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Ecommerce is getting bigger than ever, and more people are hopping on board every day. If they’re going to sell online, though, they’ll need an eCommerce platform.
While there are plenty of options to choose from, two of the most popular ones are WooCommerce and BigCommerce.
WooCommerce is made by the same people like WordPress and is commonly used by people who already have WordPress sites. BigCommerce works seamlessly with WordPress websites too; in fact, it’s used by web design companies like WebCitz for clients who are setting up an eCommerce store from scratch. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, but for online businesses that are just getting started, SEO is an important factor to get right.
Now the question becomes, which one is right for you? The answer will depend on what you’re looking for in an eCommerce platform, but if SEO is a priority, the information below might make your decision a bit easier.
WooCommerce Overview
Launched in 2011, WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress websites. If you look at the top million eCommerce sites, 31% of them use WooCommerce.
Since it’s a WordPress plugin, it’s open-source; users can use, distribute, or change the software as they please. In order to use it, all you need is a functioning WordPress site with an SSL certificate; this is so you can encrypt payments, logins, etc. Once that’s taken care of, you’re ready to install the WooCommerce plugin and begin setting up your online store.
WooCommerce isn’t necessarily as intuitive as it could be, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred many people.
Besides, if you can get around to WordPress, WooCommerce shouldn’t involve too much of a learning curve.
BigCommerce Overview
This eCommerce platform was launched in 2009 and has evolved into a comprehensive Content Management System since then. Since it allows users to manage their eCommerce business all in the same place, it’s a great option for anyone who’s new to the game. From the concept stage to actually accepting orders, BigCommerce guides users through every step.
One of the main drawbacks compared to WooCommerce, though, is that BigCommerce is on the pricier side. If you’re going to use it for your eCommerce website, you’ll need to make sure your profit margins justify the expense. The prices range from $29.95 per month for the Standard Plan to $249.95 per month for the Pro Plan. The Enterprise Plan can go even higher; large online businesses can contact BigCommerce for an estimate.
That being said, BigCommerce’s prices are far from prohibitive; it’s just that its main competitor happens to be free. If you’re looking for a user-friendly, effective, and scalable platform for an online business, BigCommerce has a lot of features to offer.
WooCommerce Pros
Are you curious to know why so many people use WooCommerce? Here are the highlights of their main features.
- Straightforward refund policies
- WordPress’s SEO tools are all available to use since this is a WordPress plugin
- It’s free, so businesses that are small or just starting out don’t have to budget for the extra expense
- Accepts various payment systems
- Plenty of themes (both free and paid) to choose from
- Easy to customize
WooCommerce Cons
Even though they offer plenty of great features, WooCommerce has a few drawbacks as well.
- Users who are new to WordPress will have to learn how to navigate both WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin at the same time
- There’s a steeper learning curve compared to BigCommerce
- You’ll need to purchase extensions
- There’s no user guide
BigCommerce Pros
This platform might not have as much of a popularity factor as WooCommerce, but its robust features have resulted in many satisfied users.
- Accepts multiple currencies
- Superior marketing tools
- Flexible options for products that come in multiple sizes, colors, etc.
- $0 transaction cost
- 15-day free trial period
- Facilitates sales through multiple channels (such as Facebook)
- Well-rounded inbuilt features
- User-friendly layout
BigCommerce Cons
Just like WooCommerce, BigCommerce isn’t perfect; there are a few areas in which it doesn’t come out ahead.
- The learning curve includes plenty of technical lingoes, which beginners might have a hard time understanding as they try to navigate the platform
- There’s no option to save credit card information
- There’s no mobile app
- The themes lack variety, to the point where they all look pretty similar
- There’s a monthly cost, where WooCommerce is free
WooCommerce SEO Features
As far as Woocommerce SEO goes, it doesn’t have any built-in features – but you can use the ones that come with WordPress. If you want to step up your efforts, though, you’ll need to use additional plugins, like the Yoast WooCommerce SEO plugin. This is considered to be one of the top plugins for SEO, and it costs $69.00 (valid for one site). This comes with free updates, as well as support for one year. Many WooCommerce users purchase this plugin, as it helps them rank higher on search engines like Google, Bing, and more.
BigCommerce SEO Features
When it comes to SEO, BigCommerce knows what it’s doing; there are several built-in tools that will help your eCommerce site rank higher in search results. SEO-friendly URLs are automatically generated, and every web page on the site will get its own URL (this optimizes search results). Update the Meta Titles for each web page, and use the “Keyword Support” feature to get suggestions on the best words to use when describing your products. There’s also a Microdata feature, which lets you add more information about the site that’ll appear in search results; this helps you win people over before they’ve even technically visited your website.
Which One Offers The Most Seo-friendly Features?
It’s pretty clear that BigCommerce has much more vigorous offerings where SEO is concerned. WooCommerce can still be optimized for SEO as well, but you’ll need additional plugins and apps to accomplish what BigCommerce offers in a single platform. There are other factors that make them both strong candidates for an eCommerce platform, but if you want to prioritize SEO, BigCommerce seems to be the better option.
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