As an entrepreneur, it is important to know how to sell your products or services online. It may seem like a consuming task, but creating an e-commerce store can open up a lot of doors. Making money is a primary incentive, but the opportunity to reach a vast audience is just as important for growing your business. Another benefit is the ability to sell 24/7. Setting up an online store and shopping cart is easier than you think. There are a few highly trusted and reliable options to consider when doing your research, but the two prominent platforms I recommend looking into are Bigcommerce and Shopify. Both offer similar packages, but here we provide an in-depth Shopify vs Bigcommerce review to help you make the right decision.
Pricing
The different pricing options for Bigcommerce and Shopify look very similar at first glance. Each platform offers three tiers of packages to choose from, but they have slight differences that may matter to you and your business. If you want to try out the bare minimum for setting up a store, the base package for each platform might be what you want. The base package for Bigcommerce costs $34.95/month and Shopify rings in at $29/month. Shopify's basic package is cheaper, but allows for less storage (1GB compared to Bigcommerce's 5GB). Shopify doesn't have any transaction fees across the board for every package they offer, but Bigcommerce has a 2% transaction fee for it's base option. On the topic of transaction fees, one thing to note is that if you already have a credit card processor, there is a very good chance you can use them. The mid-level package, which both platforms boast as their most popular, is more pricey, but you get more features and support than the basic level. Bigcommerce charges $79.95 and Shopify charges $79 for the mid-level package. Though it's almost the same price, Bigcommerce gives you unlimited storage while Shopify provides 5GB worth of storage. Both platforms provide extra features not found in their basic packages.
One thing Bigcommerce offers that Shopify does not is the option to register with annual pricing. If you know your online store is going to be a long term investment, this could be a good option as you will save 10% in comparison to paying the month-to-month price. If you're simply testing out the waters with selling online, this may not be the best option.
Design & Setup
Both Bigcommerce and Shopify aim to simplify the process of creating an e-commerce storefront. The platforms have databases of over 100 customizable design templates for your store, so having an attractive storefront is easy. The templates they have are easy and intuitive to setup, so no need to worry about web design skills you may or may not possess. If you happen to have that skill set, you can add CSS and HTML to further customize your store if you'd like complete control. Both sites also have professional developers and designers available for hire to make your storefront really stand out. Bigcommerce and Shopify make having a beautiful design a breeze, but if the design and color scheme is important to your website (wanting to base the design off your logo, for example), Shopify offers more freedom to adjust your color palette any way you'd like, down to the very last link.
It is easy to start selling almost immediately with Bigcommerce and Shopify shopping carts. You can accept or choose different forms of payment, shipping options, languages, and currencies, and rest easy that the checkout process is simple and secure for your customers. Your online store will be a fully functioning website, complete with navigation, content pages, and a blogging platform. It is possible to get your storefront completely set up and running within a day since the process is so simple with Bigcommerce and Shopify. With your online store, it is important to have Ecommerce analytics to make sure you get the data needed to make informed decisions about products your customers want to see.
SEO & Marketing
You don't have to be a marketing guru to sell your products or services online. Both Bigcommerce and Shopify users get built-in search engine optimization features, which is something that sets these platforms apart from other shopping carts. Getting your business to show up in search results will grow your audience and it will ultimately help you become a more successful entrepreneur. If you are interested in shopify seo or bigcommerce seo, there are companies out there might be able to help your online store get a better results and reach a bigger audience.
Other marketing strategies are made simple as well. As an entrepreneur, you know the importance of integrating social networking into your business, and you can easily do this with Bigcommerce and Shopify. You're able to let customers share your store and products across tons of social media platforms. You can also utilize targeted email marketing, create coupons and discount codes for your products, and get detailed information on your sales with site analytics. As an extra incentive, both platforms offer advertising credits with Google AdWords, and new Shopify users receive a $50 credit for Facebook advertising.
Apps
Bigcommerce and Shopify users are able to integrate a variety of apps and plugins for their store with just the click of a button. Apps can help your store be successful. Anything your e-commerce site might need is almost certain to be offered as an app. For example, you can manage inventories, track shipments, and attract new visitors by implementing apps.
Something that Shopify offers that Bigcommerce does not is it's own point of sale iPad application, Shopify POS. If you want your business have the capability to sell both online and in a physical retail setting, you can effortlessly sync products and orders with your online store to keep everything accurate and up-to-date. If you are wondering what to sell on your site, you should check out this guide about dropshipping general store vs niche and which is the best for your businesses goals.
Etsy
Both Bigcommerce and Shopify are powerful platforms for creating an online store. It is much easier than you'd think to make an e-commerce site, and it is a worthwhile investment for any entrepreneur. If the thought of setting up a personal e-commerce site still seems like a big step, Etsy might be a suitable alternative for the more artsy entrepreneur. Etsy is a online marketplace for DIY'ers, crafters, artists, and vintage collectors. It is free to sign up for an Etsy membership and only costs $0.20 to list an item for four months, or until it sells, at which point Etsy collects a 3.5% fee on the sale price. If you're into DIY projects like myself, you may be interested in checking out my other site, diypete.com, where I share tips and tutorials for all things DIY!
I hope this Shopify vs Bigcommerce review demystifies the process of setting up an e-commerce store and inspires you to sell your entrepreneurial products and services online!
