BigCommerce Multi-Store: A comprehensive guide to get started

BigCommerce multi-store development is a great option for eCommerce players looking to expand without putting in big investments. With the launch of the BigCommerce MSF feature, you can run multiple storefronts using a single bigcommerce dashboard and database.

Experts believe that MSF is a revolutionary feature to facilitate expansion for medium and small-scale businesses. Today we will explore BigCommerce multi-storefronts with a quick guide to implement a multi-storefront bigcommerce model for your business.

Why do you need BigCommerce multi-store setup?

As the MSF feature is available for merchants of all sizes, you can now use multiple storefronts to drive global growth for your business. But before we dive into the implementation, you should know whether it’s a suitable choice for you or not. Apart from it, you also need to compare the top multi-store CMS solutions to opt for the platform that satisfy your business needs.

Handling multiple store views can become complicated with growing product offerings and sales. Apart from that, you also need to pay a subscription fee for building each storefront on BigCommerce.

So before you decide on having this model, let’s unveil the curtain from top use cases of having multiple storefronts for eCommerce business.

Businesses running multiple brands at the same time

Multi-storefront implementation can overcome various pain points of businesses that operate multiple brands. Instead of managing each brand store using a separate admin, the MSF feature lets you set up, manage and run multiple stores using the same admin.

Additionally, it also allows the merchants to display different product offerings, categories, pricing, and much more to distinguish each brand store.

Expanding eCommerce business in the international markets

Expanding your eCommerce business in the international market can make you suffer from challenges like language & currency barriers. Multi-storefront allows you to create different storefronts with different languages and relabelled currencies.

Apart from adding a localized touch, it also helps you get significant improvements in international sales.

One central database for all the stores operated by a business

Managing multiple databases for different stores can turn into a hassle, especially for businesses operating on a large scale. Well, a multi-store solution can bring some relief here. It provides you with a hassle-free option to manage & update all the stores from a single database

Amalgamating multiple business models in a single platform

It’s common for store owners following multiple business models like B2B and B2C to have separate stores for each. It happens due to different rule sets and pricing needs for different models. 

BigCommerce Multi-stores implementation can help you have a single platform to operate multiple business models simultaneously.

Requirements for implementing BigCommerce multi-store setup

Though building multi stores on BigCommerce is easy, your stores should qualify for some requirements. It is highly recommended to hire BigCommerce developer to implement the multi-store setup with the right features and functionalities to streamline the multistore operations. MSF feature will work only on the stores with the latest version of features to support the BigCommerce MSF feature. Let’s find out what you require before building a multi-site network on top of BigCommerce.

• V3 Add/Edit Product experience to add/edit products on the store.
• V3 Product import/export experience to import/export products
• V3 Rest APIs for catalog, pages, scripts, customers & redirects
• MSF 301 redirects for redirecting an old store URL to a new one
• Fully optimized one-page checkout on the BigCommerce store
• A Stencil store theme or a headless storefront for BigCommerce

How to Create BigCommerce Multi-Store?

Creating multiple storefronts using the BigCommerce MSF feature is quite easy for people, even without extensive technical skills. However, hiring a professional BigCommerce development company is the best choice for storeowners who wish to surpass the competition with out-of-the-box features for their Multi-store setup. You can follow to below steps to get started with a multiple storefront business approach on top of BigCommerce:-

1. Go to the BigCommerce store setup & create a new store

The first step is to add a new storefront using the Channel Manager on your BigCommerce dashboard. Once you click on the create channel, you can see the number of storefronts you can create using the current subscription plan.

If your requirements to have multiple storefronts exceed the limit available with your account, you can purchase additional storefront seats. Once you got the seat, click on Create a new store option to add a new store view to your store.

2. Fill in the details for the new BigCommerce store

The next step is to fill in the details for the new store. The storefront you create will appear under the storefront section of the Channel manager on your dashboard. You can click on the fresh storefront to add details like Store name, currency settings, logo, and more.

You can also connect the specific domain to the storefront. BigCommerce MSF also allows you to connect the headless solutions using the APIs or connector applications available to integrate headless storefronts with BigCommerce.

3. Choose themes/templates for BigCommerce multi-store

BigCommerce offers you a theme library that is shared across all storefronts. You have the option to either use a pre-purchased theme or can opt for custom theme development for each storefront.

The platform also offers an option to view all the available themes by clicking on the manage theme option. You also have the option to apply a brand new theme using Theme Marketplace or edit the existing themes to match requirements. BigCommerce offers you robust page builder functionality to edit themes for multi-storefront commerce.

4. Customize the BigCommerce Multi-stores as per target audiences

Once the theme is set, it’s time to customize BigCommerce multi-stores to display the product line in question. You can add products, a home page carousel, Social media links, and web pages to the storefront. Once you are done with all these settings, you can make your storefront live for the target audience.

Though BigCommerce offers easy options to do basic customizations, advanced settings may require assistance from a professional BigCommerce development company.

5. Repeat the steps to create additional BigCommerce stores

A need for an additional storefront can arise anytime. Just repeat the above steps each time you need to create an additional store with your BigCommerce account. Apart from it, you also have the option to integrate third-party applications to enhance the functionalities of your Multi-store website.

Benefits of BigCommerce Multi-store development services

MSF feature is an ideal fit for store owners looking to expand their presence using new product lines & localized stores. Additionally, it is equally beneficial for merchants working on multiple business models like B2B or B2C. 

Though BigCommerce offers you a straightforward way to set up and launch storefronts, it is not enough to lead the competition. If you are wondering why to hire a BigCommerce developer for Multi Store setup, here are a few reasons for it:-

• Plugin development to enhance the multi-storefront abilities of the store.
• Custom theme development to suit the specific needs of your business.
• Extensive customization to surpass standards followed by competitors.
• Optimization of your storefront to boost speed and performance.
• Integrations with third-party software for custom store functionalities.

Conclusion

BigCommerce MSF is indeed a revolutionary technology to expand the business reach with multiple storefronts. Additionally, managing all this from a single admin panel is something we loved the most about the MSF feature.

We hope that this article will simplify the navigation for your BigCommerce multi-storefront journey. If you still have queries or want to hire professional services for Multi Store setup our experts are just a click away from you.