BigCommerce is the world’s fastest-growing SaaS eCommerce platform. BigCommerce, in my opinion, is one of the best eCommerce solutions for simultaneously providing B2C and B2B features. There appears to be a high demand for web developers in the last few months, particularly in the eCommerce industry. Many recruiters are looking for Shopify and BigCommerce developers, which I see. This blog post will go over the skills required to become a professional BigCommerce theme developer. I’ll go over the steps to becoming a BigCommerce App developer, SEO expert, BigCommerce solution architect, and so on in subsequent blog posts. This article will serve as a primer for someone who is brand new to web development. You may already have some foundational knowledge and can proceed, but don’t discount the importance of refreshers. If you are looking to hire bigcommerce web design company, I highly suggest to check out AlwaysOpenCommerce.com.
Understanding the Fundamentals of Web/Internet
- Understanding the Internet’s Operation
- What precisely is DNS? What are some examples of common DNS Records?
- What is the definition of a domain registrar?
- What makes websites tick? What exactly is website hosting?
- Here are some videos that I believe will be useful to you:
- DNS Made Simple video tutorials
- IT Free Training DNS Records
- The difference in 48 hours between a domain name registrar, DNS, and hosting.
Semantic HTML
- HTML would be one of the first steps in becoming a web development expert.
- In my 12+ years of experience, I frequently encounter applicants/people who claim to be HTML experts but are unaware of web semantics, web standards, and so on.
- So, while learning HTML, I strongly advise you to learn web semantics and W3C standards. Writing meaningful HTML can improve the usability, accessibility, performance, and SEO of your website.
- There are numerous online courses to choose from (Free or paid).
CSS
- I’m including CSS as a second step here, but it’ll mostly work alongside HTML.
- There are numerous CSS frameworks available, but I strongly advise learning pure CSS. You can quickly adopt any framework once you understand the fundamentals of a language. Pure CSS coding will help you improve your styling abilities.
- Learn about responsive web design and the mobile-first approach while studying CSS.
Design Software
- A fundamental understanding of design concepts and tools will be extremely beneficial to your web development career. You don’t have to be an expert in these design tools to extract assets and other information from design files.
- Popular design tools for front end web development include Figma, Photoshop, Sketch, and Adobe XD.
- Tip: After you’ve finished learning HTML/CSS. Attempt to locate some web page design files and convert them into a functional responsive webpage using HTML/CSS.
JavaScript/ES6
- A solid understanding of Vanilla JS will come in handy.
- Look for an online course that teaches you the fundamentals of the JS. Ensure that you are learning advanced ES6 features (arrow functions, fetch/await, map function, and so on). Find a course that teaches you the fundamentals of JS as well as the most recent advanced JS features.
- When you’ve finished learning JavaScript, I strongly advise you to PRACTICE. There are YouTube courses that include some practice JS projects. Many applicants are lacking in this area, so consistent, extensive JS practice will put you ahead.
jQuery
- There are many JS frameworks/libraries available. It will be simple to adapt any framework once you have a firm grasp on JavaScript. I’ll include jQuery as an essential skill in this list. The BigCommerce Cornerstone theme, as well as many websites on the internet, still use jQuery, so learning it is a good idea.
Comprehensive understanding of the BigCommerce Platform
- This is a significant step. You cannot create BigCommerce websites if you are unaware of the various features available within BigCommerce.
- Before developing themes or websites on the BigCommerce platform, I prefer developers to have a strong understanding of the platform’s fundamentals.
- You can create a test BigCommerce store, navigate through the admin panel, and experiment.
- Configure both simple and complex products.
- Configure categories based on the parent-child connection.
- Products imported and exported
- Make customer groups.
- Payment methods, shipping, discounts, and taxes, among other things
- Examine every option and learn how it works.
- Videos from BigCommerce
SEO Basics
- If you are creating a website for a client, they will expect it to appear in search engines and generate business. I don’t expect developers to be SEO experts, but they should understand the basics of SEO.
- Developers are frequently working on an existing website CRO implementation or on-page SEO items with a team.
- Make certain you comprehend:
- Original tags
- Sitemaps in XML
- Sitemaps in HTML
- Snippets of Wealth
- as well as
Web Access
- Many merchants have been sued in recent years for failing to comply with ADA guidelines.
- There are third-party apps that make the website accessible, but they are limited and won’t solve all of the problems.
- It is recommended to keep web accessibility guidelines in mind when designing or developing a website.
- Understanding the ADA compliance checklist and techniques will be extremely beneficial as a developer. This ability will distinguish you from other applicants.
Comprehensive understanding of web performance optimization
- Conversions suffer when websites are slow. There are techniques and development workflows available to assist you in creating fast websites.
- Discover more about Core Web Vitals. CWV is now a ranking factor for Google.
- Web performance optimization, in my opinion, is a critical skill that will help you develop high-quality, fast BigCommerce websites and set you apart from other developers.
Integration of Third-Party Apps
- Most BigCommerce websites may require the installation/setup of one or more apps. There are numerous options, such as a reviews app, a filters app, a rewards app, a stock app, or other functionality.
- You must know how to install these third-party apps in order to be a successful BigCommerce Developer.
Tools for Project Management
- It is recommended that you understand the fundamentals of Project Management tools in order to work effectively with a team or manage your personal projects. For instance, Basecamp, Asana, Teamwork, JIRA, Trello, and so on.
- You don’t need to understand every tool because they all perform the same functions (like tasks, time tracking, progress tracking, etc.). But the basic idea is to understand the company’s communication process and workflow.
- When working with a company or a client, good communication is essential, so start documenting your work on a daily basis.
Tools for Testing and Bug Reporting
- Once the site has been developed, the next step is to test it on various platforms, devices, and browsers. I use BrowserStack, but other platforms are available. Similarly, I use BugHerd for bug tracking, but there are other tools available as well.
- The goal is not to master every tool, but rather to master the concept and process. You could go through one tool and figure out how it works and how it can help your development workflow.
If you are looking for mentorship, career guidance in web development, or one-on-one BigCommerce development training sessions, please do not hesitate to contact me.