Are you interested in starting a brand-new e-commerce website but are unsure where to begin? Do you want a robust ecommerce platform for creating, running and managing an online store that is appropriate for any type of business? If that is the case, welcome on board.
BigCommerce is a powerful, flexible and easy-to-use platform you can use to build your online store quickly and easily.
This article explains why BigCommerce is an excellent place to launch your online store, manage orders and sales, use marketing tools and perform miscellaneous analyses and tasks.
To Start a BigCommerce Online Store:
- Know What BigCommerce Is About
- Do Market Research
- Create your BigCommerce Account
- Choose and Customize a BigCommerce Theme
- Build up Product Categories and Add Items to Your Online Store
- Set up Your Payment Methods
- Familiarize Yourself With BigCommerce’s Privacy Policy
- Put in Place Your Shipping Plan
Let’s dive in!
1. Know What BigCommerce Is About
To kick off a BigCommerce online store, know what the platform is about.
With BigCommerce, you can set up an online store, using either a custom design or a theme from BigCommerce’s prebuilt, spectacular themes. Find out BigCommerce’s features and tools that can help you grow your store, such as product reviews, coupons and discounts.
Want to take your business to the next level? BigCommerce is the right platform for you—it does not matter whether you’re new to e-commerce or a seasoned pro.
What about enjoying an easy-to-use interface plus powerful features at an accessible price? BigCommerce is the perfect plug you need.
2. Do Market Research
To begin a successful BigCommerce online business, research the best products possible for your e-commerce store. Use tools like Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to carry out keyword research and discover the product your audiences like and want.
Find what products and services your audiences want and how much they are willing to pay. Contact any vendor you are considering for your business and thoroughly discuss the terms of service. Ask the supplier to email you the company’s terms and conditions so that you can have a clear idea of your rights and responsibilities.
Use sites like eBay or Amazon—or even social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter—to research what’s hot and trending in your market.
3. Create Your BigCommerce Account
To launch a lucrative BigCommerce online store, sign up for a seller account so you can be eligible to sell on the platform. Visit BigCommerce Homepage to start the registration process. Click on the Create Account or New Account tab, as appropriate. It is quite simple to set up a BigCommerce account. Isn’t it?
Fill out the form that appears on the screen. Create a password and enter your email address. Provide some basic information about your company, such as name, address and phone number. To finish creating your account, click the “Create My Account” button!
Select the payment gateway you want to use to accept consumer payments. Read the terms of service and fees carefully before selecting a payment gateway.
4. Choose and Customize a BigCommerce Theme
To begin a BigCommerce store, choose a theme and customize it to match your brand and style (a theme that corresponds with your brand identity).
Choose a theme that is responsive and compatible with all devices, integrates well with the BigCommerce platform, and is sufficiently customizable so you can make your store’s appearance unique.
Keep in mind a captivating theme boosts your conversion rate and thus your store’s sales. Never forget that!
Visit BigCommerce themes to find one that’s ideal for your online store. Change the theme’s colors, fonts and layout to match your store. Make your store stand out from the crowd by creating a unique design with a logo and photos.
5. Build up Product Categories and Add Items to Your Online Store
To kick off a BigCommerce online store, list products in the right categories—showcasing your items is a crucial part of getting started with ecommerce.
BigCommerce creates a “Products” page that displays all of your products in a grid to help organize your listings in the right category.
To create a product category, go to Products > Categories in your BigCommerce control panel. Click the “Create a Category” icon and enter a name for your category.
Include a catchy title and create a convincing product description. Upload clear product images to your BigCommerce store. Write unique descriptions of your products so you can convert visitors to customers. Assign your product to the appropriate category so customers can easily find it.
6. Set up Your Payment Methods
To start a BigCommerce online store, set up your payment gateways. Include a credit card processor like PayPal or Stripe. These companies handle all the credit card transactions for you and deposit the money into your account.
Use a payment processor that enables you to accept credit card payments with a bank account.
Use BigCommerce payment gateway, as it connects your store to a payment processor. It’s a good option if you don’t want to use a merchant account, or if you want to use multiple processors.
Use BigCommerce’s built-in payment processor, as it is a good option if you want to keep all of your payments in one place. No matter which payment method you choose, test it out before you start taking live orders. That way, you can be sure that everything works smoothly.
7. Familiarize Yourself With BigCommerce’s Privacy Policy
To launch a BigCommerce online store, familiarize yourself with the company’s policies so you can avoid any problems. Find out the company’s refund policy in case a customer is unhappy with a purchase.
Familiarize yourself with the policy ahead of time to help you handle any situation quickly and efficiently. Review the company’s terms and conditions to prevent possible misunderstandings or disputes—this document outlines the rights and responsibilities of you and your customers. Visit BigCommerce Privacy site to understand all you need to know.
Here are key clauses in the policy:
- Use BigCommerce services only for legitimate purposes, and not for illegal, invasive, infringing or offensive reasons.
- Do not upload or distribute any personal or private information about, or photographs of, any third party without their permission.
- It is forbidden to fake, misrepresent, omit or remove message headers, return mailing information, and/or Internet protocol addresses in order to conceal or misidentify the origin of a communication.
- Never allow a third party to use the platform to generate, broadcast, publish or improve unsolicited mass email, promotions, ads or other solicitations.
- Do not use the site to store, post, exhibit, transmit, sell, publicize or otherwise make available child pornography.
8. Put in Place Your Shipping Plan
To begin a BigCommerce store, have a shipping plan in place. Ensure that your customers receive their orders in a timely and efficient manner. Consider several factors—shipping method, delivery option, shipping speed, etc.—when designing your shipping plan.
Choose the shipping method you want for your customers’ orders. Do your research and select the option that best matches your needs—whether you want to offer standard or fast shipping, or even both.
When determining what plan to select, keep your shipping costs in mind. Create thorough shipping policies that clarify your methods and terms for your customers. Include realistic shipping schedules, prices and return/exchange policies. Create a comprehensive shipping plan to guarantee that your BigCommerce store works smoothly and efficiently.
The BigCommerce Merchant Center is essential for you as it serves as a central hub for managing your orders, payments and shipping.
Conclusion
To launch a BigCommerce online store, conduct extensive market research and learn about the platform Create a BigCommerce account, select and modify a theme and configure your ecommerce to reflect your brand and style.
Build up product categories and add items to your online store, and set up your payment methods. Familiarize yourself with BigCommerce privacy policy to understand what to do and what not to do.
Put your delivery strategy in place to avoid disappointment or delaying customers’ orders.
