Why, When, & How To Use Wix For Your Ecommerce Store

Looking to launch an eCommerce store? Do you want a blank canvas to craft your vision, but don’t have time to learn how to code? Wix is the way to go.

Wix is the second-most popular shopping site software in the United States. That’s because this website builder offers a highly customizable platform and an all-in-one solution. With its drag-and-drop website builder and user-friendly interface, even those with little to no technical experience can create a professional-looking website. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to switch to a more user-friendly platform, Wix is definitely worth considering.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at why Wix is worth considering, including its pros and cons, when it’s a good fit for your business, and how to get started with setting up your Wix store. We’ll also cover the various features and resources available to help you market and optimize your Wix store.

Why Choose Wix?

Wix is a popular website builder that has been helping people create their own websites for years. In this section, we will take a closer look at why Wix is a great choice for starting an eCommerce store.

Pros

Wix has a highly customizable platform that offers a drag-and-drop website builder, making it easy for users with little to no technical experience to create a professional-looking website.

Wix is free to start with and offers inexpensive paid plans for those who need more features. One of the best things about Wix is that it supports forums, live chat, multilingual sites, and third-party fonts without the need for custom apps or code. This means that even if you’re just starting out, you can create a website with all the features you need to run your eCommerce store. Wix is also great for security, with good security measures built in by default to help protect your website and your customers’ information.

In conclusion, Wix is a great option for anyone who wants to start a simple eCommerce store. Its user-friendly interface, customizable features, and affordability make it a popular choice for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to switch to a more user-friendly platform, Wix is definitely worth considering.

Short Version:

  • Highly customizable
  • Drag-and-drop website builder
  • Free to start with inexpensive paid plans
  • Supports forums, live chat, multilingual sites, and third-party fonts without custom apps or code
  • Good security by default
  • Great for starting simple

Cons

While Wix offers a lot of customization options and is a popular choice for starting an eCommerce store, there are some drawbacks to consider as well. One of the biggest challenges of using Wix is optimizing websites for mobile devices. This can be a challenge for those who are not familiar with website design and development.

Another issue with Wix is that the sheer number of customization options can be overwhelming for some users. This can make it difficult to create a cohesive and professional-looking website. Additionally, Wix tends to have slow loading times, which can negatively impact the user experience and hurt your search engine rankings.

Another issue to be aware of is that once your website goes live, you can’t switch templates. This can be a problem if you want to make changes to your website’s design in the future. Wix also has poor analytics and reporting, which can make it difficult to track your website’s performance and make informed decisions about your eCommerce store. SEO can be a challenge too.

Additionally, the quality of templates on Wix can vary substantially. Some templates are well-designed and professional-looking, while others are lackluster and unappealing. Finally, Wix also has limited bandwidth and storage, which can be a problem if your eCommerce store grows and you need more resources to accommodate your website’s traffic.

In conclusion, while Wix is a popular choice for starting an eCommerce store, it’s important to consider the limitations and drawbacks of the platform before choosing it as your website builder. It may not be the best choice for everyone, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons carefully before making a decision.

Short Version:

  • Hard to optimize websites for mobile devices
  • Sheer customization options can be overwhelming
  • Tends to have slow loading times
  • Can’t switch templates after going live
  • Poor analytics and reporting
  • Templates vary substantially in quality
  • Limited bandwidth and storage
  • Difficult to optimize for search engines

When is Wix a good fit?

Wix is a good fit for certain types of businesses and individuals. If you’re a first-time eCommerce store creator or a small business owner, Wix could be a good match. This is because it offers a user-friendly interface, a highly customizable platform, and an all-in-one solution that covers hosting, web design costs, and transaction fees.

Wix is also a good fit for people with minimal technical experience who still want customizability. With its drag-and-drop website builder, even those with little to no experience can create a professional-looking website that meets their needs. Additionally, Wix offers a wide range of templates, themes, and customization options to help you create a website that truly reflects your brand.

Another reason to choose Wix for your eCommerce store is that it is an all-in-one solution. This means that you don’t have to worry about finding a hosting provider or paying for separate web design and transaction fees. Wix takes care of all of these details for you, making it a great choice for businesses that prefer an all-in-one solution.

Wix is ideal for:

  • First-time eCommerce store creators and small businesses
  • People with minimal technical experience who still want customizability
  • Companies that prefer an all-in-one solution that covers the hosting, web design costs, and transaction fees

Choosing a Wix plan

Wix offers a free plan as well as three premium plans for eCommerce website building: Business Basic, Business Unlimited, and Business VIP. Here is a brief summary of what is included in each plan.

Free Plan:

  • The Free Plan is a basic option that allows you to create a website using Wix’s platform without paying any fees.
  • It includes limited storage and bandwidth, and you will see Wix ads on your website.
  • The Free Plan is a good option for individuals or businesses who are just starting out and need to create a basic website without incurring any costs.
  • This plan does not support eCommerce.

Business Basic Plan ($27/mo)

  • This plan includes secure online payments, plans and recurring payments, customer accounts, and a free domain for one year.
  • It offers 50 GB of storage.
  • The Business Basic Plan is a good option for small businesses who want to accept online payments and create a basic online store.

Business Unlimited Plan ($32/mo)

  • This plan includes unlimited storage and the ability to sell on social channels and marketplaces.
  • It offers more resources and features than the Business Basic Plan, including the ability to sell an unlimited number of products and have product reviews by KudoBuzz.
  • The Business Unlimited Plan is a good option for small to medium-sized businesses who want to grow their online store.

Business VIP Plan ($59/mo)

  • This is Wix’s most comprehensive eCommerce plan, offering a complete eCommerce platform, unlimited products, abandoned cart recovery, subscriptions, multiple currencies, and advanced shipping.
  • It includes a loyalty program by Smile.io and priority customer care.
  • The Business VIP Plan is designed for businesses who need the most advanced features and resources to grow and manage their online store.

It should also be noted that Wix has Enterprise plans for large-scale businesses, should you need to scale up further in the future.

Completing the initial Wix setup process

For anyone setting up their website for the first time, Wix has an easy-to-follow checklist which you can use to get started. You can find that here.

In this guide, you can find links to resources that will help you:

  • Choose a template
  • Add and edit text
  • Add media/upload files
  • Add a button with a link
  • Add some pages to your site
  • Add a menu to your header
  • Edit your footer
  • Open the mobile Editor
  • Connect a payment provider
  • Add an app from the Wix App Market
  • Configure your site settings
  • Publish your site
  • Optimize your site for search engines

Resources to help you set up your Wix store

We have put together a collection of articles to help guide you through your experience with Wix, beyond just getting it set up. These articles will address various topics such as how to write effective product descriptions, enhance your visibility on Google, implement social media marketing strategies, anticipate demand, find manufacturers, handle shipping and customs, and delegate the fulfillment process.

Marketing your Wix store

Having well-written product descriptions is an essential aspect of eCommerce as it helps customers make informed purchasing decisions even when they cannot physically examine or touch the product. By crafting compelling product descriptions, you can boost your conversion rates, decrease your return rate, and enhance your Google ranking. Here is a guide on how to achieve this.

After successfully completing this crucial initial step, you can then focus on other marketing strategies. This article covers topics such as SEO, content marketing, social media, advertising, influencer marketing, contests, mobile-friendly website design, and best practices for customer service. Although this article is written for Shopify, the information provided is still relevant for other eCommerce platforms.

Optimizing your Wix store for Google

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can seem like a complicated and confusing task, but it is actually within the capabilities of most eCommerce store owners. If you’re looking to get started with SEO, this article is a great resource. Although it specifically mentions Shopify, the information provided is still applicable to other eCommerce platforms.

By gaining an understanding of the basics of SEO, you can improve your website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results, ultimately driving more traffic to your store and increasing your sales.

How to market your store on social media

Advertising your products through social media can be a successful approach for some businesses, but it requires a comprehensive understanding of the process.

To help you get started, this guide provides an overview of the basics of social media marketing and how to implement it effectively. It also examines various social media platforms, allowing you to make informed choices about where to focus your efforts.

How to plan for demand

As your sales begin to grow, it’s important to streamline your processes to ensure efficiency. In eCommerce, product demand plays a crucial role, making it imperative to accurately predict it.

This article on demand planning provides insight into the various data sources that can be used to forecast demand, including historical sales data, advertising metrics, market trends, expert opinions, surveys, focus groups, and market research.

How to find manufacturers

When it comes to selling products, there are three options available – purchasing pre-made items, creating them yourself, or having them manufactured for you. If you opt for the third option, you’ll need to locate a manufacturer. This article offers guidance on how to do so.

If you’re not prepared to fully commit to a manufacturing run, it may be necessary to create a sample or prototype first. In that case, this additional article may be more relevant.

Regardless of your decision, it’s important to keep in mind that shipping costs play a crucial role, even during the manufacturing process. This article provides insight on how to manufacture while taking shipping costs into consideration.

How to handle freight and customs

When it comes to ordering goods for your Wix store, you may require large quantities of inventory to be shipped in bulk. This often involves having goods manufactured overseas and importing them into your country, which requires booking freight.

This short guide provides an overview of how freight works and there’s also a resource in Freightos for those who prefer to handle it themselves. 

Additionally, when importing goods from other countries, you must go through the customs process. This article offers information on what you need to know before clearing customs.

When to hire help with order fulfillment

At some point, your Wix store may become too much for you to handle with regards to shipping orders. This could cause excessive stress and frustration, or simply become too time-consuming. This video provides insight into when it’s the right time to consider outsourcing to a fulfillment company.

This is something we can help you with at Fulfillrite, so if you need help shipping your Wix orders, request a quote here.

Final Thoughts

Wix is a popular website builder ideal for starting an eCommerce store, offering a highly customizable platform, drag-and-drop website builder, and all-in-one solution. It’s perfect for first-time store creators, small businesses, and those with minimal technical experience. 

Setting up a Wix store can be a challenging task, but with the resources provided, the process can be made easier and less stressful. 

Good luck building your Wix store – we’re rooting for you!

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