Undoubtedly, one of the most important tools for every small to large business today is its #website. Consumers in the digital age spend most of their time online and researching businesses on the internet. Two of the most common website-building resources today are Wix and WordPress. These platforms are very popular but unique in their own ways.
User-Friendliness
Wix is very well known for its accessibility and user-friendliness. Small business owners with little coding experience can easily utilize Wix to create a professional website. The Wix workspace uses a drag-and-drop feature that makes editing websites quick and simple. A Wix user can insert pictures, adjust colors or add widgets with just a few clicks.
Tip* Make sure to use the right platform for your business when building on Wix. Wix has over 200 million users, and its services have expanded.
Examples (Wix Adi, Wix Classic Editor, Velo, Wix Studio, and Wix Editor X).
WordPress, however, can be very difficult for a beginner with limited coding experience to pick up. Don't get us wrong, an advanced developer behind the WordPress platform can build an awesome site. Compared to Wix, WordPress doesn’t have a visually appealing workspace that lets users figure out how to edit their websites quickly. Let's be honest, most IT teams lack design, and Wix has great easy-to-start templates. It is highly recommended that small business owners take time to learn how to be proficient with coding or hire an experienced web developer to use WordPress effectively. Lastly, regarding help, WordPress lacks a full-time support team; instead, users must rely on online forums to find answers to any issues that may arise.
Online Security
Cyber Security is a top concern for all business owners and consumers in today’s digital age. Users must be very careful with deciding what platform to use to keep their businesses and consumers safe from potential hackers.
Wix provides limited customizability to its users. The reason is that the Wix team controls all platforms by personally handling all updates and maintenance. As a result, websites designed by Wix are less susceptible to online hacking because users aren’t allowed to manipulate the Wix software.
*Note, with Wix Velo Code introduced in 2017, you can now customize most functionalities on your website.
WordPress is an open-source program that grants its users with coding experience permission to modify their platform, such as developing plugins. Although this feature attracts most users to WordPress, it also presents a very serious risk for potential online attacks. Users are responsible for doing their own website maintenance, which can be a hassle due to ongoing updates to the platform. As a result, users must dedicate extra time to monitoring their websites to avoid any holes in their security. For example, an outdated plugin developed by a third-party developer is a perfect opportunity for hackers to gain access to a small business owner’s website.
Creativity
WordPress offers its users plenty of flexibility because it is an open-source program. Users can create their own themes and plugins or choose from the thousands of pre-made ones developed by third-party users. Unfortunately, this freedom has challenges because users are expected to have intermediate coding experience to build a professional website. It can also be difficult for users to find quality website plugins or themes. Most of these have been developed by third-party web developers that, over time, can become inconsistent.
Wix recently launched a beta for “Wix Code”, now called Velo, and continuously updates its platform for web design and coding creativity. There are some limitations in the platform (that’s where Wix code and embedding HTML come in handy); however, the Wix team decided to do this to ensure all features on their platform are safe and functioning properly. Users can download extra features from their official app store, which a private development team maintains.
So where does an agency like CIS Agency fit in?
Well, they can provide the following:
So even though DIY options are nice when your start-up budget is low, having an agency help you grow and maximize the use of online tools is a must! Additionally, once you focus on your business, it’s critical that you oversee the big picture and not spend hours updating your designs, brochures, website, etc.
Conclusion
So in the Wix vs WordPress saga, we believe both have great benefits, but for our client base, Wix is the way to go. At CIS Agency we recognize that it's not enough for small business owners to build any random website for free (unless there is no website budget in your start-up cost). There are other tools out there like Squarespace, Weebly, etc.
We recommend using Wix (which continues to improve) for the following reasons:
Wix Code (Velo) and flexibility
Ongoing improvement
All-in-One integration with (Wix Email Shout Outs, Database, Invoicing, Domains, etc)
Having a website on WordPress can help your business. However, a few things to consider that might not be easy for you to manage:
SEO
User-Friendly Platform
Security
Safe to use Plugins
Domain Connections
Hosting
*Note, WordPress is a great platform for advanced web developers and has great tools + plugins. Be sure to keep your plugins updated.
To explore additional comparisons for Wix vs. WordPress, check out this blog which provides a more in-depth analysis of the topic.
Most business owners spend a lot of time and money creating a professional website. At CIS Agency we offer a monthly low-cost maintenance fee and make small business life easy, contact us for an initial meeting or phone call.
Do you need a Wix template to get started? Choose a Wix template here.
#wix #wordpress #squarespace #weebly #smallbusiness #webdesign #websiteoptions #graphicdesign #branding #SEO #HOSTING #DOMAIN #Analytics
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