Wix is a drag-and-drop GUI website builder that also offers hosting services. Wix is a great option if your client has no technical experience and no technical team, but they need to easily change website elements after the end of the Client Project. Wix also has Developer Tools that allow you to write Javascript EventHandlers and dynamically display information from a database. However, you are unable to edit the overall HTML of the site (ie. no changing the breakpoint, no custom upload features etc). Overall, Wix seems to be a great option for clients looking for an eCommerce site due to its ability to customize forms, add a custom checkout feature, and display database information in consistent layouts, but is lacking for clients looking for other functionalities.
Features
- Easy-to-use drag and drop GUI w/ built-in instructions and prompts from Wix
- Pre-made design components make it easy to create an aesthetic website, even with no design experience
- Wix App Market contains hundreds of plug-and-play applications, including Forms, Google Maps, DropBox, and EventBrite
- APIs can also be integrated for features not included in the App Market
- Wix Developer Tools allows you to write Javascript EventHandlers and dynamically display information from a database
Wix.com - a great platform for nontechnical clients. To set up Google Analytics with the free version of Wix you can add an invisible HTML box on the front page of the site and paste in the analytics script.
Wix Plug-ins
Google Calendar: you can use this plug-in to tie a Google Calendar directly into your website’s page. This is a great feature if your client needs to show events that are happening. The google calendar plugin allows you to sync your personal calendar as well. Their is a great monthly calendar view that allows you to see the overall view, and then click on specific events for more details.
Tips:
If you utilize Wix premium for an initial trial period and wait until the end to create an account and begin paying, Wix will give you a discount for the first year. This was very helpful for a client who had little to no budget.
Wix -Corvid:
Wix has an advanced toolset that allows for more custom development and a fully functioning backend. It’s called Corvid and it is included atno extra charge for anyone who uses Wix. You can create databases simply and it also features built in authentication functionality with social media logins.
Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence)
Wix ADI is a user-friendly way of creating a website from scratch without any coding knowledge. Additionally, depending on the type of business/organization you are developing for, Wix ADI will come up with a theme that can help you get started with a one-of-a-kind website. After the creation of the original theme you are free to go edit the website in many different ways including adding forms, changing texts, changing backgrounds, changing theme colors, and changing the design of sections of each page. Overall, the Wix ADI makes it very easy for someone with no knowledge of web development to start the creation of a simple website in a few minutes. Although, there are many benefits to the Wix ADI there are also some drawbacks, which should be considered before choosing this as the option for your development.
Benefits:
- No coding needed
- Creates personalized website based on business
- Easy to use
- Easy to maintain for client
Drawbacks:
- Lack of full customization - may not be able to resize pictures and section sizes
- Sometimes changes back to old section designs without warning
- Slow and laggy at times
Overall, Wix ADI is a great web design and development tool that can be used for a client that may not have technical knowledge and does not want to spend too much time and effort on maintaining the website. However, the ease of maintenance comes at the cost of not being able to customize different features and dealing with the bugs of the ADI environment
Wix ADI vs. Wix Editor
The Wix Editor is a more complex, but flexible web design and development environment that allows you full control of all features of your website. It allows you to move things around with your mouse, change font sizes, create different functionalities such as search bars, and many other features that the ADI does not have. However, with these benefits the complexity can be an issue for a client who needs to maintain a website as it is much more difficult to access places that information needs to be entered. Therefore, if you are looking for an easier to use and maintain website then the ADI is better for you, but if you need more complex features and do not mind a bit more maintenance times the Wix Editor is for you. Contrastingly, many people start their websites on the Wix ADI just to get the base and then convert to editor to get access to more features, however this comes at the disadvantage of never being able to switch back to the ADI once you switch to the editor, which is something to think about before converting.