WP Engine announced Commerce Connect, a partnership with BigCommerce that enables ecommerce stores to scale to the next level without any downtime or changes to SEO. Most importantly, Commerce Connect is not about replacing platforms but enabling a safe way to modernize and grow to the next level while preserving everything about the brand.
What WP Engine announced is about helping ecommerce stores migrate their business without downtime while also preserving SEO. Scaling and modernizing an ecommerce store can negatively impact search visibility, but WP Engine’s Commerce Connect solves that problem by preserving all of the WordPress SEO, design, and user experience, making the choice to scale a business an easy one.
Heather Brunner, Chairwoman and CEO at WP Engine, explained:
“Growing ecommerce brands shouldn’t have to choose between the WordPress experience they’ve invested in and the commerce capabilities they need to scale, our partnership with BigCommerce gives brands the flexibility to scale confidently, adapt as their business evolves, and build for what’s next.”
That part about “what’s next” is important because of the profound changes introduced by AI shopping, which Commerce Connect can address.
The official announcement shares how Commerce Connect works:
“By connecting BigCommerce’s enterprise commerce platform with WP Engine’s platform, high-growth midmarket brands can scale their ecommerce capabilities while leveraging the power of WordPress.
Keeping content and commerce connected also helps brands maintain consistent product information across their digital experiences, creating richer shopping journeys while strengthening product visibility as AI-powered search and discovery continue to evolve.”
Interview With VP of Product At WP Engine
Search Engine Journal had the opportunity ask more questions about Commerce Connect, Keith Fafel, VP of Product at WP Engine provided answers that should help ecommerce stores understand how the new product can help them.
Not About Replacing Platforms
What are the signs that a WordPress-based ecommerce store may need to modernize and step up to a more capable ecommerce solution? What advantages does Commerce Connect provide merchants who find themselves outgrowing WooCommerce and are ready to grow their business to the next level?
Fafel explained that this is not about replacing WordPress:
“We see WP Engine Commerce Connect for BigCommerce as solving a broader growth and platform challenge, while helping growing brands scale with confidence. It’s not about replacing one platform with another. Each ecommerce solution takes a different approach to helping brands create a successful online store. We want to keep growing the WordPress ecosystem, and this solution provides optionality for scaling ecommerce sites.
WP Engine Commerce Connect for BigCommerce provides several advantages to merchants. The biggest advantage is that it enables them to preserve the WordPress experiences they’ve already built while adding the enterprise commerce capabilities needed to support larger catalogs, higher traffic, and continued growth.”
How Commerce Connect Preserves SEO
Many businesses invest heavily in content, SEO, and custom WordPress experiences before they outgrow their ecommerce platform. How does this partnership help them preserve those investments while continuing to grow?
WP Engine’s Keith Fafel responded:
“WP Engine Commerce Connect for BigCommerce preserves build investments by allowing brands to keep their existing WordPress content, themes, custom designs, URL structures, and SEO foundation. Instead of rebuilding the consumer-facing experience, brands can modernize the commerce platform underneath it, reducing disruption while gaining the scalability and capabilities needed for continued growth.”
A Safe Path To Scale Ecommerce And Keep What Works
How does this partnership change what’s possible for WordPress merchants that wasn’t practical before?
Fafel answered:
“This partnership gives growing WordPress brands a new path to scale. Instead of choosing between preserving the digital experiences they’ve built or adopting more advanced commerce capabilities, they can now do both. This means merchants can continue to scale while preserving the content, design, SEO, and customer experiences that drive their business. This solution provides WP Engine customers with a choice for how they operate and scale their ecommerce business, while keeping them in the WordPress ecosystem.”
That is an interesting answer because it underlines that Commerce Connect is not a replacement for WordPress, it’s a way to preserve all the things that work with the WordPress platform while also modernizing and scaling.
What Kinds Of Business Benefit From Commerce Connect?
I asked WP Engine’s Keith Fafel to tell us what kinds of businesses stand to benefit the most from WP Engine Commerce Connect for BigCommerce, and what are the characteristics of a brand that needs to modernize with Commerce Connect.
Fafel explained that high-growth brands that feel they’re reaching the limits of their current platform stand to benefit:
“WP Engine Commerce Connect for BigCommerce is designed for high-growth, mid-market brands generating <$1M in GMV that are reaching the next stage of their ecommerce journey. They typically have established WordPress websites with significant investments in content, design, and SEO, and are experiencing growing product catalogs, higher traffic, and more complex commerce needs.
Rather than rebuilding what already works, these businesses want a way to modernize their commerce capabilities while preserving the digital experiences that have helped drive their growth.”
What capabilities do businesses typically discover they need as they scale and how does BigCommerce provide that?
Fafel answered:
“As merchants grow, they typically need to support larger product catalogs, higher traffic volumes, more complex operations, and need greater flexibility to adapt as their business evolves. Through our partnership with BigCommerce, the platform gives brands an enterprise-ready commerce foundation that scales with those needs, while allowing them to preserve the WordPress experiences that already drive their business.”
Learn more about Commerce Connect here.
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Dilok Klaisataporn
