How to Build a Wix Website in 5 Simple Steps

Wix is a very intuitive and beginner-friendly website builder. It lets you choose between an AI-powered editor and a true drag-and-drop editor for design customization that requires absolutely no coding knowledge. Depending on how you want your site to look, you can build a Wix website in an hour or less by creating an account, selecting and editing a template, reviewing the result, and choosing a paid plan.

Here are more in-depth instructions on the five steps needed to build a Wix website:

1. Create an Account on Wix

Go to Wix and click on “Get Started.” From there, you will be prompted to log in or to create a brand new account. Wix allows you to create a basic website for free, but to access any advanced features—like a professional domain name—you’ll need to upgrade your account.

Get started with Wix

2. Select a Site Editor & Choose Your Template

Next, you’ll be prompted to select between using the Wix ADI (Automation Device Interface) and the Wix Editor or customizing a template of your choice. By selecting the ADI option, you will be asked a few questions about your industry and the features you want present on your website (like bookings or forums). The ADI will use your responses to generate a template for you. If you select the option to build your own site, then you will be able to browse and select a template.

Choose between the ADI and the Editor

Not sure which editor to use? Choosing between ADI and the Editor depends on whether you want a website up quickly or if you want extreme customization abilities. Choosing the latter will lead you to a gallery of templates with over 50 categories. Scroll to the drop-down menu at the top of the page to view all the categories. Wix has a wide selection of templates, ranging from Real Estate to Weddings.

3. Customize Your Template

Both the ADI and the Editor will give you a great base to work with. However, to create a custom website that’s completely suited to your business’ needs, you’ll need to make a few tweaks. The main things to change are your website’s structure (by adding or removing pages), your header and footer, the content in your pages, and your website’s features through installing third-party applications.

Add & Remove Pages

Now that you have your template, look through your pages and add or delete as necessary. To do this, click on “Pages” found on the left menu bar, and then click “Add Page” at the very bottom. Alternatively, delete a page by clicking on “…” beside the specific page and hitting “Delete.”

Fix your site’s pages

From this menu, you can also add pages from Wix’s premade page layouts or choose a completely blank page to customize. Some useful pages include a booking and appointments page that is automatically integrated with Wix Bookings and a product page integrated with Wix Stores.

Rename your added pages, and drag and drop them on the page menu to reorganize. However, this doesn’t automatically change your website’s navigation bar. To create subpages on the menu bar, you’ll need to go to the navigation bar on the actual page itself, click on “Manage Menu,” and drag pages on top of each other to create subpages.

On the ADI, add pages by clicking “Add” on the top bar and choosing the page layout that you want; to delete pages, just click on the Page menu right beside the “Add” on your top menu bar, then click on the gear icon beside the page you want to delete and scroll down to “Delete.”

The Page menu also has a small button at the top (“Edit Menu”). Like on the Wix Editor, simply drag and drop your pages to organize them. This automatically changes the navigation bar on the website, so you don’t need to do anything else.

Edit Your Header & Footer

Once your pages are set up, customize the header and footer to fit in with your branding. Wix Editor is a true drag-and-drop, so to edit your header, footer, and any other content, all you need to do is to click on the element and customize it. On your header, for example, click and change the layout, type in your business’ name, and upload your logo.

To update your footer, scroll down to the very bottom of your page and change the text. Commonly placed on the footer are business addresses, contact information, social media accounts, and search bars.

The ADI isn’t much different in this regard. Simply click on your header or footer, and type in your text and upload your logo. However, the ADI doesn’t let you edit on the screen itself. Instead, you’ll need to add, delete, and edit your sections on the editor to the left of your screen.

Keep in mind that your header and footer are unchangeable between pages, and any change made on any of your site’s pages to these two areas will reflect on the entire website.

Edit Your Content

Editing with Wix’s drag-and-drop interface

Heavy customization is possible with Wix’s Editor. Head over to the page you want to edit, click on the element you want to change, and edit it. Drag the element around the page and drop it where you want it placed.

You can also add more elements onto the page by clicking on the “+” button on the menu to the left. Delete an unwanted element by selecting it and hitting the trash button on the menu to the right of your screen.

Editing with Wix’s ADI

On the ADI, all the editing is done through the top and right-hand menus. Just select the page that you want to edit through the Page menu on the top right, click on the section, and hit “Edit” at the very top. As for the header and footer, ADI editing requires you to type on the sidebar editor to change your content.

Don’t forget to add a few sections to your chosen page by clicking on “Add” and then “Section to Page.” These buttons are found on the top menu bar. To delete a section or an element within a section, simply hover over what you want to be removed and press “Delete” (for sections, this option is under the three vertical dots). Change your section’s layout by clicking on “Design” and picking a premade layout from the list.

Autosave is what Wix defaults to, so don’t worry about having to save your design before exiting either editor.

Add Third-party Apps

When you’re happy with your pages, take a look at the Wix App Market (on the Editor, this is the fifth button on your left-hand menu). Wix has a robust third-party app system, enabling you to customize your website’s functionality without having to know any sort of code. Apps ranging from marketing to dropshipping can all be found on the Market. Some are completely free, while others have plans or require a Premium Wix Plan in order to download.

To add apps on the ADI, hover over “Add” at the very top and click on “Apps” to select the features that you want.

4. Review Your Site & Optimize for Search

Once you’re happy with how your site looks and functions, go over everything again to see if you’ve missed anything. The important things to double-check are:

• Website header and footer: Change the header content to include your branding (business name and logo). Add your business information and social media pages to the footer.
• Page navigation: Ensure that all your pages are in the correct order on your website’s navigation bar. Don’t forget to create subpages (for example, by placing Contact Information as a subpage of About Us). This keeps your website uncluttered and easy to navigate, optimizing your website even further for both users and search engine bots.
• Website (content) SEO: On both the ADI and the Editor, click on the Page menu to the left of your screen, scroll to the page you want to optimize, and hit the gear icon (ADI) or “…” (Editor) to access the search engine optimization (SEO) tools available. The ADI has a very simple Page SEO function to help you fill in your keywords, descriptions, and URLs. On the other hand, the Editor has an advanced SEO function that you can use to add structured data and metatags. Optimize and organize your content with our easy SEO guide.
• Google Analytics: Google Analytics gives you insights into how your site’s visitors interact with your website. It’s completely free to use and can give you valuable information to hone and improve your marketing strategy. Adding Google Analytics to your website is easy, so don’t neglect it.
• Website preview: Review the changes on your website before publishing it for everyone to see. Click on “Preview” beside “Publish” to the top left corner of the screen. View your site on computer and on mobile by clicking on the mobile icon in the same spot (on ADI), or by clicking on the mobile icon at the top right corner (on Editor).

To further help with your website’s SEO, Wix has the SEO Wiz to walk you through the variety of optimization tools available. Access the SEO section by hovering over “Settings” on the Wix Editor (top of the page), and hovering over “Site” on the ADI. Scroll down and click on “Get Found on Google” and answer the prompts.

Wix’s SEO tools

Wix also has SEO tools available under “Marketing & SEO” on your dashboard. Click through these to optimize your website. Focus especially on the URL Redirect Manager if you already have an existing website that you’re migrating to Wix.

5. Launch Your Site & Upgrade

Publish your website

The last step is to hit the “Publish” button on the top right corner of the screen. However, on the free plan, your site will display Wix ads, and your domain name will use a subdomain and look like yourname.wix.com—not professional enough for a business. In order to connect an existing custom domain or get a free domain name for a year, you’ll need to invest in a paid plan.

Wix’s Plans & Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the best Wix website alternatives?

Wix is one of the easiest, most customizable website builders around. However, Wix isn’t the only beginner-friendly website builder out there. Our top alternatives are Squarespace for great SEO features, Weebly for an easy way to set up your online shop, and GoDaddy for cheaper, more affordable plans. See our list of the best website builders and decide for yourself.

Does Wix have a free plan?

Yes, and it’s a great way to see if Wix is for you before jumping in and committing to a paid plan. Many of Wix’s third-party apps can be integrated with the free plan, and you can really get a feel of Wix’s design services. However, the free plan also comes with Wix ads and will use a subdomain (yourname.wix.com). To fully launch a professional website, you’ll need to upgrade to one of their premium plans.

How do I build a website from scratch?

The easiest way to build a website yourself is to find a good all-in-one website builder (like Wix). These builders require no coding knowledge or web design experience in order to create a beautiful website. Then, after building your site, all you need to do is launch it and pay for a proper domain name. See our step-by-step guide to building your own website and create your own today.

Bottom Line

Build a Wix website easily with Wix’s ADI or the Wix Editor. If you’re looking to publish a professional website as quickly as possible, the Wix ADI is perfect for you. For the best design customization in the market, use the drag-and-drop Wix Editor. Either will give you a sleek and professional-looking website full of useful features through Wix’s third-party apps for a minimum price of $14 per month.

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