At SwiftOtter, we’ve been developing BigCommerce sites since 2012.

In that time, we’ve learned what is most important to eCommerce sites – the things they need and want for a successful online store.

We also know the frustrations that can arise from working with BigCommerce. Clients often come to us because either their internal team (or another agency or individual developer) is struggling to:

• Customize their site as they wanted. BigCommerce has a variety of themes and templates, but you need technical know-how (specific to BigCommerce) for advanced customization. Without this, you’re not going to be using the platform to its fullest ability.
  
• Best utlize third-party apps. Using third-party apps is key for improved site performance, security, and overall sales effectiveness. But if you don’t know how to vet the third-party apps or integrate them with your site, you can create issues for your site (from load time to security).
  
• Migrate your existing site completely. Migrating your existing site into BigCommerce is often a complex process, but when managed correctly it’s extremely beneficial, especially to get your large product catalog or any custom-built functionalities you had into your new site.
  
• Build a site that can scale up. Often, companies have a BigCommerce site that’s only functional at its current bandwidth, but the site’s code, functionality, and security struggle to maintain integrity as it grows. That’s the last thing you want, as returning to a poorly developed site is a headache.

These issues can be avoided if you properly vet and evaluate your BigCommerce Development agency before working with them.

In this post, we take a look at five questions that you should ask yourself when evaluating a BigCommerce development agency.

Then, we look at how we implement those must-have factors (and more) into our development process at SwiftOtter, where we specialize in developing BigCommerce stores for B2B/manufacturing companies and outdoor sporting goods stores.

And because you’re looking for a development agency, we provide a list of the 8 best BigCommerce development agencies, including ones that specialize in full-service design and development and those that are more suited for specific tasks like SEO and SEM.

5 Questions to Ask When Evaluating BigCommerce Development Agencies

Based on our experience working with companies on their BigCommerce sites – and taking the things they’ve told us that they’ve experienced working with their own teams or external teams who didn’t quite deliver – we put together this list of five questions to ask when evaluating different BigCommerce development agencies.

• Do they have experience in BigCommerce?
• Can they efficiently integrate third-party apps?
• Can they migrate your existing site into BigCommerce?
• How do they approach design and UX?
• Do they offer post-launch and maintenance?

1. Do They Have Experience in BigCommerce?

While this may seem obvious, plenty of our clients operate under the misconception that they can hire any dev agency with experience in Shopify or Adobe Commerce and have them work on their BigCommerce site. 

While sometimes this can work, it generally means that the agency or developer is going to either a) turn in shoddy work or b) outsource a lot of the tasks to freelancers with BigCommerce experience and thus lose control over their process (and increase the cost of the overall project).

So, you want an agency with experience working within the BigCommerce platform itself. This includes an agency that has a deep understanding of BigCommerce’s platform, its codebase, templating system, data models, and more. 

Plus, they should understand the interactions between different parts of the site – such as how the storefront works with the checkout process and admin panel. 

By understanding BigCommerce’s features, the agency can make more informed decisions around order processing, payment gateways, shipping integrations, and more.

Here are some other technical capabilities your agency should be well-versed in:

• Front-end development technologies, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and responsive design principles. This is essential for creating visually appealing and user-friendly online stores that provide a seamless experience across various devices and screen sizes.
• Server-side scripting languages such as PHP or NodeJS. These languages are often used for developing custom functionality, integrating with third-party services, and handling server-side operations like data processing and security.
• Database management systems that are compatible with BigCommerce like MySQL, to help them better manage product catalogues, customer data, and other key store-specific info.

Plus, we recommend that you focus on agencies that work with your type of company. A BigCommerce platform will need different things based on your industry, the size of your catalogue, the services you offer, and much more.

For example, at SwiftOtter we specialize in developing BigCommerce stores for manufacturing/B2B companies and outdoor sporting goods companies. Of course our experience could lend itself to other industries, but we know the most about those types of businesses. 

This means we have more industry knowledge in those areas and can recommend plugins or developments or designs based on established best practices. 

2. Do They Have Experience With Third-Party Apps?

You will use third-party apps on your BigCommerce platform – so they can’t be an afterthought. Whatever dev agency you use needs to understand how to best integrate third-party apps to maintain site performance and security. 

When you’re looking at agencies, ask them if they have experience in integrating third-party apps such as:

Marketing and Conversion Apps:

• Email marketing apps (e.g., Klaviyo, Mailchimp)
• Pop-up and exit-intent apps (e.g., Justuno, Privy)
• Loyalty and rewards programs (e.g., Smile.io, LoyaltyLion)
• Product reviews and ratings (e.g., Yotpo, Stamped.io

Payment and Checkout Apps:

• Alternative payment gateways (e.g., Amazon Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay)
• Buy now, pay later solutions (e.g., Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm)
• Fraud protection and risk management (e.g., Signifyd, Bolt)

Shipping and Fulfilment Apps:

• Real-time shipping rate calculators (e.g., ShipperHQ, EasyPost)
• Order tracking and shipment notifications (e.g., AfterShip, Shipstation)
• Inventory management and fulfillment (e.g., ShipWorks, Ordoro)

Analytics and Reporting Apps:

• Store analytics and heat mapping (e.g., Hotjar, Crazy Egg)
• Customer behavior analytics (e.g., Glew.io, Metrilo)
• Sales tax and accounting integrations (e.g., Avalara, QuickBooks)

Customer Support Apps:

• Live chat and helpdesk solutions (e.g., Gorgias, Re:amaze)
• Customer feedback and survey tools (e.g., Yotpo, Okendo)
• Knowledge Base and self-service portals (e.g., HelpSite, Documill)

Product Customization and Personalization Apps:

• Product customizers and designers (e.g., Inksoft, Product Personalizer)
• Subscription and recurring billing (e.g., Bold Subscriptions, ReCharge)
• Product bundling and upselling (e.g., Bold Bundles, Zoorix)

3. Can They Migrate Your Existing Site Effectively?

The big pain here is reconciling different data structures and data formats between two platforms – that’s what makes data mapping and data transformation so difficult.

That’s why it makes sense to find a BigCommerce development agency that also has experience in your existing platform. For example, at SwiftOtter, we don’t just work with BigCommerce, but also work with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Adobe Commerce / Magento 2.

4. How Do They Approach Design and UX?

Often agencies – even the smaller ones – struggle to fully marry their dev team and their design. This, at best, creates delays in timelines, which results in greater costs and lost revenue for you. But at worst, you can get a great design that’s not fully executed by the dev team or a well functioning blog that’s not designed towards your target audience.

When evaluating potential agencies, you want to speak to designers who understand development and developers who understand design, and you also want a unified team. 

Further, you don’t want a one-and-done job. As this kind of work is iterative. Instead, make sure you’re working with an agency that:

• Conducts initial user research
• Does usability testing along the way
• Utilizes an iterative design process
• Does  performance testing / journey mapping
• Does A/B testing

5. Do They Offer Post-Launch Support and Maintenance? (+ Can They Build a Site that Scales with Your Business)

Often, our clients come to us because they have worked with a BigCommerce agency or developer who, once the site was launched, considered their work done.
But this isn’t the case – proper development comes with post-launch support and maintenance.

Work only with an agency that offers post-launch support and maintenance to save money and headaches.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Software updates and security patches. BigCommerce will release new updates and security patches that need to be set up to keep your site functional. Without post-launch support, you’re stuck doing these on your own. In our experience, they don’t get done at all or they’re done incorrectly, leading to site issues and instability.
• Theme and app updates. Similar to the above – your site is going to be using non-native apps and plugins. They themselves will go under updates or will be affected by BigCommerce’s updates. 

Bonus Question: Are the Deliverables and Timeline Clearly Defined in the Statement of Work?

Let’s say you’ve evaluated a dev agency per the questions above and you’ve found one that you think is both the right technical fit and culture fit to help you set up your BigCommerce store.

The vetting doesn’t stop there – you want to make sure you have a specific Statement of Work (SOW) with clearly defined deliverables and timelines. 

Your SOW with any agency should have the following:

• Deliverables listed out.
• Turnaround time mapped.
• Communication channels and updates defined.
• How many iterative processes are going to be offered.
• What does the post-launch maintenance look like

Want to Work with Us or Learn How to Implement Our BigCommerce Development Process?

• Work with SwiftOtter: If you’re interested in partnering with us to develop or enhance your BigCommerce store, you can learn more about our BigCommerce development services and how we can help you achieve your e-commerce goals.
• Learn with SwiftOtter: We also offer a comprehensive course on e-commerce development, designed for individuals looking to master the skills needed to build successful online stores on BigCommerce. Our course includes in-depth lessons, case studies, and practical examples not found in this blog. By joining, you become part of a community where you can ask questions, participate in discussions, and share your work for feedback.
• Join Our Team: If you’re passionate about BigCommerce development and our approach resonates with you, consider joining the SwiftOtter team as a developer or strategist. We work with fantastic clients, offer remote positions, and provide competitive compensation. Plus, you’ll be part of a collaborative team that values innovation and excellence.