Shopify and BigCommerce have been long stuck in a battle for eCommerce primacy, each outpacing the other in vital aspects while leaving gaps for their rival to exploit. It has been incredibly interesting to watch, but also exciting for those who offer expert Shopify and BigCommerce SEO services.
During the last year, however, Shopify has taken decisive steps that seem to be giving it a definite edge. It partnered with social media giants to allow users to buy directly from shoppable posts. The platform was allowed to do the same thing with Google results, and merchants went crazy using the first page as their storefront allowing shoppers to skip landing pages and checkout processes altogether.
This month, Yoast announced they had started a collab with Shopify, allowing their merchants to use the popular SEO tool and bypassing their old “only open-source” rule.
It seems like Shopify already won the race and is running victory laps already.
However, is the eCommerce platform war over?
Far from it.
The problem is that Shopify is still plagued with the same problem all other closed-source platforms suffer. It is not flexible enough for developers to realize their vision. And here is where BigCommerce shines, and the main reason experienced developers tend to choose it as their preferred platform.
BigCommerce is not open source. However, its developers recognized the limitations of the “Software As A Service” approach, and have worked in ways to provide the incredible flexibility of open source platforms, without sacrificing any of the advantages SaaS brings to the table.
The best example of that is the much-praised BigCommerce APIs, which allow developers to access the functionality and data we need. It ships with readymade modules allowing users to quickly and easily implement different features such as multi-currencies, coupons discounts, catalogs, and more.
BigCommerce has also allowed for many extensions by third parties, which lets you do even more with the platform. For example, BigCommerce Rate Booster allows you to automatically increase product exposure by recommending products in your related products section or adding them to abandoned carts using personalized recommendations based on the user’s browsing history.
BigCommerce also has a strong knowledge base and customer service. No other platform has a customer service that rivals BigCommerce´s knowledgeable support team.
The advantages of the platform are so compelling that several well-renowned brands such as Google, Coca-Cola, and AT&T use BigCommerce.
One of the main disadvantages most eCommerce platforms have is their lackluster content management systems. Content is more important than ever, and with Google signaling an even better AI able to better assess content quality based on context and even intent, not being able to offer effective content management tools for merchants will become a bigger issue.
BigCommerce has known this for quite a while and has allowed merchants, developers, and BigCommerce SEO professionals to utilize their headless eCommerce tools. This gives them the power to leverage the CMS advantages of WordPress or Joomla while retaining eCommerce Jedi powers granted by BigCommerce.
This is not to say that Shopify is an inferior platform at all. As with everything in life, we must evaluate our options with a sense of proportion. Shopify offers incredible tools for beginners. However, BigCommerce aims to attract merchants with a vision of future growth and scalability who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard to make their vision come true.
If you feel you need an incredible and flexible website that will never stand in the way of growth, visit Genius eCommerce. Their experienced BigCommerce SEO professionals will guide you through the process of building a high-performance online store that grows with your business and your vision.
