Weebly vs BigCommerce: Which Platform Suits Your Ecommerce Needs?

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pros and Cons
  3. Pricing and Fees Comparison
  4. Core Features
  5. AI Capabilities
  6. Integrations and Apps
  7. Ease of Use and Customer Support
  8. Final Verdict
  9. FAQ Section
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Introduction

In the rapidly evolving world of ecommerce, choosing the right platform to build and manage your online store can be a critical decision. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner looking to grow your digital footprint, the selection of an ecommerce platform is pivotal. Today, we will delve into a detailed comparison of Weebly and BigCommerce, two popular choices in the market, to help you make an informed decision based on your business needs.

If you're in a rush, here's a quick takeaway: Weebly is an affordable and user-friendly choice, ideal for smaller businesses. In contrast, BigCommerce offers advanced features, scalability, and extensive support, making it better suited for larger enterprises.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pros and Cons

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Weebly and BigCommerce is crucial for determining which platform aligns with your business goals.

Weebly Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Affordability: Weebly offers very cost-effective pricing plans, including a free plan.
  • Ease of Use: The platform is known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.
  • Blogging Capabilities: Weebly has robust features for blog integration.
  • Storage: Unlimited storage even on lower-tier plans.

Cons:

  • Limited Scalability: Less suited for growing businesses that may require more advanced features.
  • Payment Integrations: Limited compared to other platforms.

BigCommerce Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Advanced Features: Offers comprehensive tools for inventory management and ecommerce operations.
  • Omnichannel Selling: Exceptional capabilities for selling across various channels.
  • No Transaction Fees: BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plans.
  • Customizability: Extensive options for theme customization and UI adjustments.

Cons:

  • Higher Cost: More expensive, especially as you move to higher-tier plans.
  • Learning Curve: Has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features.

Pricing and Fees Comparison

Pricing is a key consideration when selecting an ecommerce platform. Here's how Weebly and BigCommerce stack up:

Weebly Pricing

Weebly offers a "free forever" plan suitable for very small businesses. Paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month. The entry-level plan supports custom domains and unlimited storage, while the top-tier plan includes advanced ecommerce insights and abandoned cart emails.

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce does not have a free plan but offers a 15-day trial. Post-trial, pricing ranges from $39 per month (Standard plan) to $399 per month (Pro plan), with custom pricing for enterprise solutions. There are no transaction fees across any plans, and higher-tier plans come with features like omnichannel selling tools, which add significant value.

Core Features

Weebly and BigCommerce offer distinct features tailored to different audience segments. Here’s a breakdown of their core offerings:

Website Building and Design

Weebly: Known for its beginner-friendly interface, Weebly’s drag-and-drop editor requires no coding skills, making it accessible to non-technical users. It offers hundreds of responsive templates not only tailored to ecommerce but also suitable for blogs and portfolios.

BigCommerce: While BigCommerce has a more robust set of design tools, it does involve a steeper learning curve. Advanced users can benefit from in-depth customization via CSS and HTML. The platform also offers responsive and professional templates geared specifically towards ecommerce.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

Weebly: Offers solid ecommerce capabilities for its price. Key features include support for unlimited products, inventory management, tax calculation, and delivery options. Higher-tier plans add on functionalities like abandoned cart emails and advanced shipping options.

BigCommerce: Provides extensive ecommerce tools suitable for scaling businesses. Features include detailed product variants, multi-currency selling, SEO tools, and integration with various payment systems. Its omnichannel selling options allow businesses to sell across marketplaces and social media platforms, truly capitalizing on its advanced integration capabilities.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly: Excels in content marketing with its strong blogging features and additional tools like pop-ups and lead capture forms. However, it falls short in comprehensive SEO capabilities and advanced analytics compared to BigCommerce.

BigCommerce: Provides advanced marketing tools like AI-driven product recommendations, detailed analytics, and SEO features. Businesses can create custom dashboards and track a wide range of performance metrics, including customer behavior and sales trends.

AI Capabilities

Artificial Intelligence is transforming ecommerce, and both platforms approach it differently:

Weebly: Lacks native AI capabilities. While users can integrate third-party AI tools, the platform does not offer built-in AI features, which may limit its capabilities for those looking for AI-driven functionalities.

BigCommerce: Emerging as a leader with its BigAI toolkit that includes AI content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations. These tools can significantly enhance the user experience and optimize business operations.

Integrations and Apps

Weebly:

Offers a decent App Center with around 100 integrations, covering essentials like marketing, social media, and SEO tools. While sufficient for small businesses, it may fall short for rapidly growing enterprises needing extensive third-party app support.

BigCommerce:

Boasts over 850 apps and integrations, including comprehensive options in categories like point of sale, marketing, dropshipping, fulfillment, and analytics. The platform’s open API enables businesses to create custom workflows and automate processes, providing greater operational flexibility.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Weebly: Known for its intuitive interface, Weebly is easier to use, especially for beginners or those without technical expertise. However, its customer support options are more limited, particularly on lower-tier plans.

BigCommerce: Although it presents a steeper learning curve, its comprehensive resources, including tutorials, community forums, and 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone, make it highly supportive for users. BigCommerce’s extensive customer support is an asset for businesses needing ongoing assistance.

Final Verdict

Choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce ultimately depends on your business needs:

Weebly: Best suited for small businesses, solopreneurs, and users looking for an affordable, easy-to-use platform with basic ecommerce features and strong blogging capabilities.

BigCommerce: Ideal for businesses looking to scale, requiring advanced ecommerce functionalities, high customizability, robust integrations, and top-tier customer support.

Both platforms offer unique benefits and cater to different market segments. Assessing your current business scale, future growth aspirations, and specific functional requirements will help in making the right choice.

FAQ Section

1. Can I start with Weebly and migrate to BigCommerce later?

Yes, you can start your business on Weebly and later migrate to BigCommerce as your business grows and requires more advanced features. However, it's essential to plan the migration carefully to ensure data and functionality transition smoothly.

2. Do both platforms support multilingual websites?

BigCommerce supports multilingual functionalities through integrations and tools that cater to global commerce. Weebly, while more limited, does offer some third-party apps to create multilingual sites but might not be as robust for global businesses.

3. Do I need coding knowledge to use these platforms?

Weebly is highly suitable for users with little to no coding knowledge due to its drag-and-drop editor. BigCommerce, while user-friendly, offers more advanced customization options that can benefit from coding knowledge, especially for detailed customizations.

4. Can I integrate social media sales channels with both platforms?

Yes, both platforms support social media integrations. BigCommerce, however, provides more advanced omnichannel selling tools, making it easier to manage sales across multiple social media and marketplace channels seamlessly.

5. Which platform is better for SEO?

BigCommerce has more comprehensive SEO tools, allowing for deeper customization and optimization of site elements to improve search engine rankings. Weebly, though supportive of basic SEO needs, might not be as powerful for extensive SEO management.