Updated on July 10th, 2022
What’s the easiest website builder? That’s something that I’ve been interested in finding out. Having recently trialled different web builder platforms, I was surprised that some aren’t as simple-to-use as I thought they would be. We usually choose a website builder over DIY self-hosting as we want it to be easy-to-use. A simple option is needed. So what about Wix? It’s purported to be the easiest site builder. Is it really? Well here’s what I discovered in a nutshell:
Yes, if you’re after a quick start with absolutely no training required, Wix is the easiest and most flexible website builder. You can choose to create your website with either their ADI (Artificial design intelligence) or tweaking one of their professional templates through the editor. Either way it’s a seamless experience with intuitive context sensitive menus which anyone can understand.
Wix compared to Self-Hosting your own site
There’s no doubt that self-hosting your website can have its drawbacks. You’ll sometimes have to add CSS code to get your site looking exactly right or tweak the complicated CPanel settings. This can be a little daunting and isn’t for everyone. Accordingly there’s a definite learning curve with self-hosted sites. Furthermore, sometimes you really just want to get your site up and running within a few hours without any issues.
Wix doesn’t have any of these geeky tech issues to worry about. You can just create your site & be publishing within an hour. So the focus is on the design and content rather than the technology.
Wix compare to other Website Builders
So I tried three website builders: WordPress.com (not to be confused with self-hosted WordPress as they are totally separate), Squarespace and then Wix. The thing that I found with both WordPress.com and Squarespace was that although they offer some drag and drop functionality, there is still a learning curve with getting going.
Wix, on the other hand just seemed so intuitive from the beginning. The user interface is so instinctual and I had little need to do any Google searching on how to do things. You can drag and drop pretty much any item to anywhere so your creativity isn’t constrained. I found that it was more difficult to do this with Squarespace as it has a more rigid structure which isn’t necessarily bad but didn’t suit the way my mind works.
First things to do on Wix – Easiest Website Builder
- ADI will ask you questions and then design a website for you.
- Wix editor will allow you to select from over 500 design templates (which can be modified). It’s more hands-on.
Next, you need to choose a design template. They are sorted into categories. eg. Blogs & Forums, Photography, Restaurants & Food and many more.
It’s important to remember that it will be really difficult to change your theme later on, so it’s super-important to select your theme carefully. I’d recommend spending at least a few days with your theme to make sure you are totally happy with it before going live.
Editing Your Site – Where the Easiest Website Builder becomes Obvious
You can start editing your site by clicking the “Edit Site” button at the bottom left of your home screen:
This will take you into the editor. Once you’re there, you’ll find a very intuitive WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) screen. By clicking a box, a context-responsive menu will pop up next to each item selected showing your options. Eg with a text box, you can change fonts, colours, animations etc.
These intuitive menus work throughout the editor and if found the menus to be extensive.
In terms of pricing, Wix is fairly similar to its nearest competitors. It does offer a free plan, but you won’t be able to choose your own domain name. So, you’ll have a domain name in the style of username.wixsite.com/siteaddress and Wix ads will be run on your site.
When to choose Wix – Because it’s the Easiest Website Builder:
- Easiest, most intuitive and flexible website builder
- Mobile phone responsive
- If you want to modify or even create your own theme
- Many options with blogs to add writers, mailing list opt-ins, email campaigns etc.
- To have access to a massive selection of themes and elements
- Good SEO including SEO analytics & visitor analytics
When NOT to choose Wix:
- If you’ll be changing your theme at a later time, I’d recommend Squarespace
- If you’d prefer more rigidly defined themes without as much choice
Summary – Why Wix is the Easiest Website Builder
Frequently Asked Questions – easiest website builder
What are the advantages of Wix?
Wix has a super intuitive drag-and-drop editor which means that you can start designing without any training at all. They’ve also got a suite of beautiful design templates that are ready to go for your website.
What are the disadvantages of Wix?
Wix has a limited number of design templates. If you have a specific idea of how you want your site to look, you may not be able to find what you need.
There’s no meaningful way to increase your page load speed with Wix. Speed is important. It’s been shown to be critical to search engine optimisation (SEO).
If you ever want to move your Wix website to another platform, there’s no simple way to do it. This is because you can’t export from Wix. If you’ve got a large website with hundreds of posts this could be a lengthy and laborious process.
What are the alternatives to Wix?
Squarespace, Google sites, Blogger and WordPress.com all have free website options. The main downside of these no-cost websites is that you won’t have the choice of your own domain name. Having said this you can use your own URL for a small annual fee.
Is Wix the easiest website builder?
Yes it’s very easy to jump into Wix as a new user choose a design template and get your site up and running in a few hours.
What is Wix ADI?
Artificial design intelligence is a relatively new feature to Wix. It allows you to build a site just based on a series of questions and preferences.
Should I use the Wix editor or ADI to set up my site?
It depends on your level of experience. Novice users might appreciate the ADI creating their site for them. However if you’re a more advanced user you’ll probably prefer the control of the editor.
Which is the easiest website builder: Wix or Squarespace?
Wix has the benefit of context-sensitive menus. Their options are quite intuitive and can easily be picked up by a new user. Squarespace has a slightly more defined and rigid approach.
All in all we feel that Wix has the edge on ease of use.
Are Wix websites fully responsive?
Yes all Wix websites are fully responsive.
Are Wix websites better for business use or for personal use?
They’re not always as well suited to business because they lack much of the integration that you can find with WordPress plug-ins. However, Wix websites are perfectly suited to individual use if you don’t have a high need for monetisation , you’re not planning to grow your site or migrate it to another platform.
Is Wix the easiest website builder for a landing page?
Absolutely there are landing pages built right into the extensive list of templates available in Wix.
Can I use Google Analytics with Wix?
Yes, you can use Google Analytics but only if you get a premium plan with your own domain name. If you go for the free site with the domain extension wixsite.com, then you won’t be able to use Google analytics.
Can I use Google Search Console with Wix?
Yes, you can use Google Search console with Wix. The only condition on this is that you must have a paid premium Wix subscription using your own domain name.
How can I migrate my Wix site to WordPress?
Unfortunately there is no easy way to do this as Wix doesn’t have an export function. Accordingly, the only method will be to copy and paste each post. It’s obviously quite easy with a small site but if you’ve got hundreds of pages, this could mean days of work.
For this reason if you’re thinking of moving to WordPress in the future, perhaps consider starting with WordPress from the start of your blogging journey..
Does Wix have a SEO function?
Yes the free Wix SEO Wiz will do all of your SEO functions. This will help you optimise your pages for search keywords so that they have the best chance of ranking in search engines such as Google and Bing.
Does Wix have free SSL?
Yes, Wix comes with a free SSL certificate which you will need to install.
Does Wix have a free CDN?
Yes, Wix has data centres worldwide which effectively provides a CDN for all users.
