How to Create a Website With Wix: Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide
Journey Pierre
9/8/20269 min read
Creating your first website can feel intimidating, especially if you have never written code or worked with website-design software.
The good news is that you no longer need to be a developer to build a professional-looking website.
Wix gives beginners the tools to create blogs, business websites, portfolios, service websites and online stores using a visual editor. You can begin with a template, use AI to generate a starting point and then customize the design to match your vision.
One reason I personally like Wix is the creative freedom. Instead of being locked into a rigid layout, you can move elements around, experiment with different designs and make your website feel more original.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to create your first Wix website step by step, without overcomplicating the process.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you.
What You Need Before Creating Your Website
You do not need to have every detail figured out before you begin.
However, it helps to know:
What type of website you are creating
Who the website is for
What action you want visitors to take
What pages you will need
What colors and fonts fit your brand
Whether you need blogging, ecommerce or booking features
Your goal might be to sell products, book clients, publish blog posts, display your work or build an online presence for your business.
Knowing that goal will make the rest of the process much easier.
Step 1: Create Your Wix Account
Start by visiting Wix and creating your website for free →
Follow the signup instructions and enter the basic information Wix requests about your website or business.
You should be able to begin designing before committing to a paid plan. This gives you time to explore the platform, test different layouts and decide whether Wix feels right for you.
According to the promotional details shared with me by Wix, new users who purchase an eligible plan within 48 hours of signing up may receive 50% off their plan. Promotions and eligibility can change, so review the offer shown through the link before upgrading.
Step 2: Choose How You Want to Build
Wix gives you more than one way to begin.
You can start with a predesigned website template and customize it yourself, or use Wix’s AI website-building experience to generate a starting point based on your answers.
Start With a Wix Template
A template is a good choice if you enjoy designing and want to see different visual options before getting started.
You can browse templates based on the type of website you need, including:
Blogs
Online stores
Restaurants
Portfolios
Consulting businesses
Beauty businesses
Fitness brands
Photography websites
Online services
Local businesses
Choose a template based on its overall structure, not its sample colors, photographs or text. Those details can be changed later.
Pay attention to where the menu, headline, buttons and major sections are positioned. Starting with a layout that already resembles your vision can save you time.
Build With Wix Harmony AI
If you do not know where to begin, Wix Harmony can help you generate a website using AI.
You describe your website, business and preferred style, and the AI creates a starting point that you can continue customizing.
For example, your prompt could say:
Create a modern website for a virtual assistant who helps small-business owners manage email, scheduling and customer support. Use warm neutral colors and include Home, Services, About and Contact pages.
The more specific you are, the more relevant your starting design should be.
You are not required to keep everything the AI generates. Treat it as your first draft, then change the text, images, colors and layout until the site represents your actual business.
Step 3: Customize Your Website Design
Once you have selected a template or generated your site, it is time to make the design your own.
Start with the basics:
Upload your logo
Choose your brand colors
Select one or two fonts
Replace the sample images
Rewrite the placeholder text
Adjust the sections and spacing
Update your buttons
This is where Wix’s creative freedom becomes especially useful. You can move and resize elements to create a more customized appearance.
However, creative freedom does not mean every section needs to look completely different.
Your website will look more professional if you use the same:
Button styles
Heading fonts
Body fonts
Color palette
Image style
Spacing patterns
Try to keep your design simple. A clean layout with a clear message is more useful than a crowded website filled with animations, decorative fonts and competing colors.
Pro Tip: If you want a truly unique design, we offer web design services and can help create a custom look that matches your vision. Feel free to reach out to discuss your ideas!
Step 4: Create Your Essential Pages
The exact pages you need will depend on your business, but most beginner websites should have at least four or five.
Home Page
Your home page should quickly explain:
Who you help
What you offer
Why someone should choose you
What visitors should do next
Avoid opening with a vague statement such as “Welcome to my website.”
Use a clear headline instead:
Custom Websites for Creative Small Businesses
Then add a button such as:
View My Services
Book a Consultation
Shop Now
Read the Blog
Get Started
About Page
Your About page should introduce you while helping the reader understand why your experience is relevant to them.
Share your story, values and approach, but connect those details to the problem your audience wants to solve.
Services or Shop Page
If you offer services, explain what each service includes, who it is for and what the next step is.
If you plan to sell products, add Wix Stores and create clear product listings. Use your dedicated Wix Ecommerce link when directing store-focused readers to the platform.
Contact Page
Make it easy for visitors to reach you.
Your contact page can include:
A contact form
Business email address
Social-media links
Business hours
Location, if relevant
Frequently asked questions
Blog
A blog can help you publish useful content, attract visitors from Pinterest and search engines and build trust with potential customers.
Focus on articles that answer questions your ideal audience is already asking.
Legal Pages
Depending on your website and location, you may also need pages such as:
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Affiliate Disclosure
Refund Policy
Shipping Policy
Consider consulting a qualified professional or using an appropriate legal resource to determine which policies apply to your business.
Step 5: Add the Features Your Business Needs
One feature I appreciate about Wix is its app marketplace.
You can add functionality based on the type of website you are creating, including:
Appointment booking
Ecommerce
Blogging
Events
Contact forms
Email marketing
Live chat
Reviews
Memberships
Social-media feeds
Restaurant ordering
Wix offers both Wix-created and third-party apps. Some are free to install, while particular features or third-party apps may require a paid plan or separate subscription.
Do not add every app that looks interesting.
Each app should solve a real business need. Too many unnecessary features can complicate the website and increase your monthly expenses.
Step 6: Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
A website that looks attractive on a laptop may not automatically look perfect on a smaller screen.
Before publishing, open the mobile view and check:
Headline sizes
Paragraph spacing
Button placement
Image cropping
Navigation
Contact forms
Product pages
Pop-ups
Blank spaces
Make sure important buttons are easy to tap and that visitors do not need to zoom in to read your content.
Wix provides a mobile version of sites created in its editor, but you should still inspect and adjust the layout before launching.
Step 7: Connect Your Domain
Your domain is the web address visitors will use to find your website, such as:
A custom domain looks more professional, makes your website easier to remember and removes the free Wix address from your URL.
To connect a custom domain, you must first upgrade your website to an eligible Wix plan. You can then either purchase a new domain through Wix or connect a domain you already own.
If You Need a New Domain
You can search for and purchase a domain directly through your Wix account.
Try to choose a domain that is:
Short and memorable
Easy to spell
Closely connected to your brand
Free from unnecessary numbers or symbols
Broad enough to grow with your business
Selected annual Wix plans may include a voucher for one free year of domain registration. Check the current plan details before upgrading because eligibility can change.
If You Already Own a Domain
If you purchased your domain through another provider, such as GoDaddy or Namecheap, you can connect it without immediately transferring its registration to Wix.
To begin:
Go to Domains in your Wix account
Select Add an Existing Domain
Choose Connect a domain you already own
Select the Wix website you want to connect
Enter your domain name
Follow the instructions shown for your domain provider
Some providers allow Wix to complete the connection automatically after you sign in. In other cases, Wix will give you DNS or name-server instructions to enter through your current domain provider.
Connecting a domain keeps its registration and billing with the original provider. Transferring a domain moves its management and future renewal payments to Wix. You do not have to transfer your domain simply to use it with a Wix website.
After the connection is completed, it may take up to 48 hours for the updated domain settings to finish propagating worldwide. Your website may appear for some visitors before others during that period.
Before moving forward, type your domain into a browser and confirm that it opens the correct Wix website.
Wix confirms that a paid site plan is required to connect a custom domain, whether the domain was purchased through Wix or another registrar.
Step 8: Set Up Basic SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, helps search engines understand your website.
You do not need to become an SEO expert before publishing, but every important page should have:
A clear page title
A useful meta description
One primary topic
Descriptive headings
Original written content
Descriptive image alt text
A simple URL
Internal links to related pages
For example, a local photographer’s home-page title might be:
Atlanta Brand Photographer | Business Name
A possible meta description could be:
Professional brand photography for Atlanta entrepreneurs and small businesses. View packages and schedule your photography session.
Wix provides an SEO Setup Checklist based on information about your business and target keywords. Its SEO settings also allow you to customize page titles and meta descriptions.
Do not force the same keyword into every sentence. Write naturally and make each page genuinely useful.
Step 9: Test Everything Before Publishing
Before your website goes live, pretend you are a first-time visitor.
Test the website on both desktop and mobile.
Check that:
Every button works
Every menu link opens the correct page
Contact forms send successfully
Email signup forms work
Products can be added to the cart
Checkout settings are correct
Images load properly
Spelling and grammar are accurate
Social-media links open the correct profiles
Contact information is current
Ask someone unfamiliar with the website to test it too. They may notice confusing wording or navigation problems you overlooked.
Step 10: Publish Your Wix Website
When everything is ready, click Publish in the Wix editor.
Saving your work does not automatically make new changes visible. Wix explains that you must publish the site, and publish again after later edits to make those updates live.
Your first version does not need to be perfect.
A simple website that is live and helping customers is more valuable than an unfinished website you have been redesigning for months.
You can continue improving it as you learn more about your audience.
Common Wix Mistakes to Avoid
Using Too Many Fonts and Colors
Choose a small brand palette and one or two readable fonts. Consistency will make your website feel more intentional.
Writing Vague Headlines
Visitors should understand what you offer within a few seconds. Replace general slogans with specific language.
Forgetting the Mobile Version
Always inspect important pages on multiple screen sizes before publishing.
Adding Too Many Apps
Only install features that contribute to the visitor experience or help operate your business.
Hiding the Next Step
Every important page should contain a clear call to action.
Tell visitors whether they should contact you, book a service, join your email list, read another article or purchase a product.
Waiting for Perfection
Your website will evolve. Publish a strong first version, gather feedback and improve it gradually.
Is Wix Good for Beginners?
Wix can be a strong choice for beginners who want visual control without having to build a website with code.
It may be especially useful for:
Creative businesses
Service providers
Bloggers
Coaches
Consultants
Photographers
Personal brands
Local businesses
Portfolio websites
Small and moderately sized online stores
I particularly like Wix for businesses that care about having a distinctive visual identity.
If you are building a large, product-first ecommerce operation, you may also want to compare Wix with a dedicated ecommerce platform such as Shopify. But if you want to combine services, content, bookings, a portfolio and products within one flexible website, Wix is an appealing option.
How Much Does It Cost to Create a Wix Website?
You can begin building and testing a Wix website for free.
You will generally need an eligible paid plan to connect a custom domain, remove Wix branding, accept online payments or access certain business features.
The complete cost can depend on:
Your Wix plan
Domain registration
Premium apps
Business email
Ecommerce requirements
Additional marketing tools
Because plans and promotions can change, review the current pricing and included features before upgrading.
Final Thoughts
Creating a website does not have to begin with coding, complicated software or an expensive custom design.
With Wix, you can:
Choose a template or build with AI
Customize your branding
Create your essential pages
Add the features your business needs
Optimize the mobile layout
Connect your domain
Complete the basic SEO settings
Test and publish your site
The most important thing is to create a website that clearly explains what you do and gives visitors an obvious next step.
If you’re ready to begin, start creating your Wix website for free here →
If you purchase an eligible plan within 48 hours of signing up, you may receive 50% off through the promotional offer presented at signup.
If you would rather have a completely customized website created for you, we also offer professional web-design services. Feel free to reach out so we can discuss your ideas and the type of website you want to build.
Do not wait until you have every detail figured out.
Build the first version, publish it and improve it as your business grows.