Wix or Wordpress? Which is better?
During our activities in the Agency, this is a very recurring question that we are asked by those who interface with us.
For those who are thinking of creating a website (or redesigning an existing one), these platforms are undoubtedly some of the best options, but with different features (and above all costs) .
But before asking yourself whether it is better to use Wix or WordPress, you need to take a step back and ask yourself a fundamental question.
What are your needs?
In this article, I will tell you about both platforms, explaining what the differences are and, hopefully, helping you choose the one that best suits your project.
Summary:
Wix vs WordPress: Platform Comparison
Before going into more detail, I think it is important to give a brief introduction to the two platforms, explaining their different approaches.
Wix
Wix.com is a service that allows users to create websites using pre-existing templates and a “drag-and-drop” interface . Unlike WordPress, it is a very simple and intuitive platform to use, offering innovative technologies that can be used by both beginners and professionals.
The platform also allows you to create a website with a free domain in the following format --> username.wixsite.com/sitename.
Wix currently has more than 2 million active users, allowing anyone to express themselves and build their online presence, including e-commerce.
WordPress
WordPress is an open-source software that can be used as the basis of your own website for free * .
According to data, it is estimated that the platform is used by around 80 million sites worldwide.
In order to use WordPress you will need to get a hosting and install it.
Additionally, you will be responsible for maintaining and securing your site.
* Please note that only the installation of WordPress is free, on the contrary, to be able to finalize your project you need to use Plugins (sometimes even paid ones), have some programming knowledge, do maintenance and update the system to make it secure.
Ease of Use and User Experience
Wix is currently one of the easiest to use website builders available on the market. The editor is entirely drag & drop , and extremely intuitive, designed for beginners, but also used on a large scale by professionals (for example, we are Wix Partners).
The Wix App Market also allows you to install additional features with just a few clicks, just like the Play Store on your smartphone, but in a web version.
Among these are also highly sought-after apps, such as the ability to have e-commerce customers pay in installments with Klarna, integration with Amazon and Ebay with Etzi or the ability to easily make the site multi-lingual, for example.
WordPress on the other hand is known for its extensions and many plugins, but these are not always so simple to install and implement.
Similarly, as anticipated a few lines above, the platform requires some technical knowledge , even if in recent years there have been several YouTube channels that provide tutorials to follow.
Despite this evolution of Creators, if something goes wrong, it could be complicated to find a solution and you still have to perform constant maintenance of the plugins .
Website design
I'll start by saying that Wix offers more than 1000 templates, of which 300 are free, to design your site according to your needs and tastes.
Not bad, right?
Practical, modern, but above all filterable by activity. Do you want a template suitable for your pizzeria? There is. Do you want a template suitable for your online shop? Too!
Which is an indisputable advantage, both economically and in terms of saving time.
One thing to remember is that Wix templates have some limitations when it comes to customization.
You can apply changes to size, color, position, but more advanced customizations will be very complicated.
To overcome this problem, in the Agency, we directly develop the code to obtain a unique result for each single project and the same platform provides an advanced editor, called EditorX for the most innovative projects.
WordPress itself uses templates to create site designs. In this case, there are about tens of thousands of themes.
Compared to Wix, when you download a WordPress template, you will have all the files available and you can customize them as and when you want, using plugins or developing the code.
Using WordPress you can also create or commission your own template, although it is undoubtedly more expensive.
Wordpress or Wix: Maintenance and Support
If you are still wondering whether it is better to use Wix or Wordpress, this point, in my opinion fundamental, can be the key to solving all your doubts.
Using Wix, maintenance is minimal, practically non-existent.
This is because, since the site is hosted on Wix's own servers, there is no need to perform maintenance activities such as backups, app updates, etc.
One important thing to note is that Wix only allows you to manage backups from your online control panel.
Additionally, Wix's technical support is second to none .
Every question, even the most technical, has an immediate answer. Just type the problem into Google, and a dedicated section will appear with a short tutorial on how to solve it.
Wix Customer Support allows you to have direct contact almost instantly , both via email and telephone.
With WordPress, on the other hand, you have complete autonomy in managing your site.
This means you also have the responsibility to perform backups and updates .
Which can be a problem.
If there is no one in the company who knows the platform, you will have to refer to an external supplier every time, which in simple terms means other extra costs and longer waiting times .
To make a very quick comparison from the Support point of view, WordPress does not offer an official technical support service . Since it is very widespread, you can find the answers to your doubts or problems in the Online Community and Forum.
Platform costs
Here is another crucial point of this article, the prices of Wix and Wordpress.
But first I want to make a very important premise.
In the Agency we interface with Small and Medium Enterprises or sometimes even with Freelancers . Translated into simple words it is very rare, if not impossible, that within these organizations there is a resource dedicated to the platform.
This is undoubtedly an aspect to take into strong consideration before creating a website .
With Wix, the pricing is clear and payments can be monthly, annually or biannually. There are currently 4 modular packages that include an increasing number of features and services.
It starts from the Connect Domain Package , which costs €4.50 per month, up to the VIP Package , which costs €26. In between, there are two other options (which we recommend) with a very interesting price.
Technically WordPress is technically free , but.
Allow me to underline the "but" for the premise I made earlier.
In addition to the cost of Hosting, any Template you decide to purchase and Plugins you want to install, there is a very important variable : that of the Developer.
In essence, the cost of the Developer's work in this case is the most expensive of all. Having an external figure who carries out the necessary adjustments will significantly increase the price of your Website.
Don't forget that using Wix could save you time and budget that you can use to focus on other strategic aspects of your business, such as advertising.
Some Wix Tools
Over the years, the Wix platform has demonstrated that it takes into great consideration the stimuli and ideas offered by its community.
Many features have been introduced over time and I must say, they have always been very successful.
In February 2020, Wix announced the launch of its fully responsive website creation platform: Editor X.
Editor X is made for designers and agencies. It offers advanced design and layout features that allow you to create complex web designs for any device, all without using code.
Additionally, there is a mode called Velo by Wix that provides access to the platform's API and allows users to create database collections and dynamic pages.
A very interesting feature is undoubtedly the Wix ADI (“Artificial Design Intelligence”) mode: this automatically creates a customizable website complete with images, videos and text.
This is done by asking you a few questions about what you are trying to achieve, and then populating your site with publicly available information about you or your business (automatically sourced from across the web).
SEO
Another common misconception about using Wix is that websites created with this technology do not rank high in Google search results. ( Here you can find a technical analysis on SEO with WIX )
The truth is that Wix integrates from time to time into its technology all the technological evolutions necessary for a website to be "SEO friendly".
We talk about customizable structured data, on-page optimization, robots optimization, and so on.
This is an example of our website built with Wix technology, in the last two years (it has surpassed in volume and traffic for the same queries many of our competitors with websites in Wordpress):
The only really improvable note for the SEO of websites in Wix is that you cannot intervene on the ways in which the browser loads content that affect the speed of the site, except by avoiding unnecessary third-party apps and choosing carefully the type of elements you insert into the pages.
But even with this necessary note, always regarding our site, tested with Google Page Speed Insights it is faster than many sites created in Wordpress.
Examples of Wix Sites
Below we bring you a gallery of some of the websites that we have created over time with the Wix platform.
If you need examples to get inspired, you've come to the right place.
In conclusion
The Website is a tool.
A useful tool to communicate your identity and present yourself to the world of the Web.
As you may have understood, there are many differences between Wix and Wordpress .
Basically, just focus on the question I asked you at the beginning of this study.
What are your needs?
Starting from here, you will find your answer. The choice of the platform depends on the type of site you need.
As a Wix Partner, we can say that Wix is best suited for Small to Medium Business or Freelancer Websites .
Thanks to the Apps present, we can customize the Site by inserting everything you need.
It is absolutely important to underline the part regarding costs that I mentioned earlier.
Finally, it is the right tool for beginners, thanks to the Drag & Drop Editor and excellent technical support. Small details that in the long run can really save time and headaches .
This is not to say that we do not recommend WordPress.
Not at all. WordPress is well suited to any type of site, if you want to aim high and have no limits in customizing your site and extending its functions, this platform is better.
Do you have any questions or concerns about the tool to use? Comment below or join our dedicated Facebook group Marketing For Small and Medium Businesses !
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