Most ecommerce platforms make a business choose a side, consumer-friendly and simple, or B2B-capable and complicated. BigCommerce was built to avoid that tradeoff.
For a business evaluating BigCommerce store development services, working with a team that understands both sides of that equation is what separates a store that actually supports complex buying needs from one that just looks the part.
Our work with Siskiyou, a Life Science and Photonics supplier, is one example. We built a custom BigCommerce solution to manage complex product variants and documentation, which led to a 15% increase in product conversions within the first quarter. Read the full case study here.
Why Do So Many Brands Choose BigCommerce Over Other Platforms?
BigCommerce built its reputation on including features natively that other platforms require paid apps to match. That matters a lot once a store starts dealing with more than a simple cart and checkout.
Some of the reasons why some brands opt for this option:
- Zero transaction fees in all plans, while there are competitors who deduct a certain percentage per transaction
- Built-in multi-currency and multi-store support for brands operating in different geographical locations
- Features of B2B such as customized pricing, quotes, and purchase orders
- Open API architecture which allows headless and composable
- Strong SEO capabilities allowing stores to manage their presence in search engines
BigCommerce has established itself as an SaaS e-commerce player with a firm presence since its IPO in 2020, now making millions of dollars annually from its platform (Statista). That kind of sustained growth is part of why more mid-market and enterprise brands keep landing on BigCommerce instead of building something from scratch.
Why Does B2B Ecommerce Need a Different Kind of Platform?
B2B buyers do not shop the way individual consumers do. They require account-based pricing, bulk ordering, approvals and workflow management, as well as procurement system integration, which is something that your average consumer store cannot accomplish.
Some B2B requirements which may be fulfilled through an adequate BigCommerce setup include:
- Price lists with account-specific pricing and discount
- Bulk order and rapid re-order functionality for frequent buyers
- Purchase orders and net terms instead of credit card payment on the spot
- Multi-account and multi-level user accounts with approval processes
- Compatibility with existing ERP/CRM solutions
The USA B2B ecommerce market will witness sales reaching over $3 trillion by 2027, with an almost 11% compound annual growth rate as more customers prefer online purchases (Forrester). That growth is exactly why more B2B brands are investing in proper ecommerce infrastructure instead of relying on phone orders and spreadsheets.
Can One Store Really Serve Both B2B and B2C Customers Well?
This is where BigCommerce earns its reputation. A single storefront can present a standard consumer experience to individual shoppers while showing custom pricing, bulk options, and account-specific catalogs to logged-in business buyers.
Here is what makes that possible:
- Customer group segmentation that shows different pricing and products by account type
- Flexible catalog structures that support both single-unit and bulk SKUs
- Checkout flows that adapt based on whether the buyer is paying by card or by invoice
- Shared backend infrastructure, so inventory and order management stay in one place instead of two
"We are making significant changes to re-accelerate growth." - Travis Hess, CEO, BigCommerce
That kind of focus on evolving the platform is part of why BigCommerce keeps investing in the B2B and B2C hybrid model rather than picking one audience and abandoning the other.
What Should a Business Look for in a BigCommerce Partner?
Not every development team understands the difference between a consumer storefront and one that also needs to serve business buyers correctly.
Here is what separates an experienced BigCommerce development company from one that just spins up a default theme:
- Experience with BigCommerce's B2B Edition and account-based pricing setups
- Integration expertise connecting BigCommerce to ERP, CRM, and accounting systems
- Custom theme and app development, not just reliance on the default templates
- A clear migration plan for businesses moving off Magento, Shopify, or a legacy system
- Ongoing support as the platform releases new features and APIs evolve
"Start with the customer and work backward." - Jeff Bezos, Founder, Amazon
That principle applies just as much to B2B buyers as it does to individual shoppers. A store built around internal assumptions instead of how buyers actually order tends to create friction that shows up in abandoned carts and support tickets.
What Does a Typical BigCommerce Build Include?
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Storefront | Consumer-facing catalog, cart, and checkout |
| B2B Edition | Account pricing, quotes, and purchase orders |
| Integrations | ERP, CRM, and accounting system connections |
| Payment Gateway | Card, invoice, and net-terms payment options |
| Headless Frontend | Product catalog, checkout, and payment processing |
| Analytics | Order, customer, and inventory reporting dashboards |
What Does BigCommerce Enterprise Development Involve That Smaller Projects Don't?
Enterprise level BigCommerce stores come with a lot of stress unlike typical SMB stores. The stress is attributed to a greater number of SKUs, more integrations, and possibly a number of brands under one store account.
BigCommerce enterprise development usually requires consideration of:
- Multistore setup with the capacity to serve several brands or locations through one backend
- Large number of SKUs with complex catalog setup that should not affect website performance
- Custom checkout and payments process development for large B2B accounts
- Security and performance demands associated with high volume of transactions
- Governance of several teams working on various sections of the store
Here the difference between a freelance developer and a BigCommerce store development company with true enterprise experience in the USA becomes apparent, as enterprise development involves many more aspects and little space for assumptions
Why Choose the Right Partner for a BigCommerce Store Setup?
Plenty of agencies can spin up a basic BigCommerce store using a default theme in a few days. Fewer can properly configure B2B pricing, integrate the systems a business already relies on, and build something that holds up at real transaction volume.
The work should start with how the business actually sells, not a generic setup checklist. BigCommerce store setup services done right combine platform expertise, integration planning, and a clear understanding of both B2B and B2C buyer behavior.
Conclusion
BigCommerce earned its place in the B2B and B2C conversation by refusing to force businesses to pick one audience. The right BigCommerce development company builds a store that serves both without turning into two disconnected systems held together with workarounds.
For any business evaluating BigCommerce development services, the real question is not whether the platform can handle B2B and B2C together. It is whether the team building it understands both buyer types well enough to make that combination actually work.
Looking for the Best BigCommerce Development Company in USA?
FAQs
1. What exactly does a BigCommerce software development firm create for companies?
Really, it is a case by case situation, but generally it is the store itself, either having it built from scratch or customized. In addition to that, you will need to deal with B2B such as pricing and accounts. Quite a big portion of the job will be devoted to integrating your system with ERP/CRM as well as implementing checkout functionality.
2. How long does a BigCommerce store development project take?
Depends on the project, but most fall somewhere between eight and sixteen weeks. Catalog size plays a big role, so does the number of integrations, and whether B2B features are part of the scope.
3. Is BigCommerce a good fit for a business that only sells B2C right now but might add B2B later?
Yes. That's actually one of the reasons people pick BigCommerce in the first place. Their B2B Edition can just get added on top of a store you already have, no need to rebuild the whole thing from zero. So if there's a chance you'll go into business sales down the road, it's not a bad option to start with.
4. How is BigCommerce different from Shopify or WooCommerce for B2B selling?
The big thing is BigCommerce already has B2B stuff baked in, custom pricing, quotes, purchase orders, that kind of thing. With Shopify or WooCommerce, you're mostly stuck bolting on third-party apps or doing extra custom dev work just to get somewhat close to what BigCommerce offers out of the box.
5. How much does BigCommerce enterprise development typically cost?
That really varies, it comes down to how complex your catalog is, how many integrations you need, and whether you're going headless or running multiple storefronts. Most businesses get a much clearer number after a discovery call, once someone's actually looked at your current setup and what you're trying to achieve.