Are you looking for an e-commerce solution built with artists and creators in mind? If so, BigCartel may be just what you’re looking for. From its inception in 2005, BigCartel has been a platform designed to help creative people just like you sell your unique products. From paintings to tee-shirts and custom jewellery, you can sell it with BigCartel as your foundation.
No Experience Necessary
BigCartel’s founders were fully aware at the onset that creatives want to spend their time creating, not having to learn computer code. So they built the platform to be extremely user-friendly. If you know how to fill out an online form by checking boxes and entering text, you’re good to go.
BigCartel’s ease-of-use is matched by its visual quality. All the free themes are easy on the eyes and beautiful to look at. And if you don’t like what they offer out-of-the-box, you can create your own theme. The point is that you can fully customize your site to make it look exactly the way you want it to look.
BigCartel Features
You’ll be pleased to know that BigCartel is on par with other e-commerce and content management systems in terms of features. The basic package comes with:
- free, customizable themes
- online and POS selling options
- real-time reports and stats
- built-in inventory tracking
- support for discount codes and promotions
- bulk product editing
- shipment tracking
- Google Analytics
- custom domain support.
BigCartel was also built with SEO in mind. That means you’ll spend more time running your store and less time trying to get noticed on the major search engines. This is a big plus for creatives with a tendency toward tunnel vision.
BigCartel Pricing
One of the more unique aspects of this platform is its pricing structure. Because the company behind it is committed to independence and affordability, they charge based on the number of products you list. The Platinum plan is the introductory plan allowing up to 25 products. It costs USD $9.99 per month.
Next up is the Diamond plan at $19.99 per month. You can sell up to 100 products under this plan. The top-tier plan allows for 300 products at $29.99 per month. It is known as the Titanium plan. Sound good so far? If so, there are a couple more things to consider.
First, you’re not locked into your plan. If you start with the Platinum only to discover that your inventory soon outgrows it, you can always upgrade to Diamond. If you’re on the Titanium plan and decide to reduce your inventory next year, you can drop down to the Diamond plan when the time comes.
The second thing to know is that BigCartel does not take a cut of your sales. Every penny you make selling online is yours to keep. The price you pay each month is based on the plan you choose. That price does not change.
There are some downsides to BigCartel, including the lack of a search function and the platform’s somewhat limited flexibility. BigCartel exists in a self-contained environment for ease-of-use which, unfortunately, is organically limiting. However, if you are a creative person who only needs basic e-commerce functionality to sell your products, BigCartel may be right for you.