Thinking of creating a website without coding? With Wix, you can easily create a professional site without any coding skills. Whether you’re starting a blog, an online store, or a portfolio, it simplifies the entire process.
This guide will walk you through creating and designing your website, from signing up to publishing. By the end, you’ll have the skills to build a beautiful and functional site. Ready to make your website dreams come true? Let’s get started!
What Does Wix Do?
Wix is your user-friendly, no-code platform for building professional websites. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and stylish templates simplify creating a strong online presence. With built-in hosting and versatile features, it empowers you to easily build, manage, and grow your website without needing any coding skills.
Imagine constructing your website with digital building blocks – that’s the essence of Wix’s drag-and-drop approach. This visual method, combined with a range of integrated tools for various needs, makes it a powerful yet accessible solution for anyone wanting to establish themselves online effectively and efficiently.
How To Design A Wix Website: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you understand what Wix is, let’s roll up our sleeves and start building your website!
1. Creating Your Wix Account:
- Go to Wix: Navigate to www.wix.com.
- Sign Up: Click “Sign Up” at the top right.
- Select Your Method: Choose email, Google, or Facebook for quick access.
- Verify (Email Users): Check your inbox and confirm the link.
2. Add A Domain Name:
- Free Wix Subdomain: A basic option included with free plans (e.g., username.wixsite.com/sitename).
- Purchase a Custom Domain: Secure a professional-looking domain (like www.example.com) directly through Wix. Prices typically range from $9 to $14 (approx. ₹800 to ₹1,200) annually.
- Connect an Existing Domain: Already have a domain? Easily connect it to your site by updating a few settings.
- You can also add domain from the dashboard.
3. Select Your Website Type and Editor:
After you set up your account, it will ask what type of website you want. Choose a category, like Business or Blog, and answer a few questions to help tailor your experience. The more details you provide, the better the results will match your vision. it offers you two paths for website creation:
Wix ADI: Launch your website in minutes! Perfect for beginners, ADI acts like your personal AI designer, crafting a professional site based on your answers. It’s the fast track to a polished online presence with minimal effort.
Wix Editor: Unleash your creative vision! Offering complete design freedom, the Editor provides a blank canvas and intuitive drag-and-drop tools. It’s the ultimate choice for those who desire full customisation and a truly unique website, putting you in total control.
We recommend Wix Editor if you have specific design ideas in mind and don’t mind spending a bit more time on creation. If you’re short on time or feel overwhelmed by too many choices, Wix ADI might be a better option. For this guide, we’ll focus primarily on the Wix Editor approach, as it gives you the most flexibility and learning opportunities. But don’t worry – many of the principles apply to ADI as well!
4. Select Your Template:
It offers hundreds of templates organised by category. This makes it easy to find designs suited to your specific needs:
- Navigate to the Template Selection Page: After choosing the Wix Editor option, you’ll be directed to the template gallery.
- Filter Templates by Category: Use the categories on the left side of the screen to narrow down templates based on your website type (e.g., Business, Photography, Restaurants & Food, etc.).
- Preview Templates: Click on any template that catches your eye to see a full preview. Take your time here—this is the foundation of your website’s design.
- Select Your Template: Once you’ve found the perfect template, click “Edit” to start customising it.
Remember, choosing a template is like picking the architectural style of your house. While you can change the interior decoration later, the basic structure will influence your entire website, so choose something that aligns with your vision.
5. Customise Your Template Design:
When you first enter the Wix Editor, the number of options might seem a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry! Let’s break down the main areas:
Wix Editor Interface:
- Left Panel: This contains tools for adding elements to your page (text, images, buttons, etc.) and accessing your site pages.
- Top Bar: Here you’ll find options for undoing/redoing actions, previewing your site, saving your work, and accessing help resources.
- Main Editing Area: The central canvas where you’ll see your website and make changes.
- Right Panel: When you select any element, this panel shows options for customising it.
Take a few minutes to explore the interface. Click around and see what each button does. It’s a bit like familiarising yourself with a new smartphone – initially confusing but soon to become second nature.
Wix Site Design Option:
- Central Style Control: Manage your website’s overall look in one place.
- Site Theme Magic: Apply preset colour and font combos for instant harmony.
- Colour & Text Power: Fine-tune your brand’s colours and typography.
- Background & Transitions: Add visual flair with custom backgrounds and page animations.
- Consistent & Professional: Ensure a unified and polished look across your entire site, effortlessly!
Wix Add Section Option:
- Library of Ready-Made Sections: From welcoming intros to contact forms and online stores – find what you need.
- Visually Browse & Preview: See how each section looks before you commit.
- Drag & Drop Simplicity: Instantly add elements to your page – no coding needed!
- Fully Customizable: Tweak text, images, layouts, and more to match your style.
- Build Fast, Look Professional: Get a head start and create a unique online presence effortlessly.
Wix CMS Option:
Build dynamic websites effortlessly. Manage content in organized collections (like blogs or products) and display it beautifully with dynamic elements.
- Dynamic Content: Easily manage website content (blogs, products, portfolios) in organized collections.
- Effortless Updates: Edit content once; changes reflect site-wide automatically.
- Dynamic Pages: Automatically generate pages based on your content collections.
- No Coding: Build and manage dynamic sites without any programming knowledge.
Adding and Organising Your Site:
A website is rarely just a single page. Let’s look at how to create and organise multiple pages for your site.
- Adding Pages: Go to “Menus & Pages,” click “+,” choose a page type, and name it. Each page should have a specific purpose.
- Navigation Menu: Edit in “Menus & Pages,” drag to reorder, and drag right to create dropdowns for easy site navigation.
- Homepage: Prioritise key info “above the fold,” keep it clean, and include a clear call to action for a strong first impression.
Think of your blog as a magazine within your website – it keeps visitors coming back for new content and helps establish your expertise.
6. Wix App Market:
The App Market is like a hardware store for your website. It offers specialised tools for specific jobs, allowing you to build exactly what you need. It helps you extend your website’s functionality:
- Explore Available Apps: Browse hundreds of apps in the App Market.
- Add Booking Systems: Perfect for service-based businesses.
- Integrate Marketing Tools: From email newsletters to social media feeds.
- Add Forums or Member Areas: Create community spaces for your visitors.
7. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly:
With more than half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring your site looks good on smartphones is crucial. Wix automatically creates a mobile version of your website, but you should always check and optimise it. A good mobile experience is like having a pocket-sized version of your store or office. It should offer the same value as the full-sized version, just adapted for the smaller space.
- Switch to Mobile View: Click the mobile icon at the top of the editor.
- Review Each Page: Go through all your pages to see how they look on mobile.
- Note Any Issues: Pay attention to text size, image scaling, and overall layout.
8. SEO For Your Wix Website:
Think of SEO settings as the signs and descriptions outside your store – they tell both visitors and search engines what they’ll find inside. Help potential visitors find your website through search engines with these SEO essentials. It makes it easy to implement fundamental SEO:
- Access SEO Tools: Click “Settings” in the top menu, then “SEO (Google)”.
- Set Up SEO Patterns: This helps search engines understand your site structure.
- Complete SEO Settings for Each Page: Add a title, description, and keywords for every page.
9. Publish Your Website:
When you’re ready to go live:
- Click “Publish”: Find the “Publish” button at the top right of the editor.
- Review Publishing Options: Confirm your domain settings.
- Finalise Publication: Click “Publish” again to make your site live.
Congratulations! Your website is now accessible to visitors around the world.
Wix Pricing: Free vs Paid Plans:
Wix offers a free plan that lets you build and publish a basic website at no cost. However, this comes with Wix branding on your site and its subdomain (like yourname.wixsite.com/yoursite).
For a more professional appearance, you’ll want to consider one of their premium plans, which start at approximately $3 per month (approx. ₹250) and go up to around $18 per month (approx. ₹1,500) for business and eCommerce plans. These paid plans remove Wix ads, allow you to connect your domain name, and unlock additional features like increased storage and bandwidth.
Final Thoughts: Start Designing Your Wix Website Today!
Creating and designing a website on Wix is a great way to establish your online presence without any technical skills! With plenty of templates and customisation options, you can design a site that truly reflects your goals. Remember, your website can grow and evolve with your brand, so keeping it updated and responsive to feedback is essential.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today and start building your dream website! In just a few hours, you’ll have a professional online presence connecting you with customers and clients around the world. Let’s get started!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How secure is a Wix website?
Wix takes security seriously and provides SSL certificates (the padlock in the browser address bar) for all websites, ensuring secure connections for your visitors. They handle regular security updates and server maintenance, so you don’t have to worry about these technical aspects.
How long does it take to build a website on Wix?
The time required depends on the complexity of your website and how decisive you are about design choices. A simple personal website or portfolio could be completed in a single afternoon. A more complex business website might take a week or more. The good news is that you can publish your site at any stage and continue adding to it over time.
Can I sell products on my Wix website?
Yes! Wix offers robust e-commerce functionality through Wix Stores. You can sell physical products, digital downloads, or services. The platform handles everything from inventory management to secure checkout and shipping calculations. For e-commerce functionality, you’ll need a Business & eCommerce plan, which starts at around $15 per month (approx. ₹1,200).
Do I need any coding knowledge to use Wix?
Absolutely not! Wix is specifically designed for people with zero coding experience. Its drag-and-drop editor allows you to build a professional website visually, without ever touching HTML or CSS. Of course, if you do know code, it also offers a development platform called Velo that lets you add custom code for more advanced functionality.
