No, AI can’t replace a professional web designer. But it can act like a brainstorming partner. With the right prompts, you can use ChatGPT to generate new navigation ideas, fresh layout concepts, and even content suggestions. Then, once you have some starting points, a BigCommerce expert can turn those ideas into a polished, professional site.

Why Use ChatGPT for Store Design?

The hardest part of improving your website is often just getting unstuck. ChatGPT is great at giving you options quickly. Want to see three different ways to organize your categories? Or examples of homepage layouts for a store like yours? A quick prompt can give you ideas you might not have thought of on your own.

And because ChatGPT speaks in plain language, you don’t need design training to understand what it suggests. That makes it a handy tool for merchants who feel “non-technical” but still want to play a role in shaping their store.

Example Prompts for Navigation

Your store’s navigation is one of the biggest drivers of conversion. If customers can’t find what they’re looking for, they leave. ChatGPT can help you test out different ways of organizing menus.

Try prompts like:

• “Suggest three navigation structures for a BigCommerce store that sells handmade jewelry.”
• “Create a mega-menu layout for a clothing store with men’s, women’s, and kids’ sections.”
• “What’s a simple navigation for a new store with fewer than 10 products?”

Once you have a few ideas, you can refine them with a designer or through BigCommerce theme customization so they fit your brand.

Example Prompts for Design Inspiration

Navigation is just the start. You can also use ChatGPT to explore layout ideas:

• “List homepage layout options for a skincare brand launching on BigCommerce.”
• “Suggest hero section ideas for an electronics store.”
• “Give me three product page templates that would increase trust for high-end furniture.”

You won’t get pixel-perfect mockups, but you will get inspiration. These concepts can help you think about what feels right for your brand—and what doesn’t.

Where ChatGPT Falls Short

AI is great at giving you a list of ideas, but it doesn’t know your brand, your audience, or your specific goals. It might recommend a feature that looks good on paper but doesn’t fit your business.

That’s why it’s important to use ChatGPT as a starting point—not a final design. The magic happens when you take those raw ideas and hand them off to a BigCommerce agency who can implement them correctly.

From Ideas to Implementation

Here’s a simple workflow:

1. Use ChatGPT to brainstorm options for navigation, layouts, or content.
2. Pick out the ideas that feel strongest.
3. Work with a designer to translate them into a practical strategy for your store.
4. Implement by customizing your BigCommerce theme or having a designer create a new custom BigCommerce theme.

That way, you get the best of both worlds: the speed and creativity of AI, plus the polish and expertise of a professional.

Final Thoughts
ChatGPT won’t build your store for you—but it can help you think differently about design and navigation. If you feel stuck, try a few prompts and see what it comes up with. You might be surprised at the fresh ideas you can uncover. And when you’re ready to turn those ideas into reality, a BigCommerce expert can take it from there.

The post Using ChatGPT to Brainstorm Design & Navigation Improvements appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

That shift means your ecommerce website has a new audience to impress: not just your shoppers, but the AI tools they’re using to find you. Designing your site with “AIO” (AI Optimization) in mind isn’t complicated, but it does mean paying attention to a few key areas.

Why AI Search Matters for Your Store

AI search tools don’t “see” your website the same way a person does. Instead of skimming your pages, they scan your text, structure, and visuals to pull together answers. If your product descriptions are thin, or your images don’t have clear labels, AI might skip over you in favor of a competitor who’s easier to understand.

In other words: if you want to be the store that shows up in an AI-generated recommendation, you need to make your site crystal clear—for humans and machines.

Write Intent-Rich Content

Think about the kinds of questions customers actually ask:

• “What’s the best gift for a dog owner under $50?”
• “Which sneakers are good for marathon training?”

If your product pages and blog posts answer those questions in plain language, AI tools are much more likely to pull your store into their responses. That means:

• Use natural, conversational wording (not just keywords).
• Include common questions in your FAQ or product descriptions.
• Be clear about who your product is for and why it’s a good choice.

Make Visuals Easy for AI to Read

AI is increasingly able to “look at” images and videos. But it still depends heavily on the labels you give them. Some simple steps:

• Add descriptive file names (e.g. blue-running-shoes.jpg instead of IMG_1234.jpg).
• Use alt text and captions that describe what’s actually in the image.
• Keep your product shots consistent so AI can easily identify them.

This isn’t just about algorithms—it helps real customers too. Clear visuals = more trust.

Get the Technical Basics Right

A few small technical steps make a big difference:

• Use structured data (schema) so AI can easily read product details like price, reviews, and availability.
• Keep your site navigation simple and logical so bots (and people) can crawl it without confusion.
• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly—most AI results link to mobile experiences first.

If you’re not sure where to start, focus on your top-selling products. Updating just a handful of pages can start paying off quickly.

Future-Proof Your Next Redesign

The easiest time to make your site AI-ready is when you’re launching or redesigning your store. If you’re starting fresh by customizing a new BigCommerce theme—or building a custom design—you can bake in structured data, clear navigation, and optimized visuals from the start.

That way, your store isn’t just ready for today’s shoppers—it’s also ready for the new ways people will be searching tomorrow.

Final Thoughts
AI isn’t replacing search engines altogether, but it’s becoming a powerful new way for shoppers to discover products. The good news? With a few small tweaks, you can make sure your store doesn’t get left out of the conversation.

The post Designing for AI Search & ChatGPT: AIO-Ready UX appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

The health and wellness industry continues to grow, and supplements are no exception. From vitamins to protein powders, selling supplements online can be a lucrative business. However, the industry’s regulatory requirements, marketing limitations, and customer expectations can make it challenging to launch a successful online store.

If you’re looking to sell supplements, choosing the right e-commerce platform is critical. Shopify’s restrictions on certain supplement categories can limit your business’s potential. BigCommerce, with its flexibility and robust feature set, is a superior choice for supplement sellers. In this guide, we’ll explore the unique challenges of selling supplements online and how my BigCommerce store launch services can help you build a compliant, scalable, and successful store.

Challenges of Selling Supplements Online

1. Regulatory Compliance

Supplements are subject to stringent regulations, including FDA labeling requirements, health claims restrictions, and ingredient limitations. Navigating these laws is essential to avoid penalties and build customer trust.

2. Payment Processing Restrictions

Many traditional payment processors categorize supplements as a high-risk industry due to the potential for chargebacks and regulatory scrutiny. This can make finding a reliable payment gateway challenging.

3. Marketing Restrictions

Google Ads, Facebook, and other platforms often have strict policies around advertising supplements, particularly for weight loss or performance-enhancing products. This limits paid advertising opportunities and requires alternative strategies.

4. Intense Competition

The supplement market is highly competitive, with large brands dominating search results and customer attention. Standing out requires a professional website and a well-thought-out marketing plan.

5. Brand Requirements

Some supplement brands require a consultation before they will allow a customer to purchase. Others have MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) pricing which can be difficult to manage without the right tools.

How BigCommerce Solves These Challenges

1. Compliance-Friendly Features

BigCommerce provides the flexibility to meet industry-specific compliance requirements, such as:

• Customizable product pages to include FDA-compliant labeling information.
• Space for third-party testing certificates or lab reports.
• Tools to display disclaimers and usage instructions prominently.
• Customer groups to control sales of specific brands to only authorized shoppers

2. High-Risk Payment Gateway Support

BigCommerce integrates with multiple payment processors that cater to high-risk industries, such as Authorize.Net, NMI, and USA ePay. This ensures your transactions are smooth and reliable, even for restricted product categories.

3. Advanced SEO and Content Marketing Tools

Given the restrictions on paid advertising, SEO and content marketing are vital for driving organic traffic. BigCommerce offers:

• SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and site architecture to improve search rankings.
• Built-in blogging tools for publishing educational content about supplements.
• Easy integration with email marketing platforms to nurture leads and boost retention.
• Integrations with loyalty and rewards apps to build a loyal customer base

4. Scalability and Performance

BigCommerce is designed to grow with your business. Its robust infrastructure ensures fast load times and a seamless shopping experience, even during high-traffic periods. This is crucial for standing out in the competitive supplements market.

5. Advanced Merchandising Tools

To make shopping easy, BigCommerce allows for extensive categories and subcategories, the ability to shop by brand and built-in product filters that enable customers to quickly find the product they want. Customer groups and customizable themes give supplement sellers the ability to restrict sales by brand to authorized customers only.

Why Work With Duck Soup E-Commerce?

Launching a successful supplement e-commerce store requires expertise in both web design and industry-specific challenges. I’ve worked with many supplement retailers over the last decade, and I understand the unique supplement landscape.

Here’s how I can help:

• Custom Store Design: I’ll create a professional, user-friendly website that showcases your brand and builds customer trust.
• Compliance Assistance: From disclaimers to MAP pricing, I’ll ensure your store meets all regulatory and brand requirements.
• Payment Gateway Setup: I’ll help you connect with payment processors that specialize in high-risk industries, ensuring seamless transactions.
• Marketing Strategy: I’ll advise on SEO best-practices, help implement email marketing automation and recommend apps to ensure you can attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back.
• Ongoing Support: Whether you need technical assistance or strategic advice, I’ll be there to help your store succeed beyond your launch date.

By leveraging my expertise and BigCommerce’s powerful platform, you can build a store that overcomes the challenges of selling supplements online.

Ready to Build Your Supplement Store?

Don’t be discouraged by the challenges of selling supplements online. With BigCommerce and my expert services, you can launch a compliant, scalable, and successful e-commerce supplement store.

Request a Quote today and start building your supplement business!

The post How to Build a Successful E-Commerce Website for Supplements appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

The CBD market has seen explosive growth, with more consumers turning to CBD products for wellness, pain relief, and relaxation. However, selling CBD online isn’t as simple as launching a store and listing products. CBD merchants face unique challenges, from legal compliance to advertising restrictions, making it essential to choose the right e-commerce platform and partner.

Shopify’s restrictions on CBD products make it a less-than-ideal platform for sellers in this space. BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers the flexibility and tools CBD businesses need to succeed. In this guide, we’ll explore the challenges of selling CBD online and how BigCommerce, paired with my expert website launch services, can set your store up for success.

Challenges of Selling CBD Online

1. Complex Regulatory Environment

The legality of CBD varies by country, with regulations governing THC levels, labeling requirements, and product claims. Lack of compliance can put your business in legal jeopardy.

2. Payment Processing Restrictions

Many payment gateways, including traditional processors like PayPal and Stripe, restrict or outright prohibit CBD transactions due to its classification as a high-risk product. This can leave sellers scrambling for alternatives.

3. Advertising Limitations

Major platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram have strict policies against advertising CBD products, making traditional online marketing methods less accessible.

4. Building Customer Trust

CBD is still a relatively new market, and customers may have concerns about product quality and legitimacy. Clear labeling, lab reports, and transparency are crucial to establishing trust.

How BigCommerce Solves These Challenges

1. Built for Compliance

BigCommerce provides the flexibility to meet CBD-specific regulations, allowing you to:

• Add product detail pages with space for lab test results and certifications.
• Display compliance disclaimers prominently on your site.
• Implement age verification tools to comply with local sales restrictions

2. Reliable Payment Processing Options

BigCommerce integrates with payment gateways that support CBD sales, such as Square, Authorize.Net, and others designed for high-risk industries. This ensures your transactions remain seamless and secure.

3. Advanced SEO and Content Tools

Since traditional advertising is limited, SEO and content marketing are essential for attracting traffic. BigCommerce offers:

• SEO-friendly architecture to improve organic search rankings.
• Integrated blogging tools for publishing educational content about CBD.
• Customizable meta tags and URLs for better keyword targeting.

4. Enhanced Customer Trust Features

BigCommerce enables you to build a professional and credible store with features like:

• Customizable product pages to highlight certifications and testing results.
• Secure checkout processes to protect customer information.
• Scalability to grow your store as your customer base expands.

Why Choose Duck Soup E-Commerce to Build Your CBD Store?

Launching a CBD e-commerce store requires not only the right platform but also the right expertise. That’s where I come in. I’ve worked with dozens of high-risk clients, including CBD retailers and manufacturers.

Here’s how I can help:

• Custom Store Design: I’ll create a professional, user-friendly website tailored to your brand and target audience.
• Compliance Support: I’ll work with you to ensure your store meets all relevant regulations, including integrating tools for labeling, disclaimers and age verification.
• Payment Gateway Setup: I’ll help you set up payment processors that support CBD sales, ensuring smooth and secure transactions.
• SEO Optimization: I’ll implement strategies to boost your store’s visibility, helping you attract organic traffic despite advertising restrictions.
• Ongoing Support: Whether you need consulting or technical assistance, I’ll be there every step of the way to help your business succeed.

Ready to Launch Your CBD Store?

Don’t let the challenges of selling CBD online hold you back. With BigCommerce’s powerful platform and my personalized services, you can build a compliant, secure, and successful e-commerce store.

Request a Quote today and take the first step toward launching your CBD business!

The post Launch Your CBD E-Commerce Store the Right Way appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

This blog post will walk you through how to create a marketing calendar using Excel. A well-organized marketing calendar helps you plan your promotions and content posting for the year, ensuring your website stays fresh and your customers engaged. While it may feel like extra work initially, having a marketing calendar can save you time and stress throughout the year.

Why Use a Marketing Calendar?

If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for content posting; I have too many other things to worry about,” I hear you! But that’s exactly why a marketing calendar is helpful. It forces you to:

• Focus on the key activities you can plan for the year.
• Map out those activities in advance.
• Set reminders and allocate time for content creation and promotions.

With a calendar in place, it’s easier to create a steady flow of content and promotions that keep your customers interested.

Step 1: Set Up Your Marketing Calendar in Excel

Start by creating a simple marketing calendar using an Excel spreadsheet. If you’d like a head start, I’ve created a basic template that you can download and customize to fit your needs (see end of this post).

Key Columns to Include:

1. Weeks of the Year: Will include the dates of each week
2. Holidays and Themes: Will include holidays, notable dates and seasons
3. Marketing Channels:

• Website updates
• Blog posts
• Email campaigns
• Social media posts

Feel free to modify these columns based on your business. If you don’t use a blog, delete that column.

Add columns for specific platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook or other advertising channels as needed.

Step 2: Populate the Marketing Calendar with Key Dates

Start by filling in important holidays and seasonal themes relevant to your business. For example:

• Valentine’s Day
• Mother’s Day
• Back to School
• Thanksgiving

Think about events that align with your products or services. For example, apparel retailers might promote spring clothing a few weeks before the first day of spring. Add notes for when to update your website or run promotions.

Step 3: Fill in Your Marketing Ideas

Once your basic calendar is set up, start filling in your planned promotions and content ideas. For example:

Week 1 (New Year’s):

• Run a New Year’s promotion on your website.
• Send a Happy New Year email to your customers.

Valentine’s Day:

• Create a Gifts category and populate it with Valentine’s gift ideas
• Set up a free gift with purchase promotion.

It’s okay to leave some weeks blank. You can fill them in as ideas come to you or when new opportunities arise.

Step 4: Set Up Reminders

Use your business or personal calendar to set reminders for key tasks. For example:

• Two weeks before a seasonal promotion: Update your website with banners or product categories.
• One month before Mother’s Day: Start promoting gift ideas for women.

Planning ahead ensures you’re not scrambling at the last minute and you allow enough time for marketing and shipping.

Step 5: Review and Adjust Annually

At the end of the year, review your calendar and create a new tab for the upcoming year. Copy your existing content and adjust dates as needed. This way, you can see what worked last year and make improvements.

Bonus Tips for Social Media Management

If you do a lot of social media posting, consider using a social media management tool like Sprout Social to schedule posts in advance. Social media content tools will also let you write one post and push it to multiple platforms.

If you prefer manual posting, just set reminders in your calendar to ensure you stay on track.

Download my free Excel template below, customize it for your business, and start planning your marketing activities. A little effort now can make a huge difference in keeping your e-commerce site fresh and engaging all year long.

Happy planning!

Download the 2026 Marketing Calendar Template

(If you’re downloading this file after 2026, you’ll need to update the dates and default holidays.)

The post How to Create a Marketing Calendar to Plan Your E-Commerce Promotions & Content appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices

In response to growing environmental concerns, consumers are increasingly prioritizing sustainable and ethically sourced products. Brands that adopt eco-friendly practices are likely to gain a competitive edge in the market.

How to Incorporate Sustainability

First, look at the products you’re selling and determine which might be considered sustainable. Do you offer any items made from recycled materials, or which help consumers reduce waste? Highlight these items in a new category on your website. If you don’t have any eco-friendly products, consider adding some, whether it’s from existing suppliers or using a drop-shipping app.

Next, think about what eco-friendly practices your business has in place. This could be anything from recycling efforts to using eco-friendly packaging to powering your office with renewable energy. Make sure to include information about these practices on your About Us page, or even in a section on your homepage. If your company doesn’t do anything sustainably, think about what you could change to become more eco-friendly.

Social Commerce

Social media platforms continue to evolve into powerful e-commerce hubs, offering seamless shopping experiences and direct purchase options. In addition, leveraging influencer marketing and user-generated content can enhance brand visibility and drive sales in this space.

How to Become More Social

Social media marketing has been one of the top e-commerce trends for years, but many merchants still haven’t made the leap. The easiest way to take advantage of social shopping is through BigCommerce’s integrations with Facebook and Instagram. You can connect your store to your Facebook account and then feed your products to your Facebook store. Once approved, you can push your products to Instagram. This allows you to sell on both platforms directly, as well as easily advertise your items to your followers and others interested in what you sell.

If you’re still using the built-in BigCommerce reviews system, consider switching to an advanced reviews app. They provide additional functionality like ability for reviewers to upload photos/videos, and allow other shoppers to vote on reviews’ helpfulness. In addition, you’ll be able to highlight reviews throughout your store and publish them to Google and social media websites. Some of the more popular reviews apps include JustUno, Stamped.io, Reviews.io and Judge.me (which is free for BigCommerce merchants).

Depending on what you sell, you may also want to add influencer marketing to your mix. You can attract influencers with an affiliate program, or by signing up with one of the influencer-specific apps in the BigCommerce app store.

Subscription-Based Selling

Subscription services have been gaining popularity across various industries, offering shoppers convenience and value through recurring deliveries of curated products or services. Merchants can capitalize on this trend by developing subscription offerings tailored to their target audience.

How to Utilize Subscriptions

Subscription selling isn’t appropriate for every e-commerce store, but there are plenty of merchants who are missing out by not incorporating it. Subscriptions are a great way to get guaranteed repeat sales from shoppers without spending more to acquire them.

Lots of e-commerce stores offer at least a few consumable items which shoppers need to replenish on a regular basis. These are ideal for subscriptions. If that doesn’t apply to you, consider offering an “X of the month club” that sends a different item (or items) each month. I’ve seen clients come up with very creative ways to incorporate subscriptions into their stores. You can find several great options for subscription functionality in the BigCommerce app store.

Conclusion

Staying ahead of the curve in e-commerce requires an understanding of the latest trends and a willingness to experiment with new ways of selling online. By embracing sustainability, leveraging social commerce platforms, and utilizing subscription selling, BigCommerce merchants can position themselves for success in the competitive digital marketplace of 2024 and beyond.

If you’re a BigCommerce merchant and need help incorporating one of these e-commerce trends for your online store, contact me and let’s chat!

The post E-Commerce Trends to Leverage for Growth in 2024 appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

AI is already reshaping the landscape of e-commerce, introducing a new era of efficiency. Beyond traditional automation, businesses are harnessing the power of AI for tasks that demand creativity and a nuanced understanding of language. But can AI really help you elevate and streamline your content creation? BigCommerce certainly thinks so.

Leveraging BigCommerce’s BigAI Copywriter Tool

BigCommerce recently released their revolutionary AI writing tool – BigAI Copywriter. This tool is designed to make crafting product descriptions a breeze, combining speed, precision, and customization.

Speed and Precision

BigAI Copywriter doesn’t just write; it writes fast and accurately. With the ability to generate high-quality product descriptions in a matter of moments, the tool ensures efficiency without compromising quality.

Customization for Brand Voice

Maintaining a consistent brand voice is crucial. BigAI Copywriter understands this, offering customization options to align product descriptions with your brand’s unique tone. This allows your brand’s personality to shine through every product description.

The Importance of Connecting with Your Customers

Well-crafted product descriptions aren’t just about the products; they’re about connecting with your audience. The impact of engaging and informative content goes beyond just a sale – it builds trust and enhances the overall customer experience. But writing compelling product descriptions takes time that many merchants simply don’t have. This is especially true for anyone planning to launch a new BigCommerce store.

That’s what makes BigAI Copywriter such an incredible feature. It isn’t just another tool – it’s your virtual wordsmith. It simplifies and speeds up the time-consuming task of writing engaging product descriptions. So, instead of churning out basic content, you can now create extraordinary copy with a touch of AI magic.

BigAI Copywriter is only available for BigCommerce merchants using the V3 product management experience.

The post Unleashing the Power of Words: Using BigAI Copywriter for Product Descriptions appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

However, there are several budget-friendly ways to increase e-commerce sales, no matter how much you have to spend. As we move into the new year, here are my top four recommendations for increasing BigCommerce store sales in 2022 without breaking the bank.

Improve Your Store’s Search Results

In the early days of the internet, most shoppers browsed. They clicked on menus, navigating through categories and subcategories to find what they wanted to buy. This is partly because the early big “search engines” weren’t that focused on search. Instead, they were more like big internet directories.

That all changed when Google hit the scene. With no actual directory, Google presented just a simple search box. People started searching and they never looked back. Of course, many people still browse, and many do both browsing and searching. But there’s no doubt that searching has become an incredibly important (if not most important) part of the online shopping process.

Unfortunately, the default BigCommerce search box and accompanying search results just aren’t that great. The built-in search functionality doesn’t do well with part numbers, UPCs, skus or multi-word product names. It’s gotten slightly better over the last decade, but it still leaves much to be desired. And every time a shopper searches on your website and doesn’t get good results, they get frustrated, potentially leaving because they don’t think your store sells what they’re looking for – even if you do.

Searchanise is an affordable 3rd party search tool that vastly improves your store’s search capabilities. Installation is super quick and it’s shockingly inexpensive for the functionality it provides. Pricing is based on the number of products in your store, with a 500 product store costing just $9 per month. Have a larger catalog? Searchanise is just $18 per month for a 5,000 product catalog.

For that small fee, Searchanise provides:

• Instant search results from your search box
• The ability to search products, categories, pages and blog posts
• Customization of your search experience using CSS/HTML
• Keyword based redirects
• Filters on the search results page
• Merchandising rules
• Synonyms
• Analytics and more

Even if just one out of every 100 searchers on your website was able to find and buy a product easier each month, Searchanise would pay for itself. Imagine if a few dozen shoppers were able to find their desired product faster, or even a few hundred. Searchanise may be the most affordable way to increase BigCommerce store sales in one day.

Make Checkout Faster and Easier

You’re already spending money or time (if you’re using free marketing channels like social media) to get visitors to your website. But only a fraction of them will purchase. Even if you have a high conversion rate, 95% or more of your visitors aren’t going to buy. Therefore, a cheap way to increase sales is to convince more of your visitors to place and order.

One of the biggest barriers to purchasing is a long checkout process. Shoppers simply don’t like having to fill out forms, even if you’re using the fairly quick optimized one-page checkout that BigCommerce provides. This is especially true for mobile and tablet shoppers where forms appear even longer.

What if you could shrink your checkout to just a few fields so that customers could place their order faster? Enter FAST Checkout. Not only does FAST have a minimal number of checkout fields, the FAST checkout button can be placed directly on the product page. This lets shoppers complete their order without having to visit the traditional cart or checkout pages. Fast and easy! Plus, once a shopper creates a FAST account, they can sign in and checkout in even fewer steps on any website that offers FAST.

FAST Checkout has no flat monthly fees, only transaction fees on orders placed using FAST. And not only has FAST been shown to increase conversion rates, it’s also been shown to increase average order sizes – a nice added bonus. This means you can install FAST on your BigCommerce store at no cost. You’ll only pay if shoppers use it.

If you’re interested in trying FAST, contact me for a quick demo and I’ll provide FREE installation on your BigCommerce store. Talk about budget-friendly!

Allow Shoppers to Buy Now, Pay Later

You’ve probably seen pay-in-installment options on big retailer websites you shop. Buy Now, Pay Later services have become really popular in the past few years for a reason – they make it easier for shoppers to afford larger purchases that they otherwise might not make. Adding a Buy Now, Pay Later app to your website will not only increase conversions, but it’s a great way to increase average order size and thus boost your overall store revenue.

There are a lot of Buy Now, Pay Later apps available but my favorite is Sezzle. They’re a relatively new option, but they’re taking the market by storm for a few reasons. First, they take into account more than just traditional credit in their application, so younger shoppers like Millennials are more likely to be approved. Second, Sezzle doesn’t charge the customer interest unlike some other multi-payment vendors. And third, Sezzle works with smaller stores unlike some of the more established players like Afterpay and Affirm. You don’t have to be a multi-million dollar company; even small businesses can increase BigCommerce store sales with Sezzle.

The reason I like Sezzle the most is that they’re a B Corp. That means they’ve committed to caring about more than just profit, by focusing on sustainability and social responsibility. Becoming a B Corp is no easy feat, so I always try to support companies that have been certified when I can.

Sezzle is super easy to set up on BigCommerce through the app store. Like traditional payment gateways, you’ll pay a percentage of each sale plus a nominal fee for every order that Sezzle processes. Keep in mind that all Buy Now, Pay Later services charge higher fees than your normal credit card processor. That’s because they are taking a higher risk. But you’ll only pay Sezzle when a customer makes a purchase, so if you’re paying fees, it means you’re getting sales!

If you’re interested in trying Sezzle for your store, make sure to use my exclusive code DUCKSOUP during signup to get a discounted rate of 5.5% + 30 cents per transaction plus a 30-day introductory trial at 2.9% + 30 cents.

Leverage Email Marketing for Repeat Sales

I’ve always loved email marketing because it’s a cheap way to increase sales for your BigCommerce store. Many people get intimidated by email marketing, thinking that’s it’s going to take a ton of time, skilled writing and beautiful imagery to create effective campaigns. But with Mailchimp, it’s easy to create a simple email template and then quickly populate it with product photos and Shop Now buttons any time to want a sales boost. You can even use stock photos if you’re selling lifestyle oriented products like athletic gear, cookware, outdoor living décor or activity-based products.

Email campaigns can be set up in advance, so you can easily create a few when you have some extra time and then schedule them to go out on a weekly or monthly basis. If you have a marketing calendar, you can quickly match up your campaigns with upcoming seasons and key shopping holidays. Need to grow your list? Check out my video tutorial about growing your email list with a website popup.

But beyond email marketing campaigns, Mailchimp offers automation tools that can increase BigCommerce store sales with very little effort on your part. Once you add the Mailchimp app to your BigCommerce store, information about customer purchases will automatically sync to your email list. Now, it’s important to remember that not everyone who orders from your store will opt in to receive your email campaigns. But that’s okay, because you can create automation campaigns that are triggered when someone purchases.

Automation campaigns can be very broad, such as a post-purchase email that includes a coupon to bring customers back for a second order. Or they can be more specific, targeting people who bought particular brands with an email featuring other top sellers from those brands. You can also use content, such as product care tips, assembly instructions or “how to” FAQs, to follow up with customers who purchased certain brands.

While it can take a little time to set up automation campaigns, they are well worth the effort. I suggest starting with a broad campaign to get the hang of the setup process and then building out more niche campaigns as you get more comfortable. Klaviyo also offers advanced automation features, so you don’t have to use Mailchimp if you’d prefer another provider. I just like Mailchimp because it’s free for the first 2,000 subscribers and I find their interface easy to use, especially for those who aren’t super tech-savvy.

Have other ways you’ve found effective to increase sales on a budget? Let me know in the comments!

The post 4 Affordable Ways to Increase BigCommerce Store Sales in 2022 appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

Because gift certificates are sent immediately to the recipient upon purchase, scammers are known to buy gift certificates with stolen credit cards and then quickly turn around and use the gift certificate to purchase products from your store. Store owners, not realizing what has occurred, ship the orders out normally.

Then, a few weeks or months later, they receive a message from their payment processor that the original payment for the gift certificate itself has been reversed. This leaves the store owner without the products they shipped (when the gift certificate was redeemed), and without the money paid for the gift certificate itself. Meanwhile, the scammer has the products and can sell them online for 100% profit.
To minimize gift certificate fraud, you have two options. You can disable gift certificates entirely by going to Marketing in the left navigation and then clicking on Gift Certificates. Or you can make your gift certificates less appealing to scammers by changing the available gift certificate amounts.

By default, your store is set to accept gift certificate values of $1 to $1000 – the purchaser can enter any amount between those two amounts. However, you can change the setting to “Specify a list of allowed gift certificate amounts” and then type in a few set values like $25, $50, $75 and $100. Since fraudsters are looking to get the largest possible return for their efforts, they are less likely to pull this scam for only $100 in free merchandise. Additionally, you’ll have a much smaller loss should scammers target your store.

This post is an excerpt from my new book, 60 Killer BigCommerce Tips & Tricks for Managing Your Store Like a Pro, now available in paperback and Kindle format from Amazon.com.

The post Avoid Gift Certificate Fraud in Your BigCommerce Store appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

But you can use customer groups for a variety of creative purposes. Here are some ideas to get you going:

Use customer groups to give your best customers exclusive discounts

Create a VIP group with a discount on all or select products in your store. You could market VIP status as something shoppers can earn after placing a certain number of orders, or simply reward customers who have purchased frequently by reaching out directly and letting them know they’ve earned VIP status.

Use customer groups to offer a Free Shipping subscription similar to Amazon Prime

Create a product called “Free Shipping” and sell it for whatever price you’d like. Create a Free Shipping customer group and then set up a cart-level discount that gives free shipping to only people in that group. When someone purchases the “Free Shipping” product, add them to that group.

Use customer groups to give certain customers a “first look” at new products

Create a category named “Preview” or “First Look” and then create a customer group with a similar name that has access to that category. Make sure to uncheck that category from your default customer group so that regular shoppers can’t access it. Then use whatever promotional method you want to reward shoppers with “First Look” access. It could be ordering a certain amount, placing a minimum number of orders, taking a survey, sharing content on social media, etc.

Customer groups can be a powerful promotional tool if you think outside the box!

This post is an excerpt from my new book, 60 Killer BigCommerce Tips & Tricks for Managing Your Store Like a Pro, now available in paperback and Kindle format from Amazon.com.

The post Get Creative with BigCommerce Customer Groups appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.