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Anchor Group Podcast: Episode 10

BigCommerce Development | Anchor Group Podcast: Episode 10

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Podcast Transcript


Michael (00:00)

Hey everybody, thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Anchor Group Podcast. In today's episode, we're talking with one of our Anchor Group developers, Max, who specializes in BigCommerce development. We'll talk about the different categories that BigCommerce development tasks typically fall into, and we’ll dig into each of those to understand the specific roles and responsibilities of a BigCommerce developer.

Toward the end of the episode, we’ll touch on headless commerce—a buzzword you’re likely hearing a lot in the e-commerce world. So we’ll explore that a bit as well.

Max has been on the podcast before to talk about headless commerce, but today we’re taking a different approach. We’re focusing on the role of a BigCommerce developer. That’s a common question we get—we even have some articles about it on our website—but today we’ll spend a few minutes breaking it down in conversation.

Max, thanks for joining us today. How are you doing?

Max (01:08)

Living the dream. Yourself?

Michael (01:09)

Living the dream, that’s right. Very good.

Last time we had you on, we talked about headless commerce. We took a high-level approach and dove into the weeds. Today, we’re stepping back to talk about what a BigCommerce developer actually does—skills, capabilities, and so on. So let’s start with the basics, Max. At a high level, what does a BigCommerce developer do?

Max (01:38)

At a high level, there are really three core tasks we perform.

The first is BigCommerce implementation—setting up a new BigCommerce storefront, whether that’s on Headless or Stencil. We apply the theme, make any necessary changes for specific business needs, and make sure the store is ready to launch with all needed functionality.

The second is extension. We develop on the BigCommerce backend, creating apps or tools to extend the platform for whatever your business needs to do.

And the third—probably the most crucial piece of an enterprise-level build—is integration. We connect external applications and data systems, like your ERP or product inventory systems, to BigCommerce so you have accurate data without needing to manage it in two places. Those are the three core roles.

Michael (02:54)

Yeah, those are three important parts of many of the projects we work on here at Anchor Group. Now, before we dig into those sections more, let’s learn a bit about you. How long have you been developing? What platforms are you comfortable with? Can you share a bit of your background?

Max (03:15)

My background is in computer science and data science—I have degrees in both. I’ve been developing since high school, mostly writing web applications. I’ve worked across various areas of web development, and now I focus on e-commerce.

I work mostly on e-commerce applications and integrations. I’ve been with Anchor Group for a year and a half, developing specifically on BigCommerce—doing implementations and backend integrations.

Michael (04:05)

So for the past year and a half, you’ve focused mostly on BigCommerce. How does that compare to other platforms you’ve worked on?

Max (04:14)

BigCommerce fits well with traditional web development knowledge. They have classic API endpoints that let you customize the storefront. You still need a good understanding of web development overall.

We pull in external services, sometimes spin up serverless functions, or work in Cloudflare or AWS depending on the problem we’re solving. So it’s very similar to general web development, but I’ve spent a lot of time specifically learning the BigCommerce API.

A BigCommerce developer knows a lot about the web, but is also very familiar with BigCommerce-specific API endpoints—creating customizations, referencing the API docs daily, and understanding the platform’s capabilities. On top of that, there’s the broader web development knowledge you bring to the table.

Michael (05:51)

Right, it’s important to have that web dev background while also understanding BigCommerce’s unique aspects.

Let’s dig into what you mentioned earlier—the three parts of BigCommerce development: implementation, extension, and integration. Let’s start with implementation. What are the specific tasks or responsibilities within that part?

Max (06:28)

For developers, implementation mostly involves the storefront. We make theme changes for the front end. Maybe you’re using an out-of-the-box theme that just needs a few tweaks—we’ll adjust and test those areas for your specific business needs.

Another part is front-end customizations. Say you need an extra page within the My Account section—we’ll create that, write the code, add any needed scripting or API calls.

We also assist with some project management tasks. From time to time, we help install and set up BigCommerce apps for new projects. And we have a project management side that helps migrate inventory data. Sometimes developers need to step in for more complex data mapping, but not always. It just depends on what’s needed around the edges.

Michael (07:58)

Yeah. So what I hear you saying is that when it comes to the more intricate parts—the parts a customer isn’t going to see—it’s really about the backend data behind the frontend. The code that lies underneath the interactive layer.

You mentioned theme development, and one great thing about BigCommerce is that it has a theme marketplace.

There are very affordable pre-made themes that merchants can go in, select, install, and configure on their BigCommerce environment. That’s a little different from some of the other prominent e-commerce platforms out there—like Shopify.

Shopify also has a theme marketplace, but it has many more themes—thousands, compared to hundreds on BigCommerce. Shopify themes also tend to be more expensive. And like any pre-configured theme, the functionality can be a bit hit or miss. You have to be mindful of the one you pick and do your homework.

That said, a lot of merchants use those pre-made themes, especially on BigCommerce. But Max, what about developing a custom theme?

Max (08:58)

Yeah, we do custom theme projects as well. One of our designers will come in and typically do a couple workshops with the client to build a theme that's specific to their business.

On the development side, we’ll take that mock-up and build the theme for you. We offer this service on both Stencil and Headless. We see it more often with Headless builds, just because the Stencil marketplace already has a wide variety of pre-built themes, but we’ve completed projects on both.

Michael (10:19)

Custom theme work is definitely specialized, but it’s fun to go through that process with clients. It’s an exciting time in a business’s journey—especially when you’re migrating websites. It’s often a chance to improve on something that’s been the status quo for three, five, sometimes even seven years. It’s great to be part of that process on the Anchor Group side.

You’ve also hinted at some backend development—what we bucket under “extensions.” So we’ve talked about the frontend and themes. Let’s now get into the backend. What are the roles and responsibilities of a developer working in the extension bucket?

Max (10:56)

BigCommerce has an open or headless API that’s available to you whether you're using Headless or Stencil. Even with Stencil, you can still tap into that API using external scripts.

Michael (11:25)

Let me pause you there, Max, just in case anyone is confused. "Stencil" refers to the native BigCommerce page builder and theme environment. Anything else to add?

Max (11:31)

No, that’s exactly right. The other option is Headless, which uses the BigCommerce API but with an external frontend—something like React or Next.js.

So, the same API used to build storefronts also gives you access to the backend via scripts, other servers, or serverless functions in environments like AWS. Maybe you have endpoints in your ERP—we can access BigCommerce from any software system that allows API calls.

When we talk about extensions, and even integrations—which we’ll get into shortly—we’re talking about using the BigCommerce API to create functionality that isn’t natively supported.

For example, if you need a very specific order export functionality that BigCommerce doesn’t offer out of the box, we can use the orders API to create that. We can build out custom features with the tools BigCommerce gives us.

Michael (13:31)

A lot of the time, that kind of custom functionality is built for the operational side of a business.

When I think frontend and theme development, I think of a company’s CMO or marketing director. But with backend extensions, we’re working more with operations—order flow, fulfillment processes, customer management, that sort of thing.

So that’s how I separate the two in my mind: frontend work is visible and often owned by marketing, while backend extensions support operations.

In the backend, you move past what’s natively available and enter into custom development—really extending the platform’s capabilities. It’s like adding an addition onto a house.

Max (14:31)

Exactly. That’s exactly it—just creating functionality that isn’t natively available.

A lot of times that ends up involving customizations around business operations, or what we’ll get into next: BigCommerce integration.

Michael (15:09)

Yeah, that’s exactly right. Let’s dive into integrations a bit.

This is something we do a lot for clients—setting up integrations between their critical software platforms. Their e-commerce platform, like BigCommerce, is often one of their main sales channels. For some companies, it’s the only sales channel if they’re fully online.

An integration is essentially connecting your e-commerce website to other software platforms you use outside the BigCommerce environment.

At Anchor Group, we work a lot with NetSuite, which is an ERP system owned by Oracle. Half of our business is devoted to working with NetSuite, and the other half is focused on e-commerce build-outs—like what Max and I are talking about today.

Naturally, we work with a lot of clients who have a BigCommerce front end and use NetSuite on the back end, and we bridge the gap between the two systems.

So Max, talk to us a little bit about how integration works and why it's important for a business.

Max (16:22)

Integrations can work a couple of different ways.

First, there’s direct API-to-API integration. Using NetSuite as an example, it has a scripting engine that we can access. So we write NetSuite scripts that send data directly to BigCommerce—that’s a direct integration.

The other method is a hub-and-spoke model, or middleware approach. In that setup, NetSuite sends a request to middleware, which then passes it along to BigCommerce.

At Anchor Group, we offer both options. We work with middleware platforms, and we can also create direct integrations. If your system has an API, we can write code to map the two APIs together and move data between them.

Michael (17:33)

That’s really where the BigCommerce developer comes in—actually writing the custom code. Sure, there might be pre-made integration flows that we help configure, but usually there are custom flows that need to be built to carry data back and forth.

That’s the strength of a BigCommerce developer: someone who knows APIs, who understands technical languages deeply, and can solution design for complex data flow needs. That’s their superpower.

Max (18:09)

Yeah, exactly. That’s where we, on the development side, spend our time—writing that middleware code or sometimes just a simple script, depending on what’s needed. But that’s where a lot of our development effort goes.

Michael (18:28)

Right. So Max, you’ve built out a number of integrations. What’s one of the more challenging scenarios—where a BigCommerce developer really had to be involved? Not just a matter of clicking around to set it up, but where your technical skillset made a real difference in making the integration work successfully?

Max (18:44)

Yeah. I think the place we see it most is ERP-to-eCommerce integration. In most cases for us at Anchor Group, that’s NetSuite to BigCommerce.

Michael (19:07)

What’s an example of something you had to go in and customize—where your understanding of both systems’ APIs and the middleware made the difference? Walk us through a complex problem you had to solve.

Max (19:16)

Sure. One we’re working on right now involves a client using NetSuite as their ERP. They’re managing their product data just fine in NetSuite—it’s just not in a format BigCommerce likes to consume.

For example, they handle custom fields in NetSuite differently than BigCommerce does. So we’ve had to build middleware logic and scripting to handle those cases—if we see one format, we map the fields a certain way. If we see another, we map them differently.

That kind of on-the-fly mapping requires additional development. It’s more involved than just flipping a switch and letting the data sync.

Another common case is when data exists in both systems, but only certain values should sync. We might create a custom field in the first system to say, “Yes, this should sync.” Then we have to check that field in the middleware before sending the data to BigCommerce.

So there’s often logic that needs to happen in the middle, depending on the software stack being used. It’s not just plug and play—it usually requires custom development.

Michael (21:12)

Those are great examples. One thing I want to point out is how Anchor Group does things differently from many companies in this space.

We don’t have our own proprietary integration software. Instead, we take what we consider a true client-first approach. Max, you and I have both been on discovery and solution design calls with many clients. We gather information, assess the client’s needs, and then advise them on the right integration approach.

Sometimes that means writing a direct API-to-API script—simple, effective, and tailored to their existing ERP. And a lot of the companies we work with are in the true ERP space. They might use NetSuite, Microsoft systems, or others—but they generally have a solid foundation and room to scale.

By taking time to understand each business’s specific situation, we can steer them toward the most fitting integration strategy—one that truly supports their long-term growth.

We’re not just looking at what will work now—we’re helping businesses set themselves up for success a year from now, or even five years down the road.

So Max, we’ve covered a lot today. We talked about the three core areas of BigCommerce development: implementation (focusing on the front end), extensions (enhancing native platform functionality), and integrations (connecting BigCommerce to other critical systems).

As we start to wrap up, I want to touch on one more topic we’ve mentioned a few times—headless commerce. Specifically, headless commerce on BigCommerce.

The cool thing about headless is how it decouples the front end and back end. It gives you freedom to choose the tech stack that works best for your frontend experience, while still using BigCommerce for backend operations.

Is there anything you’d add to that explanation of how headless works?

Max (24:15)

No, I think that pretty much hammers the nail on the head. It just allows you to bring your own stack, which is the most important piece of headless commerce. It lets you use modern front-end functionality alongside the powerful e-commerce engine that is BigCommerce.

Michael (24:35)

That's right.

So talk to us about the role of a BigCommerce developer in headless commerce. How involved are you in building out the tech stack, advising on software choices, and making sure everything—from the frontend to the backend—is working together, even though they’re decoupled? Headless commerce is a hot topic right now.

Max (25:03)

Yeah.

If you decide that headless is the right option to explore, we recommend starting with BigCommerce Catalyst. It’s an out-of-the-box, ready-to-go e-commerce store for headless commerce. It comes with a pre-configured theme.

That’s where we step in. Catalyst initially only had one theme, but there are plans to add more—and there might already be more by now. It’s a fast-moving product. We’ll go in and customize Catalyst to fit your specific use case.

Out of the box, Catalyst is very similar to Stencil. I think it's up to around 90% feature completeness compared to Stencil, though B2B Edition is still being actively developed.

Catalyst uses a Next.js storefront with React on the front end. From there, we start by customizing the theme and then build any additional frontend features you need. That’s where development begins.

There are other frameworks that work just fine as well. If you're not interested in using Catalyst, we can start completely from scratch using your preferred framework. But Catalyst lowers the cost of entry and has features ready to go—so you're ready to start building right away.

Michael (27:09)

That's right.

And just to echo that—over time, headless commerce on BigCommerce will only become more affordable. The features will continue to improve, and the platform will become more robust.

If you’re a business leader thinking about headless commerce, now’s the time to start learning about it. Here’s a natural progression to consider:

Say you’re currently on another e-commerce platform or using a homegrown solution. If you think headless might be right for you in a few years, you could migrate to BigCommerce now.

Then, maybe a year in, you add BigCommerce B2B Edition to your Stencil storefront. That gives you powerful features like quote management, invoice handling, and a buyer portal—basically turning the "My Account" section into a robust customer experience.

After that, once BigCommerce continues to develop and improve headless features, you could move into headless commerce. It’s a realistic path: migrate now, scale into B2B features, then shift to headless down the road.

Max (29:16)

Yes, and on the other hand, some businesses might be ready for headless commerce right now. It depends on your business needs.

If you’ve done the research and feel it’s a fit, it could be worth exploring today—especially as BigCommerce continues to lower the cost of entry.

Michael (29:43)

Exactly. And it’s important to remember—headless commerce isn’t right for everyone, and that’s totally okay.

Stencil—the BigCommerce native builder—is still a strong tool. With headless, you need an internal team that’s more involved, excited about working on modern tech stacks, and ready to manage that complexity.

So, it’s all based on business needs. You can’t say headless is better for everyone, and you can’t say Stencil is either. Some companies are a great fit for headless. Others may find it’s too much to bite off at once.

That’s where working with a BigCommerce developer and an agency like Anchor Group can help—through consulting, guidance, and real-world experience. We can help you make a decision that sets your business up for long-term success.

Michael (30:41)

Max, any final thoughts on being a BigCommerce developer?

Max (31:04)

Not much else to add—I think we’ve covered most of what we do.

I’ll just say this: at the end of the day, we’re also business consultants. We want to do what’s best for your business. As developers, whether we’re doing implementations or integrations, we’re always aiming to make the best recommendations for your needs—especially in the technical areas where business stakeholders might not have deep experience.

Michael (31:44)

That’s right. At Anchor Group, we like to demystify the complex. That’s a great way to put it, Max.

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of the Anchor Group Podcast. Today we met with Max, who shed light on what a BigCommerce developer does—from frontend to backend, from theme work to integrations.

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe. You can find us on YouTube and Spotify. You can also visit our website at anchorgroup.tech, where you’ll find more information and helpful videos on managing e-commerce, integrations, and ERP data—especially surrounding NetSuite.

Max, thanks for joining us. Hope to have you on again soon to talk more BigCommerce development.

Max (32:41)

Yeah, thanks for having me. It was a great time.

Michael (32:43)

Thank you, Max.

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As both a BigCommerce Certified Partner and an Oracle NetSuite Alliance Partner, Anchor Group is ready to handle BigCommerce and NetSuite projects alike! Whether you already have one platform and are looking to integrate the other, are considering a full-scale implementation of both platforms, or simply need support with ongoing customizations, our team is ready to help answer any questions you might have! Get in touch!
 

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