When creating a website, there are several options to choose from. Today, let’s talk about the Pros and Cons of using Wix. Although Wix can be an excellent website builder for beginners, it can be restrictive in the long-term as compared to industry leader, WordPress. Here’s why.
The very basic use of Wix is free. This is a great perk if it is a new company or there is a limited budget. The free version of Wix includes some branded ads on top and bottom, as well as embedded within the URL (yourwebsite.wixsite.com). Custom domains are out of the question unless you are willing to pay more.
Similarly, WordPress is free for users too. Of course there are always options to upcharge, but WordPress includes several things for free that Wix does not. Google Analytics, a crucial tool in tracking who visits the site, for how long, their location, and on which pages they spent time is great to determine your average audience base, but that will be an additional cost on Wix. Favicons, the little icon that appears in the title tab, are also only present in the Wix Premium Plan, but subtly including the logo can help build brand recognition.
The Wix editor is entirely drag and drop, or “what you see is what you get,” so it’s extremely user-friendly, especially for beginners. However, it is highly likely that you will outgrow the limited features and functionality rather quickly.
WordPress is not quite as user-friendly for beginners, but there are countless online resources to learn the system. With tens of thousands of WordPress themes to choose from, it is not a hassle to switch to a new theme if the website needs to change and grow in the future. Wix offers about 600 themes and switching after the build is not nearly as simple. This limited number means that many Wix sites end up looking very similar, due to the lack of customization options. WordPress is able to handle custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming to stylize the theme and ensure that an off-the-shelf template never looks too similar to others using the same theme.
In conclusion, Wix can be a great place to begin your web journey, but WordPress is more robust and can provide the resources to expand with your business. Have you outgrown the capabilities that Wix offers? Call us today for your free WordPress consultation.