- Jul 28
- 8 min read
Choosing the right Wix website template is an important part of creating a website. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of choosing the best website template on Wix for your business.
TL;DR: how to choose a template on Wix
Choosing a template on Wix comes down to seven steps, from defining what your site is for to testing the layout before you commit. Wix has over 2000+ pre-designed, fully customizable and mobile-optimized website frameworks to enable fast website creation without coding.
What you'll learn
Which template category fits the type of site you're building
How to judge a template's design, layout and mobile experience
What you can and can't change once you start building
How Wix AI tools and Wix Harmony fit alongside templates
Why it's important to choose the right website template?
What is a website template? It's the foundation of your website. A website template establishes the first impression visitors will have of your brand, influences the user experience and influences how effectively you showcase your website. With over 2000+ professionally designed templates available on Wix's website builder, making the right choice requires some careful consideration.
Learn more: Should I use a template to make a website?
How to choose the right website template on Wix in 7 steps
Choosing the right website template step | Why it's important | Key questions to ask first |
Establish the purpose of the template | Defines the core functionality you need (e.g., booking, sales, or blogging). | Is this for a portfolio, an online store or a business landing page? |
Pick your template industry or category | Wix has 2000+ templates by industry to give you relevant built-in features. | Does my business fall under creative, services or store? |
Evaluate the design | Ensures the visual flow (menus, headers, footers) matches your branding. | Is the navigation intuitive? Does the feel (modern, classic, bold) match my brand? |
Review the template's content | Saves time by matching the template's layout to the amount of media/text you have. | Does it have space for high-res images? Can it handle long-form text without looking cluttered? |
Check customization options | Confirms how much you can change without breaking the design. | Can I easily swap the color palette and fonts? Can I add/remove sections easily? |
Factor in limitations | Templates can only be customized so far. | Am I 80% happy with this layout? Does it support my future growth, including adding a shop later if needed? |
Test and preview the template | Reveals how the site actually functions on both desktop and mobile screens. | Does the mobile version look good? Do the buttons and links work as expected? |
01. Establish your website's purpose
Before even looking for the right template on Wix, you'll need to first decide which type of website you want to build. Consider the following as part of this decision making:
The primary purpose of your website (e.g. eCommerce website, portfolio website, blog website, business website)
Your target audience and their preferences
The key actions you want visitors to take on your site (e.g. buy something, leave a contact email)
Essential features and functionality requirements (e.g. an online store, blog)
Your brand's personality and aesthetic
This should narrow down your options and focus your search on Wix website templates that will serve your specific needs.
02. Choose your main website template category
Wix organizes its vast template library into intuitive categories. So pick the one that works best for your site first.
Business website templates: Professional templates for service providers and other small businesses.
eCommerce website templates: eCommerce templates with product display capabilities
Portfolio website templates: Visually striking designs for portfolios and creative professionals
Community website templates: Templates facilitating user engagement and interaction
Blog templates: Content-focused designs optimizing readability and organization.
Blank templates: A clean starting point if you'd rather build the layout yourself.
Within each category, you'll find numerous subcategories targeting specific industries and use cases. Use the search function and filters to pinpoint templates relevant to your website and business niche.
03. Evaluate the templates function and design
When it comes to choosing which template to use with Wix, look beyond just the aesthetics. Think about its:
Mobile-friendliness
Responsiveness
Built-in features
Navigation structure
Content organization
Customization potential
04. Consider your content strategy and style
Your template should accommodate your existing and any future planned website content. For example if you're creating an artist website and you know it will be image heavy, you'll want website templates that put images center of their design, or one that can accommodate an image heavy site.
If the opposite is true and your site will be text heavy, go for Wix website templates designed to improve readability. The right website template from Wix will showcase your content types without requiring excessive customization.
Wix Pro tip from Dafna Rabin, Wix Templates design team lead:
"Another way to approach [web design] is to understand the type of content you have and what you want to achieve. For example, if you want a big image in the background, look for a template that provides a good starting point for that. If you want to include a lot of text in your welcome section or the second fold, choose a layout that aligns well with your content and what you want to say."
05. Review customization options
While all Wix templates offer customization, some provide more flexibility than others. Keep an eye out for:
Color scheme adaptability
Font variety and modification options
Section arrangements
How easily you can add or remove elements
Remember that some design elements may be more challenging to modify than others. Choose a website template that naturally aligns with your desired look to minimize any extensive adjustments. The whole point of a website template is to help you create a website easily and fast — getting bogged down in template changes, would only defeat the purpose of it.
Wix Pro Tip from Marina Tamir, Tech SEO Expert:
“With Wix website templates, you’re never staring at a blank page. We’re here to give web creators a solid starting point, so whether you’ve got a full brief or just a rough idea, you can jump in and start designing without overthinking that first move.”
Inspiration from new web design trends can help you to customize your template, it's best to always balance this trendiness with timeless design.
Clean, minimalist designs generally age better
Avoid overly trendy elements that may quickly look dated
Focus on user experience over flashy effects — animated content might look cool, but if it massively slows down the speed of your site, your users might not agree
Consider your industry's design expectations
06. Factor in template limitations
One crucial point to understand, once you select a template and begin building your Wix site, you can't directly switch templates on your live site without rebuilding it. This makes it even more crucial you choose the right Wix template from the get go.
This doesn't mean you lose everything. If you do start over with a new template, you can reassign your existing domain and your Premium plan to the new site, and copy pages and elements across from the old one. The rebuild is real work though, which is why the earlier steps matter.
Constraints aren't always a downside. Krisnadi Ang, founder of the collectibles store Kartu, chose Wix for exactly that balance.
"I chose Wix because there was enough freedom to create anything I wanted, but enough templates to guide you. When you have complete full reign and no constraints it can be overwhelming, Wix gives you enough options to make it unique without that."
07. Test your website template before committing to it
Before finalizing your choice make sure you:
Preview the template with placeholder content similar to yours
Test the navigation across different pages
View the Wix website template on various devices (desktop, tablet, mobile)
Click through interactive elements to ensure they work as expected
Consider how the template might accommodate your future business growth, will you need to add an online store later, perhaps
Browse the best websites in your industry for inspiration
Look at Wix's website examples of successful sites using various templates
Get feedback from potential users or colleagues
Consider consulting with a design professional if you think it's necessary
Dafna Rabin recommends one last pass once your site is live.
"It's a simple test: publish your website, scroll through it and ensure everything is visible and nothing is missing or out of place. Don't forget to check the mobile version as well, which is often overlooked. This applies to every website, not just business websites."
Learn more: Do I need technical skills to use Wix?
Templates or AI, choosing your starting point on Wix
A template is one way to start a site on Wix, and it's no longer the only one. Wix's AI website builder helps you build websites quickly by using smart tools to create layouts, design pages and generate content tailored to your brand. Wix Harmony takes you from a single prompt to a business-ready site for any industry or creative vision. Aria, the AI agent built into Wix Harmony, stays with you as you build, generating sections and refining copy on request.
The two approaches solve different problems, and they're not mutually exclusive. Wix Harmony combines vibe coding creation with full drag-and-drop control in a single environment, so a generated site is still yours to reshape by hand.
Rebecca Tomasis, Head of AI visibility and OG content at Wix, puts the relationship this way.
“The shift toward prompting a website doesn’t replace templates, it expands what’s possible. Templates are still an incredibly strong starting point, especially for users who want proven structure and design guidance. But prompts add a new layer of personalization, allowing someone to describe their business in their own words and get a site that feels uniquely theirs. That’s not AI replacing creativity, it’s AI helping people express their intent faster. Wix has spent years building the infrastructure to make that experience possible at scale.”
If you already know the structure you want, a template gives you a proven layout to work from. If you'd rather describe your business and see a first draft appear, start with a prompt and refine from there.
How to choose a template on Wix FAQ
Can you change your Wix template after you publish your site?
No. Once you start building on a Wix template you can't swap it for a different one, even if you haven't added any content yet. To use a different template you create a new site and select it there. You can reassign your existing domain and your Premium plan to the new site, and copy pages and elements across from the old one.
Are Wix templates free?
Yes, every Wix template is free to use and customize. You'll need a Premium plan to connect a custom domain and remove Wix branding from your live site.
How many templates does Wix have?
Wix has over 2000 designer-made website templates, organized by type and by industry. You can also start from a blank template if you'd rather build the layout yourself.
Are Wix templates mobile-friendly?
Yes. Every Wix template comes with a mobile version, and you can preview and adjust the mobile layout separately in the editor before you publish.
Can you fully customize a Wix template?
Yes. You can change colors, fonts, images, sections and page structure on any Wix template. Some layouts are easier to reshape than others, which is why it pays to pick one that already sits close to the look you want.
Do you need a template to build a site on Wix?
No. You can start from a blank template, or describe your business in a single prompt and let Wix Harmony generate a business-ready site that you then shape by hand.
