How to Build a Blog with Wix in 2020

The word “website builder” comes first with “Wix”. This is because it is one of the best website create tool on the market with 125 million customers from 200 countries around the world.

I wasn’t one of those customers until recently. I’m the one with the web design. I’ve created many sites over the years, and WordPress has always been my first choice. If you know how to use WordPress, why would you need anything else?

Wix website created with Wix also

I heard about Wix, but I didn’t dwell on it. I knew it was a good tool for beginners. People who have never created a web site before can easily become a member, choose a template, upload their own content and get started in a short time. No technical knowledge required. This is obviously great. But I wasn’t one of them.

When I saw the Wix presentation at a conference on a hot summer day, everything changed. I immediately discovered its true potential.

I needed a website for a personal project I was working on. I was planning to work with my old and trusted friend WordPress. But then I started thinking about what I had to do.

I had to find a reliable internet hosting company, set up WordPress, choose the right theme, spend hours to tailor the theme for me, and I had to do a lot more testing to test the different plugins.

Why would I do all this when just dragging and dropping was enough?

I decided to give Wix a chance. I’m glad I gave you this chance.

In this review, I will talk about my own experiences and insights so that you can decide whether Wix is ​​the right choice for you. By addressing many of Wix’s advantages and a few key disadvantages, we’ll let you see what you’re dealing with before investing.

All Templates You May Need

Gorgeous Wix Templates

If you’ve seen one of the Wix ads (it’s hard to miss them nowadays), you know that one of the marketing department’s favorite titles is striking. I understand that. Who wouldn’t want to build a stunning website?

But it’s easy to see that Wix isn’t just words. When creating your website, you can choose from over 500 free templates, more than any other drag and drop site builder.

Not only that, the company has an absolutely perfect design supplement.

In general, Wix templates are simple and elegant. They feature full-width photos and compatible fonts. So you have everything you need to create a good looking website on today’s big screens.

Some templates have more complex sequences and even parallax scrolling effects that are very popular these days. (You want to make your site like that. You know that.) You can click the View button to learn how any template will look like when it goes live.

Whether your goal is to create a great one-page site or create an easy-to-use, content-packed and comprehensive site, you’ll find something for yourself at Wix.

Templates are divided into categories and subcategories and can be searched by keywords. Custom templates are available for home pages, e-commerce sites, portfolios, and many other types of sites you may need.

Each template has a title according to its purpose and you can find many special designs, from “Vegan Restaurant” to “Drone Store aralarında.

However, should you really choose the template by title? You don’t have to. If I have a plan to open a vegan restaurant (Isn’t it free to dream?), I probably wouldn’t want to use the template “Vegan Restaurant.. I wouldn’t choose to make it look like the site because there are hundreds of other vegan restaurants.

All these titles are only suggestions. All Wix templates are fully customizable and everything can be changed. You can completely change the colors, fonts and site structure.

You probably want to use your own instead of the default images that come with the template. If you don’t have your own visuals, you don’t have to worry. Wix has a large catalog of quality and free stock photos.

After choosing a general layout, I suggest you format it for yourself. For example, if you like the “Drone Store” template, you don’t have to worry about using it for your stationery shop site.

If you don’t like ready templates like me, you can choose from a variety of blank templates. Some of them have built-in layouts that are ideal for use at startup, but one comes completely empty for you to prepare from scratch.

If you are a web designer and think “I can easily create sites for my clients using this system, tarz you are smart. (Also the Wix template library can always be used as a great inspiration.)

Before you select your template, there are a few more things to consider:

There is no turning back from the moment you select the template and start editing your site. After this point, if you want to use a different template, all your content will be lost and you will have to start all over again. This can be a really challenging process, so it’s best to behave rationally when selecting the template.

Wix templates are mobile-friendly, but not automatically mobile-compatible. So, if you make changes to the initial theme, you’ll need to make edits to a separate mobile display editor to prevent your site from appearing worse on smaller screens.
Wix editor is extremely flexible, which does not count as a big problem. You can add your cat elements, remove existing elements, and change everything in your template. That’s why it’s almost impossible to automatically make sure everything looks perfect on a smaller, vertical screen. It is necessary to waive this feature in return for being fully customizable at the end of the day.

However, it is a good idea to make sure that the mobile version is equally striking before you publish your own striking site. Don’t ask me how I found out.

Can Wix do anything?
In recent years, we see that many Wix-like formations have become widespread on the Internet. But I’m not worried about Wix. The company is working hard to stay ahead of the competition.

It is difficult to compete with the comprehensive functionality offered by Wix. There’s not much you can’t do on the platform. Some things can take some time to learn, but most features are pretty easy to use. If you are someone like me, you can question why you’re dealing with WordPress all these years.

Let’s look at some of my personal favorites.

Pixel-Perfect Drag and Drop Editor
Whether you’re building your first website or have been in the industry since the Geocities days, you’ll enjoy this feature.
Wix editor is not only easy to use but also fun and does not sound like a job to use.

You can move items anywhere on the page and place them wherever you want. Aligning items is easy with handy guides that pop up as you drag and drop. In this way, you have a nice and tidy design.

You can edit everything you want. You can edit everything with just a few clicks.

Fonts? Choose from the drop-down menu (or upload your own). Colors? Knock Knock. Do you want to add a button? Choose your favorite style from the gallery, drag and drop. You can also add animation effects to each item.

Need to add pages? Go to the Manage Pages section and click the button. Your new pages will be automatically added to the redirect menu.

Do you really want to add something cool? Let’s move on to the next feature.

Wix Application Market
With more than 300 apps, most of which are free, some of which are paid, you can find in the Wix App Market, you can improve your website in almost any way you can imagine.

You can add important functions that should be available on every site, such as email list and contact form. There are also integrations of social media platforms such as Instagram Feed and Facebook Messenger. There are even picture galleries, business tools and a custom application that lets you embed HTML code on your site. Choose what you want.

My favorite thing about App Market is that it is extremely easy to use. You don’t have to work with a web developer to increase the functionality of your website. After choosing among the endless plug-ins, the days that you hoped that WordPress gods would not bring your website to the bottom.

To add applications to your site with Wix, all you have to do is click a button. Then, like other site elements, you can drag and drop it anywhere on your page, and then customize it to your liking. It takes a few minutes.

Wix E-commerce Site
I know I repeat like a broken record, but that’s really true. With Wix, it’s easy to set up an online store. You can choose a template from the Online Store category or add a store to any Wix site with a few clicks.

You need to upgrade to a paid plan to get paid, but unlike other e-commerce solutions, Wix doesn’t charge commissions for your sales.

You can set up business information and payment methods, set shipping charges, and add products from your store panel. There are no restrictions on the number of products you can sell. Whether you sell physical or digital products, you can specify 300 types for each product. You can also issue special sales and coupon codes.

I used my Wix Store to sell various products on my site and everything went smoothly. Great features like receiving emails when you sell and tracking inventory or orders from the panel.

Although I have not recommended Wix for large-scale e-commerce businesses in the past, I think it can certainly be used for this purpose nowadays. Recently, Wix has added many great e-commerce features, such as undoing the abandoned shopping cart, store analysis, printable shipping labels.

Wix SEO Wiz

Wix had problems with SEO in the past, and so many web developers and designers turned to different solutions. As a result, no one wants a striking site that doesn’t appear in Google search results.

However, in recent years, this situation is no longer a problem. Google no longer hates Wix, and Wix also offers useful SEO tools to make your site noticeable.

If you’re aware of Search Engine Optimization but don’t know what to do, it’s fine. Free SEO Wiz will ask you a few questions about your site and then guide you step by step by offering you a personalized SEO plan.

You can get keyword suggestions from SEO Wix panel and track your success in search engines.

If you upgrade to a paid plan, you can also link your site with Google Analytics to get in-depth information about your visitors.

Wix Corvid

If you still think that Wix is ​​good for small sites and not suitable for extensive and serious sites, wait until you recognize Wix Corvid. Corvid is the next generation version of Wix Code and allows developers to build powerful network applications through the Wix platform.

I’m a web developer. I have a basic knowledge of HTML and can use CSS with some help. However, I was able to create a basic database with Corvid and add dynamic pages to my site. (It can even be done for airing.)

If you’re not afraid of technology and you like a bit of a challenge, it’s a good idea to poke Corvid and see what he can do with it. On the Wix Corvid website you will find hundreds of useful guides and video tutorials.

For more complex applications, you must either be a developer yourself or work with a developer.

Nowadays, there are many professional Wix designers offering their services at various prices. If you have never created a website before, you can pay someone to create a website with Wix. You can also find an expert on the Wix website. But I’ll tell you a secret: you don’t have to.

I asked a colleague to create her first website and share her experience with me to see how easy it would be to work with someone who had never really created a website before.

In less than 40 minutes, someone without any knowledge managed to create a seven-page website with an image gallery, event calendar and blog.

Of course he was pleased with this experience and now recommends Wix to anyone who is both experienced and inexperienced. Some of the features you liked:

Wix ADI
While the standard Wix editor is extremely intuitive and easy to use, Wix also offers different options. It is called Wix ADI as an acronym for Artificial Design Intelligence.

All you have to do is answer a few questions about your website, select the extra features you want to use (such as a calendar or blog) and choose a theme (including fonts and colors).

Then you won’t have to wait too long. Within a few minutes, Wix ADI will offer three different home page designs to choose from. Click on what you like the most and your website is ready! The only thing left at this point is to add content and visuals. You can partially customize your site.

If you find the ADI editor limited, you can get used to Wix’s editing tools and then transfer your site to the standard editor and edit it there.

If you are an experienced user you will probably want to choose your own template and take advantage of the standard editor’s advanced customization options. However, it is also fun to experiment with Wix ADI.

Smart Tips

When you edit your Wix site, you’ll see small pop-ups that will accompany you through the process. These are divided into two tabs:

The What’s Next tab shows the steps to complete your site. These are often essential tasks even when adding content and viewing your site with a preview. When you click on a task, you’ll see tips on how to run this process step by step.
Smart Tips also let you know when your site needs updating.
You’ll never have to look at the screen, scratching your head, wondering what the next step is. If you need additional help on any topic, you can always click the question mark icon on the top right.

All Inclusive WIX Plans

Creating a website is a complex task. Normally, you should opt for a network hosting service, buy a domain name, and work with a variety of people, including designers, developers and SEO experts.

Wix offers everything you need for your website, from server space to free space, from free templates to applications and advertising coupons. With the convenience of finding everything in one place, you won’t have to worry about finding providers to suit your needs.

You can even set up your website free of charge. However, there are some restrictions on the free plan. We’ll talk about this.

The Wix help center is gigantic and covers every headline you can think of. The search function is very practical to find the information you are looking for.

However, sometimes you may have problems with a topic that is not in the knowledge base. It is not easy to find support on the Wix website. You may think that clicking on the Support Center link in the Help Center is sufficient, but it will take you to the main page of the Help Center. In other words, you will come to the current page. Okay.

Contact Us link? No. It also leads you to a page with various links. However, none of them allow you to contact customer support. However, you’ll be happy to find a different link in the Help Center.

At the end of a rather confusing process, I searched Google for “Wix customer service”. The result led to this article written in 2015. Really, Wix?

Complaint Record
By looking at the article above, I was finally able to find the link to Reach Wix. Here you can find the title you need help with. Wix will then show you related articles and / or videos (in case you haven’t seen them in the Help Center).

If you look carefully at the bottom of the page, you can see the Click to Contact link. When you click here, you can eventually create a support request or schedule a callback appointment.

I created a request to ask if the site I created with Wix ADI is mobile compatible.

After about 15 minutes, they returned to me and sent me an email which was quite long and did not include the answer to my question. Even my name wasn’t written, they just entered “Greetings”. I couldn’t help but think that the company didn’t care about my question.

WIX Phone Support
The support article on the Wix website suggests calling the Call Center that they claim to offer 24/7 service.

As someone who hates talking on the phone, I’m not happy about it. I’d prefer to use live chat, but Wix doesn’t offer this option. I got bored with the phone and called the number.

I was greeted by a voice recording. Can you imagine what he said?

Exactly! He told me to go to the Help Center and get a callback appointment. You can’t be serious, Wix! You can not be serious!

Really. We are in 2019 and we use the internet. The more I wanted to send my question with a pigeon, the more I wanted to get a call back.

The biggest irony is that Wix offers a free Chat Box app on the App Market. It is also very easy to set up your website. I couldn’t help wondering why they didn’t use it.

I turned to the next option.

Social media
I finally contacted Wix through the company’s Facebook page. That was the closest option to a live chat. (You can also access them via Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.)

Again, I asked if my Wix ADI site is mobile compatible. Again, 15 minutes later I got a response. They used my name this time, but there was still a link in the response. It was a very simple article that did not contain an answer to my question.

PRICING
8.4
Affordable Plans for All Types of Websites
The free plan is not bad for beginners. There are storage and bandwidth restrictions. This will not be a problem unless you plan a site with heavy media content.

However, you will need to use Wix’s subdomain (for example, your site.wix.com) instead of your own. Also, if you want to set up a Wix Store, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to get paid.

Premium plans are affordable and come with many more benefits. Free domain name, more storage and bandwidth, free ad coupons are some of them. In higher plans, you’ll also receive many premium applications, such as Site Booster and Visitor Analytics, which can drive more traffic to your site.

If you want to upgrade to a paid plan, you can pay with common credit or debit cards. Wix does not receive payment by PayPal, crypto currency or other methods.

You can pay one or two years in advance or choose a monthly plan. But remember that monthly plans are much more expensive than long-term ones. You can also receive free domain name, premium apps or advertising coupons when you opt for a monthly plan.

One important thing to remember before investing in the long-term plan: When you create a website with Wix, your site will remain on the Wix platform. You may not transfer your site to your own hosting server or to a different website builder. If you plan to leave Wix in the future, you will need to set up your website from scratch.

Wix often offers attractive opportunities. However, remember that after one or two years you will have to pay the full fee to renew your plan.

If you are a designer or developer, you can transfer the site (including a paid plan) to your customer when you complete your own work. Simply enter the email address from the Transfer Site page in the panel.

WIX Cancellation and Refunds
All Wix plans come with a 14 day money back guarantee. It’s easy to close your account. From the panel, go to the Billing and Payments page and click the Cancel Plan link.

RESULT WIX

Wix is a great platform for building your website, regardless of your experience and knowledge. Inexperienced users will appreciate the easy-to-use structure of Wix ADI, while experienced developers will appreciate the message-level options offered by Wix Corvid.

With a drag-and-drop flexible editor, a huge template library, exciting App Market and professional e-commerce features, what could be disliked? Could be customer service. If it is up to you to read the manuals yourself and solve the problems, or if you prefer to speak with customer support over the phone, there is no problem for you.

SOURCE: https://medium.com/@GeekAndTech/how-to-setup-a-wix-site-in-2020-86ce95b00b30