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by Carlos Valladares, CIS Agency General Manager
Whenever I take on new clients looking to upgrade their business websites or who are looking for alternatives to businesses like Hibu, yp, Yellow Pages, etc.,
I like to be transparent about their website platform options. Most of the time, it typically boils down to a choice between WordPress and Wix. I'll outline exactly what both Wix and WordPress provide. I'll explain that with Wix, they can get the same results but in a much simpler, less expensive way. They'll get better support, hosting, and uptime. Most times, the client says, "I like that better. Let's go with Wix."
At this point, CIS Agency has built about 2,500 websites on Wix. We've switched more than 90% of my clients over to Wix, and not a single one of them has asked to change back. In the last 10 years, we've gone from a ratio of about 80-20 of our sites on WordPress to 90-10 on Wix. Note that with Wix Studio being introduced recently, we are in the process of using their new platform solution.
*It's important to understand that we focus on and target certain industries and small businesses; we're not saying this applies to all marketing or web agencies. Meaning that in some circumstances we will build on other platforms like Shopify, WordPress, Magento, etc.
The bottom line is that for my agency, Wix is much simpler, smoother, and more effective, from beginning to end, in virtually every way:
Coding
Speed
Onboarding and Training
Cost and Maintenance
Support and Ongoing Improvement
Migration
This article will cover each of the first five considerations from an agency standpoint and discuss how Wix has the advantage over WordPress in each one. Then, we'll dive into two migration case studies that demonstrate why 90% of my clients have switched and never looked back.
Coding, Wix vs WordPress
Velo by Wix has been a game-changer. In the last few years, there's almost nothing my clients have asked for that I can’t do. With WordPress, many features require plugins, which are basically third parties-you're attaching to your site. These need to be manually (and constantly) updated and upgraded. We'll find bugs, or clients will call and tell us their site is down. Whenever we get a pre-built WordPress site, we have to address built-in bugs, firewalls, and encryptions. Interestingly enough, a lot of people think of Wix as website templates (which, of course, there are), but WP operates very similarly with templates and plugins.
Wix, on the other hand, does all that work for you. This enables my software engineers to focus on customization and my web developer to ensure we're covered on SEO, Google Analytics, Google Webmaster, and all the other connections that go with a website. So our productivity has jumped.
I’ve switched the grand majority of my clients over to Wix, and not a single one of them has asked to change back. In the last ten years, we’ve gone from a ratio of roughly 80% of our sites built on WordPress to 90% of our sites now built on Wix.
Speed
When it comes to building a website, WordPress typically takes double the time to build out. Before we can get started, I have to make sure we have a developer who can work on the platform, and then we have to check that all the plugins are trusted and compatible. We go through a 90-point checklist, and our graphic designers can't work directly on the page. This slows down the website project; of course, depending on the industry, there can be times that WP has developed something unique and tailored, at which point I then recommend using WP.
With Wix, our graphic designers can log into their Wix account, design right on the page, and send a feedback link to our clients for approval. This allows our team to collaborate on all our websites through the Agency platform, which helps us work in one place and stay organized. As a result, creating the site--from closing the account to connecting the domain--takes two weeks or about 20 hours. My clients are thrilled with the quick turnaround and results. Of course, like any project, there are many other factors to consider but to stay on point, we will not address them here.
Onboarding and Training
In terms of onboarding, Wix's efficiency and user-friendliness shine through. It only takes two months to train my designers fully on Wix. In contrast, WordPress training takes about eight months to a year and poses a significantly greater learning curve.
Likewise, a freelancer most likely won't understand the ins and outs of a WordPress site, but with Wix, they'll have a whole support team behind them offering guidance. Overall, Wix is a far more accessible and efficient choice for collaborating on web design projects, whereas WordPress's complexity requires a far greater amount of training time to develop the necessary proficiency.
While developing this blog, Wix recently launched Wix Studio, and it has been a game changer for our designers. We will provide some feedback on Wix Studio in our next blog.
Cost and Maintenance
Comparing the cost of the two platforms, WordPress takes around two months or 60 hours to build a site and costs $7500 if the client wants ownership. Wix takes around three weeks or 30 hours and costs $3500 —including site ownership. Plus, we can cut the cost of web development.
Our service retainer on a Wix site costs from 15% to 40% less (roughly $99-$129 monthly compared to $149-$199 monthly on WordPress).
These Wix advantages are reflected in the value and management ease we're able to pass on to our clients. Once the site is up and running, clients feel much better equipped to manage it themselves.
After a website is built, clients ask,
"Can I still edit my site?"
And I'll say, "Absolutely, we can add you as a collaborator. We offer free editing for up to 30 minutes, but you can also do it yourself."
They find the Wix Editor very simple to use, and when they encounter an issue, they just give us a call. They love having their own CRM and database, too. Everything is in one place--for my agency and for my client.
WordPress currently offers none of those options.
WordPress takes around 2 months or 60 hours to build a site and costs roughly $7500+ if they want ownership. Wix takes around 3 weeks or 30 hours and costs $3500+, including site ownership. Plus, we can cut the cost of web development.
Support and Ongoing Improvement
Another advantage of Wix is that it offers readily available support and an online community for ongoing learning. I know that there's a "WordPress community," but Wix's community actually feels like family. Everybody is on the same page. The new community for agencies has taken this feeling to the next level, offering more events and opportunities to collaborate.
The Bigger-picture, Wix always seems to be looking to improve. Every month, they're launching new features and updates that change the game. They'll boost speed, personalization, coding, and security. It's nice to know that the platform will continue to improve over time and not stagnate- keeping my clients and me from falling behind when it comes to website features.
Migrating from WordPress to Wix
For agencies, Wix certainly has the advantage over WordPress when it comes to coding, speed, training, cost, and support. On the client side of things, I've never met anyone who regretted switching from WordPress to Wix. In the case studies below, you'll meet two of my clients who have migrated their websites to Wix, learn what led to their decision to switch, and hear why they love it.
Case Study #1: PHCC San Diego
Old Website
My client, PHCC San Diego, recently made the decision to switch their website platform from WordPress to Wix, and they couldn't be happier with the results. Recognizing the need for a simpler and more user-friendly website management system, the association embarked on a search for a platform that would meet their requirements, including customized forms. After thorough research and careful consideration, they settled on Wix as the perfect solution.
One of the main reasons behind the switch was the simplicity and ease of use that Wix offers. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, the association's staff found it incredibly straightforward to update and manage their website content while still relying on CIS Agency for more complex situations. Wix's user-friendly tools allowed them to quickly make changes, gain an online presence, and make it easy to join the association with custom forms.
The transition to Wix also provided PHCC San Diego with additional benefits. The platform's robust SEO features and customizable design options allowed them to enhance their online visibility and create a visually appealing website that truly reflected their brand. The association was impressed with Wix's reliable hosting and security measures, ensuring their website was accessible and protected around the clock. Furthermore, Wix's responsive design capabilities ensured that their site looked great and functioned flawlessly across various devices.
Overall, the decision to switch from WordPress to Wix proved to be a game-changer for PHCC San Diego.
New Website
Case Study #2: NAST
Another example is the case of NAST (National Association of Show Trucks). In a bold move to streamline its online presence, NAST recently transitioned its website from WordPress to Wix. Faced with the challenge of managing numerous website elements, outdated plug-ins, security, and other complex functionalities, the association sought a solution that would allow it to consolidate everything in one centralized location. Wix emerged as the clear choice due to its user-friendly interface and comprehensive management capabilities.
Even at the beginning of the project, trying to nail down all the different areas where things were was complicated. Example: "Where is the domain registered?" "Where are the hosting files?" "Who is hosting?" "Where is the SSL Certificate?" "Who has access to what? Under what email", Etc
The decision to switch to Wix was primarily driven by the platform's all-in-one management system. With Wix, the association could easily handle various website elements, including content, design, and functionality, from a single dashboard. This consolidation eliminated the need to navigate through multiple interfaces or rely on external plugins, simplifying the management process significantly.
By providing a centralized hub for all website elements, CIS Agency enabled NAST to optimize its online presence efficiently and focus on delivering valuable resources and services to its members.
In summary, NAST's transition from WordPress to Wix brought about a transformative shift in its website management approach. The ability to manage all website elements in one place through CIS Agency and Wix's user-friendly interface allowed the association to simplify workflows, enhance efficiency, and maintain a cohesive online presence.
Old Website
There you have it. For my agency, the battle of Wix vs WordPress is over. Wix wins every time. Wix simplifies my workflow from beginning to end and is more efficient for my team, eliminating the need for extensive training and constant troubleshooting. Clients love Wix's ease of use, security and SEO features, customization, responsiveness, and centralized management. That's why 90% of them are on Wix now- a trend that will no doubt continue into 2024.
Simplicity, efficiency, speed, and trust—Wix just does it better, which allows me to focus on building my agency and my clients to focus on growing their businesses.
CIS Agency is a Wix Partner and full-service agency offering businesses a comprehensive marketing solution, including web design, social media, and branding. To explore their portfolio and learn more about the services they offer, visit CIS's website. Are you looking for Wix Templates? Visit Liz Web Studio or All Things Wix for a variety of ready-to-go Wix Templates.