If you’re an eCommerce business owner in UK, contemplating a migration of your online store from BigCommerce to Shopify, this will guide you through the pros and cons of such a transition. Shopify, a widely acclaimed eCommerce platform, empowers businesses to effortlessly create and manage their online stores. With a plethora of features on offer, Shopify caters to businesses of all sizes, ensuring a comprehensive solution for your needs. On the other hand, BigCommerce, although less prominent, has been steadily gaining traction due to its user-friendly interface and budget-friendly nature.

But which platform should you opt for?

Let’s delve into a closer examination of the advantages and disadvantages of each, enabling you to make an informed decision for your business’s success.

Disadvantages of BigCommerce

As mentioned previously, BigCommerce lacks the widespread popularity and robust feature set offered by platforms such as Shopify. Thus, migrating to Shopify emerges as a superior choice. However, it’s essential to consider the disadvantages of BigCommerce. Let’s examine them closely.

Limited and Similar Themes

One drawback of BigCommerce is the imposition of a cap on annual online sales. Should your business experience growth beyond this predefined limit, you may find yourself compelled to upgrade your plan or even migrate to an entirely different platform. This limitation can hinder your business’s potential for expansion and necessitate additional costs and efforts to accommodate your growing sales volume.

Poor Page Builder

While creating custom pages to optimize your store and give it a professional appearance is a crucial aspect of running a successful eCommerce business, BigCommerce’s page builder may present some challenges in this regard. The limited functionality and customization options can make it more difficult to achieve the exact design and layout you envision for your store. This can hinder your ability to create a truly unique and visually appealing online shopping experience for your customers.

No Shipping Discounts are Available on any Plan

In addition to the aforementioned disadvantages, it’s worth noting that BigCommerce does not provide any shipping discounts as part of its plans. This can significantly impact businesses that frequently ship orders, as shipping costs can become a substantial expense. In contrast, Shopify offers shipping discounts, which can help alleviate the financial burden associated with shipping for your business. This further strengthens the case for migrating to Shopify, as it not only provides a feature-rich platform but also offers cost-saving benefits that can contribute to your bottom line.

Difficult to Edit Free Templates

This limitation can be problematic if you wish to utilize specific features available in Shopify’s paid plans or if you aim to create a truly unique and distinctive design for your store. The lack of flexibility and ease of customization with BigCommerce’s free templates may hinder your ability to tailor your store’s appearance and functionality according to your specific requirements and branding preferences.

You Can’t Set Smart Product Rules Automatically

This means that whenever you make changes or add new product rules, you must manually update your store, which can be a time-consuming and tedious task. Unlike other platforms like Shopify, which offer automated processes for managing product rules, BigCommerce requires you to invest additional time and effort into manual updates.

Built-in Blog doesn’t Come with RSS Feeds

This omission can make it challenging to effectively promote your store on social media platforms. RSS feeds are commonly used to automatically share blog content on various social media channels, helping to drive traffic and engagement. Without this feature, you may face difficulties in automating the promotion of your blog posts across social media platforms, requiring you to manually share and distribute content.

You’ll Have to Pay Extra for Abandoned Cart Functionality

If you want to recover potential sales from abandoned carts, you would need to pay an additional cost to access this feature. Abandoned cart functionality is essential for eCommerce businesses as it allows you to send automated reminders and incentives to customers who have left items in their carts without completing the purchase. This can significantly improve your conversion rates and revenue.

VAT MOSS Tax Rates aren’t Adequately Catered

VAT MOSS (Value Added Tax Mini One Stop Shop) is a tax regulation that applies to digital products and services sold to customers within the European Union. BigCommerce may not have robust built-in tools or features to handle these tax rates seamlessly, potentially causing complications and challenges for businesses operating in UK or catering to EU customers.

Benefits of Migrating BigCommerce to Shopify

Now that we’ve explored the drawbacks of BigCommerce, let’s shift our focus to the benefits of migrating to Shopify. Shopify offers a range of advantages that make it an appealing choice for businesses. Let’s delve into these advantages:

More Affordable Plans

Shopify stands out as an attractive option for startups and small businesses due to its affordability and flexible pricing plans. Unlike BigCommerce, Shopify offers a basic plan with zero monthly fees, making it an excellent choice for those on a tight budget. This affordability factor allows businesses to allocate their resources effectively and invest in other essential areas of their operations.

Flexible Design Options

Shopify takes the lead with its wide selection of flexible and customizable themes. With Shopify, you have the freedom to choose from a variety of professionally designed themes, each crafted with attention to detail and a focus on aesthetics.

Smarter Product Rules

One of the standout features of Shopify is its intuitive and user-friendly product rules functionality. With Shopify’s intuitive product rules, you have the power to automate and streamline various aspects of your store’s operations.

Built-in Abandoned Cart Functionality

One of the standout advantages of Shopify is its built-in abandoned cart functionality, which is included in its plans at no additional cost. This powerful feature allows you to tackle one of the biggest challenges faced by online retailers – recovering lost sales from abandoned carts.

Easier Search Engine Optimization

Shopify excels in providing a range of search engine optimization (SEO) options, giving you the tools you need to optimize your online store and attract more organic traffic. With its comprehensive SEO features, Shopify empowers you to improve your store’s visibility in search engine results and reach a wider audience.

Final Thoughts

When considering a migration from BigCommerce to Shopify, it’s essential to evaluate the pros and cons to make an informed decision that suits your business needs. While the migration process itself is relatively straightforward, it’s important to carefully weigh the benefits and potential drawbacks. By carefully weighing the pros and cons, you can make an informed decision about migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify.