Wix e-commerce: the opinions of those who use it

After having explored the dogma "Wix or Wordpress?" in this article , we want to continue to discuss the Wix platform, which is very dear to us.

Today, in fact, we will go into detail about Wix's e-commerce features , providing opinions on the matter. Summarizing a bit what we will see in the following paragraphs, we can say that the advent of these modern drag-and-drop platforms simplify the creation of a professional-looking online store in just a few steps .

Well, now let's get into the details.

• What is Wix Stores?

• Setup and use

• Product Insertion

• Customize the Online Shop

• Manage sales

• Marketing Tools

• Assistance and support

• Conclusion

What is Wix Stores?

Let's take a step back.

Wix.com is a service that allows users to create websites using pre-existing templates and a drag-and-drop interface.

Thanks also to its ease of use and intuitiveness , and to the wide selection of features, it has conquered a significant market share.

The main theme of today's article is undoubtedly the features made available for the e-commerce part, Wix Stores.

Setup and use

Before you start building your shop, you need to set up your account: a matter of seconds, so to speak.

After that you need to click on "Create an Online Store" and log in with your credentials.

You will then find yourself at a very important crossroads: that of choosing the template.

The template gallery provides you with over 500 layouts , sorted thematically into groups like Fashion & Apparel , Home & Furniture , or Electronics , so you can find what you're looking for very quickly.

Once you have made your choice, your online shop will be created and you will be redirected directly to the editor for configuration.

Compared to the competition and other platforms, Wix Stores makes designing your site less abstract, just think that you can see what you are doing in real time.

In the Wix editor there are three distinct menus with specific features. On the left you will find all the tools you can use to build your website. They range from content creation, inserting images, contact forms, new elements.

On the right, there is the "Toolbar" where you can move the elements as you like, modifying them.

Finally, there is the upper menu bar, divided into two columns. In the lower part of these you can quickly navigate between the different pages of your store and understand how and where they are displayed, while in the upper part you will find a support section, the developer mode and the general settings of your online store.

Product Insertion

In Wix Stores, there are two ways to manage your products: you can do it in the panel or directly on-page. In the latter, you just need to click on the product field and then on the " Manage Products " button, which will open a pop-up window.

Here you will find all your items and you can sort them by collection, available quantity, type and visibility.

Alternatively, if you have already created a product list, you can import it into the Store using a pre-made CSV file.

To add a new product , the first thing to do is choose whether it is a physical or digital item. On the next screen, you will be asked to name the product and give it a description, as well as assign a price and upload photos or video material.

Additionally, Wix gives you the ability to add individual information sections that display directly on the product page.

A unique feature of Wix Stores, which we particularly appreciate is the subscriptions section. With a simple click, the user can select this function, which allows them to receive the desired product at the frequency you have set.

Managing and inserting variants is very simple and intuitive. After clicking on "Product Options" you just need to insert what you need (sizes, colors, measurements, for example) listing the different options available.

Once you have this data, you can add different images, so that customers who select a red shoe or t-shirt will see that item and not its yellow variant.

Finally, you can manage the SEO options directly from the product sheet, modifying the URL with the most suitable keyword.

Customize the Online Shop

Thanks to the intuitive interface and the "drag-and-drop" system you can move practically all the elements as you like. It is possible to insert new contents by clicking on the "+" button and select what you want, choosing between templates and ready-made elements.

Through the Wix App Market you can insert additional features directly into your website with just a few clicks.

To make it even easier to navigate between the different pages of your store, you can use the drop-down menu in the top bar.

This allows you to configure all the pages of your online store that your customers see, from the home page to the post-purchase thank you page, making it easy to change the texts and design of each one.

The level of complexity largely depends on how many elements you want to include. In Wix Stores, selecting a template should be done carefully and thoughtfully , as it is not possible to change it mid-process, unless you want to lose all your progress and have to start over!

Overall, Wix Stores is a great tool for everyone. For beginners, it is very convenient and practical, but I recommend sticking to the templates and not making too many changes to the settings. On the other hand, for more advanced users and those who want to express their creativity freely, Wix Stores facilitates this aspect to a greater extent than other e-commerce platforms.

Manage sales

After completing these steps, adding products and configuring your store settings, you can finally start selling online.

At this point you will need to enter your chosen payment methods to receive orders. This can be done in the management panel by clicking on Settings > Payment Methods . In addition to PayPal, numerous credit and debit cards are accepted through gateways such as Stripe, Braintree and SumUp.

Klarna 's recent implementation allows your users to conveniently pay in installments, which is a significant advantage.

As for shipping options, you can enter them within the settings. Here you can shipping zones, specifying the conditions for each. You can offer a flat rate, link shipping to the weight or price of the order, or even offer free shipping starting from a certain amount.

Tax information can be entered in the settings, manually (for each country/region), specifying whether VAT is included in your prices or added automatically at checkout.

In the control panel you can also click on the "Store Orders" section to view the detailed report. You can also filter them by date, order status and date received, for example.

Marketing Tools

The Marketing part is fundamental, especially if you manage an e-commerce.

Wix Stores has implemented some nice and interesting features over time, listening to the requests of the Community.

In the Marketing Tools area , you can create Codes Discount your customers and encourage them to buy your products. In total, there are five different types of coupons: Fixed amount, Percentage, Free shipping, Sale price and Buy X get Y free . Each type can be limited to specific items or collections or to a minimum order total.

Additionally, you can use the tool (although basic, admittedly) to send emails, communicating a specific message to the contacts you have collected.

Through the automation function, it is possible to create automatic messages, greeting new customers, or reminding them, for example, that there are products left in the cart.

Assistance and support

One of Wix's main strengths is undoubtedly its very well-organized support. In fact, all information can be easily retrieved by the user thanks to the search bar in the dedicated section.

For direct contact with qualified personnel, you will have to search for the "Help Center" and interface with a Chatbot to answer some questions related to your problem. Only at this point will you be asked for an email address or a mobile number to be contacted, with modest waiting times.

Conclusion

Wix Stores offers users a powerful drag-and-drop e-commerce platform, adding useful sales and marketing features.

Thanks to the ready-made templates and the various elements that can be inserted and configured, it is suitable for everyone, both entry-level and more experienced people.

The only major limitation that Wix Stores has is storage space , across all of their plans. Other minor issues include the inability to sell in multiple currencies and the cumbersome nature of some additional settings.

Despite this, Wix is definitely one of the best platforms for creating and managing an e-commerce for SMEs.