As you start to build your e-commerce site for auto parts, you have many platforms to choose from when looking to develop your site catalog. Perhaps you’re already an up-and-running and successful e-commerce automotive part retailer, but the platform you’re using just isn’t keeping up anymore. You need a platform that can support the heavy universal product code (UPC) load that comes with logging an extensive amount of automotive parts and accessories.
If you are shopping around for your next platform, let’s look at which of these two big-name e-commerce companies — BigCommerce and Magento — is up to the task.
BigCommerce vs. Magento: The Platform
There are significant differences between these two e-commerce platforms, and the most obvious is their platform styles. BigCommerce is an SaaS platform, which stands for Software as a Service. Magento is a PaaS cloud-based platform, which stands for Platform as a Service. The major difference between these two services is that Magento is open-source, which means that third parties can modify the code and completely customize the platform. This is a beneficial option if you have an IT team ready to customize your code for your e-commerce site.
If you don’t have an existing IT department, you can hire a freelancer or an independent firm to help get your website up and running. Coding isn’t something that you want to play around with, because if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can make significant mistakes. BigCommerce, on the other hand, is an out-of-the-box solution; its team hosts and modifies the website code for you.
Automotive websites who don’t have IT teams or to keep expenses down might prefer BigCommerce’s easy-to-use framework. The SaaS platform is set up with a full content management system (CMS), which makes website customization and modifications simple. You can quickly and easily change settings and update information without having to learn how to write code. For those who don’t have coding experience, this makes getting your website up quick and efficient.
BigCommerce vs. Magento: Maintenance
Because Magento is a PaaS platform, the same rules apply for website maintenance as they do for website customization. When it comes to maintaining your e-commerce platform, you will need an IT professional’s help. BigCommerce, with its SaaS platform, handles all the site maintenance itself. The servers are up and running 99.9% of the time, and BigCommerce has a dedicated team ready to fix any issues that might arise.
Again, if your company doesn’t have a desire to hire or keep an IT professional on staff, BigCommerce may be the best option for its convenience and reliability.
BigCommerce vs. Magento: Security
Security is an important topic in e-commerce. With so many stories of hackers stealing credit card information, it’s essential for e-commerce sites to be compliant with payment card industry (PCI) security standards. This ensures all customer information is safe from potential cyber threats. BigCommerce takes care of all security for your e-commerce site, making sure you stay up-to-date and in line with PCI standards. When you choose to use Magento, this responsibility falls to your IT team.
BigCommerce vs. Magento: Add-ons and Apps
When it comes to auto part sales, BigCommerce has excellent programs that fully integrate into your e-commerce storefront. One of the best features is BigCommerce’s Year/Make/Model Search, which allows customers to filter categories and brands so they can find exactly the car parts they need.
Using BigCommerce’s fully integrated CMS, you can add this feature easily to your site and manage your entire catalog of parts. The process is simple, efficient, and straightforward and helps get your website up and running faster. Magento has third-party apps your IT professional can use to easily set up the same type of search functions for your site.
BigCommerce vs. Magento: Our Choice
When looking at all the fantastic features both of these e-commerce platforms offer, you can see there are many variables to consider. A well-established business might prefer the ability to work with site coding itself and create a unique website using third-party sources through Magento. There are certainly benefits to being able to go in and adjust everything yourself.
If you’re running a small startup, however, you might not have the budget to hire an additional employee dedicated to keeping the website running. Regardless of the size or type, most companies prefer to get everything done in one stop, without having to hire an outside vendor to manage and maintain their website. This is where the convenience and security of BigCommerce comes in.
BigCommerce is fast, secure, and easy to manage and customize. Business owners who prefer a more hands-on approach while saving time and money might prefer BigCommerce. This platform is an effective solution that requires a minimal learning curve if you are new to website design.
Magento is an excellent option for business owners who have IT experience or already have someone within their organization who can design and maintain a website. You might choose Magento if you prefer to be in absolute control of every detail of your site’s operation.
Ultimately, we would choose BigCommerce over Magento for automotive e-commerce. Its convenience, reliability, and ease of data transfer make building and maintaining a webpage much simpler than other platforms. BigCommerce’s price is very affordable, as well. You can choose from a few great free templates to get started or pay for more complex templates to create a truly unique storefront. Every part of setting up and maintaining your auto parts e-commerce storefront is smooth and easy to figure out.
If you are looking for a new platform for your automotive parts website, check out BigCommerce. The benefits of using its program will make a significant impact on your business. BigCommerce has some of the fastest load times, a team of experts maintaining your website, and 24/7 customer support. You can have your site up and running quickly, so you can get back to taking care of all the other aspects of your business.