5 Minute Read

Online retailers across the globe are migrating their eCommerce stores from platforms such as WooCommerce, Shopify, and others to BigCommerce after learning what the platform has to offer both retailers and shoppers. So why the mass migration? What BigCommerce features are included that some competitors don’t have?

What is BigCommerce?

Yes, first let’s start with the basics: What is BigCommerce? BigCommerce is an open SaaS eCommerce platform. BigCommerce offers retailers a myriad of applications they can plug into their platform in an a la carte fashion, allowing users to create the most optimal platform for their unique eCommerce needs. 

With services catering to both B2B and B2C retailers, BigCommerce has a plethora of offerings… some similar to other platforms, others wholly unique. But the fact that all of these features are offered under one umbrella, on one eCommerce platform, sets it apart from its would-be competitors. Read along with us below to learn more.

8 BigCommerce Features We Love

Learn more about BigCommerce, its online store functionality, and why it could be the smart solution to grow your online sales. With more apps and functions than we have time to list, we’ve summed up our top 8 most-loved BigCommerce features.

Advanced Promotions Management

Near the beginning of any sales funnel, you’ll often find a product or pricing promotion, enticing a consumer to visit a shop, be it on or offline. Online retail with BigCommerce is no exception. The Advanced Promotions Management Editor allows retailers to create fixed-price promotions, including or excluding products individually or via mass selection, set up promotional conditions via workflows, and more. With the Advanced Promotions Manager, retailers now possess the ability to reach potential or return customers on a larger scale by rewarding their loyalty and interest through easily built promotions.

A perfect example of The Advanced Promotions Management Editor is displayed below. An eCommerce store  is able to select reactions to certain customer behaviors. In this example, if a customer purchases two certain products (in this case, mugs), they’ll receive a gift in their cart (in this case, a teaspoon). The options within this functionality are seemingly endless and 100% uniquely customizable. Engage with your customers by rewarding them and do it all with ease with this fantastic promotional option.

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Corporate Account Management

Corporate Account Management with a multi-tier buyer persona development option is a saving grace and breath of fresh air for corporations with several purchasers and no time for micro-managed spending oversight. This is truly a “Set It and Forget It” function wherein a business owner or account manager can load in each purchaser’s persona at the front end and specify their individually allowed credit limit or purchasing frequency. Also, if a manager does insist on viewing and approving all purchases, this one-stop-shop platform houses all of this information in one easily accessible review and approval space.

Options for purchasing hierarchy include company administrator, senior buyer, and junior buyer. Each persona’s limit is continually adjustable by the company administrator, allowing for more or less buying power at any given time as the admin sees fit. This function can be managed within the BigCommerce platform itself or through a company’s own CRM (Customer Relationship Management) or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software.

Sales Representative Quoting

There are many BigCommerce features that are helpful but this automated function is a busy retailer’s dream. It allows a potential purchaser to create their quote request, at which time their quote is automatically deciphered and emailed directly to the interested party. No human intervention needed. AND within their quote email is a direct link to complete their purchase at the quoted price.

Automated eCommerce platform functions like these are a huge hit among B2B purchasing teams. Gone are the days of awaiting a response email with an arbitrary quote, calls with a sales representative, or delaying order placement until a human responds. Instead, percentages are set and haggling is now a thing of the past. Simple, straightforward, streamlined, and automated is now the way of the future and is handled with this BigCommerce feature we love.

 

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Shared Shopping Lists & Buy Again

Consumers and retailers alike find Shared Shopping Lists and “Buy Again” helpful and convenient. With these BigCommerce B2B features included in your online store, buyers are able to manage multiple shopping lists (think of them as requisition lists) at the same time and have the ability to see past purchases for ease of repurchasing. This functionality is available to any buyer persona at any level although, Junior Buyers do still require certain designated approvals before purchasing from the shopping list(s) they create.

Anyone could see the value of this functionality. Searching for a frequently purchased item can prove frustrating for any customer, and can even lead to said customer making future purchases from another eCommerce platform, simply due to the lack of ease of use. Showing customers you follow their needs and easily provide access to commonly purchased products can make all the difference. Ensure your customers return again and again with this fantastic UI/UX feature.

BigCommerce Quick Order Pad

Taking the “Buy Again” feature one step further, BigCommerce has created The Quick Order Pad. This app allows repeat customers to quickly place orders through a simple form that allows them to search for products right there within the form, without having to navigate the site. 

It even allows users to search, select, and add items using even only a partial SKU. By simply uploading a CSV file, buyers are able to purchase all items listed in the file with the click of a button. Yet again, BigCommerce delivers on its promise to provide a streamlined and efficient sales and eCommerce platform purchasing experience for all users and customers.

Omnichannel Selling

According to BigCommerce, “Omnichannel commerce is a strategy that provides a seamless shopping experience from the first touchpoint to the last, regardless of the channel your customer is using. It’s an approach that has already begun to show dividends for organizations.” It is the incorporation of both online and offline sales funnels.

Sales across marketplaces, social media, and brick-and-mortar can be bundled into one easily navigable platform through the BigCommerce omni-channel selling feature. Some great examples of online marketplaces are Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy. These websites offer products sold by different retailers, all in one online space. Having these functions readily available to retailers no matter where or how they sell is yet another reason why we love and recommend this BigCommerce store feature.

Price Match or Make an Offer

Gone are the days of only brick-and-mortar stores offering to match competitor prices. With BigCommerce’s Price Match or Make an Offer feature, customers are able to ensure they’re getting the product they want at the best price and giving online retailers a sure-fire way of stealing business from their competitors. 

To take advantage of this function, all customers need to do is  enter their contact information in the cart along with a link to the competitor’s product. At that time, the website administrator/retailer simply evaluates and denies or approves said price match or offer, and the customer is alerted. It’s that easy. 

Pre-Checkout & Post-Checkout Upsells

This feature is definitely one of our top favorites and undeniably an online retailer’s best friend. The BigCommerce Pre- and Post-Checkout Upselling simply display products that are either similar to the ones the customer recently viewed or are related to the products already in their shopping cart. It’s a final touchpoint before a purchase is made, offering the customer one last chance to snag an item they didn’t know they wanted and it gives the retailer one last chance to make more money on a sale than they would have without the feature.

Every online retailer can benefit from this feature and should absolutely consider implementing it on their eCommerce platform. Simply showcasing similar products to a consumer can increase order value by up to 40%. With statistics like that to back it up, this is our favorite and most profitable BigCommerce feature.8 BigCommerce Features_2

TL;DR

There are many key BigCommerce features and apps available which will help grow your eCommerce web platform. Putting it simply, if you need a wholly customized eCommerce store, a SaaS platform such as a BigCommerce Store is always recommended. To learn more about all available features, visit the BigCommerce website or contact a sales representative today. In need of a strategic eCommerce partner who's ready to dive in and assist with your BigCommerce store build or migration? The team at Smart Solutions is ready to help.

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