Whether your are an ambitious retail startup or a fast growing online store, you'll need to find a top quality enterprise level eCommerce solution to keep th
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Weebly eCommerce vs. Bigcommerce
Weebly, arguably the world's leading online website builder, recently announced major updates to their eCommerce offering, that includes features like a coupon generator, product options, personalized emails, and more.
And while Weebly makes it quick and easy to build normal websites, how does it compare with leading, hosted shopping cart solutions like Bigcommerce?
This article looks at how powerful, flexible, and easy it is to start selling stuff online using Weebly, and uses Bigcommerce as a benchmark comparison to help you decide which is right for your online store.
Weebly eCommerce review
As with all our technical reviews, we try to provide a comprehensive overview of the product/service in question from the point of view of the value for money they provide.
You can take a look at our comparison review of Shopify, Volusion & Bigcommerce to see how the leading eCommerce site builders compare to each other, and how we arrive at the overall ratings awarded.
| Price | Features | Popularity | Reviews | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
9 | 9 | 93% |
As you can see, Weebly has an exceptionally high value for money offering - by comparison Bigcommerce was awarded 89% (which is also excellent).
So is that the end of the story? Should we all migrate our stores to Weebly? Not just yet...
Comparing Weebly eCommerce to Bigcommerce
In terms of value for money, Weebly is really strong. But that doesn't mean they are the automatic choice for every startup or entrepreneur that needs an online store.
In fact, their offering should really be viewed as a lightweight, lean shopping cart solution. It doesn't have the depth, flexibility, or power of Bigcommerce (and by definition the other leading services - Shopify & Volusion).
Here's a quick comparison table:
| Weebly eCommerce | Bigcommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Easy | Easy |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Cheap limited accounts from $3+ to $20+ | Plans starting at $25 |
| Flexibility | Limited | High |
| Control | Limited | High |
| 3rd party integration | Limited | High |
| Transaction fees | 3% on Pro & Starter plans, 0% on business | 0% |
| Products | 10+ | 100+ |
Many of the features that come as standard in Bigcommerce are not even available on Weebly - or exist in a more basic form.
So, if you are starting a site with the intention of growing in scale and complexity then Bigcommerce is what you need.
If, however, you are after a quick and easy store that covers the basics right, then Weebly is the better option - it's cheaper and super easy to set up.
In terms of how easy it is to use each platform, I think they are both on an equal footing. They both have excellent graphical interfaces to configure and customize your store, but Bigcommerce has more flexibility and power and is therefore more complex overall.
How to get started
Creating an online store is really easy on either platform, and you can check out our step-by-step guides to get setup within minutes.
Bigcommerce
You don't need anything other than a name and email address to start a free trial with Bigcommerce, but there is a little bit of configuration work to do.
Click here to go through the steps...
I should also point out that for $50 it is possible to have your Bigcommerce site setup for you, complete with integrated email marketing and starter guide.
Weebly eCommerce
To begin with, you'll need to create a free site, and then add the store to that site.
Click below to get started...
Once your site is up and running, it's a simple matter of clicking on the Store tab along the top of the admin console, like this:
This dialog page provides everything you need to create and integrate the store into your site.
Remember that you may need to upgrade your account to access some of the features, and in particular, you must have a business account in order for the checkout procedure to occur on your site's domain.
Hopefully this comparison review has helped you make a decision about which eCommerce platform is right for you.
Are you already using either one to run your own store? What do you like or dislike about it?
Share your tip and experiences in the comments.
eCommerce website design plays an important role in building trust and authority with potential customers to ensure that an online store converts sales efficiently to generate revenue.
Unlike other types of website (blogs, for example), Web design in eCommerce sites plays a more direct role in the success of that online business, because the design impacts conversion rates and sales directly.
It's also important to note that when we talk about "Web design", we aren't referring only to the theme or template (i.e. the look and feel), but also the functional design, SEO, and performance.
Is your online store losing out on valuable sales because customers are getting confused, losing focus, and moving on without purchasing anything? Can you even tell?
Every bit of Web traffic is valuable, and it is vitally important that your store squeezes as much revenue as possible out of each visit. Of course, not every visit can result in a sale, but that conversion rate can always be nudged a bit higher.
Making conversions easy for potential customers is not only good for profits, it also improves the user experience, which in turn leads to positive experiences and word of mouth.
Trying to decide which eCommerce website builder has all the right features for your new online store in 2014?
We've compiled a list of some of the coolest new features of two of the best shopping cart solutions, namely Shopify & Bigcommerce, to help you make the right decision.
Both of these hosted solutions offer exceptional value for money out-of-the-box, and you can check out a direct comparison of all their standard features (including cost, value for money, customer reviews, etc) between the two at Shopify, Volusion & Bigcommerce.
One of the biggest advantages of using hosted eCommerce software (like Volusion), is that they offer seamless integration with other retail platforms (like Amazon), to help increase your online sales.
Volusion and Amazon recently partnered to offer built-in Amazon integration that helps sell your products through Amazon, but manage everything from your own eCommerce store.
So, if you are interested in starting an eCommerce website with the intention of selling via Amazon, or want to find a way to increase existing sales by reaching out to the millions of buyers on Amazon, Volusion is what you're after.
