Troubleshooting Common BigCommerce Errors: A Comprehensive Guide

Troubleshooting Common BigCommerce Errors: A Comprehensive Guide

by

BigCommerce is a popular ecommerce platform that empowers businesses of all sizes to create and manage online stores. While the platform offers robust functionality and user-friendly tools, you might occasionally encounter errors that hinder your store’s performance or disrupt your workflow.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through common BigCommerce errors, equipping you with the knowledge and steps to troubleshoot and resolve them effectively. We’ll focus particularly on the frustrating “bigcommerce you appear to be offline” error and delve into the importance of the correct “bigcommerce time zone” settings.

Table of Contents

Understanding BigCommerce Store Settings

Before we dive into troubleshooting errors, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the various store settings available within your BigCommerce control panel. Mastering these settings will streamline your store management process and potentially prevent some errors from occurring in the first place.

Faster Login

Efficiently managing your BigCommerce store starts with a quick and seamless login experience. Instead of navigating through the feature-rich BigCommerce homepage (BigCommerce.com), you can directly access your store’s login page using a simple trick:

  1. Type your store’s URL in the address bar.
  2. Add /admin at the end of your store’s URL.

For example, if your store’s URL is https://www.mystore.com, typing https://www.mystore.com/admin will take you directly to your login page. This method loads a simpler page, resulting in faster loading times compared to logging in via BigCommerce.com.

Store Profile

The “Store Profile” section in your control panel houses your basic store information, which is crucial for both store operations and customer interaction. Ensure you complete this section thoroughly, paying special attention to the following fields:

  • Store Display Name: This name appears in your store’s header, email communications, and other customer-facing areas.
  • Address: The physical address of your store or place of business. This is usually displayed in your store’s footer.
  • Email: This email address will be used for customer communications sent by BigCommerce, such as order confirmations and shipping notifications.
  • Phone Number (Optional): While optional, displaying your contact number on your homepage can build trust and potentially increase conversion rates by offering customers a direct communication channel.
  • Local Settings: The “Country” setting in this section is particularly important. It determines your store’s default country and impacts other settings, such as payment gateway availability. Select the correct country applicable to your store to ensure you have access to relevant payment processing options.

General Settings

This section encompasses a wide range of settings that allow you to fine-tune your BigCommerce store’s functionality and appearance. Let’s break down some of the key sub-sections within “General Settings”:

  • Website Settings: Here, you can set your physical product dimensions and preferred measurement units. It’s crucial to configure these settings before uploading your products, as changes made later will only affect newly added products and won’t convert the units for existing ones.
  • Search Engine Optimization: This section is essential for improving your store’s visibility in search engine results pages. We’ll cover SEO in more detail in subsequent posts, but it’s generally recommended to fill out as much information as possible here.
  • WWW Redirect: “WWW Redirect” forces your store’s URL to use (or not use) “www” (e.g., https://www.mystore.com vs. https://mystore.com). While this doesn’t affect your store’s functionality, it impacts your SEO. Choosing the best option for your store depends on your industry and marketing approach.
  • Display Settings: This section offers toggles to turn on or off basic features, such as breadcrumbs, auto-approve reviews, and wishlists. Enabling or disabling these features allows you to customize the shopping experience on your store.
  • Category and Product Settings: These settings give you control over the visibility of specific product details on your product pages. You can choose to show or hide elements like SKUs, weight, brand, and other product attributes based on your preferences.
  • Social Share Icons: This feature allows you to enable social share icons on your product pages. By doing so, you make it easy for customers to share your products on various social media platforms, potentially expanding your store’s reach and driving more traffic.
  • Time Zone: Setting the correct time zone is crucial for accurate order tracking, data analytics, and discount campaign management. We’ll cover this in more detail in the next section.
  • URL Structure: The URL structure you choose for your products and categories can influence your store’s SEO and search engine rankings. Consider factors such as your industry, target audience, and marketing strategy when deciding on the best URL structure for your BigCommerce store.
  • Miscellaneous Settings: This section offers a collection of settings related to email notifications, including order invoices, product review emails, admin email, and abandoned cart notifications. Customize these settings to ensure you receive necessary notifications and manage email communications effectively.

Common BigCommerce Errors and Troubleshooting

The “You Appear to Be Offline” Error

One of the most frustrating errors you might encounter on BigCommerce is the “bigcommerce you appear to be offline” error. This message typically pops up on your store’s dashboard and can prevent you from accessing essential functionalities, such as managing products, processing orders, or adjusting settings.

The error message can be misleading, as it often appears even when your internet connection is stable. If you encounter this error, don’t panic. Here’s a step-by-step approach to troubleshoot it:

  1. Check your internet connection: Start with the basics. Ensure your internet connection is stable and functioning properly. Try visiting other websites to confirm you have internet access.
  2. Clear your browser cache and cookies: Accumulated cache and cookies can sometimes interfere with website functionality. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies to remove any potentially conflicting data.
  3. Try a different browser: The issue could be specific to the browser you’re currently using. Try accessing your BigCommerce store using a different browser to see if the error persists.
  4. Contact BigCommerce Support: If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, the problem might lie within the BigCommerce platform itself. In this case, it’s best to contact BigCommerce support for assistance. They have the technical expertise to diagnose and resolve any server-side issues that might be causing the “bigcommerce you appear to be offline” error.

Other Common BigCommerce Errors

Besides the “bigcommerce you appear to be offline” error, BigCommerce users might encounter other common errors, such as:

  • 500 Internal Server Error: This error usually indicates a problem with the BigCommerce server. Trying to access your dashboard later might resolve the issue. If the error persists, contact support.
  • 404 Page Not Found Error: This error means the page you’re trying to access doesn’t exist. Double-check the URL for typos and ensure the page hasn’t been moved or deleted.
  • Payment Gateway Errors: Errors related to payment gateways can stem from various factors, such as incorrect configuration, network issues, or problems on the payment gateway’s end. Review your payment gateway settings, test your connection, and contact your payment provider if the error persists.
  • Theme/Template Errors: Problems with your store’s theme or template can lead to display errors or broken functionalities. Try switching to a default BigCommerce theme to see if the issue resolves. If it does, the problem lies within your custom theme or template. Contact your theme developer or BigCommerce support for assistance.
  • Import/Export Errors: Errors during product import or export processes can be caused by incorrectly formatted data, file size limitations, or server-side issues. Review your data file, compress large files if necessary, and contact support if you continue to face problems.

Time Zone Related Issues

Setting the correct “bigcommerce time zone” in your BigCommerce store settings is vital for various aspects of your store’s operation.

An incorrect time zone can lead to:

  • Inaccurate order timestamps: This can complicate order fulfillment and create confusion regarding order history.
  • Skewed data analytics: Misleading sales reports and inaccurate customer behavior insights.
  • Incorrect scheduling for discount campaigns: Your promotional campaigns might start or end at unintended times, potentially impacting their effectiveness.

Here’s how to ensure your time zone settings are configured correctly:

  1. Go to your BigCommerce control panel.
  2. Navigate to “Store Setup” > “Store Settings.”
  3. Click on the “Miscellaneous” tab.
  4. Find the “Time Zone” drop-down menu and select the time zone that corresponds to your store’s physical location.
  5. Click “Save” to apply your changes.

To verify that your time zone settings are working correctly, check your order timestamps and ensure any scheduled discount campaigns are running at the intended times.

FAQ

How can I change my store’s default currency?

You can change your default currency by going to “Store Setup” > “Store Settings” and clicking on the “Currency” tab. Select your desired currency from the list and save your changes. Note that this will only affect the display currency on your storefront. You’ll need to configure your payment gateway to accept payments in the new currency.

Why are some payment gateways unavailable in my region?

Payment gateway availability is directly tied to your store’s default country setting. Go to “Store Setup” > “Store Profile” and ensure the “Country” setting is accurate. Payment gateways are often restricted to specific regions due to legal and financial regulations.

What are “robots.txt” and how can I edit them?

The “robots.txt” file instructs search engine crawlers about which pages on your website they should or shouldn’t access. While you can edit your “robots.txt” file within your BigCommerce control panel, it’s highly recommended to avoid modifying this file unless you have a strong understanding of SEO and website crawling. Incorrectly editing “robots.txt” can negatively impact your store’s search engine visibility.

Can I change the URL structure of existing products?

While it’s technically possible to change the URL structure of existing products, it’s generally not advisable. Doing so can result in broken links and negatively affect your SEO. If you must change a product’s URL, ensure you set up proper 301 redirects to avoid 404 errors and preserve SEO value.

What are abandoned cart emails, and how can I effectively use them?

Abandoned cart emails are automatically sent to customers who add items to their cart but leave your store without completing the purchase. These emails remind customers about their unfinished purchases and offer incentives to complete the transaction. You can configure abandoned cart email settings, including timing and content, within the “Miscellaneous Settings” section of your BigCommerce control panel. To learn more about effectively using abandoned cart emails, refer to BigCommerce’s documentation and marketing resources.

Conclusion

Understanding your BigCommerce store settings and learning how to troubleshoot common errors are vital steps in managing a successful ecommerce business. This guide has provided you with practical steps and essential knowledge to resolve frequent BigCommerce issues, particularly the “bigcommerce you appear to be offline” error and problems associated with “bigcommerce time zone” settings.

Remember that BigCommerce offers extensive documentation and a supportive community forum that can be invaluable resources for further assistance and guidance.