Wix is popular, but is it really right for your business?
Wix is a website builder that has gained popularity in recent years, especially for its claim of being easy to use and accessible to anyone, regardless of technical ability. With its drag-and-drop interface and a plethora of templates to choose from, it’s no wonder that Wix has become a go-to for many people looking to create a website quickly.
However, despite its apparent ease of use, Wix is not necessarily the best option for small to medium businesses looking to create a professional, effective website. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Wix’s limitations and explain why it’s not the best choice for businesses that want to succeed online. We’ll explore Wix’s limitations in terms of ease of use, closed environment, SEO, and capabilities, and explain why each of these factors makes it a poor option for small to medium businesses. If you’re considering using Wix to create your website, read on to learn more about why it may not be the best choice is a terrible choice for your business.
1.) Wix Isn't as Easy to Use as It Seems
Although Wix may appear to be an easy-to-use website builder, it has significant limitations that can make it difficult for businesses to create a truly unique and professional website. One of the most significant limitations is its lack of customizability, which can result in a website that looks generic and unprofessional.
While Wix offers many templates to choose from, these templates can be limiting in terms of customization. Users are often forced to stick with the pre-designed layout and style, which can make it challenging to create a website that reflects their brand’s identity. Even making simple changes, such as adjusting font styles or adding custom colors, can be difficult or impossible to do without advanced knowledge of web development.
Additionally, Wix’s closed environment means that users are limited to the tools and features provided by Wix. This means that businesses that need more advanced functionality or customization may not be able to achieve their goals with Wix alone.
Another issue with Wix’s ease of use is the editor itself. While it may appear to be user-friendly, the editor can be challenging to navigate and customize. It can be slow to load, and even minor changes can take more time than they should.
Overall, while Wix may seem like an easy option for building a website, its lack of customizability and closed environment can be limiting for businesses that want to create a unique and professional website. For businesses that require more advanced functionality and customizability, Wix may not be the best option.
2.) You probably won't like the "FREE" Wix
First off… and a complete non-starter for me. You cannot use your custom domain name on the “free” Wix plan. So there’s that. So, you’ll have to pay them if you want to use the domain name you bought for your business.
Wix is often marketed as a free website builder, but the reality is that the “free” version comes with limitations that can be a hindrance to businesses. One of the most significant limitations is the branding that comes with the free version. Wix branding, such as a Wix logo or tagline, is prominently displayed on the website, which can make it look unprofessional and can even harm a business’s brand identity.
Removing Wix branding requires upgrading to a paid version of Wix. While Wix offers a range of paid plans, most businesses find that they need to pay to remove branding and access the functionality they need. This can come as a surprise to those who initially believed that Wix was completely free.
In addition to paying to remove branding, businesses may also need to pay for additional add-ons to get the functionality they need from their website. These add-ons can include things like eCommerce functionality, advanced analytics, and more. These costs can quickly add up, especially for small to medium businesses with limited budgets.
Even with a paid subscription, Wix may require users to include some form of Wix branding on their website. This can be frustrating for businesses that want complete control over their website’s branding and appearance.
Businesses should be aware that while Wix may seem like a free option for building a website, it comes with branding that can be difficult to remove and additional costs for the functionality they need. Upgrading to a paid version of Wix may be necessary to get the functionality and control over branding that businesses need.
3.) Wix is a Closed Environment
Wix operates within a “walled garden,” which means that users are confined to the tools and features provided by Wix. While this may seem convenient, it can be limiting for businesses that require more customization and flexibility.
One of the most significant drawbacks of Wix’s closed environment is that it can be difficult to take your website with you if you decide to switch to another platform. Wix doesn’t allow users to export their website code, which means that any work put into designing and customizing the website is lost if the user decides to leave Wix. This can be a significant concern for businesses that want to retain control over their website and its design.
Wix’s closed environment can limit a business’s ability to integrate third-party tools and services into their website. While Wix does offer an app marketplace with a range of third-party tools, businesses are confined to the tools available in the marketplace. This can be frustrating for businesses that require more advanced or custom solutions than what is available in the marketplace.
The closed environment can make it difficult for businesses to custom code solutions for their website. Wix’s platform is built using proprietary technologies, which means that businesses may not be able to modify the website code to fit their specific needs. This can be a significant disadvantage for businesses that require more advanced or custom solutions.
Wix’s closed environment can be limiting for businesses that require more customization and flexibility. The inability to export website code, the limited tools available in the marketplace, and the difficulty of custom coding solutions may make Wix a poor choice for businesses that require more control over their website’s design and functionality.
The sad thing is that Wix tempts people in with their “free”, “user friendly”, “easy to set up” model and then after you put in hours and hours of hard work… you find out that you can’t make it do what you want it to do. AND… you can’t take it with you when you decide to leave — so all your time and work was wasted.
4.) Wix is Terrible for Search Engine Rankings
One of the most significant issues with Wix is its limitations when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is the practice of optimizing a website’s content and structure to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can drive organic search traffic to the website. For small to medium businesses that rely on organic search traffic, SEO is essential for attracting potential customers.
Unfortunately, Wix’s SEO tools are limited and not as effective as other website builders, which can be detrimental to businesses that rely on SEO to attract customers. For example, Wix’s URLs are structured in a way that is not search engine friendly, which can make it difficult for search engines to crawl and index the website’s content. Additionally, Wix’s built-in SEO tools are not as comprehensive as other website builders, which means that businesses may not have access to the tools they need to optimize their website for search engines.
You know there are significant problems when SEO and marketing professionals groan when they are called and asked for help with a Wix website. They tend to shy away from taking on clients who are using Wix altogether. This is because Wix’s limitations can make it challenging to optimize a website effectively, which can ultimately harm a business’s organic search traffic and revenue — which makes the SEO/Marketing company look bad — through no fault of their own. They just don’t want to deal with Wix sites.
Wix’s limitations when it comes to SEO can be detrimental to small to medium businesses that rely on organic search traffic. The limited SEO tools, non-search engine friendly URL structure, and lack of support from real SEO professionals can make it a poor choice for businesses that need to attract potential customers through organic search traffic.
5.) Wix is Limited in Its Capabilities
And, you might be shocked just how limited it’s capabilities are. And you’ll be pretty upset when you are 30-40 hours into designing your “free” (not so free) website when you figure this out.
Wix may offer a range of tools and features for building a website, but its capabilities are ultimately limited compared to other website builders. One significant limitation is the design and functionality of Wix’s templates. While Wix offers many templates to choose from, they can be limiting in terms of customization, which can make it challenging for businesses to create a truly unique and professional website. Additionally, the templates may not offer the necessary functionality that some businesses require.
The app marketplace is another area where its capabilities are limited. While it does offer a range of third-party tools and features, it is less extensive compared to other website builders. This can be frustrating for businesses that need specific features that are not available in the marketplace. The limited capabilities of the marketplace can also limit a business’s ability to create the website they want.
Wix’s closed environment can make it difficult for coders, developers, and designers to work with. This can limit the ability to create custom solutions for businesses that require more advanced functionality and customization options. For example, businesses may not be able to create a custom solution that integrates with third-party tools or services, which can be a significant disadvantage.
Limited capabilities can be a significant drawback for businesses that require more advanced functionality and customization options. And, the functionality that you think is “simple” may not seem so simple once you get entrenched in the Wix “walled garden”.
The limited design and functionality of templates, the limited app marketplace, and the difficulty of creating custom solutions can make it a poor choice for businesses that need more control over their website’s design and functionality
Wix is NOT the right choice for Small & Medium Sized Businesses
Wix may seem like an easy and affordable option for small to medium businesses looking to build a website. But expect your costs, frustrations, and ultimate regret to outweigh the initial excitement of something that Wix sells — which is something that is too good to be true..
Wix’s limitations can make it a poor choice for businesses. It’s not really free, it’s not really customizable, it’s not really easy to use, you are stuck in their “walled garden”, you can’t take it with you when you want to go, it’s hard to rank well on Google with it… the list goes on and we covered much of it.
Who is Wix for? I would say it would be a good cheap option for someone who sells widgets for a hobby. A small personal website (although WordPress would be a much better Blog option). Or, someone who just doesn’t expect much out of the experience or production of their website.
Anything beyond that, WordPress is by far the best option. And, we’ll cover that in and article coming soon, or you can contact us to talk about your next website project.