How to Start a Wix Website

Wix is one of my favorite website builders available for beginners. It has an AI and a visual editor that allows everyone to create and design a website without a single line of code. It also includes web hosting, so you don’t have to find one. 

Today, I will show you how to start a Wix website from scratch, with or without using the AI editor. So, let’s dig in!

Give Your Concept a Structure

Why are you planning to start a website? And what do you want to achieve with it? These are two simple questions, but answering them in detail can enrich your thoughts about starting a website. 

Some people want to build a portfolio website, while others want to start a blog. E-commerce websites, on the other hand, are crucial for buying and selling items on the internet. However, these website types are not mutually exclusive of each other. There is no harm in running a blog on your portfolio or e-commerce site, or vice versa. 

Nevertheless, different websites come with various needs. For instance, you must integrate a payment gateway in your e-commerce store, but a blog can do without it. 

As Wix offers a comprehensive solution based on your requirements, you better structuralize the concept. While ideating, consider the following: 

• What is your main purpose for starting a website? 
• What features do you want to offer to your visitors? 
• What elements do you need to include in your website?
• How much money can you spend?

You can browse some successful websites in your category to get an understanding of your wants and needs. Then, it gets much easier to translate them onto your site with the intuitive functionalities of Wix. 

Get Started with Wix Website Builder

Head to the Wix website using an internet browser. First, you need to create an account. Hit the “Get Started” button on the top-right corner, enter your email address, and create a password. You can also use your existing Google or Facebook account to sign up. 

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Wix will automatically sign you in once you create an account. Once signed in, you will be asked for whom you are creating the website. Based on your choice, Wix will redirect you to the Wix AI website builder (for personal websites) or the Wix Studio (for freelancers and businesses). Skipping it will also take you to the AI builder. 

If you choose to continue with Wix Studio, you will be asked a few more questions regarding the purpose. Once answered, you can get to your Wix account dashboard, or directly to building and designing your site. 

Create a New Wix Website

When you sign in to your account dashboard on Wix, you will get to discover different features and tools Wix has. As we are yet to start a site, we will navigate to “Sites” from the left menu bar. You will find a list of all the Wix sites you have (if any) on this page along with a few templates.  

Now, you can click the “Create New Site” button to start building your site. You will be presented with three options to design, choose, or generate (with AI) a theme for your new site. 

1. Start from a Blank Canvas 

You will need a theme whichever way you want to build your Wix website. A theme is the design foundation of your site that contains some graphics, colors, and layouts. 

If you are a confident designer with a unique vision and technical abilities, starting from a blank canvas is the best option. Simply choose the specific option and the Wix Editor will appear with a blank page. 

As you can see, even the blank page has a layout with a header, body, and footer section. You can customize everything from scaling the page size to adding media files, apps, pages, layers, etc. Simply click over each section of your blank page, and the comprehensive toolbars will appear. 

As you tweak the section, your design will take shape, showing you the live changes on the editor preview. 

2. Start from a Pre-Designed Template

Starting from a template is comparatively easier than a blank canvas. There are hundreds of pre-designed themes with graphics, layouts, menu buttons, etc. Choose one aligned with your vision and perform the necessary tweaks to make it your own. 

Once you click on the designated option, Wix will take you to its template library. Once there, you can search for a theme based on your site type, business industry, style, etc. When you like one, move your cursor over it and click on “Edit” from the options that appear. 

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The theme will appear on the Wix Editor, where you can customize each section based on your vision. Simply click over the text or layout that needs to be changed, and you will get all the necessary tools to make your changes. 

3. Generate a Theme with AI

Although listed as the third option, “Build on the Wix Editor” is the simplest way to design a website. It has an integrated AI tool, perfect for designing and launching your site quickly. However, you may miss out on various customization features. 

You simply need to describe your vision so the AI can generate a theme with the necessary graphics and layouts. The AI also creates content for your site. You can access it by selecting “Build on the Wix Editor” after hitting “Create New Site.”

Next, hit “Start Chat.” The chatbot will ask you some questions related to your purpose, requirements, design structure, features, etc. Describe them like you would to a website developer with details and nuances of human conversation. 

Once the chatbot receives all the basic information, it will give you a link to go to your site’s dashboard. You can finish the chat early by hitting “Exit and Continue” to go to the dashboard. 

On the dashboard, you will find a list of steps necessary to bring your site up to speed. Hit the “Design Site” button and choose “Generate a Design with AI” on the next screen. 

After a little wait, the AI will generate a site template based on your site description. If you don’t like the design, hit “Regenerate site” or “Make it a little different” from the suggested prompts to get a different design. You can keep doing it a few times.

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However, you must clearly describe everything you want and need to get the envisioned design. You can always click the hyperlinks on the “SITE BRIEF” to rewrite the site profile, structure, and description. 

You can also redefine your theme and layout. Simply hit the hyperlinked “theme” or “layout” on the site briefly and describe what you want. Once you get the basic template to your liking, hit “Continue with this Design.” The editor should prompt you to connect your domain (if not connected), but you can skip to the editor if you want. 

Wix Editor will add some finishing touches before it makes the template available to you for further customization. You can add pages, elements, sections, apps, media, and menu buttons using the intuitive editor. The process is similar to editing a pre-designed theme or designing from a blank canvas, except for customizing CSS. 

Customize Your Wix Website

If you have chosen a pre-designed template or generated a theme with AI, you may need to customize the design to suit your needs better. Thankfully, the Wix Editor makes it a breeze to add, remove, or redesign your site comprehensively. 

Add the CMS

Whether you want to set up a content collection, create dynamic pages, or collect your visitor’s data, you must add a content management system (CMS) to your Wix website. Simply hit the CMS button from the left toolbar and click “Add to Site.” Wix should set up the CMS for your site shortly. 

Once added, you can access it by hitting the same button. You can now create a content collection manually or with the help of AI. You can also import from an existing CSV file, which is excellent for transferring content from one site to another. 

Add or Remove Pages

Check if you have all the pages or more. If you need to make some changes, click “Pages” from the left toolbar to access a list of the existing pages. Next, click “Add New Page (+).” You can add a standard blank page or create a dynamic page to use multiple times. I prefer to create a dynamic page so I don’t need to design every time. 

After hitting “Add” under the dynamic page option, you can select “Add a Preset” or “Create a Collection.” Click “Add a Preset” to choose from a few page templates. Once you find a layout, hit “Add to Site” by hovering your cursor over it. The page should be created shortly with the option to perform comprehensive edits.  

To remove a page, hit the “three dots” next to the page name and select “Delete” from the menu. You have to confirm the action once more from the pop-up dialogue box to finish removing the page from your site. 

Add or Remove Apps

Wix has a collection of apps to perform specific tasks on your website. It includes bookings, blogging, video playbacks, e-commerce stores, membership areas, etc. Adding these advanced functionalities only requires a few clicks on the Wix Editor. 

Simply click on the “App Market” menu from the left toolbar. Now you can choose from a few popular apps or search among hundreds of options by navigating to the Wix app market. Click on the app you need, then hit “Add to Site” from its listing page. Once added, you can open the app’s page from the same place. 

To remove an app, head to the app manager by clicking the “App Market” menu again. You should see a list of your installed apps. Simply click on the “three dots” under the app’s name, then hit the “Delete” option. 

Edit the Site’s Text

Whether you use a pre-designed template or an AI-generated theme, you may want to edit the site’s text and other content. You can do it by simply clicking over the text. Make sure to select the exact layer you want to edit. If it is a stack of different elements, you may need to unstack the paragraph portions. 

After selection, a toolbar would appear with the option to “Edit Text.” Click on it and start editing. You can also generate text with AI by hitting “Create AI Text” from the floating menu bar. Also explore the right toolbar which offers the features to change text size, font, color, spacing, etc. 

If you want to change the site-wide typography style, click on the “Site Styles” menu from the left bar and follow the on-page instructions. You can also change page transitions from this section. 

Tweak the Site’s Appearance

Now that you have added all the necessary pages and apps, you may want to tweak the website’s theme to display everything perfectly. It is straightforward as you can simply drag and drop different elements. You can customize each section of your template by clicking over it.

For example, if you want to change the appearance of the “Get Started” button, clicking on it will display the editing tools. You can customize the layout and color, while hyperlinking the designated page, and animate it. 

Pretty neat, eh? Adding or removing a section works the same way. Simply click in between two sections and hit the “Add Section” button when it appears. Dragging the lines will adjust the section heights and widths. To remove a section, right-click over it and hit the “Delete” button. 

While tweaking, consider how your site will appear on a tablet or a mobile device. It is crucial for optimal user experience as nearly 62% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. Click on the mobile or tablet icon from the editor’s top toolbar to see a preview. You can perform edits the same way if something doesn’t appear right on the mobile version of your site. 

Remember to hit “Save” from the top right corner (or from the three-line menu) to update your site with the latest changes. Clicking “Preview” next to it will give you a public view of your site. 

Once ready and confident with the design, you can hit “Publish” to make the site live. However, we will not publish the website just yet, as we have a few more steps to complete. 

Set Up Your Wix Website

A website is not just a theme or a collection of apps and content, you also need an address (URL) to get found on the internet. You should also provide a site type and conduct some basic SEO to give it the best exposure. 

So, head to the site’s dashboard by clicking on the three-line menu from the top-left corner of your editor and select “Dashboard.” 

Now, click on “Setup” from the left bar. You should find a to-do list, which varies based on the site’s type and content. 

This to-do list appears automatically when you exit from the AI chatbot, after answering the questions for generating the theme. The AI usually performs some setup automatically, but you should still check if everything is correct. 

• Edit and finalize your business type. It doubles up as your site type with multiple options to choose from. 
• Connect a custom domain for your site. You can check for an available domain name and buy it directly from here. However, you need a Wix Premium subscription to connect your custom domain. 
• Set up your service page. If you have mentioned some services in your chat with AI, here you can edit them. You can also add new services, with options to add features like a booking form, cart, availability, etc. 

• Set up payment methods. If you want to receive payments on your site, you must add one or more payment methods. You can also access it via Settings. 
• Get found on Google. Wix has a dedicated SEO tool that allows you to perform various optimizations like setting up your site for search and submitting it to Google for indexing. Click “Get Started” and answer a few questions to receive specific SEO suggestions. 

Publish Your Wix Website

Congratulations! You have now built, designed, and optimized your first Wix website. It’s time to publish it so visitors can access it. 

First, you need to access the Wix Editor. You can do it by clicking “Publish” from the setup menu on your site’s dashboard. Alternatively, hit the “Edit Site” or “Design Site” button from the dashboard’s home to navigate to the editor. 

Once there, click the “Publish” button from the editor’s top toolbar. It is in the top-right corner. Your site should be live within a few seconds. 

You can publish your site even without connecting it to a custom domain. In that case, Wix will assign you a free domain name (i.e., youremailid.wix.com/yoursitename). You can always change to a professional domain by clicking “Connect Domain” on the editor and upgrading to Wix Premium.