Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
- Pricing and Fees
- Core Features
- Ease of Use and Customer Support
- Final Verdict
- Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
In today's digital landscape, choosing the right platform for your online store can make or break your business. With numerous options available, two platforms often compared are Weebly and BigCommerce. Both are potent tools designed to help you establish and grow an ecommerce presence, but each caters to different needs and business sizes. This comprehensive comparison will break down the critical aspects of Weebly and BigCommerce, including pricing, core features, marketing capabilities, and overall user experience, to help you make an informed decision.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
When selecting a website builder and ecommerce platform, it's essential to match your business's needs with the platform's strengths. Weebly is known for its simplicity and affordability, making it ideal for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. BigCommerce, on the other hand, caters to larger, scaling businesses with more complex needs, offering advanced inventory management, omnichannel selling, and powerful AI tools.
Pricing and Fees
Pricing is often the first consideration for businesses choosing an ecommerce platform. Weebly provides a more budget-friendly range of options compared to BigCommerce.
Weebly offers a free plan with basic ecommerce capabilities, suitable for start-ups looking to test the waters. Their paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month:
- Personal Plan: $10/month, includes custom domain support and unlimited storage.
- Professional Plan: $12/month, adds site search capabilities.
- Performance Plan: $26/month, includes advanced ecommerce insights and abandoned cart emails.
BigCommerce does not have a free plan but offers a 15-day free trial. Monthly pricing for BigCommerce is:
- Standard Plan: $39/month, up to $50k in annual sales.
- Plus Plan: $105/month, up to $180k in annual sales.
- Pro Plan: $399/month, up to $400k in annual sales.
- Custom enterprise solutions are available for larger businesses.
While BigCommerce is more expensive, it does not charge transaction fees and provides additional features like omnichannel and international selling tools, providing significant value.
Core Features
Both Weebly and BigCommerce offer robust sets of features tailored to different types of businesses.
Website Building and Design
Weebly:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor perfect for beginners.
- Responsive themes that cater to various industries beyond ecommerce.
- Limited coding required, ideal for users with minimal technical skills.
BigCommerce:
- Extensive customization options using CSS and HTML.
- Themes tailored for ecommerce, though somewhat similar in appearance.
- AI-powered tools to enhance design and functionality, suitable for more advanced users.
Ecommerce and Selling Features
Weebly:
- Basic ecommerce capabilities with support for unlimited products on paid plans.
- Inventory management, automatic tax calculation, and in-store pickup options.
- Shopping cart included, but limited to PayPal payments on higher-tier plans.
BigCommerce:
- Comprehensive ecommerce tools, including real-time shipping quotes and multi-currency selling.
- Advanced inventory management, detailed product variants, custom fields, and more.
- Strong integration with payment processors like Square and Clover, no transaction fees.
Marketing Tools and Analytics
Weebly:
- Excellent blogging tools for content marketing.
- Basic SEO capabilities with limited customization options.
- Simple email marketing and abandoned cart emails on higher plans.
- Pop-up notifications and lead capture forms for increased engagement.
BigCommerce:
- Superior SEO tools allow for detailed site optimization.
- Advanced analytics and reporting features, including customer segmentation and detailed sales tracking.
- Capabilities for creating discounts, gift cards, and detailed email marketing integrations.
- High-level tools for content marketing and product promotion.
AI Capabilities
Weebly:
- Limited native AI features; requires third-party integrations for advanced AI tools.
BigCommerce:
- "BigAI" toolkit offers AI content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations.
- AI-driven search functions improve the shopping experience.
- Continual integration of more AI tools ensures staying at the forefront of AI technology in ecommerce.
Integrations and Apps
Weebly:
- App Center with around 100 apps to enhance functionality.
- Adequate for smaller scale operations needing basic extensions.
BigCommerce:
- Vast app marketplace with over 850 apps covering various needs from marketing to inventory management.
- Advanced integrations and API options for creating automated workflows.
- Better structured app collections for easier navigation and selection.
Ease of Use and Customer Support
Weebly excels in user-friendliness with a straightforward, drag-and-drop interface that requires no coding knowledge, ideal for beginners. In contrast, BigCommerce offers a more complex setup that rewards users with advanced capabilities and customization options, better suited for those with some technical knowledge or the resources to hire a developer.
In terms of customer support, BigCommerce outshines Weebly with its extensive support options, including 24/7 chat, email, and phone support on all plans. Weebly also offers 24/7 support but limits comprehensive support features to only its higher-tier plans.
Final Verdict
Choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce comes down to the scale and objectives of your business:
- Weebly is perfect for smaller businesses and individuals looking for a simple, cost-effective solution to get started with ecommerce.
- BigCommerce is ideal for larger companies aiming for substantial growth, requiring advanced tools, and needing comprehensive support and scalability.
Ultimately, consider what features and capabilities are paramount to your business's needs both now and in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start with Weebly and later migrate to BigCommerce?
Yes, you can start with Weebly for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness and migrate to BigCommerce as your business scales and requires more advanced features.
Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?
No, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any of its plans, which can result in savings as your sales volume increases.
Which platform offers better SEO features?
BigCommerce offers more robust and customizable SEO tools compared to Weebly, making it a better choice for businesses aiming to improve their search engine rankings.
Can I use my domain with Weebly's free plan?
No, to use a custom domain, you need to subscribe to one of Weebly’s paid plans.
Which platform is better for beginners?
Weebly is generally better for beginners due to its intuitive drag-and-drop editor and straightforward setup process.
By assessing your business's current and future needs, you can make an informed choice that will support your ecommerce goals effectively.