How do I create a blog for my BigCommerce store
Are you looking to start a blog on your BigCommerce store? In this video, Kal walks you through the simple process of setting up your first blog post and making it visible to your customers. Whether you’re new to BigCommerce or just haven’t explored the built-in blog feature yet, this step-by-step guide will help you get started quickly.
By the end of the video, you’ll know exactly how to create, customize, and publish a blog post that helps attract more visitors to your store. Watch the full tutorial below and learn how to maximize this powerful feature in just a few minutes!
Video Summary: How to Set Up Your Blog on BigCommerce
Here are the main takeaways from the video:
- Accessing the Built-in Blog (00:27)
Kal shows how to navigate to the built-in blog feature in BigCommerce, which is available even if you haven’t used it before. You can find it under Storefront > Blog. - Creating Your First Blog Post (01:01)
Kal demonstrates how to create a new post, add content, tags, a featured image, and publish your first blog post. - Enabling the Blog to Show on Your Store (02:41)
Learn how to make your blog visible to customers by enabling it in the Web Pages settings and modifying theme options so the blog appears in your navigation menu. - Customizing Blog Images (03:49)
Kal explains how to adjust the size of your blog images in the Customizer. Set appropriate dimensions (like 800×600) to make sure your images display correctly on your site. - Final Tips for Better Blog Images (05:07)
Ensure your images are optimized by using tools like Canva to create visuals that fit your blog’s dimensions and improve the overall look of your posts.
Why You Should Watch This Video
This video is a must-watch if you want to quickly set up a blog for your BigCommerce store without hassle. Kal not only walks you through the technical steps but also provides valuable insights on customizing your blog for better visibility and user experience.
Starting a blog can be a great way to drive traffic, improve SEO, and engage with your audience. So don’t miss out—watch the video now and start blogging on BigCommerce today!
Full Transcript
(00:00)
Welcome!
“How do you create a blog on BigCommerce? Well, you’re in luck—it’s super easy! I’m going to show you how in this video. But first, let me introduce myself: I’m Kal, a developer and store owner just like you. I also run the eCommerce Growth Community, a free community for store owners. Check the link in the description below!
Now, let me share my screen and show you how to do it.”
(00:27)
Getting Started with the Built-in Blog
“When you log into your BigCommerce store’s backend, you’ll land on the Home page. BigCommerce includes a built-in blog feature that you have access to, even if you haven’t used it before. It might need some polishing, but it’s there. I’ll show you how to access it and make it live on your store.
To get started, navigate to Storefront, then scroll down to Blog. This is where you can write and manage your blog posts. If you’ve never used it before, it’s probably toggled off, so let’s start by creating your first post.”
(01:01)
Creating Your First Blog Post
“Click the + sign to create a new post. Call it My First Blog. Here, you can type your content—just add as many paragraphs as you need. You can also add an author and tags, though both are optional. Tags are clickable categories that can link related content together.
You’ll also see a Summary Thumbnail Image option—this is like the featured image in WordPress. You don’t have to choose one, but I’ll select a big owl picture as an example. BigCommerce will automatically generate a URL for your post, and you can add a Meta Description for SEO purposes. Once you’re ready, click Publish.”
(02:04)
Viewing and Enabling Your Blog
“Once published, your post will be live. However, if you’re logged in as an admin, you might not see the post on your store just yet. To make it visible to everyone, you need to enable the blog itself. Simply toggle it on by hitting the switch next to the blog option.”
(02:41)
Adding the Blog to Your Website Menu
“Next, let’s make sure your blog appears in your store’s navigation menu. Go to Web Pages, and you should see Blog listed. If it’s toggled on, it should display with a check mark. Whether it shows in your site’s menu depends on your theme settings.
If it’s not visible, head over to Storefront Themes > Theme Styles > Header and Footer. Look for a setting that says Hide Links to Web Pages. If that’s toggled on, untoggle it and click Publish. Now, your blog should appear in the navigation menu.”
(03:49)
Customizing Your Blog’s Appearance
“To customize your blog’s appearance, go back to the Customizer. In Cornerstone, for example, go to Global Settings > Blog. Here, you can adjust the size of your blog images. By default, Cornerstone sets them to a very small size, so I recommend changing this to something like 800×600 for better display.
After making these changes, you should see larger, more appropriate blog images in your posts.”
(05:07)
Fixing Image Display Issues
“If your images still appear small, ensure that you’ve correctly set the size. If an image looks wrong, it might not have saved properly. Simply go back, reselect your size (e.g., 800×600), and click Publish again. Now your blog should display beautiful, large images.”
(06:25)
Final Tips
“Make sure to use tools like Canva to create properly sized images that fit your blog’s dimensions. This will ensure your posts look great.
If you’re just getting started with BigCommerce, check out my course (linked above), and feel free to leave a comment below with any questions. I create these videos to help you, so the more feedback I get, the more I can assist. Thanks for watching!