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Building a website with Wix is fast, easy, and inexpensive. Wix has an excellent support staff and tons of video tutorials to help you along the way. It also offers a ton of free images and a variety of tools for e-commerce. Another benefit, it can easily be optimized for mobile devices.
Let’s jump into some benefits of using Wix, and a short tutorial on how to build your website with Wix.
Benefits of building a website with Wix
Easy to use
The number one benefit of building a website with Wix is that it’s so easy to use. Their interface is the most literal drag-and-drop editor. Simply drag the image or text box where you want to see it, and it often looks the same as the published version your clients will see.
From signing up to choosing a template, you can have a functioning website within hours. While the site is geared towards smaller businesses, the tools are versatile enough to be used by anyone with a creative mind and a willingness to work hard.
You can click a few boxes after signing up, letting Wix know if you want to sell products, chat with customers, or have a calendar of events. Next, it will show you dozens of templates to choose from. I often find it easiest to choose a template that gets me most of the way to the desired finish line.
Once you choose your template, upload your brand colors, and fonts. You’d be surprised how just adjusting the colors can showcase your brand. Here’s what the steps look like to get started.
Aside, from its templates, Wix also offers a wide range of apps that can help your site stay competitive. The most comprehensive list of Wix apps includes:
There is also Wix Media Center, which allows you to upload images and video. You can crop and resize them for use in your site. Another useful tool is the Wix Photo Studio, which lets you make changes to your photos which is great for people who don’t own a photo editor like Photoshop or Canva.
Wix also makes it easier to optimize your site for mobile users. With over 52% of all Internet traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s important to ensure your site is accessible. You can simply toggle over to the mobile view to optimize for users on the go. The great thing about Wix’s mobile editor is that your edits on the mobile view do not impact the desktop view.
Once you’ve updated the content from the template to your business information, logo, added photos, and optimized your mobile view- you’re ready to launch.
Wix offers a ton of free images
Wix also has a good collection of free images from Unsplash built directly into the website. Many businesses may only have a handful of great photos to represent their brand. However, a website can demand dozens of photos to tell the story and convey the brand’s message.
Previously you’d have to pay for quality stock photos from Shutterstock or similar platform. Purchasing stock photos can get expensive. It is incredibly frustrating if the stock photo is just a small supporting image on the site.
Wix’s partnership with stock photo websites allows you to choose from thousands of high-quality stock photography that can give your business’s website the professional polish that you need. As mentioned earlier, you can also edit photos within the Wix interface.
You can get started on your new site by creating an account. This is a quick and easy process.
Wix also has an extensive library of vector art which is great for adding icons to your website. Think the little phone, clock, and mail icons on the contact page.
Wix’s eCommerce tools
Building an e-commerce website with Wix is easy for small businesses and individuals. It’s easy to set up, and you can use the platform to sell both physical and digital goods. You can create categories and tags to help clients find the product they need easily. Another feature is the Wix POS, which lets you display your prices in different currencies. You can also configure shipping rates and rules for store pickup.
You can even optimize the store’s search engine optimization settings to improve your site’s ranking on Google, Duck Duck Go, and Bing.
Wix supports dropshipping, which means that you don’t need to have any inventory to sell. This is facilitated through integrations with reputable suppliers. You can also use Wix to create customized forms for visitors to provide their contact details and leave feedback.
How to build a website with Wix
Those are some of the benefits of building a website with Wix. Now let’s talk about the nuts and bolts of building a website on this platform.
Estimated Time: 5 hours.
To build a basic Wix website, you’ll first have sign up, then select a template and make a couple of customizations. You’ll also need to choose colors and fonts. Finally, you’ll need to optimize your site for mobile.
- Signing up and signing in
When you sign into Wix for the first time, you will be presented with this dashboard. To start building, click “+ Create New Site.”
- Define the purpose of your website
You can type in anything from the industry you are in, such as “plumber” or “local business” or “online store.” Wix will adjust options as you type. This helps Wix sort through all the templates to find ones that best fit your needs without having to sort through those that do not.
- Give your website a title
Enter the name of your business, this step is simple.
- Add or remove any features you need for your site/ business
Wix has a lot of additional applications to help you streamline your business. Note: you will need to take additional time beyond the initial website build to adjust the settings of the apps you choose. I recommend that you add features after the initial build so you don’t get overwhelmed before launch.
- Select a template
Wix has used the previous steps to help filter through all the available templates. Take a moment to parse through a few options. Check if it’s a one-page website or multi-page design and covers most of the content you want for your initial build.
- Adjust Colors and Fonts
Add your brand colors and fonts to the design. This can give your website your brand’s feel from the beginning. I often find this helps people feel like the template is theirs at the start of the build.
- Add your content and photos.
Update the logo and content to fit your needs to tell the story about your brand.
- Adjust mobile settings
Click the mobile button to adjust your mobile view. You can even add a quick action bar to make easy-to-find buttons for mobile users at the bottom of each page.
- Publish your site
If everything looks good, you can publish your site. This means it is now visible on the internet under a Wix subdomain. This often looks like https://www.sitename.wix.com. If you want your own custom domain, you will need to upgrade your account.
- Upgrade for a custom domain and additional perks
Finally, you can choose to pay a monthly or annual fee to get rid of the Wix subdomain and remove all Wix ads and branding. I often find the cheapest option is the best for any beginner website without a need for eCommerce functions.
Summary: Building a website with Wix
There you have it, a basic overview of why you should build a website with Wix and how to build your first site. There are a lot of places online currently to build a website, and I find Wix to be one of the best. Not only is it easy to go the DIY route, they also have excellent customer service and tutorials to help if you get stuck.
If you need a site for your business, consider building your website with Wix!
