate options for available zones and carriers.

Step 5. Configure Tax Settings

• Set up tax rules based on your location and the locations of customers. You can also configure your tax settings if you need to charge taxes at checkout.

Step 6. Optimize Your Store for SEO

• BigCommerce comes with built-in features, which can help you optimize your store for search engines. 
• Ensure you are optimizing product titles, descriptions, URLs and meta tags. Also, create a sitemap and submit it to search engines for better indexing of your website.

Step 7. Launch Your Store

• Before you publish your store, review all the elements of your store, including your inventory, payment systems, shipping rules, and other features. 
• When everything looks good, you can go ahead and launch your store and start selling your goods.

Neo: A Powerful and Simple Alternative

If you are looking for a simple alternative to BigCommerce, Neo is an efficient and affordable option. It is an email hosting platform that offers free email addresses for a limited period as well as a .co.site domain free to use upon the purchase of an annual email plan. With Neo, you can also easily create a free professional business email address without any hassle and cancel it anytime before the trial ends. 

Moreover, Neo offers various other features, including a free one-page website with all its plans. The platform also offers an easy-to-use website builder, user form, and integration of your social media. Neo also offers email marketing tools, an email blast option for mass email sending, priority email management, and a secure hosting platform. 

Wrapping Up

BigCommerce is a flexible and powerful e-commerce platform that offers three main pricing plans. You can choose what's right for your business. It also offers a full package of features that you need to build and grow a successful online store. From seamless payment integration to storefront management and website creators, the platform offers enhanced functionalities to ensure your store is fully capable of selling any products. 

However, if you want a simple option that offers an integrated email hosting service, Neo is the right choice. It offers enhanced business communication, marketing, and collaboration tools. Its one-page website also has multiple use cases, including a unique and minimalist e-commerce platform. So, try Neo today and enjoy building your website!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What payment support is provided by BigCommerce?

BigCommerce offers over 40 payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and more. This flexibility enables businesses to offer their customers convenient payment choices.

Q2. Does BigCommerce allow multi-channel selling?

Yes, BigCommerce does allow sellers to go further and sell on other channels, such as Facebook or Instagram, in addition to Amazon and eBay. This multi-channel selling facility is beneficial for businesses because it allows them to take advantage of every other sales opportunity.

Q3. Is BigCommerce good for enterprise business?

Yes, Big Commerce offers an Enterprise Plan that is built for high-volume sales (e.g., large businesses). It serves large-scale e-commerce requirements with high-end capabilities, options, and full-time support.