Website creation platforms like Wix, might be simple, but they aren’t always your best option.
For some time now I have had SO many web enquiries and conversations that have started with,
“I’ve got a Wix website but it’s driving me mad,”
So you can get a Wix website if you want – but you’ll probably be wishing you hadn’t before long and wishing you’d spent a little bit more and got a whole lot more in return.
Over the last couple of years, a lot of website creation platforms have sprung up to help business getting their businesses online. Shopify and Squarespace have come a long way in ensuring both design, navigation and SEO implementation are easy to implement.
However, Wix has many problems:
Not great for Search Engines
Wix has had a negative reputation for a long time with SEO community. It has come along way, from as unnecessary characters in the URL addresses, and users can now add image Alt text. The problem now lies around site speed, and excess code. Put simply large load times, and excess coding means rankings stay low.
Bad User Experience
Wix offers templates that are not designed with your end goals in mind. They are designed quickly, lack creativity and are mass produced. You may think I’m running a small business, I just need a website. But impressions count. Think about how you feel when you turn up to a website and it just doesn’t work. You don’t bother calling them do you!
Lack of flexibility
Even basic things like changing fonts, adding white space, and laying out pages are difficult to accomplish if you’d like to customize the appearance of your website.
Poor Design
Some may look at Wix websites and think they look “nice” but when you compare them to bespoke sites and Shopify sites or even Square Space sites at a push – they really aren’t that attractive. Clunky, basic, dull and generally behind the times and difficult to make minor layout and positional adjustments that make all the difference.
Can’t transfer web content
Squarespace will allow you to download all your information and upload it into another website for example Shopify. Six will not allow you to do this. You would manually have to copy and paste all content across. This is a laborious task that in totally unnecessary.
It’s not that cheap
Sure Wix starts off very cheap but as soon as you want some additional functionality and move outside the basic package – you’re really going to start to pay for it and may end up wondering why you bothered going with them in the first place.
I liken Wix websites to getting a logo from Fiver or business cards from Vista Print. You can but you shouldn’t. They’re very cheap for a very good reason – they’re low quality. Websites from Wix go wrong and frustrate the user and owner. Vista print cards feel cheap and are poorly cut. Logos from Fiver don’t come with everything you need and the edges are often ragged and poorly drawn. Wix, Fiver and Vista Print produce unoriginal products with design that you will see elsewhere being used by multiple companies many times over.
So if you want a cheaper template website designed and made ready for you? That’s fine – we’d love to help but we will be using Squarespace if the client wants that or Shopify. Ideally though if cost allows it – it’s best to go with a bespoke WordPress option.
Get in touch with any enquiries or queries about your website. We’re always happy to have a conversation and advise you on what the best options are for your business, customers and budget.
