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Ready to share your ideas with the world? Start your blog → Want to learn how to make money blogging? It all starts when you create a blog  using a website builder . Publishing your first post is the essential first step—without it, you can’t start earning. From there, it’s about growing your audience, sharing valuable content and finding ways to turn traffic into income. If you’re wondering how to make a blog  that can generate revenue, this guide will walk you through the process: setting up your site, building steady traffic and taking practical steps to turn your blog into a profitable venture. Ready to learn  how to monetize a blog ? Get started on your blog with  Wix . TL;DR: how to make money blogging There’s no one way to make money online —bloggers can earn money in many ways, including affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, digital products and courses, ads, paid subscriptions, consulting or freelancing, physical products and guest blogging. By consistently creating valuable content and growing your audience, blogging can become a steady source of income and even a full-time business over time. How to make money What it means Affiliate marketing Share links and earn money when people buy Sponsored posts Get paid to write about a company’s product Sell digital products Sell things like eBooks or online courses Ads on your blog Put ads on your site and earn when people click Paid subscriptions Charge for special content or memberships Consulting or freelancing Offer your skills or advice to others Sell physical products Sell stuff like merchandise or tools Guest blogging Write for other blogs to get known and grow How much money can you make blogging? Before I started blogging, I used to wonder, how much money can someone actually make blogging as a beginner ?  But then I came across a finance blog called Millennial Money, and their stats blew my mind. They reported that after just two years of growing traffic and subscribers, bloggers can earn upwards of $100,000  annually. Within the first year, many new bloggers make anywhere from $500-$2,000 per month. Hearing about real-life bloggers making that kind of income from all  types of websites  was eye-opening, but what really stuck with me were the lessons behind those numbers. I started playing closer attention to how successful bloggers were turning their websites into actual income streams. How much money can you make blogging? - bloggerspassion.com As you can see, you can earn a wide income range as a blogger. But aside from the numbers, remember these important takeaways before you begin: You don’t need to be a professional writer to make it work.  I used to think that every blog post needed to sound like an experienced writer had written it. Turns out, readers care way more about someone who can speak to them honestly and provide value. Diversify your income streams.  Some of the most successful bloggers I know use a mix of affiliate links, sponsored posts and selling their own products. More strategies give you more chances to earn.  Follow tried-and-true strategies from successful bloggers. One thing I noticed early on is that blogging doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The same monetization methods work again and again if you know how to implement them. Starting a blog should feel exciting, not overwhelming, right? With the Wix Blog Maker, you get everything you need to create, design and grow your blog from scratch–without needing a tech degree. Use Wix’s intuitive tools to share your ideas with the world.  How to make money blogging in 11 steps If you’re ready to take your blog from a creative outlet to something that actually pays the bills, here’s the plan I’ve followed and refined over time: Choose a profitable niche Scale your blog content Build a reputation Promote and grow Go into affiliate marketing Write sponsored content and reviews Sell digital products (online courses, eBooks and more) Advertise within your blog Offer paid subscriptions Provide consulting or freelancing services Sell physical products Discover the top ways to make money blogging — from display ads and affiliate marketing to sponsored content, digital products and courses, memberships and subscriptions, freelance and consulting work, physical products and guest blogging. How to make money blogging: build your online presence Before you start making money, you’ll need to consider how to make a website , how to start a blog and how to grow your audience. Think of it this way: more traffic to your blog can equal more money. For that reason, earning money begins with choosing a strategic blogging niche and spreading the word about your blog. Here’s how to do it: 01. Choose a profitable niche If you’re just starting a blog, you're probably asking yourself— what should I write about? Take Cup of Jo  for example. A women’s lifestyle site that explores topics like parenting, relationships and culture. With over 4 million monthly page views and almost 1 million monthly unique visitors (according to the site), the blog shows that when you offer relatable content to a niche audience, you can build a loyal following.  Before you dive into writing, you’ll need to select a blog niche . To find my niche, I asked myself three questions, and you should too: What are my interests? You’ll be investing a lot of time here, so you’ve got to choose something you care about.  Who is my audience? Imagine your audience and what they’re searching the web for. Which topics are profitable? Passion is a must, but if you’re hoping to earn from it, look for niches that offer income opportunities. For example, a travel blog can feature affiliate links to travel booking websites. Learn more: How to start a travel blog How to make money as a travel blogger Travel blog name ideas What are my interests? You’ll want to write about a topic you’re passionate and knowledgeable about to sustain your blogging efforts for the long term. Consider your level of professional experience as well. If you have no prior connections to your blogging niche, you’ll find it harder to establish yourself as a credible source in that industry. On the other hand, if you have work experience, educational background or connections in a particular field, you can write blog posts about those subjects and build trust among your readership. Take a look at these blog ideas —they'll jumpstart your imagination. Learn more: blogging vs eCommerce , blogging vs freelance writing . Who is my blog audience? Readers will flock to blogs that provide in-demand information and insight. After you’ve decided on your niche, think about which readers you may attract, the problems they face and the solutions they seek. This way, you can create and monetize a blog that provides this group the answers they need. Which blog topics are profitable? While you can blog about nearly anything, some blog niches can earn more money than others. To anticipate whether you can make money blogging with a particular niche, consider the sales opportunities in that subject area. For instance, a cooking blog could promote affiliate links in an article about the top kitchen appliances or sell ad space to culinary brands. A digital marketing blog could sell ebooks or offer consulting services. Types of blogs that make money Several types of blogs can be profitable if you know how to manage them strategically but here are the most common: Business and marketing blogs Finance blog Health blogs Fashion blogs DIY and crafts blogs Nutrition and food blogs Lifestyle blogs Whichever niche you choose for your blog, think about how you’ll monetize it from the beginning and set income goals to build a strong foundation. If you’re still stuck on what niche to focus on, these blog examples can help provide guide you in the right direction. Travel and food blog templates 02. Scale your blog content Now that you’ve selected your blog niche, it’s time to start creating content. As you begin, keep in mind that the research and planning behind your articles can influence your blog’s financial success just as much as the writing itself. On top of that, you’ll want to upload new content consistently and frequently without compromising on quality. Here’s what you should know as you start creating and scaling your content: Choose the right blog topics Just as you selected a strategic blog niche, you’ll also want to choose strategic topics to write about. The best topics must accomplish two things: They address the needs of your target audience and offer them a thoughtful, actionable solution. They target keywords with high search volumes—a number that indicates how many people look up a given word or topic during a selected time frame (typically one month). The higher the keyword volume, the more historic interest in that topic. When your articles provide a thorough answer to people’s search queries, the more likely it will organically rank on search engines—which, in turn, will bring people to your site. Don’t overlook the importance of writing headlines, either. The catchier your blog titles , the more likely people will click to read the content. Tip: Use a handy title generator tool to craft effective headlines that grab readers’ attention. Expert tip from Sharon Hafuta, SEO blog editor at Wix.com : “When blogging, it’s easy to think, 'The more I blog, the more people will read it.' And that may be true in some circumstances. But it’s also about striking a balance between quality and quantity, as well as brevity and exploring your content in sufficient detail, to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more—a concept sometimes referred to as 'blog cadence.'" Post blog content consistently To get more site visitors, you’ll need to post fresh content frequently. Based on the size and needs of your blog, the frequency of posting may vary. HubSpot recommends one to four posts per week, but some larger companies may post an article daily, or in some cases multiple times a day. On top of that, you’ll want to stay consistent in your publishing cadence. Don’t release a huge batch of articles one week, only to publish nothing the following week. Instead, create an editorial calendar and plan a consistent publishing schedule ahead of time. Distribute the workload As you consider how to make money blogging, remember that while you’re building your online presence, you’re also sharpening your entrepreneurial skills. You’ll soon find it hard to create upwards of three posts per week while also managing your business. Still, don’t let that slow you down. Consider getting extra help as you launch your blog so that you can scale your content quickly. You can do this by: Outsourcing some content to freelancers Letting other bloggers publish articles on your site (a great free option for you that also gives publicity to the guest contributor). Whichever option you choose, structure your workload to focus on business strategy as well as writing. Expert tip from Miyuki Shimose, SEO and marketing blogger at Wix : "The most challenging aspect of blogging is staying consistent. My trick for maintaining a consistent blog is to systematize. For example, designate just one day a week for blog editing. On that day, create two articles and schedule them for automatic publication. By repeating this each week, you can publish up to eight articles per month. This leaves you with other days to focus on tasks like researching keywords, monitoring traffic and concentrating on other things you want to do. This helps you maintain a steady publishing and optimization cadence without burning out." 03. Build a reputation as a blogger Once you’ve created a large amount of strategic content, establish yourself as an authority in your field as the next step toward making money blogging. These tips will help guide you: Try guest blogging Start by expanding your online presence, particularly in the blogosphere . You can reach out to online publications in your niche and pitch ideas for guest posts. Remember to send a link to your blog alongside your pitch as evidence of your experience in the field. To find guest blogging opportunities, browse your favorite publications to see if they publish content by outside contributors. Here is a list of 101 guest posting publications and sites that might be worth reaching out to. Some include: Mashable Smashing Magazine CopyBlogger Entrepreneur.com New York Times Op-Ed Section Inc.com Business Insider Forbes Opinion Section Alternatively, if you follow any bloggers in your niche, you can search for their name online and see where they’re getting published. That will point you toward sites that accept guest content. From there, you can pitch an idea to a writer or editor over email or via LinkedIn. If you already have a relationship with them on Twitter, you can also pitch them ideas there. Professionals in the online publishing world commonly use these social media platforms. Don’t be discouraged if a publication doesn’t accept your pitch right away. Rejections are commonplace even for seasoned professionals in the publishing world. Your pitches will be accepted as you improve your outreach efforts. Besides, the more content you have published, the more you’ll build up your reputation—and the more likely a publication will want to publish you in the future. Fashion & beauty blog templates If you’re lucky, some publications may offer you payment for your contributed content—a great start to making money blogging. That said, even if guest posting doesn't compensate you financially, it’s still valuable. In return, you get to network with others in your field, grow your readership and establish your expertise and authority. With enough experience, you could eventually land your own guest column. Guest blogging also provides backlinks to your own blog—an important search engine optimization (SEO) signal. Read this article for more tips on SEO for bloggers . Expert tip from Sharon Greenfeld, outreach team lead at Wix : "When it comes to guest posting, it's in both parties' interests to attract visitors and readers to this new piece of content. As part of the agreement with the other party, make sure that you both agree to share the post link on your own social channels and platforms." - Collaborate with experts You can also work closely with other experts in your field to establish credibility, gain exposure and build an audience. Reach out to professionals within your blogging niche—for example, a successful guest writer you follow or the editor of your favorite publication. Ask if you can conduct an interview with them, either as a guest post or for publication on your own blog. While this may seem like a bold request, people in this position often happily give interviews since it also increases their exposure. Likewise, you can cross-promote other bloggers in your industry. Give their articles a shoutout on your social media posts and blog, and engage with them on Twitter. They’ll likely start reading your content to return the favor. 04. Promote and grow your blog The more people read your blog, the more easily you can earn an income from it. For that reason, growing your website traffic is an important stepping stone for making money from your blog. Before we dive into how to promote your blog , keep in mind that you must continually market your work. You should promote your site alongside all other steps, from the very moment you publish your blog. Even as your readership grows, marketing your site will be just as crucial to its success as the blogging process itself. Spread the word and build your popularity with the following tactics: 01. Optimize for SEO Using SEO features is critical for your website’s visibility on search engines like Google. If you want people to find your blog, create content that ranks on the first page of organic search results for relevant queries. For example, if you’re creating a baking blog, you’ll want to appear in the top results for queries such as “birthday cake recipes” and “carrot cake recipes.” To do this, you should not only strive to create the most informative blog posts on the web, but you should also focus on blog SEO to optimize these posts by using strategic long tail keywords—a specific type of keyword that targets your precise audience. While this might sound intimidating, beginner bloggers can easily learn how to find these keywords, especially with the help of certain keyword research tools. These types of blogging tools—which includes Google Keyword Planner , SEMrush , Ahrefs and more—point you directly to the terms you should include. If you’re completely new to SEO and keyword research, it’s worthwhile to set aside some time to take a quick online SEO course, many of which are available for free. Wix’s SEO Learning Hub is a great place to start. You can also take a look at this blog post checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the SEO basics, from keyword research to image optimization. 02. Create a blog newsletter Another way to increase blog traffic —and make money as a result—is by learning how to make a newsletter to promote your content. This will ensure that people who find your blog will come back to read future posts. But what is a newsletter ? It’s a way to connect with your audience regularly through email content that's valuable and engaging. It’s a direct line to your readers, giving you the chance to share updates, tips and offers, all while keeping them coming back for more. How do you get people to subscribe to your newsletter in the first place? Use these ideas: Create lead magnets: People will likely sign up if they receive something valuable in exchange. Commonly known as “freebies,” lead magnets are just incentives that you offer in exchange for a subscription. Your offers might include a free ebook or guide, a complementary slide deck or online course, or a coupon code for your online store. Use opt-in forms: Opt-in boxes typically take the form of pop-ups or slide-ins asking readers to subscribe. Because they’re hard to ignore, they tend to grab the attention of site visitors more so than static text. You might choose to create an opt-in form that directly tells visitors to subscribe to your emails. Another route is to make opt-in online forms that highlight your lead magnets and ask visitors to enter their email addresses in exchange for the free reward. Build an email list: A dedicated email list allows you to tap directly into readers’ inboxes and share your most relevant content. Once you’ve secured your list, nurture your relationship with your readers. Avoid spamming or over-sending. Instead, choose a dedicated day and time that you send out your newsletter, so readers can rely on it. Expert tip from Dor Cohen, distribution specialist at Wix: “A newsletter cultivates an engaged readership that goes beyond the casual blog visitor who arrives from SERPs. It allows you to build a community around your content and establish deeper connections with your audience, keeping subscribers eagerly anticipating your next email and fostering brand loyalty. It provides a direct channel to share your latest posts, showcase different voices and promote offerings—helping retain readers between blog visits. A newsletter turns casual visitors into an invested audience that keeps growing alongside your blog.” 03. Build a social media strategy Not promoting your blog articles on social media can be a major blogging mistake . Social media marketing, like SEO, is a great free way to gain exposure. Not only should you share a link to your blog on your personal channels, but you should also consider creating separate dedicated social media accounts for your blog. Try creating a Facebook business page so that you can promote your blog on Facebook , as well as dedicated business accounts on Instagram and YouTube. Once you do this, create content to accompany your articles to grow your audience. One option is to lead with microblogging . For example, make Instagram and Pinterest posts (see how to use Pinterest for blogging ) that feature images or infographics and then link back to your blog articles within the posts. Likewise, you can repurpose your blog content as YouTube videos or shorts, or TikTok or Instagram reels and then include a link to the relevant article beneath each video. Learn more about blogging vs instagram or blogging vs Youtube  in our guide. 04. Get creative: start a podcast or webinar Expand your reach even further with different types of creative content formats. Post informative how-to videos on your site and share your insights by starting a podcast or hosting a webinar. The more varieties of content you create to promote yourself as an expert in your field, the more likely people will discover your blog. While you should initially offer this content for free to build your audience and drive traffic to your blog, you can eventually start charging to create an additional source of revenue. Keep this in mind as you plan how to make money from your blog. How to make money blogging, part 2: Monetize your content To start making money with your blog, you’ll want to consider popular ways to monetize your blog beyond its content: Online courses and workshops Advertise within your blog Offer paid subscriptions, similar to a membership website Sell merchandise and physical products Add affiliate marketing links Write sponsored content and reviews Provide consulting services (learn how to start a consulting blog ) Books and ebooks (digital products) Webinars Speaking gigs Consulting services on how to grow a blog Freelance services for writing, content creation Sell digital downloads Now that you’ve set your blog up for success, here’s how to earn a profit using the methods above: 05. Go into affiliate marketing Remember when we looked at how much money bloggers actually earn? Their expense reports show us that nearly all top bloggers use affiliate marketing as part of their monetization strategy. And for good reason: affiliate marketing is a relatively easy source of passive income. Affiliate marketing essentially means that you make money blogging by promoting other people’s products. This involves adding affiliate links to various products or services within your posts, throughout your site or across your social media accounts. When your site visitors click on those links and make a purchase, you’ll earn a commission from the sale. To find brands to partner with as an affiliate, do your market research and browse the web for affiliate marketing programs that can connect you with different products or companies. Some of the most popular programs include: CJ Affiliate :  Connect with widely recognized brands and earn commissions by promoting their products. ShareASale :  Build profitable partnerships with brands across a variety of sectors. Amazon Associates :  Promote products sold on Amazon and earn up to 10% in associate commissions. Clickbank : Explore a range of ecommerce tools, a global affiliate marketplace and gain access to support and education. Affiliate marketing is an effective strategy for both professional and  personal blogs , so take the time to try out a few different platforms to find what works best for you. 06. Write sponsored content and reviews As your blog grows, companies may approach you with sponsorship opportunities. The company will compensate you for each post you create that advertises their products to your audience. Often, these gigs come with extra perks, like free products from the company for you to review. These posts tend to take the form of product reviews or other demonstrations of how you use a company’s products or services. A good practice is to recommend products you truly believe in so that you retain your readers’ trust. In addition, look for partnerships that enable you to create a series of sponsored posts across an extended period of time. This ensures a recurring source of revenue. To find these opportunities, you don’t need to wait around for companies to find you. Reach out to the top organizations in your field and inquire about sponsorship options. Be sure to explain why the brand would benefit from the collaboration. For instance, tell them about your number of monthly visitors and what they stand to gain from reaching your audience. 07. Sell digital products (online courses, ebooks and more) Creating and selling online courses can be profitable, especially when you tap into a niche area that isn't easily accessible online. By offering unique and specialized knowledge, you set yourself apart from the sea of information available with a quick Google search. This exclusivity not only attracts a dedicated audience eager to learn from you but also positions you as an expert in your field. Another revenue-creating option is selling products directly through your blog. To do this, you can open an online store and sell items related to your blog niche or personal brand. Here are some options to get brainstorming for the kinds of items you can sell: Ebooks Online courses/Vlog Webinars and virtual events or meet ups T-shirts, stickers and merchandise with your blog logo (use a free logo maker ) Handmade crafts and other goods Printables Workshops Digital downloads Website templates Downloadable guides If you started a fitness blog , for example, you might sell branded sports equipment. Take a look at Minimalist Baker , for example, a personal blog turned online shop and foodie haven for many. Founded in 2012 by Dana Shultz, the blog's foundation is based on the criteria of 10 ingredients or less, one bowl and 30 minutes (or less) to prepare. Shultz authored a successful book, Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking, with a large online community, has over 2 million followers on Instagram and a full-scale merchandise line selling baking mixes, kitchen essentials, pantry items and even photography and lighting equipment. It’s an excellent example of a blog making money by providing value through merchandising, as well as online recipes and workshops. 08. Advertise within your blog One way to make money blogging is to  add Google AdSense ads to your blog posts —and generate income as a result. What, exactly, is  Google AdSense ? The program allows you to place ad spaces on your site. Google then fills those spaces with relevant advertisements for your blog and site visitors. You, in turn, earn money when users view or click those ads. According to Wordstream , if you take the average CPCs (cost per click) across all different types of businesses and keywords in the US, the overall average CPC in Google Ads is between $1 and $2. According to Emilio García, SEO podcaster and educator at Campamento Web: “To generate revenue with your niche website, you have two common options: displaying ads through Google AdSense or using affiliate programs that allow you to earn money for each sale you generate.” This popular and lucrative advertising  program allows bloggers to turn their website traffic into money. Through the advertising network you have the freedom to choose your preferred ad sizes, shapes and placement, allowing you to optimize for clicks while maintaining a non-intrusive browsing experience for visitors. If you decide to go this route, boost your earnings with the following tricks: Create high-quality content:  Even if you just want to make money with your blog, you should always prioritize your content quality. Strong content attracts traffic. And when you get traffic, your blog becomes a beneficial space for advertisers. Find lucrative keywords:  As you research keywords for your blog posts, keep an eye out for transactional terms that might interest advertisers. These include keywords that could potentially result in a sale, like “Best DSLR cameras” or “How to take professional photos.” Choose ad style and size:  Consider how ads will look or contrast with your blog’s color scheme or background. Tools like Social Stream are a great option for customizing your ads’ design. A/B test your ad placement:  When it comes to making money using ads, not all ad space is equal. The same ad can perform differently depending on its location—for instance, at the top, at the bottom, or on the side of a page. Conduct A/B tests to figure out which ad spaces get clicked on most and use the results to inform your ad placement moving forward. You can also  add an ads.txt file to your blog . While Google AdSense is the biggest provider, using ads.txt gives you the flexibility of connecting with ad providers other than Google. You can explore other blog monetization tools like Mediavine , Amazon Display Ads  or AdThrive  to name a few. 09. Offer paid subscriptions You can also get paid to blog through deciding to create and sell subscriptions online , allowing loyal readers to buy access to exclusive content via membership plans. Of course, some of your content should remain free—after all, readers will want to explore your blog before deciding whether to buy. But you can supplement the freebies with in-depth posts that offer exclusive insights subscribers would pay for. To pique your readers’ interest, give them a preview of each exclusive post and then ask them to subscribe to continue reading. A similar, but slightly different, approach is to offer paid memberships to your site. You can reward members with a variety of perks, including access to webinars, downloadable resources and free blog content. 10. Provide consulting or freelancing services Another way to make money blogging involves harnessing all the knowledge you’ve gained as a professional blogger. Using your blog as a portfolio , offer your own expertise as a service and promote yourself as a coach or consultant. Depending on your field, you can either work with individuals or act as a consultant (see how to start a consulting blog ) for companies. Many types of blogs, from marketing to nutrition and interior design , are a natural stepping stone to a full-fledged consulting business. For instance, you might build on your blogging experience to become a digital marketing consultant or a food coach. To start, offer services to individual clients and entice them with special packages and discounts. You can also branch out into group services, such as conferences and public speaking events, webinars and online courses. If people find that your blog offers genuinely valuable insights, they’ll likely pay for advice that’s tailored to their needs. Another option is to offer freelance services, which can be a great way to turn your skills into a steady income stream. Freelancing offers the flexibility to work on projects that excite you, such as writing or content creation, while diversifying your income. It's a win-win that lets you maintain your blogging passion while exploring new opportunities and building valuable connections in various industries. Sell physical products Another way to earn money from your blog is to sell products directly to your audience. This is a great option if your blog focuses on topics like crafting, fitness, home decor, beauty or food—areas that naturally connect to physical products. For example, a crafting blog could offer DIY kits, a fitness blog might sell workout gear or a home decor blog could feature unique design pieces. Get started by setting up an online store with Wix. Choose products that align with your readers’ interests and needs. Use clear, engaging descriptions and high-quality images to showcase your items. Make the checkout process smooth and secure and add reviews or testimonials to build trust and credibility. Selling through your blog can open up a meaningful new income stream while adding value for your audience. How bloggers make money: Real examples you can learn from Nomadic Matt: Travel blog Matt Kepnes built his site around budget travel advice and most of his revenue streams tie back to that niche. Affiliate partnerships with companies like Hostelworld and World Nomads insurance align with his readers’ needs so recommendations feel natural. His eBooks cover destinations and general travel planning, giving travelers affordable detailed guides they can buy before a trip. On the business side, he teaches others how to start and grow a blog through his travel blogging course, which positions him as both a traveler and an educator. His small-group tours are another income layer that brings his community offline, letting readers pay for curated travel experiences with him directly. Pinch of Yum: Food blog Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom turned a food blog into a full-scale business by diversifying revenue streams. Display ads on high-traffic recipe posts bring in steady income fueled by their strong search rankings. They use affiliate marketing to recommend cookware, appliances and specialty food products that readers are likely to buy after seeing them in a recipe. Their digital products include cookbooks and a food photography course, appealing to both home cooks and other bloggers. Food Blogger Pro, their membership community, offers resources, tutorials and a supportive forum for people looking to grow food-focused websites. Smart Passive Income: Business blog Pat Flynn has positioned SPI as a resource hub for online entrepreneurs and every income stream builds on that brand . Affiliate marketing is one of his main drivers with carefully chosen products like web hosting, podcast gear and email software that align with his audience’s business needs. He sells structured online courses covering podcasting, email marketing and passive income strategies, which give readers step-by-step systems to follow. Pat also earns royalties from his books which extend his reach to people outside his website. SPI monetizes its podcasts through sponsorships and more recently the brand expanded into paid community memberships and live events, giving entrepreneurs direct access to coaching, networking and accountability. The Blonde Abroad: Lifestyle & travel blog Kiersten Rich built her brand around solo female travel and that focus drives her income opportunities. Affiliate links to gear, accommodation and travel services are a strong fit since readers trust her recommendations for safe and stylish travel. She also earns from ads placed on her blog content which gets consistent traffic from travelers looking for guides and tips. On top of that, she sells digital products like photography guides and destination itineraries. One of her most unique revenue streams is curated group trips where followers can book travel experiences hosted by her brand. She also works with tourism boards and brands, partnering on campaigns that align with her audience and authority as a female travel expert. Wellness Mama: Health & wellness blog Katie Wells created Wellness Mama as a go-to resource for natural living and her monetization reflects that trust. Ads and affiliate links generate revenue from readers searching for healthy recipes, home remedies and wellness advice. Her product line, Wellnesse, sells natural personal care items like shampoo and toothpaste giving her audience a way to buy into her lifestyle recommendations. Katie also runs a membership community with access to courses, challenges and direct resources, which deepens engagement beyond blog reading. Her podcast brings in sponsorships and broadens her reach in the health and wellness space while her online courses provide additional education for families looking to make long-term lifestyle changes. How long does it take to make money blogging? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but most bloggers start seeing income within an average of 20 months . Some earn sooner, others take longer and a few may never monetize. The good news? Focusing on the right steps can help you speed up the process. What influences how quickly you earn: Your niche:  Some topics, like fashion, finance or travel, are highly competitive. Standing out requires exceptional content and promotion. Smaller or less crowded niches can make it easier to start earning sooner. Content quality:  The better your content, the more readers will stick around. Aim for posts that are engaging, useful and tailored to your audience. Marketing your blog:  Share your posts on social media, build an email list, guest post and optimize for search engines to get noticed. Monetization strategy:  Test methods like affiliate links, sponsored posts or digital products to see what resonates with your audience. Adapt as you learn what works best. Transparency:  Clearly disclose affiliate relationships or sponsored content. A trusted audience is more likely to support your recommendations and keep coming back. Can I earn a living by monetizing a blog? Writing a blog doesn't have to be just a hobby, it can also be a way to make money, generate a profit and live on your own terms. With the right approach you can turn your website traffic into cash in a variety of ways. Follow these tips to grow your audience, build your reputation and make your content profitable. With a combination of quality content, business smarts and monetization tools, you’ll be well on your way to earning revenue from your blog. To get started, use blog templates . Tip: Before you start creating your blog, see our guide on how much does it cost to start a blog  to estimate your expected expenses. Firsthand insights from a construction entrepreneur with a blog When Gita Jacobson’s home renovation started to spiral, she stepped in to coordinate between contractor and designer. “We had to scale back our work, and the contractor we ended up being able to afford just didn't know how to work with a designer,” she says. That experience inspired In the Deets , her construction and design business. “I chose Wix because it seemed easy to work with, and the website templates were very high-end looking,” Gita explains. Her Wix blog lets her share practical renovation tips, showcase projects and attract clients while using SEO to reach a wider audience. Posts like What it Costs to Remodel a Kitchen & Common Area and 5 Tips for Choosing Paint Colors  give readers real value and position her as an expert. Gita demonstrates how a blog can do more than inform—it can grow your business and help you make money from your expertise. Learn more: How to start a business Can you still make money from blogging in 2025? Blogging is far from over. It’s still a powerful way to reach an audience, share your expertise and turn your passion into income. The landscape has evolved, but with the right approach, your blog can thrive. To stand out, focus on a specific niche, create content that delivers real value and engage your readers consistently. Don’t rely only on search engines—use social media, email marketing and community building to grow your reach. Diversifying your income streams ensures your blog stays sustainable and profitable. Tips for making money from blogging in 2025: Choose your niche and own it:  Share your knowledge and insights to attract loyal readers. Prioritize quality content:  Informative, engaging posts build trust and keep your audience coming back. Use multiple monetization strategies:  Affiliate links, sponsored posts, digital products, services—find what works for you. Build your community:  Foster connection through comments, social media and email lists. Stay flexible and keep learning:  The online landscape changes fast, so adapt and grow with it. Why trust Wix’s experts? This article was created by Wix’s in-house team, who have years of experience helping people start and grow successful blogs. Every tip, template recommendation and example comes from real Wix projects, designed to help you launch a blog that looks professional, functions seamlessly and supports your long-term goals. At Wix, we’ve guided millions of creators, business owners and entrepreneurs in sharing their ideas through blogging. Our team stays ahead of the latest trends in content, SEO and design, ensuring the advice we provide is practical, actionable and based on real-world results. You can rely on this blog as a trusted resource for every stage of your blogging journey, from publishing your first post to scaling your content into a lasting blog. How to make money blogging FAQ How do beginner bloggers make money? Generally either through affiliate marketing or display advertising. Closely followed by sponsored posts. These are often considered the easiest and fastest ways to make money from a blog as a beginner. Do bloggers make much money? Income potential for bloggers can vary widely. Some bloggers earn a significant income, while others may struggle to generate substantial revenue, or it make take a long time to do so. Examples of high earning bloggers include Darren Rowse of ProBlogger and Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income. How do bloggers get paid? Bloggers typically get paid in a variety of ways, depending on the method they are using to monetize their blog. For example, if a blogger is using advertising to make money, they will typically be paid by the number of times their ads are viewed or clicked on. If a blogger is using affiliate marketing, they will typically be paid a commission on each sale that they generate. And if a blogger is selling products or services directly from their blog, they will typically be paid when a customer makes a purchase. How do I choose a profitable niche for my blog? When choosing a profitable niche for your blog, there are a few things you should keep in mind: Choose a niche that you are passionate about: This will make it more enjoyable to write about and will help you to create high-quality content. Choose a niche that has a large audience: This will increase your chances of attracting readers and making money from your blog. Choose a niche that is not too competitive: If there are already a lot of blogs in your niche, it will be more difficult to stand out and make money. What is a blog? A blog (short for "weblog") is a website or section of a website where an individual or group regularly posts entries of text, multimedia, and other content. Blogs are typically updated frequently and are written in an informal or conversational style. Many blogs are interactive, allowing readers to leave comments and participate in discussions. How hard is it to make money as a blogger? The answer to this depends on several factors. Some blog niches are more competitive than others and so it may seem harder to attract a larger readership and monetization opportunities if you plan to focus on one of those. In general there are more blogs live today than ever before and as more blogs compete for the same pool of readers, blogging got more competitive and harder in that sense. Can I make money from a blog in just 6 months? Making money from a blog within six months is definitely possible in theory but it requires strategic planning, consistent effort and the implementation of effective monetization strategies. It would also mean creating a lot of content and getting it in front of healthy audeince numbers, fast in order for it to make money within 6 months. How do I live off of blogging? Living off of blogging requires dedication and a strategic approach to monetize your platform effectively. It often takes time to build a loyal audience who trusts your content, which is crucial for generating income. The journey can be challenging, as it involves consistent effort in content creation and audience engagement. Diversifying income streams, such as offering online courses or consulting, can help stabilize earnings.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce →   Turning an idea into an online store might seem overwhelming at first—especially if you're building it from scratch. But it has become a whole lot easier in recent years, especially with platforms like Wix that handle a lot of the heavy lifting. Whether you're selling physical products, digital downloads or a mix of both, Wix offers a straightforward way to get started. This walkthrough covers the basics of opening an online store using Wix's eCommerce tools. Keep reading for steps on going from blank page to open shop. Learn more: How to sell on Wix Ready to start your start a business in eCommerce ? Now’s the perfect time to bring your vision to life. With Wix eCommerce, you have the tools to build a professional online store and learn how to create a website that captivates your audience, drives traffic and boosts sales. Take the first step and explore Wix eCommerce today. The essential steps to building your online store with Wix Build your storefront Add your branding and customize the design Add your products   Choose how to get paid Optimize your site for SEO Publish and manage your store   01. Build your storefront In eCommerce, good design is all about finding the sweet spot between looks and usability. It’s the blend of layout and visual elements that helps guide shoppers through the buying process in a way that feels natural. Wix makes it easy to put those design principles into practice. You have two simple ways to get started: either browse from 2,000+ designer-made templates, or tap AI for help. Here’s a closer look at both. Learn more: What's the best way to start an online store? Option A: choose an eCommerce template Pick from a variety of free eCommerce website templates . As a starting point, consider is the size of your product catalog. For a large product catalog: Consider a template that comes pre-built with several product categories, deep search and store navigation functions. This will help organize your catalog and make it easy for customers to shop your site. For a small product catalog: Choose a template that puts your products front and center and showcases your entire catalog from your homepage. For just one product:  Pick a template that focuses on a quick buyer flow by putting your product at the center and focusing on a quick purchase experience. Wix Graphic Designer Kobi Michaeli further notes, "Don’t judge a template simply by its looks. Think about what you need your website to do. At minimum, you should know the main purpose of your website, the main pages you need, the main action(s) you want visitors to take and the types of content you want to add." "At the end of the day, the template you choose should reflect your unique needs," he adds. "Don’t get too distracted by how attractive a template is—look first at its features and usability. Read Kobi's other tips for selecting the right website template . Option B: use Wix's AI website builder If you’re looking for more bespoke designs, Wix’s AI website builder could be your best bet. Simply chat with AI to receive a fully functional website. The builder will weigh your business goals with industry best practices—plus Wix's decades worth of experience in web design—to suggest the best design for you. The finished website will include custom images, text, essential pages and integrated apps. You can regenerate your site as many times as you want from the builder, or customize specific elements using Wix's signature drag-and-drop editor. 02. Add your branding and customize the design Once you’ve got the bones of your store in place, you'll want to spend some time customizing the design to your liking. No matter if you started with a template or AI, you can use the Wix Editor to make precise changes. Start by uploading your logo, custom fonts and brand colors into the Editor; you can set a site theme that keeps everything consistent across your site. You've also got multiple AI tools at your disposal to help fine tune your layout, graphics and more. Tip: If you're starting an eCommerce business for the first time, Wix's free store name generator  and logo maker may come in handy. Or, team up with a professional designer in the Wix Marketplace . As you tweak your site, pay attention to several details that could heavily impact the experience on your site: Clear navigation:   Organize your online store with menus , categories and helpful filters. Add a search box so shoppers can find what they’re looking for right away. Clear visual hierarchy: Ensure the most important elements stand out using size, color and placement (e.g., product titles should be prominent, with calls-to-action [CTAs] like “Add to Cart” in bold). Clean layout: Avoid clutter. Use white space strategically to draw attention to products and CTAs. Trust signals: Include customer reviews and ratings for social proof. Display any visual cues (such as “Secure Checkout" symbols and logos of reputable customers) that can reassure visitors that they’re dealing with a legitimate brand. Mobile-first design: A huge chunk of traffic is mobile—your store should look and work great on phones and tablets, not just desktops. Every Wix site is automatically optimized to look great on mobile, but the more you change on the desktop version, the more you may need to adjust on the mobile view. Make sure to review both the desktop and mobile layouts of your store from the Editor. Accessibility: Ensure your site is accessible to people with disabilities by following WCAG guidelines. Use high-contrast text, descriptive alt text for images and keyboard-navigable menus. Checkout: Customize the checkout form according to expected behaviors. On Wix, you can set conditional rules, custom fields, policy checkboxes and/or subscription checkboxes (among other things).   View more eCommerce website optimization tips. 03. Add your products Now that your store’s set up, it’s time to fill it with the products you'll be selling. If you’re creating a new product catalog from scratch, upload your products individually to your store through your Wix dashboard. Or, if you want to upload all of your product info at once,  format your inventory in a CSV file or use Cart2Cart,  an app that will move your existing products over to your new store.  Wix allows you to add physical products, digital items (like eBooks) and services—which your customers, in turn, can bundle together from your Wix store. But before we get ahead of ourselves, here are some things you'll want to keep an eye on. Product images Most customers won’t commit to a purchase if they can't clearly see what they’re buying. To that end, make sure that your photos are high quality. Follow product photography best practices, such as: Using different types of photos:  For each product, include minimalist studio shots (i.e., images of your product against a clutter-free, solid color background), lifestyle shots (e.g., images of your products in real-life settings, so customers can envision themselves using it) and other helpful shots. Showing different perspectives: Show products from multiple angles to give a 360-degree view of it, and to demonstrate its size, fit and other key features. Enable the  zoom feature  on product photos so that customers can get a detailed look. Displaying product variations: Include a photo of each variation of your product (fabric, color, pattern) to avoid any confusion. Using product videos strategically: Videos can be an effective tool in helping sway shoppers, and are especially useful if your product requires assembly in any way. You can create and add product videos using  Wix Video Maker . Being consistent: By default, image thumbnails in your product gallery will be square. You can change the image ratio to fit your needs. Whatever image dimensions you choose, make sure they’re the same across all of your product pages. You can use Wix's built-in AI image tools to resize your images, clean them up or remove the background on them for additional consistency. Product titles and descriptions Clear product titles and product descriptions go a long way when it comes to establishing trust. As you add copy to your product pages, aim to: Highlight key features: Prioritize your product’s most important features—like size, material, color, functionality, care instructions, etc. Think about the features that your target audience will find the most important, such as, "Soft cotton fabric, breathable, machine washable." Use persuasive language: Focus on benefits, not just features. Instead of just saying "waterproof," say "keeps you dry in the heaviest rain." Show how the product solves a problem or makes life better. Write with your target customer in mind: Tailor your language to match the preferences and needs of your ideal customers. Whether they’re tech enthusiasts, fitness buffs, or fashion lovers, adjust your tone accordingly. Incorporate keywords for SEO: Use relevant keywords to help your product pages appear on your site search, as well as on search engines like Google. Remember to include alt text for all of your images; alt text makes it possible for screen readers and search engines to "read" and understand your images. Consider size and fit (for apparel or accessories): Provide size charts and fit details to help customers make confident purchasing decisions. For example, “Model is 5’9” and wearing size Medium.” Reinforce your policies: Include details around your shipping, return and refund policies in the description. That way, customers can decide to buy without needing to leave the product page. Other trust-building features Great product pages do more than just show and tell. Use this space to build trust—add social proof, product suggestions and real-time support to help shoppers along the way. Product suggestions With Wix, you can easily add AI-powered product suggestions to any page through the drag-and-drop editor. In fact: Wix stores that display related items on their product pages get an average of 43% more sales transactions. Customer reviews Add customer reviews to turn interest into action. Download the Wix Reviews app to collect and display real customer feedback. Ask your buyers to submit photos and videos—and stay in control with review management capabilities. On-site chat Let visitors contact you in real time through an on-site chat box, which is available in two different forms: the classic Wix Chat or the Wix AI Site Chat . The AI Site Chat can engage your customers in conversation and answer their questions based on your site content and other details you train it on. Wix stores that offer live chat see an average of eight to12 times higher revenue, and those that recommend products to customers via live chat generate an average of 71% more sales. Clear policies Your shoppers need to understand what they’re getting into when they buy from your store. Clear, accessible shipping and return policies show you’re a business that plays fair—no surprises, no fine print. Take a moment to update your store’s policy section with terms you’d feel confident standing behind. You can additionally add an FAQ page using Wix FAQ . Looking for some great examples of high-converting product pages? Check out these product page examples  for inspiration.   04. Choose how to get paid Now for the fun part: getting paid. To accept online payments , you need to connect at least one payment gateway to your site. But more often than not, you'll want to offer multiple payment options at checkout so shoppers can choose the method they trust most—whether that’s credit card, PayPal or digital wallets like Apple Pay. The easier you make it to pay, the more likely they are to complete the purchase. On average, Wix stores with three or more payment methods have 39% higher sales revenue. Add payment methods To start accepting payments online, go to your Wix dashboard, click "Settings," then "Accept payments ." Choose from one of the 80+ payment providers that Wix supports, including the ones listed below. Note: however your customers pay, you’ll be able to review all your payments in detail from your Wix dashboard. Wix Payments . Our native payment provider gives you the most efficient way to accept debit/credit card payments for your business without setting up a third-party payment gateway. With Wix Payments, you can offer recurring payments, subscriptions, additional payment methods and more, while managing your entire business and payments—right from your Wix dashboard. PayPal . Accept PayPal at checkout and open your store to their wide network of users. If customers choose PayPal at checkout, they’ll be directed to PayPal’s website to quickly complete the purchase. Once they’ve paid, they’ll be sent back to your online store. Stripe . If you decide not to use Wix Payments, you can select Stripe for debit/credit card payments. Stripe currently accepts 135+ currencies and supports recurring payments. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) . Get paid in full while letting your customers buy now and split their costs into affordable payments over time. Add popular BNPL solutions like Affirm, Afterpay, Sezzle and more. Wix Point of Sale (POS) . Unify all your online and in-person sales with Wix POS. Accept payments from customers in person, at your physical store or when selling on the go, like at a festival, marketplace or pop-up. Wix POS is available to select U.S.-based Wix Stores users and includes a dedicated POS solution for Wix Events, too. Discover the wide network of payment providers  offered on Wix. Set shipping rates Calculate shipping in your online store by defining your  shipping regions and rates . You can add custom rules to incentivize purchases, like free shipping for purchases over $100. You can also give customers options for expedited shipping. There are many ways to approach how you determine shipping methods and rates. Keep in mind that things like free shipping can serve as a strong incentive for online shoppers. In fact, Wix eCommerce stores that offer free shipping have an average of 18% higher average order value. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, offering in-store pickup and local delivery can similarly serve as an incentive while reducing your shipping costs; Wix stores that offer in-store pickup have an average of 10% higher revenue.   Set up tax collection To include store tax at checkout, you can enter tax rates manually in your dashboard. It’s important to note, however, that tax rules can be complicated depending on where you are based, where your customers are based, and what you sell.   Wix works with an automated third-party software, Avalara, to provide automated tax rates for transactions across the U.S., the EU and elsewhere around the world, so you don’t have to calculate your store’s tax yourself. The Avalara tax calculator works with up-to-date tax rules based on your region. Activate Avalara in your "Tax" settings by entering your business location.   Automate order confirmation Customers expect communication about their order status, which you can set up and send automatically with  order email notifications . Your Wix store comes with a few preloaded automatic emails: order confirmation email, shipping confirmation email, 'resend download links' email (which lets you resend download links to digital products) and a 'ready for pickup' email (if you enable curbside pickup). Edit the design and text of these emails to fit your branding. Within Wix, you can additionally create a range of customized automated emails, such as abandoned cart automations—as well as virtual receipts. 05. Optimize your site for SEO Search engines are one of the first places shoppers go when they’re looking for something to buy. Investing in SEO (search engine optimization) can improve your chances of showing up in the top results—bringing more eyes (and potential customers) to your products. Wix offers several SEO solutions that can help bring your store to the forefront. Wix SEO Setup Checklist : As its name suggests, the SEO checklist is a step-by-step plan designed to help you improve your site's SEO. It walks you through setting up the basics, and shows you how you can continue to boost your online presence over time. To get a custom checklist, simply enter your business location and keywords. Built-in AI tools: Wix offers a variety of native AI tools to help with SEO, including an AI meta tag creator and blogging tools, which can help you generate fully optimized content in a matter of minutes. Wix SEO Learning Hub : Get more in-depth guides and expert advice for improving your SEO skills. Google Business Profile: A Google Business Profile is a free online listing that allows your business to manage how it appears in Google search results and Google Maps, providing key information like location, hours and customer reviews. From your Wix dashboard, you can create a new profile or connect an existing one so that everything is managed in one place.   06. Publish and manage your store At this stage, your store is ready to go live. Pick a short, memorable domain name —ideally, your store’s name—so customers can easily find you. You can either buy a new domain through Wix or connect one you already own. After securing your domain, preview your site to ensure everything looks perfect, then hit publish and launch your store. Remember, your job isn't done after you hit "publish." Moving forward, you'll want to continue keeping a close eye on website performance and/or expanding upon your site. At minimum, consider taking advantage of the following tools. Wix Analytics Wix Analytics  shows you how visitors engage with your business, so you can organize your workflows, manage your customer relationships and maximize your sales. You've got a number of different reports to choose from, including a "Top Traffic Sources" report and "Sales Over Time" report. You can even tap Analytics AI to get quick answers to any questions you have about your business or website performance. Wix App Download the  Wix App  to run your online store from anywhere. Review your orders, add new products, manage coupons, create social posts and more from your phone. Depending on your region, you can also accept payments from customers on the go—whether you’re selling at a temporary location or run into a customer on the street—by setting up a mobile point of sale .   Marketing tools Now that you know how to start an online store , get it out there. Test various eCommerce marketing strategies  and ways to drive traffic to your online store with the help of AI-powered advertising and marketing tools. Easily create professional promo videos, social posts and email campaigns, all from your Wix dashboard.   Extra resources Connect with our online community  of fellow eCommerce professionals who use Wix. Check out the Wix eCommerce Help Center as needed. Related reading: How much does an eCommerce website cost? 27 common types of websites (with templates to get you started) Is Wix good for eCommerce?

Ready to share your ideas with the world? Start your blog → Want to start a blog ? The easiest way is to use a blog maker that gives you access to the tools you need to design, write and publish posts in one place. With just a few steps, you can launch your blog, share your ideas with the world, grow and audience and even open up new income streams. This guide walks you through the process from your very first idea to hitting “publish” with confidence. You’ll also get tips on writing posts and attracting readers so your blog reaches the right people. Create a website with Wix. Starting a blog should feel exciting and effortless. With the Wix Blog Maker, you get everything you need to create, design and grow your blog from scratch. Explore how you can use Wix’s intuitive tools to share your ideas with the world. TL;DR: how to start a blog Starting a blog is easier than it seems. Pick a topic, set up your website, design it to match your style, write your first posts and share them with your audience. With consistent effort, you’ll build a blog that attracts readers, showcases your expertise and supports your goals. To help you create a blog that stands out, here’s a quick look at what makes a great blog. What makes a great blog What it includes Why it matters Clear focus Keeps your content relevant and attracts the right readers Consistent posting Builds trust and keeps your audience engaged Authentic voice Helps you connect and stand out from other blogs Useful and valuable content Provides readers with insights, answers or entertainment Easy-to-read format Makes your posts enjoyable and accessible Strong visuals Supports your content and makes your blog visually appealing SEO-friendly structure Helps new readers discover your blog through search engines Easy navigation Allows visitors to explore more of your content effortlessly Calls to action Encourages readers to take the next step, like subscribing Learn more: How to start a website How to start a blog in 10 steps Choose a blogging platform. Use a platform that offers customizable templates. Pick a hosting platform. Consider a platform with good bandwidth, uptime and customer support. Find the right niche. Narrow down your theme and have a specific audience in mind. Select a blog name and domain. Choose a descriptive name that piques readers’ interests. Set up and design your blog. Include imagery and effects that reflect your theme. Brainstorm blog topics. Write down all your ideas before narrowing down topic selections. Write your first blog post. Engage your audience with a killer title and use headers to make the content skimmable. Create an editorial calendar. Create a calendar to help you publish consistently and hold yourself accountable. Promote your blog. Use marketing strategies to expand your reach. Make money blogging. Take advantage of opportunities to monetize your blog. In this complete how to blog A to Z tutorial, we’ll cover everything from choosing your blogging platform to making money from your written work. With a little bit of guidance, you can get your blog online in 30 minutes or less. This is going to be the most comprehensive advice you’ll find on building a successful blog from scratch. If you want to start a blog fast, though, feel free to use the numbered steps above as a quick cheat sheet. You can go directly to the step you need the most help with, or grab a cup of coffee and read it all the way through. What is a blog? While a blog can encompass an entire website or simply be its own section of a website, this is a place to share content about a topic you’re passionate about. Starting a blog will typically include both written and visual elements published in an easy-to-read, article format so visitors can swiftly browse and find what they’re looking for. And with over 31.7 million blogs in the US alone, you can literally find blogs about every subject out therein, from home renovation to baking to local business marketing strategies . Once you’ve established a community of readers, the possibilities are truly endless. We use our blog as a platform to support you on your website building journey. Our posts guide you through the entire process, from start to finish, giving informative insights and practical tips at every step along the way.  As far as a timeline goes, there's no definitive "perfect" time to start a blog. If you feel that you have the time and resources to start, manage and promote a blog and are enthusiastic about sharing your ideas with the world, it might be the right time to take the plunge and start your blogging journey. The sooner you start, the sooner you can learn and grow as a blogger. 01. Choose a blogging platform If you're here, you're likely curious about how to get started—and you're in the right place. The first step in starting a blog is to select a blogging platform or Content Management System (CMS) for publishing your content. A quick Google search will show you that there are several different sites available that suit bloggers from all industries. The blog you're reading is actually built on Wix, a free website builder I highly recommend for new and seasoned bloggers. Wix’s blogging platform is fairly straightforward to get the hang of, and it offers a variety of attractive design options and templates to work with. In addition, it comes with features to analyze your blog’s performance and monetize your content, which will come in handy as you setup your blog and build your readership. How much does it cost to start a blog? When researching how to create a blog, one of the biggest questions people have is how much does it cost to start a blog . On many blogging builders, starting a blog is completely free . You can decide at any point whether you’d like to upgrade to a variety of different plans, depending on your budget and needs. Learn more about how much does it cost to build a website. 02. Pick a hosting platform Once you select your preferred blogging platform, you’ll need to choose a hosting platform. A blog, like other types of websites , requires a host. This essentially stores websites on a server under a unique address so that visitors can easily reach them. On some blogging platforms, hosting is already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host when setting up your blog. In that case, you can skip this step and move to Step 3 . With other blog builders, such as WordPress, you will need to find and pay for a separate web hosting platform. Some popular options include: BlueHost HostGator GoDaddy DreamHost If you’re not sure which web hosting platform to choose, take into account these factors: Uptime: The amount of time that the server hosting your website is up and running. A strong uptime rate (99.95% or above) is a good indication that the host’s servers perform well. Bandwidth: The amount of data your website can transfer to visitors over a certain period of time. This factor is based on the size of your website pages as well as the amount of traffic you expect. This quick bandwidth calculator can help you determine your site’s bandwidth. Customer support: Customer service you can contact in the event something goes wrong. Ideally, your hosting provider should offer an online help center, offer callbacks and respond to questions and concerns on social media. Once you’ve chosen your blogging platform and hosting provider, you can start coming up with your blog idea. Don’t worry about picking and registering your domain name just yet. We’ll walk through that process together in Step 4 . 03. What to blog about? How to find your blog niche There is virtually no limit when it comes to your choice of subjects. The most crucial thing is that you select a specific topic area that will be the central focus of your entire blog and its content strategy. What is a blog niche Popular blog niche ideas How to choose your blog niche Don’t follow trends you don’t love Stay focused Testing the waters Your blog niche doesn’t need to be perfect What is a blog niche A blog niche  is the specific topic your blog focuses on—like travel, tech, food or personal finance. A niche lets you narrow your content to attract a specific audience. Think of it as picking your lane: readers know what to expect and you become the go-to person for that topic. Why does this matter? When your blog has a clear focus, it’s easier to grow. Search engines understand your site which helps with SEO. Readers are more likely to stick around and subscribe when the content feels made for them. And if you’re looking to make money from your blog, a niche makes it easier to recommend products, attract partnerships or create content that converts. Popular blog niche ideas These blog topics attract big, active audiences and offer lots of room to grow, monetize and build a community. Blogging for fun, as a side hustle or to support your business? These niches give you plenty of flexibility and potential—especially when you bring your unique voice and experience. Personal finance : Budgeting, saving, investing and making money online— finance blogs are always in demand. Health and wellness : A health blog can cover everything from fitness routines and nutrition tips to mental health advice and holistic living practices Food and recipes : Share meals, diet-specific cooking (vegan, keto or other food blog  types) or cultural cuisine. Travel : Tips, itineraries and experiences from around the world or your own backyard. Parenting : Advice, stories and activities for new parents or families. Lifestyle : A broader niche that can include home decor, fashion blogs , productivity or minimalism. Tech and gadgets : Reviews, how-tos and insights into the latest devices and trends. Beauty and skincare : Tutorials, reviews and routines for makeup and skincare enthusiasts. Career and personal development : Productivity tips, job hunting or entrepreneurship. Education and learning : Great for teachers, tutors or curious minds. Share study tips, teaching tools or start a book blog  with reviews and reading guides. How to choose a blog niche Before picking a niche, think of it like finding your blog’s sweet spot. It should be something you love talking about, know a bit about and that people are actually interested in. The best niches mix passion, knowledge and the potential to grow through ads, products or building a loyal group of readers. 3 steps to pick the perfect blog niche: Narrow down your interests : Start by listing 5–10 broad interests then narrow each down to something more specific. For example, if you love travel, maybe it’s backpacking in Southeast Asia; if you like cooking, maybe it’s vegan recipes. These personal interests will help shape a niche you’ll stick with and actually enjoy building content around. Research your blog audience : Start by using tools like Google Trends  to see how many people are searching for certain subjects. The more searches a topic gets, the more potential audience you have. For example, “vegan recipes” shows steady interest, making it a strong choice for a blog niche while topics with lower or declining interest like “paleo recipes” may have fewer readers. Check if it’s profitable : Even if you’re running a hobby personal blog , it’s a good idea to explore ways to make money from it. Affiliate marketing is a popular option where you promote products and earn a commission on sales. Consider how your niche fits into this, like writing "best of" or "how to" posts with affiliate links. For example, a "Best kitchen appliances for easy cooking" post could include links to food processors making you money with every sale. Don’t follow trends you don’t love Jumping on a trending topic can be tempting when it feels like everyone else is making it work. But if you're not truly interested, your blog won't last. Writing about something you don’t care about feels like a chore and readers will notice when you're not into it. Passion is what keeps your blog going and makes the process more enjoyable. Stay focused Another trap to avoid? Going way too broad. “Lifestyle” might sound cool but it’s too broad. Instead, go for something like “sustainable living for young moms” or “minimalist style for city dwellers.” It gives your blog a clear focus and helps you build a loyal audience. Also stick to your chosen niche—changing topics all the time confuses readers and hurts your SEO. Testing the waters: how to know if your niche will attract readers Before jumping in, make sure people actually want to read about your niche. A quick Google or Pinterest search will show you what kind of content is already out there. If you find blog posts, YouTube videos and products, that’s a great sign. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can also help you see if your topic gets decent search traffic. Forums and Facebook groups are super helpful too. Look at what people are asking, complaining about or curious to learn—those are your content ideas. And don’t skip checking out the competition. What are other bloggers covering? What are they missing? That gap could be exactly where your blog stands out. Your blog niche doesn’t need to be perfect Most bloggers don’t get it right on the first try. You might start out writing about wellness and realize you’re actually into natural skincare. Or maybe you find your groove creating tech tutorials for beginners instead of covering every new gadget out there. That’s totally fine. Your blog can grow and evolve with you. It’s not about having the perfect plan from day one—it’s about staying flexible and figuring out what works. Many successful bloggers refine their niche as they go, learning what resonates with their audience and what feels good to create. Start now, adjust along the way and enjoy the process. 04. Select a blog name and domain As you think about how to make a blog, the question of what to name it is probably lurking somewhere in the back of your mind. There are three main routes you can go with your blog's name. These include: Your first and last name The name of your business (if you have one) A creative new name When choosing your blog’s name, you should also think about the personality you want it to reflect. Should it be formal and professional? Sweet and romantic? Edgy and offbeat? If you’re stuck on names for your blog , this blog name generator is a helpful source of inspiration. Once you decide, you should also go ahead and choose your domain name for your blog. Also referred to as a URL , a domain is a site’s address on the web (this website’s domain name, for example, is www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same as, or at least influenced by, the name of your blog. If you really want your blog to stand out, consider a .blog domain extension . It's a clear and unique way to help your blog and content pop. Tips for picking a domain name for your blog: Keep it short and simple so it's easy to remember. Try to use keywords related to your blog's niche. Avoid numbers or hyphens—they can be confusing and hard to share. Check if the domain name is available using a domain name search . Make sure it aligns with your blog name for consistency. Pro tip: Find the domain owner and registration details for a website with a  Whois domain lookup .  05. Set up and design your blog Choose a blog template Decide which pages to include Get indexed on search engines Create a blog logo At this point, you’ve chosen a blogging and hosting platform, domain name and blog niche. You’re now equipped with all the basics for setting up your blog. Here's how to optimize your blog design : Blog templates - food and travel Choose a blog template The first part of setup for a blog is selecting a template. Like your blog’s name, its look and feel will be an important part of its personality. The most efficient way to get your blog up and running is to choose a pre-designed blog template . Afterwards, you can customize it based on your preferences. Be sure to pick one that conveys your blog’s subject area. There are website templates for bloggers of any genre, whether you’re a food blogger, starting a photography blog or write about business. As you browse, think about the mood you want your website to communicate, for example. whether it’s classic, modern, rugged or minimalist. You should also take that into account as you further personalize the template with your preferred colors. Color psychology plays a huge role in forming your audience’s impression of your blog. As you choose a color palette, keep in mind the feelings and attitudes that different colors evoke. Blue, for instance, tends to evoke dependability and trust, while yellow evokes energy and joy. If you’re unsure of which templates to choose, these blog examples serve as a helpful source of design inspiration. Decide which pages to include Once you’ve chosen a template, think about which pages to include. Most blogs include more than just a section to display their posts. They might also include an online store, as in the image below, or a contact page. Here's an overview of the different options when designing your blog: 01. Contact page: This is a place to put your email address so that fans and potential business partners can reach out to you. You can also include a contact form so that people can send a message directly through your site. 02. About page: This tells visitors who you are, what you do and why you do it, providing some context behind your blog and humanizing your content. 03. Online store: You’ll also want to add a separate online store page if you’re thinking of selling items related to your blog. You can call this page “Products” or “Shop.” In addition to your primary content pages when you create a blog, you can include a few legal pages to protect your interests and inform your visitors. Create a disclaimer page to clearly explain the accuracy of your information, especially if you're giving advice or using affiliate links. A privacy policy is often required by law and tells users about how you handle their data. You can also add a Terms of Service page to outline usage rules, user expectations and your rights. If you want to beef up your blog with even more pages, a Tutorials page, Now Trending page or Author’s Pick page are all popular options. Furthermore, some blogs opt to place their posts directly on the homepage, while others keep their homepages and blog pages separate. If you do this, make sure to include a navigation menu so that visitors can easily access your blog as well as any other pages. There’s no right or wrong way to set up a blog, so play around with different options to see what best suits your style and personality. Keep in mind that you can always add or remove pages over time as your blog evolves. Get indexed on search engines Another part of starting a blog is making sure it’s visible on Google and other search engines. This is crucial if you want your content to pop up in search results, so you’ll want to take care of this step right away. First, make sure your site is indexed on Google. Essentially, this means giving Google a heads up that your blog exists. You can do this by submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console . Pro tip: Google Search Console is not only important for indexing your site, but it’s also a valuable platform that you’ll be using throughout your blogging journey. It tells you important data about your blog’s site visitors and clicks, which you can use to improve your content. To find out whether your site is already included in Google’s search index, do a quick site search (a site search uses your homepage URL and takes the form of site:yourblogname.com ). If your blog pops up in the search results, then your site is already indexed. Create a blog logo Finally, polish off your site with an attractive blog logo . This is another way to add personality to your site, and it’s an essential step if you want to create a blog that evolves into a recognizable brand. One option is to design your own or outsource the task, but you can also use an online logo maker . These tools give you plenty of room to customize your logo with your preferred colors, fonts and icons, and tend to be quicker and more affordable than hiring a professional designer. Once you create your logo, place it in the upper left-hand corner of your website, and link it to your homepage. This will help brand your content while improving the navigation experience for readers. 06. Brainstorm blog topics On the technical side, your blog is now setup and ready to go. It’s time to start thinking about which topics you’ll get started with. Begin by thinking about your experiences, successes, failures or discoveries related to your niche. What insights can you share? What ideas are you looking to explore in-depth? Understanding your audience As you think of topics, try to get into your readers’ heads. Here are some questions to guide you through the brainstorming process: What characteristics does my target audience possess? What subjects does my target audience get excited about? What challenges does my target audience face? Understanding what resonates with readers can make all the difference. Some content formats just click because they’re handy, easy to digest and leave readers ready to take action. Content formats that work Take "how-to" articles, for example. These are blogging royalty, and for good reason. According to research from Statista , about 76% of bloggers say they publish "how-to" content. Why? Because these articles deliver real value by walking readers step-by-step through a process, whether it’s learning to bake the perfect sourdough or optimizing a website. Another format readers love? Lists. From "10 travel essentials" to "5 simple ways to save money," lists hold their own, with 55% of bloggers including this type of content. Lists work so well because they’re clear, organized and completely scannable. Your audience can skim through quickly, find what they need and apply it right away. Choosing topics that matter Here on our blog, we choose topics by focusing on what matters most to you, our reader. We pay attention to trending industries, common questions and what people are searching for right now. By mixing popular topics with practical advice and insights from our in-house experts, we make sure our content is genuinely helpful. We also explore niche areas that often get overlooked, adding unique tips to give you your website, blog or other online presence that extra edge. Our goal is simple–create blog posts that solve real-world problems and provide value to anyone ready to start their own blog. Using the topic cluster model You can also come up with ideas using the topic cluster model . Essentially, this is a tightly organized system that strings together related posts using a series of internal links. While this process is usually considered part of SEO, you can also think of it as a mind map for coming up with ideas. By this model, think about a broad topic—say, recipes—and then divide that up into smaller subtopics, like dinner recipes or brunch recipes. Then, divide those up into even more specific topics, like 20-minute dinner recipes, mimosa recipes, and cake decoration ideas. Any of these topics could be its own blog post. If you’re still stuck, this list of blog ideas can help jumpstart the brainstorming process. They include: A 30 before 30 list (also 40 before 40, or 50 before 50) Your sources of inspiration Beginners’ guides Time-saving hacks A challenge you’ve faced Use these ideas to guide you, but feel free to add your own creative twist based on your niche. 07. Write your first blog post Start with keyword research Come up with a blog post title Outline your main points Write engaging content Insert images Optimize for SEO Edit and publish Now that you’ve come up with ideas, you’re ready to dive into the writing. Let’s go over how to write a blog post from start to finish: Start with keyword research Finding the right keywords is crucial for getting people to read your posts. By targeting certain phrases with your article, you increase the chances of your blog appearing on search results pages for those queries. Let’s say, for instance, that you want to share a carrot cake recipe in your blog. You’ll want to target keywords such as: Carrot cake Carrot cake recipe Best carrot cake recipe How to make carrot cake Depending on your topic, some keywords may be more obvious than others. You can refine your keywords using free keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner or you can use more robust paid options like SEMrush or Ahrefs . Targeting keywords Next, you’ll need to strategically target your selected keywords throughout your article. This means two things: First, you’ll need to sprinkle those phrases throughout your post (but try to do so as organically as possible—no one likes unnatural keyword stuffing). Second, you should structure your article based on the format you see in the top 10 search results for those keywords (you can also reference these results when deciding how long should a blog post be ). Analyzing competitors Let’s say, for example, that you want to write an article about your favorite carrot cake recipe. Start by checking your competitors—the top 10 search results on Google for the keyword “carrot cake recipe.” When you type that phrase into the search engine, you’ll notice that the top results are written as numbered steps, rather than as a story. You can therefore assume that most readers prefer the list format for these types of posts. In order to provide valuable content to your readers—and to rank high on Google as a result—you’ll want your own post to assume a similar format. Covering all the main points Likewise, you’ll want to touch on all the main points covered by your competitors. This doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. It’s just to say that in addition to sharing your own original insights, you should cover all the bases. To continue with our example, let’s assume that when you look up “carrot cake recipe,” the top search results include a section about how to make cream cheese frosting. This is an indicator that many readers find this content helpful. In addition, it shows that Google has a preference for articles including that detail. You’d be wise, then, to touch on this idea in your own article. Outline your main points Keyword research gives you an idea of the best format for your blog post, as well as which sections to include. This naturally segues into the outline stage of the writing process. First, choose which type of blog post you’d like to write. Will it be a how-to guide? A product recommendation? An op-ed? Whichever blog post template you choose, you’ll want to have a clear idea in mind before structuring the outline. Then, use headers and subheaders to break up your content into organized, bite-sized chunks. Beneath each heading, make bulleted notes of the main points you’ll include in each section. This will be the skeleton of your first blog post. Feel free to use this downloadable blog post template to help with your outline. All you need to do is fill in the blanks. Come up with a blog post title The next part of starting a blog article is coming up with a strong title. You can come up with your blog titles at any stage of the planning process, but the best ideas often arise as you build your outline. Why titles matter A blog title is a small but mighty piece of content. Often, it makes the difference between whether or not people click on your article. When it comes to writing blog post titles, we keep it simple, clear and to the point. We’re all about grabbing your attention while giving you exactly what you need to know. Our goal? To speak directly to you in an approachable tone that still shows we’ve got the know-how. Each title is designed to promise real value–from solving a problem, answering your questions or walking you through a step-by-step guide. And yes, we make sure to include some SEO magic, so our blogs are easy to find, but we never sacrifice that for personal touch. Because here’s the thing, a great headline isn’t just about getting clicks; it’s about keeping our promise and giving you exactly what you’re looking for. Strategies for catchy titles To make your blog titles catchy and compelling, put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Think about what might interest and excite them, and try the following strategies: Be clear and direct Promise value Appeal to your readers’ emotions Pique their curiosity Use humor, alliteration or wordplay Here are a few fill-in-the-blank blog title ideas to help you: If you’re curious about diving more into what makes a headline a success, Buzzsumo’s shared headlines study is also an insightful resource. Looking to make the most out of your blog? Subscribe to the Wix blog newsletter and get fresh content and updates straight to your inbox. Write engaging content Now, it’s time to start typing away. Keep in mind that you’ll need an introduction, body text broken up by headers and sub-headers, and a conclusion (optional). Crafting catchy headlines Start with a compelling headline that grabs attention. Use curiosity, numbers or clear value propositions to make readers want to click. A strong headline sets the tone for your entire post. Writing the introduction In the introduction, grab your audience’s attention with a captivating anecdote, a compelling quote or statistic, or an interesting fact. Then, share a brief summary of what the article is about, making sure to grab the interest of your readers. Building the body Next, write the body text, using your outline as a guide. This is where you share your knowledge and expertise as a blogger. Be sure to avoid fluff; writing for the sake of writing is one of the biggest blogging mistakes . Instead, make sure each sentence is meaningful, and dive straight into sharing your original insights and actionable tips. You should also use a tone of voice that resonates with your audience, whether it’s funny and casual or serious and formal. Writing reader-friendly content Break your content into short paragraphs, headers, subheaders and bullet points. Use images, charts or visuals when possible to make your post easier to scan. A well-structured article keeps readers engaged and improves readability. Wrapping up with a conclusion Finally, wrap up the post with a concluding section. While not every blog includes this final bit, it’s a nice way to tie your ideas together and share your closing thoughts. Keep in mind that writing a blog post can take several hours, and it’s a process that shouldn’t be rushed. Set aside at least half a day to write your first draft. Using AI to speed up content creation There are quicker ways to research, plan and create blog content, if you choose to decide with AI content generation tools. There are several to choose from - including Open AI's Chat GPT, Google's BARD and others such as Jasper.ai. Just be sure to heavily edit any AI generated content, be on top of fact checking it's output and don't forget to bring your own voice and style to the content. Write a blog post with AI As AI content generators become more popular and as their output improves, considering whether to use AI to write blog posts is a valid question a lot of bloggers are asking themselves. AI content generation can speed up the blog writing process and help you create more, faster. However, in our experience, AI generated content still requires a large degree of human editing, fact checking and injecting of experience into it. So while it might help you create drafts faster, it's not going to be something you can publish fresh from an AI content generator. However you can use AI for other parts of the blog writing process. You can use it to: Create blog titles Write meta titles and descriptions Structure your blog articles Help you proofread for grammar and spelling mistakes Insert images As you start your blog, remember that your choice of images can strengthen readers’ overall impression of your article. Whether you add photos, screenshots or illustrations to your articles, they should be functional as well as beautiful. Make sure they convey your main points and highlight important examples in the post. If you don’t have your own images, begin by browsing free stock photos on the web. Pexels and Unsplash are both popular sites for gathering visual material. While you might eventually want to use photos you take yourself, stock photos are a quick way to get your blog started. Optimize for SEO Once you create your content, there are a couple things you’ll need to take care of before hitting Publish. These steps primarily revolve around strategy, from improving your blog SEO to generating conversions through your article. Here’s a quick post-writing checklist to guide you: Double check your keywords: Quickly search your content (CTRL+F) to review your use of keywords. Did you include all the keywords you intended to? If not, check to see whether there are any other opportunities to incorporate the keywords throughout your article. (Keep in mind that keyword stuffing is considered a bad practice, and search engines can penalize you for it. Incorporate them naturally into the text, rather than forcing them in.) Add internal links: One trick up every bloggers’ sleeve is to link between their blog posts (also known as the practice of internal linking). This helps improve your posts’ SEO, and it also encourages your readers to browse your other articles. Rather than linking randomly, you should link between primarily related blog posts; this is better for SEO, and it also makes the links more valuable to your readers. If you’re just starting a blog and don’t have much content yet, don’t forget to go back into your posts and add in the links later. Incorporate CTAs: The next trick in the book is to include calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout the article. These little snippets of content often take the form of phrases such as Buy Now, Subscribe, or Read More. By placing call-to-action buttons in your article, you can direct readers to buy your products, subscribe to your newsletter, or click for further reading. Use alt text: Because Google can’t read photos, bloggers often add a short description to each image (ideally using keywords) to help the search engine understand what is being displayed. This description, called alt text, helps your images show up in Google image searches. Write your post’s metadata: Metadata is the term for the text used to display a web page in Google search results. This includes the meta title (also known as the title tag) and meta description. Sometimes, the meta title is the same as the title of your blog post, while other times, you’ll want to choose a slightly different title for displaying your post. There’s no right or wrong here, so long as your title is engaging and includes your most important keyword. The meta description, which is the short snippet of text beneath the meta title, should also include your main keywords and should preview the article’s main points. Choose your URL: Every webpage has a dedicated URL, and your blog posts are no different. A strong URL helps your articles rank high on search engine results pages, and typically contains a keyword. Blog post URLs often take the form of www.yourdomainname.com/blog-post-keyword or www.yourdomainname.com/blog/blog-post-keyword . Pro tip: Edit the slug, or the end portion of the URL, to be simple, clear and include a keyword. For instance, www.yourdomainname.com/delicious-cake-recipes reads much better than something long or generic. There are also more advanced SEO strategies you can employ: Add structured data: Adding structured data markup allows search engines to display rich snippets in search results, such as ratings, images and additional details. These snippets improve visibility and attract more clicks by making your content appear more informative and engaging to users. Optimize for voice search: Voice search relies on natural language and conversational queries, so tailoring your content to include long-tail keywords and question-based phrases improves your chances of appearing in results. Using structured answers within your content can also make it more compatible with voice-activated devices. Edit and publish You now have everything you need for your first blog post. Give it a couple reads, and share it with family members or friends to review. It’s always helpful to have a second, third, or fourth pair of eyes. When you think your article is ready to go, upload it to your blog. Your blogging platform will also have a place for you to type in the metadata and URL. Once that’s done, hit Publish and let the celebrations begin. 08. Create an editorial calendar You’ve just written your first blog post. Take a break, and when you’re ready, plan out the rest of the month’s posting schedule. Creating an editorial calendar is an important part of starting a blog. It’s an effective way to ensure you publish content consistently, letting you hold yourself accountable as a writer and ensuring you don’t deviate from your blogging goals. Your readers want new content, and you need to deliver. Plus, search engines take into account how frequently you publish when determining your site’s overall ranking. You probably already have a handful of topics from your brainstorming session in Step 6. If not, use the same process to come up with new ideas. Once you have at least 10 or so ideas, start building a content calendar. Your calendar doesn’t need to cost a thing, and it certainly doesn’t require the use of unfamiliar tools or platforms. Open up Excel or Google Sheets, and start building a schedule from there. The columns you use are completely up to you, but you’ll probably want to create different sections for the publishing date, blog title, main keywords, article status and comments. Pro tip: If you know you’re prone to procrastination (aren't we all?), open up a Google Calendar and fill in your deadlines there. You can even set aside blocks of time in your calendar for writing. How often should you blog? When learning how to start a blog, a big question people ask is how often they should be publishing new content. As a rule of thumb, the more often you blog, the more traffic you get. There’s no black-or-white answer for exactly how frequently that is, but studies have pointed us to a few important statistics : 11 or more posts per month yields a noticeable increase in traffic. Among small companies of 10 or fewer employees, those who published at least 11 blog posts a month had twice as much traffic as those who published two to five blogs a month. Small companies also found that publishing at least 11 posts per month yields twice as many leads as those publishing six to 10 monthly articles. This is important if your goal is to obtain subscribers, sell products or work as an affiliate (more on that in Step 10). How often you blog also depends on your goals . If your main goal is to generate brand awareness, start with one to two new posts per week. On the other hand, if you’re primarily aiming to increase blog traffic , you should ideally be writing three to four new posts per week. Keep all this in mind as you create your editorial calendar, but make your goals small and achievable. If you set unrealistic deadlines that you can’t meet, you’ll get thrown off course and even discouraged. You can always ramp up your efforts once you get used to publishing and make it a habit to stick to your schedule. In addition, remember that you can always bring in guest contributors to up the quantity of published content each week. Expert tip from Sharon Hafuta, SEO blog editor at Wix.com: "When blogging, it’s easy to think, 'The more I blog, the more people will read it.' And that may be true in some circumstances. But it’s also about striking a balance between quality and quantity, as well as brevity and exploring your content in sufficient detail, to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more—a concept sometimes referred to as 'blog cadence.'" Here are some ways Wix can help you get your site out there: 09. Promote your blog Share on social media Create a blog newsletter Write for other sites and consider guest blogging Reach out to an existing community Participate in question and discussion sites Invest in paid ads Try new content formats Add videos to your blog Network for backlinks Build an email list At this stage, you have everything you need to start a blog. These last couple of steps will focus on how to spread the word about your blog and grow it into a serious monetization tool. In order to get readers, you’ll need to find creative ways to drive traffic to your site. While improving your SEO is an important step, the following methods can also help you promote your blog . Note that most of them are completely free, while a few (like advertising) are paid. Share on social media: Social media is an excellent place to post your content and draw attention to your blog. Whether you promote your blog on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, it’s a great way to reach new readers. Learn more about blogging vs instagram in our guide. Create a blog newsletter: Send out a weekly email newsletter to engage your readers and get them coming back to your blog for more. This will help you sustain a loyal fan base. To get subscribers to your blog email list in the first place, include a prominent Subscribe button in your website’s navigation bar, footer and within your blog posts. Write for other sites and consider guest blogging: Strengthen your reputation as a writer and expert in your niche by publishing content outside your own website. Consider opening a Medium account and making a name for yourself there, or post articles on LinkedIn . You should also keep an eye out for guest blogging opportunities, which are offered by publications such as Forbes and Entrepreneur . This helps you expand your reach and introduce your content to new audiences. Reach out to an existing community: Facebook groups, forums and LinkedIn groups are gathering places for people interested in a particular topic. If you find an online community that’s relevant to your blog niche, share your website with them and network among their group members. Participate in question and discussion sites: Sites such as Quora and Reddit give you the opportunity to highlight your blog in discussion threads. Use one of your blog posts to answer a question or follow up on a comment, but be sure to come across as helpful and informative rather than promotional. Invest in paid ads: In addition to sharing posts on social media, you can boost your posts with a paid promotion so that they reach more people. Likewise, you can pay for Google ads and reach new users through the search engine. Try new content formats: Expand your reach even further by trying new content formats. These essentially repurpose the same information provided in your posts. For instance, you can turn your blog posts into videos and start a YouTube channel. You might even create a podcast or offer a webinar. The sky's the limit. Add videos to your blog: Adding videos to your blog often elevates engagement and draws in a wider audience by transforming your content into a dynamic experience. Videos help visitors stay longer on your site, a key factor in improving SEO. By seamlessly integrating videos into your posts, you ensure they not only complement but also enrich your written content. Network for backlinks: Networking plays a key role in building backlinks, which are critical for boosting SEO and monetizing your blog. Backlinks from authoritative sites signal to search engines that your content is credible, improving its rankings and driving organic traffic—key factors for monetization. To earn quality backlinks, engage with other bloggers through thoughtful comments and social shares, and pitch guest posts to share value while securing links to your site. Build an email list: Growing your email list is one of the best ways to stay connected with readers and drive consistent traffic back to your blog. Offer something valuable like a free resource or exclusive content to encourage people to sign up. Make it easy for them to subscribe by adding sign-up forms to your homepage, blog posts and sidebar. Once your list starts growing, send regular updates or newsletters to keep readers engaged and coming back for more. Track key metrics such as open rates, click-throughs and conversions to see what resonates with your audience, and use these insights to continuously optimize your email campaigns. Learn more: Blogging vs Youtube 10. Make money blogging Affiliate marketing Advertise within your blog Offer paid subscriptions Write sponsored content Sell e-books and merchandise Provide consulting services Create and sell online courses Explore diverse income streams Build a strong brand If you’re looking to create a blog with a large readership, chances are you’re also aiming to make money from your blog’s popularity. We touched on affiliate marketing earlier in the article, but let’s talk more about this and other money-making strategies that can help you generate passive income from your writing efforts. There are more ways than one to make money blogging . Here’s a quick overview of each method: Affiliate marketing: This is one of the most common ways to make money blogging, and it’s easy to get started. Intermediate affiliates can earn between $300 to $3,000 per day , and that number only goes up with experience. There are plenty of affiliate marketing programs out there, but Amazon Associates is a popular choice for beginners. Advertising within your blog: Another option is to display ads within your blog, which means you’re essentially selling your blog real estate as ad space. This is a fairly reliable way to make money, as you’ll be earning revenue with each click. If you’re thinking of taking this route, Google AdSense is by far one of the most lucrative and popular programs. Offering paid subscriptions: You know how the New York Times makes you pay to read their content? You can do the same thing with your blog. While some of your articles should be free, you can also create exclusive content that readers can buy access to through a subscription plan. Write sponsored content: Reach out to companies—or, as you blog grows, make it easy for brands to contact you—regarding sponsorship opportunities. You’ll be writing articles that promote those companies’ products, and the business, in turn, will compensate you for the posts. Sell e-books and merchandise: You can also sell digital or physical goods directly from your site. This might include branded merchandise, products related to your field, or e-books and other online resources. One way to do this is by adding a Pay button to your homepage that your readers can click to browse your merchandise. Provide consulting services: This approach involves making use of your professional experience and harnessing the knowledge you’ve gained as a professional blogger. Based on your insights and expertise, think about the kinds of consulting services you might be able to offer to your clients. If you’re writing a nutrition blog, one such idea could be making customized diet plans or working as a nutrition coach for clients. Create and sell online courses: Use your expertise to develop online courses that teach skills or share knowledge in your niche. Start by identifying a topic that aligns with your blog content and appeals to your audience’s needs. Then, create engaging course materials such as video lessons, downloadable resources and quizzes. Explore diverse income streams: Diversifying income streams is a crucial step toward building a sustainable and profitable blog. By exploring opportunities like public speaking, you can turn your expertise into income while expanding your network. Social media advertising offers another avenue, allowing you to leverage your influence for sponsored content and brand partnerships. Together, these strategies not only boost revenue but also enhance your blog’s credibility and strengthen its overall brand presence. Build a strong brand: A strong, recognizable brand is key to growing your blog and turning it into a reliable income stream. Create a consistent voice, design and message that resonate with your readers. Whether it’s your blog name, logo or topics you cover, a strong brand helps you connect with your audience and keeps them coming back. It also makes you more appealing to sponsors, advertisers and new opportunities. For further details, take a look at this article on how to monetize a blog . Ready to start your blog now? Sign up with Wix  today. 5 reasons to start a blog and is it worth it People make blogs for a variety of reasons, many of which mean blogging is still worth it, some of these reasons include: 01. Share your ideas with the world Sometimes you just want to be heard and get your ideas out into the universe. This is where starting a blog can help—it’s a form of communication and space that’s entirely your own. You can use your creativity and passion to create a space customized exactly to your liking where you can share your ideas, expertise and experiences. 02. Promote a product or service Blogging for business  is a great way to engage potential customers and provide more information about a product or service. Additionally, blogging does wonders for a website's SEO. 03. Build your brand Starting a blog provides a platform to showcase your knowledge and skills, establishing yourself as an authority in your field and building credibility and trust with your audience. As Ophyr Hanan, Blog Growth and SEO Outreach Specialist at Wix, says, "By fostering relationships and collaborating on content, it can help build the foundation for thought leadership and authority building both for you and within your industry." 04. Earn income Blogging can be profitable with time and continued effort. The best way to see the monetary fruits of your labor is by posting quality content regularly that draws in new readers and brings more traffic to your website. This will help your blog gain advertisers and can also boost your status as an online influencer, which can open up the door for affiliate marketing. 05. Build a community Thanks to the internet, we no longer need to live in the same city, state or even country to feel connected to others. When you create a blog as part of a wider blogosphere  community, you create a space to share your story and ideas, as well as start conversations with people all over the world with mutual interests. A blog typically has a comments section where your readers can speak with you directly, allowing you to engage in conversation and build relationships. Blogging stats to reinforce why starting a blog can still be a good idea Yes, competition is fierce with over 600 million live blogs globally but with over 4 billion active blog readers—there's still demand for blogs. Building a blog as a part of content marketing is still alive and well, believe us. Businesses with blogs generate 55% more traffic than those that don't, meaning they still work. Data shows that B2C blog content is shared 9.7 times more than any other type of content—meaning starting a blog to promote a business, works. B2B businesses that use blogs get up to 67% more leads than those who don't. Related reading: Experts weigh in on why you should start a blog Is it too late to start a blog? Blogs are still a popular and effective way to share your thoughts, ideas and expertise with the world. In fact, building a blog is one of the most popular forms of content marketing. It can also be a great way to build a community and connect with other people who share your interests. Expert tip from Judit Ruiz Ricart, Team Lead of Blog Growth at Wix: "Blogging is crucial to build your brand's voice and community, and allows you to expand your reach to a relevant audience who might otherwise not know you exist." Remember that the internet is still growing, with more and more people using it every day. This means that there's a large and growing potential audience for your blog, too. While there are many blogs out there, there's always room for new voices and perspectives. If you have something unique to share, people will be interested in reading it. And the best part is that there are many tools and platforms that make it easy to create and manage a blog. There are a number of reasons why blogging is still relevant, including: Search engines love blogs Starting a blog is a great way to improve your website's SEO and rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is because blogs provide fresh, high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. Blogs build authority When you write informative and engaging blog posts, you establish yourself as an expert in your field. This can help you attract new customers and clients, and build trust with your existing audience. Blogs build connections Blogs provide a platform for you to share your thoughts and ideas and to connect with other people who share your interests. This can help you build a community around your brand. This is especially true of service industries, fitness blogs for example are a great way to build a loyal health focused audience and the same is true for almost every industry. Blogs generate leads and sales When you write blog posts that are relevant to your target audience, you can include calls to action that encourage them to learn more about your products or services, or to contact you for a consultation. The blogging landscape has changed in recent years, the space is more competitive as more blogs exist and competition for audience numbers grows. Hand in hand with this social media and video have become more popular ways to consume content, especially amongst younger audiences. However amongst all of this blogs still play an important role in the content marketing mix. Blogging resources - how to become a blogger As you learn how to create a blog and become a blogger, browse these blogging resources to help guide you through the writing process, SEO and more: Blog post checklist : Check off these steps to ensure you’ve covered all the bases with your first blog post. Blogging for beginners : Read through these additional tips on how to start your blog from scratch. Free online writing courses (Udemy) : Browse Udemy for professional writing courses that will help you develop your blogging skills. Free SEO tutorial (Moz) : Learn the basics of SEO with this free six-part video course. Blogging tools to make a blog successful Finally, online tools are a big part of launching a blog, since they make the process more streamlined and efficient. Here’s a quick list of some helpful blogging tools you can use to start a blog—don’t forget to bookmark them for future reference: Google Keyword Planner : Get data about which keywords to use in your blog posts. Google Analytics : Obtain insights into your blog’s data to strengthen its performance. Google Search Console : Have a clear view of the number of website visitors and clicks your blog receives. ShareThrough’s headline analyzer : Type in your headline and get feedback on its strengths and weaknesses. Pexels : Find free stock photos for your blog articles. Grammarly : Review your writing with an AI editing tool. BuzzSumo : Keep track of trending content to create relevant, targeted posts. Asana : Manage your writing schedule with an online task management tool. At this point, you have all the tools and resources you need for starting a blog. You couldn't have found a more rewarding endeavor, and I couldn't be more honored to help you create a blog and get it off the ground. Feel free to bookmark this guide as a reference as you begin this new journey, and happy blogging. Firsthand insights from a successful wedding planner For Kristine, a seasoned wedding planner, the busiest months mean juggling new inquiries, onboarding next year’s couples and producing multiple weddings at once. “Wedding season is intense… it definitely isn't for the faint of heart and requires an incredible attention to detail,” she says. Her blog has become a way to share guidance, ease decision fatigue and build trust with couples before they even reach out. That’s where Wix makes the difference. “I use Wix blogs consistently as well as forms. These two tools have helped me consistently place high for SEO in Google and streamlined inquiries from couples all over the world,” she shares. Like other pros featured in Wix’s wedding season advice for businesses , Kristine uses her blog to both support couples and scale her business, showing how a Wix blog can be a marketing tool and an authentic extension of client care. Why trust Wix’s experts? This article was written by Wix’s in-house experts, who have years of experience helping people start and grow successful blogs. Every tip, template suggestion and example comes from real Wix projects, designed to help you launch a blog that looks professional, runs smoothly and supports your long-term goals. At Wix, we’ve helped millions of creators, business owners and entrepreneurs share their ideas through blogging. Our team stays at the forefront of content, SEO and design trends, ensuring the guidance we provide is practical, actionable and rooted in real-world results. You can trust this blog as a go-to resource for every stage of your blogging journey, from setting up your first post to scaling your content into a lasting online presence. You can also read more about is Wix good for blogging  and why. How to start a blog FAQ How can I start a blog for free? First of all, you'll need to choose a blogging platform with free user options. With Wix, for example, you can create a blog for free. You can also save money when starting a blog by writing all of your content yourself and by using as many free content planning and keyword research tools as possible. You can also use stock images included within the template or editor of your blogging platform for free in most cases. How do I make a successful blog? First of all you'll need to define 'successful.' Generally a successful blog is one which has a large readership, and generates considerable amounts of traffic. But depending on your blog niche, the goals of a successful blog may look different. For some bloggers an engaged readership who share your content widely and look at it as a source of authority and trust, is what defines the success of their blog. For other bloggers how fast, and effectively their blog can be monetized or act as a part of their marketing funnel, would be another indicator of success. How to make a blogging website? There are a few steps necessary to making a blogging website. Once you've chosen your blog niche, you'll need to create your actual site. Choose a website builder, like Wix, with hosting included and everything you need to create a blogging website from their blog creator. How do bloggers get paid? Bloggers can get paid in a variety of ways, including: Advertising: Bloggers can sell ad space on their blog to businesses. The amount of money bloggers make from advertising will vary depending on the size and popularity of their blog. Affiliate marketing: Bloggers can promote other people's products or services on their blog and earn a commission on each sale that they generate. Sponsored posts: Bloggers can write posts about specific products or services in exchange for payment from the company that produces the product or service. Selling digital products: Bloggers can create and sell digital products, such as e-books, online courses or templates. Selling physical products: Bloggers can sell physical products, such as merchandise or handmade goods. Membership sites: Bloggers can create membership sites where readers pay a monthly or annual fee to access exclusive content or resources. The best way for bloggers to get paid is to diversify their income streams. This way, if one income stream dries up, they will still have other sources of income. Can you start a blog as a side hustle? Yes, you can start a blog as a side hustle. In fact, blogging is a popular side hustle for many people, as it can be a relatively low-cost and low-time commitment way to make extra money. When starting a blog as a side hustle, you will need to choose a niche, create a blog and start publishing content. Once you have a following, you can monetize your blog through a variety of methods, such as advertising, affiliate marketing and selling your own products or services. How to write a blog post with AI? AI can be a valuable asset throughout the content production process, from generating topic ideas to serving as a proofreader. AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard can help brainstorm blog topics, provide research insights, construct outlines and even write drafts. However, it's crucial to review and refine AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, relevance and adherence to your brand voice. Additionally, grammar checkers like Grammarly and ProWritingAid can assist in proofreading, but their suggestions should be considered carefully to avoid altering creative writing styles. Do blogs make money? Yes, blogs can be profitable ventures with the potential to generate income through various monetization strategies. Common methods include advertising (e.g., Google AdSense), sponsored content, affiliate marketing, selling digital or physical products, offering services and membership/subscriptions. Successful bloggers often diversify their income streams and focus on providing value to their audience to maximize revenue potential. How do I start a blog with no money? To start a blog with no money, begin by leveraging low-cost blogging platforms and use social media and online communities to attract visitors. Invest time and effort into building relationships with your audience and consistently providing value through your content. With dedication and persistence, you can gradually grow your blog into a successful venture without initial financial investment. How to make a blog popular? To be in with any chance of making a popular blog, you're going to need to start by choosing a popular niche (something you know at least one audience once will) and then by creating great content. To become popular though you'll then need to invest as much again in promoting your blog, generating traffic to it and engaging your readers. Popular can be defined in many different ways when describing a blog - traffic, readers, shares, going viral, comments and engagement, sales from a blog. Make sure to define what popular means to you before chasing it. What are the baby steps to starting a blog? Choosing a niche is an important baby step in starting your blog. Once you’ve picked one, start writing. Don’t get caught up in perfecting your blog’s design or tackling technical details just yet—those can come later. Focus on sharing your passion and ideas in your unique voice. Write content that feels natural and engaging, whether it’s a story, a tip or an idea. Publishing your first posts, even if they’re not perfect, is the best way to grow and improve. What are legal considerations for bloggers? Bloggers need to be aware of several legal considerations to ensure compliance and protect themselves. Key areas include creating a privacy policy to inform readers about data collection practices, using disclaimers to clarify the accuracy of information and any affiliate relationships, and respecting copyright laws by using only licensed or original content. Additionally, bloggers should be mindful of advertising regulations, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines in the U.S., which require clear disclosure of sponsored content and affiliate links. What is the 80/20 rule for blogging? The 80/20 rule for blogging suggests you should focus 80% of your efforts on promoting your content and 20% on creating it. This principle highlights that even the best content can go unnoticed without proper promotion. By dedicating more time to sharing posts on social media, optimizing for SEO and engaging with your audience through email or collaborations, you can amplify the reach and impact of your blog. How much money is 1000 views on a blog? Earnings from 1,000 blog views vary widely based on factors like your blog's niche, the ad networks you use and how you monetize your site. On platforms like Google AdSense, you might earn anywhere from $1 to $10 per 1,000 views depending on your audience's demographics and interests. If you use affiliate marketing or sell your own products, this amount could be higher. Understanding your audience and diversifying income streams can help maximize your earnings per thousand views.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce →   You think of a brilliant idea for an online store. Or perhaps you read about another successful entrepreneur and got inspired. You muster up the confidence to pursue your idea—only to wind up wondering “Where do I begin?” To make your life easier, we’ve put together this guide with step-by-step instructions on how to build an online store . Whether you’re starting a business from scratch or taking your brick-and-mortar business online, we’ll help you get started on the right foot. Ready to start your eCommerce journey? Now’s the perfect time to bring your vision to life. With Wix eCommerce, you have the tools to build a professional online store and create a website that captivates your audience, drives traffic and boosts sales. Take the first step and explore Wix eCommerce today. Make your mark online and turn your ideas into success. TL;DR: How to start an online store Kicking off an online store means making some big decisions for your brand, your business and your sales. First up: pick a niche and really get to know your audience. Next, build a strong brand with a memorable name, a clear look and a consistent feel. Set up your business and register it correctly. After that, choose a platform that fits your needs, keeps your site safe and can grow with you. Plan for costs early—platforms hosting domains getting your products and extra tools all add up and affect how smoothly your store runs. Design your store to make shopping easy and fun, with clear buttons great images and lots of payment options. Get people to visit with smart marketing, track what's working with analytics and give amazing customer service so buyers keep coming back. Along the way, focus on strategies that help you make money online while your store grows. How to start an online store in 10 steps Choose a niche and determine your target audience Create a strong branding strategy Decide on your business structure and register your business Pick an eCommerce platform Name your store and get a domain Design your online store for sales Connect a payment provider Optimize your online store Start your marketing campaigns Create a customer service plan 01. Choose a niche and determine your target audience Choosing which products to sell online  will require careful consideration. Beyond thinking about what your target audience likes, you’ll need to do a bit of competitive recon and ask yourself some key questions. For starters: which brands are already popular online? What unique pain points can you help to solve? How do you plan on sourcing your products? Learn more: How to sell on Wix Generate and refine product ideas To get the ideas flowing, here are a few things to try. Optimize a popular product: Take what you know works and make it better. This is something big retailers do with their  private label products . They’ll check to see what’s popular in stores or online, then create their own versions. Try this out for yourself by using tools like Jungle Scout  or checking sites like Amazon’s Best Sellers list . Scour reviews on leading brands to discover what their products are missing. Look out for an untapped market: Have you ever searched for a product online and realized that nothing really wows you? Did your brother mention something that would be cool to own over dinner? There’s no replacement for an original idea. This is how Wix user DIVINIA Water developed its international business. Founder Steven Sedlmayr realized that there was a gap in the market for drinkable water—particularly pure water with functional benefits. Follow the trends: Whether born out of necessity or a viral topic, there’s always a plethora of trending products  to choose from. The key here is to have a system for understanding what’s driving a product’s success. How long will the trend last? What marketing do you need to do to keep the momentum going? Be careful not to commit to a product that will lose interest as quickly as it gained it. Once you’ve brainstormed a few good ideas, take some time to make sure that it’s a realistic item to sell. Ask yourself if your item is easy to ship, where you can sell it and whether you can turn a profit. To start an online clothing store , define your niche—like sustainable streetwear or custom pieces—and know your customers’ style and sizing needs. Build a brand with a fitting name, logo, colors and visual style. Use high-quality images, detailed fabric and fit descriptions and plan inventory by size and season. Streamline shipping and returns and promote through social media, influencers and trend-driven campaigns while tracking sales and feedback. Target the right audience for your online store Beyond that, you need to identify your target audience. The closer you are to your product (or audience), the greater your chances of building a successful business. If you already have a product idea, use that to determine your ideal customer. If not, consider an audience that you’re most familiar with. What products do you use on a regular basis? What do you value the most about your favorite brands? Or, who in your life are you looking to serve with your products? As with any business, it helps to find a purpose that will keep you motivated in the long run. Ecommerce, after all, isn’t just sunshine and butterflies (see our guide on what is eCommerce ). There are numerous logistical and financial questions you’ll have to address. By reminding yourself why you’re running your business and for whom, you can better stay on track. To that end, take the time to establish buyer personas. Personas help you get into the mind of your buyer and, in turn, make decisions regarding messaging, your eCommerce website  design, marketing strategies and more. Learn more: What's the best way to start an online store? 02. Create a strong branding strategy Branding is a big part of your online success. At a time when an increasing number of shoppers are open to buying from brands they’ve never heard of, it’s critical for you to have a strong eCommerce branding strategy that leaves a strong impression. Branding includes everything from your business’ name, logo, favicon, typography, color palette and tone of voice. Your business’ brand should strongly relate to the type of company you are and the mood you want to create. Build your online store visual identity Start off by creating your brand palette. You could use blues and greens to match your environmentally friendly water bottles. Or you may use brighter colors to emanate a cheery, energetic mood. Whichever direction you go, make sure you have a reason for why you chose your brand colors rather than arbitrarily selecting them. Save three to four hex color codes to reference moving forward. Next, create a logo for your business with the help of a designer or logo maker . Needless to say that it should be strong, memorable, and uniquely yours. A classic example is the Nike swoosh. (Would you be surprised to learn that Nike co-founder Phil Knight initially reacted to the logo saying “I don’t love it, but maybe it’ll grow on me”?) The success of the logo surely has something to do with the fact that it represents motion and speed, two values of the athletes that Nike sells to. Note: you’re not trying to find a logo that simply speaks to your tastes. You’re trying to find one that speaks to your audience—don’t forget that. Set tone of voice and ensure brand consistency Another important aspect to your brand is your tone of voice. This should be taken into account when writing your product descriptions, social media posts, and other communications. Should your tone be playful? Serious? How would you speak to your target buyers if you were talking with them face to face? All of these branding factors will be important when your building content for your brand, including: Your website Emails Invoices Product packaging Shipping materials Marketing campaigns To start an online supplement store , focus on a clear niche like protein powders, vitamins or nootropics. Source products from certified manufacturers with lab-tested quality and consider private-label options to stand out. Build a health-focused brand with clear labels, dosage info and benefits highlighted. Use a platform that supports subscriptions, detailed product pages and multiple payment options. Promote through fitness influencers, educational content and customer reviews to grow trust and sales. 03. Decide on your business structure and register your business By this point, you’re probably bouncing in your seat, ready to get started. However, there are a few legal things you’ll have to take care of in order to make your business official. This includes an official filing that ensures that your business is recognized by the government. It additionally includes decisions that will affect your eligibility for business funding, tax obligations, personal protections, and more. First and foremost, you need to decide how your business will be structured. Here are some of the most common types of business : Sole proprietorship : This means you and your business are legally and financially linked together. This is the simplest form of business to start. That said, you cannot operate as an employer. Rather, you operate and run the business as an individual. Limited Liability Company (LLC) : This option lets you keep your personal and business assets separate, lowering the risk of starting a business. LLCs are relatively quick to set up and offer various business tax benefits. Partnership: If you’re starting your business with two or more business partners, you’ll need to sign a partner agreement, which determines how you’ll split duties and profits. This agreement will track each partner's roles, responsibilities, investments, and rights. Corporation : A corporation usually refers to an established business that includes shareholders and employees. There are various types of corporations you can create. Corporations can be initiated by an individual or group of people. If you’re setting up your business as a sole proprietorship, you can avoid any formal action in order to create your business. Nonetheless, you’ll still need to apply for any relevant license and permits that are relevant to your business and location. Check with the  US Small Business Administration  to determine what you’ll need. Register your business and manage taxes Moving forward, you’ll need to pay estimated taxes  each quarter as well, according to IRS standards, and potentially collect and remit online sales tax. If you’re looking to set up an LLC, partnership or corporation, we suggest you consult a business lawyer. Deciding to register your business is a crucial step that legally establishes your company and protects your brand name. It not only grants you legal rights but also enhances credibility with customers and potential partners. On top of that, having official business status allows you to open a business bank account, apply for necessary permits and access funding opportunities. Learn more: How to register a business How to license a business  (for your US based business) How does eCommerce work? To start an online toy store , focus on sourcing safe, age-appropriate and engaging toys. Identify popular licenses or unique items that stand out. Set up product pages with clear images and descriptions, highlight educational or fun features and plan marketing around playful storytelling, demos and seasonal trends. 04. Pick an eCommerce platform If you’ve figured out what products to sell and how to source them, then you’re halfway to the finish line. The next step is to build a site where you’ll list your products. Your site is the face of your brand. It’s where you’ll have the most control over your branding and the overall buyer journey. It’s also where you’ll be accepting payments and handling essential tasks. It can also be an all in one solution that allows you to handle your selling, marketing, payments, logistics  and procurement . Learn more about what is Wix Payments. So, it’s important to find the best eCommerce platform  to host your site. At this stage, don’t let the bells and whistles of a platform woo you. Make sure to look under the hood and ask all the necessary questions. Factors to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform Features: No two platforms are the same. Some platforms—like WooCommerce—are like blank canvases but require a developer’s help to set up and maintain. Others—like Wix eCommerce—don’t require former coding experience. Instead, you can pick from existing templates, blocks, and apps to build an online store without fuss. (You can additionally connect your favorite payment solution, track inventory, automate sales tax, and more. Learn how to set up your online store with Wix.) Specialty businesses: Do you plan on  selling CBD  or do you have another niche business idea? Check that your platform has the capabilities to support your line of business. Mobile view: Does your website builder optimize for mobile? Will shoppers be able to comfortably browse your store on their phones? Can you accept mobile payments? Considering how mobile commerce has taken the world by storm, it’s especially important for your site to be mobile responsive. Scalability: Replatforming can be a pain later on, so you’ll want to find a system that can support your business both now and later. To that end, consider if you’ll be able to upgrade your plan easily to access more professional tools, like ads, pre-orders and discount campaigns. Make sure you’re not being taxed for your success (e.g., having to pay large commission fees as you make more sales). Web security and reliability: This is too often an afterthought or something that sellers think of only after they’ve fallen victim to a disaster. In reality, security and reliability should always be top of mind. How will you avoid a site crash if sales suddenly spike? How will you defend your online store from hackers, fraudulent transactions, and potential chargebacks? Make sure your eCommerce platform provides public key certification - either SSL or TLS. This will give your site https at the start of its domain and will help build credibility between you and your potential customers. You'll also need to make sure your platform has reliable and secure web hosting , that can respond to sudden traffic influxes and provide as high uptime as possible. SEO: You want your site to rank on Google. In order to do so, you need a strong technical SEO foundation to start with, then tools to optimize your site the way you want to. Wix, for instance, offers the ability to customize your meta tags, URLs, structured data markup, and more. Check to see which SEO capabilities your platform has to offer. AI capabilities: Online stores never close, and your customer support shouldn’t either. Wix AI Site Chat  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. Choose a website builder that allows you to make fast pivots with your business needs. If one day to the next, you need to add events or an online store, make sure your website builder makes that possible for you. - Esin D. Habif, Product Marketing Lead Outbound at Wix.com Pro tip: Your free eCommerce hosting on Wix is automatically set up when you publish your site—no installation needed—and supports successful online stores of every size. 05. Name your store and get a domain Finally. It’s time to get working on your brand. Start by thinking of a memorable name for your business. A great name can help give you a competitive advantage in your target market Brainstorm words associated with your product, industry, values, or unique selling point. Or, use a  store name generator  to gain some inspiration. To guide your name choice, consider SEO. Identify terms that shoppers are using to find either physical or digital products  like yours. You can use Google Trends or keyword research tools, like Semrush, for help in this area. Plus, you can check out our SEO guide  for additional tips. It may not be a bad idea to mention your product category or product type directly in the name. This will let shoppers know what you offer right away. For example, if you’re selling hats, you can include the word “accessories,” “fedoras” or “caps” within your name. Check for uniqueness and simplicity But above all, make sure your business name stands out and is not already being used. You can do this in one of several ways: Research your direct competitors Search your name ideas on Google and social media Check your local business registration service Simplicity is key. Choosing a name with an easy spelling and pronunciation, secures quick recognition and recall. A great business name captures attention, evokes emotion, and sticks in the mind. It should be unique yet memorable, reflecting your brand's essence and values. Daniele Pitkowski, Product Marketing Manager - Alternative Flows at Wix.com Register and connect your domain After you’ve decided on a business name,  choose the best domain name  for your site from a domain name registrar. Try to match your store name exactly. This will help your customers find and remember your brand online. Note that for any domain name, you’ll likely pay around $10-$15 per year. With Wix eCommerce, you can register and connect a domain name directly from your site. In fact, once you’ve set up your store, you’ll have the option to get your domain name  for free for one year. 06. Design your online store for sales This is the fun part. Here is where your creativity can shine. The trick here is to design a store that’s both well-branded and optimized for conversions. Your customers should not only be impressed by the look-and-feel of your store, but should also be able to easily find your products and confidently make a purchase. Learn more: What is an online store? , Website vs online store Pointers for designing your site Use an eCommerce template: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Wix offers plenty of  online store templates  that can be adjusted and customized to make sure your store looks entirely unique. At the same time, these templates will include all the key features your store will need so you won’t have to create it all from scratch. Carefully think through your site’s structure: Observe how other major brands and retailers use navigation menus, filters, breadcrumbs and shopping carts to create a smooth user experience. Avoid cluttering up any nav bar or page, and hone in on the search behaviors and terminology that resonate with your target audience. Follow the three-click rule: As a general rule of thumb, your products should be accessible within three or less clicks. Meaning, it should be easy for your customers to get from your homepage (or any other landing page) to their desired product page. They shouldn’t have to dig through many layers of your site to find what they’re looking for. Don’t forget about key links—like your shipping information, returns policy, and contact info—which could be included in your footer. Be clear about what you sell: Your visitors should know what you sell immediately upon arrival. While your off-site advertising and marketing efforts should help with this, you’ll want to reaffirm your area of expertise via clear page headings, clear search menus, and powerful imagery. Pro tip:  Update your site’s metadata to include the type of store you are. For example, if you’re a t-shirt business called PlopTee, your site’s meta title should read “PlopTee | T-Shirt Store.” Write clear calls-to-action (CTAs): At every stage throughout the buying process, your customers should know what they should do next. Create button text and other prompts that are intuitive and compelling. The customer should know exactly where each click will lead (e.g., “Add to cart” or “Explore more products like this”). Learn from these 14 high-converting product page examples . Don’t skimp on your product descriptions: It’s easy to get lazy with your descriptions, especially if your manufacturers already provide copy for you to use. But failing to write original descriptions is a big missed opportunity . Between their impact on SEO and on brand trust, your product descriptions can influence your return rates, visibility, and more. See tips for writing strong product descriptions. Be intentional with your images: You don’t need us to tell you that   product photography is an extremely important aspect to selling online. Customers often sift through images first and sometimes rely heavily on your photos to make their purchase decision. Use professional photos and videos to showcase the product’s looks, feel, size, dimensions, proper use, and more. View more eCommerce product photography tips . 07. Connect a payment provider In order to earn your first dollar from eCommerce, you need to decide how you’ll get paid. It’s always a good idea to offer multiple payment methods. Just think about the last time you walked into a store or restaurant. You likely expected them to accept credit cards, or even Apple Pay. However, on occasion you may walk into a store that only accepts cash—in which case, you’re either in or out of luck. The same logic applies online, where you can offer payment options like: Credit/debit cards Digital wallets (like PayPal) Bank transfers In-person payment (if you have a brick-and-mortar store) Buy now, pay later solutions NFT Choose the right payment gateway There are also various payment gateways (aka payment processors or providers) to choose from. Payment gateways are what ensure a safe, successful transfer of funds. Some gateways may be better than others, depending on your location and business type. Whichever you choose, your provider will need to verify your bank account before you can take home the money that you earn. Before deciding on a payment gateway, make sure you're aware of any associated costs. These can include: Domain registration fees Hosting plans Transaction fees Integrated payment solutions with Wix For U.S.-based businesses, Wix Payments is a popular website payment solution  for accepting credit, debit, Pay Now by Klarna, and other methods at checkout. It’s free and easy to set up on your Wix account. You ultimately benefit from having one, integrated dashboard to personalize your payout cycles and more. Another option is to select from third-party plugins, which include 50+ payment gateways  worldwide. Wix doesn’t charge additional transaction fees and can immediately be integrated with your gateway-of-choice. 08. Optimize your site Once your online store is up and running, you need to optimize it so people can find it on Google and other search engines. This helps you attract and retain customers, as well as improve your overall sales performance. Top tips to optimize your site: Improve site speed:  Ensure your website loads quickly by compressing images and leveraging browser caching. A faster site enhances user experience and can improve search engine rankings. Enhance mobile responsiveness:  With an increasing number of customers shopping on mobile devices, make sure your site is fully responsive. Test your site's performance on various devices, ensuring a seamless experience across all platforms. Use SEO best practices:  Optimize your product pages with relevant keywords, descriptive meta tags and high-quality content. This will help increase your site's visibility in search engine results, driving more organic traffic. Streamline navigation:  Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for by organizing your site navigation logically. Use clear headings, categories and search functionalities to guide users effortlessly through the shopping process. Improve checkout process:  Simplify the checkout process by reducing the number of steps required to complete a purchase. Offer guest checkout options, multiple payment methods and clear calls-to-action to enhance user satisfaction and reduce cart abandonment rates. Learn more about adding an online shopping cart to your store. 09. Start your marketing campaigns Your store is now ready to take on sales. It’s time to start shouting it from the rooftops. Drive customers to your online store using a variety of marketing strategies. Organic marketing tools Social media marketing: Create a business page for yourself on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, choose the social platform where your target market is most likely to be found. Update your business information and leverage your channels as both a sales and customer service vehicle. Channels like Instagram and TikTok support checkout directly from their platforms. Learn more about your social commerce options.  Consider using influencer marketing to really make impact with your business and drive brand loyalty. You might also want to consider using social proof as a trust signal on your online store website. Email marketing : Emails are far from dead. In fact, emails grant you direct access to customers who have opted into your communications via your content marketing campaigns. To get started, create a business email address. Then develop an email list by adding a lightbox to your site that encourages sign up, adding signup as an option at checkout, or including a link in your footer. You can additionally offer a special discount or other incentive, like gift cards, if a customer joins your email list. Plan on sending regular newsletters, promotions, business updates, product recommendations and other types of eCommerce emails. Remember to adhere to privacy regulations and laws in your country of business before sending email marketing materials. SEO: Use this digital marketing strategy to   ptimize your site to rank high on Google’s search results and generate more traffic to your store long with long term brand awareness. Optimize your meta titles and descriptions for each site page, and follow other eCommerce SEO  best practices. Moreover, take advantage of other free tools like Google Shopping and Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). Each of these help with local search, in addition to overall visibility on Google. Loyalty program: A loyalty program can help to secure repeat customers and increase your customer lifetime value rates. While they require thoughts and careful planning, Wix loyalty program plugins can help to streamline the process. Offer rewards for each order placed, or special actions like sharing your product on social media. Drive more attention while taking good care of your existing customers. Paid marketing tools Facebook and Instagram ads: Facebook and Instagram offer various ad placements, which help you to target certain demographics or interest groups on their respective platforms. Wix lets you create  Facebook and Instagram Ads  directly from your site dashboard and uses AI to optimize your ads around the clock. Google Shopping ads: Google Shopping ads are pay-per-click (PPC) ads that help you to skip to the top of relevant search results. When a customer clicks the ads, they’re either sent directly to your website or a Google checkout page, depending on your settings. Discover more about Google Shopping and other types of Google ads. Analytics Analyzing data from your marketing campaigns is key to understanding their impact and improving your store's performance. With tools like   Wix Analytics  you can track site traffic, product sales and customer behavior to uncover valuable insights.  See how visitors find your store and which pages grab their attention most. Identify your best-selling products and discover which items might need more promotion or tweaks. By studying customer behavior—like their journey to making a purchase—you can better anticipate their needs and refine your strategies.  Regularly reviewing your analytics keeps you connected to your audience and helps you make informed data-driven decisions. Stay ahead and ensure your store continues to grow and succeed. 10. Create a customer service plan Developing a comprehensive customer service plan is vital for the success and reputation of your online store. A well-thought-out plan ensures that you meet your customer's needs and foster loyalty. Begin by outlining the channels through which customers can reach you, such as email, phone, live chat or social media. Establish clear response times to inquiries and set protocols for resolving different types of issues efficiently. Training your team to handle customer interactions with empathy and professionalism is key to providing exceptional service. It's also good to have a feedback mechanism for continuous improvement, as listening to your customers helps identify areas for enhancement and development. A solid customer service plan not only satisfies your current customer base but also attracts new customers through positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. How much does it cost to start an online store? When starting your online store, every choice you make is a building block for your business and a misstep can be costly. Slow hosting, clunky navigation or unreliable suppliers can hurt your sales, waste your time and cause major headaches. Imagine your site crashing during a huge sale or a customer returning an item because it wasn't what they expected—no one wants that. The secret is to plan ahead, avoid common traps and focus on what directly impacts your customers and daily workflow. Think of each decision as an investment in your store’s future not just another expense. Making smart choices now will make your business easier to run and help it grow faster. Here’s a realistic look at what to expect. Ecommerce platform Your platform is the engine of your online store. It powers everything from product pages to checkout, inventory tracking, and marketing tools. A basic plan might let you list products and accept payments, but it often lacks features that save time and prevent problems as you grow. Spending a bit more upfront can prevent headaches, missed sales, and costly platform migrations down the line. For example, without abandoned cart recovery, you could lose customers who were ready to buy but got distracted. Paid plans often include features like real-time shipping rate calculations, which prevent overselling and surprise shipping costs—something that keeps both you and your customers happy. Higher-tier plans usually also include analytics to see which products sell best, mobile optimization for shoppers on their phones, and integrations with marketing apps. Here’s what you can expect to pay for different plans and what you’ll get for your money (prices may vary by provider): Free: $0/month Great for testing ideas or listing a few products. Comes with limited features, manual processes and basic checkout options. You might outgrow the platform quickly or miss out on tools that help boost sales. Basic: $10–$39/month Covers standard product listings, checkout and payments. You’ll likely get some automation and basic reporting. A good fit for small stores but might lack the advanced tools you need to grow faster. Advanced: $40/month and up Adds powerful automation and optimization tools like marketing support, inventory management and checkout enhancements. Usually includes detailed analytics, reporting and mobile optimization. Helps you avoid headaches, lost sales and pricey platform migrations as your business gets bigger. Domain and hosting Your domain is your store’s address, and hosting is the foundation it runs on. Both are important for making your brand look professional and keeping your store running well. A domain name that’s easy to remember builds trust instantly and helps customers find you again. Spending $10–$15 a year on a clean domain is a simple move that makes a big difference. Hosting is a bit more complex. Cheap hosting for around $5 a month might seem like a bargain, but it often leads to slow loading times or crashes when you get a lot of visitors. If your pages take too long to load, customers will probably just buy from a competitor. More reliable hosting, which usually runs from $10–$30 a month, will give you faster speeds, better security and the power to grow without losing sales. Branding and design Your store’s vibe really changes how many sales you make. A great logo, matching colors and a clean look build trust and make shopping simple. Putting a bit more into branding and design now means fewer problems (and costly fixes) later. It also helps customers trust you more and makes your marketing work harder. Even small tweaks, like better product photos or clearer navigation, can quickly boost your sales online. How much you spend depends on who does the work: DIY / template-based ($0–$50) : Use free or cheap templates and DIY logo tools. It keeps costs super low, perfect for trying out ideas. Just know it might not look as unique or polished. Freelancer / mid-tier design ($100–$500) : Get a freelancer for your logo, colors or custom layout. This brings a professional touch and can really push those sales. For instance, putting a strong color scheme and a clear call-to-action can bump up "Add to cart" clicks. Agency / premium design ($1,000+) : A full-service agency gives you a unique store that's ready to win. This means custom design just for your users, pro photos and everything you need for marketing. Product sourcing and inventory How you get your products impacts your costs, control and customer perception. Dropshipping means low upfront costs (just a few dollars to list), but smaller profit margins and less control over shipping speed or quality. If a custom mug arrives late or broken, it reflects poorly on your store, even if it's out of your hands. Buying inventory requires more cash upfront, but gives you full control over quality, packaging and shipping speed. For example, buying 50 handmade candles lets you brand the packaging and set delivery times, helping you charge more and build customer trust. Always order samples to check quality. This avoids costly returns and keeps customers happy. Payment processing Payment gateways usually charge 2–3% per transaction plus occasional monthly fees ($0–$30). Offering multiple options—credit/debit cards, digital wallets or installment plans—makes buying easier and can boost sales. For instance, a shopper might abandon their cart if your store only accepts cards but they prefer a digital wallet. Integrated systems, like those included in higher-tier eCommerce plans, prevent failed transactions, reduce manual reconciliations and ensure you don’t lose revenue due to technical issues. Marketing and promotion The best store won’t sell itself—you need people to find it. Organic marketing, like SEO, social media posts, and email newsletters, brings in traffic without costing a dime for clicks. You might spend a little ($0–$100/month) on tools like scheduling apps or email services. Or, if you're strapped for time, you could hire a pro to handle this for you, which would be an added service cost. Paid marketing is a great way to spread the word. You can start small, like $50–$200 a month for ads on search engines or social media. Then, as you see results, you can do more. A $100 Instagram ad targeting your ideal customers can quickly show you which products are a hit and help you make sales. This helps you invest smarter. Analytics tools, either free or up to $50 a month for more in-depth tracking, help you understand what’s working, where your visitors are coming from, and how to improve your campaigns. Without good tracking, you might just be throwing money at ads that don't bring in new people. Optional tools and apps Apps for inventory management, loyalty programs or advanced analytics can make running your store easier but aren’t necessary when you first start. Costs usually range from $0–$50/month per app. For example an inventory app can prevent overselling popular items while a loyalty program encourages repeat customers. Start lean and only add tools once you see a clear need. Overloading your store with apps too early can complicate things and add unnecessary costs. Open an online store with a dropshipper (optional) If you want to start selling quickly, you could always give dropshipping  a whirl. A dropshipping business includes some key perks, like minimal upfront costs and easy management. When you own a dropshipping business , you work with a supplier who handles manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping—all on your behalf. Here’s a play-by-play of how it works: You choose the products you want to dropship from your supplier’s catalog You list those products on your dropshipping website  and set your own prices A shopper purchases the products and pays for it on your site You forward the customer’s order (plus pay) your supplier Your supplier ships the product directly to your customer’s address Wix eCommerce offers direct integrations into popular dropshipping services like Modalyst  and Spocket . By using our integrated solution, you can manage and list products from your suppliers without leaving Wix. Any customer orders will also be automatically routed to your software and suppliers, allowing you to easily manage all of your back-office and customer-facing tasks in one place. Why eCommerce is important Ecommerce is crucial in today’s business landscape for reaching a broad, global audience and breaking down geographical barriers that traditional stores face. It enables businesses of all sizes to access new markets and customer bases that were otherwise unreachable. Economically, eCommerce reshapes industries by reducing operational costs, as online stores require less overhead than physical stores. It also fosters competition, driving innovation and product improvement. Common mistakes to avoid when starting an online store One common mistake new online store owners make is not clearly communicating what makes their business unique. Decent products and discounts aren’t enough to stand out. You need to answer this key question: “Why should customers choose you?” Highlight the problems your product solves, the benefits it offers and what sets you apart from competitors. Build a compelling story around your brand and make it the heart of your marketing strategy. A strong value proposition helps establish trust and creates an emotional connection with your audience. Another challenge is underestimating the power of branding and marketing. Branding isn’t just about a catchy name or logo—it’s about tapping into what your audience values. Combine this with a smart marketing plan and allocate at least 30% of your revenue to marketing efforts. Paid ads, like Facebook or Google Ads, can generate traffic, but professional, creative campaigns are essential. Avoid relying solely on discounts or generic products. Instead, focus on a unique brand identity and high-quality items that resonate with your niche. Finally, rushing your launch or skipping key planning steps can hurt your store’s long-term growth. Take the time to research your niche, understand your products and deeply know your audience. Avoid shortcuts like copying others—what works for them might not work for you. Quick success is rare, and the challenges can be overwhelming without proper preparation. By planning carefully and staying flexible, you’ll set yourself up for lasting success and build a business that stands out. Using Wix eCommerce to open an online store But your online store could be launched within a matter of days. Wix eCommerce provides all the tools for getting set up quickly, including tools for inventory  management, payments, website analytics and more. Your main job is to brew up a solid business plan. Once that’s in place, you can create your online store  with us and start selling right away. Selling online with Wix means: Use built-in AI features and exceptional no-code creation to turn your online store vision into reality even faster 100s of fully customizable and free eCommerce website templates Sell anything easily, including physical and digital products, subscriptions, dropshipping and print on demand AI image editor for better product photos AI product descriptions AI product recommendations Wix retail POS for selling in-person Reach shoppers on Google, eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Facebook Instagram, TikTok and Wish and manage it all from your Wix dashboard Sell internationally with Wix multilingual, currency converter and 80+ trusted global payment providers Customizable data reports and real-time analytics to help you sell better Native shipping solutions Robust website infrastructure for maximum reliability and security How to start an online store FAQ What is the best platform to sell online for beginners? The best eCommerce platform for beginners is easy to use, secure and flexible. It should handle payments smoothly, offer customizable templates, support mobile shopping and scale as your business grows. It should also include basic marketing tools, analytics and inventory management to help you run your store efficiently. Wix eCommerce lets you set up a professional online store without coding, manage payments and inventory in one place and access tools for marketing and analytics to grow your business over time. How much does it cost to open an online shop? The cost to open an online shop can vary widely based on factors such as the eCommerce platform you choose, the complexity of your website design and your marketing strategies. On average, initial costs can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on your specific needs and scale. Can I open an online store without an LLC? Yes, you can open an online store without forming an LLC. However, operating as a sole proprietor means you are personally liable for the business's debts and obligations. Forming an LLC can offer personal liability protection and potential tax benefits. It's advisable to consult with a legal professional to understand the implications and benefits of choosing the right business structure for your online store. Where can I get products for my online store? You can source products for your online store through various channels, including wholesaler suppliers, manufacturers and dropshipping partners. Consider attending trade shows or using online marketplaces to find potential suppliers. You can also explore white-label or private-label options to offer unique products under your brand. How do I start an online store with no money? Starting an online store with no money requires leveraging free resources and platforms. Consider using a free eCommerce platform or a trial version to set up your store. Try dropshipping to avoid upfront inventory costs. Use free marketing strategies such as social media and content marketing to promote your store. Look for opportunities to barter or collaborate with others for services you need. Can you sell online without a business license?  Yes, in some regions you can start as a sole proprietor without a license. However, having a license adds legal protection, credibility and makes it easier to open a business bank account and manage taxes properly. How do I secure my online store and customer data? Use a secure eCommerce platform with SSL certificates to encrypt customer data during checkout. Keep software and plugins updated enable strong passwords and consider two-factor authentication for accounts. Regularly back up your store and monitor for suspicious activity to prevent breaches. Should I keep inventory or use dropshipping? Keeping inventory gives you full control over quality packaging and shipping speed. This can boost customer experience and allow higher profit margins. Dropshipping cuts upfront costs and storage needs but often means lower margins and less control over fulfillment. Pick what works best for your budget storage capacity and how much control you want. What are the most important sections that my online store should have? Essential sections for your online store include: Homepage : An engaging introduction to your store and brand. Product pages : Detailed information and images for each product. Shopping cart and checkout : A seamless and secure purchasing process. About us : Information about your brand’s story and values. Contact page : Easy ways for customers to reach you. FAQs : Answers to common customer questions. Return policy : Clear information on returns and exchanges. How do I price my products for profit? Factor in all costs including production, shipping, platform fees, marketing and taxes, then add a margin that reflects your value and market positioning. Research competitor pricing to make sure your prices are competitive while staying profitable. Adjust prices over time based on sales trends, demand and customer feedback. How do I know which products will sell best? Research market trends, customer reviews and best-seller lists in your niche. Test products with small batches, social media ads or pre-orders to gauge interest before investing heavily. Track performance using analytics to see which products drive the most engagement and sales. Do I need to collect sales tax for online sales? Sales tax rules vary depending on your location and your customers' locations. Many regions require online sellers to collect tax if you have a physical presence or meet certain sales thresholds. Use your eCommerce platform's tools or consult a tax professional to ensure compliance. How do I handle returns and refunds? You need a clear, easy-to-find return policy. It should explain the conditions, timelines and procedures for returns. Offer simple, hassle-free refunds to build trust. But protect yourself with restocking fees or specific conditions for high-value items if needed. Process returns quickly and communicate clearly with customers to maintain satisfaction. Is it profitable to open an online store? Yes, opening an online store can be profitable, but success depends on several factors. Key elements include conducting thorough market research, identifying a profitable niche and effective marketing. Profitability is influenced by product demand, competition, pricing strategy and your ability to manage operating costs. What legal considerations should I be aware of when selling online? First, make sure your business is properly registered and follows all local business laws, including getting the right licenses and permits. You also need to protect intellectual property, respect privacy laws and create clear terms of service for your site. Stay aware of advertising, tax and consumer protection regulations to avoid fines or legal issues.

Ready to share your ideas with the world? Start your blog → Learning how to write a blog post is one of the best ways to share your ideas and expertise. I remember starting out feeling excited and unsure, wondering if anyone would read what I wrote. I quickly learned that strong blog posts need more than inspiration. With the right tools, like a reliable website builder , and a clear plan, it becomes much easier to turn ideas into engaging content. If you’re learning how to start a blog that connects with readers, you’re in the right place. For this guide, I spoke with Sharon Hafuta, SEO blog editor at Wix and an expert in creating blog posts that perform. She shared practical advice on what makes a blog post effective. This step-by-step guide will show you how to write a blog post with confidence, from choosing a topic to publishing. Learn more: How to start a blog Starting a blog should feel exciting and effortless. With the Wix Blog Maker, you get everything you need to create, design and grow your blog from scratch. Explore how you can use Wix’s intuitive tools to share your ideas with the world. TL;DR: How to write a blog post Starting a blog is a bold move—and a smart one. It gives you a platform to share your voice, build credibility and grow your brand. This guide walks you through every step of writing a strong blog post, from developing your idea to hitting “publish.” Along the way, you’ll get expert tips from Wix’s own SEO blog editor to help you write content that truly connects and performs. Whether you're writing your first post or refining your process, this is your blueprint for creating blog content with confidence. Feature of a great blog post Why it matters Strong purpose and idea Keeps your content focused and aligned with what your readers care about Engaging headline Grabs attention and encourages clicks Organized structure Guides readers through your message in a way that’s easy to follow Valuable, original insights Builds authority and keeps your audience coming back Optimized for SEO Increases visibility and drives consistent traffic to your site Learn how to open a website . What is a blog post? What is a blog?  A blog post is like a conversation starter between you and your audience. It’s your chance to share ideas, tell stories or offer helpful tips that spark curiosity and build connections. Whether you’re writing about travel adventures, business know-how or that amazing mac and cheese recipe, every blog post works as a piece of your bigger story. When I first started blogging, I thought a blog post was just words on a page. But over time (and with some trial and error), I learned that it’s so much more. It’s about crafting something that resonates with your readers and keeps them coming back for more.  Sharon Hafuta, the SEO blog editor I mentioned earlier, explained it perfectly when she said, “A blog post isn’t just an article; it’s an entryway into your world, wrapped in value, inspiration and authenticity.” That perspective changed everything for me. A good blog post doesn’t have to be long or overly complicated. It should feel approachable, deliver value and have that personal touch that shows readers there’s a real person behind it. Trust me, once you get the hang of shaping your thoughts into a blog post, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner. This is where your blogging adventure takes off, one post at a time. Dive into our guide on blogging for beginners  to start creating content that resonates today.  Ready to get blogging? Get started with Wix  today. How to write a blog post in 13 steps Writing a great blog post can feel overwhelming at first, but breaking it into smaller steps makes it totally doable. Thankfully, Sharon has outlined her go-to process that simplifies the whole thing. Here’s how you can create a blog post that feels impactful and reader friendly: Brainstorm blog topics Refine your topic with keyword research Define your audience Create an outline Write engaging content Craft a headline that gets clicks Choose a blog template Select a blog domain name Use images to level up your post Implement calls-to-action Optimize for SEO Edit and polish Hit publish and share your work 01. Brainstorm blog topics When writing a blog post, whether you're  guest posting  for someone else or writing for your own blog, you’ll want to cover topics that bring value to your readers and fall in line with their interests, as well as your own. Start by jotting down topics that excite you or align with your goals. “Think about the questions your audience might be asking or blog niche ideas ,” says Sharon. For example, if you’re writing a food blog, take note of seasonal recipes or cooking techniques people are searching for. This step is all about unleashing your creativity without judgment. The more ideas, the better. There are several places you can look to spark new topic ideas: Browse other blogs within your niche with competitor analysis . If you’re starting a food blog , for example, simply Google “food blog” to see what your competitors are writing about. Use AI,  like an AI website builder  or AI writing tools , at your disposal to generate topic ideas. Use Google Trends to find out which topics are trending. Look for current events and recent news stories related to your field. Find out what people enjoy learning about by browsing online courses on Udemy , Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning . Once you find some interesting ideas online, think about the unique ways you can approach those topics. Consider the various ways you can play around with topic ideas to come up with something that isn’t only trendy and relevant, but that’s also original and fresh. You'll also need to consider making sure your blog post is up to date and this will mean including relevant data and statistics related to the topic. Let’s say, for instance, that you want to write about chocolate chip cookies. There are a few different angles you might consider taking here based on your target audience and potential for website traffic : A how-to post that instructs readers how to do something with clearly ordered steps (e.g., “How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch”). A curated list that offers a set of recommendations for your readers (e.g., “The Top Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes”). A tips and advice post that provides expert guidance and resources. (e.g., “Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Extra Gooey”). A definition-based blog post that helps explain the meaning of a term or topic (e.g., “What Are No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies?”). A top trends article that highlights what’s currently popular (e.g., “The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes From This Year”). A personal or business update that lets you unveil something fresh or recently unknown (e.g., “My New Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Revealed”). Sharon also recommends keeping a running list of potential blog topics in a place you can easily access, like a notebook or a digital note app. “When inspiration strikes, capture it!” she emphasizes. This habit will come in handy when you’re ready to write your next post and need a spark to get started. Get brainstorming with these best  blog ideas . 02. Refine your topic with keyword research Part of writing a blog post involves keyword research. This crucial SEO practice is used as a marker to see which terms you can potentially rank high for in certain online searches. Once you’ve chosen a direction for your blog post, and before you get started with the writing process, you’ll need to figure out the chances of its success on search engine result pages—which ultimately means getting more eyes on your content. In order to succeed, conduct keyword research to find the most relevant queries for your topic. You can find keywords for your own articles by using various keyword research tools. If you’re new to blogging, you’ll probably want to start with free tools such as Ubersuggest and Google Keyword Planner . Afterwards, you may want to upgrade to more advanced tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs . While conducting keyword research, keep in mind that the more specific the phrase, the more closely it will match your audience’s intent. On the other hand, broader keywords tend to have higher search volumes—meaning more people are searching for them each month. Think about the benefits of opting for a broader phrase, like “chocolate chip cookies,” over a more precise phrase, like “how to make chocolate chip cookies.” Choosing the right keywords means striking a balance between high search volume and high intent. Once you’ve selected your keywords, you can use them to shape the structure of your content. Google those phrases to find out which articles have successfully targeted those same keywords, and spend some time browsing their content. This will give you inspiration for your own article in terms of what to include and how to structure it. Don't forget to also tap into your own experience as an entrepreneur or writer, when choosing what to write about. “Keyword research sets the foundation for your blog post,” says Sharon. “It’s like a treasure map that leads you to what your audience is searching for. The more intentional you are with this step, the better your chance of connecting with readers and driving meaningful engagement.” 03. Define your audience Now that you know what you’ll be writing about , you need to find out who you’re writing for . Anticipating the kinds of people who will be reading your posts will help you create content that is interesting, engaging, full of relevance and shareable. “Tailoring your content to a specific group makes it more personal and engaging,” Sharon advises. She adds, “Think about their challenges or goals and how your blog post can offer value.” Once you know who you’re talking to, you’ll naturally know the tone, examples and even the right format to use. Of course, your audience largely depends on your type of blog . If you run a baking blog, your website content  will probably be geared towards an audience of people who love baking and are seeking recipe inspiration. Even more specifically, if you run a healthy baking blog, you’ll be writing for people who similarly love baking but who want to make their culinary creations healthier. It’s important to keep these nuances in mind when crafting your content, since your goal is to write articles that resonate strongly with readers. So, how do you figure out your audience in the first place? Start by taking another look at the other blogs in your field. Consider who they seem to be writing for, and the kinds of assumptions they’re making about their readers’ interests and lifestyles. For example, you might find that most of the blogs address a particular gender or age group. Pro tip: Create a reader persona to really hone in on your audience. Think about their age, lifestyle, challenges and goals. Are they busy parents looking for quick recipes? Or maybe they’re health-conscious professionals experimenting in the kitchen. The more specific you get, the easier it is to write content that feels like you’re speaking directly to them. You can also use online forums to find the main questions asked by your audience, or visit Facebook groups to read what topics they like or talk about. This will help you create content that piques their interest, sparks their curiosity and answers their questions. Whether you're  starting a health blog , a fashion blog , travel blog  or something else—defining your audience should come first. 04. Create an organized outline Think of an outline as the backbone of your blog format . It helps you organize your thoughts and ensures a structured flow that’s easy for readers to follow. Break your post into clear sections like an introduction, main points and conclusion. Pro tip: Jot down bullet points under each section to focus your ideas before you start writing. It saves time and keeps you from veering off track. Having a roadmap not only makes writing easier but also results in a more polished post. If it’s a step-by-step guide or a list of tips, start building your outline by listing out all the main points clearly, as in the example below: Outline: How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch 1. Gather your ingredients 2. Mix and knead the dough 3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper 4. Scoop mounds of dough onto baking sheet 5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit Add bulleted notes within your introduction and under each of your subheadings. This will help you formulate your main points. If you find yourself getting stuck, use one of these blog post templates to guide you through the outline process. Dive into our guide on blogging for beginners  to start creating content that resonates today.  05. Write engaging content Turning something you love and know a lot about into blog posts is a great strategy to attract readers: they’ll come for the knowledge, but they’ll stay for your authentic outlook and first-hand experiences. Be yourself,” Sharon encourages. “Authenticity is what turns a good post into a great one.” Now that you’ve outlined your blog post, you can start writing (or, use AI to write your blog posts ). Keep in mind that blog posts, like many other types of writing, typically include three main elements: an introduction, the body text and a conclusion. So, how long should a blog post be?  "Well, it’s not about the exact word count," Sharon says. "The key is creating content that holds your readers’ attention. Start with a strong opening sentence to hook them, and then keep them engaged by weaving in stories, relatable examples or even a bit of humor." She adds, "Don’t stress about sounding perfect. Your readers want your authentic voice, not something robotic. The more genuine you are, the more your readers will connect with you, and the polish will follow naturally." Pro tip:  Keep your paragraphs short, and use headings or bullet points to break up the content. This not only makes it easier to read but also keeps your audience coming back for more. Let’s break down the elements of a great blog post: Start with the introduction. In the first few sentences of your article, you should already grab your readers’ attention. Begin with a relevant quote or statistic, tell a short story or share an interesting fact. Then, set the tone for the article by sharing a brief summary of what you’re going to talk about in the body text. This gives your readers a reason to keep going. Next, fill in the body text. In your outline, these are the bullet points below each subheading. This is the meat of your blog post, so it should be clear and compelling. Avoid fluff and repetition, and instead offer deep value by sharing your knowledge, research and insights. A concluding section isn’t always necessary—in fact, our blog rarely uses one—but it can be useful in the case of storytelling or when wrapping up a very extensive article. You can tie your main points together using a short bulleted list, or by sharing some closing thoughts in a few sentences. No matter the case, you’ll want to end on an engaging note. At this stage you'll also want to consider your writing style, this is usually determined by your blog audience. If you're targeting a professional business crowd, you might want to consider adopting a more formal writing style. If your target audience is home bakers, something more light and fun might be the best style. Within this consider your tone too, blogs, even formal business ones, are meant to open up communication and inspire conversation. Make sure your tone is relevant to your writing style and audience, but also use welcoming and inspiring language where possible. Sharon suggests these important concepts to consider in your content creation process: Viscosity : Essentially the ease with which a reader can understand and flow through a piece of text. It is akin to the "fluidity" of the writing and how smoothly the ideas and information are conveyed to the reader. High viscosity in writing implies that the text is dense, complicated and difficult to read, while low viscosity indicates that the writing is clear, concise and easy to comprehend. Rhythm: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, sentence structures and the flow of words that create a musical or harmonious quality in the text. It's the cadence and beat that give the writing a sense of movement and can make the language more engaging and memorable. Creativity : The ability to express oneself imaginatively and inventively through the written word. It involves using one's unique perspective, original ideas, emotion, pathos and artistic flair to craft compelling stories, poems, essays or any form of written content. Creative writing allows writers to explore their thoughts, emotions and observations in an innovative and expressive manner. Storytelling is a huge part of writing a blog post and shouldn't be neglected. Sentence and clause structure: Fundamental elements of grammar that govern how sentences are constructed in the English language. They determine the arrangement of words (verbs, adjectives), phrases and clauses to convey meaning and ensure clarity in communication. Understanding sentence and clause structure is crucial for effective writing and communication. Learn more: Microblogging Blogosphere What is blog cadence?  06. Craft a headline that gets clicks Your headline is the first impression of your blog post, so make it compelling. Sharon explains, “A strong headline should be specific, pique curiosity and set the right expectations for your content.” For example, instead of “Healthy Snacks,” try “10 Quick and Healthy Snacks You Can Make in Under 5 Minutes.” If you’re unsure about your headline, write a few versions and choose the one that feels the most dynamic. A little effort here goes a long way in drawing in readers. The best blog titles  often balance creativity with clarity, helping readers know exactly what they’ll gain by clicking. Writing a good headline also depends on how well you put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Use the title to promise readers that your blog post will provide valuable insight that will benefit them in some way, whether by satisfying their intellectual curiosity, teaching them something new or helping them solve a problem. This will increase the chances that they’ll click on your article and read it. Just don't go overboard and remember to avoid clickbait, which is writing a hyperbole headline just to get clicks through to an article. Here are some examples of headlines that we are quite proud of, to give you a general idea for your own content: Create a Powerful Free Landing Page in Under an Hour 20 Best Time Management Apps to Organize Your Life How to Design an A+ School Website (With Examples) Make a Change: Using Photography as a Tool to Raise Awareness If you're looking for inspiration to get started, try out this blog post title generator . 07. Choose a blog template The design of your blog is just as important as the content itself. “Your blog’s template should be clean and easy to navigate,” Shar on emphasizes. Whether you’re highlighting gorgeous photography or crafting detailed guides, your blog design  should support—not distract from—your message. Sharon also suggests using a website builder that offers customizable and free blog website templates . “Pick something that fits your style but keeps user experience in mind,” she says. A seamless design can make your content shine. If you’re wondering how much does it cost to start a blog?  Good news, many of the best blogging platforms (like Wix) offer free or low-cost solutions to get you started. Many of these platforms come with a large selection of the best blog templates that are professionally designed, allowing you to effortlessly bring your vision to life. For inspiration, check out these  blog examples  to see how others have transformed these templates into beautiful, content-rich powerhouses. 08. Select a blog domain name Your  domain name  is your blog’s address on the web, so choose something memorable and reflective of your brand or topic. “Keep it short and simple,” Sharon advises. “Names that are easy to spell and pronounce stick with readers.” When it comes to  naming your blog , you can gather ideas from a  blog name generator  and see if the domain name is available. Spend time thinking about how your blog and domain name fit in with the blog post topics you will cover. Make sure that your name reflects your blog’s persona, topic and niche. Pro tip: It’s also a good idea to check if your domain name matches your branding, including your blog logo . Consistency across your blog name, design and logo makes your brand unforgettable. If you're working on a tight budget, look for services that include free website hosting when you purchase a domain name. Many platforms bundle hosting and domain registration together at an affordable price, saving you from juggling multiple providers. Stuck on  how to choose a domain name ? Use a domain name search  tool to see if the exact name you want is available, and if not, try a domain name generator to find the perfect blog domain name.  Learn more: What is a domain? How to register a domain How much does a domain name cost? 09. Use images to level up your post Visuals bring your blog post to life and make it more engaging. Sharon emphasizes that “the right images can help illustrate your points and keep readers scrolling.” Use high-quality photos, graphs or even custom artwork to enhance what you’ve written. Don’t just add visuals for the sake of it, though. Choose ones that feel meaningful and connected to the content. Tools like stock image websites or creating your own graphics can be game-changers in this department. With Wix, you can add a professional photo gallery to individual posts and embed your own pictures within your articles. You can also choose from an array of media content from Wix, Shutterstock and Unsplash directly within your site’s editor. 10. Implement calls-to-action In the same way a blog is meant to inform people about specific topics, it can also be used as an important tool that motivates readers to take a certain action. This includes everything from subscribing to your blog to making a purchase. This element is referred to as CTA, or call-to-action, and is presented as an embedded link or button that states your objective in an alluring manner. Some of the most common call-to-action examples for blogs include “Subscribe,” “Download our e-book” or “Sign up.” Using CTAs can help you transform your website traffic into engagement and, eventually, profit. While your immediate goal is to get more readers, you may eventually want to monetize your blog further down the road. 11. Optimize for SEO Here’s where strategy comes into play. When it comes to SEO for bloggers , a strong blog SEO plan involves optimizing your content both before and after writing the blog post. Not only does this include doing keyword research prior to the outline phase, but it also includes using those keywords to polish your final piece. Optimizing your post for search engines helps it reach a wider audience. Sharon suggests starting with simple steps like incorporating your chosen keywords naturally into the content, headings and meta descriptions. “ Website SEO doesn’t have to be complicated,” she reminds us. “Think of it as making your content easy to find.” This begins with sprinkling relevant keywords throughout your article. Let’s say you’ve chosen to target the keyword “business strategies.” Use this exact phrase in your headline, throughout the body text and one to two subheadings if it’s a natural fit. You’ll also want to add the keywords to the URL of your article, as well as in the alt text of your blog post’s images. Use these SEO features to give your blog an overall performance boost. 12. Edit and polish With so many common blogging mistakes out there, you’ll need to thoroughly check your article for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, repetition and any other unprofessional content. Take the time to edit your post for clarity and accuracy. Proofreading might feel tedious, but it makes a world of difference. Sharon recommends stepping away from your draft for a bit before reviewing it again with fresh eyes. “You’ll spot things you missed the first time around,” she says. Furthermore, make sure your ideas flow coherently throughout each section, signaling a clear and purposeful message to readers. You can read about other essential aspects of blogging in this comprehensive blog post checklist . We recommend even asking a friend or colleague to give your blog article a glance before it goes live. Direct them to look for any discrepancies or ambiguity. It’s also important to emphasize quality over quantity in order to keep your readers interested and to establish your credibility. Then, once you’re happy with your written work, it’s time to hit publish. Pro tip:   Reading your post out loud is another great editing trick. It helps you catch awkward phrasing and ensures your tone sounds natural. 13. Hit publish and share your work This is the moment you’ve been working toward. Once your post is live, don’t forget to share it. “Promotion is key to growing your audience,” Sharon says. “Don’t be shy about telling people what you’ve created.” Every piece of content you share adds to your blogging experience and confidence. Celebrate this step, and get ready to create your  content calendar .  Two of the most effective ways to promote your blog post and get readers are email marketing and social media marketing. Email remains one of the most reliable platforms for marketing, as it allows for a direct communication channel between you and your audience. This highly effective digital marketing strategy involves sending out customized emails to prospective users with the aim of converting them into loyal fans. If you’re interested in getting started, this powerful email marketing service can help you send custom newsletters for your blog. Beyond emails, sharing your article on social media can also go a long way. For example, if you want to accrue a wide audience, promote your blog on Facebook or Instagram, which have one of the largest and most diverse user bases. Whichever channels you choose, make sure to actively engage with followers on a day-to-day basis. This will ensure that you not only write a great blog post, but that you get people reading your article, too. Learn more: Increasing blog traffic Social media marketing Newsletter examples How to structure a blog post checklist Crafting a blog post is part art, part strategy. With this checklist, you’ll have all the tools to create a post that connects with readers and keeps them coming back for more. Here's how we break down blogs here at Wix: Headline: Make it crisp, catchy and totally relevant. Your headline is your blog’s first impression, so don’t shy away from adding keywords to boost SEO while staying clear and compelling. Introduction: This is your chance to hook your readers. Sharon says, “Answer their search intent by outlining your blog’s purpose and spotlighting its main idea right away. Set the tone early, and they’ll stick with you.” Subheadings: Think of these as signposts guiding your readers through your blog. Arrange your content with easy-to-read sections and use subheadings that follow a logical flow. Body: Here’s where you deliver the goods. Writing in a conversational tone, share valuable information backed by examples, stats or credible evidence.  Visuals: A blog post isn’t all words and no color. Add images, infographics or videos that complement your content. Sharon notes, “Well-chosen visuals keep your readers scrolling and learning.” Engagement: Invite your audience to interact. Whether it’s comments, shares or answering a question you pose, interaction keeps the conversation alive. Editing: Before anything goes live, it has to go through a thorough check. “Don’t skip this step,” Sharon advises. Fix grammar, smooth out the style and double-check facts. SEO: Sprinkle relevant keywords naturally throughout the post and make sure you’re still answering what your readers are searching for. It’s a balance between smart optimization and authentic writing. Readability: Stick to clean, consistent formatting with short sentences that are easy on the eyes. Links: A good post shares the love. Include internal links to guide readers to your other posts and external links to boost credibility and expand on your topic. Social sharing: Make it easy for readers to spread the word. Add social sharing buttons and craft shareable snippets of content they'll want to repost. Review: Read through your post once before hitting publish, and again after it’s live to catch anything you may have missed. Using AI tools for blogging AI features are totally changing the game for bloggers, taking some of the weight off your shoulders and speeding up the content creation process. From brainstorming topics to pulling research and creating outlines, these features can save you hours when you’re just getting started.  But here’s the deal, blogging is about so much more than getting it done quickly. Readers don’t just come to you for answers; they’re here for your personality, humor, and insights. Sharon points out, “Your audience con nects with your voice, not a robot’s. AI is amazing for tweaks and suggestions, but only you can bring that human touch to the table.” Think of AI as your trusty sidekick. Sure, it can help polish your text, offer SEO tips or tweak your structure—but the main role? That’s all you. Your stories, perspective, and wit are what keep people coming back. Sharon says, “Blend the efficiency of AI with your unique style, and you’ve got magic.” When you use these tools wisely, they complement your creativity rather than replace it. The result? Posts that are well-researched, optimized and still totally, authentically you. Isn’t that the perfect balance? Get started with the Wix AI website creator . Firsthand insights from a construction business founder with a blog Gita Jacobson, founder of In the Deets , used her website to share her expertise. She created a blog offering tips for anyone considering a renovation and used SEO features to drive traffic to her site. She believes that too many construction sites are stuffed with irrelevant, space-filling text. Every word on the In the Deets website has purpose, whether that’s outlining the company’s construction process or sharing the human story behind the business. Gita also emphasizes that a blog should grow over time. “I'm always looking for ideas and inspiration as I browse the web,” she says. “A website should be an ever-evolving content machine. It's not a one-and-done thing.” For her, creating a blog post isn’t just about writing. It’s about combining clear, helpful content, compelling visuals and regular updates to keep readers engaged. Why trust Wix’s experts? This article was created by Wix’s in-house blogging experts, with years of experience helping people build and grow successful blogs. The tips, templates and examples shared here come directly from real Wix projects, so you can be confident they’ll help you create a blog that looks professional, functions smoothly and supports your long-term goals. At Wix, we’ve guided millions of bloggers, entrepreneurs and creators in sharing their ideas online. Our team keeps up with the latest in content strategy, SEO and design, making sure the advice you get is both practical and backed by proven results. Think of this blog as your trusted resource for every stage of blogging, from publishing your very first post to building a thriving, long-term blog. How to write a blog post FAQ How to write my first blog post? Writing your first blog post can be an exciting but daunting task. To make it easier follow these basic steps - choose a compelling topic, plan out your post, hook readers with a killer introduction, provide meaningful content, hone your conversational style and include visuals where you can. What are 5 easy steps to writing a blog post? 1. Choose a topic. 2. Outline your post. 3. Write your introduction. 4. Expand on each of your points. 5. Summarize and conclude. How to write a blog post with AI? AI can be a valuable asset throughout the content production process, from generating topic ideas to serving as a proofreader. AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard can help brainstorm blog topics, provide research insights, construct outlines and even write drafts. However, it's crucial to review and refine AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, relevance and adherence to your brand voice. Additionally, grammar checkers like Grammarly and ProWritingAid can assist in proofreading, but their suggestions should be considered carefully to avoid altering creative writing styles. How to write a blog post as a beginner? Start with a compelling headline to grab attention. Introduce your topic in the opening paragraph, addressing the reader's pain point or curiosity. Organize your thoughts into clear sections with subheadings. Use concise, engaging language. Include visuals for impact. Conclude with a strong call-to-action or thought-provoking ending. Edit for clarity and brevity. What is a blog post example? A blog post is a piece of content published on a blog that typically provides information, insights, opinions or entertainment on a particular topic. An example of a blog post could be a "How-to Guide" on cooking a specific recipe, a "Listicle" highlighting the top 10 travel destinations or a "Product Review" discussing the pros and cons of a new gadget. What is the format of blog writing? The format of blog writing typically includes the following components: Title Introduction Body Subheadings Images or multimedia Conclusion Author bio What are some tools that can help with writer's block when planning blog posts? There are a number of AI-powered tools that can help with this. You can choose an AI blog assistant, like the one within the Wix editor; or use a tool like ChatGPT for inspiration. You can also use SEO research tools, like Ahrefs to come up with new ideas, or look through community forums and discussions in your niche for new blog post ideas. How do I make sure my blog post resonates with my audience? To make your blog post resonate with your audience, research their interests and pain points. Then format and organize it, so its to easy to read with clear headings and visuals. Using a conversational tone will help.

Business owners, self creators like artists and photographers, entrepreneurs—and everyone in between—all have a single goal when they create a website: to share their ideas, services and products with the world. The way we at Wix see it, this doesn’t just depend on your website’s traffic, but by ensuring everyone who visits can interact with your content. That’s not always the case. You might be surprised to find out that, due to disabilities, 1 billion people around the globe —that's 15% of the world’s population—can’t access most of the internet’s information or services. A percentage like this has to change, and thanks to the evolution of website accessibility, it will. Wix jumped onto this pioneering movement in 2016, setting out to ensure our users are able to create more accessible websites. Wix’s accessibility philosophy Website accessibility is the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent individuals from fully using a website—providing them with the same great user experience available to anyone else. As far as our accessibility team at Wix is concerned, an accessible website is an indicator of a professional website. Our goal is to help each website made with Wix be more usable to people with: Visual disabilities Motor disabilities Hearing disabilities Cognitive disabilities Situational or temporary disabilities While we can’t control the way you design your website, we can certainly help our users improve how accessible their site is overall. And in fact, we think it’s our responsibility to do so. By creating accessible templates , integrating accessibility features into our website builder and providing users with advanced tools like the Accessibility Wizard—we're laying the groundwork for the Wix community. The story of Wix's Accessibility Wizard Our team spent five years advancing accessibility on Wix’s platform as a whole, for example: fixing thousands of bugs, proactively creating accessible products, enhancing support for screen readers and more. Eventually we realized it’s not enough to advance our own product, but that we've got to encourage and support our users to create accessible content, too. Our first attempt to solve this problem was by equipping Wix users with an accessibility checklist , providing them with guidelines for checking their website’s design against basic accessibility requirements . It gave them direction on how to adjust their site’s content, such as enabling visual indicators, improving color contrast, adding headings or choosing the right font. After listening to the feedback of users and accessibility experts (most of whom found the list too heavy and time consuming), we realized this was just a start. That’s why we developed the Accessibility Wizard, a solution which helps our users find and fix accessibility issues on their sites from directly within the Wix Editor, step-by-step. How the Accessibility Wizard works Built into the Wix Editor , the Accessibility Wizard is the most sophisticated component in our multi-layer solution for accessibility. Wix’s accessibility features are designed in accordance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) , the shared global standard of web accessibility. We are also in the process of adapting to WCAG 2.1 and 2.2. The Accessibility Wizard is a tool that will empower you, our community of users, to build more accessible websites by directly involving you in the process. In three steps, the Wizard will identify accessibility problems on your site, explain what they are, and provide actionable solutions. How to make your website accessible In this section, we’ll go over how you can create a website and make it more accessible with the help of the Accessibility Wizard. 01. Open the Accessibility Wizard: Go to the Wix Editor on desktop From the top bar, click Settings Select Accessibility Wizard From the Accessibility Wizard, click Scan My Site to get started Here's a full step-by-step guide on how to use the Accessibility Wizard . 02. Find existing issues with automatic scanning and guidance When first opening the Accessibility Wizard, you’ll be prompted to allow it to scan your site. After scanning, the Wizard will highlight issues on your site that cause accessibility problems, such as: missing alt text, insufficient color contrast of text and icons, or use of the wrong heading structure. It will then show you exactly where these issues are, and guide you step-by-step to fix them within the Wix Editor. 03. Follow the actionable solutions provided by the Wizard Once you’ve completed the stage above, you’ll be presented with a checklist of items to help you further adjust your website. At this point, the Wizard highlights issues it may not detect itself, giving you detailed instructions on what to look out for, and how to improve these elements for accessibility. We recommend going through this section step-by-step, as it's a great opportunity to manually examine your site for complications. After making these fixes, the tool will rescan your site, checking for new problems. Once the Accessibility Wizard sees that your site has no more detectable issues, you’ll be taken to the success screen. 04. Publish your site At this point, you’ll need to publish your site, so all the fixes will update on your live site. It’s important to note that accessibility laws vary from place-to-place. You can make sure your site complies with local accessibility clients by verifying it with an accessibility expert. Pro tip: We recommend running the Wizard anytime you re-edit your site. The reality is that each new change might lead to a new accessibility issue. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 05. Modify your site with advanced accessibility settings To further improve your site's accessibility, the Wix platform is equipped with advanced accessibility features, most of which are automatically activated on your site. You can view and modify these settings directly from the Wizard: Smart focus ring: Visual indicators support keyboard users as they navigate through your website. Smart focus rings automatically appear when keyboards are used. These rings are dual-colored and always visible, regardless of a website’s background color. Skip to Main Content: This setting lets keyboard users skip directly to the main content of each page when enabled. Automatic DOM Order: You can design your website in any order you like with drag and drop elements. Activating the automatic DOM (document object model) feature of your site will arrange these elements to reflect the visual order you defined, ensuring that visitors who rely on keyboard or screen readers can navigate your website with ease. Advanced Dev Tools: For advanced users, adding aria attributes to different site elements, can enhance the user experience for people who use assistive technology such as screen readers. You can also add custom attributes to apps and components you build on your own using Velo by Wix . Why is making an accessible Wix website important? It’s in our power to design a website that’s all embracing, and making the internet a place of inclusion is a responsibility that benefits website visitors and owners alike. Whether you make an online store , run a business website or manage your online portfolio —an accessible site will strengthen your brand, improve performance, and minimize legitimate legal risks. Extend your market reach The efforts to improve your site’s accessibility and those used for SEO (search engine optimization) are not mutually exclusive. Many of the web accessibility features implemented into our web designs (such as alt text and heading tags ) will boost your site’s performance in Google’s search results. Being inclusive means your audience and customer base will grow, too. Many shoppers with disabilities have moved online, creating a market with a spending power of over $6 trillion. This means it’s critical for businesses with an online presence to provide equal access to potential customers. You can understand the needs of your specific users by creating user personas that provide informative insights. Cultivate positive brand perception Paying attention to accessibility will shed a positive light on your brand’s image, and improve user experience and satisfaction. A website and brand that makes diversity part of its mission is key to fostering positive customer relationships and brand loyalty. Plus, it will prove to visitors that you value social change and inclusivity. Be a part of the drive for innovation Accessibility tools, features and products solve unanticipated problems that benefit all site visitors. This includes full keyboard functionality, smart focus rings, formatting content for screen readers and more. At Wix we aim to set the industry standard for web accessibility, inspiring web creators, designers, developers—and even our competitors—to push forward with innovative solutions so everyone can fully experience and interact with the web. ​​It’s the law (in many places) In our case for accessibility, we’ve also got the law to think about. Numerous countries have laws mandating digital accessibility and enact fines for websites that fail to comply. These regulations are constantly evolving and vary from region to region. One notable example is Domino's Pizza, who was sued in 2016 by Guillermo Robles, a blind man who was unable to order pizza using his screen-reading software (violating the Americans with Disabilities Act). After a petition by the company, who claimed there were no set rules for applying the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to the digital world, the U.S. Supreme Court pushed the case forward to district court—in a significant move for disability advocates. The future of website accessibility at Wix Wix is committed to making the web a better place for everyone. These are just some of the ways our dedicated accessibility team has worked to improve our products for our users, and visitors to their sites. We are enthusiastic about this global initiative, and hope our community of users are, too. If you know ways to improve our accessibility tools, or have a feature that you’d like to see, we encourage you to reach out at: accessibility@wix.com.

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain → Before the Internet took over, a top restaurant thrived on word of mouth. Today, with online searches shaping dining decisions, having a quality restaurant website  is key to keeping your business booming. Your restaurant's website is its digital face, essential for boosting visibility and attracting more customers.  Whether you're starting a business  in the restaurant world or have been in the business for a while, learning how to create restaurant website  is essential. You might be wondering how much does a restaurant website cost. This article breaks down all the key factors to consider when setting a budget for your website design . Ready to create your restaurant website? Get started for free with the Wix website builder  today. How much does a restaurant website cost? If you are creating a website on your own, basic restaurant websites  can cost as little as $16 per month. However, if you're exploring how to create a website with advanced features or need professional assistance from photographers, copywriters, or designers, costs can exceed $10,000. Let's examine the variables that can impact the cost of building a restaurant website. 10 Restaurant website costs The cost of a restaurant website can vary greatly depending on the features and services you choose for your website. It's like ordering from a restaurant menu—there are different dishes with various prices, and you have the freedom to pick and choose according to your business plan  budget and preference. Every restaurant website is unique, and the services included in web design and development for your restaurant depend on your needs, goals and preferences.  Here’s a detailed breakdown of some considerations that can influence restaurant website costs. Included in each section, we've outlined the average cost ranges to help you estimate expenses. Domain name Web hosting Website security Website builder Logo and branding eCommerce integrations SEO tools Email marketing tools Social media tools Maintenance and updates 01. Domain name Average cost range: $0-$1,000+ per year Think of your domain name  as the address of your restaurant website. It's what people will type in their browsers to find you, like " www.myrestaurant.com ." If you need inspiration, a domain name generator  can help you think of creative ideas. Use a domain name search  to check availability and purchase one from a registrar like Wix. Costs can vary based on the domain extension ( .com , .net , .org), length of registration (yearly or multi-year), website privacy  protection plan and whether it's a new or previously owned domain. Tip: Wix paid plan includes a free domain for the first year, so no need to worry about upfront domain name costs. 02. Web hosting Average cost range: $0-$250 per month Website hosting ensures your restaurant website is accessible to hungry diners anytime, anywhere. Whether they're checking out your menu pricing or making reservations, reliable hosting keeps your digital doors open for business. The cost of a hosting website  varies based on the provider, package and level of service. Some providers, like Wix, include free website hosting  as part of their website builder package. Pick a provider that caters to your restaurant's needs, offering the right features to enhance customer experience and keep your site running smoothly. 03. Website security Average cost range: $0-$200+ per year Ensuring the security of your restaurant website is like securing your restaurant's front door—a must, especially if you'll be taking orders and accepting online payments . Some providers offer basic website security measures at affordable prices, while others may charge more for advanced protection against potential cyberattacks. Being proactive in protecting your restaurant website can ultimately save you money and avoid the cost of dealing with a security breach. Tip: With Wix, website security  is already included when you create a restaurant website. Enjoy 24/7 monitoring to spot vulnerabilities and safeguard your info and visitors. 04. Website builder Average cost range: $0-$70+ A drag and drop website builder  is a software platform that lets you create and manage your restaurant website even without technical knowledge. Wix's templates are ready-made layouts that help shape your site's look and feel without the need to code every detail from scratch. Templates can be handy for nailing down your brand's visual identity while effectively organizing your site's content. Using an AI website maker  can further enhance the website building experience with the help of Wix’s unique, chat-based AI experience. Check out these totally customizable and free  restaurant website templates  to help you get started.   05. Logo and branding Average cost range: $0-$10,000+ one time fee Your restaurant's logo and branding are essential for creating a recognizable and memorable brand. Your brand identity should be cohesive throughout all of your marketing channels, including your restaurant website, social media and print materials. Depending on the complexity of your brand design, creating a memorable logo can range in cost. Consider using a restaurant logo maker  tool to achieve the perfect branding look for your restaurant website atmosphere. Learn more: How to make a restaurant logo easily 06. eCommerce integrations Average cost range: $0-$100+ per month If your restaurant offers online ordering or reservations, you'll need to integrate restaurant and eCommerce functionality into your restaurant website. This service allows guests to make transactions directly on your site, making it convenient and efficient for both parties. Consider using apps from the Wix App Marketplace , such as DoorDash Drive for delivery with a flat fee rate, or apps for building a birthday and loyalty club to grow sales and customer lists. The cost of these features can vary depending on the provider and what type of tools you need. Tip: Wix Restaurants is made up of 3 apps—Menus, Orders and Table Reservations—and additional integrations to help you best run your restaurant. Choose a restaurant template or add Wix Restaurants to another site by adding the Wix Restaurants Orders app . 07. SEO tools Average cost range: $0-$100+ per month If you want to rank high in Google searches, so potential diners can find your restaurant's website easily, you need a search engine optimized (SEO) website. Utilize a variety of SEO tools—both free and paid, to pinpoint the best keywords, generate fresh content ideas and understand your target market  better. Wix SEO  provides a comprehensive set of tools to manage your restaurant's SEO strategy. Other tools like Ahrefs, Semrush and Keyword Everywhere can assist in finding relevant keywords for your restaurant's content. Consider starting a blog  to boost your online presence and help with the SEO efforts. 08. Email marketing tools Average cost range: $0-$100+ per month Restaurant email marketing is a powerful tool for restaurants to keep in touch with customers and promote their latest deals, menu items and cocktail trends. By utilizing email marketing tools , you can easily create professional-looking newsletters and send them to targeted lists. The cost to your restaurant website budget can range depending on the number of subscribers you have and the frequency of emails you send. 09. Social media tools Average cost range: $0-$100+ per month Social media is vital for restaurants to market themselves, helping you reach new patrons and showcase your brand. By using restaurant social media marketing tools, you can streamline your online presence by scheduling posts, analyzing data and managing multiple accounts all in one spot. The cost of these tools will depend on the scale of your social media efforts. Look for tools that not only schedule content but also monitor conversations online and analyze your data effectively. 10. Maintenance and updates Average cost range: $50-$200+ per month Once your restaurant website is up and running, it's important to regularly maintain and update it. This can include adding new menu items, updating business hours or even refreshing the design. While you can choose to handle these tasks yourself, hiring a professional web developer can save you time and ensure that your site is always functioning properly. Consider setting aside a budget for regular maintenance and updates to keep your website running smoothly. Advantages of having a restaurant website A restaurant website provides a platform for your customers to learn more about your brand, explore menu options, make reservations or place orders at their convenience. Aside from these basic features, here are some additional advantages of having a business website : Enhanced online visibility: With a restaurant website, potential diners can easily discover your establishment via search engines using keywords related to your cuisine and location. Professional image boost:  A well-designed, informative website enhances a restaurant's professionalism, building credibility and customer retention. It's ideal for presenting a cohesive brand image, incorporating the restaurant logo, branding colors and overall aesthetic. Standing out in competition: In a competitive market, a restaurant website helps your business differentiate itself and compete effectively. Today's consumers expect businesses to have websites, making them more inclined to choose a restaurant that has one. Cost-effective marketing: A website is a good way to promote your restaurant compared to traditional marketing strategies , reaching a broader audience. Additionally, a restaurant website is the perfect platform to showcase essential information like the online menu, operating hours, contact details, the head chef and positive customer reviews. Insightful analytics:  By leveraging analytics tools, you can gain valuable insights into your Wix website performance  and user behavior, empowering you to make informed decisions for your business. Using a website builder vs. professional services When it comes to creating a restaurant website, you have two primary options: you can opt to hire a professional web developer who can tailor the website to your specific needs or utilize a website builder that can offer a more cost-effective solution that allows for easier updates and maintenance. Both routes have their distinct advantages and cost considerations to weigh before making a decision on how to best represent your restaurant online. Hiring a web developer Average cost range: $500-$10,000+ one-time fee If you have specific design ideas in mind for your restaurant website and want to ensure complete customization and control over every aspect, hiring a website designer  may be the best option for you. A professional web developer can bring your vision to life and incorporate any advanced features or integrations that you require. However, this option can add to how much does a website cost and ongoing maintenance costs may also apply. Using a website builder Average cost range: $0-$70+ per month A website builder is a user-friendly, cost-effective alternative to hiring a web developer. With drag-and-drop tools and pre-designed templates, you can easily create your website without any prior coding knowledge. Additionally, many website builders provide SEO tools and integrations to build an eCommerce site , making it a one-stop-shop for all your website needs. Read more for your restaurant business How to start a restaurant business How to create a restaurant business plan 33 restaurant business ideas: Your 2024 guide The story behind the rise of Modern Bread & Bagel and the restaurant website that fueled its growth How much does a restaurant website cost FAQ I already have regular customers and business is going well. Do I still need a website? Having a website can still benefit your restaurant. A website provides a platform for new diners to discover your restaurant and learn more about it, potentially bringing in more business. It also allows for easier communication with current customers, making it convenient for them to access menu options, make reservations or place orders.  My restaurant has multiple locations. Can we list them all on one website? Yes, you can list multiple locations on one website through the use of interactive maps or individual pages for each location. This is beneficial for users who may be searching for a specific location or want to see all available options in one place. It also helps with search engine optimization (SEO) and increases online visibility for your restaurant. Is a restaurant website necessary even with a Facebook page? Having a Facebook page can be beneficial for reaching and engaging with customers, but having a website provides additional benefits. A website allows for more control over your online presence and branding, as well as providing a platform for showcasing essential information like menus, operating hours and contact details. It also allows you to reach those who may not use social media or prefer to search for businesses through search engines. Having both a Facebook page and a website can complement each other and help your restaurant reach a wider target audience . Can I add new features to my restaurant website after it’s been developed? This depends on the chosen option for building your website. If you used a website builder, you can easily add new features through their platform. However, if you hired a web developer who created a fully customized website, adding new features may require additional coding and incur extra costs. It is important to discuss this with your web developer beforehand and plan for any future changes or updates you may want for your website.  Having a clear understanding of the capabilities and limitations of your restaurant website can help you make informed decisions about its development and ongoing maintenance. How long does it take to develop a restaurant website? The time it takes to develop a restaurant website can vary depending on the complexity and features required. For example, a basic website built with a website builder may only take a few days, while a fully customized website may take several weeks or even months to complete. It is essential to discuss your timeline expectations with your web developer and factor in additional time for testing and revisions before the website is launched. Market research  and proper communication between you and your web developer can help ensure that the website is developed efficiently and meets your expectations. Does a restaurant website need to be mobile friendly? Yes, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial for any business in today’s digital age. With more and more people using their smartphones to search for and access information online, having a website that is optimized for mobile devices can greatly improve user experience and increase the chances of converting visitors into customers. It also boosts SEO rankings and helps your restaurant stay competitive in an increasingly digital market.

Social media marketing allows you to build an organic presence and communicate with your audience differently than traditional online advertising. While ads can sometimes turn off a consumer from a brand, organic social allows meaningful interaction through relevant conversations, thought leadership and educational content. Global internet users spend an average of two hours and 27 minutes per day on social media. This number is growing as new social channels such as TikTok increase in popularity. And as more consumers spend time online consuming content, brands and businesses can increase their reach and interactions to get in front of those users. Additionally, you can use social media marketing as a free way to drive traffic after you create a website and further nurture leads. Let’s dive into how to develop a strong social media marketing strategy that elevates your brand and drives growth can become an integral part of your digital marketing efforts. Social media marketing In this guide we will cover the following: What is social media marketing? Benefits of social media marketing Social media marketing platforms How to create a social media marketing strategy Analyzing and measuring results Social media marketing resources Start building your online presence with Wix . What is social media marketing? Social media marketing is a type of marketing that uses social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for branding and promoting products or services. Social media marketing can help achieve different objectives and target specific audiences, depending on the social platform. Benefits of social media marketing 77% of U.S. small businesses use social media for sales, marketing and customer service. The benefits of this marketing strategy are vast, from branding and lead generation, to customer support and sales. Social media marketing should be a core content outlet for any business. Today, users expect companies to be present on social media and even offer customer service on those channels, reports McKinsey. “Poor service is no longer resolved in private through traditional call centers and email channels but laid bare on social media with far-reaching reputational consequences—and opportunities—for companies,” explains Avinash Chandra Das, an associate partner at McKinsey. Here are other benefits of social media marketing to consider as you begin implementing your strategy. Increase trustworthiness Today, having a web presence produces trust for both businesses and individuals. You should use social media in conjunction with your business website to establish a credible online presence. Rafael Tercarolli, principal at Hootsuite, explains , “The content you put out on your handles says a lot about your brand and sets the tone for further interaction.” By posting anything from user-generated content (UGC) to behind-the-scenes footage of your company, your audience will better understand what you stand for. It is much easier to achieve social proof with a strong following and quality content. If you get a verified blue badge on your accounts, you can build trust even more quickly. Boost brand awareness Building trust, fostering relationships and proving authority all lead to elevating your brand in the social media world. If you have an excellent social media marketing strategy in place, your brand will likely be better perceived and even known or discovered by new audiences. In fact, 83% of people surveyed say Instagram helps them discover new products or services. To continually work on your social media branding, you should also aim to post content that goes beyond self-promotion. While you can announce the occasional sale or product launch, the majority of your content should focus on sharing industry news, giving shout-outs to customers and unique tips and tricks. Learn more: Small business marketing , What is Brat? Drive leads and conversions With social commerce’s rise, many small business owners now sell products through social media, either directly or indirectly. According to the LinkedIn Social Selling Index, "78% of social sellers make more sales than their counterparts who aren't using social media." Looking ahead, social selling is predicted to increase as web3 and the Metaverse change how brands drive new business. Tips on how to drive more sales on social: Drive traffic to your website by adding a link in your bio ( Hopp by Wix is a great tool that helps create fast-loading bio pages with ease. It is highly customizable, its unique search feature ensures that your followers can access your links quickly.) Host live videos, such as YouTube Live Run contests Open an Instagram Shop with shoppable posts (if you sell a physical product). This is one of the most common ways to make money on Instagram . Use user-generated content Work with influencers - look into influencer marketing as a tactic in its own right Regularly perform a social media audit to make sure your strategy is on-point Promote your business on LinkedIn with a LinkedIn company page and content Social media marketing drawbacks As a digital marketing strategy, social media marketing is incredibly impactful. However as with any marketing strategy, it can have its limitations and drawbacks. Some of the main ones include: Potential limited organic reach , something that is controlled by the platform, and often means users have to use paid promotion to really see impact. Algorithm changes, which on some platforms can happen quite regularly and without warning. One of these changes can mean what worked before no longer does, and you entire social media marketing strategy needs to be pivoted. Saturation, of both ads and contents. Everyone is trying to stand out on social media, everyone is creating realms of content - standing out amongst all of this, is not easy. Time and resources it takes to manage social media accounts. For social media to work for a business the account needs to be well managed, and the data tracked. Content needs to be created, schedule and published regularly. Comments, shares and engagements need to be tracked. Negative exposure can be a huge issue on social media. As public platforms, users can leave comments about a brand that may not always be positive. These need to be handled quickly in order to prevent negative connotations around a business. You'll need to get on top of your buzz monitoring , social listening and online reputation management to tackle any negative engagement and comments. Privacy issues are a real concern, as social media platforms and businesses are able to collect a large amount of user data, all of which can be at risk during a security breach. Learn more: Website vs social media Social media marketing platforms Below are the most popular channels to consider building your social media presence , ranked by number of users. Guided by audience insights and real Wix user examples, you can best decide which platforms to focus on first. Facebook Users: 2.91 billion Audience demographic: Millennials aged 35-44 . This audience might not be as tech-savvy as those on newer platforms, which is important to keep in mind when writing the content for the posts. On Facebook, it's good to focus on top-of-funnel professional and educational content. Business example: Through Jimmy's Eyes celebrates Pride by tagging products from their shop to show support and display the artist’s craft. Tip: Use Facebook Ads by Wix to generate leads and traffic to your site and have a look at our roundup of the best Facebook ad examples for inspiration. YouTube Users : 2.56 billion Audience demographic: Males aged 25-34 are YouTube's biggest advertising audience. This video based platform allows you to create video playlists and upload videos about your business. You can livestream events and upload customer testimonials and tutorials to help users learn to use your product better. Business example: Ste Bradbury Design takes the educational route on YouTube and creates helpful design tutorials that create authority and trust from his audience. A fan even commented on the video below, “What I like most about this tutorial: 1: Fast explaining. 2: Effective Steps. 3: straight to the point. Keep it up man.” This is a strong sign of social media engagement, something any business should strive for. Here's more on how to start a successful YouTube channel for your business Instagram Users: 1.48 billion Audience demographic: 71% of IG users are below 35 years old. Visuals play a major role on the platform, so keep this in mind when you choose to post. You should pay attention to your feed and how images look on the grid. The platform has tools such as Reels, Stories, photo posts, live-streaming and more. Note that you can use a link shortener to add a link to a story that directs to your landing page or website, as regular posts do not have a clickable link option. Business example: Zelie for She , who is revolutionizing the plus size fashion industry, created an engaging Instagram marketing Reel showing her clothing line to a trending tune. This is also a good strategy because other people can see it when searching for the tune, similar to a hashtag. Also, because she is wearing the product herself (instead of hiring famous models) and uses a DIY-feeling production, it comes across as more relatable and that she is "showing" and not "selling.” TikTok Users: 1 billion Audience demographic: Roughly 43% of TikTok's global audience is between 18 and 24 years old , which is great for targeting Gen Z consumers. This platform uses short format videos and is great for reposting UGC, behind-the-scenes footage, and educational content. Entertainment is the most popular category on TikTok by hashtag views, so feel free to also show your business's humorous side on the platform. The primary audience consuming content on the platform finds it very important to show your brand values and build trust, so create videos to help achieve that. Business example: Wix uses TikTok for business content to engage with its audiences by sharing tips and insights about topics related to its products. To help users to understand logo color psychology, Wix created this educational and playful TikTok that also introduces the Logo Maker tool while defining the meaning of popular colors. LinkedIn Users : 830 million Audience demographic: The overall audience on LinkedIn is a professional one and is geared towards business owners. It is most popular with users 46-55 years old , as many people later in their careers with more experience use the platform. As a social media marketing channel, it is very good for B2B marketing . LinkedIn is still more text-based than other platforms, so posting things like company news, quotes and engaging debates can be an excellent way to start. Thought leadership content is also a great fit for this channel. Business example: Wix's dropshipping partner, Printful , showed its brand authenticity on LinkedIn by sharing employee photos with an anecdote about the importance of working from abroad. This strategy effectively puts a face behind the business and shows its company values. Snapchat Users: 557 million Audience demographic: 39% of Snapchat's advertising audience is between the ages of 18 and 24 . This platform is the precursor to Instagram Stories. While commonly used for connecting with friends, Snapchat designed a way to let users engage with brands using the Discover section. Like TikTok, this platform is about being authentic and not picture-perfect. Unlike TikTok that is video-based only, Snapchat is also a photo and video messaging app. Business example: E.l.f. Cosmetics reached millennials and Gen Z Snapchat users by producing an eye level campaign that speaks to its audience, “be extra without paying extra.” Pinterest Users: 444 million Audience demographic: According to Statista, 38% of Pinterest users are between the ages of 50 and 64. Although the platform is historically popular among Millennials, the demographics of Pinterest are shifting towards an older audience. Great for visuals and inspiration, Pinterest marketing can help you reach many DIY creators, and B2C (business to consumer) users looking for fashion, decor and other forms of guidance and tips. Business example: Culinary nutrition consultant Mikaela Reuben pins many of her recipes to Pinterest, such as this post on how to shred kale . By showing her expertise in an engaging manner, it's likely more people will repin, leading more people to discover her nutrition services. Twitter Users: 436 million Audience demographic: Pew Research Center explains a minority of Twitter users produce the vast majority of tweets. Among U.S. adults who use Twitter, the top 25% of users by tweet volume produce 97% of all tweets, while the bottom 75% of users produce just 3%, according to an analysis conducted over a three-month period in 2021. The general voice is casual, eye-level, not condescending, yet sophisticated, professional, and sharp. Content is mainly around SMB, marketing, blogging, branding, and entrepreneurship. Tweets are 280 characters long, so you must stay short and to the point. Here are more tips on how to use Twitter . Twitter marketing is centered around relevancy, so trendjacking (using trending topics, events or memes to connect with your audience) can be a very useful strategy on the platform. Business example: Izzy Wheels tweeted about a new partnership with Disney, incorporating a high-quality image (learn more about social media image sizes ) that shows the collaboration of their brands. They even pinned the tweet to the top, helping make it visible to everyone landing on their feed in the hopes of gaining more traction. How do social media algorithms work The way in which social media algorithms work is complicated, and something the platforms keep a well guarded secret. There are also differences between how algorithms work on different platforms—Instagram and LinkedIn's algorithm follow similar principles but would also have key differences in how they collect and process information to run. In the world of social media algorithms there are two main types: passive and aggressive. The aim of each is to influence which content a user see. Passive algorithms work based on a user's past activity and engagement history on a specific social platform. They determine which content to show a user based on the types of content they have engaged with in the past, the accounts they choose to follow, and the amount of time they spend on the platform and when. Active algorithms however rely on user input to decide which content to show them. If a user likes a post, or shares it, this indicates that they liked the content and should be shown more like this. Most social media platforms use a combination of both types of algorithms to display content to users and to refine what they see. How to create a social media marketing strategy Now that we’ve covered the value of using social media for your business and an overview of the most popular channels, now it’s time to strategize how to use them most effectively. Here are the 5 ways to create a social media strategy: Research and understand your audience Choose which social platforms you’ll focus on Determine your KPIs Create relevant, original, engaging content Use a social media content calendar and scheduler 01. Research and understand your audience You can have the perfect social media campaign, but if it's not getting in front of the correct audience, it will simply get no social media engagement. One of the first steps to a good social media strategy is understanding where your audience spends time on social media and which content they enjoy consuming. This ensures your message will best resonate and your post will succeed. You need to align your content, voice and strategy to both the platform and your audience on that platform. By seeing what your audience truly needs and cares about, your brand and product offerings will be much more enticing. Marketing guru Seth Godin says , “Don’t find customers for your product. Find products for your customers.” Use this advice when aligning your services with different social audiences. How to research your audience on social media: Create personas to identify unique segments Check relevant hashtags and see who is using them Look at competitor accounts, followers and tags See which other accounts or interests your target audience follows Research trending sounds and topics in your niche 02. Choose which social platforms you’ll focus on Refer to the social media platforms we examined earlier and identify where your audience is most active. To start building your social media presence, experiment with several channels and then double down on the ones that work best for you. Also, remember to use different channels to reach different audiences with unique content. For example, when Wix promotes its blog posts on social media, it chooses some articles for LinkedIn and others for Instagram to meet the audience’s interests and goals. An article about business growth makes a strong fit for LinkedIn, where users constantly are looking for ways to improve in the business world. When posting on Instagram, where many of Wix’s followers and designers, Wix shares articles such as web design trends to keep its audience informed and up to date. 03. Determine your KPIs "We don't have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it?" says Erik Qualman, marketing author. So how do we know if we do social media well? The answer is metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators). Without defining what success is and which key performance metrics you'll measure, it will be hard for you to benchmark your growth and impact. Every good social media marketing strategy should keep in mind the commonly-used metrics to measure the effectiveness of social: Clicks : How many people clicked on the post Reach/Impressions: How many people saw the content Engagement : What percent of people who saw the post interacted with it Comments : How many people left a comment. How many comments were quality comments? Saves : How many saved the post to review it again later Shares/reposts : How many felt inclined to share or retweet Followers: How many people followed your account (see how to grow social media followers ) Video views: How many watched your video Profile visits : How any people visited your profile after seeing your content in their feed Mentions/tags: How many people mention or tag you in their posts Choose which of these are most important to you and your goals. If your primary goal is to get traffic to your website, then link clicks can be your main KPI. If you hope to elevate your brand perception on social, then quality comments and shares can be a better metric to measure success. 04. Create relevant, original, engaging content Good content is king on social media. Try to create content that is tailored to your audience's needs, questions and desires—while staying aligned with your brand identity and values. One promising approach is to focus on a post to educate, entertain or inspire. If it can do one or all of these three, chances are that your content can be valuable to your audience. Wix user Carmen Christine made a TikTok video that explains to people what her business does (creates unique headbands). She uses her own point of view and then layers on user-generated content of satisfied customers. This is a simple way to showcase your product but add an inspirational element to the story. Use these social media marketing content ideas for inspiration (mentioned in full with examples in the linked article): Share your blog posts and other great content Develop how-tos, tutorials, and tips Announce big company news Publish industry headlines Show off data with infographics Create engaging videos (check out Video Maker tools to help you) Take advantage of trending topics Leverage user-generated content Show your personality with memes and GIFs Post an interesting quote Conduct an interview Let your audience meet your employees Put a spotlight on your customers Give your customers a look behind the scenes Create previews of upcoming offerings Do an unboxing video for your product Run contests and giveaways Host and promote your live events Team up with another brand Share influencer content 05. Use a social media content calendar and scheduler To help keep your posting on track and organized, use a calendar to plan out your content for the month. The Wix Social Media Graphics Tool has a scheduler built-in or you can sign up for external companies that help make this process easy. Learn more: How to design social media graphics . According to Marissa Nicole Brower , social media manager at Wix: "The frequency of posting on social media can vary based on platform and your audience's preferences, but it's essential to maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them." Analyzing and measuring results We highly recommend you regularly review your social media performance to look for meaningful shifts, trends and audience insights. Revisit the KPIs determined in step 3 of your strategy and see how you're stacking up against your ideal goals. You can use a combination of your website analytics and social media analytics for results. If you feel you are not at the performance level you’re hoping for, try testing different types of content and re-visiting competitor sites. Another idea is to do a focus group to ask people in your target audience what they enjoy consuming on social media. The future of social media marketing Social media platforms and how they are used both by users and for marketing purposes change fast. An effective social media marketing strategy understands this and is able to adapt to these changes as they happen. While no one can predict the exact future of social media marketing, here are a few potential developments to keep your eye on: The use of AI for all aspects of social media marketing - content creation, scheduling, and understanding how users consume and search for content. Increased emphasis on transparency around how users data is collected and used, and potential new curbs on this. More and more video content, specifically short form. The continued growth of social commerce, and greater integrations between social media and eCommerce platforms to sell. The potential rise of new social media platforms to target users on. Social media marketing resources Social media is changing every day. New formats, trends and tools surface regularly and to be a true social strategy expert, it’s good to continue learning and staying up to date. Here are some ways and resources to do that: YouTube: Simply search for social media marketing tutorials or webinar Earn a digital marketing certificate: See examples below Digital Marketing Nanodegree with Udacity Hootsuite Academy Marketing Leadership with Twitter Flight School Social Media Marketing on LinkedIn Learning Social Media Certification with Boot Camp Digital Blueprint Certification with Facebook Social media marketing books: See examples below The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Content Marketing, Podcasting, Social Media, AI, Live Video, and Newsjacking to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott Crushing It: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence – And How You Can, To o by Gary Vaynerchuk Social Media Strategy: Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations in the Consumer Revolution by Keith Quesenberry Social media marketing podcasts: See examples below The GaryVee Audio Experience Social Pros Podcast Savvy Social Podcast

When it comes to planning how to make a website , knowing which type of website works best for you, and specifically for the functionality of your site may affect how you choose to build it. Most websites can be defined as static vs dynamic websites, with increasing numbers being termed hybrids—meaning they are made up of a mixture of static and dynamic web pages. In the context of website creation , static and dynamic refers to the ways in which websites deliver and display content. The key difference between static websites vs dynamic websites is that static websites have stable content, where every user sees the exact same thing on each individual page (like a privacy policy ), whereas dynamic websites pull content on the fly, allowing its content to change with the user. In this article, we’re going to make sense of the whole static vs. dynamic debate. In the process, we’ll review important factors to consider when deciding which one is right for you: What is a static website? What is a dynamic website? The main differences between a static and dynamic website A hybrid approach: combining static and dynamic When to choose a static, dynamic or hybrid website Building a hybrid site with Wix Static vs. dynamic websites FAQ Static vs. dynamic websites The underlying mechanisms and capabilities of static and dynamic websites differ significantly, impacting factors such as interactivity, customization, scalability and maintenance requirements. Static websites consist of fixed content stored on the server and delivered to the user without any server-side processing. These websites are simple and easy to host but lack interactivity and require manual updates. Dynamic websites, on the other hand, generate content on the fly using server-side processing and databases. They offer interactivity, personalized content and dynamic features but are more complex to develop and maintain. What is a static website? A static website is made up of web pages created using HTML , CSS and Javascript (all examples of web development languages). Each page on a static website is stored as a single HTML file, which is delivered directly from the server to the web page exactly as is. This content essentially becomes a part of the design on your page, and won’t change unless the original HTML file is edited at a code level. Changes to a static website can be done manually, and will only be made page by page, HTML file by HTML file. For example, edits made to the HTML file of a homepage will only be reflected on the homepage. This is true even for elements that are identical across the whole site, such as the footer. If you’re using a website builder, changes to static pages will be made automatically every time you use the website editor. One of the most characteristic aspects of a static site is that every user receives and views the exact same content. Because of this, static websites work best for sites with fewer pages that don’t require frequent updates or changes. A good candidate for a static site is a resume website . This is a type of site with set content for each page and doesn't require many changes to individual pages, or real-time updates based on user behavior. Other examples of common static website types include personal websites , nonprofit websites and purely informative websites (good examples of these include one-page or landing page sites ). Advantages of a static website Static sites are back—well, in some situations—and we’re going to go over several main reasons for this comeback. Faster page loading speed The makeup of a static page prioritizes load speed, resulting in a better browsing experience. Because the content on this type of site is pre-written and delivered directly from the server, caching is easier and the content is less likely to load with delays or UX issues, such as broken images. In general, static websites require less server power, and with no database or client-server infrastructure to run through, they’re naturally faster. Since page load speed is a key part of the way Google assesses a website's performance (and it seems to be having a more significant impact on SEO and ranking performance , too) this ability should not be underestimated. Quick creation When you are thinking about how long it takes to build a website and time is an issue, a static website is easier to get live quicker. Static websites are faster to create and publish since they are less complex and don’t need to be connected to databases of organized content. This is even more true if built on a WYSIWYG platform. All that limits the time to go live with a static site is how creative you want to be with each page design. This doesn’t mean making a dynamic alternative will be a slow process, but static pages tend to be simpler and consequently faster to deploy. Lower hosting costs Static websites can be incredibly wallet-friendly when it comes to hosting fees. Because they don’t rely on databases or heavyweight backend processes, they require fewer server resources. This often translates to using lower-cost hosting plans or even free hosting solutions, depending on the scale of your site. When paired with a Content Delivery Network (CDN), static websites enjoy faster global load speeds without driving up costs. This combination is especially appealing for small businesses or creators working with a limited budget while still aiming for a reliable and high-performing web presence. Potential for enhanced security In theory, static website pages are potentially more difficult to hack. This is because there are fewer points to attack them from. We’ll explain: Static pages don’t connect with a database or use external extensions and plugins—all of which can be common entry points for attacks. In comparison, dynamic sites are not inherently unsafe, but potential attackers theoretically pose less risk with a static website. How relevant this is depends entirely on how you choose to build your site. For example, a webpage or website created on a website builder like Wix is protected by a host of protective measures whether it’s static or dynamic. From DDoS protection and SQL certificates to extra layers of website security provided by TLS 1.2, you won’t need to worry about security. Learn more: Small business website statistics Disadvantages of a static website Having been through the benefits of a static site, we are now going to cover some of the disadvantages below. Limited scalability One of the largest disadvantages of a static website only comes into play with larger, content-heavy designs. While it’s possible to build hundreds of pages with a static website, it will always be a slow and long process. This is less relevant if you’re learning how to make a personal website though. Every page on a static website has to be built as a separate entity. For a site with multiple pages, you would need to create each page individually. Less efficient management Static websites may be quicker to create, but they can be more time-consuming to manage. Edits to a static website need to be made page by page, and as websites are loaded with more content, or rapidly changing content, this becomes a much more challenging—and in some cases, near impossible—task. What is a dynamic website? Built using server-side language and technology, dynamic websites allow for the content of each page to be delivered and displayed dynamically, or on-the-fly, according to user behavior or from user-generated content. With a dynamic website, all of your data and content are organized in a database or backend content management system (CMS), which connects to your website pages. The way this information is arranged and connected to your site’s design controls how and when its content is revealed on a page. What does all of this mean? Well, dynamic content gives you the ability to customize and personalize the website experience, and what is displayed, for a specific user. It also allows you to make changes to many pages at the same time, since modifications made to one dynamic page can be automatically made across thousands. For example, dynamic websites enable you to choose which information is displayed to a user based on their location. You can also deliver content to users based on their current or past actions on your site (thanks to cookies), which essentially means each visitor sees a different view of the content on a page. A multilingual website is a great example of when creating a dynamic website might be relevant. Other examples of well-known dynamic websites include: Instagram : as a social media site, dependent on user-generated content, Instagram relies on a dynamic website. CNN : media outlets use dynamic websites to update their content, either in response to breaking news or as stories age. Disney Plus : as a large streaming site, this dynamic entertainment website's dynamic nature allows its content to be chosen and displayed according to a user's location, subscription and preferences. Generally, dynamic websites are those which are content heavy and user-driven. Let’s say the main purpose of your website is to act as a real estate listing website. You’ll need to generate hundreds of pages to list hundreds of available properties. In order to improve the functionality of your site and accommodate a user’s intent, the content on these pages will need to reflect the real-time availability of properties. Using dynamic pages will be the most efficient way to display these changes on your site. Event websites, eCommerce websites , online forums, membership websites, portfolio websites and blogs are some other types of websites that benefit from being dynamic. Advantages of a dynamic website For many website creators dynamic pages are the only way to go, and for good reason. Dynamic pages have the following advantages: Easily updated Starting a business and building a brand online requires continually updated content. You need to stay current with trends, updates and changes within your business, as well as within your industry. A dynamic website is the most effective way to do this. With a dynamic website, a content change on one page can be automatically duplicated on other pages without needing to alter the design. This is particularly relevant to sites with a large number of pages since it makes maintaining a website more efficient. One of the main advantages in terms of updating a dynamic website is that it makes maintenance easier and faster. Multiple users will have access to your database, allowing them to manage the content on the site without the ability to touch the structure or design. Dynamic pages also allow for scalability, since you can manage thousands of pages quickly and easily. Even if you don’t plan for a large website from day one, a dynamic website gives you the option to grow when it becomes necessary. A better user experience A dynamic website provides content that’s tailored to the needs of the user. This might mean displaying information on the page based on their location or changing content to reflect their interests, intent or past actions on the page. Whatever the case, being able to customize what visitors see and interact with creates a better user experience. This capacity for personalization also makes it more likely they’ll return to your site or take further action on it—increasing the potential for conversion. Greater functionality Static pages can be interactive, but when it comes to functionality, dynamic pages definitely lead the way. Dynamic pages have boundless functionality—limited only by the complexity of the logic and language needed to build them, and the instructions needed to deliver content. Netflix is just one example of a very large, complex and yet sophisticated dynamic website, both in terms of functionality and user experience. It’s able to deliver huge amounts of content to users based on their location and login credentials and can offer watch recommendations based on past viewing history. Potential for personalization Dynamic websites excel in their ability to create a personalized experience for users. By storing and analyzing user data, such as browsing history, preferences or location, dynamic pages can display tailored content that aligns with each visitor’s interests. This personalization not only enhances user engagement but also increases the likelihood of conversions. For example, eCommerce websites can recommend products based on a customer’s previous purchases, while blogs can suggest articles related to a reader’s past activity. Creating unique, targeted interactions with visitors builds trust and encourages them to return. Disadvantages of a dynamic website It takes more resources to create Because of the extra steps needed to organize and connect your database to the right pages, a dynamic website can be more complicated to set up and get running. it will take more time to go live and can be more costly, too. There are exceptions to this: using a website builder like Wix not only allows you to build dynamic pages when you need them, but it also allows you to do so without subscribing to a paid package. The CMS (Content Management System) is free to use for all Wix users. So while traditionally building a dynamic website used to require a larger budget, this is no longer the case, depending on where and how you choose to build your dynamic site. Performance issues Dynamic websites have more instructions to process than static websites do. They are also connected to a database or content collection and continually pull information from that in order to display it—which takes time to process and execute. This can impact the performance of a site, although many website creation tools are aware of this issue and make it their mission to prioritize performance across all pages. When building a dynamic website with a website builder such as Wix, concerns about performance are less likely. This is because everything necessary for website performance optimization (for example, automatic image optimization, a Content Delivery Network and defense against DDOS attacks) is integrated into your pages, making your dynamic website as fast and user-friendly as a static one. Subscribe to the Wix blog  for a weekly dose of fresh web design tips and trends. A hybrid approach: combining static and dynamic pages The reality is that many websites are complex—and becoming more so all the time. We have an increasing demand for more functionality from websites, but at the same time, we need them to perform well and load fast. As a result, many website creators are taking a hybrid approach to developing a website. The debate surrounding website building, in this case, is not necessarily static vs. dynamic, but when to implement static pages and when you should use dynamic pages, all within the same website. Let’s have a look at what creating a hybrid website entails: A hybrid website in action You may have started with a static website, but as the need for greater functionality (or just a larger, more content-focused website) arises, you might see the benefit of using dynamic pages. With a hybrid model, you’ll get a site that dynamically and automatically responds to your users' needs. Let’s go back to our real estate website again. Imagine you're a property owner with a handful of apartments to rent in two cities. You don’t have a lot of inventory to start, which means your website will be mainly an informative one, with some basic calls-to-action. Your site’s pages would include: An About page describing your company and what you offer. A location page or two, detailing the cities you have apartments in. A handful of landing pages for the actual properties, where people can learn about each apartment and contact you directly for bookings. None of these pages will require extensive functionality or real-time changes to information or content. In this scenario, a static website would work great. But over time, your business and property portfolio grows. Now, instead of a handful of properties across two cities, you have almost 100 apartments to rent in six or seven locations. You’ll now want a website with dynamic pages, capable of doing more in terms of the number of apartments you display and with the ability to update information for different users. In this example, you’ll need your site to update featured apartments according to those available at the precise time a user is looking for one. It should also display results according to parameters set by a user’s search request within the website. Ideally, a user who searches your site for a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, for three months, will be shown results that exactly match their request. These are where your dynamic pages come in. With a dynamic website, new pages can be added to keep pace with your new inventory and update content as extra search parameters are added. Depending on your search metrics, you’ll have the potential for hundreds of dynamically created pages, all of them generated by the user automatically. In turn, the user gets content they specifically want, making it easier for them to take action. When to choose a static, dynamic or hybrid website Choosing between a static and a dynamic website depends on your specific needs and goals, making it essential to understand how each option serves different purposes in web development. When to choose a static website Static websites are ideal for simple informational websites that don't require frequent updates, such as portfolios or brochure sites. If you’re running a small business and need an online presence with basic details like contact information, services and a map, a static site can be cost-effective and efficient. They’re also perfect for landing pages created for marketing campaigns, where content remains consistent, and the focus is on driving conversions with a cohesive design. When to choose a dynamic website If your website needs user logins or provides personalized content, such as dashboards or customized recommendations, a dynamic site is the way to go. For businesses running an Commerce platform, dynamic functionality is essential to handle product listings, shopping carts and payment processing. Similarly, blogs that include user comment sections, search features or other interactive elements require a dynamic framework to manage and display content seamlessly. When to choose a hybrid website A hybrid website combines the best of both static and dynamic approaches. Consider a hybrid approach if you want to balance the high performance and low cost of static pages with the power and flexibility of dynamic features. This setup works well for businesses that need fast-loading pages for general content but also want interactive elements like user accounts, forms or personalized recommendations in select areas. Website type Best for Key features Why it matters Static Small businesses, portfolios, landing pages Pre-built pages, fast loading, minimal updates Cost-effective and reliable, ideal for content that doesn’t change often Dynamic Blogs, eCommerce stores, member sites Personalized content, user logins, interactive features Perfect for websites that need frequent updates, customization or user interaction Hybrid Businesses needing both speed and flexibility Mostly static content with selected dynamic elements Combines fast performance and low cost of static pages with interactive features to enhance the user experience Building a hybrid site with Wix With a website builder like Wix, using the Wix Content Manager allows you to simplify the creation and editing of content-heavy sites, and turn default static pages into dynamic pages. These can then be managed and updated, all without having to touch the design. This in turn allows you to create a hybrid site that matches both your content and user needs. You can learn more about how to plan the website you need. Using free website templates can help you build exactly the kind of site you need. Tip: Need help finding a catchy name for your site's domain? Use a website name generator for inspiration and ideas. Looking to take your website to the next level? Check out Wix Studio or explore the difference between Wix vs. Wix Studio and Wix Studio vs. Elementor . Static vs. dynamic websites FAQ What does static vs. dynamic mean? In the context of website creation, static means something that doesn't change, while dynamic signals something that does. A static webpage remains the same or fixed, in terms of the content it displays. A dynamic webpage is the opposite, its content changes according to the location of the user, or based on actions a user has made on the page before. What are three examples of static websites? Personal websites:  Personal websites are typically static websites that are used to showcase an individual's portfolio, skills or experience. They often consist of a few pages of text and images, and they are typically updated infrequently. Brochure websites:  Brochure websites are static websites that are used to promote a company, product or service. They typically consist of a few pages of text and images, and they are designed to provide visitors with an overview of the company's offerings. Landing pages:  Landing pages are static websites that are designed to achieve a specific goal, such as generating leads or driving sales. They typically consist of a single page of text and images, and they are designed to be very persuasive. How do you know if a website is static or dynamic? There are a few ways to tell if a website is static or dynamic: URL structure:  Static websites typically have a simple URL structure, such as example.com/about or example.com/products. Dynamic websites, on the other hand, often have more complex URL structures that include parameters, such as example.com/products?category=shoes. Interactivity:  Static websites are not interactive, which means that users cannot interact with the content on the page. Dynamic websites, on the other hand, can be interactive, which means that users can interact with the content on the page, such as by submitting forms or clicking on links. Content updates:  Static websites are typically updated infrequently, while dynamic websites are updated more frequently. This is because the content on a static website is pre-generated, while the content on a dynamic website is generated on-demand. What is better, a static or dynamic website? The best type of website for your needs will depend on your specific requirements. Static websites are a good option for websites that have simple content that doesn't need to be updated frequently. Dynamic websites are a good option for websites that have complex content that needs to be updated frequently or that need to interact with users.

Whether you’re a total amateur or a seasoned veteran, there will always be more to learn when it comes to website design . Luckily, there are plenty of free online education resources that can provide valuable guidance. This article will help you learn how to make a website by providing 11 top-notch (and free) web design tutorials in the following subjects: Wix Learn: Velo W3Schools: HTML Wix Learn: Core Web Vitals optimization CareerFoundry: UX design DesignCourse: UI design Coursera: front-end development Clever Programmer: JavaScript freeCodeCamp: Bootstrap Real Python: Python freeCodeCamp: responsive web design Mozilla: web performance 01. Wix Learn: Velo Although website builders enable you to design without coding skills, having them will give you more versatility in terms of what you can create and control over the resulting product. Velo is a tool that enables you to add custom functionality and interactivity to your Wix website with Javascript. Check out this explanation of the difference between web designers vs. web developers to find out whether web development would be a good path for you. 02. W3Schools: HTML This web design tutorial for beginners offers insight into the fundamentals of HTML, the standard markup language for creating web pages. W3Schools breaks down the tutorial into bite-sized chapters that focus on specific topics such as headings, colors, tables and emojis. This structure ensures that you won’t feel overwhelmed by information. Each chapter provides infographics, examples, quick references and exercises to make the learning process engaging. If you find the teaching style effective, you might want to consider investing in the W3Schools HTML certification course . This course will offer more structure in your learning journey, providing a comprehensive and guided path to mastering HTML and enhancing your web design skills. You can also learn from our guide to some of the most common website design mistakes. Be inspired: Design thinking 03. Wix Learn: Core Web Vitals optimization Google’s Core Web Vitals are a crucial set of performance metrics for evaluating and measuring the user experience of web pages. They focus on three key aspects of web performance: page load speed, interactivity and visual stability. Google considers these metrics when determining the ranking and visibility of websites in search results, making them essential factors for website owners and developers to address. Learn practical strategies for improving page load speed, interactivity and visual stability. By following these optimization techniques, you can enhance your site's UX, improve SEO rankings and deliver better overall performance. 04. CareerFoundry: UX design User Experience (UX) refers to the overall experience that a person has when interacting with a product, system or service. UX design aims to create meaningful and enjoyable experiences for users by focusing on their needs, goals and preferences. CareerFoundry UX design tutorial for beginners not only aims to enhance your understanding of UX but also sets you on the path to becoming a skilled UX designer. Each tutorial is thoughtfully designed, offering video introductions, comprehensive text, interactive quizzes and optional practical tasks to reinforce your learning experience. The course commences with foundational knowledge, empowering you to distinguish between good and bad UX practices. As you progress, you'll delve into the UX design process, exploring essential aspects like wireframing and testing. The section dedicated to the four main disciplines of UX design—experience strategy, user research, interaction design and information architecture—is particularly significant. What truly distinguishes this web design tutorial is its focus on helping you determine if a career in UX design aligns with your aspirations. By the course's end, you'll gain valuable insights and tips for building a compelling UX design portfolio, ultimately paving the way toward a successful career as a UX designer. 05. DesignCourse: UI design User interface (UI) is the means by which the user and a computer system interact. User interface design is the process designers follow to build interfaces in software, focusing on how it will look and function. UI is a foundational element of any product. Therefore, learning UI design skills should be among the first things you do when mastering web design. In this web design tutorial , DesignCourse offers a fantastic overview of UI elements, such as typical content blocks, navigation menus and functional elements. Then, it shares recommendations on how to use those elements when building your own website. The course manages to offer dozens of practical rules in a short period of time, such as how to work with whitespace or develop effective color palettes. 06. Meta: front-end development Front-end web development is the discipline within web development that focuses on creating the user interface of a website. This Coursera course by Meta is hands-on and will put you on the path to becoming a professional front-end developer. In addition to mastering coding languages like CSS and Javascript, you’ll learn to use design tools like React and Figma. At the end of the course, you’ll create your very own front-end application that you can share with future employers to demonstrate your capabilities. What sets this web design tutorial apart from others in this list is you’ll gain access to the Meta Career Programs Job Board (which connects you to over 200 employers) upon completion. If you’re looking to make a career switch, this course offers the perfect opportunity to do so. 07. Clever Programmer: JavaScript Whether you're just starting your Javascript journey or looking to take it to the next level, this 12-hour web design tutorial is perfect for both beginner and intermediate developers. During this comprehensive course, you'll master the foundational concepts of Array and Object, enabling you to build powerful JavaScript applications. Through practical hands-on sessions, you'll create nine different JavaScript applications of varying complexities. These projects range from elementary apps to highly interactive games, providing you with a diverse set of skills and real-world experience. 08. freeCodeCamp: Bootstrap Bootstrap has earned its reputation as the go-to CSS framework for web developers, so much so that many simply say "let's bootstrap it" when they want to create something swiftly and effortlessly. This powerful framework enables developers to design and customize responsive, mobile-first websites with ease. In this tutorial from freeCodeCamp , you'll discover the essential features of Bootstrap that will propel your web development skills forward. You'll learn how to create efficient grid systems, which form the foundation of responsive design, allowing your sites to adapt seamlessly to various devices and screen sizes. Moreover, you'll dive into using popular Bootstrap components like buttons, cards, icons and online forms. These components are pre-designed and easily customizable, saving you time and effort while maintaining a polished and professional appearance for your websites. With the knowledge gained from this tutorial, you'll be well-equipped to leverage the power of Bootstrap and create stunning, mobile-friendly websites that captivate users and deliver an outstanding user experience. 09. Real Python: Python This Python Basics tutorial is tailor-made for newer developers, ensuring a smooth and accessible introduction to Python programming with the guidance of experienced instructors. This comprehensive tutorial offers a variety of resources to ensure a well-rounded education, including instructional videos, downloadable materials, Q&A opportunities, access to a community chatroom, quizzes and exercises. The tutorial begins by teaching you how to write Python code and effectively handle errors. You'll then learn valuable skills, such as understanding the purpose of specific variables and communicating with fellow developers using comments. A math lesson follows, covering essential topics like math functions and number methods. As you progress, the tutorial delves into more advanced concepts, including functions, loops and scopes, while emphasizing their interconnectedness. You'll gain further insight into debugging your programs effectively, using conditional logic to make decisions and mastering the principles of object-oriented programming. 10. freeCodeCamp: responsive web design Responsive design is a crucial approach in web design and development, aiming to create websites and applications that adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes, devices and orientations. It has become a de facto standard in modern website design . This hands-on course from freCodeCamp provides a comprehensive understanding of responsive design fundamentals, including key concepts like media queries and creating responsive containers using HTML and CSS. The course takes a practical and engaging approach, offering real-world assignments like building simple web apps like photo galleries or portfolio pages. By participating in this course, learners will not only grasp the theoretical aspects of responsive design but also gain practical experience in implementing responsive techniques in real projects. This combination of theory and hands-on assignments empowers students to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites that perform flawlessly on any device or screen size. 11. Mozilla: web performance Interested in learning how to design a website that not only looks great but also delivers lightning-fast performance? Performance optimization holds the key to achieving this goal. It's a discipline focused on enhancing the speed, efficiency and overall performance of a website. By identifying and addressing bottlenecks, inefficiencies and resource-intensive areas, performance optimization ensures that your website performs exceptionally well and meets user expectations. Mozilla Corporation, the company behind Firefox browser, has created an extensive resource dedicated to improving the performance of web applications. In this guide, you'll learn essential techniques like measuring your web application's performance, maximizing the efficiency of media assets and optimizing CSS and JavaScript code. Additionally, the guide introduces the concept of performance budgets, which establish limits on various performance metrics to guarantee that your web applications remain fast and highly responsive. Related reading: 7 things you can do in 30 seconds using Wix’s AI image tools What is web design? Web design tutorials FAQ What are the main steps to web design? Web design generally follows seven steps. Start by defining your site’s purpose and goals. Then, plan the layout and structure. Move on to creating wireframes and designing visual elements. Develop your site, test its functionality and launch it when ready. Don’t forget to regularly update and maintain it to keep everything running smoothly. Can I learn web designing at home? Yes. With so many online resources, learning web design from home is completely achievable. Explore tutorials, videos and courses that cover everything from basic HTML to advanced techniques. Just set aside some time and commit to practicing regularly. Can I learn web design in 3 months? Definitely. In three months, you can build a solid foundation by focusing on the basics: HTML, CSS and responsive design. While mastering web design takes more time, consistent effort over three months can help you confidently create and design functional websites. Does web design pay well? Yes, web design can be a lucrative career. Web designers in the U.S. earn an average salary between $62K - $112K per year . Freelancers often set their own rates, which can vary widely depending on expertise and project scope. With the right skills and a strong portfolio, web design offers great earning potential.

A website audit aims to review your site’s overall performance and functionality, as well as its ability to be found by both search engines and users. The more visible a site is in search engines, the greater its traffic and exposure to potential users. A website audit should also focus on key performance metrics, including page speed, and user experience scores. A checklist can help you focus on what's most important. Thinking of l earning how to create a website ? You should factor in running a full website audit once it’s complete. A website audit is also a must after making changes to your site. Updates are great for a website, but since changes (however minor) can have an impact on traffic and search engine visibility—a website audit can make sure nothing has gone wrong or is missing. A website audit can be a straightforward process, easily integrated into any website management and website maintenance schedule. Thinking of how to plan a website ? Believe it or not, a website audit should be part of that process to. With this in mind, we are going to explain what a website audit is, why it’s important, and how you can implement one regularly. What is a website audit? A website audit is a comprehensive analysis of a site in terms of its performance (including page speed, technical issues and user experience), and its ability to be found on search engines. A full site audit enables you to understand how your website scores according to these metrics. It also pinpoints glaring technical and site maintenance issues that need to be addressed. Once you have moved on from how to make a Wix website , and into the realms of how to manage one, a website audit should become a priority. This will help you have a clear understanding of your site's functionality and performance. Types of website audits General SEO audit: Addresses how well your site is optimized for SEO. Content SEO audit: Focuses specifically on content quality and gaps. Technical SEO audit : Isolates backend and technological issues with your site. Performance audit: Looks at page speed, load times and Core Web Vitals. UX audit: Deals with user experience and the functionality of your site, including navigation and design. Why run a website audit? From ensuring your ability to be found in search, to providing an optimal user experience and more—there are many reasons why a website audit is important whether your site is new or recently updated. The success of your website relies on your understanding of its performance both in search and for a user—and on being able to identify how to improve this. Now that you understand its importance, you’re probably wondering how often you should run a website audit. The general recommendation is to run a full audit on small websites at least once a year. Larger websites (both in terms of the amount of traffic and the number of webpages ) may require a more frequent check—potentially up to two to three times a year. We also recommend mini audits of your site as often as you can. A mini audit might include checking your site's functionality yourself and making sure navigation and click-through actions are working as they should. It can also include checking coverage issues affecting your site through Google Search Console, or as recommended by other SEO audit tools. A mini-audit allows you to stay on top of your site's health and allows you to deal with issues as and when they arise. How to run a website audit We are now going to look at the main ways in which you can audit your website: 1. Assess website performance and page speed 2. Check SEO on-page optimizations 3. Understand content quality and gaps 4. Isolate technical SEO issues 5. Test user experience 6. Monitor website accessibility 01. Assess website performance and page speed All website audits should begin with a review of your site's page speed scores. Since 2010 Google has prioritized page speed when deciding what to make visible in search. It became even more important following the June-August 2021 Google Page Experience Update. What does this mean in terms of a website audit? Assessing website performance and page speed, with website analytics tools , should be an essential part of your auditing process. Pages that are slow to load can bring down the authority of your entire site, and these issues should not be ignored. With Wix, you can access both Google PageSpeed Insights and insights from your Wix Analytics in your editor. Once you identify problems with page speed or other relevant Core Web Vitals, you’ll decide how to improve their performance. This might mean design or content changes—or both. Just bear in mind that when conducting a website audit, it’s common to see different web analytics and performance scores for your site’s mobile and desktop versions. Prioritizing performance on mobile may require specific mobile-focused design and website speed optimization changes to push up your score. Google leads with mobile-first indexing, so ensuring your website audit covers your mobile performance as well should be a priority. 02. Check SEO on-page optimizations For your website to have a greater chance of being found on search engines, it has to be SEO optimized. An SEO-focused website audit will help identify if your website is visible to search engines and what you can do to improve this. There are a number of ways to run a simple SEO website audit. We recommend using tools such as Screaming Frog or Deepcrawl . They’re easy to use and can let you know—within minutes—what your site is lacking SEO-wise and how to fix it. Missing optimization data is one of the most easily identifiable, and fixable, discoveries from an SEO website audit. This includes meta tags to canonicals, to alt tags, and everything in between. With Wix SEO tools, you can easily customize SEO optimizations, including meta tags, which will boost your chances of being found on search. You can even use AI to create meta tags at scale. Wix also offers an SEO setup checklist that ensures you have covered the SEO essentials before getting your site up and running. This is a great place to begin your SEO journey and a great foundation for the longer-term SEO optimization and auditing plan you should build. 03. Understand content quality and gaps Ranking well on search is not just about being fully optimized for search engines, it’s also about making sure your site has good quality, relevant content for your users. To make sure you’re achieving this, you’ll need to understand if you have content gaps. Content gaps happen when you’re missing topics your target audience is looking for. These content gaps , when they exist, prevent you from ranking in search where your competitors are visible. If you’re not there, you could be losing out on important traffic and leads. To understand more about potential content gaps we suggest plugging your website into Ahrefs . This platform will show you how your content ranks for specific keywords against your main competitors. Then you can understand how to bridge the gap with new material, or if you need an entirely new content strategy. There are many ways to check the quality and impact of your content, but to understand this better you should delve deeper into the behavioral analytics data within your Google Analytics Universal account ( Google Analytics 4 is a whole new ballgame, for all of us, and we look forward to tackling that in a different article). Within a Wix site, head to Wix Analytics , and then check out the traffic overview and people overview for a closer look at how users are interacting with your site. Your behavioral analytics data can show you: If users stay on your page after reaching it from search (this is known as bounce rate ) How long users are spending on any given page If users are moving onto other pages within your site This data can help you understand if your site and, specifically, your site’s content is hitting the mark with users. If you discover it’s not, you probably have areas to improve on, and should consider reviewing the content, the design, and the UX of your website. All of which are crucial to help you make better and more accurate data-driven decisions. 04. Isolate technical SEO issues Website audits are important to identify technical-related SEO problems. Some of the most commonly identified SEO roadblocks include 404 errors (page not found) and non-indexed pages. Within Wix Analytics you can easily identify 404 pages and then take action to address them, with redirects. A page that is no-indexed won’t appear in search results. You can check for these issues from the “Coverage” section of your Google Search Console account. Better yet, opt for a website builder that integrates SEO tools within its editor. Wix SEO allows you to identify and fix all of these issues—from bulk google of out-of-date pages, to instant Google indexing. Looking to take your technical SEO audit further? With Deepcrawl you can perform a comprehensive audit of your site's technical SEO health, and then fix issues that arise. 05. Test user experience Understanding how your website works behind the scenes is an important part of a website audit—but don’t neglect your front end. If users are struggling to navigate your site, you may have issues that affect website performance, including load times and overall usability. A bad user experience decreases user engagement, which in the long term can impact on your site’s overall authority. This can have an impact on how well your site ranks in search and cloud its visibility. In the short term, a low engagement rate also means the loss of potential conversions. A user experience website audit can take many forms. Start by having someone else use your site, and ask them for feedback. Remember to evaluate their experience of your site’s navigation, the quality of your content and their ability to see and respond to calls-to-action. A UX website audit will also help you understand the impact of your website design on the user experience as well. You will need feedback from several users to get a clear picture of your site’s usability, but if the same roadblocks come up repeatedly, it’s time to run a UX website audit. 06. Monitor website accessibility Every user who arrives on your site must be able to access all of your content and features. An accessibility audit can help you make sure that your site is usable for everyone, including those with disabilities. Wix user? The Wix Accessibility Wizard allows you to scan your site for issues that might be hindering access for all users. It identifies these and then supports you with clear, implementable solutions to resolve them. That way everyone gets to interact with your site. How much does a website audit cost? The cost of a website audit can vary depending on how extensive it is and the tools you use to conduct it. On average an audit could cost anywhere from several hundred dollars, to a few thousand but this can and will vary. Even if you choose to run your own website audit, you may need access to paid apps or tools to perform it comprehensively. Before starting an audit, or hiring someone to run one for you, think about your priorities to be checked and your budget. Website audit apps If you've decided to run your own website audit or are doing it for someone else, there are a number of popular website audit apps to run you through from start to finish. Here are just a selection of some of the most popular and how they can help with your site audit. Google Analytics 4: This popular and free, with limitations, Google tool is a great way to understand more about your website traffic, and where it comes from. Understand if your high-priority pages are getting the most traffic. Semrush: This well-known SEO tool allows you to run a full SEO audit of your site, from on-page optimizations to backlinks. You can also audit your competitors to see how you compare or where you could do better. Ahrefs: Another well-used and loved SEO tool, that can help identify health and technical issues with your site from missing meta titles and descriptions, to 404s. Wix Analytics: Understand more about every part of your site, including website traffic and performance. Other popular site audit tools include Moz, Woorank and Sitebulb. Website audit checklist To help you visualize the big picture of a website audit, here is a simple checklist you can refer back to any time: Website performance : Check your page speed and Core Web Vitals SEO optimization : Isolate and update missing information Content SEO optimization : Prioritize quality and fill in the gaps Technical SEO issues : Pinpoint and fix User experience : Check functionality and navigation Website accessibility : Identify and resolve barriers to accessibility Website audit FAQ Can I run a website audit for free? Many of the tools that can be used for a website audit have free versions. However, a free subscription may limit the features and options you have access to which may limit the depth and scale of your audit. Also with the right website builder , in-built audit tools are often free to use. What are the best website audit tools? This really depends on what type of audit you want to run and the size of your site, as well as your budget. We're big fans of SEO audit tools, such as Ahrefs and Semrush. Most of Google's tools for auditing a site are easy to use and free, to a point—Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights specifically. What is a technical audit of a website? A technical audit of a website involves a comprehensive examination of its backend infrastructure, code and performance to identify and address issues affecting its functionality, speed and search engine optimization. It assesses factors such as server configuration and its website architecture to ensure optimal performance, security and user experience. What is a content audit of a website? A content audit of a website is an organized analysis of its existing content to evaluate its quality, relevance and effectiveness. It involves reviewing all content assets, assessing their alignment with business goals and identifying areas for improvement. The goal is to optimize content strategy, improve the user experience and enhance the site's overall performance in search engines or social media channels.

Although aesthetic design is important when planning how to build a website , it’s not the only thing that matters. As a Wix Partner who has built hundreds of websites, I (and the rest of the Wix Pro team) know that a quality site is so much more than a pretty picture. User-friendly navigation, intuitive design and airtight security are just a few of the most vital website features. Whether you’re figuring out how to create a website or how to improve an existing one, make sure to cover everything in this website features list. Want to hire a Wix Partner like me? Find website designers on the Wix Marketplace. Website features list The importance of different website features depends on the purpose of a site, but there are a few that every site needs: Intuitive navigation Responsiveness Accessibility for everyone Mobile-friendly interface Attractive design High-quality content Multiple contact options Airtight security Reliable infrastructure This website launch checklist can help you get started, especially if you’re learning how to create a professional website . 01. Intuitive navigation If you have what a site visitor is looking for, they should be able to find it without much effort. That’s why it’s so important that your site is easy to navigate. An intuitive website smoothly guides site visitors and directs their entire experience. User experience (UX) design is not only helpful for site visitors, but it’s also a way for site owners to manage user behavior. One of my responsibilities as a website designer is to create paths that lead visitors where my clients want them to go. For example, the primary aim of the Symmetryk website is to encourage users to try a demo version. I designed a “Book a Demo" call-to-action (CTA) button in a grapefruit color that stands out against the blue background, then used it twice above the fold. Olya Black's site design for Symmetryk. The website features that make a site easy for users to navigate also help search engines understand its structure. Therefore, implementing navigational elements on your site increases the likelihood that search engines will index and rank its web pages. Let’s discuss a few website features that’ll make your site easy to navigate: Breadcrumb trails: Breadcrumb trails show site visitors where they are within a website and helps them understand its overall structure. They also make it easy for visitors to navigate back to higher-level pages. Breadcrumb trails are typically displayed near the top of a page and show the path that a visitor has taken to reach the current page. With Wix, you can customize breadcrumb trails to fit your purposes and brand. Clear calls to action: When implemented effectively, CTA buttons drive conversions and encourage visitors toward the desired actions. The language should be clear and concise, leaving no room for confusion about what the button does. Wix users can design and animate buttons to attract attention and make them more interactive. For example, I gave the CTA button on the GG Event House website a hover effect that reveals confetti when a mouse moves over it. Navigation bar: Also known as a navigation menu or header, a navigation bar provides links to the main sections of a website. This essential website element enables visitors to quickly find their way around the site. I typically use single-level navigation bars to avoid overwhelming site visitors, but complex websites can benefit from multi-level site menus . When designing the site for Primavera Clinic , for example, I built a custom navigation system that splits the menu across three slides. Olya Black's site design for Primavera Clinic. 02. Responsiveness A responsive website is one with layouts that adapt to the size and orientation of a visitor’s browser window. That responsiveness ensures that the site looks great and functions well, regardless of whether the visitor opens it on a laptop or a smartphone. This website feature also makes the design process more efficient, because the site owner doesn’t have to create separate mobile and desktop versions of each web page. The Wix Editor has a variety of design tools that enable users to make their site more responsive: Customizable layouts Slideshows Galleries Full-width elements Container boxes Learn more about how to use Wix here. 03. Accessibility for everyone According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people experience disabilities . They are all potential customers that a business could lose if their websites aren’t designed with them in mind. Plus, having a website that doesn’t meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) opens you up to lawsuits. Here are a few website features that are necessary for accessibility : High-contrast color schemes: Customers with limited vision and color blindness struggle to read text that is too similar in color to that of the background. Use this contrast checker to assess your color scheme. Keyboard navigation: People with visual and mobility impairments often rely on their keyboards rather than a mouse to navigate websites. Simplified language: Writing conversationally, using simple vocabulary and avoiding complex sentence structures ensures that people with learning disabilities (and skim readers) can understand your site. Alt text: Screen readers use alternative text on images to translate them for people with visual impairments. Clear hierarchy: Design your site and content hierarchically, so that information flows from most to least importance. Use headings predictably and keep your design language consistent across the site so that people who use keyboard navigation can move easily through the site. Easy-to-read fonts: Choose simple or familiar fonts so that people with dyslexia, learning disabilities, aphasia, and poor vision can read comfortably. Wix's Accessibility Wizard helps identify and fix accessibility issues that I might otherwise miss. This handy tool ensures that every visitor, regardless of ability, can view and navigate the site. Keep in mind that the Wizard doesn’t address the entire scope of web accessibility, so consider hiring an accessibility expert to check your site for glaring issues. 04. Mobile-friendly interface As of February 2023, about 61% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices . Therefore, there’s a significant chance that most people are accessing your site from their phones. If your mobile site isn’t up to snuff, they might not stick around. Plus, mobile-friendly design is essential if you want people to find your business on search engines. Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means that it prioritizes websites that are optimized for mobile devices. Your mobile website must be convenient to use, quick to load and as interactive as possible. Although responsiveness is an important aspect of mobile-friendly websites, it’s not the only thing that’s necessary. Simple navigation, readable fonts, and quick-to-load imagery are also important. With Wix’s mobile website builder you can easily adapt your desktop website to a smaller screen and even create a customizable mobile app for your brand. You can eliminate and add content or even change the layout completely. I especially appreciate the quick action bar website feature because it encourages mobile site visitors to get in contact with the business. Be sure to consider mobile-friendliness right from the start as you map out how to plan website . 05. Attractive design An attractive design can capture the attention of visitors and make them more likely to stay on your site. This can lead to increased engagement and a lower bounce rate. Attractive site design can also convey a sense of trustworthiness and professionalism, which can help to establish your brand as a reputable and trustworthy source of information or products. MOOI Clinic has hired me three times in the past six years to give their website a makeover. This investment ensured that their website design is always current and that it evolves with the business’s evolution. According to the owner, these efforts have helped to bolster credibility and success. Luckily, you don’t have to be a professional designer in order to take advantage of this website feature—Wix has hundreds of website templates that you can customize to suit your needs. Related reading: How Roni Sagi , runner up on American's Got Talent brought her business online. Olya Black's site design for MOOI. 06. High-quality content The text, images and videos you put on your professional website are just as important as (if not more than) how well you build it. Content that is informative and unique catches and holds a visitor’s attention. It can also help with search engine optimization ( SEO ), because their algorithms avoid recommending poor-quality web pages to searchers. Content that is high-quality isn’t just accurate and well-written; it also provides value for a site’s target audience. Keep their needs and interests in mind as you create your content and aim to deliver information that is both relevant and engaging. Although AI bots such as ChatGPT or Wix’s AI Text Creator can be great for producing content, they can’t offer the unique perspective and human touch that you can. Because of that, search engines might skip over AI-generated content and site visitors might not find it engaging enough to stay. Therefore, it’s best to use AI-generated content as a starting point and editing it to best fit your site. The website I built for Unlimited Robotics demonstrates the power of high-quality content. With the Academy of free tutorials for robot developers, the robot-focused blog and the FAQ page, Unlimited Robotics attracts, engages and fosters relationships with its relevant audiences. 07. Multiple contact options Whereas some may want to speak to someone on the phone, others may prefer getting in touch through social media. Offering different contact options gives visitors the flexibility to choose the communication method they prefer. This shows potential customers that your business is reliable and prioritizes customer service. It also increases their likelihood of becoming customers. By providing multiple contact options, you can also make your site more accessible to a wider range of people. For example, visitors who are hard of hearing may prefer to use email or live chat instead of calling, while visitors who are visually impaired may prefer to use a text-based chat feature. Because you can respond to many different channels from the Wix Inbox and keep track of customer contact information with Wix Contacts , it's easy to provide efficient customer service. Therefore, offering multiple means of communication improves the customer experience without creating extra work for you. Here are a few website features to include so that all customers are comfortable getting in touch: Live chat: Users can customize Wix Chat according to their availability and design preferences. They can also automate the chat box to start conversations or reply to customer messages. Social media links: Linking to all your social media accounts in a social bar gives people more opportunities to get to know and engage with your business. Phone number: When you use Wix to set up a business phone number , you can accept both calls and texts. Contact form: A contact form is a great website feature because it enables you to keep your communications organized and collect customer information. Wix Forms automatically adds form submissions to your contact list. Email address: Some customers prefer emailing directly over filling out contact forms, so consider offering both. Quick action bar: As previously mentioned, I love adding quick action bars to mobile sites because customers can get in touch with the click of a button. 08. Airtight security If your website collects personal data (such as credit card information and email addresses) from visitors, a strong security system is a vital website feature. Site visitors need to know that they can trust you with their information, and security breaches can jeopardize your brand reputation. Luckily, every Wix user has enterprise-grade website security with features like two-factor authentication, secure payments and anti-fraud protections. 09. Reliable infrastructure Can your website’s infrastructure drive away business? Absolutely. If a site is slow to load, cluttered or hard to navigate, users may become deterred and abandon it. According to a recent survey, almost a quarter of consumers find slow loading to be the most frustrating aspect of shopping online. In order to keep your visitors interested, it’s important that every page on your site loads in fewer than three seconds. Compressing images, removing unnecessary plugins, fixing broken links and reducing cookie sizes can help to improve site reliability . That said, the best thing you can do is use a reliable website builder to run your site. Wix optimizes every website feature for performance . It even has a site speed dashboard that helps you track and improve load times. Check the load time and overall performance of your site on a regular basis to ensure that it is optimized. Website features FAQ What are features in a website? Website features refer to the functionalities and elements that are integrated into a website to enhance user experience, improve engagement, and achieve specific goals. The features of a website can vary based on the site's purpose, industry, and target audience. What are some important website features? Reliable, robust site infrastructure and security are two of the most critical website features as these impact a site's functionality. Other important functions can include navigation, responsiveness, accessibility, mobile-friendly design and great design. What are website features vs functions? Website features refer to the distinctive characteristics and capabilities that enhance user experience, such as navigation menus, search bars and contact forms. Functions, on the other hand, pertain to the practical operations a website performs, like processing payments, sending emails or managing user accounts. While features focus on user interaction and design, functions are the operational aspects that fulfill specific tasks or purposes, collectively contributing to the overall performance and utility of a website. What are some important business website features? Business website features include a clear and compelling homepage, an intuitive navigation menu, contact information accessibility, and a responsive design for various devices. Product or service pages with detailed information, a secure and user-friendly checkout process for e-commerce, and a blog or news section for updates and industry insights. Testimonials, social media integration and a well-designed "About Us" page can build trust. Lastly, incorporating SEO elements and analytics tools can enhance visibility and measure performance for business growth. What are some features of a dynamic website? Dynamic website features include real-time content updates, interactive elements like forms and user-generated content and personalized user experiences. Content Management Systems (CMS ) enable easy content modifications, while databases store and retrieve information dynamically. Dynamic pages adapt to user preferences and behaviors. E-commerce functionalities for dynamic product displays and pricing enhance user engagement. Integration with APIs allows for seamless connections with external services. Overall, dynamic websites provide flexibility, responsiveness and interactivity, catering to evolving user needs.