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7 Reasons Not to Use Wix for Small Business Websites: The Truth Behind Claims

A few reasons small business owners should not use Wix for their websites are because:


  1. It’s difficult to use
  2. It has template limitations
  3. It has slow performance
  4. It’s not SEO-friendly
  5. It does not build a website for free
  6. Your website won’t stand out
  7. You’re trapped with it forever


As small business owners, your website is where potential customers learn about you. With so many options out there, Wix has attracted you because it’s UX-friendly. It’s a drag-and-drop proprietary platform that takes a few clicks, then tada! You have your own website. Or is it really yours?


Recent data shows Wix has lost 8,860 business owners transferring to other platforms. This has raised questions on the internet, “what’s wrong with Wix?” In this article, we’ll explain the disadvantages of using Wix for your small business website. We’ll also offer simple solutions to help you find an alternative that meets your needs. 

7 Reasons Not to Use Wix for Small Business Websites

1. Wix is not “Easy to Use”

Despite being user-friendly, it may take you too much time to get used to Wix’s features. The drag-and-drop feature may attract you, but it comes with very detailed customization. You may feel overwhelmed by the option to add elements anywhere. It can make you put images you don’t need or make it too big for different screen sizes. 


Also, since being minimal in your sites is a trend, the platform can feel too broad. For instance, the Wix editor is a powerful tool, but there’s a lot to take in. It has the Wix Code feature that can be hard if you have limited coding knowledge. It’s already complicated when you hear terms like ‘JavaScript’, ‘APIs’, and ‘database management’. What about when you do minimal coding for it? 

Reasons not to use Wix is it's not easy to use.

Wix doesn't do the work for you. You do the work in creating an effective web content and layout. Sad to say, there are only 25% of small business owners with a website. Others lacking experience in web design and the lack of funds to have the right people build a website.

2. Wix has "UnLimited Templates"

There are currently 800+ templates on Wix, and who wouldn’t love it? But, once you choose a template, you’re restricted to its layout and design. Customizations are possible, but not all templates can match your taste. They’re not up-to-date and are not modern enough. 



The templates may look attractive, but it's up to you to provide high-quality images and photos. If you don’t have access to this content, your site won’t look good. Also, the final look might not please you. As much as Wix claims to be the ‘best free website builder’, you still need design skills for your templates. 


What’s worse is, once you choose a template, you can’t decide to change it later on. The best and time-consuming solution is to rebuild your website from scratch. If you’re planning to upgrade from 2D to 3D designs, you're left with two options. Either you build your website from scratch or find a better website builder.

3. Wix is Not a “Solution to Faster Performance”

Slow loading speed and slow response won’t help your website. This is a common problem in Wix. It takes 7 to 15 seconds for your Wix blog to load completely. This happens because Wix puts more codes that are unnecessary for your site. Wix may enhance your site, but more code can negatively affect the user's experience. Visitors will become impatient to go through your site because it takes too long to load.

Wix has slow performance.

Reviews showed Wix sites to have good performance on GTMetrix tests. But as a whole, the performance was inconsistent. This does not help your website load speed. A few problems on Wix can cause your website to be unresponsive and less effective. As much as they improve in other aspects, the site speed and performance need extra attention.

Ryan Shelley's video about understanding page speed emphasizes its importance in optimizing websites. It boosts search rankings and makes the user's experience better. Factors like loading time improve website performance.

4. Wix is Not ‘SEO-friendly’

People say that Wix is improving its SEO optimization, but it's not flexible enough. Wix’s free version includes a pre-build domain prefix. For a food business, automatically it gives you a domain like  yourfoodbusiness.wixsite.com. This is unprofessional and can harm SEO scores because:


  • People do not consider the domain to be serious or legitimate. 
  • It does not reflect your brand effectively.
  • It is less credible to search engines


Although a custom domain is possible, it will cost you up to $45 to establish a strong online presence. Wix will also charge you more. Its SEO features are not enough to support good SEO practices. Some of these features include:


  • Templates and Design: It may limit your meta titles, meta descriptions, and header tags. 
  • URL Structure: Wix auto-generates URLs for website pages. It won’t improve search rankings.
  • Mobile Optimization: Slow loading times and poor navigation can negatively affect rankings.
  • Limited Control Over Technical SEO: Wix may restrict file editing, tags, and configurations. You can’t troubleshoot technical issues that could affect search engine rankings.



Below’s a recent problem of a Wix user about the domain:

5. Wix Does Not ‘Build a Website for Free’

Is Wix free? Yes, it’s free to sign up, but it’s noted to be a premium service. It is more expensive than other website builders. It costs $22 to $27 to maintain the website, which is a major NO as a small business owner. 


There are limitations to Wix. For starters, they are offering only 500 MB of storage and bandwidth. Additionally, many of Wix's tools are not available in the free plan. You need to upgrade to a premium plan if necessary. In the long run, you need to upgrade so you have to get all these extra charges if you still stay with Wix.

Just recently, many Wix users learned about the sudden price increase of their plans. It’s not a few cents, but hundreds of dollars–bad news! In fact, some users received notifications from that Wix has increased their fees by 70%. Find cheaper website builder alternatives that don’t compromise quality.

6. Wix Can’t Help You ‘Stand Out’

You shouldn’t use Wix because its generic templates and other features won’t make you stand out. Imagine your website looking like another on Wix because of the same template you have. These are CMS platforms. When you use CMS platforms to build your website, it results in limited customization. It loses your brand identity and lacks uniqueness. Because you can’t customize much, you’re one of the 21% having low online presence.


Also, business owners prefer to custom code their websites. According to studies, the profit you get for custom codes will increase to 11.02%. Wix cannot compete with these businesses because of the limited features and options. While it can be affordable now, the long-term results and ROI are not as effective for your small business.

7. You’re Trapped with Wix Forever

If you decide to upgrade or code your website, you can’t do it when you start on Wix. Wix uses a proprietary format. If you decide to leave Wix, you cannot transfer it to another website. You’ll have to start over with a new website and lose all the investments you had at Wix. Wix hosts your website and controls your data, so it will be impossible to retrieve what you built. You will find it tiring to transfer it manually.

Wix has its own ecosystem. They lock you into keeping their services even if you get your own domain name. If you have to incorporate a third-party to help you with SEO, you can kill 80% of your traffic. You're stuck with Wix and the only thing you can do is start another one on a better website builder.

Best Budget Alternative Websites

Now, knowing that Wix is not so true to their claims, there are better alternatives. These alternatives can cater to your needs and wants for your small business. Here are some options:


  • Snapps.ai
  • Hostinger 
  • Site123
  • Carrd
  • Strikingly 
  • Squarespace


While Wix is a popular choice, these offer unique features and benefits. These alternatives can help you find the right platform. You can create a professional and functional website within your budget.

Benefits of Website Builders

Website builders are an attractive option for small businesses. Especially those who are looking to establish their online presence. Some benefits include:


  • User-friendly designs that need less to no coding.
  • There are free options with basic features.
  • You can publish your websites in hours or days.
  • You can make a website to match your branding.
  • Website builders handle your hosting and software updates


Through these benefits, you can create professional-looking websites with minimal time and effort. You can establish an online presence to showcase your products and services.

Wix Can Negatively Affect Business Growth

Wix may be attractive for convenience, but it cannot help your small business grow. As a small business, you’ll be needing a better alternative that has more advanced features. Features like customizable checkout process and third-party logistic providers. 



Understanding all these reasons not to use Wix allows you to look for website builders. These other website builders can help you grow long-term. A website builder like Snapps.ai allows you to be flexible. It comes with custom-designed websites that cater to your specific needs. With Snapps.ai, you can host your websites and achieve your business goals. 


Try Snapps.ai today and take your online presence to the next level.


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