6 Tips to Optimize Your BigCommerce Site

If you're running an e-commerce site on BigCommerce software, there are a ton of tips and tricks you should take advantage of to get the most bang for your buck. As one of the best online shopping carts ^[1] available (behind only Shopify ^[2] and PinnacleCart ^[3]), BigCommerce offers a diverse array of tools and features to ensure you sell as much product as possible.

In order to help you maximize your BigCommerce ^[4] usage, we've compiled this list of six tips for using BigCommerce software. If there's anything we haven't covered in this list, be sure to check out BigCommerce's website; there you'll find a healthy dose of customer support pages, FAQ, and how-to videos.

1. Access Orders on a Smartphone
Are you on the road and away from your computer? Is a customer calling your smartphone demanding details about an order? You can access individual purchases on your Android or iOS application. Here's how: Open the app, click "Menu" on the upper left-hand side of the screen, and select "Orders."

Within this page, you'll see all of your orders listed reverse chronologically. Click into any order you'd like to manage. Once there, you'll be able to access the product image, the StockKeeping Unit ^[5] (SKU), and the inventory level of the product your customer purchased. Although the app won't allow you to make changes directly within this page, at least you'll be informed when dealing with the call. If there's an emergency and you need to make order changes, you'll have to head to your nearest laptop.

2. List Your Items on eBay
You can access eBay, one of the largest online marketplaces, directly within the BigCommerce platform. First, you'll need to create an eBay listing template. To do so, go to "Marketing" and select "Sell on eBay." Click the "eBay Listing Templates" tab and select "Create an eBay Listing Template."

Next, you'll enter the details of your template, including its name, the countries to which you'll sell, and whether or not you want this to be a public listing. You'll also be asked to enter the categories on eBay where you'd like the products to appear (Electronics, Clothes, etc). Click "Next." You'll be asked to enter information on pricing, payment methods, shipping methods, and checkout instructions, among other details.

Once you've entered all pertinent details, you'll want to go ahead and list your products. Here's how: Go to "Products" and select "View" within your BigCommerce dashboard. Check the box next to the products you'd like to list. Click "Choose an Action" and select "List These Products on eBay." Click "Confirm."

Next, you'll choose the listing template and listing date. Click "Next." You will be shown eBay's listing fee. If you're happy with the fee, press "List on eBay."

3. Use Live Chat for Free
If you deal with demanding customers but don't want to run up an obnoxious phone bill, look into adding a live chat collaboration app ^[6] to your e-commerce site. This is easy to do with BigCommerce. First, you'll need to create an account with live chat client platform Zopim ^[7] (a Zendesk product).

Once you're set up, click "Widget." You'll want to copy the HTML code underneath the "Embed the New Chat Widget" heading. Next, you'll head back into your BigCommerce dashboard. Click "Settings" and go into the "Advanced Setting" tab and click "Live Chat." Then select "Other Third Party Live Chat Service" and click "Save." Choose the "Other Third Party Live Chat Service" and paste the HTML code into the "Live Chat Code" box. Click "Save."

4. Add a Facebook "Like" Button to Your Page
Adding a Facebook "Like" button to your e-commerce website is a quick and easy way to help customers stay in contact with you. To get started, visit the Facebook Like Button ^[8] page. Add your company's Facebook profile page into the URL field. Choose which style of button you'd like to include and the action you'd like this button to initiate. Uncheck "Show Friends' Faces" and "Include Share Button," and click "Get Code" to copy the code provided by Facebook.

Next, open the "Banners" tab under the "Marketing" header in BigCommerce, and click "Create a Banner." Enter the banner name, which is only visible on the back end. Click "Edit HTML Source" and copy the code into the "Your Plugin Code" window. Go into your BigCommerce control panel and paste the code into the "HTML Source Editor" window.

Go back to Facebook and copy the code from the bottom box of the "Your Plugin Code" window on BigCommerce. Then, go back to the code you were using in the BigCommerce control panel, press "Enter" twice, and place the code you just generated on Facebook into your control panel. Then, select where you'd like the code to appear on the page, and save your changes.

5. Link Your Blog to BigCommerce
Content marketing is an excellent way to attract new customers. If you've already got an exciting array of content on a WordPress ^[9] blog, connect it to your e-commerce website so your visitors can cross between each website without leaving your native navigation.

Go to "Content" and click "Web Pages." Next, click "Create a Web Page" and under "This Page Will:" select "Link to Another Website or Document." Then, add your blog's name. In the space next to "Link," paste your blog's URL.

6. Create an Abandoned Cart Saver
Don't let a potential customer get away without offering them one final deal. Go to your control panel, click "Marketing," and select "Abandoned Email." Click "Add an Email" or edit one of the already existing abandoned cart email templates provided by BigCommerce.

On this page, you'll be able to edit text, cadence (how often the email messages are sent), and the kind of content you'll add to the email. You can also set up an email campaign that contacts the potential customer with two or three additional, tailored emails after he or she leaves your website.

This article originally appeared ^[10] on PCMag.com ^[11].