The Downside of Using Wix to Build a Website
Website builder companies have come a long way. They have gone from generic, cheap looking website designs to sleek, modern designs. For example, companies like Wix.com have hundreds of attractive looking templates to choose from and it doesn’t require any Web coding knowledge to build. They make it a breeze to customize a website with their new drop and drag feature. A novice can build a website and have it up and running in less than 60 minutes. Most of all, it is very inexpensive to build.
However, there are a few drawbacks to consider before taking the plunge into the website builder world. Here are a few common downsides to having a Wix website (or any website builder) for a small business website:
You Get Cookie-Cutter Website Templates
The first thing that comes to mind when you browse through Wix.com’s template gallery are the eye-catching graphics. Reality quickly settles in when you discover that hundreds of other businesses, within your industry, will have the same website design. You can have the best images, video content and written content, but it doesn’t hide the fact that your website is not unique.
Branding goes out the window with Wix because the templates aren’t created with the customer in mind. Their purpose is to provide a Web solution that allows their ideal customer to build a website as easily as possible. In order to accomplish this, they must cut corners by creating templates that can be used by anyone.
Scenario: Let’s say that an attorney needs to have a website built for his new law firm. When he/she selects a predesigned template, he/she won’t be the only person using that particular template. Currently, Wix has over 52,321,285 customers. Imagine the amount of customers who are using the same website templates.
The key to having a successful website is to be able to distinguish your website from your competition. Usability is also key to having a successful website. Many website builder programs are lacking in both of these areas.
Poor Mobile Usability
Google has released statistics that show more and more people are using their mobile devices to access the Web. If your website isn’t mobile friendly, people will leave and search elsewhere.
Wix.com offers business owners the option to make their website compatible with any mobile device. This is not necessarily the case. If you have photos and video content, it can make your website appear distorted from an iPhone, Android or Tablet. Plus, if you have a lot of images and video content, it can cause your website to load slowly. Remember, if your website doesn’t instantly appeal to your visitors, they will leave. A website should take less than 5 seconds to load on a screen regardless of which device you’re accessing it from.
The problem with Wix.com websites is that many of the templates aren’t responsive. Once a website is viewed in ‘mobile mode’ the website templates do not appear mobile-friendly.
Poor SEO
Wix now allows users to adjust their SEO settings in their ‘Editor’ section. They can update their Meta Tags, H1 Tags, optimize images for Google image search, and add links. They even allow you to set up your business location in Google Places. We applaud Wix for attempting to help business owners with SEO, but we won’t give them a standing ovation.
There is a lot more involved when it comes to optimizing a website. It takes a professional SEO consultant to properly optimize a website. One mistake can completely ruin a website’s effectiveness. Even though they provide people with the ability to adjust their own SEO settings, you still need to consult with a professional to actually perform the tasks (the right way).
The best way to avoid the hassle of building and optimizing your own website is to hire a professional web designer from the very beginning. It will save you time, money and headaches.
Why is Hiring a Professional Web Design Company Important?
One of the joys of hiring a professional web design company to build a website is the opportunity to receive one-on-one consultation – before and after your website is built. A professional web designer will take your web content, web design, web development and SEO into consideration. His or her goal should be to build a website that will enhance your brand and online presence. Most of all, your target audience is taken into consideration when building a website, unlike many website builder solutions.
If you are looking to have a professional website built for your business, feel free to call Wieting Design at: 203.414-9692.
