Is BigCommerce the right platform for you? 

When it’s time for you to replatform or build your new eCommerce store, selecting the right platform to support your goals can feel overwhelming. As more and more providers make a name for themselves, understanding which will best help your business grow is vital in making your decision.  

At Pinpoint, we work exclusively with BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce. By specialising in only two platform partners, we provide our clients with next-level expertise without spreading our resources too thin. This means whichever is right for your brand, you can rest assured we’re delivering the best support out there.  

So, which platform is right for you? In this article, we take a look at our partner, BigCommerce (BC), and why they might be the right move to help your business scale.  

The core benefits of BigCommerce 

Who are BigCommerce?  

Understanding BigCommerce’s positioning in the platform game is imperative when weighing up your options for replatforming. Before we jump into their biggest benefits as a platform, here’s a quick breakdown of their fundamentals: 

1. BigCommerce are SaaS (Software as a Service). This means they are a cloud-based provider and offer an all-encompassing approach to your platform. While other platforms require additional hosting providers, SaaS is ‘all-in-one’; you simply pay a monthly fee, and they do the heavy lifting. Unlike Shopify, which is considered a ‘pure’ SaaS platform, BigCommerce describes itself as ‘open SaaS’. A blend of SaaS in terms of upgrades and ease of use, but with the added flexibility more typically associated with open-source platforms, like Adobe Commerce.  

2. As their name suggests, BigCommerce has its roots firmly in retail. Completely geared towards eCommerce, BigCommerce was born in 2009 and has grown from strength to strength in the past 14 years. With experience across a wealth of sectors, from fashion to electronics, they’re anything but a one-trick pony.  

3. Gone are the days when SaaS meant limited possibilities for your site. BC prides itself on its ecosystem of partners, meaning integrations and additional functionality has never been so simple.  

Their expertise in all things retail combined with their continued bid for flexibility for their clients makes BigCommerce a serious contender for brands to consider, especially in the current climate.  

 “In times of uncertainty and change, merchants must make smart technology investments that are agile, functional and flexible. They need to invest in modern technology that enables, not hinders, delivering cutting-edge shopping experiences. BigCommerce is committed to providing a platform that enables this.” -Meghan Stabler, SVP of Marketing, BigCommerce  

So, what do we think are some of their top selling points? Buckle up, you’re in for a treat… 

You’re in the driving seat  

BigCommerce has been built with you, the user, in mind. Creating a platform that firmly puts the user back in charge, BigCommerce is easy-to-use with an intuitive interface. This means that your in-house team has the option to customise and edit your site without relying on developers or agency support. With drag and drop page builders, simple-to-add blogs and a whole host of useful tools, BigCommerce has everything in place to help you create a site tailored to your brand.  

Giving the power back to you to edit aspects of your site, it means as your agency partner, we can focus on the bigger picture and your ongoing success.  

More bang for your buck  

When considering what platform can best support your goals, establishing your budget should be your first priority. Alongside the monthly cost of your platform, it’s important to factor in all the additional costs that may come with your site. Depending on your platform type, from SaaS to DXP, your total cost of ownership can vary greatly. As a SaaS platform, BigCommerce offer comprehensive packages with built-in tools to support your needs. With a variety of price plans available, their packages are built with their clients in mind. No matter the size of your business, they will have a price plan to suit you.  

Thanks to their competitive offering, BigCommerce boast an extremely attractive option to eCommerce brands who are looking to scale without breaking the bank. Alongside this, their built-in hosting and bank of accessible plug-ins mean your maintenance and operation costs are likely to be less than on other platforms.  

Lends a helping hand  

A platform with all the bells and whistles provided sounds great, right? But when the going gets tough you need to know that support is readily available and easy to access. Alongside support from your agency partner, BigCommerce is also available round the clock to provide any additional help you need. With a 24/7 support desk, you don’t need to worry when a problem occurs ‘out of hours’. 

As well as support from their team, BigCommerce’s website has a section dedicated to providing next-level insight and resources to help you excel online. Built purely for eCommerce brands, their resources are completely geared toward online retailers offering exceptional advice to help you make the most of your platform.  

The devils in the detail 

To stay ahead of the game, your site needs to undergo upgrades and changes to ensure everything is running smoothly. As the online world evolves, your platform may need to make amends to its security, data or just general maintenance upgrades.  

One of BigCommerce’s biggest benefits is that they take care of all these finer details. Upgrades happen behind the scenes and are all done by the BigCommerce team. Not only does this drastically reduce ongoing maintenance but your development agency also don’t need to use your paid for hours to constantly update your site. Instead, we can focus on helping your site improve, excel and scale, while BigCommerce work in the background to keep your site ticking over. 

High-growth brands are in safe brands 

Gone are the days when SaaS was associated with small fry businesses, and you could only get the flexibility you need from platforms that leaned heavily on dev support. BigCommerce has grown with the accelerated eCommerce journey online and is constantly evolving to ensure their offering can compete with other providers.  

With all the advantages of SaaS, BigCommerce offers brands customisation and flexibility that rivals other platforms such as Shopify. Big-name brands can be safe in the knowledge that BigCommerce have the capabilities, functionality and know-how to help them scale online. One business that has seen a whole host of benefits from making the move to BigCommerce is the world-renowned headphone brand, Skully Candy. Showing impressive results, Skull Candy has reported incredible growth since replatforming: 

So, is BigCommerce the right platform for you? 

Changing platforms isn’t an easy decision and certainly isn’t something to rush. Understanding what you need from your new site and which platforms can best support this is vital before you make the move, no matter which provider you land on.  

BigCommerce offers a huge range of benefits to brands in the eCommerce space who are looking to evolve their offering online. For those looking to move to a platform that enables you to take more control of your site, BigCommerce is a great option to explore.  

Brands with niche needs or highly complex integrations that are not typical may benefit from exploring other platforms such as Adobe Commerce. But the decision is really in your hands. Take the time to weigh up the pros and cons of different platforms and be sure to speak to key stakeholders and team members who will be using the platform regularly.  

As experts in both BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce, we can work with you to outline your key objectives and identify which platform will best support your end goal. So, if you’re considering changing platforms and feel a bit lost in a sea of possibilities, get in touch for a chat with our team of experts.