Wix or Wordpress - Honestly?

by 76 replies
115
Hello,

I've been a long time user of this forum and it's inspired me to bring my entrepreneurial spirit back into play. Long story short after trying various projects, creating ideas watching some fail and some succeed, I fell into a great position that I'm actually truly passionate about and want to be able to succeed in. Now It's been quite a while since the days that I've build websites, lots of things have changed. I'm good with computers, I know the inside and outs, I know how files work. I can learn something easily, especially if I'm passionate about it. When it came to creating websites In the past I tried using wordpress and after installing and messing around with it, I was frustrated because it wouldn't come out the way I wanted it to. I eventually starting using WIX.

Wix is awesome and Amazing, however I can't export the website. Their servers load elements slow. I want to be able to give it a real kind of website look, not watching elements slowly build the website when it loads. I'm thinking of switching and starting this new project I'm working on from scratch on wordpress, however before I invest 5 to 6k for a template I was wondering. Is it really, really worth using wordpress in the long run? For both High traffic and Sales?

The thing that scared me also about wordpress is that some themes had options to help you configure and change stuff, while some didn't at all. Does that just happen to be based on the way the template was designed? I hope to hear some feedback and I would appreciate every honest opinion.

Thank You.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #honestly #wix #wordpress
  • Banned
    What a question. It's actually a very good question, but in this context it'll perhaps be answered by substantial numbers of people who use Wordpress and have never used Wix at all, saying "Wordpress of course".

    I don't use either at the moment, myself, for "main money sites", though I've used both briefly in the past (Wordpress very briefly, because it was very difficult for me, and I hated it).

    I liked Wix very much, and only "don't use it" because I found something I like even more, that suited me better.

    Yes, this is all true.

    Just wondering: is this perhaps because you're using their "Flash" sites rather than their "HTML-5" ones?

    Yes, clearly. That's highly unsatisfactory. Have you asked them about this problem? What do they say?

    Did I misunderstand this? You're going to spend $5,000 - $6,000 on a Wordpress template?! Call me naive, but I had no idea it was possible to do that.

    I don't understand this question. What on Earth do traffic and sales have to do with the CMS from which a website is made?! :confused:
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Alexa,

      I did talk to Wix Support about it, apparently the reason certain elements take a while to load is because they’re being pulled from multiple directories and servers on their end. Your website template is hosted on 1 server, while using their apps, logos, elements, animation, come from various servers. The Lego pieces so to say are hosted on outside servers while your base template is hosted elsewhere. So when you load up a site, you can see certain parts of the website load more faster than another. I can instantly tell when a vendor uses wix when I just go to their websites.

      In fact a couple local restaurants here that I often visit just to eat, use wix and it’s apparent even on the premium service. There is no doubt though that wix is great, it’s just a shame that they’re not open sourced. I’m using an HTML5 template, I don’t have any complaints with the projects I’m invested in. However the next one coming up will generate high amount of traffic about 100,000 visitors a day starting base. My other concern is that the feel of wix isn’t the same as any other website. The designs are great, the options are great but something just feels off about them.

      Wordpress I’m starting to notice is becoming more and more mainstream, not even for just a quick turnaround sales page but in general for companies. I want to start investing more time into learning this, my only fear is finding myself flustered again and losing the money I invested in building it. It’s just that I remember specifically if I wanted a logo moved, or changed position it was so much harder to do on wordpress vs just a drag and drop on wix. I was able to create whatever I imagined on wix more so than wordpress ( due to my own lack of knowledge in wordpress)

      Yes, if you decide to purchase the “Extended License” the fee of the template can jump anywhere between 2k to 6k, all depending on the owner of the template and how great and functional it is overall.

      Well, quite honestly I don’t know how Wix will handle that amount of traffic and sales in general so I ask is maybe investing in wordpress and hosting it yourself is overall a much better choice.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • well, my answer is: wordpress.

    google loves WP for some reasons.
  • Wordpress, just because there is so much flexibility with it. There is a plugin for just about anything you could think of.
  • squidoo - use
    wordpress free - dont use
    yola - dont use
    weebly - use
    jimdo - maybe
    webs - dont use
    webnode - maybe
    ecwid - maybe
    1 & 1 - dont use
    homestead - dont use
    wix - dont use
    squarespace - maybe
    blogspot - run away (oh hai Alexa)
  • Check this for similar thread:
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ix-better.html
  • I have used both. In fact, I started out using Wix but somehow just didn't really feel comfortable using for the long-term.

    Wordpress is actually quite simple to use once you get the hang of it. But the same can probably be said of Drupal, Joomla etc.

    Also, I don't think you need someone to create a template for you. You just need to get a good custom template, such as Thesis, Catalyst, Genesis etc. and either customize it yourself or get someone to do it for you. Many very large and successful sites have been built around Wordpress.

    Here are some of them: Major Sites Using Wordpress as Their Preferred CMS | TECHKER
  • I use wix and love it. But i have some cons,

    1.Master pages are limited in size
    you can only set a fixed width and Length for the
    site. Some pages just don’t need to be that long.

    2.It is a little sluggish when downloading so you must
    keep the site “light” and keep in mind most people
    still use IE. Wix is not so fast on that browser.

    3.html box is still in beta.. I often experience the widget box being moved out of place every once in a while.

    That’s pretty much it. I only wish that wix allowed for
    individual size master pages..and then I would have to say that Wix is by far the best website builder I have ever worked with.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Hey there!
    Quick question: by wix, are you reffering to this? --> Wix Free Website Builder | Wix.com
  • I have tried both and personally like wordpress better.. I think wix is good but i just have a 3rd sense that tells me i should trust wordpress more.

  • Well, I couldn't find any other reference to a "wix" web development system except for wix.com, if that's it, you really can't compare that to WordPress.

    WordPress is a full blown content management system, and a very powerful one, it has one of the biggest support communities, endless features, themes and add-ons, besides being free and open source (just to name a few important things).

    Millions of bloggers use it (it's the most popular platform today) as well as huge sites like BoingBoing, Mashable or The New York Times.

    It is very easy to learn (one of the flattest learning curves out there) and incredibly powerful and versatile.

    You can get tons of themes for free, and premium ones for a few bucks (i.e. themeforest.net, woothemes.com, etc.).

    If, as you say, you like computers and you learn easy, you'll be up and running in a few days (probably hours), please forget about wix and go for it, you won't regret it!

    Good luck!
  • Google loves Wordpress.... go with WP
    • [1] reply
    • ..and I suppose Google doesn't love HTML sites or any other sites?

      Google loves unique, fresh content, that's all. The platform doesn't matter.
      _____
      Bruce
      • [ 4 ] Thanks
  • i didn't care for wordpress myself.

    since you are already willing to invest some money , my personal opinion would be to use Xsitepro.
    • [1] reply
  • Very good question indeed.

    Well, I would suggest to use WordPress.
    It is the greatest CMS platform I ever used.

    What I like the most in WordPress are the following:
    - User-friendly
    - SEO optimized
    - Lots of free and paid themes with mobile compatabilities
    - Lots of free and paid plugins
    - Lots of free and paid Frameworks
  • Wix is pretty easy to use, but one of the biggest problems I think there is with Wix is that it's difficult to migrate away from Wix. As far as I know, Wix offers no way of exporting the content you create so that you can migrate to another platform such as Wordpress. Also, Wix, templates are kind of bloated and slow to load, but that's usually a tradeoff you must deal with when you're dealing with website builders.
  • Thank you all for the opinions, after some thought process and review of the potential I think it would be best if I went with Wordpress. I’m going to give them another shot, I hate feeling “handicap” not truly trying both software solutions before I vouch for wix only. I will give WP one more shot and see how it works out. Just out of curiosity, is there websites that offer technical support for WP in general, that way if I come across any issues I can reach out to someone for some help?

    Thank You.
    • [2] replies
  • Since we don't know what kind of website(s) you own or plan to make... we cannot say for sure which platform (CMS, builder etc.) would be the best for you.

    I am always surprized when I see similar threads where ONLY two possible ways of creating a website are compared. There are many ways to create and put a site online - one just has to find the best tool for that specific job

    And while I know a thing or two about WordPress (WP) I don't think it is the best generic tool for any websites. There are situations where it works perfectly and there are other cases where you need to install 57 plugins and a bloated theme to get what you want as an end result.

    (I don't even go into combating those idiotic opinions about SEs "loving" WP...)

    With WP there is one fundamental problem - as I explained in one of my WP-guides: the 5 minutes trap. Because it can be installed literally in 5 minutes... everybody expects that customizing it will be a similarly easy two minutes job. Well, it won't.
    Customizing it requires good working knowledge of (X)HTML + CSS + WordPress templates & template tags... and some basic PHP doesn't hurt, either.

    Now, since the bloated code and slowness of wix sites has been mentioned AND because many novice WP users will suggest you to get zillion of plugins and a theme easy to customize... - be aware that very complex WP themes with zillions of options will result in a website equally slow. The more gizmos are built into the theme (to make your life "easy") and the more plugins you have - the slower your "loved" website will become. And the big G. actually hates slow website :p
    • [ 7 ] Thanks
  • It seems you haven't read my post..

    It does matter, a lot, try building a website in flash for example and see how that goes..
    But not only that, the cms will organize and hierarchise your content besides your code to content ratio and your link structure among other things, in ways that a newbie wouldn't be able to, boosting performance along the way.

    That's like stating: "I have a Ferrari, but I'm thinking about using roller skates for my trip across the country", a valid statement if that's your preference though.

    Truth, and nothing beats coding yourself for specific projects, nevertheless we are talking here about recommending one platform for a beginner to learn, and I can't think of a better one than WP for it's amazing performance and versatility.

    Sometimes, yes, in any case, all of it well worth it and I'd say almost indispensable if you're planning to work seriously on web development, however, you can go far just learning how to tweak WP from it's control panel.

    That's a very common mistake, as with many other things in life, in this case, less is usually more. Keep it simple.
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Istvan, Sir Dude and anyone else who knows more than I:

    Any issues with WP handling the 100,000 daily visitors and sales that OP mentioned?

    Dan
    • [1] reply
    • Issues? Yeah, there's issues, just as there is with handling lots of traffic on any platform.

      A couple of good places to start learning about handling high traffic wordpress are here and here.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • With your average WP install on a shared host - yes.

    With a proper professional setup on a dedicated server (balance load etc.) - no.

    Think of wordpress.com - with zillions of blogs.
    Also, take a closer look at their VIP clients > Our Clients « WordPress.com VIP
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I use blogger because I have been such a long time user, but I have used word press before and it is easy to navigate and it has a lot of flexibility to design your blog the way you want.
  • Listen to Istvan. He definitely knows what he's talking about.

    I played around with dreamweaver for about 6 years but could never learn how to use it the way I wanted to. And I never really made any sites with it, just played around with code and what not. In those 6 years, I didn't learn much of anything (pathetic I know =]).

    So when the time came that I wanted to start a business, most suggested wordpress. I downloaded it in 5 mins, just like Istvan said. Then it took me a good 6 months just to learn how to customize my theme the way I wanted to. =]

    Every single little change, I'd have to read and study, or hire someone on fiver and watch what they did to my code.

    The good news is, I understand a lot more about coding, by using wordpress, rather than something like dreamweaver. And if I need to do really difficult things, the plugins help A LOT. So overall, I've been mostly pleased with WP. However, I have ran into some serious issues while using it. A week after my first WP site hit page 1 of google, it got hacked to pieces and I lost a lot of money over the next 2 weeks. They got into my FTP, everything.

    All I had to work with was google cache, and I wound up rebuilding the entire site off WP. Now its back on page 1, but I would never use WP again for that site. Even though I've learned a great deal about WP security, I still feel like its vulnerable. So I may or may not custom code my other WP sites. I'm still on the fence about it.

    -Red
    • [1] reply
    • I use Joomla for most of my projects. Not among the options, oh well...
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • I have a client that had a wordpress installed and was receving good traffic. For some reason, he decided to change his site to wix, without telling me.
    So, he lost all his rankings, altogh his site looks very nice!

    wordpress all the way.
  • The thing is, here we have a comparison between Website Builders (Online: i.e. Wix, Jimdo, Weebly, etc. - Offline:i.e. Web Page Maker, SiteSpinner, siteXpert, Dreamweaver, etc.) and Content Management Systems (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc.), which shouldn't been compared as they are completely different animals.

    For the sake of the OP's question (who has knowledge of computers and ability to learn with ease) maybe it was alright, but again, we are comparing apples and oranges.

    Maybe, individuals who are unfamiliar with web development, or who don't have special affinity for computer systems, should start with a simple online website builder and pick it up from there.

    Cheers!
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      Well ... these apply only to the "free accounts"? Not so important in the overall scheme of things?

      Yes, perfectly true - and has the potential to confuse people.

      But from the OP's perspective, his decision is whether to continue hosting at Wix and using their site-builder, or switching to Wordpress and hosting elsewhere, isn't it?
      • [2] replies
  • Follow up on my post above. I downgraded Yola for stingy limitations on the free/trial accounts and Jimdo for occupying a prime real estate part of your pages.
  • WP all the way.
  • Hey, it's not about disagreeing, it's just that when someone asks a question that has already been answered (even in the same post they quote) it seems they haven't read it, that's all.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Just wondering. is there anyone on the forum aware of someone that can actually duplicate a wix created website in the html5 format to a wordpress theme/site? I just created a nice looking wix website - pretty easy after a few hours experimenting and upgraded to their yearly hosting.

    After reading this thread and thinking it through I am looking to transfer the design to an exact replica onto wp and host it free as an add on domain in my hosting account. This would save me over £120 per year in hosting fees alone wouldn't it or am not thinking straight?
    any help or suggestions would be appreciated
    • [1] reply
    • Yes, that can be done. But beware that Wix's TOS might not (probably won't) allow their templates to be used outside of their service.

      • [1] reply
  • My only suggestion if you are going with WordPress is don't spend your $5k for theme's extended license. Better use the money to hire expert to work on your own custom theme that built specifically for your need.
  • I would go with Wordpress before anything else. Its easily customizeable, and theres tons of support communities every where you turn. Its easy to learn so you can manipulate some functions on the site yourself.
  • If you're wondering what to do, go to popular sites and see who they use. IMO, WP has less limitations, is more adaptable to modifications. Many use popular business themes like Thesis and have someone install for them at a reasonable cost. Start with something that you know is open to change as your biz grows. When you are generating a good profit, soak some back into improving your site.
    • [1] reply
    • This is exactly what I'm wondering now since I have a client now who wants a recreation of their restaurant's site (made with Flash) into HTML with a Wordpress CMS or some other CMS that is easy to learn and navigate.

      It was driving me crazy of how to do this until I found Wix and I loved how easy Wix was to make an exact copy of the site quickly but worried about the limitations of their CMS since it loads the few pictures from the gallery slowly. It's also a shame you can't export the code for your templates and use it on Wordpress. There's also mixed reviews about the customer service which makes me wary of handing it off to a client in case something goes wrong.

      I'm choosing Wordpress.org as their CMS but the learning curve for them to make edits down the line is going to be high compared to Wix... Now I need to find a designer familiar with Wordpress.org to create an exact replica of their template so I can finish this thing already.
  • Go back and give WordPress another try. There's a bit of a learning curve, but once you get it you'll wonder why you ever went to Wix.

    I have an ebook just for WordPress beginner's like you (follow the link in my signature). It'll get you up-to-speed in an hour or so. There's also plenty of support and info on the web.
  • I tried WIx and never got on with it. I only made a simple site but have now found Wordpress to be much better. Only my opinion but I wouldn't switch back now.
  • I think Wordpress. Why? Because it is very easy to use and you can find a lot of plugins that will ease up numbers of processes.
  • Wordpress and Wix are two different platforms. WordPress is certainly the most effective platform that does most of the work that you are looking for. Of course you can always seek the services of designers to help you, but this needs a chance to seek the services of and handle the individual, and will have a price. If this seems like too much of a pressure, I'd recommend you to continue using Wix taking some time. I would suggest to go with WordPress as I feel Wix bit complex.
    • [1] reply
    • I've never used Wix - but I am using WordPress and I am its devoted fan. I think if you already think of switching, you won't calm down until you choose something, and the choice should be well grounded.

      Since WP is free, you can download it for free, install and try for your self to get the feel. Another way is to use the free trial of this tool that can transfer 10 pages from your Wix to WordPress (and you don't need to install WP for this), so that you saw exactly the content you're using currently - I guess this would be the best proof for you.
  • Don’t you just hate it when people won’t listen to your advice (or do I need to be more assertive)! I think WP’s great but I’ve had a growing number of people mention Wix so came here to check it out.

    At the end of the day I guess it’s just like shoes (eh Alexa?); personal choice, informed or otherwise.

    Great site and thanks everyone for the feedback; much appreciated (I'll give thanks and praise once I've spent some time finding out how to do it).
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • There is always be an easy thing, which will be available for anyone required to do a certain job, Even if it is in the Web Design field.

      As per above mentioned views....Wix is easy but WordPress is tough to learn and use.

      But again, As in life, after victory over every tough thing.... results can also be seen in the same factor. WordPress gives you flexibility and a chance to do any changes in the future (lets say even after 10 years). As per my opinion, this is the most important aspect of having a site on WordPress.

      Although, It all depends upon, what would you like to have as a final result. WordPress may be highly recommended for a high authority site than a shorter 5 page site (low expected life) when the same results can be achieved without going into the tough things associated with WordPress.

      Best Regards
  • wordpress all the way...
    just because of the countless features you can keep adding with plugins...
  • I have used "Wix" in the past and you cannot count on it properly loading on different internet browsers. Now, wordpress is totally a different deal and I have no problems with it whatsoever.
  • Wix -> WordPress -> Custom development

    The machinery you need depends on what you are moving.
  • 5 or 6K for a template? I think you'll be overspending. You could get a very nice custom template for much less.
  • I tried Wix in my early days. It was fun at the time but I outgrew it when I wanted to develop features and implement Adsense. I tried WordPress and hated it; the dynamic nature just wasn't for me. I finally bit the bullet and learned HTML and CSS and am now VERY content handcoding everything as I feel I have so much control and am not limited by editing software anymore.
  • WordPress for two reasons:

    1. It's easier to customize however you want
    2. There's a huge support/developer community
  • WordPress because of its flexibility (extremely rich API) and popularity (there are tons of various extensions for it).
  • Honestly, I would choose WordPress as well.
    Simple to handle with much more powerful features.
  • If you can't get Wordpress to come out the way you want it, then simply hire someone online to install and customize your Wordpress site. The Wordpress site will be easy to update and very easy to rank in Google Search. There are many sites where you can hire a professional web designer for such an install very affordably. And, a custom WP theme shouldn't cost more than $100, depending on where you buy it.
  • I have used both and some others as well, but I've found wordpress more convenient and user friendly. Has good packages.
  • I would never go with Wix for a serious project. And $6k for a template? I would create a Wix clone with that sort of investment.
    Do you want Wordpress training?
  • I've used both definitely WordPress for countless reasons.
  • Nothing can beat wordpress
  • I find wordpress a lot better, easier to customize, and more effective for marketing but I think it's easier to create an ecommerce site with wix so really it all depends on your strengths
  • [DELETED]
  • +1 vote for WP.
    I started my website with Wix, and didn't expect it to engross me so much. When I felt limited with its possibilities, I leave it favor of WP and have zero regrets. WP has allowed me to more freedom in terms of layout and design, and increased my pageviews significantly. I wish I would have done it sooner but I was afraid.
  • Wordpress is still the gold standard when it comes to offering an all around blogging/money making platform.

    Yes, Wix is all the rage right now and their format and layout are indeed very attractive..Have you seen their TV commercials? Their promoting hard at the moment

    With all things considered I still prefer Wordpress.
    • [1] reply
    • I have to agree with charity4Uall!
      Wordpress is still the number one! All the plugins, extensions and the big community speak for Wordpress!

      I know WIX and I already worked with it but yeah it is still a website builder and not as good as Wordpress. If you know how to work with Wordpress, use it - if you have no idea on how to set up a wordpress blog maybe WIX should be your choice.
  • Whats a WIX?

    I use wordpress most themes and plugins are based on wordpress platform
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    Wix or Wordpress - Honestly?

    Hello, I've been a long time user of this forum and it's inspired me to bring my entrepreneurial spirit back into play. Long story short after trying various projects, creating ideas watching some fail and some succeed, I fell into a great position that I'm actually truly passionate about and want to be able to succeed in. Now It's been quite a while since the days that I've build websites, lots of things have changed. I'm good with computers, I know the inside and outs, I know how files work. I can learn something easily, especially if I'm passionate about it. When it came to creating websites In the past I tried using wordpress and after installing and messing around with it, I was frustrated because it wouldn't come out the way I wanted it to. I eventually starting using WIX.