Wix vs WordPress for Australian Marketers: Choosing the Best Web Development Platform

Table of Contents

• What You Will Learn in Wix vs WordPress Article?
• So, What do Marketers Want with their Websites?
• Features that Make Wix Great
• Features that Make WordPress.org Great
• Comparison of Key Marketing Features of WordPress vs Wix
• Cost Comparison of WordPress vs Wix
• Case Studies for Wix & WordPress
• Time to Evaluate both Wix & WordPress
• Verdict: WordPress vs Wix – Which One to Choose?

We believe you are here because you are a marketer and you are confused about which platform to go with: Wix or WordPress.

Many marketers that come to us for website development are facing a similar dilemma and seek our advice on which platform would be the best fit for their business. 

And, we know that you are also in a similar situation where you want to get the best of both worlds when it comes to websites – design and performance. 

The reason behind this logic is simple: Digital businesses nowadays do not want to hire a separate developer to manage their website. Instead, they prefer that their digital marketing teams manage their websites themselves. 

So today, most marketers are looking for website development services that create a website on a no-code solution like WordPress or Wix that small businesses can use with ease.

But one problem that most marketers face is which platform to choose for site development. Wix or WordPress?

To begin with, both WordPress and Wix offer great options to the marketers. They are customisable, fast, easy to manage, and offer self-managed capabilities that marketers love.

However, there are some major differences that become apparent down the lane – let’s say six months or a year later that we have to consider. Therefore, it is important to understand the needs of marketers.

What You Will Learn in Wix vs WordPress Article?

But, before that… Here is a quick overview of what you will learn in the article.

• What Marketers want on the business website
• Challenges Marketers face with Development agencies
• Pros & Cons of Using Wix for Marketers
• Pros & Cons of Using WordPress.org for Marketers
• Feature Comparison of Wix vs WordPress 
• Cost Comparison of Wix vs WordPress

So, What do Marketers Want with their Websites?

1. Quick Setup & deployment

First thing first, marketers want the sites to be easy to deploy so that we can get ready to generate leads. This is at the core. Websites that take a lot of time to deploy or simply keep breaking up are a hassle to manage.

2. Easy to Solve Technical Issues    

Secondly, marketers prefer that all types of SEO and technical errors are easy to fix on the platform that they are using. It could be WordPress or Wix but it should allow resolution of technical errors without the need of a developer.

3. Customisation and branding capabilities

Third, marketers prefer that they can make customisations to the websites whenever they want to. For example, if a new Ebook is launched, they would want to add Popups, Hello bars, and CTAs to the blog pages on the website as and when needed – without requiring development for these assets.

4. Easy Leads Collection & Integration with CRM

One of the worst nightmares of marketers is to not get any leads or not able to attribute them properly if they are coming. That’s why they are always in need of website development platforms that offer CRM integration capability.

5.  Easy Indexability, Analytics and Reporting

One thing developers need to understand, marketers live on data. If there is no data, they cannot make decisions. So website platforms should offer easy indexability features, analytics integration, and reporting capabilities without them delving into code.

6. Scalability and growth potential

Finally, the most important thing for any marketer is to scale their product/service. That is only possible when the development platform they use offers such an option. This will involve adding custom categories, taxonomies, and tags as and when needed on the site.

Now that we understand the requirements of marketers, let’s dive in detail and compare both WordPress and Wix and see if they fit the marketers needs.

Features that Make Wix Great

A. Ease of Use

One thing is for sure. Wix is as simple as it gets. There is no hassle. You create an account, add your domain, and you are good to go. You can select from a package of your liking and a template that fits your needs and the site is ready for action.

Wix also offers many drag and drop features without the need of apps that are available with the theme like adding forms to your site.

However, if you want to add third-party plugins like HubSpot to Wix, then you can also install apps from the Wix store.

B. Marketing Features

Wix is a marketing ecosystem. It is great for beginners who are just stepping into the world of website management and therefore offers a plethora of tools. For starters, email marketing is built-in into Wix. You don’t need to change the platform. You can in fact create lists, and then create emails for these lists and send it to them – all within Wix.

Wix keeps its website development platform updated with SEO changes. It offers a checklist for users to optimise the content of the pages – all within the WYSIWYG editor.

So technically you don’t have to get out of the platform to test your website content or SEO needs as everything is pre-built in the platform.

C. Customisation

Customisation is one area where Wix lacks a little. Although it has everything that someone with a basic website would require like ecommerce features, lead generation forms, custom landing pages or anything else. However, you cannot edit theme functionality or add custom code. 

However, even though Wix gets a lot of negative flack on this, there is a very rare chance that an average small business would require this level of core customisation in the theme.

D. Limitations

On the surface, Wix doesn’t have any limitations per se. However, when it comes to scaling the website with more integrations, taxonomies, and categories – this is somewhere Wix will give way.

Features that Make WordPress.org Great

A. Flexibility and Control

WordPress is considered as one of the best website development platforms out there. The cherry on top is that every marketer out there is comfortable in using WordPress because of the multitude of customisation options it offers to the users.

There are many reasons for that. It is open source. It also offers core functionality customisations with the help of code. So code-loving marketers will find it appealing to add their own modules as and when needed.

Moreover, WordPress also integrates with advanced custom modules (ACF) that can be customised to create modules on pages when needed.

B. Extensive Plugin Ecosystem

One of the best things about WordPress is the plugin ecosystem it offers. It has plugins available for almost everything that you can think of. Whether you want to optimise images on the website, increase site performance, or add lead generation forms for marketing purposes – WordPress plugins have got you covered.

C. Content Management

WordPress is great when it comes to content management. It offers a Gutenberg WYSIWYG editor that has everything you would require for creating a prolific website. With Gutenberg, you can create whole pages in a single go. Adding columns, buttons, or even tables is very much possible with WordPress content management system.

D. Ecommerce Integration

WordPress offers the fastest and the most customisable ecommerce integration known as WooCommerce. It not only enhances the shopping experience but also offers easy order tracking, product catalogue management, and secure payments. You can also add coupons as and when needed.

E. Potential Drawbacks

While WordPress is great. It still has a few potential drawbacks for marketers. The learning curve is a little steep. Which means an average marketer who is not familiar with the platform will take some time to go about it.

Secondly, the updates for WordPress can be brutal for custom websites. They can break the CSS and sometimes remove functionalities of plugins used on the site – although rare.

Finally, since WordPress is completely open source, adding plugins or themes from unverified sources can infect the sites with viruses like Japanese keyword attack. These can impact the site rankings and layout.

Comparison of Key Marketing Features of WordPress vs Wix

Let’s compare both WordPress and Wix and see which one is better for marketers. 

Cost Comparison of WordPress vs Wix

When it comes to creating a long-term business, I wouldn’t worry a lot about the initial cost. However, it is the later costs and overheads that we need to consider. 

Below is a table about the average maintenance costs that you should look at.

Case Studies for Wix & WordPress

Success story of sites using WordPress

WordPress doesn’t require a success story to be honest. All marketers know how powerful and flexible this platform is for marketers. But even then as an honorary mention, I will add WPBeginner.com. The website is one of the biggest WP blogs on the market. It brings in a traffic of over290K and ranks for 120K keywords.

So if you are worried how you can market your website on WordPress, no need to worry.

Success story of a site made with Wix

If you are a marketer and thinking how Wix can help your website rankings, there is good news.

This website, Hello Neighbour Game, ranks for over 10,000 keywords and brings in organic traffic of 129K as per SEMRush.

Wix also has many other great websites that are not only made with design in mind but also allows marketers to market them in the best way possible.

Time to Evaluate both Wix & WordPress

It is time for the decision. Which one should you go with: Wix or WordPress?

Choosing between Wix and WordPress largely depends on the specific needs and goals of marketers, as both platforms have distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Wix is excellent for beginners who prioritise ease of use, quick setup, and built-in marketing tools. It offers a drag-and-drop editor, built-in SEO tools, and integrated marketing features that make it a great option for small to medium-sized businesses that want to manage their websites in-house without relying on developers. However, its limitations in customisation and scalability offer challenges as the business grows.

WordPress, on the other hand, is the preferred choice for marketers who need flexibility, control, and scalability. It offers extensive customisation options through plugins and themes, making it suitable for businesses that require advanced SEO, content management, and e-commerce capabilities. WordPress has a steeper learning curve and requires more maintenance, but it provides greater control over website performance and design, making it a better fit for larger businesses or those with more complex needs.

Verdict: WordPress vs Wix – Which One to Choose?

If you’re a marketer for a small to medium-sized business looking for a cost-effective, simple, user-friendly platform with built-in marketing tools, Wix is the way to go. However, if your business requires a more robust, customisable solution with advanced features and the potential for significant growth, WordPress is the better option. Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and technical expertise.

At WP Creative, we’re passionate about helping Australian businesses succeed with custom WordPress solutions. If you’re looking to elevate your website with a powerful, flexible platform, get in touch with us today. We’re here to help you build something that truly stands out.