How Often Should You Update Your BigCommerce Website Design?

I get this question a lot, especially from clients who see there’s an update available for their theme and wonder if they should apply it. But theme updates aren’t always as straightforward as they seem.

Let’s break down what these updates actually mean, how they work in BigCommerce, and when it makes sense to invest the time and effort in updating your store’s design.

What Happens When a Theme Is Updated?

When you first install a theme from the BigCommerce Theme Marketplace, it comes as a “base theme.” Most store owners immediately make a copy of that base theme to customize it, and that’s exactly what BigCommerce recommends.

But here’s the catch: once you make that copy, it’s no longer connected to the original base theme. So even if the theme developer pushes out an update, it won’t apply to the version of the theme you’re actually using on your site.

This often surprises merchants. They assume they can just click “update,” like you might with an app or plugin. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.

What’s Actually in a Theme Update?

Most theme updates are small. Some themes get multiple updates per month, and many of those are simply minor code tweaks or cleanup by the developer. Occasionally, you’ll see useful bug fixes or even new functionality, but not every update is essential.

If you’re curious about what’s included in the latest release, here’s how to find out:

1. Go to Storefront > Theme in your BigCommerce dashboard.
2. Look under your theme name to find the version number.
3. Then check out the BigCommerce Theme Release Notes to see what’s changed between your version and the latest one.

This is the best way to determine if it’s worth the effort to update.

When Should You Actually Update Your Theme?

It’s rarely necessary to update your theme every time a new version is released. That said, if the update fixes a bug you’re running into, or adds a feature you really want, it may be worth it.

Just keep in mind that applying a theme update isn’t a quick process. You’ll need to:

1. Update the base theme to the latest version
2. Make a fresh copy
3. Reapply all of your customizations to the new version

If your store is heavily customized, this can be a big job — and often requires a BigCommerce developer to ensure everything is re-implemented correctly.

A Note on Third-Party Theme Marketplaces

If you purchased your theme outside of the BigCommerce Theme Marketplace, you likely won’t be able to update it at all. That’s because those themes don’t use the base-copy model. You get a static version of the theme with no way to receive future updates.

This is why I always recommend buying themes directly from the BigCommerce Theme Store. Not only do you get access to future updates, but you also benefit from BigCommerce’s vetting process — you know the theme is compatible and stable.

The Better Approach: Redesign Every 2–3 Years

Rather than chasing every theme update, I recommend thinking about your website design in broader cycles.

In most cases, a full redesign every 2–3 years is a much better use of your time and budget. Here’s why:

• You’ll benefit from all the major updates the theme developer has released
• You can clean up any “quick fixes” or workarounds you’ve added since the last redesign
• You can modernize your store’s look to reflect current e-commerce best practices and design trends

Some merchants choose to keep the same theme and just refresh the styling and layout. Others take the opportunity to start fresh with a new theme altogether. Either approach works, it just depends on how much change you want.

Bottom Line

Don’t stress about every single theme update notification. Unless you’re experiencing a bug or missing a critical feature, there’s usually no rush.

Instead, plan to revisit your store’s design every couple of years. Whether you tweak what you have or roll out a brand-new look, that strategic refresh will keep your site performing — and converting — at its best.

And if you’re not sure whether it’s time for a redesign or just a few smart adjustments, I’m always happy to take a look and give an honest opinion.

Want help with your redesign? Hire a BigCommerce website designer to refresh your store without the hassle. I offer free personalized quotes – just contact me for more information..