Have you ever signed up for a monthly delivery of your favorite snacks or a streaming service that sends you new movies or TV shows every week? That’s subscription-based eCommerce! This type of business model lets you pay a fee to receive products or services on a regular basis, whether they’re physical items like cleaning supplies or digital products like music or software.
According to a survey conducted by McKinsey, subscription-based eCommerce has grown by over 100% each year for the past five years. The rapid growth of this model highlights the importance of choosing the right platform for your business. With so many eCommerce builders out there, it can be challenging to determine which one is the best fit for your business. Thus, the two most popular eCommerce platforms—BigCommerce and Shopify offer subscription features to their users. In this article, we will compare BigCommerce and Shopify’s subscription features to determine which platform is best suited for subscription-based eCommerce for your business.
BigCommerce vs. Shopify: Consider These 4 Key Factors To Choose the Best Platform
Choosing the right platform for your eCommerce business can be a difficult decision, especially when it comes to two most popular choices like BigCommerce and Shopify. Therefore, given the relevance of your choice, here’s a a checklist that includes some key factors to consider when choosing between the two platforms:
#1 Flexible Subscription Models
One of the biggest advantages of using BigCommerce for subscription-based eCommerce is the platform’s flexibility when it comes to subscription models. While Shopify offers a limited number of basic subscription options, BigCommerce offers a variety of different subscription types, including:
- Prepaid subscriptions: These allow customers to pay for a set period of time upfront, such as three, six, or twelve months.
- Subscription boxes: This option lets you send a monthly box of products to your customers. You can customize the box with different items each month or offer a set selection.
- Member-only pricing: You can offer exclusive pricing to subscribers, which can help to build loyalty and increase retention rates.
For example, Fine Taste Club, a food and beverage subscription eCommerce website for gourmet-snacks, offer different subscription options through BigCommerce, such as prepaid subscriptions for three or six months or monthly subscription boxes with different snack options. This level of customization and flexibility can help to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
#2 Customization Options
Another benefit of using BigCommerce for subscription-based eCommerce is the platform’s superior customization options. With BigCommerce, you have access to a wide range of themes and design options, allowing you to create a unique and memorable brand experience for your customers.
For example, let’s say you run a subscription service for organic skincare products. With BigCommerce, you can choose from a variety of different themes and customize them to fit your brand, including adding your own logo and color scheme. But if you’re a beginner in customizing themes to your website from the BigCommerce platform, you can hire developers from BigCommerce theme development companies like CodeClouds, which is a leading provider of web development, software development, eCommerce, and design solutions. By hiring them, you can also customize your subscription pages to include information about your products, frequently asked questions, and customer testimonials.
#3 Pricing
Both platforms have similar pricing plans, but BigCommerce does not press transaction fees and offers more generous bandwidth allowances. If you’re concerned about transaction fees and bandwidth limitations, BigCommerce could be the better choice.
#4 Customer Support
Another area where BigCommerce has an edge over Shopify is customer support. BigCommerce offers 24/7 support via phone, email, and chat, while Shopify offers 24/7 email and chat support, but only offers phone support during limited hours.
Ultimately, the apt platform for your eCommerce business will depend on its specific needs and goals. All you need to do is just consider the factors mentioned above and conduct your own research to find your best platform according to the growing online market.
Takeaway
In a nutshell, both BigCommerce and Shopify are great eCommerce platforms, but when it comes to subscription-based businesses, BigCommerce might be the better choice due to its flexibility in subscription models, advanced features, customization options, and customer support. The additional features like the cost incurred for setting up a subscription website, convenience, etc will also vary according to your business needs as it continues to grow over time. Also, since BigCommerce comes with a store builder that incorporates different aspects of server maintenance and website security, it helps you, as a business owner focus on building customer relationships, product development, etc.
Whether you’re a small startup or an established business, choosing the right platform is crucial for the success of your eCommerce business. By carefully considering your specific needs and goals, you can make an informed decision on which platform is the best fit for your business. If you’re still unsure which platform to choose, both BigCommerce and Shopify offer free trials, so you can test out their features and capabilities before making a final decision. So, what are you waiting for? Take the first step towards growing your subscription-based eCommerce business and choose the platform that’s right for you!