Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
- Pricing and Fees
- Core Features: Weebly vs BigCommerce
- Ease of Use and Customer Support
- Final Verdict
- FAQ Section
Introduction
In the ever-evolving world of ecommerce, choosing the right platform for your online store is crucial. With numerous options available, it can be daunting to pinpoint which platform caters best to your business needs. Two popular choices today are Weebly and BigCommerce. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or a growing business, evaluating these platforms based on their features, pricing, and overall usability can guide you in making an informed decision.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
When considering Weebly and BigCommerce, the choice largely depends on your business size and future growth plans. Weebly is recognized for its user-friendly nature and affordability, making it ideal for small businesses or startups. On the other hand, BigCommerce stands out for its advanced ecommerce capabilities, perfect for larger companies with a significant online presence.
Pricing and Fees
Weebly
Weebly offers a "free forever" plan, attracting newcomers to the ecommerce scene. This plan provides basic ecommerce functionalities such as access to a shopping cart and the ability to sell unlimited items. Weebly's paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month. Even its lowest tier plan supports a custom domain and unlimited storage. The top-tier plan, labeled "Performance," includes more advanced features like abandoned cart emails and detailed ecommerce insights.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce does not offer a free plan but provides a 15-day free trial. Post-trial, the pricing begins at $39 per month for the Standard plan and can go up to $399 for the Pro plan. There's also an enterprise option available with custom pricing based on specific business needs. Notably, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan, though selling limits may apply. For example, the Standard plan restricts annual sales to $50k. Despite being more expensive, BigCommerce plans are packed with substantial features, such as omnichannel and international selling tools.
Core Features: Weebly vs BigCommerce
Website Building and Design
While both platforms offer a variety of templates, BigCommerce's themes are more tailored towards ecommerce functionalities. BigCommerce features hundreds of responsive, professional-looking templates designed to meet various business needs. Conversely, Weebly's templates cater to a broader range, including portfolios and blogs.
Weebly excels in ease of use with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, requiring no coding knowledge. BigCommerce, although advancing in user-friendliness, does have a steeper learning curve. However, it allows for more in-depth customization through CSS and HTML, making it ideal for users looking for granular control over their store’s design and functionality.
Ecommerce and Selling Features
Weebly offers robust ecommerce capabilities at a reasonable price point. Key features include unlimited product support, inventory management, automatic tax calculations, and delivery options. However, certain premium features, like abandoned cart emails, require higher-tier plans. Also, PayPal payments are only available on the Performance plan.
BigCommerce, in contrast, provides advanced ecommerce functionalities across all plans. This includes omnichannel and social media integrations, partnerships with payment systems like PayPal, and robust inventory management tools. Features like real-time shipping quotes, product ratings and reviews, and multi-currency selling enhance the shopping experience. BigCommerce also supports detailed product variants and custom delivery rules, catering to both B2C and B2B businesses.
Marketing Tools and Analytics
Weebly's blogging tools are superior, which can be advantageous for content marketing. It also provides useful functionalities such as pop-up notifications, Instagram feeds, and lead capture forms. However, its SEO tools are relatively limited.
BigCommerce offers more comprehensive marketing and SEO tools, allowing for deeper customization to boost search engine rankings. Both platforms support creating vouchers, gift cards, and abandoned cart emails, but Weebly reserves some of these features for higher-tier plans.
BigCommerce excels in analytics by providing customized dashboards and detailed reports on inventory, sales, customer preferences, and more. This allows businesses to make data-driven decisions to optimize performance.
AI Capabilities
BigCommerce leads in integrating AI into ecommerce with its BigAI toolkit, offering predictive analytics, personalized product recommendations, and AI-powered search functionalities. Weebly, however, lacks native AI features but allows integration of third-party AI tools through its marketplace.
Integrations and Apps
Although Shopify is often cited for having the most extensive ecommerce app market, both Weebly and BigCommerce offer a variety of integration options. BigCommerce boasts more than 850 apps for a range of functions, including point of sale, marketing, dropshipping, and analytics. Its organization of apps into collections facilitates quick searches.
Weebly’s App Center, while smaller, still provides essential apps for enhancing store performance. However, with about 100 apps, it’s evident that BigCommerce offers a wider selection and thus greater flexibility.
Ease of Use and Customer Support
Weebly
Weebly’s interface is highly user-friendly, with a simple drag-and-drop editor that requires no prior experience. This makes it the preferred choice for beginners or those seeking a straightforward website building process.
BigCommerce
Conversely, BigCommerce has a steeper learning curve but compensates with more comprehensive customer support. Resources include detailed tutorials, guides, FAQs, and an active online community. While both platforms offer 24/7 support, BigCommerce provides phone support on all plans, which Weebly limits based on the plan tier.
Final Verdict
Choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce hinges on your business's current size and long-term goals. Weebly is the right choice if you prioritize ease of use and cost-effectiveness for a small-scale store. However, for businesses seeking scalability, advanced ecommerce features, and robust support options, BigCommerce emerges as the superior platform.
FAQ Section
Which platform is more cost-effective?
For small businesses or startups, Weebly is more cost-effective due to its free plan and lower-priced tiers. BigCommerce, though more expensive, offers advanced features that justify the cost for larger businesses.
Can I switch platforms if my needs change?
Yes, both Weebly and BigCommerce support platform migration, although the complexity may vary. It's advisable to plan your transition carefully to minimize downtime and data loss.
How important are AI capabilities in an ecommerce platform?
AI capabilities can significantly enhance user experience by providing personalized recommendations and streamlined search functionalities. BigCommerce’s AI tools can be particularly beneficial for larger stores with diverse product offerings.
What kind of support can I expect from each platform?
Weebly offers 24/7 support through email, chat, and forums, with the availability of phone support limited to higher-tier plans. BigCommerce provides comprehensive support, including phone support, on all plans, along with extensive self-help resources.
Which platform offers better SEO tools?
BigCommerce provides more robust SEO tools, allowing for detailed customization to improve search engine rankings. While Weebly also offers SEO functionalities, they are more limited in comparison.
