Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid During a BigCommerce Setup

Setting up an ecommerce store on the BigCommerce platform can be an exciting yet challenging process. With so many configuration options and integrations to consider, it’s easy to make mistakes that could hamper your store’s performance and growth down the line.

After helping dozens of brands successfully transition to BigCommerce, our team at Anchor Group has seen the most common pitfalls to avoid. By being aware of these top 10 BigCommerce setup mistakes before launch, you can ensure your store gets off to the smoothest possible start.

1. Not Having a Content Strategy

Far too often, brands focus heavily on site design and back-end technical configuration without thinking about what product descriptions, category pages, blogs, guides, and other content assets they need. Content is the lifeblood of any ecommerce store. Without optimized, high-quality content that engages shoppers and fuels discovery, even the best looking store will struggle to convert.

When switching to BigCommerce, take time upfront to audit what existing content can be leveraged, what needs to be created, integrate a blog if you don’t already have one, and think about ongoing content production post-launch. The brands seeing the most ecommerce success today have invested heavily in content for good reason.

2. Attempting Complex Customizations

The flexibility to customize BigCommerce stores is undoubtedly a major benefit. However, over-customization during initial setup is unwise for most brands. Whether you want to tweak templates, design ultra-unique page layouts, or add complex app integrations, understand that “less is more” in the launch phase.

Start with BigCommerce’s existing theme framework and primarily out-of-the-box features. Get up and running sustainably first before considering advanced customizations. Our team follows this approach for new client launches, and it streamlines success without the headaches.

3. Not Optimizing Navigation

Your site’s navigation menu seems simple on the surface, but optimal structuring is critical for shaping customer journeys. Brands often either cram too many confusing links into main site navigation or adopt the default catalog-based menus BigCommerce provides without thinking it through.

During setup, audit your existing site’s navigation, user test different menu structures, reduce clutter, focus only on highlighting important pages and categories, and ensure mobile optimization. Poor navigation is one of the fastest ways to lose customers.

4. Neglecting SEO

Transitioning ecommerce platforms is the perfect opportunity for an SEO overhaul. However, we often see brands worrying more about site design than search optimization during BigCommerce migrations. That’s problematic since SEO can take months to yield results. Laying the technical groundwork and core content foundation early is hugely impactful.

From a technical checklist covering meta data, XML sitemaps, page speed, etc. to crafting targeted product descriptions and blog content, our SEO experts embed best practices directly into new BigCommerce stores to boost organic visibility from the start.

5. Not Setting Up Analytics

Understanding customer behavior and shopping data is impossible without ecommerce analytics fully implemented pre-launch. Surprisingly we still encounter brands focused strictly on creative store development who reach the finish line before thinking about analytics setup.

Make this a priority upfront. Install Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce tracking to unlock deep product and funnel insights. Ensure analytics can integrate seamlessly with any other data streams, marketing platforms, ERP systems among other technologies you use to fuel customer intelligence and personalized experiences.

6. Skipping Mobile Testing

It always amazes us how many brands migrate to BigCommerce yet don’t comprehensively test storefront functionality across mobile devices. As much as 60-70% or more of your ecommerce traffic will come from smartphones and tablets. Delivering a stellar mobile UX is mandatory, not “nice to have.”

During setup, use Google Analytics to understand your existing mobile traffic splits device-by-device. Then conduct hands-on testing across those key devices, pinpointing any issues from site speed to navigation ease to checkout. What shoppers experience on mobile can make or break consumer trust and conversions.

7. Not Configuring Taxes Appropriately

Tax calculations done accurately are non-negotiable for operating any U.S. ecommerce business. With complex nexus laws and over 10,000 tax jurisdictions nationally, properly setting up rates during BigCommerce implementation is vital yet complex. Don’t just enable basic default tax rules without understanding the implications.

Lean on expert guidance to map out tax 地域, exemptions, product taxability categories, rates, reporting integrations, and certificates management required for your business. Correct tax setup the first time prevents painful back-tracking later. We help simplify this critical but notoriously tricky backend process for BigCommerce brands.

8. Disregarding Performance Optimization

You undoubtedly want your new BigCommerce site to load at blazing fast speeds. However, many brands assume the platform’s baseline performance will suffice out-of-the-box or only worry about speed once live. That mindset leads to frustration when site performance drags unnecessarily.

Take a proactive approach upfront. Run site speed tests using tools like Pingdom, GTmetrix or WebPagetest. Profile and eliminate performance drains loading unnecessary CSS, Javascript, images among other assets. Enable CDNs and caching via BigCommerce. Every 100ms of increased site speed can improve conversions.

9. Overlooking Security Best Practices

Ecommerce sites face constant cyberthreats from hackers hoping to steal data or ransom store access. We see businesses overlook security or just use default BigCommerce settings during launch planning without realizing the risks involved. That leaves dangerous vulnerabilities.

While BigCommerce has extensive built-in security capabilities, brands should still implement password policies, two-factor authentication, role-based admin access, SSL implementation, sanitization against XSS attacks among other protocols. Partnering with managed IT/hosting providers is wise for many brands too.

10. Attempting Launch Alone

The most crucial mistake brands make when transitioning to BigCommerce is trying to handle everything solo. Unless you have deep technical expertise running global ecommerce operations in-house already, DIY setup is ill-advised. The learning curves around data migration, design, customization, and configuration can overwhelm unprepared internal teams.

Leverage agencies like Anchor Group to supplement your team’s business, creative, and marketing strengths with specialized technical implementation talent. Our engineers and consultants scope and handle intricate backend complexities so you can focus on front-end brand building and outsmarting competitors. With seasoned guidance, your BigCommerce launch and growth trajectory accelerate considerably.

Why Choose Anchor Group?

For over  years, Anchor Group has provided full-service ecommerce implementation support helping leading B2B/B2C brands sell more online. Our strategic approach is grounded in four core principles:

• Consultative Partnership – We don’t just configure technology. Our team becomes an extension of your team via C-level strategic partnership. Expect hands-on collaboration analyzing your brand’s needs, creating future-proof solutions, and steering ongoing success long after launch.
• Technical Excellence – Our engineers offer elite-level technical expertise fine-tuned over hundreds of complex store builds. We handle intricate design customization, headless architecture, migrations, systems integration, scalability, security and performance flawlessly so you avoid setup headaches.
• Creative Innovation – Anchor Group designers, developers and content strategists think beyond templates to craft elevated customer experiences that make your brand stand out while optimizing UI/UX for conversions across devices. We balance creative flair with revenue generating pragmatism.
• Full Spectrum Support – We don’t disappear post-launch! Anchor Group provides reliable ongoing management handling hosting, maintenance, expansion, re-platforming and continuous feature enhancement so your team focuses on sales not technical upkeep.

Reach out to our team today for a complimentary 30-minute consultation. We’ll discuss your brand’s unique ecommerce needs and map out how Anchor Group can expedite a frictionless, high-growth BigCommerce implementation just for you.