So, you’re looking to launch your exciting new online store. You have everything in your new business planned out, except perhaps one crucial ingredient: How will you create your new eCommerce store? When it comes to the best eCommerce software, making the right choice for your business will come down to your unique needs and preferences.
Both Shopify and BigCommerce are respected eCommerce platforms, but when offering a Shopify vs. BigCommerce comparison, there are many differences to consider. We’ll compare Shopify and BigCommerce for you and help you decide what platform is best for your needs.
Shopify
Shopify is a platform with a large community. It began when two partners wanted to sell snowboards but couldn’t find an eCommerce platform to help. Instead, they decided to make their own. Now, boasting millions of online shops, it’s one of the go-to places to make your own store. Here’s the rundown of Shopify’s unique website features, quirks, and drawbacks.
Price
When comparing Shopify vs. BigCommerce, pricing comes down to a combination of monthly plans and transaction fees. With plans starting at $29/month USD, Shopify additionally charges transactional fees for every credit card payment. Shopify also offers a $9 “Lite” option, which simply embeds a button allowing products to be sold on a pre-existing website. This plan does not charge transaction fees. Overall, these fees may not be very costly upfront, but they could begin to add up significantly if your store sees enough traffic and sales.
Usability and Customizability
While it’s true that Shopify doesn’t come with as many built-in features from the start, many people consider its simplicity a benefit rather than a drawback. If you’re new to website design, there’s plenty of information about the “how-to,” so you can just focus on the doing.
Of course, the obvious flip-side to the above is that there are generally fewer options when using Shopify over BigCommerce. There aren’t as many marketing features and available website layouts and fewer options to organize your store, among other things. This may be good in some respects, but if you want a lot more freedom and control without paying extra, Shopify may not be the option for you.
One exciting thing about Shopify is that you can download third-party apps to help streamline the website creation process. While some of these features are things already freely available on other eCommerce websites, it allows for some creative control and community development.
Conversion Rates
As a new store owner, you will realistically aim to reach between 1% and 2% conversions in your online store. On average, Shopify owners see around 2.6% conversions, while the top 20% of Shopify stores reach about 3.2%.
Customer Support
Though Shopify offers 24/7 customer support, it works on a “callback” system. You leave a message, and a representative will get back to you when there’s a slot available. In most cases, this works fine, but in others, you may be stuck dealing with a serious problem while waiting in the help queue.
Overall, Shopify makes for a solid eCommerce platform but has some features that may not be the best fit as your business scales up.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce was founded by two Australians and was initially called “Interspire.” Eventually, it spread to the United States and has grown to include about 60,000 online stores. Like Shopify, it’s a unique platform with its own pros and cons to explore.
Price
BigCommerce costs slightly more upfront than Shopify – about a dollar more per plan each month with no less-expensive “Lite” option. However, it also does away with transactional fees, meaning that you may pay less when using BigCommerce.
Usability and Customizability
BigCommerce is more expansive but also more complicated than its competitor. Many features that Shopify requires apps for are available upfront, such as a more comprehensive marketing system or an automatic customer review function. It may not be as immediately user-friendly, but it has everything you might be looking for if you want to be thorough in your website design.
Conversion Rates
BigCommerce users report a general average that mirrors Shopify and other eCommerce conversion rates (between 2% to 3%). BigCommerce advertises, however, that the baseline goal their users should set for themselves is slightly higher, at just over 3%.
Customer Support
While also offering 24/7 support, BigCommerce has an option to speak directly with a human representative. This helpful little feature lets you avoid the frustration of dealing with a robot and jump right to fixing your problem.
Make the eCommerce Decision You Need
So, which is better, Shopify or BigCommerce? It depends almost entirely on what your needs and wants are. Inexperienced website designers benefit from Shopify’s more casual programming, whereas BigCommerce has easier payment plans and slightly more high-quality features. Whichever way you choose, you’ll end up with an excellent platform for your business.
If you need help growing your eCommerce business, CakeCommerce can help. CAKE offers assistance with Shopify and BigCommerce; whether you need help with Shopify marketing, BigCommerce marketing, Shopify customization, or BigCommerce web design, you can trust us to deliver a sweet eCommerce experience. Contact us today for more information.
