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Whether or not UI and UX design are a mystery to you, it's safe to say that each workplace has a slightly different approach. Here's a look into the essence of both disciplines. Yin and yang are similar to UI and UX in more ways than one. Not only are the pair inseparable, unable to exist without one another, but there are also very few people who can tell the difference between the two. Okay, this might be an overstatement for UI and UX design, but who here actually knows which is yin and which is yang? Without further ado, let’s take an in-depth look into the profession. We’ll clarify what the difference between UI and UX design actually is and go over some of the key stages involved in each one: UI and UX design: the basic definitions It’s true that a UI (user interface) or UX (user experience) designers’ main aim is to enhance users’ satisfaction, by creating products and interfaces that are intuitive, simple and efficient. And many people have a part to play in this, including developers, content writers and more. But what exactly is each designer’s role within this overall aim? In general terms, UI is about the visual design of the product interface. Depending on the nature of the product, this normally includes the layout, icons, buttons, information architecture, colors, typography, animations and illustrations. And as the name suggests, UX is about the user, or rather, human experience. It’s about analyzing people’s intents when they use the product – what they should feel, what they need to understand and what action they should eventually take. In most cases, this part is done first, followed by the visual design. To summarize with an effective metaphor, you can think of it as a house: UX is about providing the skeletal structure, deciding where each room should be placed, planning the electricity system and other structure-related aspects. The UI is more about the details, such as the doorknobs, curtains, colors and more. In the end, all these elements come together to make up a whole experience and atmosphere. These might sound like two very separate areas of expertise, and it’s true – they are different and each one requires a wide array of skill sets. However, just like coffee and cake, they complete one another. Imagine, for example, an instruction manual for a complex coffee machine. It could be the most beautifully designed thing in the world, with the most stunning color palette and on-trend fonts, but if it the user doesn’t manage to understand what they’re supposed to do, they may as well throw it away (or hang it up on their wall). That’s exactly where UX comes in. As the two professions are so intertwined, at Wix, designers specialize in both UI and UX – a requirement that is brought up right from the initial design interview. This allows them to package an optimal product experience, that includes spot-on functionality, content and visuals. Is UX just about functionality? A large part of UX is about making a product functional, but the road to perfect functionality is long and winding. When it comes to the house example (hint: look up!), certain things might be obvious to us, as we have personal experience of them. We know that it makes no sense for the electricity sockets to be too high up to be reached and that a kitchen sink that’s far away from the dishwasher is a nuisance, not to mention having to get out of bed to switch the light off. But when it comes to developing other products of whom we’re not users, further work and investigation is required. As well as the structure and functionality, many products also involve visual and textual experiences, which is why UX designers and writers work together closely, especially at the beginning of a project. Without the right text, it’s difficult to test the product, so taking care of the text from the start is important. On top of working with UX writers or microcopy writers, designers from this field also collaborate with a number of other team members, such as product managers, engineers and more. Together, they conduct the following research and processes, while constantly keeping in mind the desire to create a product made up of an optimal mixture of business goals and user needs: – Product analysis: gather BI (Business Intelligence) to understand more about your users’ behavior, know support issues users have faced in the past or are likely to face, do competitive analysis, pinpoint the pain points and determine the goal of your product. As soon as you have a goal, you can create a plan and stay focused on your purpose throughout the process. – Create low fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes that include user flows, focusing on allowing users to fulfil their desired goals. To do this in the best way, know which personas will be using your product, what their aims are, and what their entry points are. Creating various iterations will help you understand the different scenarios of the product and which screens and panels are required. This preferably comes before the visual part of the design and even more importantly, before the technical developments are too advanced. Sketching out user flows at the beginning of the process An interactive prototype created for the Wix Editor – Conduct usability tests throughout the project (as well as once the product is live) so that you can make the right decisions. It will also enable you to save design and development time. – Once the product is live, further tests and analysis are done, so that the product can be refined. Also conduct A/B tests to get insights into how your users interact with the prototype (or live product) you created. You can discover what they liked, what they found challenging and ultimately – how you can improve the product. Is there more to UI than beauty? When there’s a final structure and prototype that has been tested and approved, the UI design begins. Of course, the name of the game is to create a beautiful product, but that’s not all. In fact, the appearance of any product has a much deeper, psychological impact on the user. Imagine, for example, how a room with cream-colored linen curtains blowing in the breeze would make you feel, in comparison with dark heavy velvet ones. And pressing a smooth touch-screen light switch will feel completely different than a standard switch. These are just a few of the decisions UI designers take into account. Depending on whether they’re working according to a design system, or for a newer brand whose visual language may not be as clearly defined yet, here are some more details that their work entails: – Gathering inspiration and exploring various concepts. – Designing various details, such as buttons, text fields, drop down lists, menu bars, search fields, icons, accordions, pop-up boxes and more, keeping aligned with the brand’s language and the product’s style guide. This means that all visual elements will be consistent and will come together to form the desired look and feel. Planning how each element will look at each and every stage – Choosing a color palette that’s in line with the branding. – For digital products, UI designers add extra elements (or “delighters), such as animation, video, illustrations and micro-interactions, to complete the overall experience and achieve the desired vibe. – Making sure any online assets are responsive, working well on desktops and mobiles of different screen sizes. Planning the position of each panel Creating emotional connections with users As already mentioned briefly, the visual aspects of an interface can evoke different emotions, as can text, that has a crucial part to play in the user’s overall experience. Let’s examine this topic further, from a UX perspective too. The aim here is to spark a connection with the user, creating something that they can really understand. By basing a website or app’s structure on a mental model (or in other words, something that we’re familiar with from our everyday lives and experiences), the user is more likely to feel a cultural or emotional connection. What does this mean in concrete terms? You can try replicating a familiar situation, like strolling around a city aimlessly, into your online design portfolio, for example. Just like you might discover surprising spectacles when walking around city streets, you can make the online browsing experience fluid, with fun little surprises along the way, such comical animations, interactions and more. When it comes to visual design, there are infinite ways to conjure up emotional connections with users. UI designers aim to develop a whole language that will be consistent throughout every detail of the brand’s products. Anything from color choice, to illustrations, videos and sound can be used to evoke sensations and communicate a specific vibe. A website featuring cute hand-drawn illustrations and pastel colors will make the user feel one thing, whereas a website with a dark fullscreen video on the homepage will create quite the opposite sensation. See how The Entropy Project’s design portfolio, built on Wix, does just that, with powerful visuals that draw you in and create a mysterious and intriguing feeling. The Entropy Project's online portfolio User experience beyond the four corners of your screen What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of UX? If your answer was anything involving websites and mobile apps, you’re right. But these days, the scopes of both UI and UX are broadening. Companies have a growing awareness of the importance of understanding their users and how these methods can improve their user experience – ultimately, impacting retention. UX is now employed across a variety of products, interfaces and services – and not only those with a web presence. It’s not just about the interface, but rather about the product’s experience as a whole. Referring to the Wix eCommerce product for example, UX designer Israel Martin Alberto explains that “the experience involves every detail, from start to finish. It’s not just about the online part. It’s about the moment the user clicks onto your site, all the way to the moment they receive their purchase at their doorstep and open the package.” The idea is to accompany the user throughout their whole journey and through different obstacles. “That’s how you can build a strong relationship with the user,” explains Israel. You can take a look at the case studies on these UX design portfolios and these websites for UX inspiration and research to gain a better understanding of the full process a designer goes through, as well as these UX design trends. UI is no different in that it’s also used for a variety of interfaces, whether they’re online or not. Any product that involves a point of contact between the object and the user, such as coffee machines, keypads and car dashboards, should be designed with UI in mind. Want to rest your minds and just enjoy some eye candy? Take a look at this inspirational selection of websites that nailed their UX design.

As an essential element of website design, typography can be both beautiful and functional. When used correctly, it can enhance a site’s aesthetic and user experience. The fonts and styles you feature not only affect the branding and accessibility of your site, but they also determine how visitors engage with your content. This article explores outstanding website typography examples and offers tips for how to incorporate them into your own website creation process. What is web typography? 24 impressive web typography examples 5 expert tips for using typography on your website TL;DR: website typography examples The right typography doesn’t just make your website look good—it shapes how people experience your brand. We highlight standout examples of website typography that get it right, from bold headline treatments to refined text pairings. Each one shows how font choices, hierarchy and spacing work together to boost readability and elevate design. These examples will help you think more strategically about how type can support your business goals. You’ll find practical takeaways on font selection, layout and branding, from clean and modern styles to more expressive, personality-driven choices. How we chose these website typography examples Criteria Why it matters Visual clarity Fonts are easy to read and enhance user experience across devices. Brand alignment Typography reflects the personality and purpose of the brand or business. Design consistency Font choices are used cohesively throughout the site to support strong design. Creative use of hierarchy Type sizes, weights and spacing guide users naturally through the content. Inspiration potential Each example offers a unique approach you can learn from or adapt. Read also: The worst website font pairings What is web typography? Typography is the art of strategically selecting, sizing, kerning, styling and arranging typefaces to make text easy and engaging to read (see easiest font to read). Designers also use typography to convey emotions and strengthen the message of the words themselves. In web design, typography plays a crucial role in shaping the way we perceive and understand written language. And it’s a lot easier to get wrong than you might think. In 2021, Twitter pushed out a redesign of its app that included the use of an original font. While the makeover might have seemed minimal at first glance, many users—especially those with visual or processing impairments—said they found it uncomfortable to read. On top of being a critical aspect of your brand identity, typography can also affect important factors that affect your site’s speed, functionality and accessibility. Because of this, it’s always important to balance your web typography’s visual impact with readable, web-safe fonts. Learn more: What is web design? 24 awesome web typography examples To get an idea of what effective font design looks like, check out these typography examples. We’ll discuss the specific qualities that make each of these typography examples work on the web and how they elevate the website’s branding. As you explore, keep in mind that you can add fonts to Wix if you see any you think would be a good fit for your website. Joasia Fidler-Wieruszewska Ryan Haskins Andrada Has Laura Zarate Wendy Ju The Robin Collective Blink My Brain Pink Chili Dale Alegria Macarena 33 Letters for Ukraine Word Tonic Community Derek McKechnie Magic Johns Agence Digi Offf Barcelona Dana Barkay Shiny Individual Campfire Coffee Co. Mr. Itamar OK Drugs Vanessa McKeown Plantbased Dough Lisa Kuroiwa Tiffany Cruz 01. Joasia Fidler-Wieruszewska Joasia Fidler-Wieruszewska’s portfolio website has fresh and clean vibes, using strong visual hierarchy to strengthen the composition of its typography. Using a combination of an ornate serif font and a simple sans-serif font, the graphic designer allows the diversity of style to draw visitors’ attention onto her site’s content. Fidler-Wieruszewsk's skillfully applies white space to frame her texts, encouraging focus and readability. 02. Ryan Haskins Brutalist websites are all the rage—they’re even at the top of our 2023 web trends list. To hone in on the over-the-top design approach, Haskins uses a mix-match of font styles that creates a strong visual impact. Most importantly, he carefully integrates the plethora of styles to give his site a contemporary edge without overwhelming visitors. Although there are at least 10 different fonts used throughout his site, Haskins is sure to use a clean sans-serif font where readability matters. 03. Andrada Has If we could summarize Andrada Has’s use of typography in three words, we’d choose: elegant, eye-catching and dynamic. She employs plenty of white space and pops of color to ensure that her experimental mish-mash of font styles doesn’t confuse visitors. She even manages to use different font styles within individual words without introducing readability issues. 04. Laura Zarate Laura Zarate’s typography is quite minimalistic—but that doesn’t take away from the mesmerizing qualities inherent in her site’s modern composition. Instead, using clean fonts in different sizes and weights on her site creates a strong foundation that maximizes readability. Zarate further conveys the tone of her brand’s sophisticated personality by pairing her strong typography with a mesh gradient background. 05. Wendy Ju Combining easy-to-read fonts such as Avenir Next with animation, Wendy Ju creates a delicate typography design that makes a big impact. Certain words throughout her site are highlighted using bright hues and hover effects. This extra layer of visual interest facilitates a more interactive user experience that stands out. 06. The Robin Collective The Robin Collective website features a whimsical use of typography that reflects the creative nature of the brand. With the clean sans-serif copy balancing out the quirky script site title, they convey their light-hearted but professional approach. By paying careful attention to their font choices and implementing strong color contrasts, The Robin Collective successfully balances their playful brand personality with an enjoyable user experience. 07. Blink My Brain Although Blink My Brain’s site is currently under construction, the artist’s captivating use of typography leaves visitors wanting more. Using a pairing of futuristic metallic fonts with handwritten typography establishes a familiar tone. Although it’s minimal, Blink My Brain’s landing page already hints to visitors that this designer’s got a knack for trendy font styles. The sneak peek of his talents is one that visitors are sure to remember. 08. Pink Chili Pink Chili is a marketing agency with a special focus on helping businesses connect with Gen Z. True to its generation’s character, the site is full of trendy elements. Because the site is copy-heavy with little imagery, their clever use of typography is key. Above the fold, the brand name—cast in a chunky, cherry-red serif—takes center stage. By paying careful attention to details such as font size, kerning and color, the agency prioritizes user experience without sacrificing their branding. 09. Dale Alegria Macarena “Branding for Humans” is Macarena’s modus operandi. Indeed, his choice of typography has a humanizing, tangible effect. The style of the title font is reminiscent of poster design typography and is definitely suitable for conveying a strong message with a strong personality. Balancing this decorative text, Macarena uses a condensed sans-serif font to communicate important details. The boldness of these contrasting fonts gives the composition a fun and energetic feel. 10. 33 Letters for Ukraine 33 Letters for Ukraine is a project started by three Polish entrepreneurs in 2022, inviting 30 international designers to interpret the Cyrillic alphabet over the course of 33 days. The site’s designers have the extra challenge of showcasing typography as a work of art while using descriptive fonts that reflect the heart of the unique project. To do this, they’ve used a combination of Menorah Grotesk by Ivan Tsanko & Kyiv Type by Dmytro Rastvortsev. Both of these fonts have a decorative, cyrillic touch but remain readable. The entrepreneurs achieved a uniformity that perfectly matches the project’s character. 11. Word Tonic Community It’s no surprise this website’s typography is brimming with trendiness—Word Tonic is, after all, a brand marketing themselves as exclusively Gen Z. To attract audiences that are equally en vogue, Word Tonic uses website fonts which reflect on the group’s cheeky, trendy vibe. At the same time, the community site needs to establish its professional goals and ensure their text is readable. For this, they pair the playful decorative fonts of the site headers with a modern sans-serif font, outlining their goals and services for interested visitors. 12. Derek McKechnie We love that Derek McKechnie uses a “more is more” influence to re-think the layout of his own typography and create an exciting atmosphere for visitors. Especially noteworthy is the animated line work McKechnie uses to outline his section of “Projects.” The composition uses typography in a unique way that is both stylish and effective while the clean sans serif fonts allows visitors to easily identify each item on McKechnie’s site. 13. Magic Johns Magic John’s proves how much personality you can reflect in your website’s typography. The homepage title uses a colorful and retro typography design to set the tone for the brand. The site designer layered a cartoonish cursive font over a bold outline font. This, combined with the contrasting color scheme of royal blue, bright red and pink communicates to visitors that this isn’t your average pizza shop. 14. Agence Digi When we talk about great typography, there’s often a laser focus on unique font choices and pairings. What makes Agence Digi’s typography so effective—in ways that you don’t often see on other websites—is its color and animation. Movement draws in readers, creating quick movements on the homepage that are completely engaging. While playing around with these animated effects, along with textures, gradients and 3D lettering, Agence Digi ensures their content is readable by using capitalization and unembellished fonts. 15. OFFF Barcelona As a community of online and offline designers, OFFF Barcelona’s website needs to appeal to the high expectations of the professionals in their network. To do this, the site’s trendy typography composition plays a big role. Using a minimalist font stretched from corner-to-corner, the homepage succeeds is bold and highly stylized. In addition, horizontal scrolling effects are applied sparingly throughout the site, adding a sophisticated touch to the background of the text that keeps visitors on the page. 16. Dana Barkay Since font design and lettering are two of Dana Barkay’s specialties, it's no surprise that the visual designer uses her site to show off her talents (including the use of her very own font design, Gofont). Barkay balances her unusual website typography with visual hierarchy by dividing sections of written content into a grid. Animated scroll effects bring the typography of Barkay’s site to life, creating a dynamic experience that draws visitors in and encourages them to explore. 17. Shiny Individual Shiny Individual’s use of typography is the perfect example of how the right fonts can set the tone for your brand. In the case of Shiny Individual, their site incorporates sophisticated typography to reflect the cool and refined qualities of the jewelry brand. The fonts vary in size, weight and style to help guide visitors navigate the page, and sticking to black text used throughout draws attention to important elements. 18. Camp Fire Coffee There are a couple of reasons why Campfire Coffee’s typography is so well done. For starters, each font has a minimalistic design, is well-spaced and easy to read. Secondly, the logo typography is a good example of how to choose a font that aligns with the brand’s product. The rugged, burned look of the text perfectly communicates the mission of the brand. 19. Mr. Itamar Mr. Itamar’s website typography was carefully chosen to create a playful, aesthetically pleasing experience that keeps visitors interested. Rather than having all text appear at once when a new section loads onto the page, this site uses smooth animation to stagger the timing of individual letters or words for an organic transition. 20. OK Drugs Ok Drugs’s typography is a great example of how to make two wildly different fonts look harmonious next to one another. The seventies-inspired header font is balanced out by a sans-serif font that has just enough flare to give the site some character without overwhelming the reader. OK Drugs takes font sizes into account, using large texts in headings or CTAs to attract attention and help visitors find what they’re looking for, while using smaller text for body copy that’s legible and uncluttered. 21. Vanessa McKeown Vanessa McKeown’s online portfolio is full of product photography that uses bright backgrounds with unique, even surreal contexts. It’s fitting that her website design reflects this eccentric style. Since McKeown’s work relies heavily on visual communication, her website makes the minimal typography count, infusing trendy pop vibes with bright bubble letters and a neon-inspired navigation menu. 22. Plant Based Dough PBDC’s typography is another perfect example of how to pair a readable, standard font with a handwritten display font. The chunky, fun lettering makes it easy for customers to scroll through each page and get a high-level overview of what it’s about. The simple sans-serif font then streamlines the reading experience for them. 23. Lisa Kuroiwa Classy, catchy and elegant, Lisa Kroiwa’s graphic design portfolio showcases her acute attention to detail. The typography itself is minimal, but the site’s design is amplified using an interesting and cohesive composition of the text. Kuroiwa carefully applies space to each page—sections are evenly spaced so that readers can easily follow along and find what they need quickly. 24. Tiffany Cruz Cruz’s portfolio website is professional—and her typography makes it a lot of fun to browse, too. While the serif font is clean and readable, it contains interesting bends and angles that make the text stand out. Cruz does a great job at pairing her typography with colorful backgrounds, vector graphics and animation. Additionally, the text used in her CTAs and buttons appear in bright colors, drawing attention to clickable elements. 5 expert tips for using typography in web design Now that we’ve gained inspiration from the web typography examples above, keep in mind the following tips when you design a site of your own. Align typography with your brand identity Use a minimum of three fonts site-wide Use standard, web safe fonts when possible Create harmonious font pairings Pay attention to color contrast and font size 01. Align typography with your brand identity A lot of time goes into developing your brand identity—crafting a logo design, color scheme, fonts and imagery that strengthen the message your brand wants to convey. That’s why, when choosing the best fonts for your website, you should pay attention to the associations fonts will create with your brand. Find fonts (and font designers) whose vibes match your brand. This will enable you to choose fonts that fit best with your overall branding. 2. Use a minimum of three fonts site-wide Visual balance is a key component of successful web design. When it comes to typography, this can also apply when choosing the number of fonts to use. In most of the best web typography examples we looked at above, they used no more than three fonts. To strike a balance between different font styles in a way that won’t overwhelm or distract visitors, design experts generally recommend sticking to three harmonious fonts: One font for display—such as your brand name, logo or hero image text. One primary font for headlines. One secondary font for paragraphs and other descriptive text. If you minimize the number of on your website, visitors’ eyes won’t constantly be adjusting to the new fonts they encounter. At the same time, variety can create a dynamic experience that keeps visitors engaged. 3. Use standard, web safe fonts when possible There are a couple of reasons why you might want to opt for a font included in your website builder, rather than one that you have to purchase and download from a third-party font foundry. For starters, there’s the compatibility issue to think about. If you use a font not supported by a particular browser or device, your site will show a segment of your audience default fonts like Roboto instead of the one you carefully chose for them. Secondly, system fonts tend to be better for website performance. That’s because the browser doesn’t have to spend time retrieving a custom font file from your server. Instead, it can quickly load system fonts onto the page and more quickly render your content for visitors to see. That being said, when you find a unique font that will amplify your brand’s message, you can always upload your font with Wix. When doing this, use web safe fonts that won’t impact your site’s performance, and be sure to use optimized formats and sizes. 4. Create harmonious font pairings Just as you want there to be balance and harmony within the entirety of your website, you also want there to be harmony in your font parings. However, that doesn’t mean you have to use matching fonts that give your design a homogenous look. As we learned from the examples above, harmonious fonts can come from totally different font families, styles and looks. Some of the best website typography examples use fun handwriting fonts paired with traditional serifs, and even transparent animated lettering with standard opaque fonts. There are many ways to choose and style different fonts and still make them go together nicely. You can use websites like Fontpair and Fontjoy for inspiration. Another trick is to find a font super family like Alegreya/Alegreya Sans/Alegreya Sans Small Caps. Between the three type systems, there are 42 font styles to choose from. These large font families tend to have dozens of different font types and styles within them. You could easily use a single font to design an entire website and still create a healthy contrast between the styles while doing so. 5. Pay attention to color contrast and font size The goal in choosing font colors is twofold: First, to use color themes that match with your brand's aesthetic identity; and second, to find ones that don’t interfere with readability, usability or website accessibility. To help ensure your website’s content can be read and accessed by all users, there are a couple of things to take into consideration when deciding on a color scheme for your text. The first is the color itself. There are certain colors that individuals with visual impairments like color blindness will have a hard time seeing. Especially when they are paired together without ample contrast. For example: Blue/grey Blue/purple Green/black Green/blue Green/brown Green/grey Green/red Green/yellow If you’re not sure how the typography or design colors you’ve chosen will look to visually impaired visuals, you can use a tool like Coblis or the Colorblind Web Page Filter to test your palette. Another thing to consider when it comes to color is contrast between the font and what’s behind it. The latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) suggest using a color contrast of 4.5:1 for smaller text and 3:1 for larger text. WebAIM’s Contrast Checker will let you know if your typography contrast is acceptable and tools like Wix’s Accessibility Wizard can do a full scan of your site to check for these issues. Website typography examples FAQ What are some famous website typography examples? Medium: Known for its clean and readable typography, enhancing the reading experience. Vogue: Exemplifies elegance through custom fonts, reflecting its fashion-forward brand. Apple: Utilizes a simple, sans-serif font for clarity and consistency across its product pages. What's the best typography for a website? The best typography for a website depends on your brand, design and specific content. You can use a legible font like Arial or Open Sans for body text, ensuring readability. Then pair it with a complementary font for headers and titles to add visual interest. When planning your website typography maintain consistency in font sizes and styles across the site for a cohesive look. Consider the overall design theme and audience preferences to choose website typography that aligns with the brand identity and enhances the user experience. How to improve the readability of digital text? To improve the readability of digital text, use clean, easy-to-read fonts like sans-serif and choose a font size that's large enough to be legible on all devices. Ensure there’s enough contrast between the text and background, such as black text on a white background, to avoid eye strain. Keep your text well-spaced with enough line height and margins to make it visually clear. Break up long content with headings, bullet points and shorter paragraphs for easier scanning.

Get started by: Creating a website → | Getting a domain → Thanks to the evolution of website builders, you can now easily design a website and build an impressive online presence of your own. So, what is web design and how do you get started? From choosing your website builder and domain name, to understanding how to design each element of your site from your design concept, this complete guide will walk you through designing a website. TL;DR: How to design a website Designing a website is about more than just making it look good, it’s about creating an experience that engages your audience and supports your business goals. This guide walks you through each step, from defining your site’s purpose and structure to choosing a design, adding content and optimizing for performance. Wix provides an AI website builder that generates beautiful, fully customizable sites. You’ll also learn how to make your website functional, mobile-friendly and ready to scale as your business grows. What you need to design a website What you need to design a website Why it matters A domain name Your domain is your website’s address online (e.g., example.com) and helps people easily find your business. Web hosting Hosting stores your website’s files and makes sure your site is always accessible to visitors. A website builder or CMS Tools like Wix give you everything you need to design and manage your site, from customizable templates to built-in features. Design assets High-quality images, videos and fonts make your website look professional and engaging. How to design a website Set your goal Choose a website builder Define your layout Create wireframes Claim your domain name Gather your content Add the right pages Design your website elements Pick the professional tools you need Make it accessible to everyone Optimize for mobile Strengthen your SEO Engage with visitors Ask for feedback Publish and update Monitor and adjust 01. Set your goal Before you design a website, be crystal-clear about what you want to achieve. With so many types of websites out there, you should start by deciding which kind will help you meet your goals and meet your target audience and market where they are: Before you commit to a website type, get specific about who it's actually for. Sketch a one-page user persona that captures who your ideal visitor is: their age range, what they do for work, the problem they're trying to solve when they land on your site, the device they're most likely browsing from, and what would make them trust you within the first ten seconds. Even a rough persona changes design decisions, a site aimed at recruiters reviewing a portfolio looks nothing like a site aimed at parents booking weekend kids' classes. If you have an existing audience (email list, social followers, past customers), check the analytics and pull real numbers; if you don't, write down your three best guesses and stay open to revising them after launch. An AI store builder or eCommerce website to sell your products Use a portfolio maker to showcase your art A business website to manage and grow your business A resume website to grab the attention of potential employers A blog to share your knowledge with the world An event website for weddings, parties and company events A photography portfolio website to display and sell prints A fitness website to book new clients A restaurant website to help with online orders, delivery and payment As part of this step you'll want to make sure you do plenty of research into how your site should be structured and designed, both for the type of site it is and your brand. eCommerce sites are designed differently to blog websites, for example, and mainly because of the user experience (UX) and user intent (UI) and how they differ on each unique site. Look first to your competitors to see how they've designed their sites, maybe there are must have pages, content or layout you should have. Once you decide which type you need, it’s time to start the exciting part which is designing your site. As you set off on this journey, keep your overarching purpose in mind and think about how the design will help achieve your objectives. The clearer the purpose, the easier every later decision becomes. Freya Simonne and Shaun Oliver, founders of the bespoke tailoring brand Shaun Oliver near London, took this idea to its limit when designing their site: "Visit our website and you won't find a single product for sale. For a bespoke high-end brand like ours, I believe a website's goal shouldn't be to sell a product, but rather, to sell an experience." That single decision shaped everything downstream. Their site converts visitors into in-person consultations at near 100% from inquiry to sale. As you move forward with designing a website, you’ll find that your choice of elements to include will vary depending on what you want to accomplish. For example, if you want to sell your photos online, try displaying your work in a portfolio format and including an online store where you can sell prints. Or, if you’re creating a website with the goal of landing a job, a simple and professional resume website sans embellishment might suit your needs perfectly. If you need help envisioning a design that meets your goal, browse through these Wix website examples for inspiration. You should also tap in web design trends and galleries for further inspiration. Consider also creating a mood board, just to brainstorm colors, styles and anything else relevant to the early stages of designing your website. Starting a design business? Use this design name generator to name it. 02. Choose your website builder Now that you’ve identified your goal, your next step is to choose the right website builder to accomplish it. A website builder (also known as a CMS) is a no-code platform on which you can design, personalize and publish a website without any knowledge of coding. There are dozens of platforms available on the market. Not sure which one to use? Wix.com is an HTML website builder that was ranked # 1 out of the best website builders in the world and for good reason. Learn more about the advantages of Wix: Here are a few Wix advantages: Diverse pricing models: Creating, publishing and hosting your website is totally free, for as long as you wish. If you want to upgrade your online presence with some tailored features, Premium packages are also available. They include everything you need to succeed online, from professional templates and web design features, to a custom domain name. Learn more: How to vibe code a website Design customization: Whether you’re a seasoned web designer or are still learning how to design a website, you’ll find that Wix offers different creative routes for everyone. One option is the Wix Editor, whose drag-and-drop technology and WYSIWYG software gives you complete design freedom. Each element of your website’s design can be customized for the look you want, while plenty of tools and built-in features will heighten its professional presence. You don't need to know or understand markup languages (HTML, CSS, Javascript) to build a Wix website. Beginners might also enjoy using Wix’s AI website builder, to help you design a website in record time. Simply chat with AI about the vision for your site, and you’ll get a complete website that you can customize as you wish. Or use Wix Harmony, which takes you from a single prompt to a business-ready site for any industry or creative vision. Move fluidly between prompt-driven creation with Wix Harmony and precise drag-and-drop editing — you're never locked into one mode when vibe coding a website with Wix. At the same time, experienced creators can look into Velo by Wix, which lets you dive into your site’s engine and interface to build sophisticated apps, APIs and databases. You get to own your website development. This way, you’re sure to have a one-of-kind result that suits your brand perfectly, and looks like no other website in the world. Also look at Wix Studio, an advanced web creation platform build for agencies, who need more from their web creation platform. Or use Wix's native Chat GPT integration allows you to type"@Wix" in a conversation, to invoke its Wix Harmony vibe code website builder. Professional solutions: Because your website is the hub of your online life, Wix puts all of the professional solutions you need in one place. Tools like email marketing, invoices, bookings, social media accounts and more can be integrated into your website’s design for the best experience of managing your site and business. On top of this, you’ll also be able to optimize your site with Wix SEO to increase your chances of getting found on Google. Unique design features: Wix’s design features are completely customizable, which means you can design your website exactly the way you want. From a suite of imagery and backgrounds to innovative features like transparent videos and scrolling effects, you’ll have plenty of options to start with, and you can always upload files of your own. Customer service: You’re not alone in your journey of learning how to design a website. If you need assistance, you’ll always have someone to talk to thanks to Wix’s 24/7 support team and social media pages. If you want to read up on web design tips, find web design tutorials, and get inspiration, you’ll find plenty of helpful material available online, too. To grow your knowledge in web design, online marketing, SEO and more— take a look at the Wix Blog (sincerely yours) and Help Center. Worth knowing: Wix's template library is large and the AI builder gets you live quickly, but treat any template as a starting point rather than a finished design. Sites that go live with minimal changes tend to look like everyone else's. Time spent customizing fonts, colors, section layouts and imagery to match your specific brand is what separates a Wix-looking site from a yours-looking site, regardless of which Wix website builder you start in. Ready to design a website with the Wix Editor? Here’s how to get started: Go to Wix.com from your desktop or mobile. Enter your email address, pick a password—and voilà. You now have your account, from which you can create as many websites as you wish. Explore the vast collection of website templates, pick the one that’s most relevant for your needs, and start customizing it with the tools and features of your choice. If you’d rather build your website from scratch, you can start with a blank canvas and take it from there. 03. Define your website layout Once you’re logged into your platform of choice, it’s time to conceptualize your website layout. If you want to start from scratch, you may want to plan map out your website’s design (and structure) on paper before you start to use the drag and drop website builder. However, another option is to use a template, which is a pre-designed layout created by a professional designer. Wix offers an extensive library of over 2000 free website templates. You’ll find designs for every kind of website, whether you’re looking to create a business website, a blog or a personal website.Start by browsing through the hundreds of options until you find a layout that you love. Then, you can make it your own by fully customizing all its elements and removing, adding or changing details like text, images and color. Anna Suntsov, blog and social design team lead at Wix, frames the layout step as a research step first: "The most important thing before building a website is good research. Know what you want to do and collect good inspirations that will contribute to your design." Pro tip: There's no better way to get your web design juices flowing than by seeking creative inspiration. A good way to start is to look at website examples that got it right. Grab a pen and paper, and jot down ideas you like as you browse through some of the best website designs. Mackenzie Precht, co-founder of the vacation rental brand Kindling Home in North Carolina, leaned on this exact approach when building her site without prior design experience: "Even very profound artists copy other people's art first, so that they can then design their own style." The site that came out of that process now drives 60% of Kindling Home bookings directly, almost double the 34% industry average. 04. Create wireframes Wireframes are simple black-and-white sketches of your website that outline the basic structure of each page. Think of them as the blueprint for your site’s design, helping you map out where elements like text, images, buttons and menus will be placed. Creating wireframes gives you a clear vision of your layout and allows you to make adjustments before jumping into the actual design process. You can create wireframes using freehand sketches on paper or online drag-and-drop platforms. Start by sketching your homepage to decide what visitors will see first and how they’ll navigate through your site. Then, move on to other essential pages like your About, Blog or Contact sections, outlining how all the pieces will connect. Pro tip: Wireframes don’t need to be detailed or perfect. Keep them simple, focusing on functionality and layout rather than aesthetics. Once you're happy with the structure, you can move on to customize and fine-tune the design for a polished final look. 05. Claim your domain name To put it in simple terms, your domain name is your address on the internet. It’s what your visitors will see in the bar of their browser, right after the “www.” Registering your domain name is critical for online success. Websites with a customized domain are automatically perceived by internet users as more professional and trustworthy. When chosen wisely, a domain name also helps search engines (like Google and Bing) understand what your website is about. This is important because it helps bring in more traffic to your website. Now, how do you choose a domain name for your brand? To make it memorable, keep it: Short: The longer it is, the higher the chances of visitors misspelling it. Simple: Avoid symbols, special characters and numbers. Professional: Your domain name should incorporate your own name or your business name, to avoid confusion. Evocative: Hint about what you do into your domain name by incorporating words that are related to your business. You can find out if your dream domain name is available by using this domain registration tool. If your top choice is still up for grabs, don’t hesitate to acquire your piece of virtual property. If it’s not, don’t panic. Try out different variations of your original choice by playing around with the word order, or adding “the” at the start. Pro tip: Picking a domain name also means using the right domain extension. From .org to .com and .net, you can choose from over 400 top-level domain extensions. It’s best practice to use one that suits your business type and geographic location. Choosing a domain also means selecting the right web hosting provider. With Wix, reliable and secure web hosting is standard with every site designed. 06. Gather your site content Now that you’ve set the foundations for your digital design, it’s time to get practical and prepare the content that will be featured on your website. This includes all of your web content: images, text, logo, videos and more. Use your own material as much as possible to ensure you’re offering unique and branded content. If you’re not using original content, just make sure to acquire your resources legally. Wix comes with a wide selection of media features, including a library of over one million free photos from our partners at Unsplash, Vector illustrations and interactive videos that are exclusive to Wix. There’s also endless stock photo and image reservoirs you can check out. Or, Wix's AI image tool. Read also: 7 things you can do in 30 seconds using Wix’s AI image tools While having plenty of material on your website is great, remember to always put quality over quantity. In an era of decreasing attention spans, the best way to catch your visitors’ attention is to showcase only your best content. Finally, make sure your content is fully branded. Think of your website as an online persona, everything from the written content to the colors and fonts you use should reflect who you are or what your brand identity is. Pro tip: New to the marketing game, or feel like you could sharpen up your brand language? From creating a logo to defining your tone of voice, this guide explains everything you need to know about building a solid brand identity. 07. Add the right website pages Every business is unique, and so is every website. Nevertheless, there are some traditional sections that your site visitors will expect to see. If you’re going for a multi-page website design, here are some must-have web pages: Homepage: You have one chance to make a good first impression, and your homepage is it. Since it’s likely to be the first thing visitors will see, aim for a homepage that’s clean, organized and eye-catching. It should clarify who you are and what you do and serve as a starting point for visitors to navigate through your site. Make sure it contains the most crucial information: your logo, the name of your business and a navigation menu inviting visitors to browse further. Once you’ve got these basics down, consider what sort of website background, imagery, written content and calls-to-action you can add here to engage with visitors. About Us page: Tell your story and share your values, methods and any other information that defines your brand with an About Us page. Welcome new visitors by using the first person (“I” or “We”), since it adds a friendly touch of friendliness and warmth. Also, don’t forget to include a picture of yourself or your team members, since clients always like to see the face behind a business. Contact page: When visitors want to reach out, they should be able to get hold of you easily. That’s where a contact page comes in. Make sure to include your phone number, postal address, business email address and social media accounts. You can also consider adding a live chat widget that gives visitors the chance to reach out and get an immediate response, or a contact form where they can write their message directly through your site. Extras (but highly recommended): Your product or service page: The product page (or service page, depending on your industry) is where your visitors discover what you have to offer, and if they’re convinced, take out their credit card and make a purchase. When you design a website with a product or service page in mind, here are some key recommendations: Add high quality product photography, write precise and engaging product or service descriptions, and be transparent about your conditions (such as shipping, return, or cancellation policies). A blog: Starting a blog with a blog creator boosts your reputation as an expert, helps you foster a loyal community, and is an effective way to drive traffic to your website. If you’re not a natural-born writer, don’t fret - you have much more to say than you think. You can write about your clients (success stories, case studies, interviews) or yourself (events you attend, new employees and more). But the most valuable blog ideas will come from your own expertise. Your readers will love to discover the tips, methods and hacks you use to solve the problems you meet and will definitely appreciate the added value. Testimonials: An honest testimonials page is a wonderfully effective addition to your website design. Studies show that 77% of satisfied customers will recommend your business or service to a friend after having a positive experience. If the purpose of your website is to bring in new customers, leverage the power of word-of-mouth and let your satisfied clients do the selling for you. You can also consider using social proof examples as part of this page as well. This can help lend credibility to both your site and business. Splash page: A splash page acts as a preview to your site, greeting visitors before they reach your homepage. This is a great way to engage with visitors using high quality visuals or interesting text, or to promote a special offer or event. FAQ page: An FAQ page is a dedicated page on your website that provides visitors with quick and simple answers to common questions in an organized and structured manner. It can save time by providing automated answers and provide a great experience for users. Privacy page: This may be necessary for legal compliance, so be sure to check in your own country. A privacy policy helps you establish yourself as a transparent brand, whom customers can trust. Also often using third-party services, such as web analytics platforms, or monetizing your website through ads, can mean you need a privacy policy page to work with these partners. Once you've decided which pages you need, your next priority should be to plan and structure them within your website. Establishing a hierarchy of pages is important for your site's navigation and to make sure people can move throughout the site with ease. This will also help you decided which pages and links to prioritize on your header and footer. 08. Design your website elements You’ve got your content ready, claimed your domain name and set up your website’s pages. It’s officially time to design the elements of your website. In this section, we’ll talk about all the details that will bring your website together and how to arrange them to form one cohesive design - whether that's inspired by minimalist, modernism, brutalism or something else completely. Ultimately, these decisions should be guided by your brand identity - the distinct appearance and voice you use to communicate your message to audiences. On top of this, keep usability in mind: your website should always facilitate easy navigation and strive to give visitors an engaging user experience. Here are some elements to work on when learning how to design a website: Website architecture: In order to provide the best website navigation experience for visitors, your pages need to be properly connected to one another. Make sure visitors can easily find the pages they need by adding a navigation menu and implementing internal links. Ultimately, follow the “two-click rule.” Your visitors shouldn’t have to click more than once to access any page of your site, wherever they are. Nitzan Eiges, team lead of technical SEO at Wix, makes the case for planning URL structure before you build: "When it comes to making a website, it's worth considering building a plan for all your website pages from the start of the process. This means creating a clear website plan that includes your planned and potential future pages. This allows you to build a URL structure for your site that is clean and consistent. In turn, this can also help you avoid making fixes to your URL structure later, such as adding redirects and manually updating or changing your internal linking." Menu: This central element of your design will display the different items featured on your website, ensuring that visitors can easily find and navigate from one page to another. Website menus range from the standard horizontal header menu, to the condensed hamburger menu. Whichever style you choose, it’s recommended to make it accessible on every page of your site and to keep the number of items to a minimum to avoid clustering the screen. Colors: Color psychology proves that different hues have different impacts on human behavior, which is what makes it such an important aspect of website design. The colors you choose may involve different emotions in your users and can impact your site's bounce rate. When choosing your website color scheme, a general rule is to limit yourself to three shades: one primary color (60% of the mix), one secondary color (30%) and one accent color (10%). Of course, if you’ve already solidified brand colors for yourself or your business, these should be included. Don't forget to think about your color palette and your use of the concepts of web colors and color space. Fonts: When you choose fonts for your website, pick typefaces that are legible (both on desktop and mobile) and consistent with your brand identity. While the world of web typography is vast, opt for a maximum of three fonts in order to avoid visual chaos and to ensure readability. Header and footer: Your website’s header and footer are found at the very top and bottom of your website, respectively. Both of these elements can be used in your website’s design to enhance usability and engagement. Both your header and footer contribute to the visual hierarchy of your site, which is important for users and search engines to understand what your site is about and who it's for. A website header is a great place to include features that you want visitors to discover immediately, such as your own logo or navigation menu. While a website footer won’t be seen right away, it can still be used to help your visitors in a number of ways. For example, it’s a great place for you to add your contact information, social media buttons, or an email sign up form. Motion: This refers to all of the non-static, multimedia elements of your website, which can be very handy when you’re trying to catch the eye of visitors. Motion can come in many shapes, sizes and locations across your website design: implementing hover effects to encourage interaction, using VideoBox to add stunning effects or even uploading a full video background. While website animations will definitely spruce up your site, use them in moderation. This guide explains all the dos and don’ts of adding animation to your website design. Scroll effects: As the name suggests, scroll effects appear when the visitors scroll up or down your site. Their sophistication has the potential to draw attention, but most importantly, they help create a smooth transition between the different layers of a website page. One such effect is parallax scrolling. This professional 3D effect can add a sense of depth to your page, resulting in a lively browsing experience. This, along with other scroll effects (such as reveal or zoom-in), can be achieved using the Wix Editor. The motion and scroll piece is where designers often go too far. For a strong working example of how far you can push the Wix Editor when you have a clear purpose: Fabio, a Portuguese growth manager at Wix, secretly spent four months building a Netflix-themed proposal website for his partner using the Wix Editor's blank canvas, gradient strips, hover effects, scroll animations and a custom preloader animation built via a code embed. "The motion was the hardest thing I had to do," he said of replicating Netflix's preloader inside Wix. The deliberate over-design served the moment and she said yes. The lesson: heavy motion design works when there's a single, clear emotional reason for it. On a business site, that reason is usually subtler. Favicon: A favicon is a small icon that will be used in a website browser to “represent” your website. Take a second to look up at this tab in your browser, and you’ll see a tiny Wix logo in the left-hand corner—that’s a favicon. Despite its small size, a favicon is a great tool for helping users locate your website in those moments when one too many tabs are open. It will also contribute to your website’s branding by presenting your logo in an extra location, and its sharp appearance adds a measure of professionalism to your website design. Responsive design: Responsive design enables your visitors to have a seamless browsing experience, regardless of whether they are using a desktop computer, tablet or mobile device. With Wix Columns, your website automatically adjusts and stacks content vertically based on the screen size or device being used to view it. This ensures that your website maintains its functionality and visual appeal across various platforms. Whitespace: This is the area of your website that doesn’t include anything. Frightened by all this empty space? Don’t be. First of all, despite the name white space doesn't mean the absence of color, but rather negative space. Also, white space gives your visitors room to “breathe” between images or pieces of content, contributing to a much better user experience. It also supports Hick's law, that the more choices people are given, the harder it can be for them to make a decision. You want to avoid this on your site where the goal is to get users to interact and move around it. Visual hierarchy: Visual hierarchy is the strategic arrangement of elements on a webpage to guide users' attention to what matters most. By using techniques like larger fonts for headings, bold colors for call-to-action buttons and contrasting sections, you can create a clear and structured path for viewers. Spacing helps prevent clutter and maintains a balanced, inviting layout. A strong visual hierarchy enhances user experience while ensuring your key messages are noticeable and effectively communicated. "I loved building it myself because I could be obsessive about the details. For a creative person like me, getting the composition and the feel of each page exactly right isn't a small thing. And Wix's drag-and-drop builder made it possible to get that precision without writing a single line of code." Gergei Erdei, Founder, Gergei Erdei Studio, UK Wix user, luxury homeware brand (former Gucci designer) The control over composition that Gergei describes is the difference between a site that feels generic and one that feels intentional. When you're at this stage, slow down on the small details: spacing, alignment, the relationship between sections. That's where intentional design lives. Once you've made decisions on colors, fonts and button styles, treat them as a small design system rather than one-off choices. Write down your primary color, your one or two accent colors, your headline font, your body font, and the spacing and corner radius you use on buttons. Save these as reusable styles in the Wix Editor (color palettes, text styles, button presets) so every new page or section pulls from the same set instead of being styled from scratch. The benefit shows up as your site grows: a five-page site that uses three fonts and seven shades of blue feels inconsistent fast, while a twenty-page site built on a tight design system still reads as one coherent brand. Pro tip: What would artists like Leonardo da Vinci have to say about how to design a website? A lot, we imagine. Some of the same rules that governed art and design for centuries are also applicable to the internet. From balance to symmetry, discover how the principles of design can be applied to websites. Don't forget you can also test how your website looks with a mockup or website wireframe, that will help show you your design and structure before you press publish. Ready to put your website design skills to action? Start designing your site now. 09. Pick the professional business and marketing tools you need For the creative and professionally minded alike, adding some of the following business tools to your website can help facilitate efficient and secure transactions. It can also help ensure the scalability of your business through your website. To further help you design your site, Wix encompasses several bespoke solutions to help businesses across all sizes and industries interact with clients. Incorporating these features will elevate your website so that it not only looks good, but operates seamlessly and functions how you need it to: Scheduling software: If you run a service business, your website needs to be able to receive online reservations and payments, 24/7. Wix’s scheduling software does just that. It includes the most sophisticated options on the market, from letting clients book appointments online to the ability to manage your staff’s calendars. Online store: Want to sell your goods online and generate a continuous stream of revenue? An online store is the way to go. From tracking your orders to accepting payments online, to getting paid easily, you’ll be able to manage everything from one dedicated place. Social posts: Raise brand awareness and drive traffic to your site by creating eye-catching social media graphics and sharing your posts directly to Facebook and Instagram. Music: The Wix Music player lets you stream and sell your music directly from your website, with custom players you can match to your site's design. You keep 100% of the profits on direct sales. (Note: Wix Music's distribution-to-digital-stores service ended in 2019; for distribution to Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms, Wix recommends using a third-party distributor like Soundrop alongside your Wix site.) Video Maker: Did you know videos can boost organic search traffic to your website by 157%? With the Wixel Video maker you can enhance your website design with customized videos in order to engage with your audience and improve traffic. These can be used to promote your products or services, share exciting updates and more. Wix app: The Wix app conveniently allows you to run your site from anywhere, whether this means live chatting with visitors, or designing your website on-the-go. You’ll even have a mobile space where your regular followers and clients can join. Natalie Lucas, founder of Natalie Lucas Studio on the Gold Coast in Australia, used the right combination of these professional tools to scale from solo operator to a team of 40. Of Wix scheduling specifically, she said: "There was a lot of time wasted on back-and-forth conversations, trying to line up schedules with clients. It was very time-consuming. Now, I just tell my clients: 'Here's the link. You can see all available session times.'" The design of her site does the booking work for her. Expert tip: The Wix App Market includes a large selection of apps to boost your website’s business potential. From chat to payment, pop-ups and advertising on Google, there’s a tool for every aspect of your business. 10. Make your site accessible to everyone These days, a truly great website design should be accessible to everyone. Web accessibility ensures that all people, regardless of their abilities, can comfortably experience and interact with your website. This includes people with vision impairment, temporary injuries, hearing loss and more. With over one billion people living with some form of disability, catering to everyone’s needs is crucial. It also shows that you and your business value inclusivity and diversity. There are a number of ways to improve user experience on your website for everyone. Make sure to build your website layout hierarchically, using clear headers to define the different levels of information. In addition, ensure that your site is fully operable with a keypad, write alt text for your images, use heading tags and more. Rebecca Tomasis, organic growth content lead at Wix, frames accessibility as a benefit to all users, not just those with disabilities: "An accessible website benefits not only people with disabilities, but all people. Websites with good contrast, for example, are not only more welcoming and usable for people with low vision. They also improve the experience of a user who might be using a smartphone while walking outside on a sunny day." 11. Optimize for mobile Smaller screens do not equal smaller impact. With an increase in smartphone and tablet usage, it’s crucial that you ensure a seamless browsing experience across all devices by optimizing your mobile website design. When creating a site with Wix, a mobile version of your site is automatically generated with the Mobile Editor. This means that you won’t have to worry about building a new structure from scratch. However, it’s still up to you to make sure you’re optimizing your content to fit this smaller piece of real estate. Firstly, on your mobile website design, try to keep only the most important elements on the page, removing whatever isn’t absolutely necessary. Secondly, optimize the space above the fold by placing the most vital bits of information there, such as your menu or name. This is what your visitors will see first on a mobile browser, so keep it engaging and informative. 12. Strengthen your SEO After you design a website, nothing is more satisfying than watching the number of visitors grow. One way to increase traffic to your website is to build a website design with SEO best practices. SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of optimizing your website’s content so that it ranks well in search results. SEO results from a new site typically take weeks to months to compound, regardless of how well-optimized the content is. The setup work pays off, just not immediately. Site owners who expect organic traffic in the first few days consistently underestimate this timeline, so plan for SEO as a slow-burn channel and keep other promotion methods (social, email, direct outreach) running in parallel. Here are some SEO tips that you can apply to your content to improve your chances of ranking in the top results: Conduct keyword research: Keyword research will help you find the keywords that are most relevant for your site. Once you have them, pick one main keyword and a couple of secondary ones—but no more than that. Place your keywords in strategic locations across your site (SEO title and description, homepage, etc.), but don’t overdo it. Search engines penalize websites that “stuff” keywords unnaturally into their content. Include on-page SEO: This is about telling search engines what your pages include. On each page, your website builder will ask you to fill in the meta-data. This includes the URL, the SEO title (the blue link you see on Google’s results page) and the description. Although visitors may not notice these elements, they’re important when it comes to ranking. Add alt text: Alt text refers to the descriptions that you give to your pictures. These won’t be visible to your visitors, but they give a strong indication to Google as to what the media is about. Google may have a lot of knowledge, but it can’t “see” photos or GIFs (yet!). Alt text will help your visual content appear in Google results pages. Plus, writing SEO friendly alt text for your images is also an important practice in improving your website’s accessibility. Boost internal linking: This will ultimately make it easier for Google’s bots to navigate through and recognize your website. Adding links throughout your website design will also encourage visitors to discover more pages. Create a sitemap: This will make it easier for Google and other search engines to crawl your site and understand what it's about. This can be done automatically with a Wix premium plan. 13. Engage with your visitors These days, visitors expect to engage with you on your site and beyond. Including some of the following features when you design a website will keep your audience connected and informed. Connecting with your followers across multiple channels is a powerful way to build relationships with them and will ultimately bring more eyes to your site. Live chat: Adding a live chat widget to your site makes a big difference in your visitors’ ability to interact with you. Whether it’s to provide fast customer support or to help undecided visitors make their way to the cart, this small window at the bottom of your users’ screen is a friendly addition. Social media: Similar to your website, your social media channels are an important aspect of your online presence. As you design your website, add links to your social accounts to build your social following and provide another outlet for visitors to connect with you. These should be located somewhere visible, such as under the menu, on the right or left side of your page, or in the footer. Newsletter: Email marketing is a great way to maintain a connection with your audience. You can use email newsletters to update visitors about the latest sales on your online store, promote new blog articles, or celebrate your achievements with subscribers. Invite visitors to subscribe to your newsletter by placing a lightbox on your website. Forms: One powerful way to build long-lasting relationships with your customers is to ask for their feedback. Creating an online form for your website makes sure that visitors have a safe place to share their thoughts about your products, services, website or customer support. Pro tip: Learn how to engage your visitors effectively with techniques like website gamification. 14. Ask for feedback, test and edit At this point, you may know how to design a website successfully, but there’s still room for growth. Being impartial is especially difficult when it comes to your own creation, which is why designing a website involves asking for honest feedback from individuals you trust. Be receptive to their critique and remember that you may not always like what you hear. To ensure a flawless final result, ask a friend or colleague to double check the following elements: Is the text correct? Spelling mistakes can ruin the professional reputation that you’ve worked so hard to build. Are the pages easy to navigate? If it takes too long to find a strategic page of your site, it means that you may need to rethink your site architecture or improve the visibility of your menu. Is your web design optimized for mobile? Over 50% of internet users browse websites using a mobile device. You certainly don’t want to leave half of the world’s population frustrated. Are all the links working? Click on every link to make sure none of them return a 404 page (this indicates that the page doesn’t exist anymore). Check to make sure your call-to-actions (CTA's) are working with the correct links too. Are the SEO elements filled out correctly? From alt text to title tags, there are some items to verify so you can rank higher and grow your search engine visibility. Run manual, automated and user experience tests to ensure everything works as expected. UX testing helps identify design issues before launch, ensuring the website meets user needs. Usability testing with real users highlights pain points, while A/B testing compares design variations to determine what performs best. Heatmaps reveal how visitors interact with your site, guiding improvements. These insights allow you to fine-tune your design for a smoother and more engaging user experience. Test your website on different browsers and devices to make sure it works perfectly for everyone. Something that runs smoothly on one browser might not on another, and the same goes for desktops, tablets or smartphones. This step ensures a consistent experience for every visitor, no matter their setup. Fix any errors or usability issues before launch. Check for broken links, speed up page load times and smooth out navigation or design hiccups. A fully functional, user-friendly site helps you make a great first impression right from the start. 15. Publish and update your website design Having a website is a necessity. But having a website that is up-to-date is what really makes the difference. A site that looks like it’s been lying dormant for too long is uninviting and unreliable. Make sure to be alert, stay in-the-know and update or redesign your website's content as often as you can. As you learn how to design a website that constantly grows and evolves, you’ll need to know how to update your site. There’s always room for improvement, and you want to make sure that you keep your website design fresh. Stay savvy by keeping up with web design trends and UX design trends—use that knowledge to update your site’s design overtime. Don’t forget to keep your content up-to-date, too. Make sure it’s always relevant and proves to visitors that you’re on top of the latest developments in your industry. 16. Monitor and adjust your website Once your website is live, consistently track its performance. This will help you gain insights into user behavior, page traffic and engagement metrics. Regularly check these analytics to understand what's working and what may need improvement. Pay attention to high bounce rates, exit pages and user flow to identify any areas where visitors might be having trouble. User feedback can also be invaluable—consider implementing surveys or feedback forms to glean insights directly from your audience. Track your website’s performance by monitoring traffic and user behavior with tools like Google Analytics. These tools help you understand key metrics such as visitor demographics, session length and page views. Connect your site to analytics to make smart, data-driven decisions effortlessly. Use these insights to improve your content and make necessary updates. For example, if you notice high bounce rates on certain pages, try simplifying navigation or enhancing the content to keep visitors engaged. Armed with this data, be prepared to make necessary adjustments to your content, design or functionality to enhance user experience and achieve your website goals. Remember, a website that evolves with user needs and technological advancements will remain relevant and successful. Pro tip: You can regularly track the growth of your web traffic and performance of your site by utilizing Wix’s marketing integrations and connecting your website to tracking tools, like Google Analytics or Google Search Console. What you need to design a website To design a website, you'll need the following: A domain name: This is the address of your website on the internet, such as example.com. You can register a domain name through a domain registrar. Web hosting: This is the service that stores your website's files and makes them accessible to visitors. You can purchase web hosting from a web hosting provider. A website builder or content management system (CMS): This is a software tool that helps you to create and manage your website's content. Using Wix as a CMS for web design offers you a wide range of templates, ease of use and affordability. Design assets: This includes images, videos and fonts that you will use to design your website. You can find design assets for free or purchase them from stock photo websites and other online resources. When to design a website yourself or hire a web designer Whether you should design a website yourself or hire a web designer depends on a number of factors, including the following. Budget: Hiring a web designer can be expensive, so it's important to consider your budget before making a decision. If you're on a tight budget, you may want to consider designing your own website using a website builder or CMS platform. Time commitment: Designing a website can be a time-consuming process, especially if you're not familiar with web design. If you don't have the time to commit to designing your own website, then hiring a web designer may be the best option. Skills and experience: If you have no experience with web design, then it may be difficult to create a website that is both visually appealing and functional. If you're not confident in your ability to design a website, hiring a web designer could be the best option. However, website builders like Wix offers easy-to-use templates for beginners, so it's not a necessity. Considering hiring a professional? Hire a pro through the Wix Marketplace to connect with verified designers who can create a polished, ready-to-launch website tailored to your needs. How to design a website with AI When it comes to designing a website, AI can improve various aspects of the design process, from user experience (UX) to visual design and even content creation. The simplest way to get started is by using an AI website builder. A platform like this can connect you with advanced AI tools that take care of the back-end and front-end development of your site, so you can focus on the vision for your brand and business. Meanwhile, AI will suggest the best layout and design for your site based on business goals. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. AI website builders like Wix will go a step further and set you up with the right pages and business applications. For example, if you run a gym that hosts events and also sells its own apparel, Wix will automatically connect your site with its Bookings and Stores apps. This ensures that you not only have a professional-looking website, but also a fully functional workspace for managing all aspects of your business online. Sign up for Wix and test drive its AI website maker for free today. How to design a website FAQ How much does it cost to design a website? The cost of designing a website varies. You can start designing a website for free, with a website builder like Wix or choose from a premium plan. Using a designer or expert to design your website could cost from several hundred to thousands of dollars. Can I design a website by myself? Yes. With an easy to use website builder like Wix, you can create a website by yourself for your business or brand. How do you design a website from scratch? Here are some tips for designing a website from scratch: Start with a clear plan: Before you start designing your website, it's important to have a clear plan of what you want your website to achieve. What do you want your website to do? Who is your target audience? What are your goals for your website? Do your research: Once you have a clear plan, it's important to do your research. This includes researching different website design trends, as well as researching your target audience. Choose the right tools: You can design a website for free using a website builder like Wix. If you want a more powerful website, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. Start designing: Once you have chosen the right tools, you can start designing your website. This is where you will put all of your ideas together and create the look and feel of your website. Test and refine: Once you have designed your website, it's important to test it and make sure it works properly. You should also refine the design based on your feedback. What are the best platforms for designing a website without coding knowledge? Wix is a popular website builder for users with no coding experience. They offer drag-and-drop interfaces, customizable website templates and built-in features for easy and fast web design. What are some common mistakes to avoid when designing a website? Common website design blunders include neglecting user experience, focusing solely on aesthetics over functionality, ignoring mobile friendly techniques, overusing visuals and animations, neglecting clear navigation and choosing a slow loading website. How to design a mobile friendly website? Wix's mobile editor, for example, allows you to preview and edit your site's mobile view. Ensure your content is easily readable and accessible on small screens. Use large buttons and clear navigation for easy interaction.

Editor's note: This blog includes additional reporting by Margaret Andersen. Margaret is a hybrid graphic designer/journalist based in Los Angeles. Whether you’re an aspiring web designer or a creative professional studying how to make a website that stands out—staying on top of web design trends can help your brand make an impact online. “As a designer, you really need to look out for cultural references, and not only in terms of web design," says Yiftach Koronio, Wix’s head of Social. “Culture affects design trends across platforms—whether it's fashion or website design, UX or UI.” Overall, this year we expect nostalgia and nature to influence web design in creative ways and further blur the boundary between physical and digital mediums. In many ways, Gen Z’s feelings will win out above the preferences of its predecessors, pushing aside Millennial minimalism for more dramatic, pop-culture infused website design. Continue reading for a closer look at the web design trends that are popping up on our radar. Ready to put your website design skills to action? Create a website with Wix today. Web design trends of 2026 Just a caveat before we begin: The design teams at Wix work hard to make sure our Editor is equipped with most of these elements so you can integrate this year’s over-the-top trends when you design a website. However, you'll still need to do some work to ensure your site sticks to its brand identity and facilitates a strong user experience. While Wix offers industry-leading performance at the core of every site, too much high-density content can still affect page load speed. Make sure you follow image and media optimization best practices (as well as website design best practices) to make sure your site not only looks trendy, but functions its best. It's additionally worth studying web design statistics, the top conversion mistakes made on websites and the relationship between website design and SEO. Without further ado, here are the biggest web design trends for this year (and learn about UX design trends too): Nature distilled Tactile maximalism Exaggerated hierarchy Retro revival Museumcore Dopamine colors Hyperreality Elevated brutalism '80s excess Dial-up design Retrofuture femme Read also: How to design a website with AI or 10 high-end website design tips (feat. advice from an art director) 01. Nature distilled In 2025, designers brought a touch of warmth and humanity to the digital landscape through handmade illustrations and handwriting fonts. In 2026, the trend will evolve into the “nature distilled” aesthetic, featuring palettes that celebrate the muted, earthy tones of skin, wood and soil, emphasizing a subtle sophistication that still brings warmth to our screens. Just look at the Pantone Color of the Year 2026: PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer. Gormley & Gamble's site, which uses neutral tones to create a sleek yet grounded visual identity, evokes a sense of calm and authenticity. The UK-based womenswear-only tailor also uses earthy shades to reflect its commitment to sustainability. Tap into the trend Earthy palettes and organic typography: Use muted, natural tones like clay, soil and wood, paired with handwritten or typewriter-style fonts for a grounded yet warm aesthetic. Subtle textures and minimalism: Incorporate textures inspired by paper, stone or wood grain and embrace clean, uncluttered layouts. Human connection through visuals: Use storytelling-focused imagery, natural lighting and imperfect elements to foster an emotional, relatable experience. 02. Tactile maximalism It seems designers and brands are trying on a new “more is more”-inspired style after a period of quiet minimalism. This modern web design trend puts a lot of information in one place: think symmetrical screens cleanly divided into balanced sections, but instead of delicate and minimalist design within those neat compartments, you’ll see asymmetrical elements, bright and strong typography, powerful colors, plus intense textures and vigorous movement. “Each one of the sections of the screen will be like a TV show, concert or a psychedelic trip of its own,” says Adi Huri, head of product and creative director of Wix's Wow! department. From the looks of it, brands are aiming for overstimulation to snap us out of the monotonous drudgery of the past few years. Take Dopple Press' site as an example. The printing studio uses bright and unapologetic branding, alongside delightful animations to capture (and keep) your attention. Tap into the trend Incorporate tactile 3D elements: Use sculptural typography, textured surfaces and dynamic layering to create a sense of depth and touchable realism. Animate to mimic the physical world: Add subtle website animations like pressable buttons, reactive textures, or scrolls that feel alive to enhance interactivity. Blend playfulness with functionality: Combine whimsical 3D features (e.g., rotating hero images or inflatable visuals) with clean, structured layouts for a balanced user experience. 03. Exaggerated hierarchy One of 2026’s other maximalist subtrends will explore exaggerated hierarchy, where dramatically oversized typography is juxtaposed with tiny text for a striking visual contrast. The key lies in the interplay: the oversized text commands the screen, serving as a visual anchor, while the smaller text invites closer inspection, drawing the user in for a more detailed engagement. Take inspiration from Laurenz Marsau's online portfolio, where oversized text dominates the layout, exuding confidence, while delicate, understated copy punctuates the design. It’s a visual language of extremes—simultaneously commanding and inviting—that reflects the growing demand for designs that are both visually arresting and strategically communicative. Tap into the trend Contrast as communication: Pair dramatically oversized typography to anchor the viewer's attention with tiny, understated text that invites detailed engagement. Balance confidence and subtlety: Let bold, dominant type make a strong visual statement while delicate text punctuates the layout, offering nuance and depth. Design for impact: Create a visual rhythm of extremes to craft layouts that are both striking and strategically engaging, ensuring the design is memorable and functional. Related reading: The science of first impressions (and how to nail them on your site) 04. Retro revival "Nostalgia is a powerful trigger in design. In an increasingly tech-driven landscape, retro revival brings emotional connection. Whether through palettes inspired by the past, vintage typography or video editing styles, this balance between old and new is gaining ground. Even workspaces are seeing this trend, with retro decorative elements. In the end, will today’s design feel nostalgic in the future? Only time will tell." - Bruno Aurélio, Web Designer specializing in Figma and Wix Studio Legacy brands are refining, not reinventing, their historical designs. And the results are surprisingly modern. That’s because the key to pulling off this trend is balancing nostalgia with contemporary aesthetics. Mountain Dew’s rebrand reclaimed its full name, reintroduced vintage mountain imagery, and incorporated "Est. 1948" to celebrate its heritage while appealing to modern tastes. On the flip side, Jaguar’s overhaul misfired by discarding its iconic leaping cat logo and adopting a generic sans-serif wordmark. The brand arguably lost its luxurious and storied appeal—and let’s just say, people had feedback. Retro web design translates into digital branding strategies that integrate nostalgic visuals, storytelling and modern typography. This trend lets brands celebrate their roots, connect emotionally with audiences and stay relevant in a constantly shifting digital landscape, bridging the past and future seamlessly. Tap into the trend Refine, don’t reinvent: Modernize historical design elements like logos, typefaces or color palettes instead of starting from scratch. Highlight iconic features to retain familiarity while giving them a contemporary twist. Emphasize storytelling: Incorporate your brand’s heritage into your digital presence through visuals and messaging. Use nostalgia-driven narratives to evoke trust and emotional connections with your audience. Blend nostalgia with modernity: Pair vintage-inspired aesthetics with clean, modern design principles—simplified shapes, updated typography and fresh color schemes—to create a seamless balance between the past and present. 05. Museumcore If you consider the retro revival trend an early stop in your web-design time machine, this one blasts you way back to opulent aesthetics of the 16th and 17th century. This maximalist web design subtrend borrows from the excess, ornamentation and teeny-tiny details of the Renaissance and Baroque artistic movements. We’ve seen it on TV (Plains of Yonder’s White Lotus intro sequence evoked the murals of 16th century Italian villas), perfume, tinned fish and even dog shampoo. It was a welcome respite from the sans-serif sameness that’s dominated screen design for years. This renaissance is possible, partly because of improved tech, which can now support more visual details due to higher resolutions and bigger screen sizes. It begs designers to ask, "What would the Mona Lisa look like if it were a website?" No pressure. Tap into the trend Old-style fonts: Choose fonts like Garamond or Caslon for their historical significance and vintage feel, or spring for a more decorative font pack with speciality glyphs and vector elements to create a unique monogram logo. Rich jewel tones and subdued neutrals: Pops of colors like burgundy, navy blue and emerald green add sophistication when paired with cream, taupe and antique white backgrounds. Patterns and illustrations: Look for vintage floral patterns, ornamental frames or Toile De Jouy to add decorative elements that summon the luxuries of the past. Learn more: What is web design? 06. Dopamine colors These vibrant, high-energy palettes—think neon pinks, electric blues and bold bright reds—are everywhere, infusing websites with optimism and unapologetic joy. Initially a response to a post-pandemic craving for positivity, dopamine colors have evolved into a mainstay of digital design. These colors aren’t just a visual trend; they’ve become a tool for brands to communicate confidence and vitality, appealing to users on an emotional level. Expect to see more designers pushing the boundaries with hyper-saturated palettes in 2026, transforming every scroll into a serotonin boost. “Everything will be saturated with bright colors,” Adi says. “[Designers] will make the audience open their eyes wide, smile and go wild.” Colorful overlays, website gradients and imagery are all ways to incorporate the dopamine-inducing colors onto your site. Adi adds that imbuing your site with multiple colors, can create a grungy, noisy feel that is cool enough to attract the likes of the trendsetting Gen Z generation. For example, she says you can decorate each section of the same page differently or using a variety of hues across paragraph text, headings and calls-to-action. Take Ayelet's site as an example. Read more about this year's website color trends. Tap into the trend Embrace vibrant palettes: Incorporate bold, high-energy colors like neon pinks, electric blues and bright reds to infuse your design with optimism and vitality. Communicate emotionally: Use hyper-saturated hues strategically to evoke confidence and joy, creating an uplifting emotional connection with users. Push boundaries: Experiment with unconventional color combinations and saturated gradients to make every interaction feel dynamic and exciting. 07. Hyperreality Hyperreality lives in the world between reality and simulation, making the simulated version feel more real or impactful than reality itself. This idea, introduced by Jean Baudrillard, often applies to media, art and culture, where simulations can seem more compelling than real experiences. We see this now more than ever largely in part to the global rise of AI. Within the last two years Google Trends has shown a 1,700% jump in searches for AI design tools and a massive 8,500% increase in "Generative AI" searches. But AI is just part of what’s fueling the trend. Designers and creators are pushing limits of what’s possible in design both online and IRL. See: NPC characters on TikTok and Superorganism’s misty animation overlay that gives the feeling of being immersed in a tropical rainforest. Lennnie's website is also full of surreal inspiration, creating a virtual experience that you could get lost in for hours. Filled with warped illustrations and animated elements, the Lennnie site provides a space for people to meet, chat, shop or simply listen to music. Tap into the trend Interactive 3D elements: Integrate interactive 3D elements that users can manipulate, like clickable objects that change state or appearance with each interaction, to create a more immersive experience. Surreal animations: Use animations that alter the perception of the digital environment, like overlays or dynamically changing backgrounds, to give a sense of immersion and otherworldliness. Unexpected design features: Implement playful design features, such as warped videos or animated elements, to surprise and engage users, making the online experience feel more dynamic and intriguing. Pro tip: Explore website gamification to better understand how to introduce interactive elements to your website for better engagement. 08. Elevated brutalism Whether it’s the climate, geopolitical changes or the uncertainty of our workplaces, we live in uncertain times. While designers have grown familiar with chaos over the past few years, web design has tried to find order among the mess. But now, designers are embracing the wreckage. Welcome to the world of anti-design. With its roots in Brutalism, anti-design draws on harsh qualities that aim to break the principles of design, recreate the chaos around us and make a strong observational statement. This web trend is characterized by heavy, aggressive elements that broken and disproportional in appearance, such as clashing textures, overlapping elements, big fonts and asymmetrical, unstructured layouts. Because designers use anti-design to push creative limits and connect with new audiences, this attention-grabbing style won't fit every website and brand. Many online businesses depend on having a specific website structure and user flow, so anti-design’s nature may limit its success. However, if you have a portfolio, special project or initiative, anti-design may help you portray a specific subtext. For example, Isshī's website is intentionally unconventional. “If there’s a rule set in place, then I’m definitely breaking it,” says owner and artist Rolly Robínson. (Read our full conversation with Rolly.) Tap into the trend Less is more: Stick to a limited color palette like black, white and one bold pop of color like red. Get creative within constraints: Give system fonts like Times New Roman or Ariel more impact by increasing their point size. Elevate Utilitarianism with high-impact photography: Transform functional and minimalist designs by integrating high-quality photography to add emotional depth and visual appeal. 09. '80s excess The resurgence of ’80s and early ’90s excess will continue to influence web design as part of the broader maximalism trend carrying over into 2026. Brands like suncare startup Vacation, members-only winery Rochambeau Club and the ultra-stylish Rocco wine cooler 1500 are embracing a visual identity steeped in this era’s opulent aesthetic. Similarly, the revival of print magazines as collectible elevated products—like special editions from Nylon, Saveur and Field and Stream—has sparked a nostalgia-driven design movement that prioritizes quality and storytelling. When translated into the world of web design, this trend often features grainy background textures, soft single-color gradients and heavy use of vintage photography and styling, creating a luxurious timeless appeal. Drawing on old-school magazine layouts, websites can incorporate thin-line motifs, bordered images and retro typefaces like neutral semi-serifs or thin serifs paired with elegant secondary scripts. It doesn't say '80s without geometric shapes, pastel colors and multiple typefaces all at once. Illustration by Ashger Zamana. Tap into the trend Grainy background textures: Add grainy textures to backgrounds for a vintage feel. Soft single-color gradients: Use gentle gradients, like pastel pink to light peach. Magazine layout techniques: Frame images with thin lines and use bordered sections. Retro fonts: Pair condensed serif fonts like ITC Garamond and Benton Modern with neutral sans serifs like Optima for a balance between over-the-top excess and readability. 10. Dial-up design There’s a nostalgia for the early web, when there were more niche online communities and fewer brand guidelines. Today, web designers are tapping into the spirit of experimentation from the Geocities era of the internet by utilizing low-fi social assets like memes and Y2K callbacks, like MS Paint and Word Art in their work. Look to the recently launched internet culture site Byline; the new Gen Z myspace-inspired app, NoSpace; and the female-run media startup for the “chronically online,” Boys Club. We’d be remiss if we didn’t include Charli XCX’s viral album Brat, too, as an example of peak Dial-up Design aesthetic, with its low-res sans-serif font against an aggressively slime green background. It’s all part of the Y2K craze and points to the continued dominance of this design approach moving into next year. As another good example: Ryan Haskins' portfolio, which resurfaces the joy and chaos of collage and early graphic design tools. But, if you're looking to see this trend in the wild, all you’ve got to do is scroll Instagram. Pro tip: Explore nostalgic web design and Y2K website design to get a better understanding of this trend. Tap into the trend Pixelated fonts: Use bitmap fonts like Press Start 2P or Neue Pixel Grotesk to emulate the low-resolution text style of early web design. Bright and brash colors: Opt for a color palette that includes bright, neon colors and contrasting backgrounds, like black with neon green (#39ff14) or blue with pink (#ff69b4), to reflect the vibrant, sometimes clashing hues of ’90s websites. Early internet UI: Incorporate retro-style buttons with bevels and shadows, using large, blocky buttons in bold, capital letters. Integrate animated GIFs and tiled background images for an authentic throwback look. 11. Retrofuture femme The internet is getting cuter, thanks to web designs inspired by Kawaii, an endearingly cute Japanese aesthetic. Consider this trend the kid sister of dial-up design. This web design trend is hyper femme and glittery, covered in hearts, bows and butterflies. This overlaps with fashion trends like balletcore and coquettecore. And it’s gaining traction at the same time as girly, feminine fashion from designers like the sell-out-level popular Sandy Liang. Girly, femme design emerged with force in 2023 as yet another counterpoint to traditional corporate web design tropes, another indication that consumers—especially younger ones—are tired of the same old sans. As creative consultancy Digital Fairy explains, the creative expression of the early internet (as found on sites like Myspace, Tumblr and Blingee) still resonates with designers today. They’ll continue to repurpose the cute aesthetic for brands looking to cater to younger, fluently online audiences. The internet is getting cuter, thanks to design inspired by Kawaii, an endearingly cute Japanese aesthetic. This trend is hyper femme and glittery, and covered in hearts, bows and butterflies. Illustration by Ido Israeli. Tap into the trend Y2K fonts: Use futuristic typefaces like Orbitron or Space Mono combined with retro-inspired, psychedelic fonts like Cyber Angel to create a nostalgic yet modern look. Softer color palettes: Integrate a pastel color palette with shades like mint green, baby pink and soft lavender, accented with metallics like silver or rose gold for a futuristic touch. Bling those buttons: Design buttons with a combination of neon glow or glitter effects and vintage-inspired shapes, such as rounded rectangles or pill shapes, to blend the old with the new.

Learning how to build a website from scratch used to have a high barrier to entry: you either needed to hire a professional, or be fluent in several coding languages and graphic design. Fortunately, today’s free web design tools have made creating a web presence much easier. Let’s cover six free web design tools that should be on your radar and discuss how to pick the right web design software for you or your web design business. Get started with your website design for free Wix today. 6 best free web design tools of 2024 Wix Blender Visual Studio Code GIMP Figma Canva 01. Wix If you’re looking for an all-in-one, free web designing software and code free website builder, look no further than Wix's website builder. It's designed to help you build a functional, professional-looking website quickly and easily without sacrificing on quality. Wix enhances your website creation experience by offering AI-assisted customization for your site profile and dashboard, ensuring you're connected with the most suitable apps for your needs. Additionally, it offers an AI website builder that gives you a bespoke website, complete with recommended text, imagery and widgets. (Learn more about how to design a website with AI.) Or, if you want a more hands-on approach, start from one of hundreds of website templates designed for various use cases. From there, you can use Wix's drag-and-drop website builder to customize your website without having to write a single line of code. That said, if you do want to add your own coding, Velo allows you to lift the hood on your website to make it your own. No matter how you build your website, Wix automatically generates a mobile version of it, ensuring it looks good and functions well on all kinds of devices. You can then use the mobile editor to improve your site’s aesthetics and usability even further. If you want to add engaging photos or videos to your website, you can edit them directly in Wix. The Wix video maker, powered by Vimeo, lets you quickly create videos by uploading text and media, choosing a theme, selecting music and entering your business information. For still images, you can upload and edit your own or select free images from the Wix Library. Wix's App Market is a treasure trove of integrations, offering you a wide range of applications and widgets to enhance your website's functionality. Whether you want to add a live chat feature, social media integration or booking platform to your website, Wix offers a broad range of options to fit these needs. In addition to being a robust, free web design tool, Wix is a powerful branding and marketing platform. It has a logo maker, a name generator, an email marketing tool, a video maker and more. If you ever need help, Wix offers a variety of support options, including a chatbot that makes it easy to find the right solution and get in touch with an expert through your preferred contact method. Additionally, there are a variety of resources, including the support library, the YouTube channel and the Wix Blog. Standout features of Wix’s free web designing software: Drag-and-drop website editor Range of AI tools for site setup, text generation and more Hundreds of customizable website templates Collaborator roles and permissions SEO, marketing and analytics tools Built-in photo and video editor Integrations with hundreds of third-party apps 24/7 customer support Additional pricing details: You can design a website for free with Wix. To access additional features, you can upgrade to a Wix Premium plan. Check Wix’s Pricing Plans for the most up-to-date options. Sign up for Wix today and test drive our site builder for free. 02. Blender Blender secures a place on our list of the best free web design tools because of its powerful animation capabilities. Thanks to Blender’s open-source nature, this tool is free to download, and all of its features are free to use. The software is constantly being updated by a passionate community of contributors. So, what exactly can you do in Blender? With 3D modeling capabilities, you can create figures, environments and objects through a variety of methods, including sculpting. You can then use Blender’s animation features to make these models come to life. The software’s powerful visual effects include green screen compositing, fluid and smoke simulations and much more. Blender has a limited library of ready-to-use asset bundles and demo templates for walking you through the software and giving you starting points for projects. There are also loads of Blender templates available through third-party marketplaces. Beyond templates, you can extend Blender’s capabilities through integrations known as add-ons. For example, because Blender lacks native collaboration features, you can find an add-on that lets you work on a web animation with your team in real time. Although some users say Blender comes with a steep learning curve, the wealth of educational resources available online—including comprehensive documentation, tutorials and active community forums and chat rooms—makes it accessible to designers of all skill levels. And while Blender may not have certain support features typically found in freemium software, the vast array of available learning and support resources effectively equips users to tackle almost any challenge they might face. Standout features of Blender’s free web design software: Open-source software Functionality is similar to paid animation tools Lots of support resources available 3D modeling, VFX and animation capabilities Native and third-party templates and integrations Additional pricing details: Blender is free to download and use. 03. Visual Studio Code If you want to develop your website from scratch (or simply edit its code), Visual Studio Code may come in handy. This open-source editor runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, making it highly accessible. It supports many coding languages, including HTML and CSS. If it doesn’t support a particular programming language, you can add support for that language with extensions. Visual Studio Code offers a comprehensive database of documentation, simplifying the setup process and providing helpful guidance for those new to coding. With a detailed database of documentation to help you get set up, Visual Studio Code is easy to use for developers of all levels. In fact, if you don’t know how to code yet, you can learn from the platform’s resources. Its minimalist interface is ideal for distraction-free coding. The debugging feature may come in handy when you’re inspecting code and need to address issues quickly. Plus, the code editor’s snippets are quite useful, as they function as code templates that make it easier to write repeating code patterns. Visual Studio Code’s extensions library makes this code editor even more powerful. You can browse hundreds of integrations that let you add coding languages, themes and more. Notably, while a preview tool is not included as a native feature, you have the option to add it through these integrations, further customizing your experience. Visual Studio Code’s integration of Git, a popular version control system streamlines collaboration, enabling your team to work together seamlessly and track changes with ease. Unique among many code editors, Visual Studio Code has a web-based version. This allows for quick edits directly in a browser, bypassing the need for software downloads and minimizing the impact on your device's performance. Standout features of Visual Studio Code’s free web design tool: Support for many coding languages Large library of extensions Distraction-free interface Integration with Git for easy collaboration Web-based version available Powerful debugging Predictive snippets Additional pricing information: Visual Studio Code is open source and therefore completely free. You may need to pay for extensions. 04. GIMP GIMP stands as an open-source counterpart to Photoshop, offering a wide range of capabilities from basic photo editing to crafting images and graphics from scratch. For existing photos, GIMP enables you to resize, rotate and color-correct with its array of transformation tools, filters and masks. It supports multiple image file formats like JPEG, PNG and PSD format (which is great for collaborating with Photoshop users). If creating original artwork is your goal, GIMP provides tools like brushes, pencils and stamps. It even supports freehand drawing on graphics tablets. GIMP also supports text and some animation features, making it useful for more than just enhancing your headshot. And for those looking to expand its functionality, a range of third-party plugins is available. One drawback is that GIMP lacks a built-in collaboration feature. Currently, you’ll have to share file versions back and forth for edits. GIMP’s interface is minimalistic, which may make it less intuitive than some competing products. That said, the platform compensates with an extensive database of support resources including documentation, web design tutorials, books and a user manual. You can even customize GIMP’s interface with shortcuts and image settings to make it easier to use. Standout features of GIMP’s free web design tool: Constantly updating open-source platform Robust resource library Powerful digital drawing and image retouching capabilities Extensions available through the GIMP community Additional pricing information: Because GIMP is an open-source photo editor, accessing all of its features is free. 05. Figma Figma aims to simplify collaboration for everyone in the design process, from designers and developers to project managers and marketers. It's a breeze to co-create web pages or get feedback on design concepts within Figma. Start your design journey with a blank canvas or choose from Figma's extensive library of over 300 templates. The software also allows you to create branded design libraries, ensuring consistency across projects. Figma's cloud-based browser software ensures that every collaborator can easily access and work on the latest version of each project at the same time. When it's time to transition your design to developers, Figma offers detailed design specs to accurately convey your creative vision. If you find Figma’s built-in capabilities lacking, you can add more features with plugins. The Figma Community offers a variety of free and paid plugins for wireframing, accessibility, visual assets and much more. Figma free web design tool highlights: Real-time collaboration Intuitive interface Ample templates Cloud and web-based software Rich plugin library Additional pricing information: Figma’s free Starter plan gives one person access to the tool’s primary features. A Figma Professional plan has extended features and costs $12 per person per month. The Figma Organization plan costs $45 per person per month and facilitates organization-wide design. Enterprise plans go for $75 per person per month and come with even more capabilities. 06. Canva Designing eye-catching graphics for your website becomes effortless with Canva's intuitive online design tool. It all begins with Canva's diverse array of templates and its intuitive interface. Start by selecting a project type, like a logo, wireframe or video. Then, pick from an extensive collection of templates, available in sizes perfect for various web design elements, or choose to start from a blank canvas. Canva's straightforward, drag-and-drop interface makes customizing your chosen template or enhancing your blank canvas effortless. Add text, upload images or incorporate shapes, stock photos and graphics from Canva's extensive media library. Easily align with your website's branding by selecting specific colors and fonts to create on-brand web elements. Canva also supports your website's marketing by offering tools to build a brand kit, upload logos and design newsletters. If you want to integrate your favorite online design tools with Canva, simply explore its app library. Should you ever need guidance on using this intuitive platform, Canva's help center, design school, blog and events are there for support. Plus, for collaborative design, invite team members to join in. Upgrading to Canva for Teams allows stakeholders to comment on and edit digital designs in real time, enhancing the collaborative experience. Standout features of Canva’s free web design tool: User-friendly, drag-and-drop interface Access to 250,000 templates and more than 1 million graphics and photos Collaboration capabilities Branding opportunities App library for integrations Multiple support options Additional pricing information: Canva’s free plan includes access to Canva’s core design tools as well as basic stock photos and graphics. Canva Pro ($14.99/month) and Canva Teams ($29.99/month) give you access to enhanced features for one person or a team of up to five. What to look for in tools for web design As you’re evaluating these free web design tools, reference this checklist to find the best software for your needs. Robust support options: The gold standard for web design software support is 24/7 support over the phone or via chat. However, it’s rare to get this level of support with free tools, so make sure the software has other ways to get help, such as email support, detailed documentation, tutorials or community support forums. A variety of templates: Templates cut down on a lot of the grunt work related to web design and significantly reduce how long it takes you to launch a site, write code or design a graphic. If you don’t have a traditional design background, templates can also help you stay within the parameters of design best practices. Opt for free online design tools that come with customizable templates that will help you get started with your project quickly. Compatibility with existing software: Look for software that integrates seamlessly with the programs you already use. You should be able to share files and data between your tools without complicated workarounds. Collaboration capabilities: Design projects are often a group effort, so you need tools that make it easy for your teammates to track and review changes, make edits, leave comments and pick up where you left off. Bonus points if the tool lets you work on the same project at the same time. Ease of use: The software you’re using to design your website and graphics should be intuitive to use. If a free web design tool has a learning curve, it should provide proper support to guide you through onboarding. Learn more: What is web design? Why is web design important? What are some of the easiest web design tools for beginners to use? Some of the best tools for web design, to use as a beginner are: Wix: An intuitive drag-and-drop builder with customizable templates, ideal for those with no coding experience. Adobe Spark: Allows beginners to create visually striking single-page websites quickly. Canva: While primarily a graphic design tool, Canva offers website templates and easy-to-use design features. Editor’s note: all prices are current as of December 6, 2023.

Turn your ideas into a website you love with Wix → Web design has changed a lot over the years. In the beginning, the primary goal of web design was to create a smooth browsing experience for desktop users—it was the only way people accessed the internet, after all. But since then, the mobile revolution has drastically changed the way we design for the web. When you design a website today, you need to make sure it looks great, functions well and communicates the right message across all sorts of browsers and devices. It’s pretty much guaranteed that website design clients will ask for a mobile version of their site. Responsive web design principles, tools and responsive website templates make it possible. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about responsive web design—from the history surrounding it, to the best practices and strong examples to learn from. Building a website for your business, passion project or side hustle should be easy and exciting. With Wix, you can customize and launch a professional website in minutes, no coding needed. Wix is all about simplifying the process so you can focus on what matters most–bringing your ideas to life. So why wait? Let’s get started on creating the website you’ve always wanted. What we'll cover: What is responsive web design? The evolution of responsive web design Responsive web design methods How to accommodate different viewports Resizing images Responsive use of typography Mobile-first vs. responsive design Responsive website examples What is responsive web design? Responsive web design is an approach to how to build a website from scratch that makes it possible to render web pages on various screen sizes. This is an example of user interface plasticity—the capacity of an interface to be fluid and present itself in an ideal arrangement based on the available screen space. (See lots of responsive website design examples here.) But responsive design is more than just a technical approach, it’s the backbone of good user experience. Instead of thinking about screen size and resolutions as design constraints, think of your content as fluid, giving users complete control of how they want to view it. Learn more: How to make a responsive website What is web design? Responsive web design changes the layout of a site to best fit the viewport the user is viewing it through. Illustration by Anita Goldstein. Responsive design requires a combination of fluid grid, flexible images and media queries, which work together to reformat web pages according to the user preferences and provide the best possible web experience: Fluid grid A grid is a two-dimensional structure of intersecting lines that lets you arrange web content in columns and rows. In a fluid grid, each element of a grid is expressed as a proportion relative to its container, so it resizes depending on the size of the container it sits within. That means the exact number of columns in a grid can vary depending on the size of a user’s viewport (the visible area on the user’s device where content can be seen). For example, you can display a three-column layout on desktop and a one-column layout on mobile. Relative units Web page elements such as content blocks or buttons are sized in relative units like percentages. Relative units make it possible to size elements according to the size of a viewport. Media queries CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) media queries can change a page’s style based on the characteristics of the viewport, like its display resolution and the actual size of a browser window. The evolution of responsive design The proliferation of smartphones in the aughts prompted the web design community to think about how to display content on various display sizes and resolutions, without sacrificing usability or performance. Web designer Ethan Marcotte first introduced the term “responsive design” in his 2010 article, Responsive Web Design. Marcotte was inspired by responsive architectural design, whereby a space automatically adjusts to the number of people within it. As the name suggests, responsive designs respond to changes in browser width by adjusting the layout elements to fit within the available space. A second, more tailor-made approach emerged in addition to responsive design: adaptive design. With adaptive design, coined a year earlier in a book by web designer Aaron Gustafson, designers create a layout for each breakpoint (typically 320px, 480px, 760px, 960px, 1200px, and 1600px). The design adapts to different sizes of a viewport using media queries to define what properties will be changed for small and large screens. So each web page has multiple versions of fixed layouts fit for different screen sizes. When we compare responsive vs adaptive design, responsive is often a more effective approach for advanced designers. It takes less work to implement and maintain the design, since you don’t need to create multiple versions of layouts. With responsive design, the content of the page arranges itself optimally for each browser window. Responsive web design is also better for search engine optimization since it saves resources when Googlebot crawls your site. A single Googlebot user agent only needs to crawl your page once, rather than crawling multiple times to retrieve multiple versions of your design. Learn more: Responsive website examples Static vs dynamic websites Responsive web design methods CSS media queries are the basic tool for making a responsive website. All modern web browsers natively parse CSS media queries, so you won’t face trouble adjusting your design to a particular platform. But just because they’re a basic tool doesn't mean you should start your CSS media queries from scratch. Insead, use a CSS framework like Bootstrap, Bulma, or Foundation CSS. The great thing about this approach is that the framework comes with a predefined set of breakpoints and visual styles for basic objects, such as body text, buttons, and input fields. Of course with advanced low code platforms like Wix Studio, you can craft dynamic websites seamlessly without all that code, using smooth drag and drop tools and advanced design features like flex and grid layouts and full breakpoint control. Another method that can be used for responsive design is JavaScript. JavaScript detects the size of a browser window and loads relevant style sheets, and can be applied to devices that don't support CSS media queries. CSS media queries and JavaScript aren’t competitive methods, they can work nicely together. Here is a code that can be used to calculate the current size of a window: $(window).height(); $(window).width(); The following JQuery code will be triggered every time the user changes their browser window and it will load relevant styles on the fly: Comparing Wix Studio: Wix vs. Wix Studio Wix Studio vs. Elementor How to accommodate different viewpoints with responsive web design From the giant TV screens to the tiny screens of smartwatches, there are manifold ways that people can access the web today. It's important to accommodate different viewports to create a comfortable browsing experience for users. Responsive design addresses this issue by allowing designers to target specific device classes and various screen sizes. To create a responsive design, web designers need to do two things: 1. Add “viewport” meta tag to all their HTML pages: This tag gives the browser instructions on how to render the web page, defining its dimensions and scaling. 2. Use media queries to tailor their layout to a particular viewport. For example: Increase the size of functional controls such as buttons or a relative distance between them on mobile. It will help to comply with Fitts’ Law on touch devices and create more comfortable user interactions. Show or hide particular elements in a website layout. Change visual attributes of certain elements (such as font color) on a particular type of device. Defining media queries CSS media queries modify a website’s design according to a user’s specific browser and device preferences. The syntax of CSS media queries may seem complicated initially, but as soon as you familiarize yourself with the structure, it becomes easier to decode the message. Here’s a sample of a media query in the CSS file: @media screen and (max-width: 480px) and (orientation: portrait) { .footer { float: none; width: auto; } } The part after the @media and before the first open { bracket defines conditions. Let’s review the conditions of our example: Media type: A media type is a type of device where we want to apply CSS setting. It's possible to define four categories of devices:screen (desktop, mobile and tablet), print (printers), speech (for screen readers that read the page out loud for visually-impaired users), all (for all media types). If you don’t specify this property, CSS will apply the all property by default. Media feature: The min-width sets a minimum browser or screen width that certain styles will apply to. If a browser or screen width is below this limit, the styles will be ignored. The max-width property does just the opposite, anything above the maximum browser or screen width would not apply to the respective media query. Orientation: Device orientation can be portrait (vertical orientation) or landscape (horizontal orientation). This property mostly applies to mobile devices and tablets. Inside the parenthesis, a style condition can be applied when all conditions are met. In our sample, we’re checking three conditions: Is the type of device desktop, mobile or tablet? Is our device in portrait orientation? Is our device screen resolution (max-width) equal to or less than 480px? If all conditions are met, it means that the user is likely viewing our work on a small-screen mobile device in portrait mode. In this case, the device will load the CSS instructions for the footer object—otherwise, the instructions in this section will be ignored. CSS media queries There are two common approaches for structuring CSS styles, either placing them in one file or using different files for different types of devices. Each approach has its pros and cons. For example, by placing media queries all in one CSS style sheet with the rest of the CSS styles for the website, you will minimize the number of systems required to render a web page. In addition, by distributing media queries between different files (i.e. desktop.css, mobile.css) will make it easier for developers to navigate in code, since all styles relevant to mobile viewport will be located in the same file. Breakpoints The resolution that we’ve defined in our media query example above acts as a breakpoint. Breakpoints are the building blocks of responsive web design in website development, as they help designers define categories of devices and adjust design for each group. “Which breakpoints should I use for my website?” is a typical question among web designers. There is no universal set of breakpoints since all projects are different and might require different resolutions. It’s possible to rely on screen resolution stats worldwide to define a few common groups of screen resolutions: 360 x 640px (small mobile device screen): 10.10% 1366 x 768px (average laptop screen): 9.3% 1920 x 1080px (large desktop screen): 8.35% When using Wix Studio design features, you’ll have 3 default breakpoints to start with: 350 - 750px for mobile devices 751 - 1000px for tablets 1001px and larger for desktops But these breakpoints aren’t set in stone. If you want to adjust, you can easily edit them or add custom breakpoints to fit your project’s needs, without diving into code. Here are two essential rules to remember when selecting breakpoints for your project: Choose breakpoints based on the content you have. The layout you use to showcase your content should dictate what breakpoints you want to use. Try to use the least possible number of breakpoints. Remember that you will need to adjust content to match each breakpoint. Three or four breakpoints will give you enough flexibility to frame your content. Learn more about web design trends and web design statistics. Resizing images for responsive web design Images are an essential element of the modern web. The quality of images greatly affects the perception of a design—irrelevant imagery or pixelated assets are likely to create a bad impression on your visitors. It's not only important to handpick relevant images (ones that communicate the right messages to your audience) but also to ensure that images scale nicely to fit any browser size. There are two types of images, raster images (JPG, PNG, TIFF) and vector images (SVG). The first group represents most images on the web, and the key problem with this group is that they are not naturally fluid. Unlike vector images that can scale in size without losing quality, raster images have to be modified for different resolutions. Images need to be responsive, just like the rest of your layout. That means scaling in size—without sacrificing quality. Three ways of optimizing raster images for different resolutions Let’s learn more about image optimization and get practical tips on how to resize images. You can optimize your images for different resolutions using CSS properties: 1. Resize images with image width attribute. The width property defines the fixed width of the image. The following CSS rule will define the width to 500px: img { width:500px; } The downside of this approach is that it uses fixed width for your images, so it will be displayed at the exact same size across all devices. This approach is not very usable for responsive types of websites because improperly sized images can easily break layouts. 2. Resize images with CSS width property set to 100%: img { width:100%; } The key difference with the previous method is that you don’t specify the precise width of the image in code, but instead let the browser resize the images as needed. With the width: 100%; property the image will scale up and down automatically. The downside of this approach is that the image can become pixelated when scaled up. 3. Receive with CSS max-width property: img { height: auto; max-width: 100%; } Max-width property allows the image to maintain its aspect ratio and proportions. When the max-width is set to 100% the image will fit to the full width of its container. As long as no other width-based image CSS styles override this rule or the viewing area is narrower than the image’s original width, this image will load in its original size. This approach can be very useful for responsive web design. Display size and visual assets It’s also important to consider how different types of devices render images. While it’s possible to use the same file on all types of devices, the process of image resizing for small screen devices requires extra computational power, so using large files in their original resolution might cause performance degradation. At the same time, high-resolution displays such as Apple “Retina” and Android “hDPI” might require you to provide visual assets at two or three times the normal resolution to achieve decent visual quality (@2x, and @3x). To solve both problems it's recommended to use a special tool such as Responsive Breakpoints that will allow you to prepare individual images for every breakpoint. If you use Wix Studio to build a responsive website, you don’t have to write CSS code to make your raster images display correctly in different viewports. The platform allows you to set an exact width or height, set a max width or height percentages, and set a max width or height in pixels. You can also set an image focal point, so the visual stays centered when viewed in different formats. Learn more: How does AI work Types of AI AI tools for business Responsive use of typography People visit websites for content, and written text represents the vast majority of this. That means that it’s essential for text to be legible at any viewport size. So when it comes to responsive type, there are a few things to keep in mind. (Before anything else, make sure you know the difference between typefaces and fonts.) When making type choices, consider the fact that your user may view a page on desktop, mobile, or tablet—and the text has to be legible in all of them. Responsive type is essential. Never put text within graphics By putting text within graphics, you immediately make it less responsive. Text cannot be enlarged without loss of quality, therefore you’d have to re-create visual assets for every breakpoint. Select fonts that scale The process of optimizing typography for responsive web design starts with selecting the right fonts. To do this, web designers need to ensure font size is large enough to be legible at a glance. This is especially important for mobile devices—users should never have to double-tap or pinch-to-zoom in order to be able to read the text. Choose fonts that scale clearly and are equally legible on a large TV screen and the tiny screen of a smartwatch. Generally, it's recommended to use web-safe fonts like Helvetica because they are optimized to look good at different resolutions. Size text properly Fonts can be sized in two different ways on the web: Absolute values (pixels, points) Relative values (percentages, em/rem, viewport width or height vw/vh) Let’s start with the most popular option—pixels. Pixels are absolute values. The font size defined in pixels will be based on the pixel size of the user’s screen. Modern browsers are capable of making your design look similar across different resolutions when you use px. Since most designers use pixels, this unit is very popular among product teams. However, pixels won’t enable users to adjust the text for their own needs and make your design less accessible. Another popular option is a relative value called em. When you use em, the actual size of an element’s em is computed relative to the font-size of its parent element. Em relative values provide two significant benefits: Benefits for designers: Relative values allow nesting font sizing. Em inherits its size from its parent, while rem inherits from the root styling. Benefits for users: When you use relative values, you give users an opportunity to change their preferred default font size and the website will adjust automatically to suit their needs. Now let's talk percentages. With a font-size of 100%, all the elements in one page are sized relative to the browser’s default type size: body { font: normal 100% Roboto, sans-serif; } Last but not least, when the font is defined in “vw” units, the text size will follow the size of the browser window: Hello World Another thing to consider is that font sizes need to be different across different devices. It should be larger on desktop and smaller on mobile. Again, the benefit of using relative values is that you can define not just the desired size of a particular element, but also the relationship of that size to the sizes of other elements, maintaining nice proportions in your layout. The following CSS will set a default font size for a h1 element to 3.5 rem for desktop and 2 rem for mobile: h1 { font-size: 3.5rem; } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { h1 { font-size: 2rem; } } While there are no exact rules for font sizing, it's recommended to apply the golden ratio to find exact font sizes. For example, if the base-font text for desktop is 16px, the size of a header h1 will be calculated by multiplying base-font size to 1.618 (it will be approximately 26px). You can also set the text to scale between different ranges of maximum and minimum size for different breakpoints to make your website typography fully responsive. This will ensure your text will scale smoothly as you resize the screen. Line length and line spacing To achieve good readability, you need to limit the length of text lines. A good rule of thumb is to use 50 to 60 characters per line for desktop and 30 to 40 characters per line for mobile devices. It's possible to limit the number of characters per line using a width property of the content container or using a “length value”of ch. Ch represents the width of the glyph "0" (zero, the Unicode character U+0030) in the element's font. p { overflow: hidden; max-width: 40ch; } Also, you shouldn't squeeze lines because line spacing that is too tight can cause eye strain. It’s optimal to use 120%-140% line spacing for good readability. The line-height CSS property is commonly used to set the distance between lines of text. We can set this property in percentages to make it relative to the font size of the element itself. p { line-height: 34%; } Mobile-first vs. responsive design The role that mobile devices play in our daily lives has changed drastically in the last decade. In fact, 56% of all website traffic comes from smartphones. Optimization for mobile design is a crucial part of the web design process—because a website that’s not optimized for mobile devices is losing out on approximately half of its website traffic. Making a responsive website doesn’t imply it is mobile first, and there are several differences when it comes to mobile first vs. responsive design. Mobile-first design is an approach that suggests designers create a layout that works well at the smallest breakpoint, before adjusting it for larger viewports. Differences between mobile and desktop design: Size of display. On mobile, you have less room for your content, and need to carefully prioritize what you want to display Interaction methods. Since users interact with content using their fingers on mobile devices, animation like hover effects won’t work well. Context of use. People can interact with content on the go (e.g., while waiting for a train), so mobile sites should be designed for shorter user sessions and a smaller attention span. Benefits of using the mobile-first approach: Makes responsive design easier. It will help you prioritize content and features, and remove everything that isn’t absolutely necessary. As a result, you will likely reduce the user's cognitive load on mobile and any other platforms you design for. Good for search engine optimization. Google evaluates websites rankings mostly based on the content of their mobile versions. Google might not judge a page as mobile-friendly if it requires extra interaction from mobile users, such as scaling content up to make it readable. You can take the Mobile-Friendly Test from Google to check your site’s design. How to design a responsive website with a mobile first strategy: Practice arranging content-first The process of creating a responsive website should always start with planning a layout. Organize your content and functional elements in a way that offers the best possible experience for visitors. That doesn't mean that you need to create a final, pixel-perfect design right from the start. In fact, it's recommended to create a schematic representation of a future design to show where each block with content and functional elements will be located on the page. This way, you can evaluate different variations of the layout with your team and stakeholders, and select the one that you think will work best for your users. Use conditional loading When prioritizing content, you might want to hide some content on mobile devices. CSS property display: none; allows you to do it. You can apply this property in CSS for specific elements that need to be hidden. For example, you might have two CSS styles,desktop.css for desktops and mobile.css for mobile devices: Desktop.css: #content { width: 100%; } Mobile.css: #content { display: none; } Note that display:none sometimes confused with visibility: hidden. These are two different CSS instructions. Visibility: hidden just hides the content, so it becomes invisible (not drawn) and cannot receive focus although it’s still on the page. Display: none on the other hand gets rid of the content entirely. Design for comfortable interactions Users interact with the desktop website via clicks, but the mobile version via finger taps and swipes. People also use their mobile devices with only one hand, and it's important to optimize web layouts so that all key functional elements—such as call to action buttons—are located in a thumb-friendly zone (the user shouldn't have to stretch their thumb to reach for an important element). All tap targets should be sized appropriately. The size of functional elements such as call to action buttons should be at least 9mm, which is equal to the size of a user thumb. If you place two interactive controls side-by-side, you need to add enough whitespace between those interactive options. Thumb-friendly zone is colored in green. Screenshot: https://alistapart.com/article/how-we-hold-our-gadgets/ Use clear visual indicators Touchscreens have no capability to display hover effects, since there is no cursor. Clarity of UI plays an even more important role on mobile devices, and it's important to design every element in a way that maximizes the chances that users will understand its function. It's possible to achieve this goal by using a consistent visual style. For example, you can use a particular blue color for all interactive elements. Adapt navigation for mobile Most of the time, web designers rely on hamburger menus on mobile. However, it's possible to utilize a more beneficial pattern such as prioity+ navigation pattern. This pattern guarantees that the top-priority options will always be visible for the user while the remaining options will be hidden behind a “more” link. Minimize typing Responsive web design isn’t just about making content fit, it's also about creating more comfortable interactions for your users. In the case of mobile devices, typing is one of the most painful parts of the user journey. Small screens make typing hard and error-prone on mobile devices. Whenever possible, try to use pre-fill data in online forms. The great thing about mobile is that you can utilize some of its hardware capabilities. Here are a few tips to minimize typing on mobile: Use GEO-location data to pre-fill user city in shipping and billing information. You can use Google’s Places API to offer accurate suggestions based on the user’s location. Use a device camera to allow users to take a photo of their credit card and fill-in credit card details automatically. Use Touch ID / Face ID instead of asking the user to type their credentials. Use voice input in search forms. Optimize responsive design for mobile device capabilities Slow loading time is a common reason why people abandon web sites. Jakob Nielsen defined three response-time limits: 0.1 seconds gives the feeling of instantaneous response. Ideally, your website should respond in 0.1 seconds. One second keeps the user's flow of thought seamless. 10 seconds is about the limit for keeping the user's attention. But according to Google research, as page load time goes from 1s to 3s, the probability of bounce increases 32%. Mobile devices are less powerful than desktop computers. That’s why when you design for mobile you need to avoid heavy visual content, fancy animated effects and complex visual transitions because they might have a negative impact on system performance. The correlation between loading time and bounce rate. Image: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/mobile-page-speed-new-industry-benchmarks/ Use these tips to optimize your design for mobile: Define key performance metrics. Focus on metrics that will tell you how fast content renders. The key metric is Time to Interactive (TTI), which defines the state where your layout is stable:all fonts are visible, and the UI is ready to handle user input. You should also consider Speed Index (how quickly the page contents are visually populated) and CPU time spent (how often and how long the main thread of a central processor is blocked). Evaluate animated transition and motion effects. Ask yourself “Is this visual effect worth the time it takes to load on mobile?” Optimize image delivery. If your product serves a large number of images, it's worth considering what content could be served statically from a content delivery network (CDN). Cloudflare and Cloud CDN are two popular options. Optimize animation and videos. Avoid using animated GIFs because they consume significant hardware resources and start using looping HTML5 videos. Use lazy loading for images and video. Most of the time, you don’t need to load all visual assets all at once. The content located below the fold can be loaded dynamically, as the user scrolls below the fold. This practice is called lazy loading. You can use LazyLoad library for this purpose—this library is written in plain JavaScript and supports responsive images. In Chrome 76+, you can use the loading attribute to defer the loading of offscreen images that can be reached by scrolling. Here's an example: Always measure your site performance. Use tools like Google’s Speed Scorecard and Dexecure to track your current performance,such as the time required to load your site on mobile. Check Front-End Performance Checklist to learn more about performance optimization. Test your design on real devices and in different browsers At the time when you finish working on your website, you should invest time in testing it on a real device. Create a list of common tasks that users are supposed to complete on your website and invite individuals that represent your target audience to a usability testing session. During the testing you can see how your website works on different platforms (Android, iOS), and it’s cross-browser compatibility (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). If you doubt that some CSS style instruction is supported by a particular browser, you can check it in Caniuse. The testing will show you where users face friction and what areas of your website require optimization. Pro tip: If you're just starting, a web design tutorial can help you apply these concepts to your website. 4 responsive web design examples Explaining how responsive web design works is one thing, seeing the practice in action is another. Check out the responsive website design examples below and change your browser size to see how each design responds to the change. 1. KT Estep Award-winning multidisciplinary designer KT Estep has an outstanding example of a responsive web design. The full screen web layout is flexible with your browser’s width, aligning the content with the relevant size screen space. When you open the design on mobile, you’ll notice none of the content is removed, rather it is arranged into one column which provides a better viewing experience and easy scrolling on small screens. Screenshot: https://www.ktestep.com/ 2. Ja1da Official Ja1da is a producer and songwriter with one exciting responsive website. Using handwritten type, one-of-a-kind vector graphics, Video Boxes and scroll effects throughout the site are all ways in which the artist injects personality into his design. None of this is lost when we view the desktop version compared to mobile. On mobile, Ja1da rearranges the website imagery and changes its proportions in order to maintain the site’s theme and ensure visual balance. The responsive switch to a hamburger menu also provides more screen real estate on the small mobile device. 3. Melitas The responsive web design for venture capital fund Melitas relies heavily on images to communicate its message. In this case, the mobile version adjusts the design to feature a cropped hero image, and rearranges the homepage’s galleries into a vertical format. The additional white space on the mobile site works well to frame and break up content for visitors viewing on a smaller scale. Screenshot: https://www.melitasventures.com/ 4. Domaine Alepin We see a similar approach with developer Domaine Alepin's website. The one page site utilizes a zig-zag layout on the homepage, but adjusts to a simplified symmetrical layout as the viewport size changes to mobile. As is the case in many responsive web designs, Domaine Alepin’s written content is adjusted for the smaller screen. One neat feature in particular is the way we interact with the business’s map on mobile vs. desktop version—when viewed from a smartphone, visitors can tap their fingers to zoom in on the image. Domaine Alepin uses a zigzag layout on its homepage, which converst to a one-column layout on mobile. This simplifies the viewing experience, while keeping the content. Explore these website design tips and web design best practices. Learn why website design is important.

User experience (UX) design is a fascinating field that involves creating new products, apps, website designs and user interfaces. The goal of UX design is two-fold: First, to take care of new demands and provide users with the best experience when they interact with products. Second, to ensure that brands and business across all industries have the tools they need to keep up with the new developments that will satisfy customers. In order to help you stay up with the times, we sat down with Wix in-house UX designer Avital Santo to grab insights into what UX trends will look like in 2026. 10 UX design trends in 2026 In many ways, this dynamic industry is a balancing act between engaging users and taking care of their needs. As we ride the wave of what's shaping the UX design world, it’s obvious that it's moving forward in a way that surpasses metrics to pay more attention to the human beings we design for. Here are 10 UX design trends to look out for in 2026: Advanced cursor interactions Personalized experiences Data visualization Dark mode Micro-interactions 3D designs Clean user interfaces (with a twist) AI generated content The Metaverse Responsive design Read also: 6 lessons from my 6 years in UX that can be applied to your site 01. Advanced cursor interactions A cursor is a fundamental web design tool that bridges the gap between users and the user interface (UI). It enables every visitor to navigate and take action on a site. A cursor’s significance has always depended on functionality—but UX trends this year will treat cursors as sophisticated design elements that play an even bigger role in the user experience. Thanks to programs such as Figma that foster complexity in UX design, cursors have been evolving for a few years now. We’ve seen UX designers change the shape and size of cursors, incorporate animation and even give cursors the ability to produce actions that were previously made using UI inputs. Ultimately, these cursor improvements engage visitors as they browse and facilitate a more user-friendly experience. “Making the cursor part of the action is a phenomenon that gives websites an intuitive feeling,” explained Santo. “There used to be a lot of buttons involved in order to take actions, but the cursor has replaced many of them. It's part of clean and smart behavior in design.” 02. Personalized experiences Curated show recommendations from Netflix, shopping suggestions on Instagram, pre-made playlists on Shopify are just a few examples that prove we live in an age of hyper-personalization. “Personalized user experiences have intensified in the last year, and companies want to understand how they can create a ‘total package’ for the user,” said Santo. “Designers are adapting themselves to the users’ personal needs, and trying to communicate on a personal level that respects the user while producing an emotional feeling.” Personalization benefits businesses (especially in eCommerce and with online eCommerce websites or eCommerce solution) since they can use data to target potential customers. It helps users as well, providing us with a more convenient online experience that gives us the information we want without having to ask for it. But as Santo points out, it’s the role of UX designers to hone in even further on the user. “The goal is no longer just to improve customer satisfaction,” said Santo. “It’s to curate a meaningful experience.” As technology advances, the UX world needs to define even stronger boundaries and ethical approaches in order to create a holistic encounter with users. Netflix provides a highly personalized user interface. 03. Data visualization Data visualization is the art of putting data into a visual context, arranging it in a composition that builds a story for the user. This has become an invaluable and expected part of user experience, since it improves how users interact with certain products and even fosters a more trusting relationship between them. “Understanding and analyzing certain types of data is a process that’s always been left to professionals,” said Santo. “But now, it’s a fundamental part of the way most programs, brands and applications interact with their users.” For example, the ability to view screen time data on our devices offers a level of transparency that makes us more accountable for our own cell phone usage. Plus, there is the invention of apps made solely to track and visualize meaningful day-to-day data. One such app is Lumen, which gives users detailed information about their metabolism and energy levels. “Data used to be displayed generically, using pie charts, graphs, etc.,” said Santo. "But now it needs to speak to the user, and we’ll see apps crafting fun and personal ways to make this data more interesting.” He refers to Spotify’s in-app experience, Only You, which displays a colorful and trendy visual language to make personalized music suggestions for users. Data visualization is shaping the way brands pick website design templates. More and more are looking for layouts that let them tell stories in a dynamic, user-driven way. As this trend grows, brands will explore tools that boost interaction and create meaningful connections with their audiences. Expect a stronger focus on user value, paired with fresh, modern aesthetics that stand out. Spotify's annual summary displays the user's data in a personal and fun way. 04. Dark mode Simply put, dark mode refers to user interfaces with a predominantly dark color palette—using black and other dim hues for the background and flipping the design so details in the forefront stick out in light colors. “Dark mode is part of an overall attempt to de-stress the user spending lots of time looking at screens,” said Santo. “White screen mode reflects light, black doesn’t, so it’s easier to read things.” This is not a new trend—Apple, YouTube and Google have used dark mode for years—but it’s becoming more of a default in UX. Designers also appreciate dark mode for its aesthetic appeal. “Designers have a bias towards dark mode and the minimalistic, visual tone it has to offer,” said Santo. “Anything that sits on black looks more elegant.” As it becomes more standard, we’ll see apps, websites and products using dark mode and more design programs enabling us to do so. For example, Velo by Wix enables any user to switch their site into dark mode without the use of complex coding. 05. Micro-interactions From the revolutionary “like” button on Facebook to scroll bars that show users where they are on a page, micro-interactions are small visual movements that have a large impact on UX design. Whether it’s a swipe, hover color, animation or data input, micro-interactions make user experience more engaging, interesting and enjoyable. “A few years ago, 'micro-interaction' was a buzzword,” said Santo. “Everyone talked about the benefit of giving users feedback, and moving the design game from static to dynamic in general.” Google started this trend by making buttons enlarge when users click on them. In 2026, we’ll see micro-interactions become a standard in both mobile and desktop UX design. “Now, nothing can be static, because it gives an out-of-date vibe,” said Santo. “In the Wix Editor, for example, we understood that users need feedback from icons. Small animation and color changes give Wix users the feeling that elements talk to them as they build a website.” The website for It's Mine's shows how microinteractions can fit into a brand's website design. 06. 3D designs Although three-dimensional design is nothing new, we're going to see a resurgence and evolution of the UX design trend in 2026. We anticipate that more design tools will make 3D design easier for designers (both amateurs and professionals) to create. “The novelty is in the new generation of 3D tools,” explained Santo. “We see design content based on 3D everywhere, whether it’s in web design or app creation," explained Santo. "In the past you had to use heavy programs for this, but now there are UX design tools that can generate 3D designs quite easily, such as those introduced recently by Adobe Illustrator.” 3D functionality in Adobe Illustrator. 07. Clean user interfaces—with a twist Keeping user interfaces clean is a standard tenant of UX design. But because we’re designing for audiences like Gen Z, it’s never a bad idea to add an inventive twist. “For the past few years, creating clean programs with generic, flat designs has been a trending style,” said Santo. “But now we’ll see that even designs that are flat will incorporate small elements that jump out.” These minor visual twists can have a positive effect on a minimalistic design. “The Pitch interface is black and white with flat icons—but then the generic design implements a surprisingly sophisticated gradient,” said Santo. “This small solution is an example of how unexpected visuals and behaviors can successfully generate interest from the user.” Pitch's user interface has a clean design language with only the CTA using a sophisticated gradient. 08. AI-driven content Using machine-learning algorithms, AI content adapts to the individual needs and preferences of each user. While many UX designers might not depend on AI tools, they're embracing them as part of the creative process. For example, AI-powered tools can be used to improve overall efficiency when it comes to the user experience. AI content can also help streamline research processes for UX designers by automating tasks such as content curation and recommendations. In line with the overall sentiment of UX design trends in 2026, it helps to pinpoint personalized and relevant content, which increases user engagement and retention. This is especially important in today's digital landscape, where competition for user attention is fierce. AI-enabled, user-friendly tools are also accessible to those without any design background at all. For example, Wix’s AI website maker allows you to create a fully functional, bespoke site in minutes by simply telling AI more about your business goals and type. 09. The metaverse The metaverse, a virtual space that users can interact with in real time, has become a hot topic in UX design. One of the main trends in metaverse UX is the blurring of the line between the virtual and physical world. This is being achieved through the use of technologies such as augmented and virtual reality, which allow users to immerse themselves fully in the metaverse and interact with virtual objects and avatars as if they were in the real world. Another trend is the personalization of the metaverse experience, with users able to customize their avatars and the environments they inhabit. This is enabling users to express their identity and personality in new, creative ways. 10. Responsive design Each year, new screen sizes are born, and with them, a need for UX designers to adapt their creations to these devices—whether it’s one the three newest iPhones, a smart TV or a laptop. This is where responsive design comes in. Responsive design means setting up a fluid user interface that can adjust to fit any browser space or screen, ensuring consistency across different devices. “We’ve been living with responsive design for a while, but more and more we understand that it needs to improve,” said Santo. In fact, in 2021 approximately 55% of mobile traffic came through using mobile devices. “In the past, we would think about the areas that need to be designated with the best version of our designs, but today that needs to be everywhere.” Whether working with responsive design platforms, like Wix Studio, or building layouts that are smart and simple enough to work well in any situation, it’s more important than ever to think about screen size and consider the pros and cons of responsive vs adaptive design. Comparing Wix Studio: Wix vs. Wix Studio Wix Studio vs. Elementor Why UX isn’t getting any easier UX design in 2026 is all about juggling sky-high expectations with ever-growing complexity. Tech is moving at lightning speed and users expect seamless frustration-free experiences. Meanwhile, businesses are chasing faster launches, higher conversions and bigger audiences. Designers are tackling big stuff like ethics, AI behavior, accessibility and the needs of a global audience all at once. It’s tougher than ever but it’s also never been more exciting. Here’s why: Rising user expectations: People expect fast, seamless and personalized experiences. Slow loading, confusing interfaces or unclear steps aren’t just frustrating—they’re dealbreakers. Great UX isn’t a bonus anymore; it’s the standard. Anything less, and users are gone in seconds. Device chaos: A user might start their journey on a smartwatch, switch to a phone, pick up on a laptop and wrap things up in a VR headset. Designers need to keep things seamless, making sure every platform feels connected even with their unique interaction styles and technical quirks. Ethical UX and AI trust issues: With AI personalization on the rise, concerns about data privacy, manipulation and bias are growing. UX teams now face the challenge of building trust by explaining decisions, giving users more control and designing for transparency—all while keeping things simple and clear. Tighter budgets, faster deadlines: Many teams face increasing pressure to deliver results at lightning speed with fewer resources. Research gets cut short, iteration cycles shrink and lean UX practices step in to fill the gaps left by missing data and rushed approvals. The push to prove ROI: Designers are now expected to connect their work directly to business results. Good UX needs to drive measurable outcomes like higher conversion rates, lower churn or increased customer value. Simply calling something “good design” doesn’t cut it anymore without the numbers to back it up. Accessibility and inclusivity demands: Accessibility is non-negotiable. It's a legal, ethical and practical must. Teams should design with screen readers, color contrast, keyboard navigation and neurodiversity in mind. Inclusivity should start from the very first wireframes, not be tacked on later. Too many tools, too much hassle: Collaboration gets tricky when designers are split between Figma and Sketch and developers rely on their own prototyping tools. Switching between platforms, dealing with plugin issues and managing versions turn simple tasks into a frustrating mess. Globalization of UX: Design needs to work across cultures, languages and regulations. What feels familiar in one market might confuse users in another. From symbols and colors to gestures and layouts, creating experiences that feel natural everywhere means thinking local at every step. Cognitive overload and user fatigue: People are worn out from apps constantly fighting for their attention. UX should focus on keeping things simple with fewer distractions and smarter prioritization. Designing with a "calm" approach helps conserve mental energy and creates a more enjoyable experience. The challenge of emerging tech (VR, AR, Voice, AI): Designers face the task of creating user experiences for technologies with no rulebook. How do you make VR intuitive for someone trying it for the first time? How can voice UX handle confusion without frustrating users? These questions demand fresh thinking and creative solutions, not recycled ideas.

Get started by: Creating an online store → | Getting a domain → Do you have a product or idea you’d like to turn into an online business? Today, it’s easier than ever to sell online by launching an eCommerce website. Whether you're a seasoned business owner or a budding entrepreneur, the online world offers unlimited opportunities to sell your products to a diverse and ever-growing customer base. The key to your success is learning how to sell and market your ideas online. This article is your guide, providing step-by-step instructions to transform your online selling dream into reality. From defining your niche to starting your online store, we've got every angle covered to ensure you're equipped with the knowledge to thrive when it comes to selling online. Ready to start selling? Create an online store with Wix. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with tools designed to improve conversion and increase average order value. Its a scalable eCommerce platform that supports businesses from small stores to brands generating $5M–$30M+ in revenue and combines ease of use with advanced retail capabilities. How to sell online in ten steps Choose your products Research the market and define your niche Build your online store Identify your target audience Set up shipping Set up how you get paid Use a marketplace Optimize and grow how you sell online Market your products and use social proof Offer good customer service 01. Choose your products Choosing which products to sell online can significantly impact the success of your eCommerce business venture. It's not just about what you want to sell but what your customers want to buy. Here are some steps to guide you in making the best product choices to sell online: Align with your niche: Your products should naturally fit your niche. This alignment ensures your offerings are relevant and appealing to your target audience. Research market demand: Research the market demand for potential products. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help you understand search trends and consumer interest in different products. Forecast profit potential: Consider the profitability of the products. This includes understanding the cost of goods, shipping expenses, and the potential retail price. Use tools like Ahrefs to analyze the profitability of similar products in your niche. Develop a unique selling proposition (USP): What makes your products stand out? Whether you focus on quality, price, uniqueness or customization options, your USP should resonate with your target market and be an important factor in your product selection. Consider dropshipping: If you're hesitant to invest in inventory, consider starting a dropshipping business. This model allows you to sell products directly from suppliers without stocking them, reducing the initial investment and risk. You'll need to create a dropshipping website to get started. Get feedback: Before fully committing, poll friends, family, or potential customers within your target market to gauge their interest in your product or service. Social media and customer reviews can provide insights into what products are popular and what improvements or variations could be made. Monitor the responses to refine your offering. Using a powerful ecommerce platform like Wix that uses AI to recommend products based on shopper behavior can help you refine your production selection and how well they sell. They use AI-driven merchandising tools to help eCommerce stores increase average order value with AI product suggestions. Learn more: What is eCommerce? How to sell on Wix Can I sell products on Wix? 02. Research the market and define your niche One of the first and most crucial steps to online selling is finding your sweet spot in the online marketplace: your niche. A well-defined niche helps you focus your business strategy, cater to a specific audience and stand out in a crowded marketplace. But how do you find a niche to sell online that is not only profitable but also resonates with your interests and expertise? According to Chad Waldman, a DTC brand builder who has scaled brands in competitive wellness categories, niche selection is where most aspiring sellers go wrong: "Most people who ask 'what's the best eCommerce niche?' are asking the wrong question. The right question is: what niche is right for you to own, and can you validate it before you sink time and money into it?" Focus on your passion: Start with what you know and love. Your passion can be a key indicator of your niche. This alignment keeps you motivated and lends authenticity to your brand. Perform market research: Dive deep into understanding potential customers' needs and pain points. Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit can be goldmines for this kind of insight. Join groups and follow discussions to learn what your target audience is looking for and the problems they face. Analyze competitors: Understanding what your competitors are doing right (or wrong) can offer valuable lessons. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify market gaps and low-competition areas that align with your interests. (Note: A Google Ads account is required to access the Google Keyword Planner.) Gauge profitability: The ultimate goal is to make a profit, so it's crucial to assess the financial viability of your niche. Look for keywords with significant search volumes but lower competition, indicating a profitable niche with room for growth. Using tools to help identify your niche to sell online: Several eCommerce tools can aid your market research by providing valuable insights into market trends, consumer behaviors and competitive landscapes. As a result, you can make better-informed decisions about your niche and target audience. Sometimes the best validation is just starting. Noah Rosen, a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder, launched Forge to Table from his culinary school dorm room. He didn't have a brand strategy, an investor or a logo: "I ordered 200 hand-forged knives to my dorm room and built a Wix website to sell them." Today Forge to Table ships to customers in more than 30 countries with a catalog of 40+ kitchen products. The lesson for first-time sellers: a defined audience and a real product beat a perfect plan. 03. Build your online store There’s a lot to know about how to start a business online and building your online store is a critical step in your journey toward selling online. The best eCommerce platforms, like Wix, make this process straightforward and accessible, even for those with no technical background. The same tools can also help if you're learning how to sell services online. Here’s how you can build an engaging and functional online store using Wix: Choose a website template: Wix offers a variety of online store templates. Select one that aligns with your brand and niche. These templates are visually appealing and user-friendly. Customize your website design: Personalize your chosen template to match your brand identity. Wix's drag-and-drop website builder makes it easy to customize layouts, add images, and change color schemes without coding. Add your products: Upload high-quality product images, write detailed descriptions, and add prices. Wix allows you to create a detailed product catalog that is informative and easy to navigate. Optimize for SEO: Use Wix's built-in SEO tools to optimize your store's visibility in search engines. This includes customizing your page titles, meta descriptions and URLs. Test mobile friendliness: Ensure that your online store is mobile-friendly. Wix templates look great on desktop and mobile devices, providing a seamless shopping experience for customers. Still, testing your website from multiple devices is always good practice to create a consistent and cohesive user experience. Select a business name: As a general rule of thumb, your business name should be memorable, catchy, and easy to spell. If you’re struggling to develop a name for your store, Wix offers a free store name generator to spark your creativity. Install supportive apps: Enhance your store's functionality by adding apps from the Wix App Market. Learn more: How to sell services online with Wix 04. Identify your target audience In order to sell effectively online you'll need to tailor your online store and marketing efforts to meet your customer’s needs. This requires you to identify and understand your target audience. In turn, you can create more effective marketing strategies, enhance customer engagement and increase the likelihood of successful sales. Here’s how you can pinpoint and connect with your ideal customers to understand how to sell online: Define demographics: Start by defining the age, gender, location, income level, education level, and occupation of your potential customers. These demographics provide a basic understanding of who your audience is. Create customer profiles: Delve into the lifestyle, interests, values, attitudes, and opinions of your target audience to create ideal customer profiles. This deeper understanding helps in creating more personalized marketing messages. Identify a need: Identify your target audience's specific needs, pain points and preferences. What are they looking for in products or services in your niche? How can you solve their problems or improve their lives? 05. Set up shipping Each shipping method has different advantages and caters to different types of products and customer experiences. Choose an appropriate shipping strategy based on your type of business model, product types, and the type of customer experience you want to create. Flat rate shipping: A uniform shipping rate regardless of product size, weight or quantity. Ideal for similar-sized products. Free shipping: Encourages purchases by offering no shipping cost, often with conditions like minimum order value. Absorbed by the business or included in product pricing. Fixed-rate shipping: Shipping costs vary based on criteria like weight or product type, offering more cost-reflection accuracy. Real-time carrier rates: Shipping charges are based on live rates from carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS), reflecting actual costs by weight and destination. Local delivery: A cost-effective option for significant local customer bases, using personal delivery or local couriers. International shipping: Covers global reach with higher rates and considerations for customs and import taxes, requiring clear cost and delivery time communication. Wix allows integration with various shipping providers to automate the eCommerce shipping process, provide real-time shipping rates, and streamline order fulfillment. See our Guide to Setting Up Shipping, Delivery and Pickup for detailed setup and configuration instructions. You can also add custom shipping rates, taxes and product catalogs while maintaining a stable core using Velo and Service Plugins. 06. Set up how you get paid Once you have set up your online store, it’s time to set up a reliable, efficient, seamless payment system. Wix Payments offers a streamlined card payment solution to handle transactions smoothly no matter where your customers are located or what currency they use. For detailed setup instructions, read: Completing your Wix Payments account setup. Wix Payments allows you to manage all transactions directly through your Wix account and can integrate with various accounting software. It supports several payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards and digital wallets, making it easier for customers to complete purchases. Consider offering buy now, pay later (BNPL) options too. BNPL lets customers split a purchase into installments, which can lower cart abandonment and increase average order value, especially on higher-priced items. Wix Payments supports BNPL providers so you can add this option at checkout without a separate integration. Wix empowers businesses to scale globally and sell across multiple channels from a single platform. Merchants can localize their stores with automatic translations, accept payments in multiple currencies and calculate taxes automatically for international sales. Your customers' transaction data is protected with Wix's robust security measures, giving you and your customers peace of mind during transactions. Additionally, Wix flags suspicious payments so you can catch risky orders before fulfilling them, helping limit potential losses from fraud. Track and manage all transactions through the dashboard. This centralized system helps you monitor sales, discounts, refunds and payouts seamlessly. Wix is focused on making advanced digital tools simple and accessible for every business. Together with Elavon, we're delivering a seamless, tiered platform that brings commerce, payments and digital presence into one solution, helping small businesses choose what's right for them today and scale for what's next. — Anthony Scaglione, EVP of Global Sales at Wix 07. Use a marketplace to expand your sales channels Diversify your reach and increase revenue potential by leveraging multiple sales platforms. This allows you to tap into different customer bases and maximize your online presence allowing customers to shop your products and buy from you no matter where they are. Here are some sales channels to consider: Facebook Marketplace: With billions of users, Facebook is a vast marketplace. You can use Facebook Shop to sell directly from your page, join Facebook groups related to your niche, or use Facebook ads to target specific demographics. Learn more about how to sell on Facebook. Etsy: Ideal for handmade, vintage, and unique goods, Etsy offers a niche market with a community of engaged customers. It's particularly beneficial if your products cater to a creative or artisanal audience. Learn more about how to sell on Etsy. Amazon: As one of the largest global marketplaces, Amazon can significantly increase your product’s visibility. Utilizing Amazon's fulfillment services can also streamline your shipping and customer service processes. Learn more about how to sell on Amazon. eBay: Known for both auctions and regular sales, eBay is versatile and attracts a diverse audience. It's particularly effective for rare items, collectibles, or products that benefit from a bidding process. Learn more about how to sell on eBay. TikTok: A rapidly growing platform, TikTok is excellent for creative marketing and reaching a younger audience. Utilize TikTok's unique video format to showcase your products engagingly. Learn more about how to make money on TikTok. Instagram: With its visual focus, Instagram is perfect for showcasing products through high-quality images and stories. Instagram Shopping also allows for direct sales through the app. Learn more about how to sell on Instagram. Pinterest: Ideal for lifestyle, decor, fashion and DIY products, Pinterest helps drive traffic to your website through visually appealing pins linked to your products. YouTube: The second most visited website in the world is a great place to attract potential buyers. Learn more about how to sell on YouTube. Wix also connects to major marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Google, enables social commerce on TikTok and Instagram and allows businesses to launch branded mobile apps for iOS and Android. For omnichannel operations, Wix supports fully integrated point-of-sale systems, unifying online and offline sales management. Before choosing a marketplace, factor in fees, since they eat directly into your margins. Here's a rough breakdown of what sellers typically pay on three of the largest platforms (fees effective 2026 and vary by category): Amazon: $39.99/month (Professional plan), plus an 8% to 15% referral fee depending on category, with payment processing included in that fee. Etsy: $0/month, plus a 20 cent listing fee and 6.5% transaction fee, and a separate 3% plus 25 cent payment processing fee. eBay: $0/month for a basic account, plus a 3% to 15.3% final value fee (category dependent) and a small per-order fee, with payment processing included. Running the numbers on a sample sale helps you see which channel actually protects your margin before you commit inventory to it. 08. Optimize and grow how you sell online Once your online store is up and running, the focus shifts to optimization and growth to expand your online store’s success. Continuous improvement and adaptation is key to meeting the evolving needs of your customers. There are many ways to maintain a competitive edge while keeping your customers engaged and coming back for more. Monitor performance: Regularly review your store’s performance using Wix analytics tools or third-party tools like GA4. Track metrics, such as website traffic, conversion rates, bounce rates and customer engagement, to understand your store's strengths and areas for improvement. Get customer feedback: Actively seek and respond to customer feedback. This not only helps in enhancing your products and services but also builds customer loyalty. Consider implementing features like customer surveys or feedback forms on your website. Monitor market trends: Stay abreast of the latest market trends and consumer behaviors. Adapting to these trends can help you remain relevant and appealing to your target audience. Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimize your website for search engines to improve visibility organically. Include relevant keywords, create quality content and ensure your site is mobile-friendly and fast-loading. Expand product lines: Consider expanding your product lines or offering complementary products. This can attract new customers and provide more options for existing customers, increasing sales and customer retention. Refine your strategy: Regularly review and adjust your marketing strategy based on performance data and customer feedback. Experiment with different marketing tactics and channels to find what works best for your audience, such as digital gift cards. You can also consider implementing customer loyalty programs and other incentives for repeat customers, for example, learn more about how to setup a customer loyalty program with Wix. Wix also supports subscription commerce and back-in-stock notifications, extending these tools to build long-term customer lifetime value. Use automation: Implement automation tools to streamline operations like inventory management, order processing and customer service. Efficient operations can reduce costs and improve customer experiences. For example, you can grow your online store with Wix AI Site Chat, which delivers real-time support that keeps customers engaged and ready to buy. Easy to set up and always on, it smooths the path to checkout so your store keeps moving, even when you’re off the clock. You can also check out the Wix AI Site Chat overview for a deeper look at how it works. Wix Agentic Commerce is what happens when your store becomes agent-accessible: instead of a customer manually browsing your products, their AI assistant queries your catalog, checks availability and completes the purchase on their behalf. The Wix Site MCP makes this possible automatically for every Wix store, no extra integration needed. Wix Agentic Commerce represents a structural shift from customer-operated storefronts to agent-operated purchasing flows. Explore new markets: Consider expanding into new markets or demographics as your business grows. Research and test these markets before fully committing to ensure they align with your business strategy. 09. Market your products and use social proof Once you’ve built your online store, added products, and configured shipping and payment options, it’s time to start driving traffic to in order to be able to sell online profitably. A multi-channel marketing approach is an essential step in attracting and engaging customers online. In fact, a well-crafted marketing strategy can significantly enhance your online store’s visibility and sales. Let’s take a look at some of the top ways to sell online and extend your customer reach: Social media marketing: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are potent tools for reaching and engaging with your audience. Share compelling content, interact with your followers and use targeted ads to reach potential customers. Partnerships and collaborations: Collaborate with influencers, bloggers or other businesses to reach a wider audience. This can include sponsored content, affiliate marketing or co-branded products. Paid advertising: Invest in paid ads on platforms like Google AdWords, Facebook and Instagram. Target ads to specific demographics, interests and behaviors, ensuring potential customers see your products. Email marketing: Build an email list and engage subscribers with regular updates, exclusive offers and personalized content. Email marketing is a great way to nurture leads and encourage repeat business. Content marketing: Create valuable content related to your products, such as blogs, videos or infographics. This helps in SEO and establishes your brand as an authority in your niche. You can also leverage social proof to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Social proof can take many forms, such as customer reviews, testimonials, influencer endorsements or case studies, and it serves as validation that others have had positive experiences with your product or service. By showcasing positive feedback and experiences, you reassure potential buyers about the quality and reliability of your offerings. Including elements of social proof on your product pages, social media platforms or marketing campaigns can significantly influence purchasing decisions, helping to boost conversion rates and foster customer loyalty. If you’re a solo entrepreneur, you may need to start with one or two of these strategies and add more as you go. Choose the strategies that are feasible for you to maintain consistently and are most likely to reach your target audience as you start selling online. 10. Offer good customer service Providing exceptional customer service is important in successful online selling. In today's competitive marketplace, buyers have plenty of options, and the service they receive can significantly influence their purchase decision and overall customer experience. To offer outstanding customer service, make sure you respond promptly to inquiries, address concerns and resolve issues efficiently. Implementing a user-friendly FAQ section on your website can help address common questions quickly. You can also consider providing various channels for support, such as live chat, email and social media, to make it easy for customers to reach you. Offering personalized service, such as follow-ups and thank-you messages, can foster a positive relationship too. How to find products to sell online: spot hidden frustrations, explore untapped niches, and turn overlooked problems into products people actually want. Which products are most profitable to sell online? Choosing what to sell online can significantly impact your store's profitability. Some product categories consistently perform well due to high demand, good profit margins, or growing market trends. Here are some of the most profitable product categories to sell online: Beauty and personal care products: The U.S. is the revenue leader in this category, with an average profit margin of 40%. The market is projected to reach $104.74 billion by 2025 and grow at an annual rate of 2.90% (CAGR 2025-2030), showing significant potential for new businesses. Learn more about how to start a beauty business. Apparel: With an average net profit margin of 7.06% and a global industry revenue projection exceeding $1.94 trillion by 2027, your online clothing business could present substantial returns and growth opportunities. Home decor: Thanks to an evolving consumer focus on eco-friendly products and smart home innovations, the global home decor market is poised to reach $1.1 billion by 2032. With an average profit margin of 20%, this sector could result in a potentially lucrative business opportunity​. Candles: The candle industry is expected to grow to $20.10 billion by 2030, with a 6.4% annual growth. High demand among female millennials for stylish home decor offers an average profit margin of 50%. Children’s toys: Reaching $108.29 billion in 2023, the global toy market is projected to grow to $156.96 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 4.1%. This could be a viable business opportunity with a 30% average profit margin​. Sunglasses: With an average profit margin of 50%, the global sunglasses market is poised to reach $25.83 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 4.38% from 2023 to 2027. You could tap into this growth, fueled by increasing worldwide demand for functional and fashionable sunglasses, with significant revenue and profitability potential. Collectibles and vintage items: The collectibles market, valued at $458.2 billion in 2022 and expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2033, offers an average profit margin of 30%, with the rarity of items significantly impacting your potential profits. Baby products: Valued at $320.65 billion in 2023 and an average profit margin of 40%, you can capitalize on the baby products sector’s growth at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2024 to 2030. This growth is largely driven by a demand for high-quality, chemical-free products focused on baby health and hygiene​. Online courses: If you like to develop courses, you could build a successful business within the online education sector. The market is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2029) of 8.20%, resulting in a projected market volume of $279.30 billion by 2029. The Wix eCommerce platform includes tools to help you create and sell your programs and courses online. Meal planning: With an average profit margin of 9.28%, your meal planning and food prep business can address various dietary needs and preferences, gaining popularity due to busy lifestyles and focusing on health and wellness​. Small electronics and accessories: Tap into the growing market for small electronics like earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, watch and laptop accessories with profit margins ranging from 25% to 80% for sellers. Learn more: How to sell party supplies online Online products to sell: explore different types of products, from practical solutions to trending items, that people are eager to buy. What are the easiest products to sell online? Selling online starts with choosing the right things to sell, whether it's your own creations or items from suppliers. Making your own products gives you control over design, branding and marketing, offering something unique like handmade candles, custom mugs, t-shirts or digital downloads. Sourcing from suppliers is quicker and easier to start. Focus on products that are simple to ship and market for online success. Easy to market: Choose products that come with ready-to-use marketing tools. For example, a supplier might offer visuals for personalized jewelry or a demo video for a wireless electric cleaning brush, helping customers quickly connect with the product. Easy to ship: Focus on small, lightweight, durable products to keep shipping costs low and avoid damage. Items like phone cases or tote bags are ideal because they’re cost-effective and hassle-free to deliver. Widely available: Avoid stock issues by choosing products from multiple suppliers. Relying on one supplier can lead to delays or shortages. Items like custom T-shirts or coffee mugs are easy to source from different manufacturers, keeping your inventory reliable. Easy to communicate and understand: Products with a clear purpose are easier to sell. Picture fridge organizers—they instantly show their value, like creating a tidier kitchen, without the need for a lengthy explanation. Evergreen products: These sell year-round, no matter the season. Think reusable water bottles, scarves, home decor or yoga mats. Evergreen items provide steady sales and save you from constantly adjusting your marketing strategy and online store content. Where can you sell online? Choosing the right platform to sell online is key to connecting with your target audience and achieving your business goals, whether you’re building your brand or expanding your reach: Your own online store: Create a fully branded, customized shopping experience by building your own online store. Wix makes setup simple, giving you complete control over how you present your products. This helps you establish a unique brand identity, build trust and maintain ownership of your data. Tailor your marketing strategies and deliver a seamless shopping experience that’s all yours. Marketplaces: Reach millions of potential customers quickly with marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy or Facebook Marketplace. These platforms are great for accessing a built-in audience without needing to drive traffic yourself. Each marketplace has its strengths—Etsy is perfect for handmade or vintage items, while Amazon works for almost any product. Keep in mind that fees and limited branding control can be part of the trade-off. Social media platforms: Sell directly to your followers with tools like Instagram Shopping, Facebook Marketplace or Pinterest. Social media is ideal for visually-focused brands and connecting with customers in a more interactive way. Consistent posts and engaging content can turn your profiles into powerful sales channels, all while keeping your audience close. How to sell online with Wix Wix makes it easy for new and growing businesses to sell online. Its AI website builder help you create an instant online store and you can start with a free plan to test your ideas. When you're ready, upgrade to a paid plan to connect a custom domain name and access advanced eCommerce features. Wix is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that supports physical products, services, specialized business models like rentals or online ordering and digital programs such as online courses, all from a single backend. Wix lets you build an eCommerce website in minutes without needing extra platforms or plugins. It even supports dropshipping and automated dropshipping options, so you can sell products without managing any inventory. Create your eCommerce site Set up your store With Wix’s AI-powered website builder and pre-designed website templates, you can create professional store pages in minutes. Add high-quality images, clear pricing and detailed product descriptions. Organize items into categories to make browsing easy for customers. Manage inventory, shipping, and dropshipping Track stock, set low-inventory alerts and manage product variations. Wix integrates with dropshipping apps to automatically fulfill orders from suppliers. You can also set shipping rules based on location, weight or price to simplify logistics. Accept payments securely Wix payment processing accepts all major credit cards, PayPal and digital wallets. You can even set up recurring payments for subscriptions. All your transactions are encrypted so they're super safe. Promote and optimize Use Wix’s marketing tools to run email campaigns, create pop-ups, offer discounts and improve SEO. Analytics show which products perform best, helping you make smarter decisions to grow revenue. Expand your reach Link your Wix store to marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. Easily connect with social platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Manage all sales from one simple dashboard. This saves time and cuts down on complexity. Pros and cons of selling online While selling online offers numerous opportunities, it's essential to consider the advantages and challenges involved. Understanding these can help you make informed decisions and strategize effectively for your online business. Pros of selling online Global reach: Online selling breaks geographical barriers, allowing you to reach customers worldwide. Scalability: Ecommerce platforms allow you to scale and grow your business to handle increased demand without significantly increasing overhead costs. Lower operating costs: Compared to physical stores, online selling typically involves lower startup and operational costs. Convenience: Ecmmerce allows for 24/7 operations, offering convenience to you and your customers. You can be always selling. Personalization and targeting: Online platforms provide data that can be used for personalized marketing and precise targeting of your audience. Cons of selling online Intense competition: The online marketplace is crowded, making it challenging to stand out and attract customers. Logistical challenges: Managing shipping, handling returns and ensuring timely delivery can be complex. Customer service demands: Providing effective online customer service requires prompt responses and can be resource-intensive. Pro tip: Help shoppers find answers by making your return policy easy to find on your website and creating a FAQ to answer commonly asked questions. Technical issues: Running an online store requires dealing with website maintenance, cybersecurity and potential technical glitches. However, with Wix, the security and technical details are managed for you so you can focus on running your business. Dependence on digital marketing: Ecommerce success relies heavily on digital marketing, which can be a steep learning curve for some. Tips for selling online successfully To thrive as an online seller, adopting eCommerce strategies that set your business apart and drive business growth is essential. Here are some key tips to help you succeed when it comes to selling online: Careful product selection: Choose products that are in demand and have a good profit margin. Use market trends and customer preferences to guide your selection. Effective marketing: Utilize multiple marketing channels to reach your audiences, such as social media, SEO, influencers, email marketing and paid advertising. Tailor your marketing strategies to align with your target audience's interests and behaviors. Engaging social media presence: Beyond using social media to market your products or services, utilize social media platforms to connect with your audience. Share engaging content regularly, interact with your followers and build long-term relationships. Excellent customer service: To build trust and encourage repeat business, provide outstanding customer service. Respond promptly to customer queries, handle issues efficiently and actively seek feedback to improve your services. Use of analytics: Leverage analytics tools to gain insights into your customer behavior, website performance and the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. Use this data to make informed decisions and adapt your online selling strategy for better results. Optimal website performance: Regularly update and optimize your website for speed, ease-of-use and mobile responsiveness. A well-optimized website attracts more visitors and improves user experience, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty. High-quality product images: Use clear, high-resolution images to showcase your products. Quality visuals can significantly impact customer perception and decision-making when it comes to buying online. How to sell online FAQ What's the best platform to sell online? The best platform for selling online depends on the specific market and products you choose to sell. When choosing a platform, it's important to look for one that offers a full suite of eCommerce solutions, like Wix, such as automation, newsletter, marketing, integration and security. These features can help you maximize your sales online. How can I legally sell products online? There are a few things you need to do to legally sell products online: Register your business: If you are selling products online, you will need to register your business with the state in which you reside. This will give you the legal right to sell products and collect sales tax. Obtain a seller's permit: A seller's permit is a license that allows you to collect sales tax from your customers. You can obtain a seller's permit from your state's Department of Revenue. Comply with all applicable laws and regulations: There are a number of laws and regulations that govern the sale of products online. These laws vary from state to state, so it is important to research the laws in your state. Do I have to pay taxes on items I sell online? Yes, you may have to pay taxes on items you sell online. The amount of tax you owe will depend on your location and the type of products you sell. You may also need to pay income tax on the profits you make from selling products online. How to sell online from home? To sell online from home, start by choosing a platform that aligns with your products, such as eBay, Etsy or Wix. Create detailed product listings with clear descriptions and high-quality photos. Set competitive prices and consider offering discounts or promotions to attract buyers. Use social media and online communities to market your products. Implement seamless payment processing and shipping logistics. Provide excellent customer service to build trust and encourage repeat business. Continuously monitor sales and adjust strategies accordingly to optimize your online selling experience. Where can I buy products to sell online? You can source products to sell online from various places, including wholesale suppliers, manufacturers, dropshipping companies, liquidation sales and online marketplaces like Alibaba, AliExpress, DHgate and Amazon. Additionally, consider attending trade shows, networking with local businesses, or using platforms like SaleHoo or Worldwide Brands to find reliable suppliers. Conduct thorough research to ensure quality, pricing and shipping options align with your business goals. Moreover, explore niche-specific forums or social media groups to discover unique products or connect with small-scale producers. Ultimately, diversifying your sourcing channels can help maintain a competitive edge in the online marketplace. How can online sellers tap into the growing market for subscription-based products and services? The best way is by developing their own subscription business model, based on whatever product they plan to sell online. Consider the following: Creating curated monthly product boxes Offering tiered membership plans with exclusive benefits Providing automatic replenishment services for consumables Developing digital content subscriptions related to your products Implementing a "Subscribe & Save" option for repeat purchases What innovative strategies can online sellers use to recreate the tactile experience of in-store shopping? Offering augmented reality (AR) try-on features Providing detailed 360-degree product views Creating interactive product demonstrations or unboxing videos Offering virtual personal shopping appointments How long does it take to make your first sale online? There's no fixed timeline. Some sellers make their first sale within days of launching, while others take weeks or months depending on their niche and marketing effort. The bigger factor is usually how quickly you can drive traffic to your store and build trust with your target audience, so focus your early energy on promotion and social proof rather than waiting passively for sales to happen.

The internet is full of ways to earn and make money online, many of them low-cost to start and flexible to grow. This guide shares practical tips on how to make money online, plus how a website builder can help you reach more clients and customers. TL;DR: how to make money online Making money online is possible through freelancing, selling products, creating content and offering services. You'll want to start by picking a niche you know, building a website to sell or promote your work and growing your audience with social media and AI tools. Worth knowing: most make money online methods take longer to produce real income than the headlines suggest. A blog typically needs 3 to 9 months of consistent content before SEO and affiliate revenue start to compound. An eCommerce store usually needs a validated product idea and 6 to 12 weeks of testing before paid traffic becomes profitable. Quick-cash methods (freelancing, surveys, tutoring) can pay within days but cap out at hourly rates. Scalable methods take longer but compound so always plan for the curve and not the headline. The fastest way to start making money online is by securing a domain name that fits your brand. With Wix's domain registrar, you can register your domain easily, establish your brand and take the first step toward building a website that attracts customers and generates revenue. 40 ways to make money online Make money with content creation Create a blog Start a YouTube channel Get into Vlogging Create video tutorials Start podcasting Publish an eBook Write online reviews Generate income from advertising and affiliates Advertise on your website Engage in affiliate marketing Become an influencer Get paid from freelance and services Begin freelancing Offer transcription and translation services Offer virtual assistant services Manage and consult on social media Become a remote customer service representative Build websites and apps Provide remote tech support Moderate online communities Earn from eCommerce and digital products Sell stock photography and video Offer print on demand Start dropshipping Sell digital products Sell templates or themes Sell secondhand goods Offer paid memberships Sell products online Earn from online teaching and courses Tutor online Offer online courses Become an online coach or consultant Run online workshops Host webinars Profit from side gigs Invest in stocks or cryptocurrency Participate in paid surveys and online market research Rent out your space Play games for money Cash in on AI Sell AI-generated art and digital collectibles Build custom AI chatbots for businesses Create and sell AI-powered tools or plugins Provide AI data labeling and training services Offer AI-driven research and insight reports Make money with content creation Content you create online can turn into income if it helps or entertains others. Writing blogs, posting videos on YouTube or running a podcast can attract an audience that supports your work through ads or sponsorships. Even starting small, like posting tutorials or short videos, can grow into a steady income stream over time. 01. Create a blog Make money blogging by turning your passion into a profitable online venture. Blogging might seem simple at first—write what you love and earn money—but there’s more to it. Successful blogging means consistently creating quality content, growing your audience and building value you can monetize through ads, sponsored posts or affiliate marketing. That’s why starting a blog is a great digital nomad job, giving you the freedom to work anywhere while earning passive income. Get inspired by real blog examples The key to making money with blogging is creating content your readers find valuable. As your audience grows, you can earn through display ads, affiliate links or sponsored posts and even sell digital products like eBooks, courses or templates. Offering memberships for exclusive content, sharing your skills through freelance work or consulting and selling niche merchandise are all ways to turn your blog into a real source of income. 02. Start a YouTube channel YouTube offers a powerful platform to reach a vast audience and make money online. By starting a YouTube channel and creating engaging videos, you have the potential to earn through ad revenue, sponsorships and membership subscriptions. According to Backlinko, creators can earn between $1.61 and $29.30 per 1000 views, showcasing the financial opportunities available on the platform. Consistently uploading content keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more. Creativity ensures your videos stand out among the countless others on the platform. Finally, building a connection with your audience encourages loyalty and engagement, further driving your channel's success. Check in with them and see what they want by sending an email blast with a survey. Then, you’ll be able to pinpoint what strikes their fancy and how to monetize those ideas directly on your site. Learn more: How to make money on TikTok How to make money on Instagram How to make money on YouTube 03. Get into Vlogging Vlogging or video blogging, allows you to share personal stories and experiences in a more interactive format, while making online too. A vlog is a video blog post that details the vlogger’s day-to-day life or any relevant event they think is worth documenting. A vlog generally runs for around 5 minutes, which is just enough time to get viewers to feel an emotional connection with the creator and come back for more. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram make it easy to reach a wide audience with a ready-made audience eager for engaging and authentic content. Not sure what videos to make? Current hot themes for video include video game streaming and unboxing. Successful vloggers often monetize through ads, merchandise and sponsored content. 04. Create video tutorials If you have expertise in a particular area, creating video tutorials can be both lucrative and fulfilling as an online business idea. Online learning platforms revenue has a projected market volume of $75.52 billion by 2029. People are eager to learn new skills and platforms like Udemy and Skillshare make it easy to share your knowledge and tap into this growing market. You can also showcase your videos on your website by using Wix Video. 05. Start podcasting Podcasts are booming, with Grand View Research predicting the global podcast market to hit $130.63 billion by 2030. The US is the fastest-growing market and is expected to hit $32.14 billion by the same year. If you're wondering how to make money online with a podcast, the key is building a dedicated audience around a niche topic. An engaged listener base opens up opportunities for sponsorships, giving brands a direct way to reach your audience. Listener donations can also become a steady income source if your content really connects. Plus, offering premium content or exclusive episodes can encourage listeners to pay for special access, giving you more ways to earn. Starting a podcast is about reaching people who value your ideas and enjoy your episodes. Brands may pay to be featured and you can earn from affiliate links or listener support. Paid subscriptions give fans access to exclusive content like ad-free episodes or bonus interviews. You can also sell digital products, merchandise, host live shows or use your experience to offer coaching, speaking or production services. 06. Publish an eBook The eBook market has a projected market volume of $15.33 billion by 2027, according to Statista. By targeting niche topics, you increase the chances of resonating with specific readers who value your expertise. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing simplify the process of self-publishing, allowing you to focus on creating quality content. Once published, you can start earning royalties, reaching a wide audience and establishing yourself as an authority in your field. 07. Write online reviews Companies highly value consumer feedback because it helps them improve their products and services. When you write online reviews on platforms like Swagbucks or UserTesting, you not only help companies but also have the chance to earn cash or gift cards. By providing detailed and honest reviews, you increase your credibility, making companies more likely to seek your opinion in the future, thus opening up more opportunities for you to earn rewards. Starting an online business begins with finding a product, service or skill people want. Next, set up a website or online store that’s easy to navigate and mobile-friendly. Build your brand with clear messaging, attractive visuals and a consistent voice. Promote your business through social media, email or content marketing to reach your audience. Finally, test your offerings, track results and adjust your approach to grow and earn revenue over time. Generate income from advertising and affiliates Ads and affiliate links let your online presence work for you. Each click or purchase can bring in money without extra effort on your part. Focus on products or brands your audience trusts, place ads on your website or share affiliate links naturally in your content to start earning. 08. Advertise on your website Having a business site of your own is a great way to start earning passive income online. There are a few steps to take to build a website that makes money online. Learning how to make a website is the first step to building one that makes money online. Start by choosing from professionally designed website templates, picking a domain name and getting free website hosting. Once your site is live, you can look into ways to monetize it. One popular method is online advertising. With Google AdSense, you can place ads on your site and Google will automatically match them to your content and audience. It’s a simple and free way to earn money with Google AdSense, paying you based on ad views or clicks. Combine this with other revenue streams like affiliate marketing or selling digital products and your website can become a steady source of income. To earn from your website, you can show ads or share products through affiliate links. Brands might pay for sponsored posts, and selling digital products like courses, eBooks or tools brings direct income. Memberships or subscriptions let you charge for exclusive content while freelance services, consulting or merchandise add extra opportunities. You can also host online workshops or offer services through your site 09. Engage in affiliate marketing Affiliate marketing involves promoting others' products and earning a commission for each sale made through your referral link. The key to success in this field is understanding how to effectively drive traffic to your promotional content. Successful affiliate marketers often utilize blogs, websites or social media platforms to reach a broader audience and increase conversions. By providing valuable content or reviews, they build trust with potential customers, which can significantly boost sales. To find affiliate options, take a look at online affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates and the Wix Affiliate Program. Get inspired by real marketing portfolio examples 10. Become an influencer Influencer marketing has grown rapidly in recent years, with brands increasingly seeking authentic connections with their target audiences. This hugely popular way to make money online leverages the trust and influence that social media personalities have cultivated among their followers. By building a strong social media presence and actively engaging with your audience through consistent and compelling content, you can attract the attention of brands looking to reach new demographics. According to Sebastian Diaz Mojica ,international growth manager at Wix: "It's crucial for the partnership to align with the brand's values and message. Brands carefully select influencers who have a genuine affinity for their product. This approach ensures that the collaboration is authentic and consistent with the brand identity." The implication for new influencers: niche fit is more valuable than raw follower count. A 5,000-follower account with deep alignment to a brand's audience often pays more per post than a 100,000-follower generalist. As Morad Stern, Head of Engineering Branding at Wix, frames it: "People don't just buy from brands, they buy from people." So always build your personal brand first, the partnerships come second. Learn more: How to make money as an influencer Modeling portfolio website examples Get paid from freelance and services Your own professional skills can become a flexible source of income online. From social media management to web development or tech support, people are willing to pay for help. Pick projects that match your expertise, take on clients gradually and scale your services as you gain experience. 11. Begin freelancing Freelancing gives you the freedom to work on a variety of projects while also making money online. It’s a great way to take control of your schedule and focus on work that fits your interests and skills. Whether you’re making money as an animator, artist, freelance writer, educator or Wix website designer, there’s a growing marketplace ready for your next freelance idea. If you’re considering becoming a freelancer, you’ll need two things to get started: a well-defined area of expertise and connections to potential clients. Once you decide on what services to offer, you can create a freelance website, choose a pricing strategy and begin taking on job opportunities. You can also showcase your videos on your website by using Wix Video. One Wix user who turned freelancing into a luxury brand business is Gergei Erdei, a former Gucci designer based in the UK. Here's how he describes building his site: "I loved building it myself because I could be obsessive about the details. For a creative person like me, getting the composition and the feel of each page exactly right isn't a small thing. And Wix's drag-and-drop builder made it possible to get that precision without writing a single line of code." The site became the credibility anchor for his pitch. Before he had a full business, Gergei landed Matches Fashion (one of the world's top luxury eCommerce platforms) as his first client. The takeaway for freelancers: the site is not a side project, the site is the pitch. According to Tomáš Ondrejka, CMO at Kickresume, who has reviewed more freelance portfolios than he can count: "If a referral builds trust through someone else's word, an online portfolio builds it through your own." See real portfolio examples in action 12. Offer transcription and translation services Transcription and translation services are in high demand in today's globalized world. Businesses and individuals need to communicate across different languages and cultures now more than ever. Whether it's expanding into new markets or connecting with diverse audiences, clear communication is key to success. If you have strong language skills, this could be a great opportunity to make money online. One of the best ways to make money from a website is by offering these services directly through your own platform. Use your site to showcase your skills, share sample work and feature client testimonials to build trust. Adding a booking or payment system makes it even easier for clients to hire you, turning your site into a reliable source of income. 13. Offer virtual assistant services Virtual assistants provide administrative support to businesses remotely. Tasks can include email management, scheduling and customer service. Establish a reliable workspace with the necessary technology to ensure seamless communication and task execution. Create a professional online presence through platforms like LinkedIn to showcase your expertise and attract potential clients. Freelance job sites for virtual assistants like Belay and Zirtual can help you find clients seeking these services. Learn more: How to make money as a virtual assistant, how to start a virtual assistant business 14. Manage and consult on social media Social media management has become increasingly vital for businesses looking to expand their online presence and connect with potential customers. As a social media manager, your role can include creating and implementing social media strategies, monitoring analytics and engaging with followers. Build your experience by managing your own social media accounts or volunteering for small businesses or non-profit organizations. You can also offer consulting services to teach others how to effectively use social media as a marketing tool. Learn from real interior design portfolio examples 15. Become a remote customer service representative Many companies are now shifting towards remote customer service representatives to handle inquiries and provide support. This presents a flexible opportunity for individuals with strong communication skills to make money online. Training is also often provided by employers, making it an accessible option for those looking to enter the field. Some companies even offer benefits like healthcare and retirement plans for their remote customer service representatives, making it a viable long-term career option. Websites like Remote.co and Indeed list such opportunities, allowing you to work from anywhere. 16. Build websites and apps If you have the technical skills, building websites and apps for businesses or individuals can be highly lucrative. First, consider the demand for online presence because almost every business today needs a website or app to remain competitive. This demand creates opportunities for skilled developers and web designers. Tools like Wix's wbesite builder make web development accessible, allowing you to create professional websites with less effort. If you’re not tech-savvy but have creative ideas, you can always look for a freelance developer to help you build your app. 17. Provide remote tech support Ever feel like the go-to tech buddy when your friends' Wi-Fi dies or their laptop won’t cooperate? Guess what, there’s real money in that. Small business owners and freelancers are tired of tech headaches and willing to pay someone to keep their gear running smoothly. If you’re comfortable with tools like Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack, VPNs or basic troubleshooting, you’re already ahead. Offer services like setting up remote work equipment, fixing software glitches or speeding up a slow MacBook. Use tools like TeamViewer or AnyDesk to handle it all from anywhere. Want to level up? Try offering packages like Unlimited Fixes for $99/month or quick 30-minute calls for $50. Keep it straightforward and friendly with a clear message like “Tech troubles? I fix your remote setup without the geek speak” or “Remote support that talks like a human not a robot.” 18. Moderate online communities If you spend a lot of time online and enjoy staying organized, moderating communities could be a great way to make money. Platforms like Reddit, Discord and Facebook Groups rely on moderators to keep conversations friendly, remove spam and enforce rules. Some brands and influencers even pay moderators to manage their growing spaces. You don’t need formal training—just good communication skills, patience and a sense of fairness. To start, join communities you’re already part of and offer to help out or check freelance sites like Upwork or PeoplePerHour where community moderator jobs are in demand. If you’re familiar with certain topics like gaming, parenting or tech that can help you stand out. It’s a flexible side hustle you can do from your phone or laptop and it might even grow into a steady part-time job. Earn from eCommerce and digital products Selling online opens your work to a global audience. You can offer digital products, stock photography, templates, memberships or physical items. Start by creating something small, like a downloadable template, a print-on-demand product or a simple online store, then expand as demand grows. 19. Sell stock photography and video If you have a knack for photography or videography, selling stock images and clips on platforms like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock can be a consistent income source. High-quality and unique content that meets current trends will have the best chance of success. Consider focusing on niche subjects or emerging topics to stand out in the crowded marketplace. Additionally, investing time in keyword research and metadata can significantly improve the discoverability of your work, increasing the likelihood of sales. According to Ido Kosover, Head of Media at Wix, who has analysed website performance across the platform: "Low-quality images create trust issues. Images that don't match what you do create confusion. Images can be just as much of a distraction as they can be helpful, if you're not careful." The implication for stock contributors: technical quality is the table-stakes, but specificity and intent are the differentiators. Generic happy person at laptop stock is saturated. Specific scenarios, real-world settings and consistent visual style are what get licensed. Learn more: How to make money as a photographer 20. Offer print on demand Making money with print-on-demand is a great way to turn your creativity into a business online without managing any inventory. With print-on-demand, you can design custom products like T-shirts, mugs or phone cases and sell them online without holding stock. According to Chris Victory, Head of Partnerships at Printful: "The native Wix and Printful integration makes it incredibly easy for any Wix user to create and launch their own custom product line with no tech headaches, just instant access to Printful's catalog, instant mockups and seamless store setup, all within the Wix dashboard." According to Kevin D'Souza, director of product experience for Vista Corporate Solutions: "Print on demand revolutio nizes the way designers, artists and entrepreneurs monetize their creativity. Imagine a seamless extension of your creative process, where your personal print shop, fulfillment center and delivery service converge to bring your ideas to life with minimal to no upfront investment." Kevin also says that, "As your designs captivate more hearts, broaden your canvas by exploring an array of products, from eco-friendly tote bags to designer mugs." To learn more, check out this Print and Ship Design Products Guide from VistaPrint experts. Learn more: How to start a print-on-demand business 21. Start dropshipping Dropshipping is a business model that lets you sell products online without holding any inventory. Instead you partner with suppliers who handle shipping and fulfillment. When a customer buys from your dropshipping website, the order goes to the supplier, who ships the product directly to the customer. This removes the need for you to manage storage, packing and shipping, making it ideal for entrepreneurs with minimal investment. Wix offers tools and integrations to streamline your dropshipping business, allowing you to set up an online store, manage products and automate orders easily. Discover real eCommerce website design ideas 22. Sell digital products Another form of making money online via eCommerce, that requires minimal investment and can generate passive income, is selling digital products. This could include eBooks, printables, digital art, music or photography. Wix's ecommerce platform can help by offering an easy-to-use online store maker that allows creators to set up an online store quickly, customize their design and manage sales and marketing, all in one place. Learn how to make an eCommerce website to get started. 23. Sell templates or themes Selling templates is one of the smartest ways to turn your skills into assets. It’s not just about creating something visually appealing, you’re solving a problem people face again and again. A budget tracker, an onboarding packet, a website layout, a client proposal, templates save time, improve decision-making and help users present themselves professionally. Start by looking at your own processes. What do you use repeatedly? What structure do your clients ask for? These tools can be turned into clean, customizable templates people are happy to pay for. Once you’ve created them, templates require little maintenance, making this a low-cost efficient way to share your expertise. Creative niches to explore: Templates people never knew they needed The best-selling templates often hide in plain sight. While flashy designs get attention, there’s a growing need for practical tools—think course outlines, hiring kits, weekly team reports or client intake forms. These templates bring order to chaos, making them a game-changer for small businesses, educators and freelancers working in fast-paced environments. You don’t have to be a designer to create a winner. Clear layouts and usability often beat visual flair. Add thoughtful extras like editable instructions, pre-filled examples or basic automation and your template transforms into a practical solution rather than just another file. See real graphic design portfolio examples in action 24. Sell secondhand goods You can declutter your own home and sell items that are in good condition but no longer serve you, or source products from thrift stores or garage sales to resell at a higher price or consider consignment. Websites like eBay, Poshmark and Depop offer platforms to list and sell these items online. Using Wix's eCommerce features allows you to easily set up a personalized online store, efficiently manage payments through secure gateways and organize shipping logistics, streamlining the process of running your own small business. Learn more: How to sell vintage clothing How to sell shoes online How to sell print-on-demand t-shirts 25. Offer paid memberships Paid memberships are becoming increasingly popular for individuals and businesses looking to monetize their expertise or exclusive content online. This could include access to premium content, online courses, private communities or personalized services. Wix's website builder offers a membership feature that allows you to create different levels of membership and manage subscriptions, making it easy to offer paid memberships as part of your business model. 26. Sell products online In addition to selling digital products and dropshipping, you can also sell physical products online. This could be handmade goods, unique items or niche products that people want. DIY things to make and sell, like handcrafted jewelry, home decor or personalized gifts, are especially popular and a great way to turn creativity into profit. You could also source products from local artisans or small manufacturers giving their unique offerings a platform. With Wix's online store maker, you can showcase your products on a beautiful easy-to-use website, manage orders and inventory and accept secure payments from your customers. One Wix user who built a global business this way is Noah Rosen, a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder of Forge to Table, a knife brand he started from a culinary school dorm room: "I ordered 200 hand-forged knives to my dorm room and built a Wix website to sell them." Today Forge to Table ships to customers in 30+ countries with a 40+ product catalog, all built on the same drag-and-drop tools available to any first-time seller. Another founder who scaled physical product sales after a viral moment is Jenna Spencer, co-owner of The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles: "It ignited a viral chain reaction, leading to thousands of orders. We needed an online store, fast, and Wix gave us the agility to adapt." A single Instagram post promoting book bundles went viral and generated thousands of orders overnight. The Last Bookstore now ships bundles, gift cards and merchandise globally from a physical store that draws up to 1,000 customers on Saturdays. Worth knowing: physical products carry inventory risk, shipping logistics and return liability that digital products don't. A handmade jewelry brand and a private-label supplement brand both fall under "sell products online," but the cash-flow and operational profiles are completely different. Match the model to the time and capital you actually have. At the same time boost your online store's performance with the Wix AI Site Chat. This AI tool bridges the gap between you and customers by answering questions, handling bookings and keeping visitors engaged. It provides a smooth, reliable first touchpoint for potential clients while giving you more time to focus on running your business. You can also check out the Wix AI Site Chat overview for a deeper look at how it works. Earn from online teaching and courses Tutoring, coaching, webinars, workshops and online courses let you package what you know into lessons others want. Begin with a single tutoring session or a short workshop, then build a course or program for more students over time. 27. Tutor online The demand for online tutors has increased significantly in recent years, with the rise of virtual learning and remote education. If you have expertise in a particular subject or language, you can offer your services by creating a website where you'll conduct your tutoring session. This flexible work-from-home opportunity also allows you to set your own hours and rates, making it an appealing option for students, professionals and retirees alike. Learn more: How to start a tutoring business 28. Offer online courses Set up an online course on your website where you’ll be able to host and stream your classes for all to join. Alternatively, you can sell your course on Udemy or another platform that caters to the e-learning crowd. Once your course is live, focus on promoting it effectively and updating the content regularly. This ongoing effort can lead to passive income streams as more students enroll over time. Whichever option you choose, you’ll want to select a topic that’s in-demand and that people will actually sign up for. Give yourself time to thoroughly research and plan your course and edit your filmed content so that it’s polished and looks professional. Think about the topics you are passionate about and have experience in, as this will help you create engaging content. Learn more: Can I create an online course on Wix? 29. Become an online coach or consultant As an online coach or consultant, you can use your expertise and knowledge to guide others towards achieving their goals. This could include helping individuals with personal development, career advancement or business growth. Use social media and targeted marketing strategies to promote your services and build a strong client base. Add a scheduling software to your site, which lets clients book online sessions and pay you directly. One Wix user who turned consulting expertise into a thriving solopreneur business is Nicole Michler, founder of Phase 20, a London-based coaching practice: "Everything happens on my website and it gives me that instant credibility because of the way I can present myself." Nicole has coached 100+ clients across 15+ industries without a team. Her first client led directly to a corporate speaking engagement. Wix automations on her site handle the entire intake and lead-nurture flow, freeing her to focus on the coaching itself. The path into coaching often starts before there's a business. Erica Graham, co-founder of Paper, Planes and Passports, a Georgia-based travel agency, describes the turning point: "I was thinking, I should be getting paid for this information instead of answering emails and DMs." She had been giving free travel advice to her community for years. The business followed once she packaged what she already knew into a service. If you're already answering the same questions repeatedly for friends or followers, that's the consulting signal. Learn more: How to start a coaching business 30. Run online workshops Forget boring lectures, your goal is to create a hands-on interactive experience that leaves people feeling confident and ready to take action right away. Start with a focused topic you’re excited about like building Notion dashboards, landing freelance clients or using AI to organize your inbox. Plan a few takeaways and include activities or demos to keep everyone engaged. You don’t need fancy gear just tools like Zoom or Google Meet work great for creating a simple and personal experience. When it comes to pricing, $15 to $100 per seat is a solid range depending on your audience and topic. Early-bird discounts or group rates can help fill seats faster. Always record your sessions so you can sell replays to folks who couldn’t make it or want a refresher. Bonus idea: bundle the recordings with templates, checklists or guides to create a mini-course that keeps earning long after the workshop ends. 31. Host webinars Webinars are a great way to deliver powerful presentations that educate and inspire large audiences. Unlike hands-on workshops, webinars focus on storytelling, expert insights and sharing valuable information efficiently. Pick a topic that solves a specific problem or answers pressing questions in your niche. Plan your content so it flows naturally, using slides, live demos or guest interviews to keep things fresh. Keep your audience engaged with polls or chat features but stay in control of the pace to ensure your message lands. Webinars can be monetized by offering exclusive paid content or used as free lead magnets to grow your email list and guide attendees toward higher-value offers like courses or coaching. Always record them because a high-quality replay can be sold repeatedly or used to nurture potential clients. Profit from side gigs Extra income can come from small, practical actions. Paid surveys, market research, renting out space or testing apps and games are simple ways to earn. These side gigs won’t replace a full income immediately but can add up steadily with consistency. 32. Invest in stocks or cryptocurrency Investing in stocks or cryptocurrency can be a lucrative way to earn passive income. However, it requires reParticipate in paid surveys and online market researchsearch and knowledge of the market to make informed decisions. Online platforms like Robinhood, E-Trade and Coinbase offer easy-to-use interfaces for buying and selling stocks or cryptocurrency, making it accessible for beginners as well as experienced investors. Online side hustles let you earn extra money using your skills and free time. You could freelance as a writer or graphic designer, sell digital products like printables or online courses or earn with affiliate links by recommending tools you use. Other options include tutoring students online, managing social media for small businesses or running a small eCommerce shop selling handmade items or merch. 33. Participate in paid surveys and online market research Companies are constantly seeking feedback from consumers and they are willing to pay for it. You can participate in paid surveys and online market research studies to earn money in your spare time. Websites like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks and Toluna offer opportunities to complete surveys and earn cash or rewards. Worth knowing: paid surveys are the lowest-paying method on this list, typically $0.50 to $3 per survey with most surveys taking 10 to 30 minutes. This puts the effective hourly rate well below minimum wage in most countries. Surveys can be a fit for filling small pockets of downtime but they're not a meaningful income source. Be especially cautious of any "paid survey" platform that requires upfront payment, that's the universal scam signal. Legitimate survey platforms never charge to join. 34. Rent out your space If you have an extra room property or even parking spot, you can rent it out. This is a popular option for individuals looking to monetize their space and generate passive income. With Wix Hotels, you can create a listing of the place, manage bookings, accept payments and better yet, allow guests to book in their own language. Learn more: How to start a rental property business Passive income online comes from creating things that keep earning even when you’re not actively working. A blog or website can generate money through ads and affiliate links while digital products like courses, eBooks or templates sell automatically. Memberships, subscriptions and print-on-demand merchandise bring recurring income and even investments like dividend stocks or automated trading can add to your earnings. 35. Play games for money Yes, you really can get paid to play games, though it’s not always as glamorous as it sounds. Apps like Mistplay (Android) or Swagbucks Live let you earn points or small cash rewards for playing mobile games or completing in-game tasks. While the payouts aren’t huge, it can be a fun way to make a little extra cash especially if gaming is already part of your downtime. To get the most out of it, stick to legit apps that are free to join and don’t require upfront purchases. Try combining a few reward platforms to boost your earnings and focus on games that offer bonuses for progress or referrals. Some players even stream their gameplay on Twitch or YouTube, turning a casual hobby into something more serious. It’s an easy, low-pressure way to earn while doing something you enjoy. Learn more: How to make money gaming Cash in on AI AI opens up lots of creative ways to earn money online. You can make money with AI by creating AI-powered tools and apps that automate tasks and boost productivity, selling them through subscriptions or one-time purchases. With an AI website builder, you can quickly build professional websites and make the design process faster and easier. For those with AI expertise, providing consulting services can help businesses integrate tailored AI solutions into their operations. On top of that, investing in AI-driven startups presents opportunities for lucrative returns, provided you research and select companies with robust growth potential. You can also leverage AI for content creation, assisting in generating and monetizing high-quality material for various platforms. 36. Sell AI-generated art and digital collectibles AI can generate unique digital art, illustrations and designs that you can sell or license. Platforms like OpenAI’s DALL·E, MidJourney or Stable Diffusion let you create custom artwork in minutes. You could sell pieces as digital downloads, offer limited edition prints or even mint them as NFTs. For example, a small business might pay for AI-generated marketing visuals or an individual collector might buy a unique digital piece for their personal collection. You can also create AI-driven merchandise. Take an AI-generated illustration and print it on T-shirts, mugs or posters to sell online. Websites like Redbubble or Printful make it easy to handle production and shipping. Even hobbyists can monetize their AI art by building an online shop or sharing collections on social media, attracting clients who want custom never-before-seen designs. Worth knowing: AI-generated art is in a contested legal and platform-policy space. Some stock photo and marketplace platforms restrict or prohibit AI-generated content. Some clients (especially in publishing and editorial) require human-only originals. Disclose AI involvement up front, read each platform's terms before uploading and protect yourself by keeping a clear paper trail of the prompts, models and post-processing you used. Browse real art portfolio examples 37. Build custom AI chatbots for businesses Custom AI chatbots are in high demand for websites, eCommerce stores and customer service. Using platforms like ChatGPT, Microsoft Bot Framework or Dialogflow, you can build chatbots that answer FAQs, recommend products or guide users through services. For example, a local boutique might want a chatbot to answer questions about sizing, availability or shipping in real-time. Beyond customer service, chatbots can help businesses automate bookings, collect feedback or run quizzes and surveys. You could sell fully-built chatbots as a package or offer ongoing maintenance and updates. Even niche businesses like fitness studios or online courses can benefit from chatbots that personalize content, answer questions and improve engagement, making your service highly valuable. 38. Create and sell AI-powered tools or plugins AI-based tools and plugins can solve specific problems for businesses or creators. For instance, you could develop an AI-powered grammar tool for writers, a photo enhancer for photographers or a scheduling assistant for small businesses. Selling these tools as standalone products or subscriptions lets you create recurring income. According to Jérémy Guillo, co-founder of Superproductif and an AI business trainer who has worked with 100,000+ entrepreneurs in France: "My goal is to help entrepreneurs save time, attract more clients and scale their business without a team or ad budget, using simple, efficient and accessible AI systems." The implication: the highest-value AI tools are the ones that compress a specific business workflow, not the ones that try to do everything. Pick one workflow that's painful for a specific industry, then sell a tool that solves it end-to-end. You can also build plugins for existing platforms. For example, an AI plugin that automatically generates product descriptions or social media captions can save creators hours of work. The key is identifying a repetitive task and automating it with AI, then packaging it so anyone can use it without coding experience. 39. Provide AI data labeling and training services Machine learning models need clean, well-labeled data to work properly, and many companies outsource this work. You can offer services like image tagging, text annotation or dataset organization. For example, a self-driving car company may need thousands of street images labeled or a language model developer might need text categorized for training. This work can be done remotely, in batches or as ongoing projects. By specializing in high-demand areas like healthcare imaging, financial documents or e-commerce product data, you can command higher rates. Platforms like Labelbox or Appen connect freelancers with companies needing this type of work, or you could build your own client base by marketing your expertise. 40. Offer AI-driven research and insight reports AI can analyze trends, summarize large datasets or generate insights that help businesses make decisions. You could offer research services where you use AI tools to produce market reports, competitor analysis or content strategies. For example, a small marketing agency might hire you to quickly generate SEO topic ideas and competitor insights. You can also create specialized AI dashboards that pull data from multiple sources and generate visual reports. A client could get weekly updates on sales trends, social media sentiment or product demand without spending hours analyzing spreadsheets. By combining AI analysis with your interpretation, you provide actionable insights that save time and add real value, making your service highly marketable. According to Lane Scott Jones, Former Director of Content at Zapier, who built a content team with 450% SEO ROI: "Content must be irreplaceable to win in AI-era search. Proprietary insights, real use cases and structured data for LLMs are the new differentiators." For independent AI researchers, the lesson is the same: generic AI-summarized reports are commodities. Reports that combine AI processing with proprietary data, real interviews or sector-specific framing are what businesses actually pay for. Online businesses often fall into a few big categories: selling products through eCommerce or dropshipping, offering services like freelancing, coaching or consulting, creating content with blogs, podcasts or videos and building digital products such as courses, templates or software. Some also use memberships or subscriptions while others combine several of these models to grow multiple income streams. Online income tips for beginners Making money online isn’t the same for everyone. Success comes down to choosing the right niche, staying consistent, providing value and always learning. The internet is full of opportunities but only those who stay committed and flexible can turn it into a steady income. Start small: Jumping into online income full time without a backup plan is a big risk. Start small and treat it as a side hustle first. This lets you try out different options like freelancing, blogging or eCommerce while keeping financial stability. Track your earnings, see what works best and scale up from there. Pick a niche: A common mistake beginners make when starting an online business is trying to take on too much. Focus on a specific niche where you can offer real value. Pick something you enjoy, know well and that has an audience willing to pay. Use tools like Google Trends, Reddit or Quora to research, and check out competitors to see what’s working. Invest in learning: The online world moves fast and staying ahead means learning new skills to boost your earning potential over time. Whether it’s SEO, digital marketing, video editing, coding or social media growth, investing in your education pays off. Start with free resources like YouTube, blogs or free courses on Coursera and then explore paid courses or mentorships. Be patient: Making money online isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, it’s a process. Starting a blog, an eCommerce store or a YouTube channel requires months of consistent effort before results start showing. Set realistic goals, track your progress and use data to improve. Success comes to those who stay persistent and keep refining their strategies. Avoid scams: The internet is packed with fake job offers and shady schemes promising easy money. Be wary of anything asking for a big upfront investment or guaranteeing unrealistic returns. Before joining a platform, read reviews, check forums like Trustpilot and Reddit and make sure it’s legit. If a job asks you to pay, promises instant wealth or avoids being transparent, it’s probably a scam. Stay organized: Working online means managing your schedule, projects and finances. Without proper organization, tasks can pile up fast and hurt your productivity. Tools like Trello, Notion or Asana help you stay on top of tasks and deadlines. For finances, try Google Sheets, QuickBooks or Wave to track income and expenses. Network smartly: Most online opportunities come from connections rather than cold applications. Join groups, communities and forums in your niche. Participate in discussions, share value and build connections. Networking is key, and many freelancers find work through referrals. Connecting with successful people can also open doors to mentorship or collaborations. Diversify income streams: Relying on just one income source can be risky, especially online. If you're freelancing, think about adding passive income streams like selling digital products, affiliate marketing or online courses. If you have a blog, try monetizing with ads, sponsorships and memberships. The goal is to build multiple income streams so if one slows down, you’ve still got others to fall back on. Focus on quality: Competition online is tough, so delivering exceptional work is crucial. For freelancers this means creating work that keeps clients coming back. For bloggers or YouTubers great content builds trust and audience loyalty. Take time to refine your work, ask for feedback and keep improving along the way. Manage your time: Working online can make it tough to stay disciplined. Without structure, it’s easy to waste time on social media or procrastinating. Stick to set working hours, try time management techniques like the Pomodoro method and remove distractions. Apps like RescueTime or Focus Booster can help track your productivity. Treat it like a real job to stay consistent and get results. Reinvest wisely: Once you start making money online, don’t just spend it—reinvest in growth. Put your profits into better equipment, targeted ads, hiring freelancers or taking advanced courses. Reinvest your early earnings to scale your business faster. Spend on what directly drives growth, not on unnecessary extras. According to Kevin Indig, an organic growth advisor and board member of the Wix SEO Advisory Board: "I don't think small companies can do growth marketing in the same way as big companies, they just don't have enough data. But the benefit that small companies have is that they can move much, much faster and they can build a direct relationship with their customers that is maybe equally as powerful." The implication for solo operators: speed and customer intimacy are the structural advantages you have so use them. Your path Ways to make money online Turn content into income Blog, YouTube channel, vlogging, podcasting, video tutorials, write online reviews, offer paid memberships, run online workshops, host webinars, run online courses, publish ebooks Offer your skills Freelancing, transcription & translation, virtual assistant, social media management & consulting, remote customer service, tutoring, coaching & consulting, remote tech support, build websites & apps Sell online Dropshipping, print on demand, sell digital products, physical products, subscription boxes, secondhand goods Promote and connect Affiliate marketing, advertise on your website, become an influencer, moderate online communities Get creative Sell stock photography & videos, sell templates or themes, explore AI opportunities, play games for money, create digital art, design printables Engage for cash Take paid surveys, join market research, moderate online communities, play games for money, rent out your space, test websites & apps Invest smart Invest in stocks or cryptocurrency, back AI startups, buy and sell domain names, try peer-to-peer lending Realistic online earning expectations Your first dollars online often come from quick-win activities like freelancing, tutoring or virtual assistant work. These pull from skills you already have and can pay within days but rates stay lower until you prove reliability and quality. More scalable models—blogging, YouTube, eCommerce—require months of building content, traffic and systems before they generate consistent income. Early earnings are proof of concept and growth comes from compounding skills, relationships and exposure. Income potential depends on niche demand, pricing strategy, audience size and the time you put in. Tiered goals help you match your expectations to the earning curve of each model. Mixing short-term cash flow with long-term asset building creates stability while you grow. Immediate income (days to weeks): freelance writing, tutoring, virtual assistance, transcription, quick-turn design work. Expected range: $15–$75/hour depending on skill and complexity Mid-term income (weeks to months): affiliate marketing, selling digital downloads, small subscription offers, social media monetization. Expected range: $100–$2,000/month once you have 1k–10k engaged followers or a small email list Long-term income (3–9+ months): blogging with SEO, YouTube ad revenue, full online courses, niche eCommerce brands. Expected range: $1,000–$10,000+/month after scaling traffic and conversions Hybrid approach: combine fast-cash methods with long-term projects to keep steady income while building sustainable streams Marketing strategies to make money online If you want to make extra money as a freelancer, starting a business or trying a side hustle, the internet offers more opportunities than ever. US e-commerce sales have hit $1.65 trillion and could nearly double by 2030. Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram are reshaping how people shop, with global social commerce projected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2030 and opening new ways to market your skills and products. Use social media Social media platforms are powerful tools for reaching a wide and diverse audience. They let businesses creatively showcase their products or services, going beyond traditional marketing. Engage with potential customers through comments, messages and interactive content to build meaningful connections and foster loyalty. Collaborate with other online entrepreneurs Expand your reach by collaborating with fellow online entrepreneurs. Consider partnering up for joint promotions, where you can both benefit from shared visibility or cross-promote each other's products or services to engage new audiences. Collaborations can enhance brand recognition, strengthen your online presence and drive business success. Offer discounts and promotions Everyone loves a good deal. Offer discounts or promotions to attract potential customers and boost sales. It's important to design these offers in a way that is simple, engaging and effective—ensuring they are easy to understand and appealing to your target audience. Additionally, rewarding loyal customers can foster repeat business, as it makes them feel valued and appreciated. This can be achieved through loyalty programs, exclusive offers or personalized discounts. Invest in targeted advertising Invest in targeted advertising on platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads to effectively reach your audience. Tailor your ads based on demographics, interests and behaviors. This approach helps you connect with potential customers who are genuinely interested in your products or services. How to make money online FAQ What are some of the easiest ways to make money online? Looking for the easiest ways to make money? Go for jobs or ways to make money that can be setup fast and with minimal startup costs. Some of the most popular include dropshipping, print on demand, online tutoring and freelancing. How can I make money online from home? Many of the ways to make money online are easily adapted to do from home. Most popular ways to make money online require nothing more than an internet connection and computer, and so can be done from home or anywhere. These include setting up an online store, creating online courses or content writing. Learn more: How to make money from home What are some other popular ways to make money online? There are almost endless ways to make money online. You can join virtual focus groups which help brands test products or ideas before they go to market. Start a business. as a virtual assistant which allows you to work from anywhere. If you have specific skills or knowledge, the options can be even more varied, from personal finance consulting to voice acting or software testing. What are some ways to make money online that don't require a huge time commitment? If you're looking for ways to make money to fit around other work and family commitments you might want to consider: Freelancing: Offer your skills (writing, editing, graphic design) on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. You can also create your own portfolio to market and sell your services. Online survey's: Earn small amounts completing surveys, but don't expect to get rich. Micro tasks: Platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk offer small tasks for quick cash. Is it possible to make money online without any investment? Yes, there are many opportunities to make money online without any investment. For example, you can participate in paid surveys or freelance work that does not require any upfront costs. However, some methods may require a small investment to get started, such as creating a website or purchasing inventory for an eCommerce business. So it's important to carefully consider your options and choose what works best for you. How can I avoid scams when looking for online income opportunities? It's important to thoroughly research any online income opportunity before getting involved. Look for reviews, check the legitimacy of the platform or company and be wary of promises for quick and easy money. You can also consult with others who have experience in making money online for advice and guidance. Is it necessary to have a large following on social media to make money? Having a large following on social media can certainly help in generating income, but it is not always necessary. It's more important to have an engaged audience that trusts and resonates with your content. With a strong value proposition and marketing strategy, you can still make money even with a smaller following. Can you make $100 a day online? Yes, you can make $100 a day online, but it takes time, consistency and the right mix of skills or strategies. Some people hit that goal through freelancing, selling products, running a blog or YouTube channel, or combining smaller gigs like affiliate marketing and offering services.

Ready to launch a new business? You need the right idea to get started. Whether you want something practical or unique, there are plenty of small business ideas to choose from. From a home-based business, to app development, to setting up an eCommerce website to sell online, there are an almost unlimited number of small business ideas out there that are easy and fast to start. Wix offers quick domain registration. Got a business idea? Lock down your brand’s domain before someone else does. Wix makes it easy to get your domain, email, hosting and SSL all in one place. Plus you'll get 24/7 support every step of the way. Wix simplifies domain registration for your business. With an eligible annual website plan, your first year of domain registration is free. You also get 99.99% hosting uptime, automatic privacy protection so your personal contact info stays hidden on public records, an extra layer of DNS security and no surprise fees at renewal time. TL;DR; small business ideas This guide explores a wide range of small business ideas, from blogging, podcasting and YouTube, to services like cleaning, bookkeeping and coaching. It also covers online business ideas, plus home-based options like jewelry making, tutoring, baking and virtual interior design. Each idea includes what it takes to get started, how to reach clients and ways to grow. You’ll also find what makes a business idea strong—solving real problems, meeting demand, standing out and being simple enough to scale. Popular business ideas by type Types of business ideas Examples Skills and startup costs Online businesses Blogging, YouTube, podcasting, dropshipping, print-on-demand, affiliate marketing, ecommerce store Low to medium cost. Content creation, digital marketing or sales. Service-based Bookkeeping, coaching, cleaning services, tutoring, virtual assistant, event planning Mostly low cost. Organization, communication or specialized knowledge. Creative & handmade Jewelry making, baking, crafts, art commissions, photography, candle making Medium cost. Creative skills, supplies, basic marketing. Tech-focused Web design, app development, SEO consulting, IT support, cybersecurity services Medium to high cost. Technical expertise, software tools, problem-solving. AI businesses AI content generation, AI chatbot setup for businesses, AI art and design, AI tutoring tools Low to medium cost. Knowledge of AI tools, prompt engineering, creativity. Food & hospitality Personal chef, catering, food truck, meal prep services, small bakery Medium cost. Cooking skills, licenses, equipment. Health & wellness Fitness coaching, yoga instructor, massage therapy, nutrition consulting, wellness blogging Low to medium cost. Certifications or training, client relationship skills. Education & training Online courses, language tutoring, homeschooling support, kids’ activity programs Low to medium cost. Teaching skills, subject expertise. Local & home-based Pet sitting, lawn care, babysitting, handyman services, house painting Low to medium cost. Physical skills, reliability, equipment. Green & eco-friendly Eco-cleaning products, sustainable fashion, recycling services, zero-waste shop Medium cost. Eco knowledge, sourcing sustainable materials, marketing. Best business ideas Popular small business ideas Blogger Web designer Ecommerce retailer SEO consultant App developer Podcaster YouTuber Produce an audiobook Virtual assistant Social media manager 01. Blogger The vast blogging world means anyone with a passion or expertise to share can do so by starting a blog with a blog maker. As a blogger, you’ll need to find a niche to work with a clear purpose and create content for the right audience. Say food and cooking are always on your mind —express yourself to other like-minded people while developing your craft and start a food blog. Once you’ve started your content creation and published some posts and can track a substantial followingthen you can start about monetizing. Some ways to monetize your blog include working with an affiliate marketing program or selling merchandise on your site. This is also what makes blogging a very scalable business idea. 02. Web designer If you’re as creative as you are technical, then web design could be a good business idea. You can find freelance work either by soliciting companies or web design agencies or by using a site like Wix marketplace. 03. Ecommerce retailer Are you an avid collector or creator of special things? Now's the time to turn items in your home closet or shelves into profit with this profitable eCommerce business idea. You can open an online store and start selling products. Wix offers an all-in-one online store builder with fully customizable storefronts. 04. SEO consultant Search engine optimization (SEO) is a practice all online businesses should know, as it affects whether a brand or business gets organic website traffic. As an SEO consultant, you’ll create a keyword ranking strategy for your clients and build online visibility that generates more leads. 05. App developer More than five billion people use smartphones worldwide which makes app development a viable business idea. As long as you have a great idea for an app, you can join forces with an experienced developer to build it. Or you can use an AI app builder like Base44 which allows you to vibe code an app from prompts. 06. Podcaster Podcasting is one of the most popular business ideas in recent years, according to Pew Research. Its one of the best businesses to start with little money and lets you showcase your expertise on your choice of topics. Once you’ve recorded your interviews or conversations, you’ll want to edit your audio before publishing each new episode on a podcast-hosting site. Then you can think about monetizing your podcast by running ads throughout your show. 07. YouTuber Starting a YouTube channel has proven itself as one of the most lucrative online business ideas so far. YouTubers make fortunes raking up millions of views and subscribers. If you dream of becoming a successful YouTuber, remember: Good content comes from having fun, so be yourself. Start by defining what type of content you’ll offer your channel’s viewers. It can be anything from gaming to comedy, delivered in formats ranging from commentary to tutorials. "People don't want to be sold to, they want to get something for their time and attention – entertainment, inspiration, information, there's a lot of ways to give your viewer value. TikTok and YouTube Shorts are a great opportunity for creators who have something valuable to share – these are effectively the places where anyone can produce and host their own talk show, mini reality show, or even more narrative-driven content." Lindsay Thomson, Head of social media for Wix 08. Produce an audiobook Recording your own audiobook doesn't have to be expensive. You can record it yourself or pay for production. Either way, make sure you record high-quality audio files and find an audiobook distributor that sells to your target audience. 09. Virtual assistant If you’re trying to come up with a business idea, are highly organized and enjoy a balanced lifestyle, you may want to become a virtual assistant. You can support other businesses or entrepreneurs remotely and deal with an array of daily tasks, like content creation, bookkeeping, social media and emailing. 10. Social media manager As a social media manager, you'll oversee how a company interacts and engages with the public. Depending on the company’s goals, this may mean increasing brand awareness via social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Your duties will likely include researching social media trends, incorporating them into a digital marketing strategy and setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for all social campaigns. You'll probably also have to manage influencer marketing efforts. Low-cost small business ideas 11. Professional organizer 12. House cleaner 13. Pet sitter 14. Translator 15. Child care provider 16. Home caregiver 17. Music teacher 18. Doula 19, Event planner 20. Personal chef 21. Photographer 22. Freelance graphic designer 23. Copywriter 24. Fitness trainer 25. Massage therapist 26. Bookkeeper 27. Life coach 28. Meal delivery service 11. Professional organizer If tidying and decluttering is not only your personal mantra but you can also help others see the big picture amid the madness, then consider becoming a professional organizer. You’ll help each of your clients invest in themselves, using your services to transform old habits into more efficient ones. When it’s time to promote your business, you can show off before and after images of your work on your service website. 12. House cleaner As a professional cleaner, you’ll bring all your creative hacks and effective tips to clients and leave them feeling happier about their households. House cleaning tends to be a great recession-proof business idea, as cleaning as a service is always in demand and considered a necessity. It's also often popular as a business idea for students as it can be arranged around a busy college schedule. 13. Pet sitter The number of U.S. households that own pets is in the millions, according to the APPA National Pet Owners Survey. If you’re an animal lover, a pet-sitting service could be the right home-based business idea for you. Pet owners away on vacation or working long hours in the office will rely on you to care for their pets—whether that’s walking them multiple times a day or playing fetch in the park. You can start advertising your pet care side hustle to neighbors, friends and family. Make sure to keep an organized schedule to track each new booking. As your business grows, you may need to hire extra help. Got a teen looking for work? Pet sitting is a great business idea for teens to earn money, learn a sense of responsibility and get bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. 14. Translator Do you speak other languages fluently? Marketing your translation services is easier than ever. First, create an online resume and post it on job boards or reach out to established translating companies and institutions. If you can fill a niche, such as medical or legal translations, you’ll have a better chance of finding and working for your target clients. 15. Child care provider In recent years, child care has become a hotly debated topic—not just among parents but in society as a whole. The childcare industry is now open to many new qualified candidates who can eaarn a stable source of income. 16. Home caregiver Working as a home caregiver can be a rewarding experience. It involves helping older people, veterans and those living with a disability carry out their day-to-day activities. If you want to advance your caregiving career, you can enroll in medical certification training to boost your credentials and potential earnings. Keep in mind that the work becomes physically and emotionally demanding over time. When you’re ready to make this business idea actionable, read some caregiving tips to reduce burnout. 17. Music teacher This small business idea not only requires musical talent but also teaching skills. You will most likely need a teaching certificate to work at a school or university. But if you’d like to teach music independently, research what qualifications you’d need and compare the going rates for private and group music lessons, online and off. With advancements in educational tech, there are now also options to take even music teaching online. Are you a teacher looking to start a business? Check out these business ideas for teachers. 18. Doula Doulas professionally train to help expectant mothers during their pregnancy, from the first trimester to the delivery. These highly educated and informed professionals provide their clients with invaluable emotional support as well. To become a doula, you must: First, take a certification training course. Second, have a basic marketing strategy to connect with clients and build experience. 19. Event planner Event planning lets you meet new people and sharpen your negotiation and communication skills—with the majority of day-to-day work taking place in your home office. Planners often start working in one part of the special event industry, such as catering, entertainment or styling. 20. Personal chef As more people outsource their meals with food delivery and curbside pick-ups, the demand for culinary services continues to rise, making it a good mobile business idea. A personal chef business will give you more autonomy and independence than working in a restaurant kitchen. You can also experiment with different cuisines as you maintain an ever-changing menu based on your clients’ wants and dietary needs. Be inspired by these food business ideas. 21. Photographer If you like attending weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and birthdays and have some photography experience, consider starting a photography business. Or if session photography is more your thing, turn your home space into a small studio and offer headshots for local actors and other professionals. In this case, you’ll want to invest in extra lighting and a high-quality photo printer. While purchasing the right equipment helps you establish some credibility don’t forget to put in the hours to create a portfolio that speaks for itself. You can make a free photography portfolio website to establish your business in just a few steps. 22. Freelance graphic designer What is freelancing but a way to gain freedom in what you do and how you do it? That said, you’ll also need to search for your next opportunity. Thanks to online marketplaces for designers, you can now connect instantly with potential clients and get hired. 23. Copywriter This business idea requires strong writing skills and creativity. Copywriting uses words to inspire people to take the next step and buy a company’s product or service. 24. Fitness trainer Exercise is good for the mind, body and soul. As a fitness trainer, you'll reinforce this motto to your clientele and help them strengthen their bodies and boost their confidence. You may also want to create a fitness website. Having a website can help manage your day-to-day operations and offer consultations, fast bookings, easy payment options to your clients, as well as a direct channel to communicate with you. 25. Massage therapist Massage therapy is not only a rewarding way to help others but is also an in-demand business idea, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In some U.S. states, you’ll have to demonstrate a completed 500 hours of massage therapy courses and hold a certification or licensing before opening a business. Check your local government website for more information. 26. Bookkeeper Small business owners hire bookkeepers to help them complete financial tasks like data entry, bank reconciliation and monthly reports. This line of work is always in demand, and starting a business to provide bookkeeping services for other business owners can be a very profitable idea. 27. Life coach Life coaching has been around since the early 1970s but the methods continually evolve. Today, you can offer your expertise and experience in areas such as business, dating, fitness, finance and health. By understanding what your client wants, you can empower them to reach their goals. In this vein, learn more about how to make money as a therapist or coach. 28. Meal delivery service Often based out of a private home or rented kitchen, meal delivery services offer a great business opportunity for those looking to offer quality, accessible and convenient food options in their community. As people choose to stay home and avoid commuting, the demand for services offering easy online ordering and fast delivery continues to surge. Profitable small business ideas 29. Dropshipping business owner 30. Print on demand business owner 31. Create digital products 32. Affiliate marketer 33. Webinar host 34. Ride-sharing driver 29. Dropshipping business owner Dropshipping is a great way to start a business on a budget. This retail fulfillment business doesn’t require upfront inventory. Instead, you collect orders, forward them to your suppliers and then they ship directly to your customers. All you have to do is market and sell your products on your eCommerce website or build a dropshipping website. Clothing, for example, is a popular dropshipping business idea. You can specialize even further, into kidswear for example. Check out these kidswear business ideas or these clothing business ideas for more inspiration with your dropshipping business idea. 30. Print-on-demand business owner Running a print-on-demand business means you design your items and then work with a supplier who prints them on blank items, such as t-shirts, mugs and tote bags. Once you have an idea of things to make and sell, open a website and showcase your merchandise. 31. Create digital products Another good online business idea is to create and sell digital products like ebooks, online courses, downloadable templates, software and even audio recordings. First, you’ll want to see if there’s a market for your digital product idea. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback—from family, friends, social followings and even relevant online forums before getting started with this form of self-publishing. Once you've found your niche, you can also try to sell subscriptions to your digital content. 32. Affiliate marketer With a growing online audience behind you and your content, you may want to look into affiliate marketing. As an affiliate marketer, you market another business’s products, services or brand in your content. Each time someone makes a purchase through your affiliate referral link, you earn a commission. When choosing an affiliate program, look for one that aligns with your audience, topics and values. Start by checking out popular marketing platforms like ShareASale and the Wix Affiliate Program. 33. Webinar host To start a webinar business, first focus on an expertise that will draw in a significant crowd. Then you can plan and create paid webinars around topics, inviting influential guests to speak on the panels. 34. Ride-sharing driver Whether you’re looking to earn more cash on the side (see our guide on side business ideas) or become your own boss, consider becoming a ride-share driver. All you need to start with Lyft or Uber in the United States is a valid driver's license, a car and insurance. Small business ideas you can start from home 35. Crafting and selling jewelry 36. Handmade soap or skincare product creator 37. Online language tutor 38. Custom t-shirt designer 39. Voice-over actor 40. Home-based bakery 41. Personalized gift maker 42. Online personal shopper/stylist 43. Online notary services 44. Virtual interior designer 35. Crafting and selling jewelry Starting a jewelry business from home is simple. You can find materials online or locally to create custom pieces that match trends or cater to specific niches. Platforms like Etsy help you showcase your work and social media makes it easy to connect with customers. 36. Handmade soap or skincare creator Playing around with scents, textures and ingredients lets you create beauty products for different needs or preferences. Starting a skincare business and selling online through your site or other platforms helps you reach more customers, especially if you offer custom options. 37. Online language tutor Teaching languages online is a great way to connect with students worldwide. Whether it’s English or another language you’re fluent in. Offering personalized lessons for different age groups or skill levels and flexible scheduling can help attract more students. Using social media or a personal website is a good way to promote your tutoring business. 38. Custom t-shirt designer Print-on-demand services like Printful or Teespring let you focus on creating designs without dealing with inventory. Targeting niche markets like fandoms, causes or hobbies can help your products stand out. Also think gamer communities, eco-conscious shoppers or fitness enthusiasts. By focusing on specific interests you can connect with your audience in a more meaningful way. Social platforms are perfect for showcasing your t-shirt business designs and building a following. 39. Voice-over actor Voice-over work is booming in industries like gaming, audiobooks, e-learning and advertising. Start by building a portfolio and demo reel, then list your services on freelance platforms or voice-over websites. Setting up a home studio with quality recording equipment is key to producing professional sound. With consistent quality and good networking, you can grow a solid client base. 40. Home-based bakery Starting a home bakery doesn’t need much equipment to get going. Focusing on unique flavors, custom cakes or event catering can help set you apart. Prioritize great quality and offer local delivery to build a solid reputation. Share your creations on Instagram and think about partnering with food delivery apps or selling at local markets to reach more customers. 41. Personalized gift maker Personalized gifts like custom portraits, engraved jewelry or monogrammed decor are always popular. People love meaningful and unique items, and you can easily tap into this market by selling on Etsy or your own website. Adding customization options like names, dates or messages gives your products a personal touch that customers appreciate. 42. Online personal shopper/stylist An online personal shopper or stylist helps clients find clothes and accessories that suit their style, body type and preferences, all without leaving home. You can offer customized shopping experiences, put together wardrobe suggestions or even shop for special events like weddings or vacations. Social media or your own website is a great way to attract clients. Adding virtual consultations or styling tips through video calls makes your service more personal. 43. Online notary services If you're certified in your state, offering online notary services is a flexible business idea. With more people needing documents notarized for real estate, legal or financial transactions, demand is growing. You can provide quick and reliable notarization through video calls and market your services locally or on online platforms. 44. Virtual interior designer Virtual interior designers help clients refresh their spaces by offering online consultations, creating mood boards and suggesting products. Adding AR tools to your services can make it easier for clients to visualize your designs and see 3D models in real time. This makes the process more engaging and interactive. A solid interior design portfolio is important. It shows what you can do and helps potential clients see your skills. Explore these interior design portfolio ideas for inspiration. Trending business categories for 2026 Some industries are picking up speed faster than others right now. If you want your business idea to ride a wave rather than fight one, here are the categories where small business owners are finding the most traction this year. AI-powered services. Plenty of small business owners are still figuring out how to use AI. That gap is where new businesses thrive. Think prompt engineering training, AI chatbot setup for local businesses, AI-assisted content creation and personalized learning tools. Skill in the underlying tools matters more than a tech background. The market is moving fast, so niche specialization helps you stand out. Wellness and self-care. Spending on wellness in the US is over $500 billion a year and still climbing. Personal training, health coaching, holistic nutrition, mobile spa services and clean beauty products all sit inside this trend. Certification or training helps you build trust, and recurring client relationships make the revenue more predictable than one-time sales. Sustainable and eco-friendly businesses. Customers expect sustainability now, not as a bonus. Eco-friendly product brands, sustainable landscaping, refill stores, repair and resale services and zero-waste consulting all tap into this shift. The barrier is mostly sourcing the right materials and being transparent about how your business actually walks the talk. Services for an aging population. Millions of baby boomers are retiring and downsizing every year. That opens space for senior move management, home modifications, tech tutoring for older adults, in-home care, transportation services and digital service navigation. These businesses often start local and grow through word of mouth and referrals. Remote and hybrid work support. Remote work isn’t going away. Businesses that help others do it better are still in strong demand. Look at virtual assistant work, productivity coaching, home office setup, asynchronous collaboration consulting and online team building as starting points. What are good business ideas? A great business idea solves real problems people need help with and are willing to pay for. The best ideas balance passion, practicality and profitability. They bring value to customers and stand out in a busy market. To succeed, your idea should be relevant, doable and sustainable—something that meets customer needs while offering a fresh perspective or unique advantage over competitors. Without market demand, passion won’t matter. But having passion will take you a long way in addressing market demand. — Ilan Shaki, head of global B2B channel partnerships at Wix Before jumping in, check if there's real demand in your market and a clear way to stand out. Having passion and experience in your field can keep you motivated and help you navigate challenges. Instead of chasing short-lived trends, focus on ideas with lasting power, growth potential and room to adapt over time. A great business idea is one that creates impact, lasts and gets you excited to make it happen. Here’s what makes a business idea truly good: It solves a real problem: Great businesses start by fixing something frustrating, inconvenient or inefficient. If people are complaining about it, there’s a chance to step in and make it better. People are already looking for it: The best ideas meet an existing demand. Do some research to see if people are searching for solutions your idea offers. It stands out: Your idea should offer something different and better than what’s currently out there. This could be in quality, price, speed or convenience. It’s simple to explain: If your idea is too complex to sum up in a couple of sentences, it might be time to simplify. The best ideas are clear and easy to understand. You can start small and grow: Look for ideas that can launch with minimal investment and scale over time. Test the waters with a smaller version before going all in. It fits your strengths: Successful businesses are often built by people who know the industry, have the right skills or bring a fresh perspective. Play to what you’re good at. It’s financially sound: Passion matters, but a business also needs to make money. Be realistic about pricing, costs and how you’ll turn a profit. It encourages repeat customers: The best businesses don’t rely on one-time sales. Think about ideas that bring customers back again and again, like subscriptions or regularly needed products. It has long-term potential: A strong idea isn’t tied to short-lived fads. Think about how it could grow and adapt as customer needs evolve over time. It’s flexible: Markets change fast, so your idea should have room to grow, pivot or move in a new direction if needed. It inspires buzz: If your idea excites people, they’ll talk about it. Businesses that naturally encourage word-of-mouth are a big win. It’s straightforward to launch: Avoid ideas that require huge funding, years of development or overly complicated setups before you can get started. A clear, achievable launch plan is key. It aligns with shifting consumer habits: Pay attention to trends in how people shop, work and live. Ideas that tap into growing changes like remote work, sustainability or convenience have a better shot at succeeding. It connects emotionally: Businesses that spark emotions—excitement, nostalgia or a sense of belonging—build loyal customers. If your idea makes people feel something, they’re more likely to support it. How to come up with business ideas Start by spotting problems in everyday life—things that frustrate people or could be done better. Look at trends, explore growing industries, and find gaps in existing products or services. Brainstorm based on what you’re good at and what excites you. If you’re organized, starting a professional decluttering service could be a great option. If social media is your thing, you could help small businesses grow their reach. Pay attention to what people are talking about—what they’re struggling with, what’s popular, and where needs aren’t being met. Test your ideas on a small scale. Start a social media page, create a simple landing page, or offer your service for free to a few people to see if there’s real interest. Talk to potential customers, join communities, and research what competitors are doing. Some of the best ideas come from improving existing businesses instead of starting from scratch. Stay flexible—great opportunities often come from industries shifting or new tech emerging. Do your research. [Many people] just have an idea and are trying to achieve it somehow… But [in reality,] you have to do the calculations and research first and find out how to do it. — Arkady Kovalev, founder and CEO of Heroes INN Testing your business idea It’s important to do your research and testing before committing to any specific business idea. Market research can give you an idea of the potential for success given the current business climate and customer demand. You should also test out different business models, pricing strategies, and marketing strategies to see which works best. It's also a good idea to conduct full competitor research before choosing your idea, so you understand what you're competing with but also so you can understand how to do things, better and differently. Once you have a business concept in mind, it’s important to create a business plan outlining your goals and objectives. This will give investors an idea of what you are trying to accomplish, as well as help you stay organized and on track with the business development process. Additionally, testing out different business ideas can also help you decide which one may be best for your business. A few specific tactics work well early on. Run a landing page with a waitlist or pre-order link to see whether people actually convert. Post in 2 or 3 communities your target customer hangs out in and watch what they ask. Interview 5 to 10 potential customers for 15 minutes each, focused on the problem you’re trying to solve rather than your idea. If 7 out of 10 describe the same pain point in their own words, you’re onto something. If you have to explain to people why they should care, that’s a sign to rework the idea. Too often, we run on autopilot. My advice for small businesses is to be very clear in your approach to acquiring new customers. Develop a hypothesis for what you think will work and then test it systematically. — Kevin Indig, growth advisor and member of Wix’s SEO Advisory Board How to start a small business with your idea Now that you have an idea of what type of business to pursue, here are three quick tips on getting your online small business off the ground. If you want more in-depth information, read our complete guide on how to start a business. 01. Refine your business idea Before you release your business idea into the world perfect it. Take a step back to really think about the reasons behind your choice. Ask yourself, “Why is this business idea important to me?” and “Will it be important to someone else?” Create a proof of concept to determie the feasibility of your business idea, whether it's a rental business idea or something else, and test it out with surveys or interviews with members of your target market. The best advice that I give to people is always ‘Start now, perfect later.’ I never got so tied up in the need to perfect it all. I’m here to say, ‘Just start it. You can fix it along the way. If you build your tribe and your community, they will go along the journey with you.’ — Angel Gregorio, founder of The Spice Suite 02. Choose a business name Once you've decided on your business idea, choosing a business name is an important part of getting started with your venture. Think about the type of business you're starting, how you want to kickstart your brand messaging and get creative. Tip: Need help finding a business name for your new venture? Use a small business name generator for inspiration. 03. Write out your business plan When starting a business, an organized business plan must lead the way. Use a business plan template to define a roadmap for your company’s structure, business model, financial analysis and management. While business plans can differ, all include an executive summary, expected investment, mission statement, market analysis and financial projections. 04. Create a business website Having a business website is a major advantage for you, your brand and your customers. To begin creating yours, you’ll want to choose a business website template and customize it to fit your specific needs. Then, you’ll have to pick a free web hosting platform and connect it to a registered domain. Finally, you’ll want to optimize your website for search engines to increase organic web traffic. You can hire a search engine optimization (SEO) consultant to help you with your strategy. You can also browse bakery website examples for inspiration. Wix Harmony is Wix's AI website builder that lets you go from a single prompt to a fully designed, business-ready website. 05. Register your business To do this you need to check the laws and regulations in your country or U.S. state depending on whether you plan to start an LLC or not. You can read more about how to register your business with our guide. Don’t start with a ‘no.’ We didn’t think the distillery was going to happen because of all the red tape involved, but we kept applying for permits to do this or that. When they said ‘Yes,’ we thought, ‘Great, let’s move on to the next thing.’ The idea that everything is permitted is the best place to start from and just go from there. And when you get a ‘No,’ which we definitely have a few times over the last five years, we typically dust ourselves off and continue on until we find our ‘Yes.’ — Andrea Shubert, co-founder of Strathcona Spirits Small business ideas FAQ What is the most successful small business? Successful small businesses thrive by tapping into high-demand markets and keeping up with trends. Popular options include eCommerce stores, home services like cleaning or handyman work, digital marketing agencies, unique food businesses like bakeries or food trucks and online courses or coaching programs. What is the easiest business to start? The easiest businesses to start are low-overhead service and online ideas you can run solo with little money and no inventory. Think freelancing (writing, design or social media), virtual assistance, tutoring, pet care and cleaning. They need few tools beyond skills you may already have, and most can be set up as a sole proprietorship without complex registration, so you can start earning quickly and formalize the business later as it grows. Can you run a successful business with no experience? You can start a successful business without experience by beginning small and focusing on industries that need minimal expertise, like freelancing, reselling or offering cleaning services or pet care. Pick something that aligns with your interests or skills and use free resources like tutorials or courses to learn basics such as marketing and budgeting. How do I know if my business idea is viable? To determine if your business idea is viable you'll need to: 1. Conduct market research to assess demand 2. Analyze your target audience and competition 3. Create a detailed business plan 4. Estimate startup costs and potential revenue 5. Test your idea with a minimum viable product (MVP) 6. Seek feedback from potential customers 7. Evaluate your personal skills and resources 8. Consider the scalability of your idea 9. Assess the regulatory environment 10. Consult with mentors or industry experts What industries or markets are currently trending for small businesses? Some trending small business ideas include: E-commerce: 14.2% industry growth in 2021 Health tech: the market is projected to grow to market volume of US$258.30bn by 2029. Sustainable products: 78% of consumers prefer eco-friendly goods How can I find funding for my small business idea? To secure funding for your small business idea consider: Using personal savings or assets Seeking loans from banks or credit unions Applying for SBA loans or grants Trying out crowdfunding platforms Pitching to angel investors or venture capitalists Considering peer-to-peer lending Looking into micro loans Investigating local business grant programs How much money do I need to start a small business? It depends entirely on the type of business. Many online and service ideas can start for under a few hundred dollars, mostly covering a website, basic tools and any licenses you need. Creative, handmade and food businesses sit in the middle because of materials and equipment, while tech, retail and food-service ventures with inventory or specialized gear can run into the thousands. A good rule of thumb is to start lean: validate demand with a small version of the idea first, then reinvest your early revenue into the parts that help you grow. Explore more business ideas Part-time business ideas Craft business ideas Beauty business ideas Reselling business ideas DIY business ideas

From selling products to building influence, there are many ways to make money on Instagram. Wix offers instant online store creation with AI. This guide explains how to monetize your Instagram account and expand your reach as an online entrepreneur. Explore 7 real brand examples that show practical opportunities for selling on Instagram and other creative ways to turn your content into revenue. TL;DR: How to make money on Instagram Instagram offers multiple ways to turn your account into a money-making platform. You can earn through sponsored posts as an influencer, join Instagram’s Creator programs like Live Badges and Bonuses, sell products via Instagram Shops, dropshipping or affiliate marketing and offer services like social media consulting. Wix supports omnichannel eCommerce with marketplace and social selling, mobile apps and integrated point-of-sale systems for online and offline sales. Visual content, high-quality posts, Reels, Stories and consistent engagement are crucial for building an audience, driving traffic to your website and boosting sales. Creators can also monetize with user-generated content, exclusive content, feature accounts and livestreaming. Success with making money on Instagram comes from focusing on a niche, regularly engaging with your audience, using analytics to refine your strategy, posting at optimal times and cross-promoting on other platforms. Key metrics like DM conversion, link clicks and shopping tag engagement matter more than likes or views. Pro tip: To strengthen your off-platform Instagram marketing strategy, create a website and link to it from your bio with the help of a link in bio tool (see our guide on the best link in bio tools, including Hopp link in bio). Instagram monetization method Who it’s for & what you need Potential earnings Sponsored posts Influencers with 500+ followers, niche audience $10–$50,000+ per post Instagram Creator Fund / Badges / Bonuses Eligible professional account $0.99–$4.99 per badge, milestone bonuses Instagram Shop Business account with product catalog Varies by sales Affiliate marketing Anyone with audience; 10k+ followers for Story links 5–30% commission per sale Selling digital content Creatives with digital files or courses Varies Dropshipping Entrepreneurs with supplier / catalog Varies Feature account Curators with niche-focused, engaged community $15–$30 per feature Instagram marketing services Freelancers or marketers $20–$100/hour User-generated content Creatives producing branded content Varies Paid subscriptions / exclusive content Creators with loyal audience Varies Livestreaming with badges / gifts Creators with active followers $0.99–$4.99 per badge Driving traffic to website Businesses with website or blog Varies Learn more: What is social commerce? 12 effective ways to make money on Instagram Partner with a brand for sponsored posts Get paid by Instagram as a Creator Open an Instagram Shop Become an affiliate Drive traffic to your website Offer Instagram marketing services Sell photos, illustrations or digital files Offer exclusive content Dropship products Create an Instagram feature account Leverage livestreaming and badges Create user-generated content 01. Partner with a brand for sponsored posts One of the most promising ways to make money on Instagram is by becoming an influencer, micro influencer or nano influencer. As any of these types of influencers, you will be compensated with gifts or money in exchange for creating and sharing engaging content around a brand or business. These might take the form of sponsored posts, or shoutouts, where you positively shoutout about a brand or product on your Instagram account with a story or post. Reels can also now be used to promote sponsored content or include links to your own website and services. Instagram promotion works for businesses due to the highly visual nature of its content. Making money on the platform is all about using this visual impact to maximum impact, while reaching hundreds and thousands of potential customers. How much you can earn from sponsored posts on Instagram depends on both your follower count and engagement rates. Here’s a general breakdown: Above 500 followers: Nano influencers, who have 500 to 10,000 followers, get paid between $10 - $100 per post. 10,000 followers: Micro influencers, who tend to have 10,000 to 50,000 followers earn about $100 - $500 per post. 100,000 followers: Influencers with this following size typically earn $1,000 to $5,000 per post, with rates increasing for higher engagement or niche audiences. 500,000 followers: With half a million followers, you could earn between $3,000 and $10,000 per sponsored post, depending on factors like engagement rates and brand partnerships. 1 million followers: With a massive following, creators can make anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 for a single sponsored post, with premium brands often paying towards the higher end of this range. Above 1 million followers: For influencers with several million followers, earnings per post can reach $50,000 or more, especially for collaborations with high-profile brands, celebrities or exclusive campaigns. See the full pricing scale below, published by the Influencer Marketing Hub, showing how much money you can make on Instagram according to type of influencer. To find brands to work with, you can join varying Influencer Marketplaces, tag the brands you love or email them directly with an influencer media kit. Think of a media kit as a digital showcase of your work and insights into your audience demographics, follower count, engagement rates and unique value proposition. You can create a media kit using a portfolio website template or make a PDF with Etsy. Instagram’s Creator Marketplace is another great option for connecting with brands and securing paid partnerships. Using machine learning, the marketplace matches brands with creators who align with their campaign goals. Once you build a portfolio, brands can see if you're the right fit. To join, creators must be 18 or older and adhere to Instagram's Partner Monetization Policies, Community Guidelines and Content Monetization Policies. You can check your eligibility under your account settings and easily join the marketplace from your professional dashboard. 02. Get paid by Instagram as a Creator Instagram Live Badges Being a creator on Instagram is not just about the content you publish but also about your relationship with your followers. You should aim to create an Instagram business account for added trust, form a strong bond with your followers and give them the content they want to maximize your earnings. Instagram had this in mind when it created its Live Badges feature, allowing fans to show their support to their favorite creators. Live Badges work like a digital “tip” people can give to Creators during a Livestream. It comes in the shape of a heart and can be bought as packages that sell for $0.99 - $4.99. To add this feature to your account, go to your “Profile,” click “Professional Dashboard,” tap “Grow Your Business,” and select “Badges.” Once you go Live, click on the “badges” icon on the left side of your screen and turn them on. Instagram Gifts Instagram Gifts let you earn support from your audience while they connect with your content. Followers can buy Stars and send them during live videos or eligible posts to show appreciation. Each Star is worth $0.01, and your earnings grow with the number of Stars your audience sends. To get started, activate the feature through your professional dashboard in the Instagram app. Once enabled, fans can send gifts on eligible Reels by tapping the gift icon. This feature empowers creators to keep producing engaging, high-quality content that resonates with their audience while turning that support into real income. Bonuses Just like the name sounds, Bonuses reward you financially after hitting certain milestones on Instagram as a creator. If you meet a number of Lives or create a required amount of Instagram Reels, then you’ve reached some of the Bonus Programs’ milestones to collect your reward. But before jumping in, you should know that the Bonus Programs are currently invite-only, so stay tuned for updates on eligibility. Instagram Subscriptions Subscriptions let your most invested fans pay you a recurring monthly fee for exclusive content. You set the price anywhere from $0.99 to $99.99 a month. Subscribers get access to subscriber-only Reels, Stories, Lives, posts and chats, plus a purple badge next to their name in your comments that doubles as social proof and makes them easier to acknowledge during livestreams. To qualify you need a Professional account, at least 10,000 followers and access from a supported country. Subscriptions are one of the most predictable revenue streams on Instagram since you’re not relying on bonus eligibility windows or viewer tips, which makes them a good fit for creators producing deep niche content like fitness programming, behind-the-scenes business content or paid Q&A sessions. 03. Open an Instagram Shop An Instagram Shop is a lot like running an online store, except it’s all on an app. Their slogan “post, tag, sell” explains how it works. After creating your shop, upload product images, descriptions and prices of your merchandise. Then users can discover your items and check out without ever leaving Instagram. Take a look at how Wix user Palm & Wild created an Instagram Shop for their elegant art prints. By selling beyond their website, they can reach new users and make money on Instagram. They've also kept their website URL palmandwild.com in their Instagram bio to help potential customers learn more about the other products and drive traffic to their website. Follow these five steps for creating a shop on Instagram: Convert to a business account. Connect your Facebook Page. Upload a product catalog. Complete account review. Turn on Shopping. 04. Become an affiliate marketer Unlike becoming an influencer and getting paid per post, as an affiliate you get paid on commission. The average affiliate commission rate to expect is anywhere between 5% - 30%. Your sales will most often get tracked with a unique promo code or trackable UTM link. On Instagram, affiliate programs often go by the name "Brand Ambassador." You can either apply to become one on a company's website or be approached by the brand. The number of followers you have is not a deciding factor for brands looking to hire affiliates, rather they want to see that you’re a fitting person who connects with their audience. In advance, you should know that you can only add product links on the app in your Instagram bio or your Story (if you have over 10,000 followers). Since these two places are limited, you might also consider starting a blog with a blog maker and writing SEO-optimized blog posts about the products with trackable links. This is a popular affiliate marketing method. There’s an important 2026 update for affiliates: in April 2026 Instagram announced that eligible creators will soon be able to earn affiliate commissions by tagging products directly in Reels, a feature that hadn’t been available since 2022. The program is rolling out to creators 18 or older with at least 1,000 followers. It only covers products already in Meta’s brand catalog. Reels reach far more eyeballs than Stories or static posts, so once you have access it’s worth pivoting some of your Story-based affiliate promotion into Reels. 05. Drive traffic to your website 80% of people surveyed said Instagram helps them discover and buy new products or services. Evidently, the more people who see your brand on Instagram, the better chance they will buy from your website. To help you make more money online, you can use Instagram indirectly to drive traffic to your website. With the help of all your Instagram visitors, you can boost sales, grow your email marketing list and expand your loyal community of customers. 06. Offer Instagram marketing services Are you skilled in Instagram marketing, caption writing or content creation? If so, you might be suited to take on an Instagram freelancing gig. By consulting other companies on improving their Instagram marketing techniques, you can make a nice profit, charging service fees between $20 - $50 per hour and even $100 for writing captions. Book more freelance customers and spread the word about your services in your Instagram bio. You can also advertise your services on platforms such as Fivver and Upwork. Plus, consider adding online scheduling to your website so people can book services directly from your site. 07. Sell photos, illustrations or digital files Instagram is all about visuals, so if you're a designer, photographer or creative, it's time to cash in on your talents. You can sell your photos to other businesses, which is very common in the travel industry, or you can sell your own content, such as prints and illustrations. Moreover, if you use a portfolio maker to create a photography portfolio website, think of Instagram as a "storefront window" for your work and use it to get more clients. 08. Offer your audience exclusive content Humans are curious creatures with a strong desire to keep learning. This is why online course platforms such as Coursera, Masterclass and Udacity have gained a large customer base. If you’re thinking about creating an online course, Instagram is a wonderful outlet to market it and earn money with each registration. An average individual course can start at about $100, while longer, more intense courses can cost thousands of dollars. But you don't only have to limit yourself to earning through this alone. Simple downloadable guides, eBooks, whitepapers or templates can be other lucrative ways to make money on Instagram. 09. Dropship products When starting a business online or on a social platform like Instagram, a factor that often provides logistical and financial hurdles is inventory. However, you can run a store without ever holding any inventory, thanks to the dropshipping business model. By starting a dropshipping business, you can choose from millions of different suppliers' products such as T-shirts, books, mugs, and pillows. You're set free from the hassle of fulfillment and shipping and get to set your own pricing to maximize profits. Once you're ready to promote your dropshipping business, create a dedicated Instagram page to showcase your products, advertise your site and increase sales. Create a dropshipping website to get started. 10. Create an Instagram feature account Instagram feature accounts act as hubs to showcase photos from several different creators within a niche. For instance, a travel page shows images of various top travel bloggers and tags them for credit. Here are countless Instagram feature accounts sorted by topic that you can look at for reference. But can you make money on Instagram from this type of page? Once you’ve grown your account to a favorable size, you can offer paid spots to users who wish to get featured on your accounts’ feed or Instagram Stigories. Many are willing to invest good money for such prime real estate and exposure. On average, paid spotlight slots can range from $15 to $30 per post. Other Instagram hubs manage follower loops and “like for like” engagement groups and offer VIP paid memberships in them for as high as $20 - $30 per month. While this income method doesn’t require you to buy or sell any physical products, you will need to invest a considerable amount of time engaging with accounts, messaging potential customers and continually growing your followers. 11. Leverage livestreaming and badges Livestreaming on Instagram is an interactive way to connect with your audience in real-time while monetizing your content. Instagram allows viewers to purchase badges during your live sessions as a way to support you. Badges come in three tiers ranging from $0.99 to $4.99 and they’ll display next to the viewer’s username showing that they’ve contributed. This feature offers a direct line to earning money while deepening engagement with followers. For instance, you can host Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes content or tutorials during your live streams to keep your audience engaged and encourage them to purchase badges. Many creators pair this with promoting upcoming livestreams to maximize attendance and earnings. To make the most of livestreaming, aim for consistency in scheduling your sessions so your audience knows when to tune in. Interaction is key, so respond to comments, recognize badge supporters during the stream and express gratitude for their contributions. The more value and personal connection you bring to your livestreams, the more likely viewers will feel motivated to support your work financially. 12. Create user-generated content User-generated content (UGC) allows creators to earn money by designing relatable and authentic materials for brands to use in their marketing campaigns. This could include photos, videos or testimonials showcasing real experiences with a product or service. Companies value this type of content because it feels more genuine and resonates with audiences compared to traditional ads. For example, you might try a brand's skincare product and create a short video sharing your before-and-after results. Brands may compensate you directly for your work or offer collaborations where you create multiple pieces of UGC for their campaigns. The key to thriving in UGC is to create high-quality, engaging content that reflects the brand's identity. Always prioritize authenticity as brands and audiences alike appreciate honest reviews and real experiences. Building a strong portfolio of examples can also help you get noticed by brands eager to collaborate with talented creators like you. Tips to succeeding on Instagram Pick a niche Choose a niche to focus on and be an expert in. It will be much easier to gain followers and brand partnerships when you have a clear and specific target audience from the start. For instance, being a food influencer can be seen as far too broad. A niche example could be focusing only on vegan or gluten-free cuisine. Honing in on a subject will also differentiate you from the competition and make you highly relevant to brands in that industry. Regularly engage with others on Instagram Build a strong community by often liking, commenting, messaging and sharing other people’s content. Simply taking a beautiful shot and hitting “publish” won’t do the trick. Instead, allow people to get to know you can see you as a real person who is equally interested in others’ content. Storytelling is an essential part of securing engagement across all social media platforms and Instagram is no exception. Hone your storytelling skills across all of your content and it will make a difference. Use a multi-channel approach Be active on other channels such as YouTube and TikTok. Start a blog and newsletter and cross-promote your accounts. This will help you attract relevant people from all angles and inform them of more places to keep up with your content. Extend your reach across other money generating platforms, such as Patreon. As a musician you may use Instagram to promote your music, and even include links for fans to download it for a fee. With Patreon you can extend its monetization potential by offering behind-the-scenes footage or priority access to new or unreleased music. Be proactive and resilient Whichever of the these tips you try, take strong action with messaging brands about new partnership deals. Apply for several ambassador programs and often collaborate with others (even for free when you first start). As you kick off your Instagram monetization efforts, remember the words of Robin Sharma, "the only failure is not trying." Use Instagram analytics Use Instagram’s built-in Insights tool to track how your audience interacts with your content. Check metrics like engagement rates, profile visits and content reach to see what’s working and where you can improve. Identifying which posts perform well in terms of saves, shares or comments can guide what type of content to prioritize. Keeping an eye on trends in your metrics over time can also help refine your strategy. Post at the right time Post when your followers are most active to maximize engagement. Analyze the activity data in Instagram Insights to identify the best days and times to publish your content. Regularly updating this information ensures your posts are always reaching followers when they’re most likely to engage. Experimenting with different posting times can reveal even more opportunities to connect with your audience. What type of content is best for Instagram? On Instagram, visual content grabs attention fast—people scroll quickly, so your posts need to stand out instantly. High-quality, vibrant photos and videos that are well-edited make the biggest impact. Posts that tell a story, spark emotion or offer value perform the best. For lifestyle brands, behind-the-scenes content, tutorials or user-generated content can help create stronger connections with followers. Carousels (multiple image posts) are great for sharing educational content, tips or showcasing product features and encourage followers to swipe through, boosting engagement time. Instagram Stories and Reels are a must for informal, real-time content. Stories let you share behind-the-scenes moments, quick updates or interactive posts like polls, Q&As or quizzes to keep followers engaged daily. Reels, with their massive reach and viral potential, are ideal for fun, creative videos—think trending challenges, tutorials or memes. Both formats drive high engagement while offering a more personal side of your brand. How to promote your business on Instagram in order to make money As with any business you'll need to make sure your Instagram marketing is on point in order to generate traffic to your account and maximize its chances to make money. Consider paid advertising, which is a popular way to reach potential customers on the social media channel and a key component of all digital marketing strategies. Instagram is a great place to build a community of your target audience, and one you can engage with regularly and directly. This can take a lot of time and work to achieve but a loyal Instagram following is crucial to monetizing your account. Learn more: Best time to post on Instagram You might also want to consider how you can create content that will go viral, and be shared by thousands of people, in order to extend your reach and grow your community. From funny memes to viral videos and other types of content—think big within your reach. Best ways to get more Instagram followers Growing your Instagram following is about having a strategy that combines content, consistency and engagement. To stand out, you need to create content that speaks to your audience and keep them interacting through meaningful conversations. Here’s how to start growing your followers: Craft a standout profile: Your profile is your first impression. Keep your bio simple and value-driven, showing people exactly why they should follow you. Use a clear profile photo and include a strong call-to-action (e.g., “Follow for daily travel tips!”). Post consistently with purpose: Consistency is the name of the game. Aim for 3-5 posts a week using high-quality images that fit your brand’s visual style and tone. A content calendar can help keep you organized and ahead of schedule. Engage with your audience: Instagram is all about connection. Reply to comments, answer DMs and interact with posts from others in your niche. Engaging with your followers makes them feel valued and encourages more interaction. Choose the right hashtags: Don’t overdo it with random hashtags. Stick to ones your audience is likely searching for, mixing popular tags with more niche ones to increase your chances of being discovered. Host contests and giveaways: Everyone loves a chance to win. Simple giveaways that ask participants to follow, like and tag friends can help you reach new people who are genuinely interested in your content. Collaborate with others: Teaming up with influencers, creators or brands in your niche is a great way to get in front of new audiences. Host joint live sessions, feature each other in posts or run a collab giveaway to grow your reach. Leverage stories and reels: Stories and Reels often get more engagement than regular posts. Use Stories to share behind-the-scenes moments, user-generated content or time-limited updates. Reels are perfect for creative, short videos—use them to boost discoverability or go viral. Make shareable content: Create posts that your audience will want to save, share or tag their friends in. Think infographics, memes, relatable quotes or helpful tips. The more shareable your content, the more visibility you’ll get. Use analytics to improve: Keep an eye on Instagram Insights to see what’s working. Check when your audience is online and adjust your posting schedule. Track growth, engagement and top-performing posts to refine your strategy as you go. Making money on Instagram vs. YouTube There are some key differences in how you can make money on Instagram versus YouTube. The main one is that YouTube pays its creators via advertising revenue. Creators can choose to display ads on their videos and then they earn a percentage of the revenue made from these embedded ads. As a creator on YouTube, you can also earn money from sponsorships, brands and companies, or from merchandise sales of your own. This advertising revenue-sharing model doesn't exist on Instagram. Money is made on Instagram through sponsored posts, shoutouts, affiliate links and selling products, as well as through Instagram reels and Instagram Live. Can you really make money on Instagram? Yes, you can make money on Instagram. According to CBInsights, Instagram is one of the top platforms where influencers and creators can monetize their content and lure more followers (learn more about how to make money as an influencer). The platform also tries to help creators monetize their influence on the platform. In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (parent-company of Facebook and Instagram), said: “To help more creators make a living on our platforms, we’re going to keep paid online events, fan subscriptions, badges, and our upcoming independent news products free for creators until 2023.” The company also wants to help educators better understand their payouts from the platform, and has released an Instagram Payouts feature, which helps people see what their payout will be after taxes, refunds and in-app purchase fees. Learn more: Ecommerce vs. social commerce Brands making money on Instagram Mike Holston Mike Holston has amassed more than six million followers on his @therealtarzann's account. From posting videos of giant snakes and leopards to rare lizards, Mike uses fascinating content to capture eyes while sharing interesting facts. With an average of over 400,000 views per IGTV video, he has plenty of ad opportunities to make money on Instagram. Palm & Wild Wix user Palm & Wild created an Instagram Shop for their elegant art prints. By selling beyond their website, they can reach new users and make money on Instagram. They've also kept their URL palmandwild.com in their Instagram bio to help potential customers learn more about the other products and drive traffic to their website. Arnie Amie has built a seven-figure business while traveling and has dedicated @rebellenutrition to it. She teaches others to earn a passive income with online course creation. In one caption, she gives followers a sneak peek of key discussion topics for her online course and adds the price and instruction to register. She knows how to show off her value and exemplifies how to combine a visually appealing feed with diverse social media content. Sweet Mana Wix user Sweet Mana created a dropshipping business dedicated to handcrafted botanical skincare products that promote relaxation and mindfulness. Sweet Mana's Instagram is filled with bright product shots and tropical nature images that help you feel like you’re experiencing the product first-hand. By not storing inventory, they’ve likely saved a lot of time and money getting products into customers' hands—putting them in a position to make their Instagram even more profitable. Underwater Photography Nature Underwater Photography Nature dedicates their Instagram page to water shots that have accumulated over 135,000 followers with an average of 5,000 likes per photo. They’ve monetized their Instagram in two ways. One, in their bio, they’ve written, “For features/promo/shoutout use email contact.” Two, they use captions to monetize, like a recent caption that says they offer advertising promotions on their popular page. Joy McElveen Joy McElveen, with over 2,000 followers, works as a Brand Ambassador for Brown Girl Jane. In her caption, she uses a promotion code and call-to-action to encourage people to purchase CBD skincare. SouKenya Influencer SouKeyna serves as a strong example of what Instagram brand partnerships can look like. In the post, SouKeyna shows herself applying Armani Beauty makeup. She’s also added a paid partnership label at the top of the post to provide transparency, a required practice in social media and influencer marketing. If you're looking for further inspiration and examples of how huge influencers and celebrities have turned into a money-making venture, check out the accounts of Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez and others. How to make money on Instagram FAQ Do Instagram users get paid? Yes, Instagram users can get paid. However, not all Instagram users get paid, and the amount of money that you can make will vary depending on the method you choose and your level of success. Does Instagram pay you for likes? No, Instagram doesn't pay users for likes. Instagram is a social media platform where users can share photos and videos with their followers. Likes on Instagram are simply a way for users to show appreciation or support for a post. While having a large number of likes can potentially increase visibility and engagement, Instagram doesn't provide any monetary compensation for receiving likes on your posts. How many views do you get paid for on Instagram? You don't get paid for views on Instagram. Instagram is a social media platform where users can share photos and videos with their followers. Views on Instagram are simply a way for users to watch a video. While having a large number of views can potentially increase visibility and engagement, Instagram doesn't provide any monetary compensation for receiving views on your videos. How do you sign up for an Instagram business account? Download the Instagram app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Open the app and tap "Sign Up" to create a new account. Enter your email address or phone number and create a username and password. Fill out your profile information, including your name, bio and profile picture. Once your personal account is created, go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner. Tap "Settings" and then select "Account." Scroll down and tap "Switch to Professional Account." Follow the prompts to choose a business category and connect your account to a Facebook Page (optional). Complete the setup process. How do beginners make money on Instagram? Beginners can make money on Instagram through various methods, including: Influencer marketing: Collaborating with brands to promote products or services to your followers. Sponsored posts: Partnering with brands to create sponsored content in exchange for payment. Affiliate marketing: Sharing affiliate links to products or services and earning a commission for sales generated. Selling products or services: Setting up an online store and promoting your products or services to your Instagram audience. Offering services: Providing freelance or consulting services related to your niche, such as photography, graphic design or social media management. Can I make money fast on Instagram? Generally, no. It takes time to start and build up an account, including a healthy number of followers. You will also need to create posts and content, including videos and Reels — all of which can take time to plan, create, publish and then track. It's better to take the time to plan your account and strategies for longer lasting ways to make money on Instagram. What are some super unique ways to make money on Instagram, if I want to stand out? Virtual museum curator, mood board consultant, social media archaeologist, story experience designer or an online memory curator are some super unique ways to consider making money on Instagram. What metrics actually matter for Instagram sales versus vanity metrics? Story reply rate DM conversion rate Save-to-impression ratio Link sticker click-through Shopping tag engagement Post share rate Comment quality (not just quantity) Profile visits to website clicks ratio How do I optimize my Instagram shop for different time zones? Use Instagram Analytics to identify active hours for your shop and buyers Schedule posts for multiple time zones Create time-zone specific highlights Use countdown stickers strategically Plan launches considering global audiences Automate response systems for off-hours Is it legit to buy followers to boost my monetization efforts? Absolutely not. Instagramis veru good at detecting ghost accounts. Buying followers will tank your engagement rate, which is the often the number 1 metric brands look at before choosing to work with creators on sponsored posts. A page with 1,000 real, active fans is worth more than a page with 100,000 fake ones.

Naming your business can be frustrating, overwhelming and even paralyzing. Josh Brentan, a brand shaper behind many Wix product names, says the key is iteration. Start with a long list of ideas, brainstorm without judgment and don’t rush to cut. Here’s how to do it step by step so you can land a name that sticks, resonates and grows with your brand. Naming your business just got a whole lot easier. The Wix Business Name Generator gives you custom, on-brand ideas fast—along with the tools to bring your idea to life. TL;DR: how to name a business This guide walks you through practical ways to come up with strong ideas, test them in real-world situations and avoid common mistakes that can hold your brand back as it grows. You’ll learn: How to brainstorm name ideas using name generators, wordplay and mash-ups How to match your name to your audience, industry and brand vibe How to choose a name that can grow with your business What makes a name easy to say, spell and remember How to test names with real people before committing How to check domain, social and legal availability Which naming mistakes to avoid so you don’t box yourself in later Once you nail your name, create a business website How to name a business: 15 tips First study your industry and competitors to know which type of business name is most effective for your market, Then, use the following steps to brainstorm a list of potential business names. Use a business name generator Look at other industry business names Embrace wordplay Use your own name Create a mash-up business name Appeal to your audience’s interests Pick a scalable business name Consider acronyms Beware of trendy names Tell your story Use foreign or local words Make your name flow Picture your brand name Test your name with an audience Check name availability The Wix Business Name Generator helps you find names that fit your brand vibe. Simply describe your business, pick a style and add some keywords to get name ideas that fit your brand. The tool also checks for domain availability, suggests logo options and provides branding tips. It's the perfect all-in-one solution for saving time and getting your new venture off the ground. 01. Use a business name generator A business name generator can help streamline your brainstorming. To start, write down three simple things: type of business, a catchy word to include in the name, and how you would describe your brand (and check out best AI business name generators). As you come up with descriptive terms, ask yourself what your business name should communicate. Check for terms associated with your product or service. For example, if you launch an online store that sells natural products, consider words like “raw,” “green,” “fresh,” or “organic.” Explore store names to help you land on one. Once you type in the words, the tool produces many options. To further narrow down your choices, perform market research and draw inspiration from the best company names among your competitors. Found the perfect name for your business? Lock in your domain before someone else does. 02. Look at other industry business names Researching your industry is like taking a peek behind the curtain at the competition. You’re not copying—you’re figuring out what works. By studying business name ideas in your field, you can spot trends and see what grabs your audience’s attention. It’s a smart way to understand what makes a name stand out and what’s been done to death. For example, tech companies often lean toward sleek, modern names while creative brands go for something more playful or abstract. Checking out these trends gives you a starting point without having to reinvent the wheel. Don’t just blend in—use what you find to spark ideas. The goal isn’t to copy but to take what works and add your twist. Look at standout names in your industry and figure out why they work. Are they short, catchy or packed with personality? Exploring enough examples will give you a better sense of what makes a business name stand out. And remember, just because something’s trending doesn’t mean you have to follow along. Learn more: How to start a business 03. Embrace wordplay Let’s face it: everyone loves a good pun or clever play on words. Having a bit of wordplay in your business name can make you stand out and stick in people’s minds. Puns and rhymes add personality to your brand, making it more fun and relatable. Think of a bakery called “Knead to Rise” or a marketing agency named “Adventures in Ads” — their names instantly tell you what they do while showing off a playful vibe. The trick is not to overdo it. Make sure the wordplay is clear and easy to understand so it doesn’t confuse potential customers. A clever name can still feel professional if it matches your brand’s style and the service you offer. Done right, wordplay grabs attention and leaves a positive impression, like a little wink to your customers that says, “We’re here to brighten your day.” 04. Use your own name Using your name for your business adds a personal touch that builds trust and shows you stand by your work. For consultants, coaches or anyone offering personal services, it creates a stronger connection with clients by making it clear you’re the face behind the business. A unique or catchy name can also make your brand more memorable and help you stand out. Plus, it’s often easier to secure domain names and social media handles with your name, so you can hit the ground running. Using your name for your business isn’t always the best choice. If you plan to grow big or sell the business someday, a name tied to you can make things more complicated. A design studio or law firm can do well with a personal name, but it might not work as smoothly for a global brand. Think about where your business is headed and decide if your name fits that vision. Naming your food business? Pick a name that makes people practically taste, smell or enjoy your food. Think about your niche—bakery, café, food truck or specialty product—and the feeling you want to create: comfort, excitement, indulgence or health. You can use descriptive words like “Fresh Bites,” clever wordplay like “Dough-Re-Mi” for a bakery or simple mash-ups like “Snacktopia.” More about food business names. 05. Create a mash-up business name Combining two existing words can result in a fun, distinct and captivating business name. Mash-ups (also called portmanteaus) work surprisingly well for a business name, since they can creatively communicate your company’s greater mission. For example, Groupon combines “group” and “coupons,” and “instant camera” and “telegram” for Instagram. To create your own, jot down words associated with your brand. If your business has two or more concepts, use a portmanteau to ensure your name reflects both ideas. Then remove the first word’s last syllables and the second word’s beginning syllables. Write your frankenword on paper and read it. Ask yourself, “Is your newly invented word unsightly, or does it have character?” Consider playing around with spelling for a more polished name, like Netflix (internet and flicks). 06. Appeal to your audience’s interests An effective name should create buzz around your business and its offerings. While your business’s name doesn’t have to convey an obvious meaning, it should evoke a particular interest, memory or feeling for your audience. Take Whole Foods, for example. Its name suggests health and wellness to its target market yet is broad enough to appeal to all food shoppers. Whole Foods rolled out its private label brand—365, signaling a clear message: customers can expect fresh food and a unique shopping experience every day of the year. Jeff Turnas, senior vice president of global culinary at Whole Foods, said: “For the past 37 years, we have built our company by leading with high quality standards and continuous innovation. We are now excited for the next evolution to extend our offerings to a broader audience in a way that complements our successful Whole Foods Market brand.” When naming your fitness business, pick a name that reflects the feeling you want clients to experience, whether it's action, energy, strength, balance or peace. Use words that fit your niche, play with simple word combinations or creative twists and consider including your location or specialty to help your brand stand out. More about Fitness business name ideas 07. Pick a scalable business name As a rising small business owner, you’ll need to plan for your future while getting your business off the ground. Although you can’t predict what your company will look like in the coming years, choose a business name that won’t limit your entrepreneurial growth. Imagine if the skateboarding shoe company Vans picked a name focusing on footwear alone, like “Sneaks.” It could have prevented the company from becoming a household name for much more, such as clothing, fashion accessories and backpacks. In turn, don’t choose a highly specific business name. For instance, the hypothetical Nonna’s Gnocchi small business could easily offer other pastas, thus the word Gnocchi in the name could inhibit business growth. Likewise, names based on a geography may not always work if you expand to other cities, countries and continents. Pro tip: Incorporating your business name into your email address is one of the most favorable email name ideas for creating a consistent brand presence that scales with your business. A good business name sticks in people’s minds, is easy to say and spell and shows what your business is all about. It should connect with your audience, give the right vibe and leave room for your business to grow. The best names are unique, stand out from the crowd and feel natural when spoken. Bonus points if your domain and social handles are easy to grab. 08. Consider acronyms Along with keeping it short and simple, consider the acronym that will follow before you select a business name. An acronym is a term formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase. The public better recognizes the acronyms of several multi-billion dollar companies than their full name, including IBM (International Business Machines) and CVS (Consumer Value Stores). Though you might not want to abbreviate your business name, your customers or other companies might refer to its initials anyway. Properly investigate your acronym’s meaning before going to market to evade an embarrassing result. 09. Beware of trendy names Businesses that have successfully evolved over time share one thing: They’ve avoided trends. Take the case of the “drop the vowel” trend and which led to brand names like Flickr, Grindr and Scribd. While it might have seemed hip or cool to do at the time, the names now sound dated and aren’t easy to say, spell or recognize worldwide. You also want to consider how your business name will visually appear in your logo, which is key to your brand identity. Create your own logo using your business name. 10. Tell your story Great storytelling evokes certain emotions and creates personal connections. A good business name can do the same for its customers. Ben & Jerry’s global ice cream takeover exemplifies a perfect brand story. Today, the name celebrates the grassroots success of its founders, who never gave up on their dreams. “With a $5 correspondence course in ice cream-making from Penn State and a $12,000 investment ($4,000 of it borrowed), Ben and Jerry opened their first ice cream scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont,” says its website. While the company scaled to a larger corporation owned by Unilever, the name Ben & Jerry’s evokes the industrious story of the owners behind it. To come up with a blog name, start by getting clear on your topic, tone and who you’re writing for. Brainstorm words your audience would actually search for, mix them with descriptive or playful terms and say them out loud to see what sticks. Aim for something easy to spell, easy to remember and flexible enough to grow as your content evolves. 11. Use foreign or local words Give your business name a unique twist by adding a foreign or local word that reflects your brand’s vibe or story. A foreign word can bring a touch of mystery and sophistication, while a local word connects you to your roots and community. Think of a luxury spa using “Serene” (French for peaceful) or a local diner with a regional term that instantly resonates with customers. It helps your brand stand out in a crowded market where standard names are everywhere. Keep it simple though. The word should be easy to pronounce, spell and understand. You don’t want customers struggling to say or remember your name. Always double-check the meaning too, to make sure it aligns with your values. Foreign words can be fresh and intriguing, but they might not click if your market doesn’t connect with that language. Choose something meaningful that your audience will remember and relate to. It’s all about striking that balance between authenticity and standing out. 12. Make your name flow A name with good flow is easy to say remember and share. It doesn’t make people pause or stumble when they try to pronounce it. Instead it rolls off the tongue smoothly in conversation video or audio. When a name is pleasant to say people are more likely to repeat it to others. This is how word-of-mouth marketing starts—through natural conversations and recommendations. What helps a business name flow When testing for flow listen to how the sounds connect. A name with smooth transitions between letters and syllables is easier to say. Pay attention to its rhythm too—the natural beat when you speak it. Flow is also crucial in practical situations. Imagine saying the name over the phone in a loud café or on a podcast. Will people understand it? A complex or unclear name will get lost in the noise. The same goes for spelling. If someone hears it once can they type it into a search bar correctly? Voice assistants and customers will struggle with names that sound one way but are spelled another. Get inspired: Cafe name ideas Simple sound rules for catchy names These small details make a big difference in how a name sounds and feels. End with an open sound: Names ending with a vowel or soft sound ("Luma" "Vero") are often easier to say and remember. Avoid tongue-twisters: Hard letter combinations like "ptk" or "skr" make people stumble. Keep sounds clean and simple. Pay attention to stress: For short names, stressing the first syllable ("SOLera") sounds confident and solid. Stressing the second syllable ("soLINA") feels softer, more relaxed. Pick the pattern that matches your brand’s tone. Skip double consonants across words: "Sweets Studio" sounds clunky; "Sweet Studio" is much smoother. Don't overcomplicate spelling: If a name sounds like a common word but is spelled oddly, people will misspell it and struggle to find you online. Examples of names that don’t flow as well: Quickcart (double hard consonants make it clunky) Brightlinker (too long, awkward rhythm) Snaptrix (sounds forced, spelling might confuse people) Plantera (ends abruptly, feels heavy) Trendifyo (awkward ending, hard to say naturally) Picture your brand name To test a name, see how it lives in the world you'll use it in. Think in context: Drop your top name choices into different scenarios: website headers social media avatars packaging email signatures even invoice templates. A name that works only in one context is limiting. For example, a long quirky name might look fine in a playful Instagram bio but feel awkward on a printed product label. Check for mental imagery: Does the name evoke a visual in your mind? Names that create mental images are easier to remember and share. Think “Blue Apron”—you instantly get a kitchen or meal vibe. “InstaCart” suggests speed and convenience. Test adaptability: How does the name hold up if the brand pivots or expands? Could it carry new products or services without losing its meaning? Sketch a few scenarios like an app turning into an e-commerce platform to see if the name can scale. Micro-testing: Create mockup ads or social posts with the name. Does it feel natural in headlines hashtags or text overlays? A name that feels forced in these common spots can sabotage your marketing down the line. 14. Test your name with an audience Reach out to friends, family, partners and investors to get their insight and validate your business name. These conversations can further inspire you or cause you to rethink your name choice. During these conversations, ask questions like What feelings does the name give you? Do you find it easy or difficult to spell? Guide their attention to these aspects to receive more constructive feedback. If you catch yourself explaining a long and complex story about your name, consider this a sign to go back to the drawing board. You want your business’s name to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, so it should be snappy, memorable and stand on its own. To come up with a YouTube channel name, think about what your channel is about and how you want to come across. Jot down words tied to your niche, your personality or the result viewers get, then mix and match until it sounds natural and easy to remember. Keep it short, say it out loud and make sure it still works if your content expands later on. 15. Check name availability Make sure that you can own your chosen business name and that another company doesn’t already use it. This will come in handy when you register a business name. To do so, check out the following places: The domain availability: As a business owner, you must maintain an online presence. When you create a website, your domain name should be closely associated with your business name. Check that this domain hasn’t already been taken using a domain name search tool or any name search tool. Search engines: See what comes up when you search your name. If you do business internationally, check for cultural references across the countries. Social media platforms: Search social media to make sure that the name is available. Your Instagram handle, Facebook Business Page, and the other social media branding aspects can be just as important to your business as your domain name. Your local business registration service: Check that someone else didn’t already register a business name similar to yours. If you live in the U.S., you can check with uspto.gov. If you are located elsewhere, go to the host country’s government website and familiarize yourself with their business registration process. Register your business name: Lastly, if you choose to register your business name, you’ll need to first file legal paperwork for becoming a business entity. You may select to form an LLC, C-corp or partnership. Your entity name will be the legal name for your business and you’ll have to sign every official document under this name as required by state laws. Register your business name with the secretary of state’s office, local or county agencies. Also make sure that your business name is in line with any guidelines in your state related to naming a business. In all states, if you start an LLC you must include that in your name, as one example. Other official guidelines may prohibit or limit the use of certain words in your name. All states also insist that a business name doesn't mislead consumers by pretending to be something it's not. Let the idea marinate overnight or even for a few weeks. Can you see the name splashed across a billboard or in the news? This will allow you to truly see if it fits. You can always operate as a DBA (doing business as) before making it official. However, changing your official business name later on—in legal documents and branding assets—might be more complex than doing it right now, especially if you’ve built brand recognition. After all is said and done, no matter how you come up with a business name, make sure you’re personally happy with it. Naming your fashion or beauty brand starts with your niche—be it skincare, makeup or apparel. Think about the vibe you want to set like luxury, minimal or edgy. Use words that evoke texture and color, then say them out loud to see how they feel. Picture your favorite pick on labels and packaging. How to name a small business When naming a small business, it’s important to choose something that connects with your community or niche. A small business thrives on its personal touch and the relationships it builds with customers so your name should reflect what makes your business special while feeling familiar and welcoming. A good name can make customers feel like they’re supporting a trusted local spot. Take advantage of the flexibility small businesses have and get creative. You can draw inspiration from local landmarks, street names or something that reflects the culture and values of your area. This adds a personal, community-focused feel that big companies can’t easily replicate. Also think about how your name will grow with your business. If you’re planning to expand, make sure it works for larger markets or a wider audience down the road. Naming a business? Here’s what you should not do Choosing a name for your company is exciting, but avoid these missteps that can confuse your audience or slow your business down: Copy competitors – Be different. A business name too close to others won’t help you stand out. Pick something hard to say – If it’s tricky to pronounce, people won’t remember it. Keep it short and simple. Chase trends – Trends fade. Pick a business name that sticks around. Skip checking availability – Before settling on a company name, confirm it’s available as a domain and on social media. Go too vague – Be clear about what your business does so people get it right away. Miss hidden meanings – Double-check for cultural or unintended meanings that could cause trouble. Ignore trademarks – Avoid legal issues by making sure your business name isn’t in use. Box yourself in – Choose a company name that gives your business room to grow. Forget SEO – A name that’s easy to search helps customers find you faster. Make it all about you – Focus on what connects with your audience, not just what you prefer. Types of business names There are many types of business names, each designed to have a specific impact on consumers. Choose yours according to your target audience and brand identity. Descriptive business names Descriptive business names are utilitarian and specific to the offered product or service. These names leave little room for interpretation and may benefit a business entering a new market. They could also be harder to trademark or register since they contain generic words or phrases. Examples: Bank of America The Weather Channel Hotels.com Abstract business names Non-descriptive names are interesting, inventive and instantly grab customer attention. They strike a specific tone, whether playful, formal, motivating, optimistic or humorous. Examples: Kodak Venmo Waze Acronymic business names These short and sweet business names are easy to remember and spell. Science and technology-related companies commonly use acronymic business names. These names do not transfer emotions or creativity to their customers. Examples: HP IBM NASA Geographical business names Geographical names link the business to its location, making it easier for local customers to identify them or to provide context for those outside of the region. However, these straightforward names can often make it harder for companies to grow outside their locality. Examples: California Pizza Kitchen Brooklyn Brewery American Vintage Compound business names Compound business names combine two different terms to form a new, memorable and often friendly word. They may comprise a descriptive and abstract word, two descriptive terms, etc. Examples: PayPal Netflix FedEx Founder business names If you want to create heritage and legacy for your brand, name your business after its founders. This business name type can also help customers emotionally connect with your brand. Businesses like law and accounting firms commonly use founder business names to evoke professionalism and trust. Examples: Ben & Jerry’s The Walt Disney Company Johnson & Johnson Why is a business name important? A good business name can shape how a customer perceives a brand. Therefore, a business name also has practical implications: It can help protect your brand reputation over time. A 2022 study found that “fun” business names—or those that used creative linguistics like playful fonts, symbols and unique spelling—protected against brand transgression. The researchers showed that “fun brand names create hedonic value for consumers by playing with language and creating brand names in inventive ways.” When it comes to choosing a business name there are some general guidelines to keep in mind. These include: Scalability: a name that grows with your business is important. It can be fun to start small and personal with your name but if you plan to expand or go global eventually, think about how well such a name will hold-up. Memorability: if your business name isn't memorable, neither will your business be. Memorable doesn't necessarily mean gimmicky or provocative but something that sticks in people's minds, in a positive way. Consistency: sometimes, depending on your industry you may have to choose being consistent with industry standards and competitors over creativity because its what clients or consumers expect. Law firms, for example, are unlikely to have quirky names because of the serious services they provide. Your name must be consistent with your brand services or products. Uniqueness: your business needs to stand out and you'll have to do these primarily with your offerings but your name should reflect what makes you unique and better. Depending on your brand and industry you can do this with humor, by making up a name or just by going for something no one else has. Web-friendliness: make sure it works well also as a domain name, so that it's not too long or difficult to spell — for when people are trying to type your business name into search or a web browsers. Remember your business name becomes your brand name, potentially your domain name and website name too. Business domain name registration with Wix Wix offers more than 400 domain extensions, giving you more flexibility to find a web address that fits your business, brand or target audience. As an ICANN-accredited domain registrar, Wix lets you search, register and manage domains ranging from classic options like .com and .net to newer industry-focused extensions, all in one place. Beyond registration, Wix includes built-in tools for DNS management, domain security and private registration, along with a free SSL certificate to help protect your site and visitors. You can also create a custom business email, get a free one-year domain voucher with eligible annual plans and access 24/7 support whenever you need help managing your domain. Ready to secure your business domain? Search for your perfect domain name and register it in just a few clicks with Wix. How to name a business FAQ Should you name your business after yourself? Naming your business after yourself can be a good option if your name carries strong brand recognition or aligns with your business's identity, like "Martha Stewart." However, ensure it fits your target audience and isn't too difficult to pronounce or spell. Consider the future if you plan to expand or partner with others. Can you sell or buy a trademark? Yes, trademarks can be bought and sold like any other intellectual property. The process involves legal agreements, valuations and official transfer documents. Consult an intellectual property lawyer for guidance. What are recent trends in business names? Recent trends in business names: Minimalism and simplicity: Short, clear and easy-to-remember names are gaining traction, emphasizing instant recognition and online searchability. Think "Cotopaxi" or "Casper." Authenticity and storytelling: Names that convey brand values and evoke a sense of identity are popular, creating emotional connections with consumers. Examples include "Honest Kitchen" or "Patagonia." Incorporating tech: Tech-infused prefixes like "nano," "cyber," or "AI" signal cutting-edge solutions, particularly in fast-moving industries. Look at "OpenAI" or "NanoTemper." Niche-specific: Names that pinpoint a specific target audience or offer personalized experiences are on the rise. Think "BarkBox" for dog treats or "Peloton" for interactive fitness. Word blending: Combining multiple words into a catchy and unique name is still popular, creating brand new terms like "Warby Parker" or "Dropbox." What makes a great business name? Memorable and catchy: Sticks in the mind and encourages word-of-mouth. Unique and distinctive: Stands out from competitors and avoids confusion. Relevant to your brand: Reflects your business's values and target audience. Easy to pronounce and spell: Avoid complex vocabulary or unusual spellings. Available legally: Not already trademarked by another business. How do I name my LLC? Check your state's naming regulations for LLCs, which often have specific requirements. Include "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company" in your name to maintain legal protection. Follow the general advice above for choosing a strong and memorable business name. How can you create a business name incorporating your children's names? While using children's names can be sentimental, for various reasons consider potential downsides: Future limitations: It may restrict name changes or branding as your business grows. Personal privacy concerns: Exposing children's names publicly might not be ideal. Professional image: Ensure the name aligns with your business's desired image and industry. If you choose to incorporate children's names, do so subtly, perhaps using initials or middle names, or incorporating them into more creative wordplay. What makes a bad business name A bad business name is hard to spell, pronounce or remember, making it tough for customers to find or recommend you. It might be too vague, overly complicated or tied to short-lived trends that don’t reflect your brand’s long-term identity. In the end, a bad name can confuse your audience, hold back your growth or fail to reflect the values and mission you want to share. Looking for specific business name ideas? Band names Restaurant names Craft business name ideas Boutique business name ideas Photography business name ideas Travel business names Tech business name ideas Clothing brand names Jewelry business name ideas Consulting business name ideas Beauty business name ideas Real estate business name ideas App name ideas Marketing business names Candle business name ideas Food truck business name ideas Gym business names eCommerce business names Trucking business names Bookkeeping business names Construction business name ideas Nail business name ideas Plumbing business names Dropshipping business name ideas Painting business names Contractor business name ideas DJ name ideas