I am Hung from ABC Software Solutions Company.
Recently, I had the opportunity to experience building a website on the Wix platform, and I would like to share the benefits it brings, along with my personal experience and the lessons I have learned.
What is Wix?
Wix is an online website building platform that allows users to easily create and manage websites without any programming knowledge. Wix offers a drag-and-drop interface that enables users to select and arrange components and content on their website as desired.
Users can access Wix through a web browser and start building their website from pre-designed templates or start from scratch with a blank canvas. Wix provides a range of tools and features to customize and design the website, including changing the layout, arranging components, creating product pages, adding features like blogs, online stores, contact forms, and more.
Wix also offers content management and analytics features, allowing users to track the performance of their website and interact with visitors. Additionally, Wix supports integration with third-party services such as search engine optimization (SEO) tools, email marketing, social media integration, and more.
With Wix, users don't need coding or complex web design knowledge, and they can create a professional and attractive website in a short amount of time.
My experience
As a UI/UX designer, I came to Wix through a client request to build a B2B Landing page website. I was given the opportunity to spend nearly 2 weeks to learn and practice. Previously, I had experience building websites using WordPress with the application of plugins such as Elementor, Flatsome, Woocommerce,... Working on Wix this time has some similarities with WordPress that made me feel interesting. more interesting, while providing myself with more new and interesting knowledge about the platform. Here's what I've learned about Wix.
Advantages of Wix
Wix shines with a range of notable features. With its appeal to a large user base, Wix impresses with the following standout advantages:
- User-friendly interface: Wix is designed with a friendly and easily accessible user interface. Users can create and edit websites effortlessly through its drag-and-drop tool.
- Flexible design: Wix offers numerous beautiful templates and interfaces for users to choose from. Additionally, users can customize layouts, colors, fonts, and images to create unique websites that align with their ideas.
- Powerful feature integration: Wix comes with various integrated features such as blogging, online stores, social media integration, SEO support, and more. This enables users to easily build and manage websites according to their specific needs.
- Responsive on multiple devices: Websites built on Wix automatically adapt to different devices like desktops, mobile phones, and tablets. This ensures a seamless user experience across all platforms.
- Dedicated customer support: Wix provides detailed documentation, support centers, and community forums to assist users. You can find quick help and answers to your questions whenever needed.
Some disadvantages of Wix
Besides the advantages, Wix also has some disadvantages to be aware of:
- Limitations of source code customization: Wix does not allow direct access and editing of the source code. Users can only perform customizations through the user interface. This restricts the flexibility and higher level of customization of the website.
- Limited feature extensions: Wix has a range of apps and extensions available in the Wix App Market, but not all features found in general web development platforms may be available. This can make it challenging to meet specific requirements or integrate external tools.
- Service fees and bandwidth limitations: Some advanced features and resource expansions in Wix are only available in paid service packages. Some service packages also have bandwidth limitations, which can affect the website's loading speed and handling of high traffic.
- Wix advertisements: In the free version, Wix displays their own advertisements on your website. To remove these ads, you need to upgrade to paid service packages.
- Difficulty in platform migration: If you want to switch from Wix to another platform, the migration process can be challenging. The conversion may require time and effort to re-customize the website on the new platform.
However, these limitations do not undermine Wix's ability to provide a quick and easy website-building solution for users without programming skills.
Compare Wixand WordPress
After learning about Wix, I realized that Wix and WordPress will have many differences, here are some points to pay attention to:
Design and layout
Wix and WordPress both offer a range of interface templates for you to choose from. Wix has over 500 pre-designed templates, suitable for various industries. These templates have intuitive interfaces, and you can easily customize layouts and tools according to your preferences. However, one point to note is that once you have chosen a template on Wix, you cannot switch to another template. Instead, you have to continue customizing the layout and components on the selected template.
WordPress also provides users with a diverse library of thousands of interface templates, including both free and paid options. One difference from Wix is that WordPress allows easy customization of the chosen interface template by using different themes and plugins. This gives users a higher level of flexibility in creating a unique and targeted website.
Whether it's Wix or WordPress, both platforms offer tools and customization options for you to create a beautiful and professional website. The decision to choose between these two platforms depends on your needs and goals. If you want simplicity and ease of use, along with some available templates for customization, Wix is a good choice. On the other hand, if you desire more flexibility and higher customization capabilities, WordPress would be a suitable option, although it does require some knowledge of coding and management.
Experience
Wix possesses a wide range of smartly designed and highly user-friendly tools. Even individuals with no knowledge of coding or web design can use them effectively.
On the other hand, WordPress has a visual editor that facilitates quick and easy content creation and theme customization. However, exploring the features in WordPress may require more time and effort to learn.
Plugin/App
Currently, the Wix platform has over 500 apps available that support various functionalities such as reviews, galleries, contact form templates, and more. The majority of these apps are free.
On the other hand, WordPress boasts an impressive number of plugins, with over 55,000 options available, not to mention thousands of premium apps. In summary, considering the cost-effectiveness and the abundance of features, resources, layout designs, and plugins/apps, WordPress still holds a significant advantage.
However, Wix is highly regarded for its user-friendly nature, particularly for beginners.
Should I use Wix?
The Wix platform is simple and user-friendly, even for individuals with limited programming knowledge. People can start using Wix without the need to purchase separate hosting and domain. This makes Wix a reasonable choice for those who don't want to invest too much in technical aspects and finances.
If you are not tech-savvy and don't want to spend money on hosting and domain, Wix is a suitable option. You can create a professional website according to your requirements without encountering too many difficulties. However, if you are building a larger, more complex website, WordPress is a better choice. WordPress offers a wide range of features and powerful customization options, while allowing you to use your own domain and leverage advanced functionalities.
These are the basic insights into the Wix platform and how to use it to create a simple website. However, it's important to note that Wix does have some limitations. If you only need a simple website or lack deep technical knowledge, then Wix is a safe and convenient choice.
The experience I have
Despite the many benefits, I also encountered some challenges during the process of building a website on Wix. One of them was the limitations of the available design templates, which required me to find ways to customize them to meet the project's requirements. However, I overcame these challenges by researching thoroughly and leveraging the flexible features of Wix.
The experience of building a website on Wix has provided me with valuable lessons. I realized that mastering the use of an important web design tool like Wix helps enhance my ability to execute future projects. I also recognized the importance of optimizing the user experience and creating a sensible design to meet the needs of clients.
In summary, the experience of building a website on Wix has given me valuable knowledge and skills in the field of UI/UX design. I have gained a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of Wix, as well as how to customize and be flexible in creating a beautiful and engaging website. Through this period, I have learned that continuous learning and experimenting will help me further develop in new technologies and enhance my thinking and creativity, delivering excellent products to users.
I hope this blog has provided you with useful information and motivation to explore the world of web design. Keep maintaining your passion and creativity, always explore new technologies, and never stop learning.
Once again, thank you sincerely, and I hope that we will continue to meet in future articles and sharing.
See you again!