Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
- Pricing and Fees
- Website Building and Design
- Ecommerce and Selling Features
- Marketing Tools and Analytics
- AI Capabilities
- Integrations and Apps
- Ease of Use and Customer Support
- Final Verdict
- FAQ Section
Introduction
In today's digitally driven world, establishing an online presence is crucial for any business, big or small. Selecting the right ecommerce platform can make or break your efforts to grow and scale. Two prominent options often debated are Weebly and BigCommerce. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses depending on the business needs. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into an in-depth comparison of Weebly vs BigCommerce, evaluating aspects like pricing, features, ease of use, and support. By the end of this article, you'll have a clearer understanding of which platform is best suited to your needs.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
Weebly
Weebly stands out as a user-friendly, affordable option, tailored more towards smaller businesses and solo entrepreneurs. Its simple drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible for those without technical experience. However, it lacks some of the advanced functionalities required by larger businesses.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce, on the other hand, is ideal for larger companies eyeing significant growth. It offers robust capabilities including advanced inventory management, state-of-the-art AI features, and support for omnichannel selling. This platform is geared more towards scalability and handling high traffic and sales volume.
Pricing and Fees
Weebly
Weebly is known for its affordability and offers a "free forever" plan allowing you to sell unlimited products via a basic shopping cart. The paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month, with each tier progressively offering more advanced features like custom domains, unlimited storage, abandoned cart emails, and advanced ecommerce insights.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce doesn't offer a free plan, but it does provide a 15-day free trial to new users. After the trial, prices begin at $39 per month and can go up to $399 per month for the Pro plan. An enterprise option is also available with custom pricing. While BigCommerce is more expensive, it does offer more advanced features and does not charge transaction fees on any plans. However, each plan imposes a yearly revenue cap, like the $50k limit on the Standard plan.
Website Building and Design
Weebly
Weebly offers a highly intuitive drag-and-drop editor, which is extremely beginner-friendly. With a variety of responsive templates tailored for different industries, it’s simple to set up a visually appealing website without coding knowledge.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce boasts more sophisticated design capabilities, supporting extensive customizations through CSS and HTML. Its templates are specifically optimized for ecommerce, offering deeper customization options like global widgets and unique product category sections. However, its editor has a steeper learning curve compared to Weebly, even though AI enhancements have made it more user-friendly over the years.
Ecommerce and Selling Features
Weebly
For its price point, Weebly provides robust ecommerce capabilities. Features include unlimited product listings, inventory management tools, automatic tax calculations, and various delivery options. The integrated shopping cart and filtered search functionalities improve the user experience for shoppers. However, certain features, like abandoned cart emails and PayPal payment acceptance, require higher-tiered plans.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce excels in offering comprehensive ecommerce functionalities. Its partnership with PayPal allows for discounted transaction rates, and it supports multiple payment gateways. Inventory management is more sophisticated, offering omnichannel integrations, real-time shipping quotes, and multi-currency selling. BigCommerce also provides powerful tools for B2B and wholesale businesses, with customizable product pages, detailed product variants, and specific shipping rules.
Marketing Tools and Analytics
Weebly
Weebly does a commendable job in content marketing, thanks to its robust blogging features. It includes useful tools like pop-up notifications, lead capture forms, and customizable Instagram feeds. However, its SEO capabilities are limited compared to BigCommerce. While basic email marketing and abandoned cart emails are supported, more advanced campaigns would require third-party integrations.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce shines in its analytics and reporting capabilities. Offering customizable dashboards, it allows users to track inventory, sales, customer preferences, and more. From an SEO perspective, it provides more options to optimize your website for better rankings. Marketing features include vouchers, gift cards, and item reviews, making it easier to promote products and boost conversions.
AI Capabilities
Weebly
Weebly lacks native AI capabilities, which has become increasingly standard among modern ecommerce platforms. Some third-party AI tools can be integrated through the marketplace, but these are limited.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a frontrunner in integrating AI into ecommerce. Its "BigAI" toolkit includes AI content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations. AI search capabilities further enhance the shopping experience by helping customers find products more efficiently. The platform continues to expand its AI strategy by partnering with third-party providers for deeper integrations.
Integrations and Apps
Weebly
Weebly offers around 100 apps in its App Center, covering essential functionalities across marketing, shipping, and customer management.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce provides a far richer ecosystem with over 850 apps. It organizes them into collections for easy discovery. These integrations cover everything from POS systems to marketing, dropshipping, and analytics. You can also use open APIs to automate workflows between business apps, offering greater customization and operational efficiency.
Ease of Use and Customer Support
Weebly
Weebly is designed for ease of use, making it an excellent choice for individuals and small business owners who want to set up their website quickly. The learning curve is minimal, courtesy of its intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
BigCommerce
While BigCommerce is user-friendly, it is more appropriate for users who require advanced features and are willing to invest the time to learn them. It provides comprehensive customer support, including 24/7 chat, email, and phone support on all plans. The platform also offers tutorial guides, a vibrant online community, and a plethora of video resources for added assistance.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, if you are managing a small store and need a simple, affordable solution with basic ecommerce functionalities, Weebly is the way to go. Its ease of use and budget-friendly pricing make it a practical choice for smaller businesses or solo entrepreneurs.
Conversely, if your business requires advanced capabilities, greater scalability, sophisticated inventory management, and robust AI features, BigCommerce is the better option. Despite its higher cost, it provides extensive tools and integrations that will support significant growth and enhance your online store's functionality.
FAQ Section
1. Which platform should I choose if I have no technical background?
Weebly. Its highly intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it accessible for users without technical expertise.
2. Can I start with Weebly and move to BigCommerce later?
Yes, many businesses start with simpler platforms like Weebly and graduate to more advanced platforms like BigCommerce as their needs grow.
3. Do either of these platforms support omnichannel selling?
BigCommerce. It offers robust omnichannel selling features, integrating with various marketplaces and social media channels.
4. Which platform provides better customer support?
BigCommerce. It offers comprehensive customer support, including phone support on every plan, which Weebly lacks on its basic plans.
5. Is there a cost-effective option that allows me to start for free?
Weebly. Its "free forever" plan allows you to start without an upfront cost, although features will be limited.
By covering these varied and detailed aspects, you should now be equipped to make an informed decision based on your specific business needs.
