VS
Online merchants have to be fluid, ready to pivot their sales strategies, add new features, and update their look or navigability for their audience dynamically. This is why ecommerce software suites have evolved over the years to include features that give even the smallest shops the utmost control over their online store, from managing customer relations to optimizing the logistics process.
Volusion and Bigcommerce are two heavy hitters in the ecommerce software space. You’ve probably seen detailed information about both platforms throughout your search for the right ecommerce software. See how Volusion and Bigcommerce go head-to-head on out-of-the-box features, extra fees, and online store design templates below.
When you pay for a basic version of a shopping cart software platform, you should expect to get more than just your store’s foundation. You should expect access to the core features your online store needs to compete. How do Volusion and Bigcommerce stack up?
For its part, Volusion is a web of fees and penalties. You’ll be charged for migration, cancellations, email usage, bandwidth overage, and more. Just setting up your SSL is going to run you an extra $89! None of this is advanced functionality.
Bigcommerce is much more transparent. That said, you better be strong at forecasting exactly how you’ll use your online store every month. If you go over your order limit, for example, you’ll end up having to pay a penalty.
Generally speaking, you can find ecommerce platforms that offer advanced functionality upgrades at reasonable prices while promoting a transparent pricing structure. Unfortunately, you’re not going to find them here.
If you’re a bigger shop, you might find yourself finding astronomical prices to run your store on Bigcommerce. For smaller shops on more basic packages, you might find yourself missing out on core functionality like abandoned cart tools, customer groups, email, and more.
Volusion plans may cost less out of the gate. Still, you won’t get everything you might want out of a baseline ecommerce product. In addition to features like a loyalty program or API access, you’ll miss out on having your own built-in customer relationship manager (CRM), a crucial part of running a clean business.
Features are crucial, but it pays to look good too.
Today’s website design is more about practicality than flashy bells and whistles. It’s more important now than it ever was to use responsive design so customers have a consistent experience across desktop and mobile devices.
But should you have to pay a premium for your responsive store? Volusion thinks so, charging as much as $895 for some of their responsive themes. There’s a silver lining: six responsive themes are free. But that means one of those six themes has to go well with your brand, which doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.
Volusion still trumps Bigcommerce here. The ecommerce vet offers a meager two free responsive design themes, which means you’ll have to pay a premium if one of those two doesn’t match the brand you want to build.
