BigCommerce is an ecommerce platform trusted by tens of thousands of merchants and operating in more than 150 countries.
It offers lots of customizability and dedicated support, making it a superb option for building your store.
However, creating your BigCommerce online store can be difficult if you don’t know where to start.
In this article, we’ll discuss some key characteristics that make excellent BigCommerce sites and share some examples so you can see for yourself.
Read on to see:
Create customized pages in BigCommerce with ShogunBuild dynamic pages that convert shoppers into customers. Get started now
Let’s kick off by reviewing some design and functionality aspects that take a BigCommerce website from good to great.
Here’s what you should try to incorporate into your website.
Making a purchase is likely the primary action you want visitors to take.
An obvious call-to-action (CTA) or promotional offer pushes them towards that and minimizing distractions helps.
Open Mile increased conversions by 232% by making their CTA more prominent and reducing distractions around it.
The ability to search for specific products makes browsing your site easier for your consumers.
It also helps shoppers find the products they are looking for and quickly complete their purchase.
Take Aquila as an example. If I need “brown leather shoes,” I can find my options by simply typing my query.
And shoppers are happy to use them—43% of retail website users directly go to an on-site search bar, and searchers are 1.8 times more likely to convert.
Since customers can’t physically inspect your products, they rely on visual content.
Images influence 75% of shoppers’ purchase decisions, so use high-quality photos that display your products in their best light.
Read: How to Take Perfect Product Photos for Your Store
Content that matches consumer interests drives up to 7.8x more organic traffic and engages visitors.
It even guides them further along their journey and compels them to purchase.
King’s Hawaiian applies this strategy on its homepage by presenting visitors with delicious recipes using sweet bread.
Right underneath, it lets shoppers add the ingredients to their carts.
Comprehensive details about your offering influence the buyer’s decision. 98% of shoppers will not complete their purchase if your product information is incomplete or incorrect.
Avoid abandoned carts by carefully crafting individual item descriptions and:
UGC, like reviews and testimonials, acts as endorsements from users who’ve had superb experiences with your brand.
Showcase them on your website to nurture trust. ICE Cobotics, for example, displays testimonials.
According to Salesforce, 92% of shoppers trust recommendations from other people more than other sources.
79% of consumers, meanwhile, say it impacts their purchase decisions.
Read: How to Integrate BigCommerce with Instagram
Consumers will more likely opt out of a lengthy and complex checkout process.
The Baymard Institute found that 17% of US online shoppers have abandoned their carts because of it, while 24% did the same because account creation was required.
Let visitors complete purchases quickly and easily.
Gather only necessary information like their name, shipping address, and billing details. Also, don’t force them to create a store profile.
Homedic, for instance, lets visitors complete purchases as guests.
Additionally, stay within your shoppers’ means. Accommodate as many payment options as possible and offer free shipping.
Baymard Institute’s previously mentioned study on online consumers and cart abandonment found that 48% of consumers abandoned their carts because extra costs, such as shipping, were too high, and 9% saw a lack of payment options.
Customers will always have questions and issues—like defective products and troubleshooting—that need addressing.
You should be able to assist wherever, whenever.
Provide customers with a help desk or knowledge base via support pages. Also, make yourself reachable through various modes of communication like:
Dinovite, for example, is available across these key channels.
It also dedicates pages for shipping information and its privacy policy. Lastly, train your staff to resolve any concerns quickly.
Portent found that loading times affect the customer experience and your conversion rates.
It states that up to four-second load speeds maximize conversions, and websites that load in one second have 2.5 times more conversions than those that load in five seconds and five times more than those that load in 10 seconds.
So, to optimize your BigCommerce store, only use essential scripts, code, and third-party apps.
Beyond that, be sure to compress your images and enable Google Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP).
#cta-mini-pb#Create a lightning-fast website with Shogun Frontend.Learn more
Mobile commerce presents a huge opportunity for BigCommerce merchants.
More than 230 million US consumers own smartphones, and 79% have made online purchases in the last six months.
It’s also predicted to account for 44.2% of US retail ecommerce sales by 2025.
Tailor your store for mobile commerce experiences and make it accessible to a multitude of shoppers.
Invest in the right tools for your BigCommerce website.
Individual pieces of your tech stack should be designed for specific purposes, such as website optimization, advertising, and the like.
See what others use to find what may work for building your store. Tools like BuiltWith and Wappalyzer can help.
Create customized pages in BigCommerce with ShogunBuild dynamic pages that convert shoppers into customers. Get started now
Now that we’ve covered some of the critical elements of a BigCommerce website, let’s take a look at a few examples we love of companies that use BigCommerce.
ICE Cobotics designs and manufactures autonomous and non-autonomous floor cleaning equipment made available through affordable monthly subscriptions.
The company’s homepage—powered by Shogun Frontend—loads in a whopping 0.6 seconds, according to Lighthouse. Rich merchandising gives the website a luxurious undertone as the page introduces visitors to ICE Cobotics’ technology and what they do.
In the meantime, clear CTAs point visitors toward a path to conversion, and they even have an equipment quiz to help find the right solution.
Website tools:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Aquila offers premium men’s shoes and accessories.
The brand’s homepage greets you with a CTA and relevant offer, has a search bar, and lets you browse its catalog once you arrive. Its menus are also easy to navigate.
Product recommendations are also presented before checkout, and the process only requires necessary information while offering multiple payment options.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Archilight provides various LED lighting products for architectural projects. It collaborates with architects and installers to provide end-to-end support.
The website has a dedicated project gallery showcasing Archilight’s end results, and well-categorized menus ease browsing.
A seamless shopping process ends with a requested quote, and each product has accessible specification sheets.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Carpe Diem Beds offers handmade Scandinavian beds designed for quality, comfort, and sustainability.
Its website menu categories are straightforward and let you customize your bed.
You can find the most convenient store through its locator—whether it’s physical or online.
Its other sites, meanwhile, let you book appointments for personal shopping with a Carpe Diem Beds specialist.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Dinovite is a pet nutrition brand. Its homepage clearly communicates its products’ benefits, offers various forms of content, and lets you browse its bestsellers upon arrival.
It even shows off customer testimonials and how many news sites have featured the brand.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Homedics offers various wellness appliances.
Its homepage loads in three seconds or less and greets you with the brand’s promotional offers and guarantees. As you scroll down, you can:
You can also finish your purchase, without an account, in just a few clicks.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
King’s Hawaiian is the creator of the original Hawaiian sweet bread.
On its homepage, you’re shown tasty recipes built around specific products, and once you’re compelled to buy, adding the featured item to your cart is easy.
You can then checkout in just a few clicks.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
RC Pets produces high-quality outdoor apparel and accessories for pets.
On its homepage, products are categorized into easy-to-navigate menus. You can subscribe to its newsletter and access various support pages.
It also provides complete product information and points you toward the nearest specialty pet retailer.
Adventures pages also feature UGC showing the items in use.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Shirts from Fargo is a print-on-demand service that offers artists, businesses, and nonprofits opportunities to sell their custom apparel and accessories.
Its website is pretty straightforward.
Menus are categorized according to Fargo’s original designs, its clientele’s storefronts, and everything else.
You can browse items directly on the homepage, and checkout only takes a few clicks. If you’re interested in Fargo’s services, you can create a storefront or ask for a quote.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Slumberjack provides high-quality camping furniture and equipment designed to deliver outdoor comfort.
Its website highlights its free shipping offer at the top and focuses on providing an easy user experience through well-sorted menus.
Widgets also let you view accessibility options and reach live chat support. Product pages, meanwhile, let you see the item’s images from different angles and zoom in.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Vivo is a hair salon and skin clinic brand that makes its products and services available through BigCommerce.
You can even purchase vouchers and book salon appointments. The homepage:
The purchasing process is quick, from item selection to checkout. There are multiple customer service pages and channels too.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Leica is a high-end camera brand. You can search for specific cameras, lenses, and accessories through its site.
You can even skim through pre-owned ones.
It has dedicated Offers and Leica Akademie pages for various promotional offers and booking workshops for Leica camera owners.
The site also showcases UGC captured by professional photographers.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Black Diamond offers equipment for skiers, climbers, hikers, and more.
Its website is aptly designed to display its products in use and is optimized for online shopping.
CTAs and clickable images take you directly to specific categories, and you can quickly complete a purchase.
A Today’s Offers widget on its homepage, meanwhile, takes you to products that are on sale.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
GEN3 produces high-quality and reasonably-priced electric bikes, which is what its website is built around It highlights three things:
Its homepage features its benefits and GEN3’s support pages, but the overall site is straight to the point.
Video content, meanwhile, supplements individual product pages.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Beyond Health provides natural vitamins and supplements that are all tested by their expert team.
Upon entering, a popup will offer you an attractive opportunity to get a discount—so long as you provide your email.
Its homepage features the brand’s guarantees, benefits, and catalog. It also offers health and wellness content.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Ted Baker is a fashion and lifestyle brand offering menswear, womenswear, accessories, and more.
We jumped into their website right in time for their Autumn event, highlighted by a huge 30% discount banner.
Professionally-taken photos highlight their clothing, and curated picks are visible right underneath. Then, as you scroll down, clickable images redirect you to your selected category.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Cocktail Courier delivers kits and subscription boxes, all of which are made with the brand’s original recipes.
You’ll be greeted by a discount popup upon arrival and be shown its trending creations. Beautiful photos show off concoctions, and displayed awards boost its credibility.
Cocktails are sorted by type and spirits, and it takes little time to complete a purchase. And for subscriptions, simply sign up and select your package to begin.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
CareerStep offers flexible and affordable career training for various industries.
Its homepage lets you explore vocational programs for various skill levels and showcases its network of trusted employers.
Besides highlighting CareerStep’s benefits, the website also connects you to a career advisor. A live chat widget is also available.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Auvere True Gold is a jewelry brand that prides itself on its designs and responsibly-sourced materials.
Their homepage is filled with high-quality photos, an abundance of content that tells the brand’s story, and images of well-known personalities wearing Auvere’s pieces.
Their purchasing process can be finished in no time, and they also offer free shipping, returns, and customer support.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
One Kings Lane offers vintage and designer home furnishings and decor.
It also provides interior design services. It welcomes you with promotional offers and photos of curated spaces.
Clickable images redirect you and let you browse collections.
Its interior design service, meanwhile, has a dedicated page that introduces its packages—which can also entice you to buy from One Kings Lane’s selection of furnishings.
Website tech:
What makes it good:
Key takeaways you can apply:
Some brands take a minimalistic approach, while others go all-out for luxury vibes.
What works for your brand may not work for another because each brand is unique—it’s how your audience remembers you.
Although not every website displays every characteristic we mentioned, many of them use similar tools and features. Many of the websites above use tools such as Shogun, Klaviyo, Yotpo, Gorgias, and the Google suite of tools for analytics and optimization.
The websites above also have usability in common, with easy navigation, clear CTAs, and stunning graphics.
Ultimately, the goal of every great BigCommerce website is to make the visitor’s experience seamless.
Aim for something similar, and remember the key factors we’ve discussed. Test different store variations, and make adjustments based on your results.
Create customized pages in BigCommerce with ShogunBuild dynamic pages that convert shoppers into customers. Get started now