This is my Wix review––as a business owner and web designer, I do not recommend Wix for other businesses. While it’s a popular choice, I don’t recommend it for businesses serious about their brand and long-term growth. Here’s why, and how it could impact your overall brand strategy.
Now, if you do some Googling or watching other videos, you’ll hear a lot of people talking about how Wix isn’t always great for SEO or that Wix isn’t the fastest. (There’s a few other like technical things that people will point out about Wix, which are true.) But those things can also happen on Squarespace and Wordpress, and all these other platforms.
Your website is often the first touchpoint potential clients have with your brand. It’s not just about functionality—it’s about presenting a cohesive, professional image that aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience. With that in mind, let’s dive into the issues with Wix.
There are two reasons that I don’t recommend Wix.
Before we get into the technical aspects, it’s important to understand that your choice of website platform can significantly impact your brand perception. A website that doesn’t fully align with your brand strategy can undermine your overall marketing efforts and potentially confuse your audience.
You have to pay more for a fully responsive website on Wix.
The first is that, yes, they do now have Editor X, which is their fully responsive builder for websites. So previously, before they created Editor X, their websites were not fully responsive. The problem is that you have to pay more for Editor X to have a fully responsive website. Now, it’s about 10-ish dollars more than their lowest average plan on Wix.
So it’s not like hundreds more, but it is more than Squarespace or WordPress. So, it is costing a little more. The fact that in 2021, you are having to pay more to have a responsive website on this platform, is not okay. And yes, Wix does have a mobile editor, but that doesn’t mean it’s fully responsive. Their old website builders are not fully responsive. So, depending on your screen size, things may disappear, things may not be visible on your website, depending on where you place them on your screen.
But the fact that they are charging more is ridiculous. I get it, it took more engineers and designers, developers to roll out this editor, so they kind of need to recoup the cost. I get it. But it’s 2021.
In today’s multi-device world, a fully responsive website isn’t just a technical necessity—it’s a crucial part of your brand experience. If your site doesn’t work well on all devices, it can lead to frustrated users and a perception that your brand isn’t up-to-date or customer-focused.
It’s very hard to leave Wix, if you want to switch platforms.
And the second reason probably the biggest reason that I tell people to avoid Wix is that they make it impossible to leave Wix.
I mean you can but you have to start over. They do not have an export feature. There is a really complicated like RSS thing you can try to do, and there is one service out there that says they can migrate you. But I’ve used it, and it doesn’t work well. It’s not perfect.
So you don’t have full control over your content. And many online business owners now are content creators–they create YouTube videos, they write blog posts, they have podcasts, they put all these things on their website. And if you’re like me, and you’ve been doing this a long time, I have upwards of 300 posts, and videos and podcast on my website.
Luckily, I use WordPress and you can just export. I’ve been on Squarespace before and you can just export. It was simple. When I moved from Squarespace to WordPress, it was like a click of a button, another click of a button. We’re done. Tada, I’m on WordPress.
With Wix, it’s not that easy. You have to manually copy over your content because they don’t have a good export feature. That is a deal breaker. I think business owners should have full control and ownership of their content. And I know that people are also like, WordPress is harder to learn or SquareSpace is not as intuitive. Not everything’s going to be easy and business.
Wix may be super easy to use. But I don’t think it’s a good platform for business owners. I don’t for those two reasons that I already talked about, plus some of the other technical reasons that other designers and developers have talked about online. I don’t think they you are setting yourself up for success in the long term, when you want to move off the platform.
And I know some people are like, well, what if I don’t ever want to move? Okay, you might not want to, but I’ve been in business for 10 years, and I see so many business owners changing website platforms, changing email marketing platforms, changing into Instagram schedulers, changing everything. Anytime a new shiny platform comes out, people want to hop over and try it out.
So the fact that it’s not easy for you to move off of Wix, and they just make it difficult to leave because they just want you to keep paying them every month. Not okay. Squarespace does have a learning curve, but I think it’s the most similar to Wix and it is easier to use.
This lack of portability doesn’t just affect your website—it can impact your entire brand strategy. As your business grows and evolves, your brand needs the flexibility to adapt. Being tied to a platform that doesn’t allow easy migration can hinder your brand’s ability to evolve and may force you to make compromises that don’t align with your brand vision.
People who hate WordPress, it’s usually the theme because WordPress itself is very basic. It’s the theme that lets you design and create pages and move things around. So if you get frustrated by WordPress, it’s really your theme that you’re frustrated by. So you might want to try a different theme.
In conclusion, while Wix may seem appealing for its ease of use, it’s crucial to consider the long-term implications for your brand.
Your website is more than just a static brochure—it’s a key part of your overall brand strategy. Choosing a platform that offers flexibility, full responsiveness, and content portability sets you up for sustainable brand growth.
Remember, your brand is an investment in your business’s future. It deserves a website platform that can grow and evolve alongside it. Whether you choose Squarespace, WordPress, or another option, prioritize platforms that give you full control over your content and brand presentation.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by these considerations or want to ensure your website truly reflects your brand, consider working with a professional web designer. We can help you navigate these decisions and create a website that not only looks great but also strategically supports your brand goals. If you’re looking for a web designer to work with, check out my web design services!
