If you’re on the BigCommerce platform, chances are you’ve heard about upgrading your store’s product experience from version 2 to version 3. While this is not currently a requirement for merchants, it is something that is recommended if you’re looking to add additional features to your store including the ability to enable Multi Storefront.
The product experience is simply the way you create and manage your store’s items, in other words, the “Products” tab in your store’s backend. This is where you set up all the information about an item including SKU, description, weight, links to embedded videos, product images, and of course, variations such as size/color.
In addition to a more streamlined item setup page that is now one single page instead of multiple tabs, the V3 product experience also brings:
- Improved Performance: V3 products are built on a new framework, which can provide better performance and faster page load times for your store.
- Enhanced SEO Capabilities: V3 products have improved SEO capabilities, including the ability to use custom URLs, meta descriptions, and other SEO elements, which can help improve your store’s visibility in search engines.
- Better Product Management: V3 products offer more advanced product management features, such as the ability to set up product options and variants to manage inventory more efficiently.
Am I on the V2 version of the BigCommerce Product Experience?
The easiest way to answer that question is to have you go into BigCommerce and proceed to edit a product. If your product page looks like the screenshot below, you are on V2 and should consider upgrading.
Can I stay on the V2 BigCommerce Product Experience, or do I have to upgrade?
Right now, there is no date to sunset V2, however, that may change in the future. One of the biggest reasons store owners have to upgrade to V3 is to enable Multi Storefront. So, if you’re considering taking advantage of opening additional storefronts using your store’s existing products, you will need to make the switch to V3.
How hard is it to upgrade to V3 of the BigCommere Product Experience?
Since V3 handles product options differently than V2, the process can be complex. To complete the upgrade, all V2 options must be removed from all items in the store, and then have the V3 version of them reapplied. While this is going on, your store must be placed in maintenance mode.
The majority of store owners cannot complete the process on their own, which is why Your Store Wizards offers a V2 to V3 Product Migration Service for BigCommerce. This white-glove service is done by our professional team of data experts using our own proprietary tools to ensure a successful upgrade.
I have questions about upgrading, who can I talk to?
Feel free to reach out to us at support@yourstorewizards.com, we have additional resources related to the V2 to V3 product experience upgrade which you may want to check out:
- Understanding the Differences Between the v2 and v3 BigCommerce Product Experience
- BigCommerce v2 to v3 Product Experience Update: What You Need to Know
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.