What is BigCommerce Implementation?
A BigCommerce implementation is an in-depth process of creating a merchant's website on BigCommerce or migrating a merchant's existing website to BigCommerce. Many factors play into the entire process, so it's vitally important that you get this right. To do so, make sure the requirements are clear and well-defined throughout the entire process. After switching to BigCommerce, merchants can take advantage of the great benefits that drive revenue and market share while using BigCommerce.
BigCommerce Implementation Timeframe
BigCommerce Implementations can be very different based on merchant needs. However, each implementation generally has the same phases. Understanding each phase will help you understand how every step flows together.
BigCommerce Implementation Timeline (High-level)
Phase 1: Planning (3 weeks)
Phase 2: Building (6 weeks)
Phase 3: Testing (3 weeks)
Phase 4: Go-live (1 week)
Phase 5: Post Go-live Support (6 weeks)
BigComerce Implementation Cost
The implementation of BigCommerce can range in price depending on company needs, website functionality, agency partners selected for the project, and more.
Common BigCommerce Implementation Costs
- BigCommerce Licensing
- Agency Partner Contracts
- BigCommerce Apps
- ERP Integrations
Most well-established merchants that undergo a BigCommerce implementation have these costs. All in all, a standard BigCommerce Implementation cost can range from $50,000 - $150,000. The most important cost, outside of the BigCommerce Licensing, is the cost of working with an agency partner. It is highly recommended to work with an agency partner because it reduces the risk of failure and helps ensure a smooth implementation process.
Choosing a BigCommerce Partner
Why it's a good idea
There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to a BigCommerce implementation. Still, the best BigCommerce Agency Partners know how to navigate the process smoothly to ensure everything is completed the right way the first time. Collaborating with a Certified BigCommerce Partner mitigates the business risk of implementation failure because partners receive training from BigCommerce, so they're aware of the proper ways to implement various BigCommerce features, and many partners have experience! BigCommerce has a diverse set of merchants, so if you choose to work with an experienced BigCommerce partner, there's a good chance they've worked with companies like yours in the past. There are upfront costs when working with agency partners, although the benefits of seamless integrations and industry-specific insights outweigh the cost. Working with an Agency partner will protect your revenue in the long run!
How to Choose the Right Partner
Do your research! Really, it's as simple as that. BigCommerce lists all their official agency partners on the BigCommerce Partner Directory. All companies listed here have been vetted and have received topic-specific training from BigCommerce as it pertains to them. Despite this, not all partners are experts, so vet them out before agreeing to work with one! It's also important to note that not all BigCommerce partners do the same things. Some partners only work on one element of a BigCommerce website (ie. Theme design). In contrast, others, normally larger partners, specialize in multiple topics (ie. Custom Theme Design, SEO optimization, and App development). Understand your needs before reaching out to partners to ensure you're having productive conversations.
The Costs
Agency partners charge different rates based on their type of work. Partners typically bill using one of the following three methods.
Subscription: Many partners, like BigCommerce app developers, have monthly subscription fees for their apps. Depending on the complexity of the app, there also might be a one-time activation fee. Activation fees cover the cost of having the BigCommerce app developer install the app on your website to make sure it works correctly. After paying the one-time activation fee, you are then only responsible for the monthly subscription fee.
Time & Material: In this way of billing, you will receive a quote from the partner with an estimate for how much time and material the partner estimates it will take to complete your requirements. If it takes less time and material, you will pay less than the estimate. On the flip side, if more time and material is needed than included in the estimate, you will owe more than the estimate. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to factor in a 10% variance when budgeting based on time and material bids.
Fixed bid: A fixed bid is when a flat amount is paid for the completion of a service. There are pros and cons to this type of bid. If you choose a partner that offers this option, vet them to make sure they're honest and experienced. With this style of bid, a partner is incentivized to complete a job as quickly as possible. You want to make sure your BigCommerce implementation is thoroughly completed, so do your due diligence when vetting partners and make sure requirements are well-defined throughout the entire process.
Gathering Requirements
A fundamental part of a BigCommerce Implementation is gathering all the project requirements. It's best to create a list of requirements internally before reaching out to BigCommerce partners. The partners you will be reaching out to don't know your business as well as you do! Providing a list of requirements will help bring context to your request and foster more creative and productive conversations as you vet BigCommerce agency partners.
Questions to Guide Gathering Requirements
- What are the biggest pain points with our current systems?
- What are the necessary requirements for the new BigCommerce website (systems, apps, features, etc.)?
- What are the "nice-to-have" requirements for the new BigCommerce website (systems, functions, apps)?
- What didn't work well in the past that you want to stay away from with the new BigCommerce website (systems, functions, apps)?
- Are there any unique parts of your business or website that your BigCommerce agency partner should be aware of?
- What is the anticipated timeline and go-live date?
- What is the company budget for a BigCommerce implementation?
- Who are the primary stakeholders in decisions surrounding the BigCommerce Implementation?
- Is an NDA needed in this process to protect your business? If so, determine who manages signatures.
Buying Licensing & Project Kickoff
BigCommerce Licensing
Buying licensing for BigCommerce is relatively simple. There are four licensing plans, three of which can purchased in one sitting right from your computer. BigCommerce enterprise licenses are created with custom quotes, so you will need to speak with a BigCommerce sales representative to get an enterprise-level license. For medium to large businesses, enterprise licensing is the best way to go, especially if you use an ERP. The BigCommerce enterprise plan has unlimited API calls, which means you can connect your website to an ERP, apps, and integrations without needing to keep a close eye on how much you use them.
Project Kickoff
Project Kickoff is an exciting moment in BigCommerce implementation! At this point, you've gathered your requirements and selected a BigCommerce Agency partner, and now the work really kicks in! At this point in your journey, you will most likely have a dedicated Project Manager assigned to your implementation project. Good project managers keep the trains running on time to ensure all requirements in your project are completed on time. Key stakeholders will have regular meetings with project managers to get updates, discuss progress, and review changes or adjustments that need to be made to the project. BigCommerce implementations have a lot of moving parts, so running into challenges is a natural part of the process. Skilled BigCommerce agency partners will have teams with relevant skill sets to address any roadblocks that might come up in the process. This is when the hard work of vetting an agency partner really pays off - literally!
Integrations, Customizations, Apps
Websites can be likened to dinner at a restaurant. The customer has one perspective of the experience, but many factors play into the customer's experience. This is like a website. Your customers will see and experience your website on the front-end pages, but many factors play a role in fostering a memorable, successful customer journey. Integrations, customizations, and apps all play a role in creating that customer experience.
Integrations: BigCommerce integrations refer to connecting different platforms to your BigCommerce account. Common integrations occur with ERPs and marketing tools. For example, many successful businesses use Oracle NetSuite to manage the back end of their business (inventory, orders, returns, customers, employee information, etc). BigCommerce is natively capable of doing some of these things, but NetSuite is a more robust tool, so businesses need the ability to tie NetSuite data to their BigCommerce account. This is called a NetSuite BigCommerce integration. There are multiple tools available that do this, so it's important to pick the right one to fit your needs. The very best BigCommerce agency partners will help you vet multiple options so, together, you can select the right BigCommerce NetSuite integration tool for your business. At the end of this process, you can rest easy knowing you have the best tool on the market for the job!
Apps
The BigCommerce App Store has many apps available for your store. Each app adds an ability to your store that either is not native to BigCommerce or leverages a native feature to better fit your business model. For example, BigCommerce B2B Edition is an app you can download that has a prebuilt set of features specific to the B2B business model. These features include a buyer portal, pricing tiers, and customer groups. Many companies have found success using the BigCommerce B2B Edition to serve customers better! There are costs associated with using apps, but they vary depending on the app.
Customizations
Some websites and business models demand unique customizations to best address their customers' wants and needs. BigCommerce is adaptable to the point that developers can create customizations to fit business needs. For example, the buyer portal can have custom fields created so businesses can collect and record specific information that isn't natively built into BigCommerce. Businesses that don't have a team of web developers will need to hire a BigCommerce agency partner to complete this.
Post Go-Live Support
The necessity of post-go-live support
Did everything go right the first time humans went to space? Nope! Expect that some modifications and changes may be necessary after your website's go-live date. This is especially important in ecommerce, where the best information is gathered once real customers have had the chance to interact with your new website. Once you understand how customers interact with it, you can then make adjustments to better-fit customer needs.
What does post-go-live support look like?
Work with your agency partner to determine how much support is needed. BigCommerce implementations come in all different shapes and sizes. Expect to need more support for the more intricate implementation. For smaller implementations, you will likely need less post-go-live support. Post-go-live support reduces risk to your business by ensuring an expert is ready in case you get a "Houston, we have a problem!"
Looking for BigCommerce Support?
We don't pretend to be experts in everything. With so many great BigCommerce Agency Partners in the ecosystem today, we stay in our lane to provide clients with exceptional experience in topics we are experts at.
When to Choose Anchor Group
- NetSuite ERP implementation, optimization, managed services
- BigCommerce Implementation
- SuiteCommerce Implementation
If these areas match up with your pain points, contact our team any time!
