Platform Architecture

Overview

Walkers Game Ear runs on a headless commerce architecture where BigCommerce provides the e-commerce backend (catalog, cart, checkout, orders) and WordPress serves as the content management and presentation layer.

Architecture Diagram

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        User Browser                              │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                             │
                    ┌────────▼────────┐
                    │   WordPress     │
                    │   Frontend      │
                    │   (WP 6.7.2)    │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
        ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
        │                    │                    │
   ┌────▼────┐         ┌────▼────┐        ┌─────▼─────┐
   │ Elementor│         │BigCommerce│      │  Marketing │
   │ Widgets  │         │   API     │      │   Tools    │
   │         │         │           │      │            │
   │50+ Custom│         │Products   │      │ Klaviyo   │
   │Components│         │Cart       │      │ BazaarVoice│
   └─────────┘         │Checkout   │      │ Algolia    │
                       │Orders     │      └────────────┘
                       └───────────┘

Technology Stack

Frontend Layer (WordPress)

Component	Technology	Version	Purpose
CMS	WordPress	6.7.2	Content management & routing
Theme	Suma Elementor	3.0.0	Custom theme framework
Page Builder	Elementor Pro	3.27.4	Visual page builder
Custom Fields	ACF Pro	6.3.12	Extensible metadata
Forms	Gravity Forms	2.9.3	Lead capture & contact
SEO	Yoast SEO	24.5	Search optimization

Commerce Layer (BigCommerce)

Component	Technology	Version	Purpose
E-Commerce Plugin	BigCommerce for WP (Suma)	5.0.7.20	BigCommerce API integration
Product Sync	WordPress Cron	—	Automated product imports
Cart	BigCommerce API	—	Shopping cart management
Checkout	BigCommerce Hosted	—	Secure checkout flow
Orders	BigCommerce API	—	Order processing & fulfillment

Search & Discovery

Component	Technology	Version	Purpose
Faceted Search	FacetWP	4.3.6	Product filtering
Site Search	Algolia	2.8.2	Instant search
Dealer Locator	Suma Dealer Locator	3.0.2	Store finder

Marketing & Analytics

Component	Technology	Version	Purpose
Email Marketing	Klaviyo	—	Email campaigns & automation
Reviews	BazaarVoice	1.1.0	Product reviews & ratings
Analytics	Google Tag Manager	1.20.3	Event tracking
Social	Instagram Feed Pro	6.6.1	Social proof

Security & Performance

Component	Technology	Version	Purpose
2FA	WP 2FA	2.8.0	Two-factor authentication
Activity Log	WP Activity Log	5.3.4.1	Security audit logging
Headers Security	Headers Security Advanced	5.0.42	HTTP security headers
Image Optimization	WP Smush Pro	3.17.1	Image compression
Email Delivery	WP Mail SMTP	4.3.0	Reliable email sending
Site Management	MainWP Child	5.3.5	Remote site management

Request Flow

Product Page Request

1. User requests product page → WordPress receives HTTP request
2. WordPress routes request → Identifies BigCommerce product post type
3. Template loads → Elementor template with custom widgets
4. Product data fetch → Local WordPress database (synced from BigCommerce)
5. Real-time pricing → Optional REST API call to BigCommerce for live prices (can be disabled)
6. Render page → Elementor widgets display product info, images, reviews
7. Track view → GTM fires product view event, Klaviyo tracks "Viewed Product"

Add to Cart Flow

1. User clicks "Add to Cart" → JavaScript event captured
2. API request → WordPress REST endpoint → BigCommerce API
3. Cart updated → BigCommerce cart session created/updated
4. Response → Cart count updated in header
5. Tracking → GTM fires add-to-cart event, Klaviyo tracks "Added to Cart"

Checkout Flow

1. User clicks checkout → Redirect to BigCommerce-hosted checkout
2. Authentication → User login synced between WordPress and BigCommerce
3. Payment processing → BigCommerce handles payment gateway
4. Order creation → Order stored in BigCommerce
5. Redirect back → User redirected to WordPress order confirmation page
6. Email sent → WP Mail SMTP sends confirmation via configured gateway

Data Synchronization

Product Import (Daily Cron)

BigCommerce API → WordPress Cron → Product Importer
    ↓
1. Fetch product IDs from channel
2. Queue products for processing
3. Process queue (5 products at a time)
4. Create/update WordPress posts
5. Import product images
6. Sync categories, brands, taxonomies
7. Update currency settings

Cron Schedule Options: Hourly, Twice Daily, Daily (default), Weekly

WP-CLI Alternative:

wp bigcommerce import products

Customer Account Sync

• Registration: WordPress user → BigCommerce customer API
• Login: WordPress authentication → BigCommerce customer token
• Profile Updates: Bi-directional sync (configurable)

Database Structure

WordPress Tables (Custom)

• wp_posts (post_type: bigcommerce_product) — Product data cached locally
• wp_postmeta — Product metadata (price ranges, SKUs, BigCommerce IDs)
• wp_termmeta — Category/brand mappings to BigCommerce entities

BigCommerce Data (via API)

• Products — Source of truth for catalog data
• Carts — Active shopping carts
• Orders — Order history and fulfillment
• Customers — Customer profiles and addresses

File Structure

wp-content/
├── plugins/
│   ├── bigcommerce-suma/           # BigCommerce integration (v5.0.7.20)
│   ├── suma-dealer-locator/        # Store locator (v3.0.2)
│   ├── suma-patches/               # Core WordPress customizations (v1.5.19)
│   ├── suma-bazaarvoice-integrator/# Reviews integration (v1.1.0)
│   ├── back-in-stock-notifications-for-klaviyo/  # Stock alerts (v1.3.2)
│   ├── elementor/                  # Page builder (v3.27.6)
│   ├── elementor-pro/              # Pro features (v3.27.4)
│   ├── advanced-custom-fields-pro/ # Custom fields (v6.3.12)
│   ├── facetwp/                    # Faceted search (v4.3.6)
│   ├── wp-search-with-algolia/     # Site search (v2.8.2)
│   ├── gravityforms/               # Form builder (v2.9.3)
│   ├── gravityforms-klaviyo/       # GF + Klaviyo integration (v1.7.3)
│   └── duracelltomi-google-tag-manager/ # GTM (v1.20.3)
├── themes/
│   ├── suma-elementor/             # Parent theme (v3.0.0)
│   └── suma-elementor-child/       # Child theme (v1.0.0)
└── uploads/                        # Media library

Environment Configuration

WordPress Settings

wp-config.php key constants:

• WP_DEBUG → false (production)
• WP_DEBUG_LOG → true (error logging enabled)
• DB_NAME → wp_walkers

BigCommerce Settings

Located at: BigCommerce → Settings in WordPress admin

• API Credentials: Store hash, client ID/secret, access token
• Channel Configuration: Multi-storefront channel mapping
• Product Sync Schedule: Daily (configurable)
• Cart Settings: Cart enabled, custom cart page
• Checkout: BigCommerce-hosted checkout
• Account Settings: User registration enabled

Permalinks

Structure: /%postname%/ Product URLs: /product/{product-name}/

Managed by Permalink Manager Pro (v2.5.0) for advanced URL control.

Integration Points

External Services

Service	Type	Purpose
BigCommerce API	REST/GraphQL	Product catalog, cart, checkout
Klaviyo API	REST	Email marketing, customer data
BazaarVoice API	REST	Product reviews, ratings, Q&A
Algolia API	REST	Search indexing and queries
Google Tag Manager	JavaScript	Analytics and marketing pixels
Instagram API	REST	Social feed integration
MaxMind GeoIP	API	Dealer locator IP-based location

Performance Considerations

Caching Strategy

• Page Caching: Recommended (exclude cart, checkout, account pages)
• Object Caching: Available via Redis/Memcached (object-cache.php present)
• FacetWP Cache: Built-in query result caching
• Algolia Cache: Client-side query caching

Asset Optimization

• CSS: Minified via Laravel Mix
• JavaScript: Bundled and minified
• Images: WP Smush Pro automatic compression
• CDN: Compatible with CloudFlare or other CDN providers

Database Optimization

• Product Sync: Chunked processing (5 products at a time)
• Transients: Used for API response caching
• Query Optimization: FacetWP indexing for fast faceted queries

Scalability Notes

The current architecture supports:

• Product Catalog: Unlimited (API-driven)
• Concurrent Users: Limited by WordPress hosting capacity
• Product Sync: Scalable via WP-CLI for large catalogs
• Search: Algolia scales independently

For high-traffic scenarios, consider:

• Full-page caching with cart/checkout exclusions
• CDN integration for static assets
• Database read replicas for product queries
• Upgrade hosting to handle concurrent sessions

Next Steps

• BigCommerce Integration Details
• Theme Customizations
• Development Setup Guide