So, you've heard it's really easy to build a website for your business without expensive design and management fees. As you finish creating your Wix account and start to build your website you realise that actually designing a professional-looking website is a bit harder than it may seem…
If you’re finding the site overwhelming, or currently browsing for design tools, our top tips for making the most of Wix are here to help.
After creating your account, you will be invited to get your site started. This involves choosing the sort of website you’d like to create, with some of the options including personal blog, creative portfolio and online store.
We’d recommend being as specific as possible here, as it helps Wix to personalise your experience and will make the web design process run smoothly for you.
Once you’ve specified the type of website you’re looking to build, Wix can then recommend different services you can add to optimise your site.
It’s good to select some of these to trial how they look on your site and work with your business, as they can always be removed later.
When you’ve gone through the first initial questions, you will then need to choose whether you’d like Wix to design your site through their ADI tool, or if you’d like to try creating it yourself through the editor tool.
Unsure which tool is right for you? Luckily, we have tried both and come up with our top tips for using them.
Whilst you may feel that you have to use the editor tool to stand out, this is not the case as this tool can create over one billion unique sites - so it’s more about choosing the right design option to suit your needs.
If you’re less confident with your design skills and looking for something to get the job done, the ADI tool may be the best choice for you. Upon choosing this tool, you’ll be asked to make a series of simple design choices, and Wix will use these to suggest templates that they can use to build your site.
The Wix ADI tool is a great choice for those who are less comfortable with tech as it allows for customization choices, without the complications. However, if you’re looking to further personalise your site, you may find that Wix Editor is the best tool for you…
Wix Editor is more flexible for those looking to dip their toes into the world of website design and is arguably still relatively user-friendly. The drag-and-drop features of this website design tool allow for creative freedom, with extensive access to the Wix App Market also being readily available. Their help centre and tutorials are useful should you find yourself stuck, but one thing to remember is that this will ultimately be more time-consuming than the ADI tool.
Something to remember is that once you have set your theme and built your site, this cannot be changed and requires a full rebuild. This is an unfortunate downside to using Wix, so we would recommend taking the time to ensure you’ve made the right design choices.
If you’re looking to get your site up quickly and easily, this is the right choice for you. We find this tool to be extremely user-friendly, and our tips are here to make it even easier for you. If you’re already online, Wix can import content from your other sites or share links to your socials which can make the process quicker. However, don’t be put off if you haven’t got any other accounts – Wix can build your site either way.
Once you’ve entered your details, it’s time to pick a theme and homepage style for your site. We recommend spending some time browsing through these options and thinking about the vibe you’d like your website to have to increase site traffic and stand out. However, if you feel that you’ve made the wrong choice, then this can be changed before you publish your site.
After selecting your theme, you can then select some of the pages you’d like to feature on your site. Whilst these are all tailored by Wix to suit your business, we’d recommend having a look through to choose the right ones for you.
When you’re ready, it’s time to click “edit site”. Here, you’ll be taken through to the editor where you can customise the pages you’ve chosen, change your design and add further elements to your site.
We understand that this editing area of the site may look slightly daunting, as there are a few different options to click through. However, this is a relatively simple drag-and-drop function similar to PowerPoint where you can add and edit content for each page.
The toolbar to the left of the screen is your key to managing and customising your website through adding and altering content to suit your business. You can also use this to edit the design of your pages, should you wish to differ from the theme you selected earlier.
The site design area is aesthetically focused and allows you to alter the look of each page. Wix will suggest layouts that best suit your business based on your earlier selections, and you can also edit the colour theme and font before publishing.
It’s great to have a play around with the design and experiment with adding different elements before finalising your design and page layout. Something we particularly like about Wix is the wide range of apps available to add to your site - using these is a great way to optimise your site and give it a real “professional” feel that will help you to stand out from competitors.
Once you’re happy with how your site looks in the editor, it’s time to hit “publish”, where you’ll be given your URL and be able to view your site as a potential customer might!
Seen something you’re not quite happy with? Don’t worry, if you head back to your Wix homepage you’re able to view and edit your site to add more content or change designs. You can also view your dashboard to see your site analytics or make any changes to your subscription.
However, you might find that you’re looking to make a few more changes. If that’s the case, the editor tool might be best for you…
If you’ve previously built your site using ADI but want to make further changes, or even if you’re starting from scratch, the editor tool is one way to have more creative freedom over your site.
This allows you to add more apps, make more personalised design choices and drag and drop just about anything. This may sound daunting, but fortunately there are still over 800 templates to preview before choosing. Once you’ve made your choice you’re then through to editing – where you can really customise your site the way you’d like it!
Though the thought of having creative control over your site may send you into panic, the Wix Editor still makes use of the simple drag-and-drop tool that helps you to add whatever you’d like to your site, wherever you’d like it to go. However, something to be aware of is that this tool can be a little bit sticky when customising your site.
Whether you choose the editor or the ADI function, you’ll have the initial first choice at the functions you’d like to have on your site. Once you’ve selected these and opted for the editor option, you’ll then be asked to choose from a selection of templates which Wix have personalised for your business.
Once you’ve selected your template, you’ll head into the editor. Similar to the ADI function, the main work area is the toolbar to the left-hand side of the screen. Here, you can click through different sections to change the design of your site, alter your backgrounds, and add different apps to optimise your site.
However, a tip is to use the right-click menu to further customise each area of your site. This can be used to easily add more elements to your site through the copy and paste function.
This is also particularly helpful if you’re looking to copy the design of the page, or show an element on all of your pages (such as a logo, or a contact number).
After you’ve made all of the required edits, simply hit “publish” to see the finished product – though further edits can be made after publishing should you require.
If you’re curious about creating a site, or making further changes to your existing ADI site, the Wix editor function is definitely worth a browse.
Whilst it’s easy to make a simple, sleek site using Wix, you may find that you’re wanting a few extra features to really make you stand out. Something that’s particularly useful when showcasing photos is the “interactive” section on the Wix editor tool, which you can add on the left-hand side of the screen. This can be used to add more intricate elements such as hover boxes, slideshows, and lightboxes which are not only eye-catching, but also a great way to display information or offers in a more interesting way. These can be customised with your own photos and text once you’ve selected the style you like.
Social media is a great way to grow your business, which is why we’d recommend adding a bar to your site which will connect your customers to your socials through a quick click. Whilst you’ll likely be making the most of your website to showcase your offerings to your customers, social media is a great way for them to have a further browse and understand a little more about your brand.
To really optimise your site, we’d suggest making the most of these features and trialling different design elements to see what suits your business best.
Whilst Wix may seem difficult to use at a first glance, we hope that this blog post of tips has made designing your site feel simple. If you’re still feeling unsure about using Wix, we’d recommend having a trial run of website design using the ADI tool to gain confidence, then using the editor tool. These functions can be used without paying for a premium subscription.
Ultimately, we want to help you find the right software for your business. So if you’re still unsure about Wix, it might be best to check out our full review.
If you’re thinking Wix might not be the best site for you, check out our guide to the best website builders to help you find the perfect software.
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