Starting an online store shouldn’t feel like rocket science, and that’s exactly where Big Cartel steps in. This user-friendly e-commerce platform helps artists, makers and creative entrepreneurs showcase their products without getting lost in technical complexities. It’s like having a digital storefront that actually makes sense.
Big Cartel has been empowering independent creators since 2004, offering a straightforward path to selling online. With its artist-first approach and simple pricing structure, it’s become the go-to platform for over a million creative businesses. Whether someone’s selling handmade jewelry, vintage finds, or digital art, Big Cartel provides the essential tools to turn passion into profit.
MyBigCartel
MyBigCartel operates as an e-commerce platform specializing in helping artists designers sell their creative products online. The platform combines simplicity with essential selling tools to create a streamlined experience for creative entrepreneurs.
Key Features and Tools
MyBigCartel offers integrated inventory tracking that automatically updates stock levels after each sale. The platform includes customizable themes with mobile-responsive designs to showcase products effectively. Users access built-in SEO tools to optimize product listings for better visibility in search results. The platform provides real-time order management displaying shipping status updates customer information. Additional features include:
- Automated tax calculations for accurate pricing
- Digital product delivery systems
- Social media integration tools
- Custom domain support
- Analytics dashboard tracking sales metrics
- Multiple payment gateway options including Stripe PayPal
Pricing Plans and Options
MyBigCartel structures its pricing into three distinct tiers: Gold Platinum Diamond. The Gold plan starts at $9.99 monthly including 25 product listings basic customization options. Platinum costs $19.99 monthly offering 100 product listings advanced theme customization. The Diamond tier at $29.99 monthly provides unlimited product listings complete customization features including:
| Plan | Price/Month | Product Limit | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $9.99 | 25 | Basic customization |
| Platinum | $19.99 | 100 | Advanced themes |
| Diamond | $29.99 | Unlimited | Full customization |
Each plan includes zero transaction fees free SSL certificates order management tools. Users can upgrade downgrade plans anytime based on their business needs.
Setting Up Your MyBigCartel Online Store
Creating a MyBigCartel store involves a systematic approach to establish a professional online presence. The platform’s intuitive interface guides users through each step of the setup process.
Customizing Your Store Design
MyBigCartel offers mobile-responsive themes with customizable elements to create a unique brand identity. Users select from pre-built templates featuring distinct typography font pairs color schemes layouts. The design editor includes drag-drop functionality for logo placement banner images product displays. Store owners modify navigation menus add custom CSS code adjust header styles. The platform supports multiple page layouts including home product category about contact pages. Each theme automatically adapts to different screen sizes ensuring optimal viewing on desktop tablet mobile devices.
Adding Products and Categories
The product management system enables quick creation organization of inventory listings. Store owners upload multiple product images set prices manage stock levels from a central dashboard. The category feature organizes items into logical groups such as “Paintings” “Prints” “Digital Downloads.” Each product listing supports detailed descriptions SKU numbers weight specifications shipping options. Users input tax information enable variant options like size color quantity. The platform includes bulk editing tools for updating multiple products simultaneously. Digital creators configure automatic delivery systems for downloadable products including artwork templates audio files.
Payment Processing and Shopping Cart Features
MyBigCartel integrates secure payment processing with streamlined shopping cart features to facilitate smooth transactions. The platform combines essential e-commerce tools with user-friendly checkout processes to maximize sales potential.
Available Payment Gateways
MyBigCartel connects with multiple payment processors including Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Apple Pay. Each gateway supports various currencies across 100+ countries while maintaining PCI compliance standards. Store owners can accept credit cards, digital wallets, and local payment methods through a single integration. The platform processes payments in real-time with automatic fraud detection and instant payment verification.
| Payment Gateway | Transaction Fee | Supported Countries |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | 100+ |
| PayPal | 2.9% + $0.30 | 200+ |
| Square | 2.6% + $0.10 | 15+ |
| Apple Pay | No Extra Fee | 70+ |
Order Management System
The order management system tracks sales from initial purchase through final delivery. Store owners receive instant notifications for new orders through email or mobile alerts. The dashboard displays order status updates, shipping information, and customer details in a centralized location. MyBigCartel automates inventory adjustments after each sale to prevent overselling. The system generates packing slips, shipping labels, and order confirmation emails automatically. Store owners can export order data to CSV files for accounting purposes or customer analysis.
Marketing and Promotion Tools
MyBigCartel integrates essential marketing tools to help creative entrepreneurs expand their reach and boost sales. The platform combines social media connectivity with SEO optimization to create effective promotional strategies for online stores.
Social Media Integration
MyBigCartel connects seamlessly with major social platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter through direct API integration. Store owners can showcase products on social media feeds, tag items in posts and enable one-click purchasing from social platforms. The integration features automatic product syncing, real-time inventory updates and customizable social sharing buttons on product pages. Analytics tools track social media performance metrics including engagement rates, click-through rates and conversion data from social traffic sources.
SEO Capabilities
MyBigCartel incorporates built-in SEO tools to enhance store visibility in search engine results. The platform automatically generates optimized meta titles, descriptions and URLs for product pages. Store owners can customize alt text for product images, create SEO-friendly product descriptions and implement structured data markup. The system includes XML sitemap generation, canonical URL support and mobile optimization settings. Analytics dashboards monitor key SEO metrics including keyword rankings, organic traffic and search engine visibility scores. Advanced features enable bulk editing of meta information and automatic schema markup implementation for products.
Pros and Cons of Using MyBigCartel
Advantages:
- Zero transaction fees across all pricing plans
- Intuitive interface designed specifically for artists
- Mobile responsive themes with drag-drop customization
- Built-in SEO tools optimize product visibility
- Automated tax calculations streamline financial management
- Direct integration with major social media platforms
- Real-time inventory tracking prevents overselling
- Digital product delivery automation
- Multiple payment gateway options (Stripe, PayPal, Square)
- Free SSL certificates enhance security
- Limited product listings in lower-tier plans
- Basic customization options compared to competitors
- Restricted design flexibility in theme modifications
- No marketplace features to drive organic traffic
- Limited marketing tools beyond social media integration
- Absence of advanced analytics in base plans
- No built-in email marketing capabilities
- Storage limitations for product images
- Single currency display per store
- Minimal options for multilingual support
| Feature Comparison | Gold Plan | Platinum Plan | Diamond Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $9.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 |
| Product Listings | 25 | 100 | Unlimited |
| Custom Domain | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Theme Options | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Storage Space | 1GB | 5GB | 10GB |
This balanced overview highlights MyBigCartel’s strengths in providing essential e-commerce features for creative entrepreneurs while acknowledging its limitations in scalability features. The platform excels in simplicity but trades advanced functionality for ease of use.
Alternatives to MyBigCartel
Several e-commerce platforms offer comparable features to MyBigCartel for creative entrepreneurs:
Shopify
- Offers unlimited product listings
- Includes advanced inventory management
- Provides extensive app marketplace
- Supports multichannel selling
- Features built-in dropshipping integration
Etsy
- Connects artists with established marketplace
- Charges per-listing fee structure
- Includes built-in audience of craft buyers
- Features integrated marketing tools
- Offers social proof through reviews
WooCommerce
- Integrates seamlessly with WordPress
- Provides full content ownership
- Includes extensive customization options
- Supports unlimited products
- Features open-source flexibility
Square Online
- Offers free plan availability
- Syncs with physical POS systems
- Includes inventory management
- Features food service options
- Provides real-time analytics
- Delivers premium design templates
- Includes built-in marketing tools
- Features portfolio presentation options
- Offers integrated blogging platform
- Supports digital product sales
Each platform presents distinct advantages based on specific business needs:
| Platform | Starting Price | Transaction Fees | Product Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $29/month | 2.9% + 30¢ | Unlimited |
| Etsy | Free | 5% + 20¢/listing | Unlimited |
| WooCommerce | Free | Payment processor fees | Unlimited |
| Square Online | Free | 2.9% + 30¢ | Unlimited |
| Squarespace | $23/month | 3% | Unlimited |
These alternatives expand beyond MyBigCartel’s creative focus to offer broader e-commerce capabilities with varying price points features.
MyBigCartel stands as a reliable choice for creative entrepreneurs looking to establish their online presence. The platform’s focus on simplicity paired with essential e-commerce features makes it particularly appealing to artists designers and makers who want to start selling quickly.
While the platform may have some limitations its zero transaction fees straightforward pricing structure and user-friendly interface offer significant value. Creative businesses seeking a streamlined selling experience will find MyBigCartel’s combination of essential tools and artistic focus perfectly suited to their needs.
Whether just starting out or running an established creative business MyBigCartel provides the necessary foundation for building and growing a successful online store in the artistic marketplace.