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The perfect domain is just a click away: claim your domain→ Custom domain names are unique web addresses that you can purchase and use for your website or online business. For entrepreneurs, small business owners and startups, establishing credibility and setting the tone for your brand often begins here. They typically end in familiar domain extensions like .com, .net or .org and allow you to create a memorable brand identity that stands out from the rest. Secure your domain in just a few clicks with Wix. Get everything you need in one place: business email, reliable hosting, SSL protection and full privacy. With 24/7 support and no hidden fees, getting your site live is simple and worry-free. TL;DR: What are custom domains A custom domain gives your brand a professional home on the web and helps people find, trust and remember you. This guide walks you through what a custom domain is, why it's a game-changer for your credibility, branding and email, how pricing works and the steps to choose, register and connect one to your site so you can grow your business. You’ll learn: What a custom domain is and how it’s different from a free address Why custom domains build trust, brand recognition and SEO value How much a custom domain costs and what affects pricing Tips for choosing a strong domain name and extension How to register, connect and maintain your domain step-by-step How custom domains support branded email and marketing Common questions like changing domains, renewals and protection What is a custom domain? A custom domain is your personalized web address (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com) that represents your brand and makes it easy for customers to find you online. It’s professional, unique and memorable. On the other hand, an account domain is typically a free, generic web address, often provided by a website builder platform, that includes their name, such as www.yourbusiness.platformname.com. While an account domain works for getting started, a custom domain helps establish credibility and puts your brand front and center, giving your business a more polished and professional image. It also allows you to create a consistent online presence across all your platforms and marketing materials. New to domain names? Get started with what is a domain and our top level domain list. Custom domain example To help clarify what makes a domain custom, consider these examples. A generic domain provided by the Wix hosting service might look like this: www.examplebiz.wix.com. While functional, it doesn’t tell your visitors much about who you are and makes your business easy to overlook. Now, compare that to www.examplebiz.com. This version is clean and concise. It’s also easier for potential customers to remember. Custom domains ensure your business name is front and center, helping people instantly associate your web presence with your brand. When you build your Wix site, getting started with a custom domain on a paid Wix plan is simple and seamless. Learn more: URI vs URL Domain vs website Domain vs URL Domain lifecycle The benefits of using a custom domain Besides giving your brand a professional image, custom domains have several other benefits: Increased credibility A custom domain can help build trust and credibility with customers. It shows that you are serious about your business and invested in its online presence. Better search engine optimization (SEO) Custom domains can help your website rank higher in search engines because they are unique and relevant to your brand. They also make it easier for potential customers to find you when searching for your specific products or services. Brand recognition A consistent domain name helps establish your brand identity across all platforms. It allows customers to easily recognize and remember your website, making it easier for them to come back or refer others. Enables branded emails Learn how to create a business email to establish a strong brand presence with customized business email addresses like support@yourbusiness.com. Using professional formats not only improves communication but also allows you to explore creative email name ideas that reflect your company’s values and structure. Tips for choosing the right custom domain name for your brand Getting the right domain name isn’t just about availability; it’s an opportunity to establish how people perceive your brand. Here are some actionable tips for choosing a domain name to help you make the right choice. Keep it simple Choose a domain name that is easy to spell, pronounce and remember. Avoid using numbers, hyphens or special characters as they can be confusing and difficult to type correctly. Make it relevant Your domain should reflect your brand and what you do. It should give customers an idea of what to expect when they visit your website. Consider using keywords Including relevant keywords in your domain can help with SEO and attract the right audience to your site. However, it’s essential to balance this with keeping your domain simple and memorable. Avoid trademark infringement Before choosing a domain name, research existing trademarks to ensure you are not infringing on someone else's brand or copyright. This could lead to legal consequences and damage your business's reputation. Learn how to trademark a domain name to avoid any issues. Use a reputable registrar When purchasing a custom domain, make sure to use a reputable registrar that offers reliable customer support and security measures for protecting your website. Is Wix a domain registrar? Learn more. Choose the right extension While .com is a widely recognized extension, there are other options like .info, .org, .co, .net, .store or even niche options like .coffee (if it’s relevant to your business). Just ensure the extension is appropriate for your industry so customers can immediately connect it with your services. Secure alternate versions If your primary domain name is available, consider purchasing alternative spellings, misspellings or variations as well. This ensures visitors are redirected to your business even if they make typos when entering your web address. Use a redirect domain strategy to seamlessly guide users to the correct site. Use tools to brainstorm Finding the perfect name can feel overwhelming, but a domain name generator can help spark ideas. Tools like the Wix domain name generator provide creative suggestions based on keywords you input. How much does a custom domain cost? A custom domain price typically ranges between $7 and $50 per year, depending on factors like the popularity of your chosen name and the extension (.com versus other options). Premium domains—short or highly coveted names, including some of the most popular domain names—can cost significantly more. With a Wix plan, a custom domain is included, making it easier to get your website up and running. Learn more: How to buy a domain name How to register a domain name How much does a domain name cost What are safe domains? Expert tip from Ofir Gvili, domains PMM at Wix: “With Wix, securing your custom domain is simple and seamless. In just a few clicks, you’ll have a professional address that makes your brand look established from day one.” How to get a custom domain in 7 steps 01. Choose a domain name Start by brainstorming a domain name that is memorable, relevant to your brand and easy to spell. Use online tools like domain name generators to find unique and available ideas. 02. Check domain availability Perform a domain name search on a domain registrar or hosting platform to see if your desired domain name is available. If it's already taken, consider altering the name slightly or choosing a different extension. Explore various types of domains, such as .com, .org or .net, to find the one that best suits your needs. Find the domain owner and registration details for a website with a Whois domain lookup. 03. Register your domain Once you've found an available name, register it through a trusted domain registrar. Pay attention to the registration terms and consider securing the domain for multiple years. I want to buy a domain, how do I go about doing it? 04. Select a hosting plan Choose a hosting website that fits your website's needs, such as speed, storage and scalability. Many providers also offer bundled deals with domain registration. 05. Connect domain to your website Set up your domain to point to your website by updating your DNS (Domain Name System) settings. Your hosting provider should guide you through the technical process. 06. Design and publish your site Use a website builder or hire a developer to design a user-friendly and visually appealing site. Once completed, publish your site and start driving traffic. 07. Maintain and renew Regularly update your website content and monitor its performance. Renew your domain registration on time to avoid losing ownership of it. Looking for the perfect domain name? We’ve selected some of the best domain registrars to help you secure your custom name quickly and easily. According to Rob Gold, VP of marketing communications at Intermedia: “Investing in a premium domain reduces the risk of phishing, cybersquatting and brand confusion, which can damage customer trust and impact revenue. This was a top priority for us, considering the line of work we do.” Firsthand domain insights from a travel entrepreneur When Erica and Shanticleer launched Paper, Planes and Passports they knew that securing a custom domain early was essential. While Erica already had a large following on social media, she wanted a website that could serve as their “home base” for trips, client bookings and communications. “Having a website has been non-negotiable for us,” she says. “It’s where we promote our trips, take payments and communicate. It’s also where we get a chance to understand our people and know what trips we should drop next.” A custom domain does more than give your website a professional look. It establishes credibility, helps your brand stand out online and makes it easy for customers to find and remember you. For Erica and Shanticleer, registering their domain was one of the first steps to protect their business and create a trusted home for their brand. Naturally the couple needed a travel business name. They’d already been tagging their personal travel photos with #paperplanesandpassports, so when they found that domain available, the name was decided. Why trust Wix’s domain experts? This article was created by Wix’s in-house domain experts, with years of experience helping people choose, register and secure the perfect domains for their businesses and online projects. The guidance, tips and best practices shared here come directly from real Wix projects, so you can be confident they’ll help you find a domain that represents your brand, stays secure and supports your long-term goals. At Wix, we’ve guided millions of entrepreneurs, creators and small business owners in establishing a strong online presence. Our team keeps up with the latest in domain management, security and branding, making sure the advice you get is practical and backed by proven results. Think of this article as your trusted resource for every stage of domain ownership, from finding your first custom domain to protecting and growing your online identity. Learn more: how to go about making a website from scratch What are custom domains FAQ Can I change my domain name later? Yes, it’s possible to update or change your domain, but it’s important to understand the potential consequences. Changing your domain can impact your customer recognition and web traffic. To minimize disruptions, make sure to plan carefully, update all links and inform your audience ahead of time. Do I need to renew my domain yearly? Most domains are registered on an annual basis, though some providers offer multi-year options. Renewing on time prevents domain expiration and ensures you retain rights to your custom domain. Should I trademark my custom domain name? While it’s not legally required, trademarking a domain name can add an extra layer of protection for your brand, especially if you’re in a competitive industry. Why is owning a custom domain important for online campaigns? Custom domains often play a central role in online marketing strategies. They act as touchpoints for customers to discover new services, promotions or offerings. If your campaign redirects users to a personalized domain, it not only improves engagement but also builds trust. What are the differences between a custom domain and a free one? A custom domain (e.g., yourbusiness.com) is one you pay for and can personalize, offering brand credibility and a professional, matching email address. In contrast, a free domain (e.g., yourbusiness.platform.com) is provided by website builders as the default and may often look less professional and lacking ownership. Free domains may have ads, limited customization if any, whereas custom domains provide full control over your branding.

Build your website in minutes, try Wix for free today → There are more types of website builders than most people realize, and picking the wrong one can cost you time, money and a lot of frustration. If you're planning to make a website, this guide is the one for you. We'll break down every major type, what each platform is best for and how to find the right one for you. Wix offers a powerful website builder. From beginner-friendly drag-and-drop website builders to developer-focused frameworks, you'll walk away knowing exactly what's out there and where to start. Learn more: how to make a website. TL;DR: what are the different types of website builders? What is a website builder? A website builder is a platform or tool that lets you create a website without starting from scratch. Some are designed as AI website builders that automate the entire building process. Your approach to how to choose a website builder depends on your technical skills, budget and the type of website you want to create. Type Best for Technical level Drag-and-drop builders Beginners, small businesses Low CMS platforms Blogs, content-heavy sites Low to medium eCommerce builders Online stores Low to medium Open-source builders Custom builds, developers High AI website builders Fast setup, simple sites Very low Offline website builders Sites built without internet Medium to high Building a website for your business, passion project or side hustle should feel simple and exciting. Wix generates a personalized starting point with AI. You can customize every detail with intuitive drag-and-drop tools, while Wix handles the tricky parts to make building your site simple. That way, you can focus on what matters most: bringing your ideas to life. Ready to get started? Create your website today. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. What is a website builder? A website builder is a tool that helps you design, build and publish a website, without needing to write code from scratch. If you're new to building websites, understanding why use a website builder can help you see how these platforms simplify the process. Some website builders are fully visual, letting you drag and drop elements onto a page, others give you more control over the code underneath. The best website builders depend on what you're making. For example, a portfolio website will have different elements than an eCommerce website. Understanding the varying types available makes it much easier to choose wisely. Explore some of the most popular website builder options: Best AI website builders Free website builders Easiest website builders What are the different types of website builders? Drag-and-drop website builders Hybrid website builders Content management systems Ecommerce website builders Open-source website builders AI website builders Offline website builders 01. Drag-and-drop website builders Drag-and-drop website builders are designed for simplicity. They let you visually arrange elements like text, images and buttons without writing a single line of code. These builders are perfect for beginners or anyone who wants a website up and running quickly. Key features: Fully visual editing with pre-made layouts Customizable website templates Built-in website hosting and basic SEO tools Best for: a small business website, creatives, personal sites, portfolios, landing pages. Pro tip: Platforms like Wix offer drag-and-drop builders where everything you need: templates, hosting and SEO features are already built in, making getting online simpler than ever. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. 02. Hybrid website builders A hybrid website builder combines the ease of drag-and-drop editors with the flexibility of more advanced tools. For example, platforms like Wix Harmony and its AI agent Aria allow you to quickly create designs while also leveraging AI suggestions to optimize layout, content and SEO. Wix Harmony is powered by Aria, an agentic AI trained on millions of real Wix websites. Key features: Visual drag-and-drop editor plus code access AI-assisted content and web design tools Scalable for both small projects and growing websites Best for: Users who want a fast, intuitive start but also need advanced customization. Hybrid builders are ideal if you want a fast start but also plan to scale, customize or integrate advanced functionality later. 03. Content management systems Content management systems (CMS) give you more control over your website’s structure and content. Popular examples include Wix, WordPress and Joomla. The best content management systems are especially useful if you want to create a blog, news site or larger website that requires frequent content updates. Key features: Template-based or fully custom themes Plugins and extensions for extra functionality Role-based content management Best for: Bloggers, publishers and large content-focused sites. Learn more: Is Wix a CMS? Website builder vs CMS Wix headless CMS What is CMS in web design? 04. Ecommerce website builders Ecommerce website builders focus on online stores, helping you sell products directly from your website. These platforms usually include tools for accepting online payments, inventory management and shipping integrations. Key features: Ecommerce dropshipping Print on demand services Ecommerce subscription platform Best for: Entrepreneurs launching online stores. If you’re launching an online store, builders with eCommerce fetures simplify the process of creating a professional, secure shopping experience without needing extensive technical expertise. Learn more about eCommerce: How to make an eCommerce website How much does an eCommerce website cost? Ecommerce website design AI eCommerce builder 05. Open-source website builders Open-source website builders give you full control over your site’s code. Key features: Full access to source code Community-driven plugins and extensions Self-hosted for maximum control Best for: Developers, agencies, complex or highly customized websites. The trade-off here is control vs. convenience. You get more power, but you're also responsible for hosting, security and updates. 06. AI website builders AI website builders use artificial intelligence to speed up the design process. These platforms can generate layouts, suggest content and even optimize your site for SEO automatically. Key features: AI-generated layouts and content suggestions Automated SEO and performance optimization Fast setup with minimal manual editing Best for: Users who want a professional-looking website quickly Pro tip: Wix's AI tools, for example, can generate a complete website, including text and images, based on your answers to a few simple questions. Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time. Learn more about AI: What is the Wix AI website builder? Traditional vs AI website builder AI prompts for building a website How does an AI website builder work? 07. Offline website builders Offline website builders let you design your website on your computer without needing an internet connection. Once your site is ready, you can publish it to a hosting provider. Key features: Build locally on your desktop Drag-and-drop or template-based editing Export and publish to any hosting provider Best for: Developers who prefer working offline or those with unreliable internet connections. Benefits of using a website builder Website builders remove most of the traditional barriers to getting online. Here's why so many people use them: Speed You can go from zero to a live website in a matter of hours, not weeks. Find out more: how long does it take to build a website and how do people make websites so quickly Affordability Most website builders are significantly cheaper than hiring a developer to build a custom site. Learn more: how much does a website cost? Flexibility Modern builders come with hundreds of templates and customization options, so your site can still feel unique. Built-in tools Hosting, security, SEO settings and analytics are often included, so there's no need to manage separate services. Learn more: what is web hosting? Ease of updates Once your site is live, making changes is straightforward. Add a blog post, update your pricing page or swap out photos without touching a line of code. According to recent data, there are over 1.3 billion websites on the internet, and a significant portion were built using website builders. It's a proven, reliable approach for individuals and businesses alike. Explore more website design ideas. "What often gets forgotten when talking about choosing a website builder is the capabilities of the infrastructure that’s promised to you - the reliability of the hosting, the level of security in place to protect your visitors’ data and, of course, your site's speed. Even if infrastructure is not the first thought that comes to mind when creating a website, if it’s not robust enough, it can cause major headaches for website owners when trying to scale a website later on." - Esin D. Habif, Product Marketing Lead (Outbound) at Wix Limitations to keep in mind Website builders solve most of the hard parts of getting online but they do come with a few tradeoffs worth knowing upfront. Many platforms tie you to their ecosystem so migrating your site to a different builder later can be more complex than starting fresh. Highly custom design or unusual functionality may bump against the edges of what a builder supports requiring workarounds or custom code on the platforms that allow it. AI-generated sites can feel generic if you don't personalize them with your own copy images and brand voice. Performance and SEO control depend on the platform you choose so check that the builder gives you control over meta tags structured data image optimization and page speed. For most users especially those launching their first site these tradeoffs are well worth the time and complexity you save. For larger or more complex projects with strict design or scalability requirements they're worth weighing carefully against custom development. How to get started with the Wix website builder Wix is one of the most versatile options available, whether you're building a personal blog, a business site or a full eCommerce store. Wix Harmony pairs vibe coding with Aria, an AI assistant that can build and manage sites end-to-end. Here's how to get started: Sign up for a free Wix account Sign up for a free account at wix.com. No credit card required to get started. Choose how you want to build You can use the drag-and-drop editor to customize a template or let Wix's AI generate a site for you based on a few questions. Pick a template Pick a template from over 2,000 professionally designed options, organized by industry and site type. Explore templates by industry: Blog website templates Website design templates Landing page website templates Photography website templates Online store website templates Portfolio website templates Wedding website templates Customize your site Add your content, adjust the layout, upload images and connect your own domain name. Learn more about how to buy a domain name and connect your domain name with Wix. Set up your features Add a blog, online store, booking system, contact forms or any of the hundreds of apps available through the Wix App Market. Publish and go live Once you're happy with how everything looks, hit publish. Your site is live and accessible to anyone online. You can start on a free plan and upgrade when you're ready for a custom domain, more storage or advanced features. Explore the best website builders: Best hotel website builders Best resume website builders Best restaurant website builders Best real estate website builders Best website builders for writers Best website builders for designers Best one page website builders Find your fit and start building The best website builder is the one that matches your goals, your budget and how you like to work. A blogger has different needs than a shop owner; a developer has different priorities than someone building their first site. If you're starting out, a drag-and-drop builder like Wix covers most use cases, from simple portfolios to full online stores, without requiring you to learn a new skill set. Start with a free account, explore the templates and see what's possible. Ready to start your website? Try Wix for free → How to choose the right type of website builder for you The right type of website builder depends on three things: your technical comfort level, what you actually need the site to do and how fast you want to be live. If you're starting your first website with no coding experience an AI website builder or drag-and-drop website builder will get you online fastest with the best-looking result. If you're running a content-heavy site like a blog or news publication a CMS gives you the publishing tools and templates built for that workflow. If you're selling products an eCommerce-focused builder with payment processing inventory tracking and shipping integrations built in is the right call from day one. If you're a developer or have complex custom requirements an open-source builder gives you full code control but you handle hosting and security yourself. For most users the best path is a hybrid builder that combines AI generation drag-and-drop editing and built-in business tools so you get a fast start without locking yourself out of advanced features as you grow. What are the different types of website builders? FAQ Which type of website builder is best for beginners? Drag-and-drop builders are the most beginner-friendly option. Platforms like Wix let you build a professional-looking site without any technical background. AI-powered builders take it a step further by doing most of the initial setup for you, based on a few prompts. Learn more about Wix: Wix vs Hostinger Wix vs Shopify Wix vs Squarespace Wix vs Webflow Can I switch website builders after I've already built my site? Technically yes, but it's rarely straightforward. Most platforms don't offer a direct export-and-import feature between competitors, so migrating usually means rebuilding parts of your site manually. It's worth taking time to choose the right platform upfront rather than switching later. Are free website builders worth using? Free plans are a great way to test a platform before committing. However, most come with limitations, like a subdomain instead of a custom URL, or ads on your site. Even so, they're perfectly fine for personal projects or early-stage testing. For a business or professional site, a paid plan is usually worth the investment. Free website builders like Wix offer customizable website templates across niche industries, making it easy to get online fast. What type of website builder is best for an online store? Dedicated eCommerce builders like Shopify or BigCommerce are built specifically for selling at scale. That said, platforms like Wix offer solid eCommerce features for small to mid-sized stores, often at a lower price point and with more design flexibility.

Create your website in minutes with Wix’s AI website builder → Building a website used to be complicated: coding skills, design know-how and endless trial and error. However AI website builders have completely changed the game, automating the website building process so you can focus on your ideas and business goals instead of the technical details. No matter if you're a beginner, freelancer, small business or eCommerce seller, an AI website builder helps you launch a professional site quickly with minimal effort. Wix offers a powerful website builder. TL;DR: how does an AI website builder work AI website builders make creating a website simple and efficient. You’ll answer a few questions about your site, industry and style and the AI generates a tailored website just for you. It puts together design, layout and content suggestions into a ready-to-edit site. An AI website maker does away with the challenges of traditional design. You don't need to manually place elements or worry about responsiveness or SEO because the AI creates a functional, optimized and visually balanced site. You’ll save time and get a consistent design across every page. Wix’s AI website builder creates a personalized professional site in minutes and handles design, SEO and content for you. It gives you full control to customize while making website creation smooth, intuitive and effortless. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. In this article you'll learn: How AI automates design, content, SEO and mobile optimization Tips for customizing your site and making instant redesigns AI features, built-in tools and adaptive learning Who benefits most from AI website builders Common limitations to watch for How to build a website with Wix AI What is an AI website builder An AI website builder is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to automatically create a website for you. Instead of picking a website template and adding your content by hand like you would with traditional builders, an AI builder asks you a few questions and instantly creates a fully structured site. This makes it super simple for anyone to get a professional-looking website or online store up and running. Based on your answers, the AI will suggest layouts, color schemes, fonts and page structures that fit your industry and business goals. It even writes headings, subheadings and text for you, which makes creating your website a whole lot faster. Before you know it, you’ll have a complete website that’s ready for you to add your personal touch or publish right away. AI website builders are all about getting your site up and running fast. They’re so easy to use that anyone can turn an idea into a live website in just a few minutes. Plus you still have total freedom to customize the content, images, colors and features to make it your own. Learn more: What is the Wix AI website builder? An AI website builder helps you create a professional personalized website in minutes without any coding skills. It suggests layouts, content and design elements based on your preferences while giving you full control to tweak pages, colors and features. The technology behind an AI website builder AI website builders are powered by a stack of artificial intelligence technologies working together behind the scenes. Natural language processing or NLP is the layer that reads and understands your input whether that's a short prompt about your business or your answers to setup questions. Large language models trained on millions of website examples then translate that input into a site structure with sections content and copy that fit your industry. Machine learning is what makes the system get smarter over time as it analyzes which design patterns convert well and which layouts users keep versus edit. On top of these layers AI image and visual generation tools select or create graphics that match your brand and rule-based design engines enforce responsive design standards so the result actually works across desktop tablet and phone. You do not need to understand any of this to use an AI website builder but knowing what is happening under the hood helps you write better prompts and trust the output. How AI builds your website Building your website with AI starts with a few simple questions. First, the AI will ask about what you need your site to do, whether it’s for a portfolio, blog, online store or business. Then, you’ll share your preferred styles, functionality needs and target audience. With your answers, the AI can get to work creating a website design that’s right for you. After you’ve answered the questions, the AI produces a complete layout with suggested sections, pages and features. It chooses color schemes, fonts and images that create a professional visual style. This frees you up from design guesswork, so you can focus on your content and what your site will do. AI website builder also optimizes your site for you. It makes your website mobile-friendly, responsive and structured for search engines. This step is super important for eCommerce stores or business sites because it handles the initial SEO setup and makes sure visitors have a smooth experience on any device. Learn more: Best AI website builders Traditional vs AI website builders Mistakes to avoid when using an AI website builder Customization and control with an AI website builder Even though AI handles the initial build, you stay in control of every aspect of the site. Drag-and-drop website editors, like Wix, let you change text, images, colors and page layout. You can adjust suggested sections or add new ones without starting from scratch. This blend of automation and flexibility is what makes AI website builders so powerful. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. AI platforms make instant redesigns possible. If you’re not happy with the generated layout or want to try alternatives, you can regenerate designs in seconds. This is especially helpful for portfolio websites where presentation impacts how your work is perceived. The ability to experiment without rebuilding saves time. Finally, AI keeps learning from your edits. Some platforms adjust their recommendations based on changes you make to improve future suggestions. This ongoing feedback loop makes the builder smarter and more responsive, helping you create a site that matches your vision more closely with each iteration. Wix Harmony is powered by Aria, an agentic AI trained on millions of real Wix websites. The newest AI website builders let you make changes through natural language prompts not just drag-and-drop. Wix Harmony is built for this style of work, sometimes called vibe coding. You can ask Aria, the AI agent inside Wix Harmony, to make changes like "make the homepage hero section darker and add a testimonials block below it" and the changes happen across the right pages without you opening each one. This shortcut is especially valuable for repetitive design changes brand updates and bigger restructuring tasks that would otherwise take a long time to do manually. Learn about Wix Harmony, Wix’s AI vibe coding website builder: What is Wix Harmony? How much does Wix Harmony cost? Why use Wix Harmony? AI website builder vs traditional website builder The biggest difference between an AI website builder and a traditional one comes down to where the work starts. Traditional builders give you a blank canvas or a template you select then ask you to handle every design decision yourself: pick fonts arrange sections write copy choose images set up SEO and configure mobile views. An AI website builder shortcuts most of that. You answer a few questions or describe what you want and the AI generates a complete structured site in minutes. Traditional builders offer slightly more granular control from the start which matters for users with strong design instincts and unique requirements. AI builders get you to a working site dramatically faster and give you the same drag-and-drop refinement tools to fine-tune the result afterward. For most non-technical business owners freelancers and creators the AI approach produces better results in less time. For teams with dedicated designers or strict pixel-level brand guidelines the traditional approach still offers more ceiling. The newest AI website builders combine both approaches in one platform so you do not have to choose. Key features of AI website builders AI website builders take traditional platforms a step further by automating tasks that you’d normally have to set up yourself. They save time, lower the learning curve and help anyone create a professional website quickly. Here’s what you can expect: Personalized layouts AI website builders get to know your business by asking about your goals industry and style. Then, the AI creates a custom website layout just for you. It considers your page structure, navigation flow, spacing and visual hierarchy to build a site that looks professional and guides visitors intuitively. This approach saves you hours of work while still letting you tweak colors, fonts, images and section placement to make the website feel like your own. Even complex layouts for things like portfolios, service pages or multi-product pages are automatically structured for clarity and impact. You can also use an AI portfolio generator to create a tailored portfolio effortlessly. Smart content suggestions Based on your business type goals and audience an AI website builder can generate headings subheadings paragraphs and calls-to-action that fit naturally within each page. For example it might suggest sections for service descriptions or “About Me” content for a personal site. It can also recommend how your content should flow making sure important information appears where visitors expect it improving readability and engagement. This tool helps beginners avoid the guesswork of what to write while giving experienced users new ideas and inspiration for professional well-structured pages. Over time AI can even refine suggestions based on your edits making your content smarter and more aligned with your brand voice. Automatic SEO and mobile optimization AI website builders take care of SEO and mobile responsiveness so you can focus on content and design. They generate meta tags, headings, alt text for images and structured data automatically, helping search engines understand your site and rank it better. On mobile, the AI adjusts layouts, font sizes, button placement and image scaling to ensure a smooth, responsive experience across all devices. This removes the need for manual coding or plugin setup, cutting down errors and saving time. Built-in eCommerce, booking and marketing tools AI website builders come equipped with integrated tools that make launching and managing your website seamless. For online stores, the AI can set up product pages, categorize items, suggest pricing layouts and even optimize product descriptions and images for better sales performance. Service-based businesses can benefit from automated booking systems that let clients schedule appointments directly on your site, while the AI ensures the workflow is smooth and user-friendly. On the marketing side, built-in features handle email campaigns, social media integration and promotional pop-ups, all configured to work together without extra plugins. Learn more: How to make a website with AI AI prompts for website building AI vs. template: which should I use to create my website? An AI eCommerce website builder quickly creates a tailored online store by asking a few questions about your products and brand. It suggests layouts, product pages and content while optimizing SEO and mobile performance. Built-in tools for marketing, inventory and sales let you start selling immediately without technical setup. Quick iteration and redesign AI website builders let you experiment with your site’s design right away without starting over. You can test different layouts color schemes fonts and section arrangements and the AI will create new options in seconds. This flexibility is great for portfolios business sites or any project where looks matter helping you see what works best for your visitors. It also makes updates a breeze as your content or brand grows cutting down the time and effort of a redesign. Adaptive learning AI website builders with adaptive learning get smarter the more you use them. As you adjust layouts, add content, change colors or move sections around, the AI learns your style. Soon, it will start giving you better suggestions for layouts, headings, page structures and content that fit your vision. This speeds up future edits and keeps your site looking sharp and consistent. Wix Harmony pairs vibe coding with Aria, an AI assistant that can build and manage sites end-to-end. How to build a website with Wix's AI website builder Building a website with Wix's AI website builder is simple fast and fun. The platform will ask you a few questions about your business type goals design preferences and what you want your site to do. Then the AI will create a personalized website layout for you with suggested pages sections colors and fonts. Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time. After that you can search for and buy a domain name right from your dashboard giving your website a professional web address. Wix also gives you secure website hosting so your site runs smoothly and loads quickly plus a business email setup so you can manage communications with a branded address. Once the AI generates your site use the Wix editor to make it your own. Add images edit text tweak layouts and experiment with colors or fonts. You can instantly generate alternative designs to explore multiple options without starting over. Built-in tools for SEO marketing bookings and eCommerce are ready to use helping your site perform well from day one. After making your final adjustments your website is ready to publish and share with the world fully optimized and business-ready. Learn more: How to make your own website Who can benefit from using an AI website builder AI website builders are designed for anyone who wants to go online quickly without technical expertise. Small business owners benefit from launching a professional website fast, freelancers can showcase portfolios without hiring a designer, and bloggers can start creating content immediately. eCommerce sellers can set up online stores with ready-to-use templates and integrated tools. Because AI reduces the learning curve, even beginners can create a polished site without prior experience. At the same time, the AI website builder remains useful for more advanced users, who can customize every element or integrate additional tools. The AI makes it faster to reach a professional result while keeping options open for deeper customization if needed. Get inspired by AI website examples Limitations to keep in mind AI website builders are powerful but they do have their limits. Generated designs can look generic if you don’t customize them. Some advanced features like complex integrations or custom scripts may still need a little hands-on work. Since the AI guides your design and layout, it might feel a bit restrictive if you want a completely out-of-the-box design. Despite these points, the speed, efficiency and professional results you get from AI website builders make them a great choice for most people. They're especially helpful if you value time, simplicity and an easy way to get your site up and running without compromising on design quality. How does an AI website builder work FAQ How does AI build a website for you? AI website builders start by asking a few simple questions about your business, style preferences and website goals. Using your answers, the AI generates a full site complete with layouts, color schemes, fonts and even suggested content. It can also create headings, paragraphs and call-to-action prompts tailored to your needs. The result is a ready-to-edit website that you can customize further in a drag-and-drop editor. Are AI website builders worth it? Yes, AI website builders are worth it if you want to create a professional site fast. They automate design, content suggestions, SEO setup and mobile optimization to save you time. Even pros can benefit from a quicker setup and instant redesign options. While they can't replace a developer for complex projects, they provide an efficient starting point for most websites. How much does an AI website builder cost? The cost will depend on the platform and plan you choose. Many AI builders have free basic plans with limited features. Premium plans usually range from $10–$30 a month and give you more tools, templates and integrations. Some advanced tools for things like eCommerce or marketing might only be part of higher-tier plans. How long does it take to build a website using AI? With AI you can go from an idea to a fully structured website in minutes. After you answer a few questions about your business and preferences the AI-generated site is ready almost instantly. Customizing content, images and layouts might take more time depending on how detailed you want to get. Is it legal to use AI to create a website? Yes using AI to create a website is legal. AI tools will create designs and content based on your answers and you own the finished site and anything you publish on it. That said make sure that any images text or other media suggested by the AI are properly licensed or free to use. Do AI website builders write code? Most AI builders don't actually write raw HTML/CSS from scratch every time. Instead, they have a massive library of pre-designed components (like a gallery or a contact form). The AI website builder acts like a super-fast architect that selects the best components and stitches them together instantly. Are websites made with an AI website builder unique? While the underlying components might be used elsewhere, the combination is often always unique. Advanced AI website builders, like Wix, also generate custom graphics and layouts that didn't exist before, making it much harder to find a duplicate website. Can websites created with an AI website builder be customized and edited? Almost all AI website builders, like Wix, give you a hybrid website building experience. You can let the AI do the 90% heavy lifting, then use a traditional drag-and-drop editor to move a photo 5 pixels to the left or change a specific word.

Get started with Wix print-on-demand Your print-on-demand (POD) partner can either help your business thrive or stop it in its tracks. Late shipping, inconsistent print quality, limited product options or slow support all add up fast—and your customers will notice. You need a partner that fits how you work, from turnaround times to customer service and product range. To help you skip the trial and error, here’s a list of top print-on-demand platforms plus practical tips to help you choose the best one for your business. Start a print-on-demand store without inventory or shipping. Choose products, add your designs and launch a fully customizable Wix store with seamless Printful integration. Manage your business with built-in AI, marketing tools and one powerful dashboard. TL;DR: best print-on-demand companies Choosing the right POD partner is about finding one that fits your business needs and offers quality products, reliable fulfillment and great support. Every platform has its own product range pricing, branding options and shipping capabilities. You'll learn: What print-on-demand companies are The best POD platforms and their perks How to choose the right POD partner for your business A look into how POD production and fulfillment work Tips for profitability and common challenges Branding copyright and integration options What are print-on-demand companies? Print-on-demand (POD) companies are businesses that facilitate the printing and shipping of custom products without requiring businesses to hold any inventory. They provide a convenient and cost-effective solution for individuals and businesses to create and sell personalized products without the upfront costs of printing and storage. Top print-on-demand companies Modalyst Printful Printify PrintKK Gelato Podbase Artelo Gooten CustomCat Redbubble JetPrint Society6 Zazzle Printy6 01. Modalyst Rated the top dropshipping software by Fast Company, Forbes and others, Modalyst is a longstanding leader with newly minted print-on-demand capabilities. Its POD capabilities, powered by Kornit, are dedicated to supporting sustainable practices and still ensuring high-quality, on-demand prints. It flaunts a wide range of products and suppliers, including brand names and can accommodate fast domestic shipping across the U.S. and Europe. Today, Modalyst serves more than 350,000 eCommerce stores. It was acquired by Wix in 2021 and integrates directly with any Wix eCommerce store. Product selection: Modalyst offers an impressive selection of print-on-demand business ideas and products, including home accessories, clothes, pet toys, accessories, jewelry, makeup and purses. Get access to high-quality (and highly vetted) suppliers that can ship orders to your customers quickly and reliably. Pricing: Modalyst’s free plan includes unlimited orders and access to all of its core platform features. However, you will be limited to non-premium suppliers and 25 products. A Start Up plan at $35/month raises the product limit to 250. The Pro plan at $90/month will let you work with premium suppliers and benefit from shorter shipping times with no product limits. Production and fulfillment: Because Modalyst has so many products already in stock, it can fulfill most orders in one to two business days. Modalyst also works with a multitude of U.S. and E.U. suppliers that can also fulfill POD orders quickly. Special features: Supplier management tools, digital purchase orders, formatted product lists, branded invoices, seamless integration with Wix eCommerce Pros Access to both “ready to sell” and POD products on the same platform High-quality products from well-known, highly rated manufacturers One-click integration with many online stores, including Wix eCommerce Free plan available Cons Monthly plan required to take advantage of premium benefits Start your print-on-demand business with Wix. Choose products, add your designs and launch your fully branded store. Learn more: Clothing dropshipping Pet dropshipping Beauty dropshipping Jewelry dropshipping 02. Printful Another incumbent POD software, Printful prints its products in-house and prides itself on quality workmanship. With Printful, you get your own storefront. Printful additionally enables easy integration with platforms like Wix eCommerce and marketplaces like Etsy and eBay. You can choose from a wide variety of designs or make your own, using its graphic design, photography or video-making services as needed for self-publishing capabilities. Established businesses often prefer to have their own branding on products. Being geared toward entrepreneurs and businesses, Printful provides high-quality white label products with customization options for labeling and packaging. Product selection: Choose from hundreds of premium products across various categories, including apparel, phone cases, homeware and jewelry. Printful print-on-demand offers a line of eco-friendly products for consumers and merchants interested in sustainability and the environmental issues involved in retail businesses. Pricing: Printful is a free-to-use platform with no minimums. Products are priced per item, so you only pay for what you sell. You can use Printful’s helpful pricing calculator to decide which prices—and margins—will work best for your type of business. You can alternatively buy from Printful in bulk, should you prefer. Production and fulfillment: Printful offers warehousing services in addition to its POD/dropshipping services. POD products are shipped as quickly as two days for efficient logistics management. Meanwhile, its global network of in-house and partner facilities unlocks worldwide shipping at competitive rates. Special features: Creative services, white labeling, custom packaging, branded pack-ins, local fulfillment, product personalization tool Pros Bulk order and monthly volume discounts Eco-friendly products for niche markets In-house printing and high quality assurance Ready-made integration with Wix eCommerce and other online stores Pre-made designs and a mockup generator Cons Higher production fees than some other print-on-demand companies Narrower product line compared to some other print-on-demand services Creating and selling custom products has never been easier. With Wix’s on demand printing, powered by Printful, you can design and launch personalized apparel, accessories, home goods and more—made to suit any style, niche or need. No extra tools, no complex setup. Just pick a product, upload your design and start selling—all from your Wix dashboard. With seamless Printful integration, you get a streamlined way to build, brand and sell—without ever leaving Wix. 03. Printify Printify print-on-demand is another veteran in the game. They provide a large variety of custom-designed apparel, homeware and accessories, covering all classic print-on-demand products. You can also design your own products, maintaining ownership of your designs. Though Printify doesn’t offer you a storefront of your own on their site, it does integrate and automatically sync with online store platforms and marketplaces, including Wix eCommerce. As a platform that caters to business-minded designers and artists, Printify allows you to order samples of your custom products. This way, you can ensure you’re satisfied with the quality of both the products and printing before you dive in and start selling. Product selection: Printify offers more than 600 products, including a large variety of custom-designed apparel, homeware and accessories. Pricing: Printify’s free plan allows up to five online stores per account with unlimited designs and no minimums. Premium accounts go for $24.99/month and allow up to 10 stores with unlimited product designs and a 20% discount on all products. Enterprise accounts are reserved for merchants who receive more than 10,000 orders per day. Pricing is customized. At every tier, Printify gives you fixed prices for products and shipping, so you’ll always know your expenses and can price accordingly. Production and fulfillment: Printify lets you choose from multiple print providers worldwide, so you have more control over your margins and can reduce your risk of out-of-stocks. By choosing a printer that's located nearby your customers, you can benefit from fast shipping times. Printify additionally offers warehousing for any of your store's products, be it items manufactured by other POD platforms or local manufacturers. Special features: Global print network, Experts Program Pros Some of the lowest prices in the industry Bulk order discounts Easy integration with Wix eCommerce and other online stores Free design tools and mockup generator Cons Fewer branding options compared to some other POD companies Quality may vary depending on printer chosen Monthly subscription required if you have more than five online stores 04. PrintKK If you need a print-on-demand platform with a wide product selection, versatile pricing and worldwide fulfillment, PrintKK could be a good choice for you. This platform is built for sellers who want a wide product range and cost control, so you'll find it especially useful if you're testing different niches or managing multiple product lines. PrintKK connects directly with major eCommerce platforms like Wix eCommerce so you can sync products, manage orders and automate fulfillment without extra steps. It also supports integrations with other marketplaces, helping you sell across different channels from one backend. Product catalog: PrintKK has hundreds of customizable items in categories like apparel, accessories, home decor, drinkware, bags and seasonal products. The catalog has more niche items than most POD platforms like car accessories, pet products and specialty gifts. Pricing: You can sign up for free and start selling right away—no upfront cost required. PrintKK offers three membership options: the Free Plan ($0.00/month), the Basic Plan ($9.90/month) and the Pro Plan ($19.90/month). Paid plans unlock deeper discounts on branded products, more monthly AI tokens and bigger coupon savings. The more you sell, the more these perks can add up. Production and fulfillment: PrintKK teams up with manufacturers around the world, mostly in Asia, to keep your product costs down. Production usually takes a few days before your items are shipped. While they deliver worldwide, shipping might take a bit longer than with local companies. Special features: Bulk order discounts, a wide product variety, automated order syncing, global shipping support, member pricing tiers and custom branding options for packaging on select products. Pros Large and diverse product catalog including niche items Competitive base pricing with additional member discounts Easy integration with Wix eCommerce and other platforms Good option for testing new product ideas at a lower cost Cons Longer shipping times compared to local services Fewer built-in design tools than some other platforms 05. Gelato Gelato is a fast-growing print-on-demand company that’s designed to give eCommerce businesses a competitive differentiator: speed. It promises to deliver most orders within 72 hours, allowing businesses to compete with the likes of Amazon. A fully integrated solution for customized print products, Gelato is great for entrepreneurs, creators and even enterprises. Gelato fully integrates with multiple online stores, including Wix eCommerce and third-party marketplaces. Because it prides itself on its ability to facilitate local delivery, Gelato offers a more sustainable solution for artists and creators who are interested in reducing their overall carbon footprint. Product selection: Gelato offers more than 90 popular product types, including apparel, wall art, mugs, photo books and stationery. Pricing: Signup is free with no minimum purchase. You only pay for what you produce. However, Gelato’s product prices do not include shipping. On the other hand, Gelato’s subscription-based plans offer shipping discounts. For example, Gelato+ ($14.99.month) offers 30% off all standard shipping and 50% off shipping once you hit 50 orders a month. Gelato+ Gold ($999/year) offers three months of free global shipping, 30% off shipping for the first 49 orders/month and 50% off shipping for each order above 50/month. Production and fulfillment: Gelato offers local production with more than 100 print partners in 33 countries. Special features: Sandbox environment, 24/7 customer support, sustainable source materials, next-day production, 100% quality guarantee, prepaid wallets, white label payment solution, local currencies Pros Products produced locally and delivered within 72 hours Fully integrates with online stores and third-party marketplaces Intuitive design editor Cons Product prices don’t include shipping Need premium subscription to access special fonts and additional graphics or stock images 06. Podbase Podbase is a modern print-on-demand platform built for entrepreneurs who value speed, quality and control. Unlike many competitors that outsource fulfillment, Podbase manufactures every product in-house, ensuring consistent print quality and reliable delivery. With most orders shipped within 24 hours and a catalog focused on high-margin tech and lifestyle products, it’s quickly becoming a top choice for eCommerce brands. Podbase’s intuitive dashboard, live order tracking and Shopify integration make it easy to launch and scale your POD business without complex setups or hidden costs. Whether you’re selling custom phone cases, wall art or mugs, Podbase helps creators deliver premium products that stand out. Product selection: Podbase specializes in customizable tech accessories and giftable products, giving creators a fresh way to sell personalized everyday items through print-on-demand. Production and fulfillment: Podbase handles in-house production and fast global fulfillment, with integrations and automated workflows that make selling seamless from order to delivery. Special features: Podbase enhances your storefront with automated workflows, real-time tracking and custom branding options that help your products feel premium from purchase to delivery. Pros: Industry-leading 24-hour turnaround Consistent product quality and color accuracy Easy-to-use interface, ideal for new sellers Competitive margins (up to 100%) Excellent merchant support via live chat Cons: Smaller product catalog than all-purpose POD platforms Limited to tech accessories and lifestyle items 07. Artelo Artelo is a print-on-demand provider specializing in wall art. Unlike somePOD platforms that rely on third-party suppliers, Artelo works directly with artists as both the printer and software provider. This direct model can offer greater transparency and printing consistency, often leading to better pricing since no middlemen are involved. Artelo specializes in high-quality fine art printing, archival prints and custom framing, making it ideal for artists and photographers looking to sell museum-grade wall art. Artelo’s software platform is easy to use and integrates with various e-commerce channels, including Wix. With functionalities such as bulk listing creation, templates and in-app smart-object mockups, Artelo makes it easy to scale your listings. Product selection: Artelo offers dozens of paper and framing options for artists to create a broad range of art prints, posters, gallery art and wall art sets Production and fulfillment: Artelo’s production is in-house and made in the USA. Orders are typically processed within 1-2 business days and shipped directly to customers. Artelo ships internationally, but some regions like Asia and Australia have longer lead times. Special features: Artelo doubles as a wholesale platform where artists can fulfill bulk orders and stock up physical locations with retail-ready products. Artelo uniquely offers various gallery and wall art set configurations, allowing artists to broaden their art catalog. Pros Extensive wall art catalog with paper, framing and branding options. Premium materials options like fine art and giclée printing, glass covers and oak frames. Consistent color reproduction and affordable pricing. On-location customer support with account setup and migration support. Wholesale pricing and retail-ready packaging options. Cons Limited to wall art (no apparel or other categories) Slow shipping times to some countries and regions 08. Gooten Gooten bills itself as the perfect print-on-demand company for eCommerce brands that want to scale. On Gooten, you can sell your own designs or sell another artist's designs with his or her permission. It's possible to integrate Gooten with online stores. However, you may need a developer’s help to integrate using the Gooten API. With a simple user interface and automated order tracking solutions, Gooten is becoming a popular option among many merchants. It offers efficient production and shipping times and it’s gaining a reputation for quality packaging for fragile items like mugs, ceramics and glassware. Product selection: Gooten offers more than 150 product lines, including apparel, wall art, drinkware, homeware, stationery and products geared toward babies and pets. Pricing: Signup is free with zero membership, monthly or setup fees. You only pay when a customer places an order. Gooten does offer paid partnerships under its VIM (Very Important Merchant) loyalty program. These are paid programs with customized pricing, so you must talk to a sales representative at Gooten to activate them. Production and fulfillment: Gooten boasts more than 70 global routing locations, with an average of 1.7 production days and 3.8 shipping days. A majority of its products are printed in the U.S., although Gooten does offer international fulfillment options as well. Special features: Automated delivery system, global routing locations, VIM loyalty program (with access to solution consultants, reports and more) Pros Integrates with most major platforms Faster production and shipping times than some other print-on-demand companies Highly rated customer support Less than 2% error rate and 95% ship-on-time rate (source: Gooten About Us) Cons May need a developer to assist with integration to your online store Must contact sales to unlock premium features and packages 09. CustomCat CustomCat stands out in the print-on-demand market with its fast service and extensive product catalog. It caters to eCommerce professionals who wish to offer a diverse range of custom products to their clients, including apparel, home decor and accessories. CustomCat is known for its quick turnaround times, often fulfilling orders within two to three business days. This speed can be an advantage for retailers needing timely delivery. Moreover, CustomCat employs advanced printing techniques that ensure high-quality details in every item. Product selection: CustomCat offers a comprehensive catalog with over 550 unique products, including t-shirts, mugs, hats and other personalized goods. Pricing: The CustomCat Lite plan is free with small base pricing, while the CustomCat Pro plan incurs a monthly fee for discounted product access. Production and fulfillment: CustomCat operates out of its extensive facility in Detroit, ensuring rapid production and shipping. They adhere to a delivery timeline of three to five days within the U.S., making it one of the fastest options in the industry. Special features: Wholesale pricing options, built-in design tools, automated order processing and bulk order discounts Pros Extensive product catalog with a wide array of customization options Rapid fulfillment times, especially within the U.S. High-quality printing technologies ensuring detailed graphics Cons Additional fee required for access to discounted product prices Heavy focus on U.S. market might limit international reach 10. Redbubble Redbubble self-declares itself as the world's largest on-demand marketplace for independent artists. It offers its own marketplace and doesn’t integrate with other online stores or marketplaces. This may make Redbubble less appealing to those who already operate a store online or aspire to sell on multiple sales channels. However, if you’re an artist looking to sell custom merchandise, this platform may be perfectly suited for you. Redbubble provides you with your own storefront on the site, which you can customize to fit your brand. As a marketplace, Redbubble may help you get found by your first customers. You can upload your artwork and choose from a number of products. Once someone buys a product with your design, you get paid. You also maintain 100% ownership of your design. Note that Redbubble excludes some of the useful extras provided by other POD websites, such as graphic design services or a mockup generator. Product selection: Redbubble’s product catalog includes the most popular categories, including clothing, accessories, homeware and gifts. It is uniquely tailored towards those looking to make money as an artist. Pricing: Redbubble is free to join and lets you determine your own profit margins on top of a base price, which is set for each product. You get paid once a month as long as you’ve earned the minimum of $20. If you haven’t, your payment will carry over to the next month. Payments can be made to your bank account if you live in the U.S., UK or Australia—or via PayPal if your business is located elsewhere. Production and fulfillment: Redbubble ships worldwide and accepts free returns from its shoppers, akin to how other third-party marketplaces operate. Special features: Worldwide shipping, local 24/7 support and free shipping for Redbubble shoppers, marketplace that attracts more than 5.3 million unique shoppers Pros Well-liked by independent artists looking to sell custom merchandise Marketplace setup may make it easier to find customers You can determine your own profit margin Anti-piracy and watermark features to prevent stealing of designs Cons No integration with other online stores or marketplaces Does not include tools like graphic design services or mockup generators 11. JetPrint JetPrint has made a name for itself in the print-on-demand industry through its specialization in high-quality timepiece designs and diverse accessories. It's favored by eCommerce business owners looking to expand their product offerings with unique and customizable watches. Known for its efficiency, JetPrint offers competitive fulfillment times, often completing orders within three to five business days. This ensures that businesses can maintain prompt delivery schedules. The company employs precise printing techniques, ensuring vibrant and durable prints that satisfy customer expectations. Product selection: JetPrint offers a wide selection of timepieces with customizable designs, along with other accessories like bracelets and necklaces. Pricing: JetPrint provides a free app with no upfront costs, allowing merchants to begin selling without a financial commitment. Production and fulfillment: JetPrint manages fulfillment from its production facilities in China. The average production time is around three to five days, with shipping times ranging from seven to fifteen days, depending on the destination. Special features: Automatic order synchronization, extensive design templates, customizable labels and private branding options Pros Unique focus on custom timepieces and accessories Quick fulfillment times with competitive pricing Cons Product range is primarily focused on timepieces and accessories International shipping times can vary, potentially affecting delivery speed 12. Society6 Society6 differentiates itself from other print-on-demand sites by being all about the art and the artist. In addition to offering classic products that can be found on other POD services, they offer a wider range of printed art options, including frames and stretched canvases. The site also houses a vibrant community of artists, so you can engage and receive feedback from both creative peers and customers. Society6 operates as its own marketplace, without providing an integration with other online stores or marketplaces. When you sign up, you get your own shop on the site. You can customize your stores and upload your own designs. Though Society6 may use your artwork to promote their brand, you maintain ownership of it. Product selection: On Society6, you can sell wall art, home decor, apparel, tech and more. Marketplaces buyers can choose from a variety of canvas types and frames when buying printed artwork. Pricing: Society6 is free to use. However, you have less control over pricing than with some other print-on-demand companies. Society6 sets the retail price and you get 10% of that price when your products sell. This excludes printed art, for which you can set your own profit margin. Artists get paid via PayPal on the first of each month, with a 30-day clearance period, so you’ll receive your payment one to two months after you make a sale. Production and fulfillment: Society6 lists its U.S. shipping times as five to 10 business days (standard), two to three business days (expedited) or one to two business days (rush). This is in addition to a standard production time of three to four business days for most items. Special features: Community of more than 350,000 independent artists, brand collaboration network Pros Great for emerging new artists Gives your artwork visibility to other shoppers on the marketplace. Offers networking opportunities available through online community of artists Cons No integration with other online stores or marketplaces Less control over profits due to fixed commission rate 13. Zazzle Zazzle differentiates itself by offering greater personalization options compared to other platforms. For example, once selecting your design, shoppers themselves can decide on the product's color, material and style prior to purchasing. Like others mentioned above, Zazzle is a print-on-demand marketplace. That means it doesn’t integrate with third-party marketplaces and online stores. Upon signing up for the marketplace, you’ll be asked whether you’re one of the following roles: Designer - You plan on uploading your designs and dropshipping them via the platform. Maker (by invitation only) - You plan on selling your own manufactured goods that can be customized and purchased through Zazzle. You handle production and shipping. Both designers and makers retain ownership of their designs. Zazzle additionally offers an associates program, where you can earn a percentage of sales when you promote Zazzle products on your blog or other channel. Product selection: Zazzle offers a variety of personalized gifts, custom products and digital design options. It’s a good outlet for eCommerce business owners who sell products geared toward corporate fundraisers, weddings or birthday parties. Pricing: Signup is free. Designers can set their prices at 5% to 99% above Zazzle’s base price. Associates receive a 15% commission on sales made through their affiliate marketing efforts. Payouts are issued on the first of every month with a 30-day clearance period. Production and fulfillment: Zazzle promises four to seven business days for standard shipping and two to three business days for premium shipping. Special features: Associates program, lots of personalization options for Zazzle customers, marketplace that attracts 30 million customers Pros High levels of personalization for the end buyer Unique products geared toward specific audiences Officially licensed products from large brands like Disney Cons No integration with third-party marketplaces or online stores 14. Printy6 When it comes to print-on-demand companies, you could say that Printy6 puts its best foot forward. While it’s well known for its apparel products, it’s most popular among eCommerce merchants who want to sell custom sneakers, boots and other footwear. Printy6 integrates with many online stores, including Wix eCommerce stores, through a free app. It’s known for offering competitive pricing, with many products priced cheaper than you’d find on other print-on-demand sites. It uses high-quality fabrics and an environmentally friendly printing process, plus offers a money-back guarantee if you run into quality issues. More than 300,000 merchants partner with Printy6. Product selection: Printy6 offers a wide range of apparel products, from shirts and hoodies to shoes and leggings. Pricing: The Printy6 app is free to use, with no minimums required. Production and fulfillment: Printy6 ships internationally to more than 230 countries. Most of their products are shipped from Eastern Asia, which may create longer fulfillment times compared with other print-on-demand companies. However, according to the Printy6 website, the company is building warehouses in Europe and the U.S. Average production time takes between two to five days, while delivery time ranges from 10 to 20 days. Special features: Real-time transaction monitoring, forecasting tools, bulk purchase discounts, money-back guarantee for quality issues Pros Easy online store integration via a free app Cheaper product prices compared to other print-on-demand companies Customizable brand packaging Cons Product selection is more limited than other print-on-demand sites Longer fulfillment times compared to other print-on-demand companies How to pick the right print-on-demand company Choosing a print-on-demand partner is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when starting an eCommerce business. Be sure to give yourself the time you need to conduct thorough enough research. Some questions to consider as you weigh the best print-on-demand companies include: How good is the print quality? Can I sell my POD products via my online store and all my preferred channels? Do they offer a variety of products? For example, do they offer products such as apparel, home decor, wall art and stationary? How much do they charge for shipping? Will they ship internationally? Where are fulfillment centers located? How much are shipping and production costs? How fast can they produce products? How fast can they ship products? Do they charge a subscription fee? How will that fee impact my profit margins? How long will it take for me to get paid? Do they have a tool that lets me easily design products? Can I customize my products the way I want? Do they offer eco-friendly products? Do they use sustainable or organic printing practices? Do they charge order minimums? Do their products match what my target market is looking for? What about content infringement issues with print-on-demand? Do they control the copyright and handle royalty payments? Is upselling an option with print-on-demand? Can they manage private label print-on-demand items? Are pre-orders an option? How printing on demand works Print-on-demand sites let you customize white label products with your own designs. Popular print-on-demand business ideas include starting a t-shirt business, selling bags, mugs, books and other popular POD products. Simply upload your designs, connect your POD service of choice with your eCommerce website template and you’re ready to start selling - and remember, you still control the point of sale. One of the great things with many print-on-demand services is that they also operate as dropshipping platforms. That means you can sell your custom merchandise on a per-order basis, without needing to invest huge amounts. To make things even more convenient, these services often also handle order fulfillment and shipping for you, making the entire process as hands-off as possible. Most on-demand printing websites are free to join. You only pay when you generate an order. However, some POD companies have started to introduce premium tiers with monthly subscription fees that give you added benefits, such as shipping discounts or added graphic design capabilities. There are two main types of print-on-demand companies: Print-on-demand marketplaces Sites like Redbubble, Zazzle and Society6 that will add your customized products to their websites. You then earn a commission on each sale, often between 10% to 15%. A print-on-demand marketplace is a good choice if you don’t want to build your own online store. However, selling on a marketplace also means you’re selling your goods alongside those from multiple other vendors, increasing the competition level you’ll face. Print-on-demand services This includes names like Modalyst, Printful and Printify, which allow you to sell your products on your own online store and/or third-party marketplaces. In this model, you pay the print-on-demand service for the costs of creating and shipping your product. You then keep the profits from the sale, minus whatever platform and marketplace fees you may owe. A print-on-demand service is a wise choice for eCommerce business owners who already have an online store and want to expand their product offerings. Ready to get started? Kick your print-on-demand business into high gear with Wix's print-on-demand solution. How to choose a print-on-demand company There are many print-on-demand (POD) companies available, so it can be difficult to choose the best one for your needs. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision: Products: What products do you want to sell? Not all POD companies offer the same products, so it's important to find one that has the products you think you can sell. Prices: POD companies charge different prices for their products and services. It's important to compare prices before making a decision. Ease of use: How easy is it to use the company's platform? Do you need any technical skills? If you're not tech-savvy, you'll want to choose a company with a user-friendly platform. Quality: The quality of the products is also important. Make sure to read reviews to see what other people have said about the quality of the products from each company. Custom branding: Custom branding options can greatly enhance your brand identity. Check if the POD company offers customizable packaging, labels and branding. This personal touch can improve customer experience and boost brand loyalty and recognition. Shipping: How long does it take for the company to ship products? What are the shipping costs? It's important to factor in shipping time and costs when making your decision. Customer service: How good is the customer service? If you have any problems, you want to be able to get help quickly and easily. Print-on-demand sites vs. print-on-demand companies Print-on-demand sites and print-on-demand companies are terms often used interchangeably, but they refer to different aspects of the print-on-demand (POD) business model. Let's clarify between the two: Print-on-demand companies Definition: These are businesses or service providers that offer print-on-demand services. They handle the printing, manufacturing and shipping processes for custom products based on customer orders. Role: Print-on-demand companies serve as the production and fulfillment partners for individuals or businesses that want to sell custom-designed products without managing inventory. Print-on-demand sites Definition: These refer to the online platforms or websites where customers can create and design custom products using the services of print-on-demand companies. Role: Print-on-demand sites act as the storefronts where customers can choose products, customize designs and place orders. These sites facilitate the integration between customers and the production capabilities of print-on-demand companies. Is print-on-demand profitable, can I make money from it? As a business idea print-on-demand definitely has the potential to be profitable but it's not a guaranteed money-maker. It can be profitable because of its: Low startup costs: There's no need to buy inventory upfront, which is a huge advantage when it comes to the funds needed to get a business up and running. Often the funds needed to stock inventory are off putting. Scalability: You can easily scale your business as demand grows by selling more or different items. Flexibility: It's possible to sell a wide range of products, designs and niches to appeal to different customers. However as with any business, profit is not always a given. When working with print-on-demand make sure to keep in mind your: Profit margins: Margins can be thin, especially if you're selling highly competitive items or using certain print providers. Marketing and promotion: You'll need to invest in marketing and advertising to get customers. This can take both time and money - from creating a website, to running ads. Competition: The print-on-demand market is becoming more saturated, so standing out is crucial. This can be on quality of your products, price or your customer service. As with any business, with print-on-demand it's important to hone in on a specific market or product category you're passionate about. It should be a priority to create unique and attractive designs that resonate with your target audience and encourage repeat customers, as well as word of mouth reviews. Don't neglect your pricing strategy as you'll need to balance being competitive with making a profit. Market, market and market your business. Print-on-demand companies FAQ What are some pitfalls to avoid when choosing a print-on-demand company? Beware of hidden fees, opaque pricing structures, poor customer service, slow turnaround times, subpar print quality, limited product selection and lack of transparency in production and shipping processes. Research carefully and choose a reputable company with clear policies and a strong track record. How to make sure my print-on-demand company provides quality products? You should request samples before committing to bulk orders, read customer reviews and testimonials, ask about quality control measures, inquire about printing processes and materials used and consider ordering a few test products to assess quality firsthand. Don't hesitate to ask questions of the company and its current customers and ensure you're confident in the company's ability to deliver on its promises. Can I use copyrighted designs on POD products? No, you cannot use copyrighted designs on POD products without permission. Doing so is illegal and can result in: 1. Legal action from copyright owners 2. Account suspension by POD platforms 3. Financial penalties 4. Damage to your business reputation Always use original designs or properly licensed artwork for your POD products. Can I brand my POD products with my own logo? Yes, most POD companies allow branding products with your own logo. This typically includes: 1. Adding your logo to the product design 2. Customizing packaging materials 3. Using branded packing slips Some may offer white-label services for a more seamless brand experience. However, options can vary between providers, so check specific company policies. Do POD companies integrate with eCommerce platforms? Yes, many POD companies integrate with e-commerce platforms, including Wix. Wix offers built-in integration with Printful, a popular POD service. This allows Wix users to easily: 1. Connect their Wix store to Printful 2. Add POD products to their Wix site 3. Automate order fulfillment 4. Sync inventory and pricing What is white-label print-on-demand? White-label print-on-demand is a business model where companies sell custom-designed products like clothing and home decor without managing inventory or shipping. They partner with a print-on-demand provider who handles production and fulfillment, delivering the items under the company's brand. Do you need a license for print-on-demand? Most businesses, including print-on-demand, generally require a basic business license. If you’re selling online, you might also need a sales tax permit. Requirements vary by region, so check local regulations or consult a legal professional. States like California usually require a general business license, while states like Montana don’t at the state level, though local jurisdictions may have their own rules. Business regulations can vary widely, so always confirm with local authorities or a legal expert to stay compliant. Which print-on-demand item is the most profitable? Profitability depends on trends, niche and marketing, but some top-performing print-on-demand products include t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, tote bags, posters and home decor like throw pillows. To succeed, focus on creating unique designs, targeting the right audience and staying on top of trends. Research what’s working for others and refine your strategy to find the best opportunities for your business.

Ready to showcase your best work? Start building your portfolio → Knowing how to make a portfolio is a must for any designer or creative ready to present their work. An online portfolio is the modern business card, resume and project gallery all in the place clients and employers go to see what you can do. Building a website for your portfolio lets you highlight your skills and unique voice while keeping everything crisp and professional. With the right tools, you can go beyond limits and create an online presence that truly stands out. To get started, here’s a guide on how to start a website that reflects your charm and talent. TL;DR: How to make a portfolio A great portfolio puts your best work front and center while showing off your style and making it easy for clients or employers to explore and get in touch. Use clear project descriptions, high-quality images and key pages like About, Resume and Contact. Make your site easy to navigate, mobile-friendly and optimized for search engines. Get inspired, pick a design or template that fits you and use AI tools to save time and polish your visuals and text. Keep it fresh by updating often, asking for feedback, sharing it around and tailoring it to the work you want next. With Wix's portfolio builder, you can create a professional, eye-catching portfolio in a few clicks. Customizable templates and intuitive tools make it easy to showcase your work with confidence. According to Tomáš Ondrejka, CMO at Kickresume, who has reviewed more freelance portfolios than he can count: "If a referral builds trust through someone else's word, an online portfolio builds it through your own." That framing is the right way to set expectations for everything that follows. A portfolio is not a passive archive of past work, its the active sales asset that earns you the next opportunity. With Wix’s portfolio builder, you can create a professional, eye-catching portfolio in just a few clicks. Customizable templates and intuitive tools make it easy to showcase your work with confidence, leaving a lasting impression on every visitor. What is a portfolio? A portfolio is a collection of your work, skills, experience and achievements. An online portfolio is a website that brings all of this together, making it easy for employers, clients or collaborators to see what you can do and understand your expertise. Portfolios are used across all fields, but the most common ones include creative arts (graphic designers, photographers, writers, musicians, etc.), technical fields (software and web developers, engineers) and business. When putting together a digital portfolio, focus on the essentials that show what you do best. What to include in a portfolio starts with your top projects, then adds a short bio or About section, your resume or work experience, contact info and any awards, testimonials or extra skills that help highlight your strengths. Whether you’re making an art portfolio, a fashion portfolio or a marketing portfolio, it’s your space to express your style, share your story, and make a lasting impression. Learn more: What is a portfolio? What makes a great portfolio? Portfolio elements Portfolio best practices Clear focus Highlight your strongest skills or niche. Make it obvious what you do so visitors immediately understand your expertise. Quality over quantity Show only your best projects. Remove outdated or weaker work to keep your portfolio sharp and impressive. Strong visuals Use high-resolution images, mockups or videos. Present work in context to help clients see its impact. Easy navigation Organize your site logically with clear menus and headings. Make it simple for visitors to find key projects quickly. Personal branding Keep colors, fonts and tone consistent. Add a bio or story that reflects your style and professional identity. Concise project descriptions Explain your role, process and results in a few sentences. Focus on what matters to clients or employers. Fast load time Optimize images and use a reliable platform. Fast pages keep visitors engaged and reduce frustration. Contact information Include a contact form, email and social links. Consider adding a call-to-action on every page. Regular updates Refresh your portfolio with new projects, achievements or testimonials. Show growth and stay relevant. Learn more: Why do I need a portfolio? How much does a portfolio cost? Common portfolio mistakes How to create an online portfolio No matter what industry you’re in, there are several key tips you’ll want to take when building your online portfolio. These range from designing your portfolio in an attractive way to making sure it sees the day of light. Ready to create an online portfolio? Start designing yours now. Gather inspiration for your portfolio Choose your online portfolio design Showcase only your best projects Use high-quality images Include the right portfolio content and features Improve your portfolio's UX Work on your site's SEO Make it mobile-friendly Ask for honest feedback Publish and promote 01. Gather inspiration for your portfolio Creating an online portfolio begins with some visual research. Look at other online portfolio websites or digital portfolio examples to generate some initial ideas. Next, define your purpose. Decide whether your portfolio is for job applications, freelance clients or school projects, as this will shape both your content and how you present it. Choose your format. You can go with a physical binder or notebook, but a digital portfolio like a website or PDF is recommended for accessibility and reach. When looking through these resources, start thinking of the vibe you want your portfolio to convey and what experience you aim to create. Take notes or make a mood board to accompany you throughout your creative process. Consider essential details like the color palette, typography and site structure that you like, and clue yourself in on current web design trends. Finally, gather your content. Collect all materials in one place using subfolders for work samples, your bio, testimonials and branding elements. Draft your text content, including project descriptions and your “About Me” section, in a document for easy access when building your portfolio. Gather your current resume, a professional bio, a list of your key skills and any testimonials or letters of recommendation you might have. Check out these niche website examples for inspiration: Teacher website examples AI portfolio examples Videographer portfolio examples Best UX portfolios 02. Choose your online portfolio design How do you want visitors to move from one page to the next? What do you want them to see first? These are questions you’ll ask yourself at the next step when you’re designing your actual site. There are two easy ways to get started at this stage: Choose a template: Nearly all portfolio website builders will offer pre-built templates that you can choose from. Wix, for example, has dozens of portfolio and CV templates (not to mention 900+ total website templates) spanning all types of industries. Learn more about website builders in this comparison guide: Wix vs Squarespace. Design with AI: Use an AI website builder like Wix that can create a bespoke site for you in minutes. With Wix, simply chat with AI about the type of portfolio you want to achieve—then watch as AI designs a site to match your goals and desired aesthetic. Wix Harmony is Wix's AI website builder that lets you go from a single prompt to a fully designed, business-ready website. At the center of the experience is Aria, Wix Harmony's built-in AI agent, who is contextually aware of your canvas and can generate pages, refine copy and offer expert web design and business strategy guidance throughout the build. From there, full drag-and-drop control lets you shape every detail by hand: pixel-level customization, custom component generation and a brand kit for global site styles give you radical creative control on top of AI generation. Move fluidly between chatting with Aria and editing manually whenever you want. Every site is backed by Wix's enterprise-grade infrastructure, so reliability, security and performance are built in from the start. Worth knowing: AI-generated portfolio sites get you to a polished first draft fast, but the work that makes a portfolio land starts after the AI is done. The first generation gives you structure and a baseline aesthetic. The features that turn visitors into clients (your specific case studies, your real before-and-after visuals, your written voice) all need your hands on the final 20%. Always plan for the customization time. Pro tip: Decide on the hierarchy of your pages and the user journey. This will help visitors explore your work without feeling lost. Include clear menus and consider a table of contents for large portfolios. 03. Showcase only your best projects and work When learning how to make a portfolio, remember that your actual work is the core of your online portfolio, so make sure to showcase it in the best way possible. It should stand out and be easily reachable through the homepage and/or website menu. You can highlight this work by creating a dedicated “projects” page on your website. Did you know? Wix’s AI portfolio creator saves you hours of repetitive work by allowing you to upload media and instantly arrange them into projects, complete with suggested titles and descriptions. Share your best work Expose clients to your creativity and skill by sharing only your best work. Focus on quality over quantity. Choose 8 to 12 of your strongest, most recent and most relevant pieces that demonstrate the breadth of your skills. This way, you’ll bring their attention to your strengths and maintain a consistent level of quality throughout your portfolio. Include examples that highlight different aspects of your expertise, such as technical skills, creative problem-solving and collaboration. Whenever possible, include quantitative data (e.g., "Increased sales by 14%") or testimonials to validate your success. One Wix user who built a luxury portfolio site that worked exactly as a portfolio should is Gergei Erdei, a former Gucci designer now based in the UK: "I loved building it myself because I could be obsessive about the details. For a creative person like me, getting the composition and the feel of each page exactly right isn't a small thing. And Wix's drag-and-drop builder made it possible to get that precision without writing a single line of code." Before Gergei had a full business, his Wix site landed Matches Fashion (one of the world's top luxury eCommerce platforms) as his first client. As he puts it: "By the time I was ready to pitch, my website was a window into the world I was building, ready and waiting if anyone wanted to look closer." The takeaway: your portfolio is the pitch so treat the work-curation step as the highest-leverage decision in the build. Make sure to include close-up shots of intricate details in your work. This lets viewers appreciate the craftsmanship and finer elements of your designs. Arrange your items in an order that makes sense, such as by project type, chronology (most recent first) or theme. For each project, include a brief description or case study that outlines the brief, your thought process, your specific role and the project's outcome. Make sure to include close-up shots of intricate details in your work, too. This allows viewers to appreciate the craftsmanship and finer elements of your designs. Arrange your items in an order that makes sense, such as by project type, chronology (most recent first) or theme. For each project, include a brief description or case study that outlines the brief, your thought process, your specific role and the project's outcome. This tells a story about your work ethic. Add context and keep it fresh For each project, include the goal, your thinking process, your specific role and the final outcome. Sharing process work like sketches or drafts can build credibility and show your problem-solving approach. Consider adding a "Passion Project" section to your portfolio. This is a space to showcase work you’ve done purely out of interest or curiosity, unrelated to client demands. It highlights your creativity, initiative and personal style, offering a refreshing glimpse into your unique perspective. Make sure to update your website every once in a while so that you’re always sharing your most recent creations. Including a variety of pieces can help people get a sense of your range. It’s helpful to add a narrative for each project so that visitors can get a sense of how you come up with creative solutions and/or work with your clients. An oft-overlooked portfolio design tip: make sure to give a concise description of the project and mention your role, as well as any collaborators you worked with. According to Hani Safe, product manager at Wix: "An outstanding portfolio is all about storytelling. It's not just a showcase of work, but a narrative that weaves together a professional's skills, creativity and personality. Features like dynamic presets, AI setup and beautiful templates let creators bring their stories to life, ensuring that every portfolio not only stands out for its aesthetic appeal, but also tells a compelling story about the creator behind it." 04. Use high-quality visuals It’s not just photography portfolios that need high-quality images; all portfolios need them, whether you’re making a fashion portfolio or a marketing portfolio. To ensure that your work looks as impressive online as it does in real life, invest time and effort into photographing your work, your process and your products. In cases where professional photography or a photo shoot is not feasible, follow product photography best practices or use free photo-editing tools to enhance your images. According to Ido Kosover, Head of Media at Wix, who has analysed website performance across the platform: "Low-quality images create trust issues. Images that don't match what you do create confusion. Images can be just as much of a distraction as they can be helpful, if you're not careful." For a portfolio specifically, the stakes are even higher. Visitors are explicitly evaluating your visual judgement. A blurry hero image or a stock photo where a real project shot should sit is not just an aesthetic miss, it's a signal that the creator behind the site can't or won't ship at the level the work requires. Make sure all your images are high-resolution and clearly labeled. Show your work in real-world settings Another way to enhance the presentation of your projects is by using mockups. Mockups allow you to display your designs in real-world settings, such as showing logo designs on stationery or app interfaces on devices. This not only elevates the look of your work but also helps potential clients or employers visualize how your projects come to life. Make sure to maintain a consistent visual identity using chosen colors, fonts and logos throughout your portfolio. When showcasing your images, the Wix Pro Gallery can set you up with customizable layouts and effects. You can also use AI tools available in Wix—like an object eraser, background remover and more—to professionalize your images. 05. Include the right portfolio content and features Once you have a good base from which you can set off and a collection of projects ready to display, it’s time to identify which additional content you want to include in your online portfolio and how to present it strategically. This includes text, images and other media. Whether you need some model portfolio examples or you're creating an industrial design portfolio, graphic design portfolio websites, a stunning photography portfolio or any other type of website. Here are the most crucial pages and sections to include, plus some professional design features to consider: Homepage The virtual home of your portfolio should grab your visitors’ attention with an eye-catching design. On top of the visual aspect, your homepage is a chance to stir the curiosity of potential clients and employers with a powerful introductory sentence. Keep this sentence short and sweet, clearly expressing who you are and what you do. There’s no need to go into your biographical details here (that’s what your ‘About’ page is for), but your name and main area of expertise are an absolute must. Since your homepage acts as a starting point for visitors, be sure to also include a menu of items that’s easy to find and directs users to the right places on your site. About page The About page is where you present your background and short bio, provide essential information about your activities and summarize your unique identity and values. Include any distinctive elements, such as your achievements and skills. It can also be a good idea to clarify your current employment status and include your CV. We recommend adding a downloadable PDF so those interested in hiring you can add it to their system. You can show off your personality with puns, smart microcopy, illustrations or anything else that feels true to you. Take a cue from DA Creative which emphasizes its confident and assertive bio with futuristic graphics and bold bits of microcopy. As Liley-Beth Griffin, Senior Marketing Writer & Creative at Wix, frames it: "Your website is your brand in its truest form. It's one of the few places you dictate the narrative and vibe." For a portfolio, that means the About page is the single highest-leverage page for shaping how a visitor reads the rest of the site. Contact information Make sure people who’ve visited your site can easily contact you to inquire more about your services or employment status. Add a contact form, your email address, phone number and links to your social networks. These elements can be featured in various areas of your site: your main menu, on a dedicated contact page or as a pinned element on the side of the screen. It’s also a good idea to repeat your contact details in your website footer, offering visitors a final invitation to get in touch. Clients and testimonials Highlight your professionalism with a list of respected clientele who have chosen to work with you in the past. If any of your projects have been featured elsewhere or have received press coverage, mention that too (especially for a portfolio dedicated to high-ticket industries, like architecture portfolios). You might additionally want to drop in a testimonial or two by satisfied clients. As long as the feedback feels genuine and not over-the-top, testimonials often add credibility to your online portfolio. Adding references can also achieve this. Won any awards? Include these too. The type of award, the issuing body and the date you received it. Provide any needed context on the competition too. Incorporate professional features To craft a professional look and an engaging experience, see how you can incorporate design features that catch your visitors’ eye by taking your online portfolio design up a notch. From hover effects and parallax scrolling to animation and lightboxes, these finishing touches can help bring your website to life. They can also serve as functional tools, drawing your visitors’ attention to a specific place or generating interaction. Tata Rekso demonstrates the sizable impact these elements can have on the user experience. When you hover over one of her featured works, the text changes color and a sneak peek of the work pops up beside it. With Wix, hover effects like these are easy to add. If the effect you're looking for isn't available, you can use Wix Studio to make your site more dynamic and tailor it to your specific needs. This web development platform lets you insert code elements into your website with various custom interactions, helping you bring your most intricate visions to life on your portfolio. Contents page If your portfolio contains a lot of examples of your work and projects, you might want to consider including a contents section to organize them all. This is also a good idea if you plan to create one portfolio to reflect all your different types of projects and skills. You can use the contents page to organize your content by projects, or expertise — and help whoever you share it with navigate to the most relevant work for them. Resume Creating an online portfolio to showcase your work means it acts as a resume also. Go one step further and include a page that summarizes your work experience so far — both in-house, freelance or contractual. Include where you worked, your key responsibilities and projects and the dates. Start with the most recent first. Make sure to provide a list of your hard skills and expertise. You might include the design tools you know how to work with, or whatever is relevant for your field. Personal statement Consider starting your resume page with a personal statement to set the tone and provide context for your entire collection of work. This allows you to share your background, highlight unique skills and articulate your professional goals. A well-crafted personal statement turns your portfolio into a compelling narrative that distinguishes you in a competitive market. Showcase the design process Showing the design process in a portfolio offers a window into your creative journey and problem-solving abilities. By including sketches, drafts and various development stages, designers can vividly illustrate their approach to tackling challenges and refining ideas. This level of transparency not only highlights your creativity and adaptability but also builds trust with potential clients and employers. Are you a publicist trying to land new business? Learn how to make a PR portfolio that wins over clients. 06. Improve your portfolio's UX Now that you have your content, it’s time to make all the pieces come together. There are a number of factors to take into account for creating a strong UX, or user experience, on your website. Plan your portfolio pages and content Start by listing all the web pages you’ve decided to create. Then, identify which elements will need to be included on each page (although if you used an AI website builder, your site may already be hooked up with all the core elements and content that you need). For example, a project page might include a featured image, header and description, plus a few extra images or media features. Listing the items on each page will help you decide on their hierarchy before fleshing out the content. Guide users with navigation and structure Don’t forget to add a table of contents, especially if your portfolio spans multiple pages or showcases a wide variety of work. A table of contents makes it easier for users to find specific sections or projects quickly, improving their overall experience. It acts as a guide for your site, helping visitors explore your work without feeling lost. Once you know which pages will make up your online portfolio, you’ll be able to decide on the navigation. How do you want your visitors to transition from one page to another? Will you include a hamburger menu that opens up into a fullscreen list, or a fixed menu at the top of each page? How will you indicate what page people are on? According to Moti Sarig, UX designer at Wix with six years of UX experience: "Most people are busy or distracted when they land on your site. They don't read; they scan. And if they don't get what they need within a few seconds, they leave." For a portfolio, that means the first screen above the fold has to do the heavy lifting. Visitors who can't immediately see your strongest work and your name are not coming back later to find them. Worth knowing: portfolio UX has one job above every other consideration, getting a visitor to a specific piece of work as fast as possible. If a hover effect or animation slows that journey down, cut it. Treat every motion design choice as a decision between flair and function. The portfolios that book clients tend to lean toward function over form. Learn from portfolio examples UX designer Diana Renko's portfolio illustrates that great UX design can be both functional and inventive. Her redesigned hamburger menu stands out for its unique spin while remaining easily recognizable. This creative approach showcases Renko's ability to blend familiar usability with personal style, proving that good UX design need not be dull. For more ideas, check out this collection of the best UX portfolios. 07. Work on your site's SEO What good is an online portfolio if no one gets to see it? In order for your clients to find you and book your services easily, work towards optimizing your website to bring it higher up on Google search results. Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing task, concerning various elements of your site. Here are some pointers will help you get started: Create unique, fresh and valuable written content: Write blog posts or portfolio descriptions that share ideas other creatives will enjoy. This shows both visitors and search engines that your site is active and relevant. (See writing portfolio examples for inspiration). Use relevant keywords: Research commonly searched phrases in your field, like “independent web designer” or “Toronto architect”, and integrate them into page titles, descriptions, headings and content. Write SEO-friendly alt text for your images: Provide brief, descriptive text for all images (for example, “postcards and business cards for a branding project”). Alt text improves accessibility and helps search engines understand your visuals. Optimize metadata: Ensure each page has a clear title and description to improve search visibility. Leverage local SEO: If you have a physical location, claim your business on Google My Business, add your location to pages and register on relevant directories to attract local clients. Pro tip: If you have a Wix website, try Wix SEO. It’s a free, step-by-step plan designed to help improve your site’s SEO with a tailored checklist and helpful tips. You can additionally use Wix’s AI meta tag creator to write title tags and descriptions at scale. Worth knowing: SEO results from a new portfolio site typically take weeks to months to compound, regardless of how well-optimized the content is. The setup work pays off, just not immediately. Most freelance and creative work comes from referrals, networking and direct outreach in the first 6 to 12 months. Treat SEO as the long-term moat, not the launch channel. 08. Make it mobile-friendly It’s easy to forget about the huge amount of users who are likely to be viewing your site from a smartphone. In fact, mobile devices account for Nearly 60% of web page views worldwide. That’s why the best website designs should look just as good on mobile as they do on desktop. Design your portfolio for small screens One of the major challenges designers face when it comes to creating a portfolio online is ensuring that it will be mobile-compatible. Your mobile website is more than just web design made smaller, so there are a few rules to keep in mind when designing for mobile. For the small screen, you’ll want to declutter the mobile version of your site, keeping only the most crucial elements visible. Furthermore, pay attention to the fonts and colors you use and make sure they’re legible. Reduce the amount of typing required and consider adding a search bar to ease navigation. Take a look at journalist Lauryn Higgins' portfolio to see an example of mobile design done right. Her minimalist design easily translates to mobile—a good argument to choose a minimalist design style if it suits your brand. Tools to simplify portfolio mobile design If you’re creating your portfolio with Wix, your site will automatically generate a mobile-friendly version, with an adaptive gallery for your images. That cuts down a significant portion of the work, but it's important to check the mobile editor every time you update your site design to check that the generated site correctly captures your vision. 09. Ask for honest feedback We all know the feeling of getting lost in a project until we lose sight of what it really looks like. That’s why it’s always best to run your website by a second set of eyes for some insight and fresh ideas. Ask your trusted friends what they have to say about your portfolio’s content and visuals. Did they think your portfolio was missing information? What did they like or dislike about your site’s appearance? Was it easy to navigate? Even if it means making adjustments, critical feedback from your peers can help you fine-tune the details of your site. To get the most helpful feedback, be specific about what you’re looking for. For example, ask reviewers to focus on areas like navigation, project descriptions or the overall visual hierarchy. Provide context for your decisions, such as why you chose a particular layout or color scheme, so they can offer more targeted suggestions. Additionally, consider asking people from different backgrounds—designers, potential clients or even those unfamiliar with your field—to ensure your portfolio resonates with a broad audience. This diverse input can help you identify blind spots and refine your portfolio for maximum impact. 10. Publish and promote Once you’ve published your online portfolio, don’t forget to share it on all of your social channels, from Pinterest to Dribbble and more. This straightforward social media marketing strategy will help you reach more potential customers, improve your SEO ranking and hear honest feedback. Another Instagram tip for designers is to add social buttons to your site, helping visitors reach your social media profiles easily. One Wix user who built a service business on portfolio-style credibility is Natalie Lucas, founder of Natalie Lucas Studio, a Gold Coast hair and makeup business: "When people are searching for a makeup artist… they're going to be judging you on what you're showing them. Your website is really your opportunity to build trust with your future potential clients." That principle scales beyond beauty. Natalie grew her business from a solo operation to a team of 40 by using her Wix site as the primary trust-building tool with high-end bridal clients. For any portfolio creator, the same logic applies: the site is what closes the deal once visibility has done its job. After you’ve gotten the word out, remember that your portfolio should grow with you. There’s always another tweak around the corner to make it a little better. Keep updating your site with new content and projects, implementing different features, improving the user experience and staying up-to-date with current design trends. Create your portfolio based on your industry: Video portfolio website Photography portfolio website Music portfolio website Model portfolio website Interior design portfolio website Illustration portfolio website Art portfolio website Architecture portfolio website Graphic design portfolio website How to create an online portfolio with AI AI has changed the game, providing a near-instant way to create an online portfolio that’s totally unique to you. Getting started is simple. From Wix, you can access the AI website builder from any type of account. All you need to do is tell the AI about your background and goals for your portfolio. In seconds, the builder will craft a website with all the core pages, imagery—and even text that you need. It will also install the Wix portfolio app to your site, i.e., add essential back-office tools for easily managing the contents of your portfolio. Altogether, you have an assortment of AI tools to choose from within Wix: Website builder: Create a custom portfolio site by simply chatting with AI. Portfolio creator: Upload all the images you want to include in your portfolio in one fell swoop. The AI will automatically organize these images into collections representing the various projects you’ve worked on, plus suggest appealing titles and descriptions for those collections. In minutes, you’ll get a ready-to-publish professional portfolio. Image editing: Automatically enhance photos or use AI to remove and replace distracting elements. Image creation: Create new images and graphics to spruce up your online portfolio. This can be extra helpful if you’re in a role that isn’t design-oriented or work on projects that aren’t visual in nature. Text creation and editing: Tap AI for help brainstorming website copy, whether you need a zinger for your homepage or a bio for your ‘About’ page. The text creator will take into account your brand voice, audience and goals. SEO: Receive assistance with your meta tags and/or optimizing any page for a target keyword. Branding: Through the AI logo maker, get a custom logo that represents you and your work, while making your portfolio feel more professional. Worth knowing: AI is a good fit for the first 80% of a portfolio (structure, layout, baseline copy) and a poor fit for the final 20% (your specific case studies, your real before-and-after visuals, your voice). Treat AI as your assistant for the parts that are repeatable and your handcraft as the differentiator for the parts that are unique to you. Looking to land your next role? Learn how to make a portfolio for a job that gets noticed. Tips to polish your portfolio Now that you know how to make your portfolio, here are some extra tips to make sure you really nail it. (Read also: A CMO's tips for creating an online portfolio that beats referrals.) Use consistent branding throughout your portfolio This means using the same fonts, colors and overall style throughout your portfolio. This will help to create a cohesive and professional look. On top of that, only include your best work in your portfolio. This will help you to showcase your skills and abilities to potential employers or clients. According to Sophie Lee, content writer and web design specialist at Wix: "White space is one of the most powerful tools in your design kit. Give your content room to breathe so your site feels open and organized." For a portfolio in particular, white space is the design choice that makes individual pieces of work read as deliberate rather than crowded. Resist the urge to fill every margin. Keep your portfolio up-to-date As you create new work, be sure to add it to your portfolio. This will help to keep your portfolio fresh and relevant. Make sure that your images are clear, sharp, and well-lit and add clear and concise descriptions to each one. Tell a story with your portfolio Make sure each piece in your portfolio transitions smoothly to present a unified theme, keeping the viewer's attention and showcasing your ability to organize work engagingly. Arrange your projects to tell a story—chronological, thematic or skill-based. Focus on the type of work you want to do in the future If you’re looking to branch off into new fields, or focus more on one type of project over the other, make sure to highlight relevant experiences and skill sets. Don’t spend too much time talking about projects that you’d prefer to avoid in the future. Next steps after your online portfolio is ready Once you finish your online portfolio, you need to make sure it reaches the right people and stays up to date. Share it across social media, LinkedIn, your email signature and industry networks. Promoting your portfolio increases visibility and opens doors to new opportunities. Networking is just as important—use it as a conversation starter at events or outreach and tailor it to highlight work that appeals to potential clients or employers. Keep your portfolio fresh by regularly adding new projects, skills or achievements to show growth. Feedback from peers or mentors can help you improve its design and usability. Share individual projects or behind-the-scenes insights on social media to boost visibility and position yourself as an active professional in your field. Track your portfolio's success using analytics if available. See what resonates with visitors and adjust your focus accordingly. Make it easy for people to connect by including a contact form, testimonials and links to your social profiles. With regular updates and a strategic approach, it will show your value and attract new opportunities. Starting a design business? Use this design name generator to name it. How to make a portfolio FAQ How should a portfolio start? A portfolio should start with a strong introduction that tells your story and what you are all about. You can include a brief bio, your contact information and your goals. You may also want to include a statement of purpose that explains why you are creating a portfolio and what you hope to achieve with it. What makes a good portfolio? A good portfolio is one that is well-organized, easy to navigate and showcases your skills and abilities. It should also be visually appealing and engaging. Here are some tips for creating a good portfolio: Be selective. Only include your best work in your portfolio. Be organized. Organize your work in a way that is easy to navigate. Be clear. Include clear and concise descriptions of your work. Be professional. Your portfolio should be professional in appearance and content. Be consistent. Use a consistent design throughout your portfolio. Be creative. Don't be afraid to be creative with your portfolio. How do I create a student portfolio? To create your student portfolio, decide its purpose so you can narrow down the content you want to include. After that, you need to select your best work, organize it in a way that makes sense and add annotations to explain what the work is about. Then, design your student portfolio in a way that's visually appealing and easy to navigate. The final step is to share your portfolio with your teachers, classmates and potential employers. You can also submit your portfolio to online competitions or portfolio review websites. Creating a student portfolio can be a lot of work, but it's a worthwhile investment. A well-designed and informative portfolio can help you showcase your skills and talents to potential employers, colleges and other opportunities. How do I improve my portfolio? Regularly update your portfolio's content to reflect your latest projects and accomplishments, keeping it fresh and relevant. This can include images, videos and explanations of your projects. Always check your site's speed and load times, to make sure it provides the best user experience for visitors. It's also normal to review and update your portfolio according to your changing goals for it. It might change depending on whether you're using it to look for work, or simply to establish your professional expertise to your peers or clients. How to make a portfolio for job hunting? Create a job security portfolio by organizing your best work with clear project descriptions and outcomes. It's important to tailor its content to the job you're applying for, emphasizing your relevant skills and experiences. It's always best to use a clean and professional design that reflects your personal brand but is versatile for different roles and companies. Always have a concise resume in your portfolio and take the opportunity to showcase diverse projects to demonstrate your versatility. You must include contact information for easy reach. How to make a portfolio for my art? Curate a compelling art portfolio by selecting your best art pieces that showcase your style and capabilities. Consider arranging your examples cohesively within a clean and visually appealing layout. Include a brief statement about yourself as an artist expressing your inspiration and approach. It's important to use high-quality images so the quality of your art shows online. How to build a portfolio for modeling? Create a standout modeling portfolio by featuring a variety of professional, high-quality photos showcasing your range and experience. These should include headshots, full-body shots and different styles of poses. Highlight your experience, measurements (if relevant) and any notable collaborations with brands or companies. Keep the layout clean and easy to navigate, with a brief bio sharing your passion for modeling. How do I build up my portfolio? To build up your portfolio, seek freelance work, internships or volunteer opportunities to gain practical experience. Consider initiating personal projects to showcase your skills and creativity. Collaborate with others on projects to expand your skill set and produce higher-quality work. Continuously educate yourself through relevant courses and workshops to stay updated with industry trends. Solicit feedback from peers and mentors to refine your portfolio and improve the quality of your work. What does a portfolio look like? A portfolio visually resembles a sleek, professionally designed book or website with a clean and organized layout. It features sections with bold headings and high-quality images or videos that showcase work samples, each neatly arranged to draw attention. The overall design emphasizes clear and intuitive navigation, often using a consistent color scheme and typography to create a cohesive look that reflects the creator's style. Do I need a physical portfolio? A physical portfolio isn’t always necessary these days, as most employers and clients prefer digital versions for convenience. However, it can still be useful in certain situations, like job interviews, meetings or events where you want to leave a lasting impression. A well-crafted physical portfolio can show off your attention to detail and make your work feel more tangible and personal. It’s a great complement to your online presence, not a replacement. What should a portfolio look like? Generally, a portfolio should be a curated showcase of your best work, tailored to the specific job or opportunity you're looking for. It should be visually appealing, easy to navigate while highlighting your skills, process and accomplishments. It should always include a concise introduction, a few standout projects with detailed descriptions of your role and the outcomes and a clear call to action or contact information. The goal is to tell a compelling story about your expertise and value in a professional and polished manner.

Start selling with Wix eCommerce→ Learning how to use eCommerce discounts with Wix gives you a direct way to encourage shoppers to click the buy button and clear out your older inventory. Offering strategic price drops helps you turn hesitant browsers into loyal, paying customers. Whether you want to run a holiday flash sale or reward your email subscribers, managing your own promotions puts you in control of your revenue. You can easily offer percentage-off coupons, free shipping codes or buy-one-get-one deals right from your Wix dashboard. By running these deals yourself, you create an exciting shopping experience that brings people back to your online store. TL;DR: How to use eCommerce discounts with Wix Store owners need smart discount strategies to move products quickly and capture holiday traffic. A built-in coupon system gives your audience an immediate reason to finalize their purchase before the deal expires. To hit your revenue goals, your online business needs clear promo codes, automatic discounts and straightforward checkout options. How to use eCommerce discounts with Wix What to do Choose your deal Decide between a coupon code or automatic discount. Set the rules Pick a percentage off, fixed amount, or free shipping. Define the products Apply the deal to specific items or your whole store. Pick a timeframe Set exact start and end dates for your promotion. Spread the word Share your discount across email and social media. How to use eCommerce discounts with Wix in 5 steps Getting your promotions up and running with Wix takes just a few clicks. This lets you focus on bringing in traffic rather than struggling with complicated pricing math. Choose your discount format Set the exact discount value Choose the eligible products Define your active timeframe Promote your new deal 01. Choose your discount format Your first move is deciding how you want shoppers to get their deal. Open your Wix dashboard and navigate to the marketing and SEO tab, then click on coupons. You can choose to create a manual coupon code that people type in or an automatic discount that applies as soon as they add an item to their cart. Creating a specific code works great for exclusive email offers or influencer partnerships. Automatic discounts work perfectly for store-wide holiday sales where you want everyone to get the exact same deal without any extra effort. Learn more: What are eCommerce promotions? How to use eCommerce promotions with Wix What are eCommerce discounts? 02. Set the exact discount value Now you need to tell Wix how much money to take off the total price. You can offer a flat rate, like ten dollars off a purchase or a percentage drop, like twenty percent off the entire order. You can also set up free shipping deals or buy-one-get-one offers. Choosing the right discount type depends entirely on your profit margins and what your specific customers find most valuable. Wix can apply complex promotions automatically at checkout using advanced built-in discount logic and rules. Learn more about how to customize your checkout with Wix. 03. Choose the eligible products With Wix you don't have to put your entire inventory on sale at once. Wix's discount system lets you apply your new discount to specific product categories or even single items. This works effectively when you need to clear out last season's winter coats but want to keep your new spring arrivals at full price. You can also set a minimum order subtotal before the discount kicks in. This smart tactic encourages shoppers to add just one more item to their cart so they qualify for the special pricing. 04. Define your active timeframe A great sale always creates a sense of urgency. Inside your Wix settings, pick the exact calendar date and time your promotion begins. Then, set a strict expiration date for when the deal ends so shoppers know they need to act fast. If you want to limit how many times a code gets used, you can easily cap the total number of uses. You can also limit the coupon so each individual customer can only use it a single time, preventing people from abusing your generosity. 05. Promote your new deal A discount only brings in cash if people actually know it exists. Once your deal is active, you need to share it everywhere. For example you can add a prominent announcement bar to the very top of your eCommerce website so every visitor sees the offer immediately. Send a dedicated email campaign to your subscriber list and post the details across all your social media channels. Make sure you clearly state the coupon code and exactly when the deal expires to drive immediate action. eCommerce discount examples An online store that sells handcrafted leather goods to a dedicated audience. They can use automatic discounts during major retail holidays like Black Friday. Instead of asking buyers to remember a code, Wix can be automatically setup to take fifteen percent off all wallets at checkout. This friction-free process keeps their conversion rates incredibly high. A skincare brand that provides natural beauty products to a dedicated community. They can use coupon codes to track the success of their influencer marketing. Every beauty blogger they partner with gets a unique code to share with their followers. The brand can easily track which codes get used the most, helping them figure out which partnerships bring in the most revenue. An online pet sore that offers premium pet accessories and organic treats. They can use a buy-one-get-one discount feature to move their treat inventory before it expires. If a shopper buys one bag of dog biscuits, they get a second bag at half price. This smart pricing strategy pushes customers to spend a little extra while moving stagnant stock. Can I offer a discount to first-time buyers only via my Wix website? Yes, offering a welcome discount is a fantastic way to grow your email list and land that crucial first sale. You can create a unique coupon code and set it to trigger in an automated welcome email as soon as someone subscribes to your newsletter. You can also limit the code so it only works for customers who have never made a purchase before. How do I create a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deal with Wix? Inside your coupon dashboard, you simply select the "Buy X, Get Y" option. You then define exactly what the customer needs to buy, such as one specific shirt, to get the reward. The reward can be a free item or a heavily reduced second item. Wix handles all the math at checkout automatically. Will my discount codes apply to recurring subscriptions? With Wix you have full control over how your coupons interact with product subscriptions. When creating the code, you can choose whether it applies to a single one-off purchase or if it discounts a recurring subscription plan. If you apply it to a subscription, you can even decide if it discounts just the first month or every single billing cycle. Learn more: Commerce as a service Abandoned cart recovery with Wix

Start selling with Wix eCommerce→ Learning how to use eCommerce promotions with Wix gives you a direct way to encourage shoppers to buy and keep your inventory moving fast. Running a strategic sale gives your customers a fantastic reason to stop simply browsing and actually finish checking out. Whether you want to clear out last season's items or reward your loyal email subscribers, creating your own offers gives you control over your online business. You can easily build excitement around your brand and watch your orders multiply. Running these campaigns yourself ensures you keep your profit margins exactly where you want them while still treating your customers to a great deal. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with AI-driven product recommendations, automated discount logic, abandoned cart recovery with Wix and customizable checkout workflows. TL;DR: How to use eCommerce promotions with Wix A built-in promotional system gives your audience an immediate reason to finalize their purchase before the offer expires. To hit your revenue goals, your online store needs clear promotional rules, automated discounts and a straightforward checkout process. Learn more about how to use eCommerce discounts on Wix. How to use eCommerce promotions on Wix What to do Choose your offer Decide between discounts, bundles or free shipping. Set the rules Pick exact percentages or dollar amounts to take off. Select products Apply the deal to your whole catalog or specific items. Schedule the sale Give your promotion strict start and end dates. Spread the word Tell your audience about the deal via email and social. How to use eCommerce promotions with Wix in 5 steps Getting your promotions up and running with Wix lets you focus on bringing in more customers and sales rather than manually struggling with complicated pricing calculations. Here's how to go about doing it: Choose your promotional offer Set the exact rules and values Select your eligible products Schedule your sale dates Spread the word to your audience 01. Choose your promotional offer Your first move is deciding how you want shoppers to get their deal. Open your Wix dashboard and navigate to your marketing tools to explore your promotional options. You can choose to create a manual promo code that people type in or an automatic offer that applies as soon as they add items to their cart. Creating a specific code works great for exclusive email offers or influencer partnerships. Automatic offers work perfectly for store-wide holiday sales where you want everyone to get the exact same deal without any extra effort on their part. Learn more about how to use eCommerce discounts with Wix. 02. Set the exact rules and values Now you need to tell the promo system with Wix how much money to take off the total price. You can offer a flat rate, like five dollars off a purchase, or a percentage drop, like fifteen percent off an entire order. You can also set up free shipping deals or buy-one-get-one offers to encourage larger cart sizes. Choosing the right promotion type depends entirely on your profit margins and what your specific customers find most valuable. 03. Select your eligible products You don't have to put your entire inventory on sale at once. Wix lets you apply your new promotion to specific product categories or even single items. This works best for when you need to clear out last season's inventory but want to keep your new arrivals at full price. Learn more about how to optimize your inventory management with Wix. You can also set a minimum order subtotal before the promotion kicks in. This smart tactic encourages shoppers to add just one more item to their cart so they qualify for the special pricing. Wix can apply complex promotions automatically at checkout. Learn more about how to customize your checkout with Wix. 04. Schedule your sale dates A great sale always creates a sense of urgency. Inside your Wix settings, pick the exact calendar date and time your promotion begins. Then, set a strict expiration date for when the deal ends so shoppers know they need to act fast. If you want to limit how many times a code gets used, you can easily cap the total number of uses. You can also limit the promotion so each individual customer can only use it a single time, preventing people from abusing your generosity. 05. Spread the word to your audience A promotion only brings in cash if people actually know it exists. Once your deal is active, you need to share it everywhere. You can add a prominent announcement bar to the very top of your website so every visitor sees the offer immediately. Send a dedicated email campaign to your subscriber list and post the details across all your social media channels. Make sure you clearly state the promo code and exactly when the deal expires to drive immediate action from your followers. Wix eCommerce promotion examples You're a coffee business who sells roasted coffee beans to caffeine enthusiasts. Use free shipping promotions to boost your average order value. For example you can offer free delivery on any order over forty dollars. Shoppers then may routinely add an extra bag of coffee or a new mug to their cart just to cross that threshold and avoid paying for shipping. You're a boutique clothing brand selling comfortable, stylish basics to an active community. Use buy-one-get-one promotions to move seasonal inventory before it goes out of style. If a shopper buys one t-shirt, they get a second one at half price. This smart pricing strategy pushes customers to spend a little extra while clearing out stagnant stock. You're a skincare business offering natural beauty serums and lotions. Use promotional codes to track the success of your influencer marketing. Every beauty blogger you partner with gets a unique code to share with their followers. Then you can easily track which codes get used the most, to figure out which partnerships bring in the most revenue. Learn more: What are eCommerce promotions? With Wix I limit how many times an eCommerce promotion is used? You have full control over the usage limits of your promotions on Wix. Inside your Wix dashboard, you can restrict a code to a specific number of total uses across your entire store. You can also check a box that limits the promotion to one use per individual customer, ensuring everyone gets a fair chance at the deal. Will my promotions apply automatically at checkout? With Wix you get to decide exactly how the promotion applies. If you create an automatic discount, the system instantly reduces the price as soon as the customer adds a qualifying item to their cart. If you create a manual coupon code, the shopper must type the specific word or phrase into the promo box at checkout to see their savings. Learn more: What are eCommerce discounts? Can I combine multiple eCommerce promotions on Wix? To protect your profit margins, the system generally prevents shoppers from stacking multiple coupon codes on a single order. However, you can choose to let customers use a promo code on top of an item that already has a sale price applied. You configure all of these rules directly in your dashboard settings.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ eCommerce promotions are marketing tactics used by any eCommerce website to incentivize purchases, reward loyal customers or drive specific shopping behaviors. They range from simple discount codes to structured loyalty programs and they work across every stage of the customer journey, from first visit to long-term retention. Wix automates eCommerce promotions using built-in discount logic, so you can set up and run campaigns without writing a single line of code. This article covers the main types of eCommerce promotions, the benefits of running them, common challenges to watch for and practical steps to get started. Whether you're still figuring out how to make an eCommerce website or refining your promotional strategy, you'll find actionable guidance here. Build your site and start running eCommerce promotions today. TL;DR: what are eCommerce promotions? eCommerce promotions are a core part of any eCommerce marketing strategy, but they come in many forms, each suited to a different goal. Whether you want to acquire new customers, recover abandoned carts or increase average order value, the right promotion type makes all the difference. The table below gives a quick overview of the main types and what each one does best. Promotion type Best used for Discount codes Acquiring first-time buyers and win-back campaigns BOGO (buy one, get one) Clearing inventory and increasing basket size Free shipping Reducing cart abandonment at checkout Flash sales Creating urgency and driving short-term revenue Loyalty programs Retaining customers and increasing lifetime value Referral programs Word-of-mouth acquisition at low cost Bundle deals Increasing average order value Abandoned cart offers Recovering high-intent shoppers who didn't check out Ready to launch your eCommerce business? With Wix eCommerce, you can build a professional online store that attracts customers, drives sales and grows your brand. Enjoy full customization, built-in SEO and powerful marketing tools, all in one platform. Start today and turn your vision into success. What are eCommerce promotions? An eCommerce promotion is any offer or campaign designed to influence a shopper's behaviour, from making a first purchase to encouraging repeat visits. Unlike a straight discount, a promotion is the broader strategy of targeting, timing and conditions that surround the offer. You can run promotions without discounting at all, for example by offering free shipping above a spending threshold or rewarding loyalty points for leaving a review. Wix simplifies promotional campaigns through automated discount rules, so merchants can focus on strategy rather than setup. Learn more: How to use eCommerce promotions with Wix How to use eCommerce discounts with Wix Types of eCommerce promotions Most promotional tactics fall into one of eight categories. Here's how each works and when to reach for it. Discount codes and coupons: Flat or percentage-based reductions delivered via a code at checkout. Effective for first-time buyers and win-back campaigns as part of a broader discount pricing strategy. The risk is over-use: if discounts are always available shoppers learn to wait for them rather than pay full price. Buy one get one (BOGO): A customer buys a product and receives another at no cost or at a reduced price. Works best when scoped to specific products or categories rather than applied sitewide and is a practical tool for clearing slow-moving inventory. Free shipping: High shipping costs are one of the most common reasons for checkout abandonment. A well-planned eCommerce shipping strategy, like offering free shipping above a minimum order threshold, reliably increases average order value without eroding margins the way unconditional free shipping can. Flash sales and limited-time offers: Time-limited campaigns that create urgency. They work best when tied to real constraints like end-of-season inventory or a product milestone rather than manufactured scarcity. Loyalty programs and rewards: Points-based or tier-based systems that reward repeat purchases. Customers accumulate points toward discounts or free products and loyalty programs shift the relationship from transactional to ongoing. Learn more about what is a customer loyalty program and how to set one up. Referral programs: Customers receive a reward for bringing in a new buyer who also gets an incentive. One of the most cost-effective acquisition channels because the referrer does the marketing for you. Bundle deals: Complementary products grouped and priced as a package at a slight discount. Bundles lift average order value and help customers discover products they would not have found on their own. Abandoned cart offers: Triggered campaigns targeting shoppers who added items to their cart but did not complete the purchase. A follow-up email or SMS can recover a meaningful share of that revenue without always needing a discount to convert. Wix automates abandoned cart recovery through email workflows, so the campaign runs without manual effort. If you're selling across multiple channels, promotions need to be consistent in how they appear everywhere your products are listed. A strong multichannel retailing strategy helps you coordinate offers across your store, social platforms and marketplaces without creating conflicting signals. Learn more: What are eCommerce discounts? Benefits of eCommerce promotions Done well, promotions do more than generate a short-term sales spike. Here are the core benefits. Acquire new customers at a lower cost: A welcome discount or referral offer gives first-time visitors a reason to convert rather than browse and leave. The acquisition cost is often lower than paid advertising, especially when referral mechanics are involved. Recover lost revenue from cart abandonment: A large share of potential sales are abandoned at checkout. Triggered offers sent via email can bring those shoppers back. Increase average order value: Threshold-based free shipping, bundle deals and BOGO offers encourage shoppers to add more to their cart before checking out. Wix uses AI to recommend products based on shopper behavior, helping increase basket size without manual merchandising. Build long-term customer loyalty: Promotions that reward repeat behavior, like loyalty points or exclusive member discounts, give customers a reason to come back beyond the first purchase. Wix supports long-term eCommerce growth with built-in loyalty programs, subscription commerce, back-in-stock notifications and flexible digital gift cards designed to increase customer lifetime value. Clear inventory strategically: Slow-moving stock ties up capital and storage space. Targeted promotions on specific products can clear that inventory without requiring a sitewide discount that trains customers to expect lower prices across the board. Expert insight from Adi Avraham, senior SEO growth at Wix: "The key to online sales is making it simple for your customers. With Wix, you can customize checkout flows, offer discounts and even track abandoned carts without a developer." Common challenges of eCommerce promotions Promotions can backfire if they're not planned carefully. These are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Margin erosion and deal-seeking behaviour: Discounting too aggressively or too frequently erodes margin and trains customers to wait for the next sale. Vary your promotion types and avoid predictable cadences. Loyalty rewards and bundle deals achieve similar results without conditioning customers to expect a percentage off everything. Attracting the wrong audience: Deep discounts attract price-sensitive shoppers who are unlikely to return at full price. Welcome offers and referral programs can be designed to filter for higher-quality leads by requiring an action (email signup, referral link) before the reward is delivered. No performance tracking: A promotion with no measurement is just a cost. Track coupon usage, AOV and new vs. returning customer split after every campaign. Expert insight from Sean Barkulis, VP of global B2B partnerships at Wix: "When selling online, merchants can increase abandoned cart recovery rate by sending automated popups, personalized emails and more." How to run eCommerce promotions with Wix Running your first promotion doesn't have to be complicated. Log in to Wix and follow these steps to set up a campaign that's both effective and easy to manage. 01. Match the promotion type to your goal Different promotions solve different problems. If you want to acquire new customers, a welcome discount or referral program makes sense. If you want to reduce cart abandonment, an automated triggered email is more targeted. Define the outcome first, then pick the tactic that fits. 02. Set up your promotion in Wix Wix gives you two independent ways to offer price reductions: coupons (which customers enter manually at checkout) and automatic discounts (which apply without a code). You can also set up free shipping rules and buy X get Y offers, all from the Discounts section in your dashboard. Coupons and automatic discounts work independently, so a customer can receive both on the same order. Wix also allows businesses to customize the eCommerce checkout experience with additional logic to match their sales strategy. 03. Add guardrails to protect your margins A 10% discount often performs as well as 20%, at half the margin cost. In Wix, you can set eligibility rules (new customers only, minimum order value, specific product categories), usage limits (one per customer, expiry date) and product exclusions directly in the discount settings. Guardrails prevent the promotion from being gamed and keep margin impact predictable. 04. Automate with Wix Automations Wix helps eCommerce businesses recover lost sales with automated cart reminders. For small business automation, this kind of email automation runs continuously in the background without manual effort. Send coupons when customers complete a purchase and award birthday loyalty points through the Wix Loyalty Program. Once set up, these campaigns require no ongoing management. 05. Track performance and iterate After each campaign, review coupon usage and order performance in your Wix dashboard. A promotion that recovered a meaningful share of abandoned carts is worth scaling. One that brought a burst of one-time buyers with no repeat purchase rate is not. Adjust the incentive size, eligibility rules or timing based on what the data shows. Wix combines ease of use with advanced eCommerce capabilities, so the same platform that runs your first promotion supports your store as it grows. Learn more: Is Wix good for eCommerce? eCommerce promotions FAQ What is the difference between a discount and a promotion? A discount is the price reduction itself, such as 20% off or $10 off an order. A promotion is the broader strategy that surrounds it, the targeting, timing, delivery mechanism and conditions. You can run promotions without discounts, for example by offering free shipping above a spending threshold or by rewarding loyalty points for leaving a review. What are the most effective types of eCommerce promotions? It depends on your goal. Free shipping thresholds are highly effective at reducing cart abandonment. Loyalty programs drive repeat purchases and increase lifetime value. Flash sales create urgency for clearing inventory. Referral programs acquire new customers at low cost. There's no single best option, the right promotion matches the specific behavior you're trying to change. How can I run a promotion without losing money? Start by calculating your margin at different discount levels and redemption rates before launch. Use threshold-based offers (minimum spend to unlock free shipping or a gift), limit redemptions per customer, scope the promotion to specific products rather than your entire catalog and exclude already-discounted items. Always track margin impact alongside revenue.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ eCommerce discounts are price reductions on products or services sold through an eCommerce website, designed to drive purchases and grow revenue. From a percentage off at checkout to a buy-one-get-one deal, discounts give shoppers a reason to act now rather than later. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with automated discount logic, abandoned cart recovery and customizable checkout workflows, all built into your store dashboard. This article covers the main types of eCommerce discounts, the business benefits they deliver, the risks to plan around and how to build a strategy that works. If you haven't launched your store yet, learning how to make an eCommerce website is a good first step. Build your site and launch your first eCommerce discount today. TL;DR: what are eCommerce discounts? eCommerce discounts are price reductions used by online stores to drive purchases, recover abandoned carts and build customer loyalty. The type you choose determines what behavior you'll influence, so matching the format to your goal is what separates a well-run promotion from a margin hit with no lasting upside. Discount type Best for Percentage-off discounts Sitewide sales, seasonal campaigns, first-time buyers Fixed-amount discounts High-ticket items, minimum spend incentives BOGO (buy one, get one) Moving inventory, increasing average order value Free shipping Reducing cart abandonment Flash sales and limited-time offers Creating urgency, traffic spikes Bundle discounts Encouraging multi-product purchases Coupon and promo codes Tracking campaigns, targeted offers Loyalty and referral discounts Retention, word-of-mouth acquisition Ready to launch your eCommerce business? With Wix eCommerce, you can build a professional online store that attracts customers, drives sales and grows your brand. Enjoy full customization, built-in SEO and powerful marketing tools, all in one platform. Start today and turn your vision into success. What are eCommerce discounts? An eCommerce discount is a reduction in the standard price of a product or service sold online. It can show up as a percentage off at checkout, a fixed dollar amount removed from the eCommerce shopping cart or a free item bundled with a purchase. The mechanics vary, but the goal is always the same. Every discount gives the shopper a financial reason to buy now. Price is one of the strongest levers available to an online seller, especially when buyers can compare alternatives in seconds. That's why discounting tends to come up early when you're figuring out how to start an online store. A well-timed discount converts hesitation into a sale. A poorly timed one trains customers to wait for the next deal. Wix automates eCommerce promotions using built-in discount logic, so the rules you set apply consistently every time a qualifying order comes through. Create your online store and start offering discounts from day one. Types of eCommerce discounts Not every discount type works for every goal. Here's a breakdown of the most common formats, when each one performs best and what to watch out for. 01. Percentage-off discounts A percentage-off discount removes a fixed share of the product price, say 20% off all jackets or 15% off your first order. Shoppers understand it instantly, which is why it works well for sitewide sales, seasonal promotions and acquisition campaigns. 02. Fixed-amount discounts Fixed-amount discounts remove a specific dollar value at checkout. A $50 off a $200 order tends to feel more tangible than 25% off, particularly on higher-priced items where the absolute saving is easier for shoppers to visualize. Tiered dollar-off structures, such as $10 off $75, $25 off $150 and $50 off $250, can also nudge customers toward larger carts. For more on structuring these effectively, see discount pricing strategies. 03. BOGO (buy one, get one) BOGO offers give customers a free or discounted second item when they buy the first at full price. The format can take several shapes, including BOGO free, BOGO 50% off or buy two and get one free. It's particularly effective for clearing inventory on slow-moving items and for categories where customers naturally buy multiples, such as apparel, skincare and food. 04. Free shipping eCommerce shipping costs are one of the most common reasons shoppers abandon carts. Free shipping removes that barrier entirely. It tends to work especially well when tied to a minimum order threshold, say, free shipping on orders over $50. This protects your margins while encouraging customers to add one more item to qualify. Pairing free shipping with a polished eCommerce checkout experience reduces the friction between add-to-cart and completed purchase. 05. Flash sales and limited-time offers A flash sale runs for a short, defined window, creating urgency that pushes fence-sitters toward a purchase. The format drives sharp spikes in traffic and conversions when used sparingly. Use it too often though and shoppers learn to wait for the next one, eroding both urgency and full-price sales. 06. Bundle discounts Bundle discounts let customers buy a set of products at a lower combined price than if purchased separately. They increase average order value, help move complementary inventory together and often improve perceived value without requiring a large reduction on any single item. 07. Coupon and promo codes Coupon and promo codes are alphanumeric strings customers enter at checkout to unlock a discount. The format is useful because it's trackable. You can create different codes for different channels, campaigns or audience segments. That makes it easy to see exactly where conversions come from. Codes are also a natural fit for email list growth, since they give new subscribers an immediate reason to buy. 08. Loyalty and referral discounts Loyalty discounts reward repeat customers for coming back, while referral discounts give existing buyers an incentive to bring in new ones. Both formats tend to attract customers with higher lifetime value than those acquired through public flash sales or sitewide percentage cuts. Learn more: What is a customer loyalty program? Expert insight from Adi Avraham, senior SEO growth at Wix: "The key to online sales is making it simple for your customers. With Wix, you can customize checkout flows, offer discounts and even track abandoned carts without a developer." Benefits of eCommerce discounts Used with intention, eCommerce discounts deliver benefits well beyond a short-term sales bump. Increased customer acquisition: Discounts reduce the perceived risk of a first purchase. A new shopper who's unsure about your brand is more likely to convert when there's a financial cushion, such as 10% off their first order. Reduced cart abandonment: Price is among the top reasons shoppers leave without buying. A well-placed offer like free shipping above a threshold or a time-limited code can bring them back. Higher average order value: Bundle deals and tiered discounts push customers to spend more in a single transaction than they originally planned. Wix uses AI to recommend products based on shopper behavior, helping increase basket size without manual merchandising. Faster inventory turnover: Targeted discounts help clear slow-moving stock before it ties up capital, without permanently lowering your product's perceived value. Stronger customer retention: Targeted discounts for repeat buyers signal that you value their loyalty, giving them a concrete reason to come back rather than shop elsewhere. Learn more: What are eCommerce promotions? How to use eCommerce promotions with Wix Challenges and risks of eCommerce discounts Discounts are powerful. That cuts both ways. Running them without a plan can create problems that outlast the promotion itself. Margin erosion: Deep or frequent discounts grow revenue on paper while quietly shrinking profit per order. Run the numbers before setting a discount level, especially on lower-margin products. Training customers to wait for sales: If your discounts follow a predictable pattern, shoppers learn to hold off on full-price purchases. Once that habit forms, it's difficult to break. Brand devaluation: Over-discounting signals that your standard prices aren't credible, which damages brand equity over time, particularly for premium or specialty products. Attracting the wrong buyers: Heavy promotions tend to pull in bargain hunters rather than loyal customers. These shoppers are less likely to return at full price, increasing long-term acquisition costs. Measuring real impact: It can be hard to tell whether a discount changed buyer behavior or simply rewarded shoppers who would have bought anyway. Without clear measurement, you're flying blind on ROI. How to set up eCommerce discounts on Wix Wix includes built-in discount tools that let you create and manage discounts directly from your store dashboard, without a developer or third-party app. 01. Access discounts from your Wix dashboard Log in to Wix to get started. From your site's dashboard, click Catalog and select Discounts to access your discount settings and create new discount campaigns. 02. Choose between automatic discounts and coupons Wix gives you two separate discount tools and knowing which one to use saves time. Automatic discounts apply at checkout without any action from the customer, ideal for sitewide sales, scheduled promotions and Buy X Get Y deals. Coupons require the customer to enter a code at cart or checkout, making them better suited for targeted campaigns, email subscribers or one-time offers. Both are accessible directly from your store dashboard. Learn more: How to use eCommerce discounts with Wix How to customize your checkout with Wix 03. Pick your discount format For automatic discounts, you can set a percentage off, a fixed amount off or a Buy X Get Y deal. For example, buy a coat and get a free hat, or buy two shirts and get the second at 50% off. You can apply these to all products, specific categories or individual items and add minimum quantity or spend requirements. For coupons, Wix supports five formats, including percentage off, fixed amount off, free shipping, a set sale price and Buy X Get Y Free. Variant-specific discount pricing is also supported, so you can run a promotion on one size or color without affecting the rest of the product. 04. Set your conditions and limits Add guardrails before you publish. You can set a minimum order value, a usage limit per customer or a specific date range for the promotion. For coupon-based campaigns, Wix generates unique codes you can distribute through email or social channels and track separately per campaign. Wix simplifies promotional campaigns through automated discount rules, so once your conditions are saved, the platform handles the rest. 05. Display discounts in your storefront Wix enables merchants to display discount badges and offers directly within the product gallery, so shoppers see discounted pricing before they even reach the product page. Ribbon management lets you add labels like "Sale" or "New" from the catalog and discounted unit pricing shows across the storefront for transparent promotional communication. These merchandising controls are built in, no custom code required. 06. Automate recovery and follow-up Beyond one-off campaigns, Wix automates abandoned cart recovery through email workflows, so a shopper who leaves without buying gets a targeted follow-up without any manual work on your end. You can pair these automations with a small discount or free shipping offer to improve recovery rates. Wix also supports AI-driven product recommendations based on shopper behavior, surfacing relevant items at the right moment to increase average order value. Pairing these tools with a broader eCommerce marketing strategy helps you get the most out of every campaign. Expert insight from Adi Avraham, senior SEO growth at Wix: "I always tell small business owners: you don’t need a massive budget to sell online. Wix’s eCommerce features give you everything from inventory management to payment options in one place." What are eCommerce discounts FAQ What is the difference between an eCommerce discount and a promotion? A discount is the price reduction itself, for example 10% off or $20 off a cart. A promotion is the broader campaign or mechanism that delivers it, such as a flash sale, a welcome email series or a loyalty rewards program. Discounts are usually one tool within a promotion. How often should an online store run discounts? There's no universal answer since it depends on your margins, purchase cycle and audience. There is one limit worth keeping in mind. If shoppers start expecting a discount every week, urgency disappears and full-price sales drop. The safest approach is to tie promotions to specific moments, such as a product launch, a seasonal event or a cart recovery campaign, rather than running them on a fixed schedule that customers learn to anticipate. Do discounts hurt brand perception? They can be overused or applied indiscriminately. Brands that run constant public sitewide sales signal that their standard prices aren't credible, which is especially damaging in premium or specialty categories. Selective discounts like loyalty rewards, referral bonuses or private member offers tend to protect brand equity better than blanket promotions, because they reward specific behavior rather than broadcasting that your products are regularly worth less than the list price.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ If you own an eCommerce store, you know that generating traffic and sales is a constant challenge and that's where effective eCommerce marketing strategies come in. With so many approaches available, planning the right marketing strategies can be daunting. Below, we've compiled 21 eCommerce marketing strategies focused on helping you balance cost with reach and effectiveness. Lean on these strategies, along with Wix's advanced eCommerce marketing tools built for stores at any stage of growth, to drive more traffic and sales without burning through your capital. Need a reliable platform for leveling up your store? See Wix’s full suite of eCommerce features. What is eCommerce marketing? First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page as to what marketing for eCommerce entails. Put simply, eCommerce marketing is the process of driving traffic to your online store and convincing visitors to buy your products or services. Tactics usually involve a mix of three approaches: Traffic generation: Draw new customers to your store through a mix of paid and unpaid tactics, including (but not limited to) SEO, content marketing, social media, paid ads and email marketing. Conversion optimization: Employ strategies to increase sales and average order value (AOV), including personalization, intuitive website design and special offers. Customer retention and loyalty: Keep existing customers happy with customized offers, loyalty programs and rewards so that they continue purchasing from your brand and refer new customers through word-of-mouth marketing. Learn more: What is a customer loyalty program and how to set one up. All of these together aim to achieve benefits like: Increase marketing efficiency and ROI Gain a better understanding of your customers Keep up with and outperform competitors Elevate and increase the visibility of your brand Grow business and improve cash flow 21 eCommerce marketing strategies Dazzle your customers with impactful content marketing Prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) Build an email marketing list (and use it) Re-engage customers with retargeting/remarketing Implement Google Shopping Ads Expand your reach with social media Tap into established audiences with influencer marketing Foster loyalty, repeat business and sales with personalization Create a loyalty program Generate hype with a flash sale Upsell and cross-sell to increase AOV Offer a special discount Experiment with SMS marketing Incentivize referrals with affiliate marketing Optimize for mobile users Leverage video marketing Integrate chatbots for customer service Implement subscription models Embrace sustainability and ethical marketing Encourage user-generated content Plan seasonal and holiday marketing 01. Dazzle your customers with impactful content marketing Be it blog posts, social ads, podcasts, videos, or product descriptions—content is essential for driving traffic to your online store. But to understand where to start, you need a cohesive content marketing strategy that outlines your main goals, priorities and other important details. For many online brands, a blog is a great place to start. It offers a platform to regularly publish articles, guides, product reviews, or other types of content that spread the word about your products in a more natural way. Not to mention, it’s easy to add to any Wix eCommerce site. Read Also: Adding and setting up your Wix Blog Content can also be user-generated (e.g., adding customer’s social media posts to your site) or co-branded (e.g., collaborating with another brand to improve your brand reputation, visibility and backlinks). The ultimate goal: build more authentic customer connections and improve visibility online. Learn more about how to create a landing page. 02. Prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) SEO is the process of improving your store's rankings on Google and other search engines in order to attract more organic traffic. Ecommerce SEO is unique in that it specifically focuses on getting product pages, category pages and other transaction-oriented pages to rank—in addition to any supplementary content, such as a blog. When done well, SEO is an extremely cost-effective way to attract visitors who are actively looking to buy what you're selling. The best eCommerce platforms offer built-in SEO tools to make the process of optimization easier. Wix eCommerce, for example, offers advanced SEO features that help to automate (and scale) optimizations across your pages so that they can be easily found and indexed by search engines. Wix store owners that take advantage of our SEO tools have an average of 21% more traffic than those that don't. Expert insight from Sean Barkulis, VP of global B2B partnerships (financial sector) at Wix: “Gone are the days of 'If you build it, they will come.' Local brick-and-mortar businesses that do not have a strong website, a managed Google My Business profile and relevant SEO and online commerce tools for their industry, like bookings and online ordering, will struggle to survive and compete in a digital world. A Google research analysis found that businesses that leverage Wix's online presence and commerce tools see a 15% lift in in-store revenue, a 15% lift in website traffic and a 24% increase in eCommerce GPV.” 03. Build an email marketing list (and use it) As a type of marketing, email marketing is still alive and thriving, delivering strong returns for eCommerce businesses that invest in it consistently. Email has the power to move the needle when traffic is slow or you want to capitalize on seasonal trends (e.g., increased traffic during the holidays). The first step, of course, is to build a subscriber base by adding an email signup form to your online store. Promote a newsletter that includes special discounts, product announcements, recommendations and other interesting content. With a clear eCommerce email marketing strategy, you can reduce abandoned carts, increase conversions and keep your brand top of mind. Wix automates abandoned cart recovery through built-in email workflows, helping eCommerce stores recover lost sales without manual follow-up. 04. Re-engage customers with retargeting/remarketing Retargeting or remarketing (which are often used interchangeably) provides an avenue to re-engage with people who've visited your website once before. It’s relatively cheap and is simple to set up. For example, Facebook retargeting just requires you to add a pixel to your site. This helps to populate a list of contacts, which you can then re-engage with a Facebook ad that draws attention to your brand or showcases a product that buyers may have been interested in before. Wix additionally offers integration with apps like AdRoll that help you to manage your ads more efficiently. Retargeted ads tend to get a much higher response than standard ads, since they reach shoppers who have already shown interest, often leading to a stronger conversion rate. 05. Implement Google Shopping Ads Google Shopping Ads allow you to showcase your products on organic search results and Google’s dedicated Shopping results page. As with standard search ads, advertisers are charged a per-click amount whenever someone actually clicks on the ad. Google drives a massive amount of product searches, with many consumers beginning their product research on search engines. It therefore stands to reason that getting your products listed on Google is a no-brainer. Google even offers a Buy on Google feature, which makes it easy for your consumers to complete a transaction directly from the search engine. Wix store owners can run shopping campaigns on Google using the Wix and Google Ads integration. This simplifies the process of setting up a Google Merchant account. 06. Expand your reach with social media The eCommerce customer journey increasingly involves social media touch points. Shoppers regularly turn to social platforms for inspiration and discovery when making purchase decisions. Of course, social media isn't meant to be purely transactional. It's, at its core, a place to be social. There are plenty of ways to leave an impression or to simply get your customers more involved through clever campaigns, engaging content and authentic brand voice. In the same vein, consider how both social commerce and social media marketing can help your brand reach its core consumers and have them warm up to your brand. Launch a social contest. Share shoppable posts. Host livestreams. Don't forget to consider paid ads as well. Most social platforms have paid advertising options that allow you to target potential customers via their interests, demographics and/or behaviors. Ads can serve as a good complement to your organic strategies, actively bringing more people to your account. Wix supports omnichannel sales across online marketplaces and social platforms, allowing merchants to sell directly on TikTok and Instagram alongside their main store from one dashboard. Learn more: Behavioral marketing 07. Tap into established audiences with influencer marketing After you have started your business, the right influencers can help you increase consumer trust in your brand. These influencers typically have large and/or niche followings that value their recommendations and content. They can either share your content or produce original content featuring your products (among other collaborations). The biggest thing to remember is that influencers are creators in their own right—the most fruitful partnerships are two-way, and allow the influencer to have some creative freedom over how they introduce their followers to your brand. Creating an influencer marketing strategy can help you discover and select influencers that jive well with your buyer persona and business approach. An influencer can even be an existing customer (e.g., a brand evangelist) or another business that sells complementary products and/or services. Expert tip from Sebastian Diaz Mojica, international growth manager at Wix: "Working with influencers and experts offers multiple advantages in boosting brand awareness. They bring with them an engaged audience that trusts their opinions and recommendations. This trust is transferred as a social proof to the brand when influencers share their genuine experiences or knowledge, making it an effective strategy to not only introduce the services to potential users but also to enhance the brand's authority. This strategy also allows businesses to effectively elevante visibility and refine brand’s reputation where it matters most." 08. Foster loyalty, repeat business and sales with personalization Personalization is arguably one of the most effective eCommerce marketing ideas because it inspires a more seamless and satisfying customer experience. From offering personal product recommendations to sending targeted emails—there are many eCommerce personalization approaches that you can experiment with. To help with personalization, use data from past purchases to recommend similar or complementary products to customers. Shoppers are more likely to engage with emails and product suggestions that reflect their actual interests, which means relevance often matters more than simply showcasing what's new. Wix uses AI to recommend products based on shopper behavior, helping eCommerce stores surface relevant items and increase average order value automatically. 09. Create a loyalty program Building customer loyalty is an oft-underrated way of growing sales, especially since retaining existing customers is generally far more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. A good loyalty program can keep customers coming back. Through a customer loyalty program, you can reward customers for repeatedly buying from your brand, e.g., you can offer points or credit that can be redeemed for discounts, free shipping, exclusive products or other perks. Loyalty programs can also help you collect valuable data about your customers, including their purchasing habits, interests and contact information. You can use this data for market segmentation of your email list, personalize marketing campaigns and create better loyalty rewards. Wix merchants can use the Wix Loyalty Program app to get started. The tool lets you easily create and manage all aspects of a loyalty program—from awarding points to tracking member activity—via one convenient console. 10. Generate hype with a flash sale A flash sale is a short-term promotion (usually lasting 24 hours or up to a week) with deep discounts on select products or product categories. While the primary goal of a flash sale is to increase purchases, they also help create a sense of urgency and excitement around your brand—which can encourage customers to return to your store sooner than they may have ordinarily returned. To pull off a successful flash sale, you'll need to promote it in advance (email marketing is a great option here). You'll also want to plan post-sale follow-ups, such as abandoned cart reminders or emails featuring similar products. Our internal data confirms the effectiveness of flash sales, especially for SMBs. We've found that, on average, online stores increase monthly gross merchandise value (GMV) by 64,000% when they run a flash sale. Check out our flash sale guide for more information on how to set up a successful flash sale. Or SMS marketing might be the tactic you need to reach more people, fast. 11. Upsell and cross-sell to increase AOV Upselling and cross selling can be proactively prompted in order to encourage repeat customers and offload excess inventory. Upselling encourages customers to purchase a higher-end (and higher-priced) version of the product they're interested in. In another scenario, you might upsell customers to purchase multiple items of the same product (e.g., a five-pack of socks for a discounted per-item price). Cross-selling, on the other hand, uses personalization and past shopping history to suggest complementary products. So, if someone's looking at a five-pack of socks, you might suggest that they buy a five-pack of underwear to keep their drawers stocked. Both upselling and cross-selling can be employed via your product pages, cart abandonment reminders and post-purchase follow-up emails. 12. Offer a special discount Ah, sales. They've been a staple of store owners (both off and online) for decades. Sales, including discounts, limited-time offers and rewards, motivate purchases, encourage email signups and fuel customer loyalty. Major retailers consistently lean on big sales events to drive massive revenue during peak shopping periods, but you don't need to be a billion-dollar brand to create effective sales campaigns of your own. 13. Experiment with SMS marketing SMS marketing (aka text message marketing) allows you to get in front of consumers on a device that they can’t ignore. There are multiple ways you can use SMS too, including to: Follow up on a purchase: Once a user has sealed the deal, sending order updates and shipping confirmation via texts can feel like next-level service and can be easier for consumers to keep track of. Deliver exclusive promotions and sales: SMS marketing encourages quick behaviors. For holiday sales, last-minute deals and even birthday promos, SMS marketing is a great way to build urgency without spamming users. Remind customers of specific actions: SMS marketing (and even push notifications) can be an engaging way to connect with customers in a friendly and relevant way. Let them know that their coupon is about to expire, offer a personalized daily deal, or remind them that they still have items in their cart. Gather feedback or customer reviews: Social proof is an incredible device for building trust among other consumers. Texts can be a gentle and personal way to ask your buyers to review their purchases or your services. 14. Incentivize referrals with affiliate marketing Affiliate marketing refers to any partner of your business who markets on your behalf and drives traffic (and sales) to your site in return for a reward or commission. Affiliate marketing tends to work best with skilled marketers or partners, who are focused on generating regular income from commissions. Ideal affiliates are active in a space related to the one you operate in. For example, if you make and sell Montessori children’s toys, a good affiliate might be a notable mommy blogger who is an expert in Montessori parenting and is willing to feature your store on her site. Think of working with an affiliate as forging a business partnership where you exchange value for external marketing efforts. Because this strategy leverages trust, it may be most productive as a small business marketing technique when you’re trying to break into a new or tangential market. Just be sure to focus on and vet affiliates carefully. Wix's free eCommerce website builder is built with small business ideas in mind so you can cost-effectively increase traffic, generate sales and foster customer loyalty. Our advanced suite of marketing tools includes built-in SEO features, social media integrations, discounting tools and more. 15. Optimize for mobile users As more people shop on their smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-friendly eCommerce website is important. Mobile optimization ensures that your website is easy to navigate and quick to load on smartphones and tablets. This includes simplifying your checkout process, optimizing images and videos for mobile and ensuring that buttons and links are easily clickable. A mobile-friendly design not only enhances the user experience but can also lead to higher conversion rates and lower bounce rates. 16. Leverage video marketing Video marketing is a powerful tool to engage customers. convey your brand message effectively and showcase products in a dynamic way. Create product demos, customer testimonials and behind-the-scenes content to showcase your products and build trust. Videos can be shared on your eCommerce website, social media platforms and email campaigns to reach a broader audience. 17. Integrate chatbots for customer service Chatbots can enhance customer service by providing instant responses to queries and assisting with purchases. Integrating chatbots into your website ensures that visitors receive help at any time of day, which can lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Chatbots can also collect valuable customer data, which can be used to personalize marketing efforts. 18. Implement subscription models Subscription models offer a convenient way for customers to receive products regularly while providing steady revenue for your business. his model is particularly effective for consumables like beauty products, food and other recurring needs. Subscription offerings can include perks like discounts, exclusive products, or early access to new collections, encouraging customers to commit to your brand long-term and increase your customer lifetime value. Additionally, subscription boxes can create a sense of excitement and anticipation, enhancing the overall shopping experience. 19. Embrace sustainability and ethical marketing Consumers are increasingly driven to support brands that prioritize sustainability and ethical practices. Emphasize your commitment to eco-friendly packaging, sustainable sourcing and fair labor practices in your marketing efforts. Transparent communication about your values can build trust and resonate with socially conscious customers. 20. Encourage user-generated content User-generated content (UGC) can be a highly effective way to showcase your products through the eyes of your customers. Encouraging customers to share their own photos, videos and reviews of your products on social media provides authentic testimonials that can influence potential buyers. Highlighting UGC not only provides social proof but also fosters customer engagement and trust. 21. Plan seasonal and holiday marketing Seasonal and holiday marketing campaigns are an excellent way to boost sales during peak shopping periods. From Black Friday and Cyber Monday to Valentine's Day and back-to-school season, aligning your website promotions with these events can create a sense of urgency and drive purchases. Planning your campaigns well in advance ensures you capture your audience's attention when they're most likely to buy. Don't miss out on maximizing your seasonal sales: Check out the ultimate eCommerce holiday readiness checklist and get your business holiday-ready today. Ecommerce marketing strategies FAQ What are the benefits of eCommerce marketing? Ecommerce marketing can help businesses reach a wider audience, increase sales and build brand awareness. It can also help businesses to: Increase efficiency and marketing ROI Gain a better understanding of your customers Keep up with and outperform competitors Grow business and improve cash flow How do I create an effective eCommerce marketing plan? To create an effective eCommerce marketing plan, you need to: Set clear goals: What do you want to achieve with your eCommerce marketing efforts? Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or increase sales? Identify your target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your eCommerce marketing efforts? What are their interests and needs? Choose the right marketing channels: Which marketing channels will be most effective for reaching your target audience? Create compelling content: Your content should be informative, engaging and relevant to your target market. Track your results: It's important to track the results of your eCommerce marketing efforts so you can see what's working and what's not. What are some future trends in eCommerce marketing? Future eCommerce marketing trends are likely to be focused on personalization, automation and the use of social media combined with omnichannel marketing. Businesses that can personalize their marketing messages and automate their marketing campaigns will be at an advantage. Social media will also continue to be an important marketing channel for eCommerce businesses. What’s the difference between eCommerce marketing and digital marketing? Ecommerce marketing is the process of promoting and selling products or services online. It can involve a variety of channels, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, email marketing and content marketing. Digital marketing is a broader term that encompasses all marketing activities that use digital channels, including eCommerce marketing. Interested in comparing the top eCommerce platforms. Read more about each one: Best eCommerce platforms Squarespace alternatives Wix vs Squarespace Shopify alternatives Wix vs Shopify WordPress alternatives

Turn your ideas into a website you love with Wix → A website builder helps you create a website without coding. It can provide AI website creation, prompting a website, drag-and-drop editing, ready-made website templates and web hosting so you can design, update and launch your site in one place. This makes it ideal for small businesses, creators and anyone who wants a professional site without the technical hassle. Wix, for example, offers a powerful website builder that can you be used to make a website with AI, prompt a website or build with drag and drop editing. As of 2025, Wix holds approximately 45% of the simple website builders market according to BuiltWith, making it the most-used website builder in that category. To choose the right website builder, focus on your goals, budget and how much flexibility you’ll need as your website grows. Pay attention to things like ease of use, hidden fees and updates. AI website builders, for example, can save time on setup but they still rely on your input to make smart choices. These days every business needs a website and free website builders make it easy to create one fast. They’re designed to be simple so anyone can make a website from scratch without needing tech skills or outside help. What you need in a website builder Who you are Website builder features to focus on Service provider (coach, freelancer, consultant) Booking tools, client forms, mobile design, fast load speed Online store owner Inventory tracking, payment options, low fees, product layout options Blogger or content creator SEO tools, blog layout flexibility, category tags, easy updates Beginner with limited time Simple templates, AI design help, strong support, no-code editing Designer or creative professional Full design control, custom fonts, animation, video support Local business owner Location maps, business hours, call buttons, local SEO settings Growing team or business Page scaling, app integrations, team roles, user permissions Building fast for testing Quick setup, ready-made templates, free trial, drag-and-drop editor What you get with a website builder A website builder comes with everything you need to get your site online without using separate tools or services. Most combine design, web hosting and management in one place so you don’t have to piece things together yourself. Most website builders include: An AI website builder that allows you to vibe code a website, or prompt a website with AI Ready-made website templates you can customize (Wix's website builder has over 2000+ website templates all free of charge) Drag-and-drop editing for pages and layouts Built-in web hosting so your site is live without extra setup Domain name search and registration tools Mobile-friendly website design tools Ecommerce features for selling products or services SEO tools to help your site show up on Google Third party integrations with apps for email, payments or bookings, such as the Wix app market Who website builders are best for Website builders work well for anyone who needs a professional website quickly without dealing with coding or complex setup. They’re especially useful if you want to manage your own website updates and keep costs low. They’re a great fit for: Small businesses that need an affordable, all-in-one website solution Freelancers who want a portfolio or service-based site Creators or bloggers who need a simple way to share content Local businesses that want to be found online Online sellers starting with a small eCommerce store Nonprofits or community groups that need an easy-to-maintain site Not sure why you need a website? Our guide can help. What's the difference between an online and an offline website builder? Generally when we refer to a website builder, we mean an online one. ​It's web-based and can be used from your browser with an internet connection. This is the most commonly recognized definition of a website builder, an online one. You can make a website from any connected device with it. On the other hand, offline website builders are software programs that need to be downloaded and installed on a local computer. You can create a site without being connected to the internet but then will need to manually upload your site to a web host once it's done. This is a process that requires technical knowledge and isn't accessible to everyone. Website builder vs CMS vs custom development A website builder is one of three ways to get a website online. The other two are a content management system (CMS) and fully custom code built by a developer. The trade-off comes down to convenience versus control. A website builder handles design, hosting, security, and updates for you, which is why a beginner can launch a site in an afternoon. A CMS gives you more flexibility, since you can install plugins, swap themes, and add custom code, but it requires you to manage hosting, security patches, and plugin compatibility yourself. Custom development gives you total control over every line of code but typically costs $5,000 to $50,000+ to start and requires ongoing developer time to maintain. For most small businesses, creators, and professional service providers, a website builder is the right answer. It removes the technical work so you can focus on running the business. A CMS makes sense if you have specific custom requirements that no builder's app store covers or you have a developer on staff. Custom development becomes worth the investment only when your business depends on unique workflows or integrations that off-the-shelf platforms cannot deliver. How does a website builder work? Types of website builders to know about Modern website builders fall into a few overlapping categorie and the line between them keeps blurring. AI website builders generate a starter site from a short conversation about your business, then let you customize the result. Template-based builders give you hundreds of pre-designed industry templates you customize with a drag-and-drop editor, which is the most common model. Visual editing builders, sometimes called design-first or freeform builders, let you place any element anywhere on the page for maximum design control. Code-output builders generate clean HTML and CSS you can export, but they require some design and technical fluency to use well. The strongest website builders today, like Wix, support multiple starting points so you are not locked into one workflow. You can start with AI, customize from a template, and use a freeform drag-and-drop editor to fine-tune anything specific. Website builders typically offer a drag-and-drop editor and interface, allowing you to select elements like text boxes, images and buttons and place them on your webpage. This makes it easy to customize the layout and design of your website according to your preferences. Nowadays most website builders provide the same functionality through AI. Wix Harmony, for example, takes you from a single prompt to a business-ready site for any industry or creative vision. Being easy to use doesn’t mean website builders hold you back. They offer plenty of design options and powerful features, letting you create blogs, eCommerce websites, online stores, service business websites and much more. Learn more: Best real estate website builders Best website builders for freelancers Best website builders for small business Best website builders for service businesses Best website builders for trucking companies What to know about AI website builders AI website builder speeds up the process of getting online by removing much of the guesswork. Instead of picking templates or dragging elements manually, you’re guided through a short setup where you answer questions about your business, design preferences and goals. The AI then generates a personalized site layout—sometimes with written content, matching images and suggested pages based on your industry. This can save hours, especially for first-time users or busy business owners who just need a solid starting point. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. What sets one AI builder apart from another is how flexible the result is. Some let you fully edit everything after the AI setup, while others lock in certain layouts or design elements, making it harder to change later. Another factor is how well the AI handles essential features like mobile design, SEO tools or image optimization. If those are treated as afterthoughts, you may still need to do a lot of manual cleanup. Also, check if the AI offers ongoing suggestions to improve your site or if it’s just a one-time helper. Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time. "I think the biggest game-changer is the fact that you can easily create a stunning website, and you don’t need to understand layout, design or anything to get a great working website. You can get the creative juices flowing with AI’s help and Wix’s expertise until you get exactly what you want." Yaara Asaf, head of product (Wix Editor) Learn more: Traditional vs AI website builders Why use a website builder? Building a website used to mean hiring experts or learning to code. Today, website builders make it simple for anyone to create a professional website quickly and affordably. They handle the tricky parts so you can focus on growing your business or sharing your passion. Here are some of the main reasons why using a website builder makes sense for most people, offering a straightforward way to get started if you’ve been wondering how to create a professional website with Wix: Cost-effectiveness Website builders are a budget-friendly option for small to medium businesses. They eliminate the need for hiring professional web developers (learn more: website builder vs web developer), which can significantly reduce costs. Most platforms offer affordable subscription plans that include hosting, domain registration and design tools. Many also have free plans with basic features, perfect for testing or personal sites. Wix offers a free plan, while paid plans start at $17 per month and include a customizable domain name plus more features. Drag-and-drop functionality One of the standout features of website builders is their drag-and-drop functionality. This allows you to easily arrange elements on your site without any coding knowledge. Additionally, customizable options enable you to tailor your website's appearance and functionality to match your brand identity. Quick setup and launch With a website builder, the timeframe from concept to launch is significantly shortened. With an AI website builder, can have your website up and running in just a few hours or days, depending on the complexity of your design shortening the time it takes to build a website. This rapid deployment with AI website creation is ideal for businesses eager to establish an online presence swiftly. What are some key features to look for in a website builder? Not all website builders are created equal. Knowing which features matter can help you pick one that fits your needs and saves you time and frustration. Here’s a look at the key features to keep an eye on when choosing a website builder. Customizable design Having access to a wide range of website templates is crucial. These templates serve as the foundation of your website, allowing you to choose a web design that aligns with your brand. The ability to customize these templates ensures that your website stands out and reflects your unique business identity. Wix, for example, has over 2000 customizable templates that can be used for a wide range of uses and businesses. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. An AI website builder makes customizing your website easier than ever. This is because you can simply prompt it to change your design in real-time and you can do it better and faster than ever before. For example, whatt sets Wix's AI agent Aria apart from other AI tools is how deeply she understands web creation. She doesn't just generate generic content she thinks in terms of your business, your website design and your overall goals. Learn more: Should I use a template to make my website? eCommerce website templates Portfolio templates Design flexibility Look for website builders that offer flexibility in design elements. This includes options to adjust colors, fonts and layouts, enabling you to create a visually appealing site that captures the attention of your audience. Mobile-friendly Today, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. A responsive design is what determines if your site looks great on all devices, from desktops to smartphones. This capability improves the overall user experience on your site. eCommerce functionality If you're planning to sell products or services online, e-commerce functionality is vital. Website builders should offer tools for setting up an online store, including product listings, shopping carts and secure payment gateways. Effective e-commerce platforms provide inventory management and order tracking features. These tools help streamline operations and ensure smooth transactions for both you and your customers. Learn more: Try Wix's landing page builder Blogging capabilities If part of your plan is to share updates, publish articles or grow your site through content marketing, look for a website builder with strong blogging features. Some platforms offer only a basic text editor, while others include tools for adding categories, tags, featured images, scheduled posts and SEO settings for each blog entry. These features make it easier to organize your content and improve how it appears in search results. A good blogging setup also helps keep visitors engaged. Check if you can enable comments, add social sharing buttons or include things like related posts and email signup forms. If your blog is a big part of your marketing or brand strategy, make sure the builder you choose supports regular publishing without extra effort. Tools and apps integrations The ability to integrate with other tools can enhance your website's functionality. These integrations allow you to add features such as analytics, marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Some website builders include some of these tools within their editors, examples include Wix Analytics. Wix's Aria, for example, is trained on millions of real Wix websites and business configurations and can give real-time business and marketing advice to help you design and run you website better. "Choose a website builder that allows you to make fast pivots based on your business needs. If, from one day to the next, you need to add events or an online store, make sure your website builder makes that possible for you." Rebecca Tomasis OG Content Lead Explore the Wix app market for more options. Website infrastructure The website infrastructure of the builder you use is essential when it comes to the security and performance of your site. You should prioritize a website builder that includes enterprise grade website security for all sites, including SSL certification, 24/7 monitoring and automatic updates. You also need to know that your builder includes secure web hosting, domain name registration and guarantees such as high uptime. Wix delivers 99.99% for example. "What often gets forgotten when talking about choosing a website builder is the capabilities of the infrastructure that’s promised to you—the reliability of the hosting, the level of security in place to protect your visitors’ data and, of course, your site's speed. Even if infrastructure is not the first thought that comes to mind when creating a website, if it’s not robust enough, it can cause major headaches for website owners when trying to scale a website later on." Rebecca Tomasis OG Content Lead Multi-language or international websites If your business serves customers who speak different languages or live in different countries, a website builder with multi-language support can save you a lot of time. Some platforms offer built-in tools to create language versions of your site, while others require third-party apps. These features help you show the right language to the right visitor automatically, making your site feel more local and personal. Not all website builders offer this, so it’s worth checking how the platform handles translation. Can you customize text on each version? Does it support right-to-left languages like Arabic or Hebrew? If you plan to grow internationally or already have a global audience, this can make a big difference in how professional and trustworthy your website feels. User roles and permissions If you're the only person managing your website, this might not matter much at first. But as your business grows, you may want others to help—like a writer, designer or marketing person. Some website builders let you create different user roles so you can control what each person can do. For example, you might let someone edit blog posts but not change the design. Without user roles, you may have to share your login with everyone, which isn’t secure. Having the option to give limited access helps protect your site and makes collaboration easier. Check if the builder offers role settings like admin, editor or viewer, and if it’s included in your plan or costs extra. Accessibility compliance Accessibility means making sure your website works well for people with disabilities—like those using screen readers or needing high-contrast text. Some website builders include tools that help you meet accessibility standards (like WCAG), such as reminders to add image alt text, choose readable fonts or check your site’s contrast levels. Even if you don’t know much about accessibility, a builder with built-in checks can help you create a more inclusive site. This not only improves the experience for more people but can also protect your business from legal issues in some countries. Look for builders that highlight accessibility as part of their features or templates. Backups and version history You might accidentally delete a page, change something that breaks your layout or lose work during an edit. A good website builder will automatically save backups of your site and let you roll back to a previous version if needed. This can be a lifesaver when something goes wrong. Not all platforms offer this, especially on lower-priced plans. Check if the builder has version history, automatic backups or a manual way to save your site. It’s one of those things you hope you never need but you’ll be glad it’s there when you do. Customer support and help resources When you're building a website, questions come up whether it's how to add a section, connect a domain or fix something that isn’t working. Fast and helpful customer support makes a huge difference, especially if you're not a tech expert. Some builders offer live chat or phone support, while others only offer email or community forums. It also helps to have clear tutorials, FAQs or video guides built into the platform. Before choosing a builder, check what kind of help you can expect and if it’s available 24/7. If you run a business and need to fix problems quickly, strong support can save you time, money and frustration. Scalability You might be starting small, but your website should be able to grow with your business. Some builders make it easy to add new pages, open an online store, launch a blog or accept bookings and all without starting from scratch. Others may be more limited, especially on basic plans. Think about what you may need six months or a year from now. Will you want to offer memberships, run events or add more team members? Choosing a website builder that supports those features now even if you don’t need them yet—can save you the hassle of moving to a new platform later. How to choose the right website builder Understanding what matters most helps you choose a website builder that fits your needs perfectly. This makes creating and managing your site simpler, faster and way less stressful from start to finish. Set your website priorities Start by figuring out what your website needs to do. Think about the type of website you want: a simple info page, a blog or an online store. Knowing this helps you pick a website builder with the features you actually need, so you don’t waste time or money on extras you won’t use. Also, consider what you might want to add later, like booking tools or memberships. Some website builders work better for certain types of sites, so choose one that fits your current goals and can grow with you. Keep your budget in check Set a budget for building and running your site. Website builders come with plans ranging from free to premium. Make sure you check what’s included at each price level and pick one that fits your budget but still gives you the features you need. Don’t forget ongoing costs like domain names, apps or eCommerce fees. Knowing these ahead of time helps you avoid surprises and keeps your website running smoothly. For more tips, check out maintaining your website. How to tell if a website builder’s worth it Test the editor before committing: Try building a sample page to see if the editor is easy to use and responsive. A clunky editor wastes time and causes frustration. Watch for hidden fees: Review plan details carefully. Some builders charge extra for domains, removing ads or eCommerce tools, which can add up fast. Time investment required: Think about how much time you can spend learning and building. Some platforms offer fast setup with templates, others take longer but give you more control. Customer support quality: Look for builders with fast, helpful support through live chat, phone or detailed guides so you don’t get stuck when problems come up. Template quality and flexibility: Pick builders with modern, industry-specific templates you can fully customize to match your brand and style. Hosting and domain services: Check if hosting and domain registration are included and managed by the builder or if you need to handle them yourself. eCommerce fees: If you sell online, check if the builder charges transaction fees on top of payment processor costs to avoid surprises. Brand style support: Look for features that support rich media, custom fonts, animations and video backgrounds so your brand stands out. App and tool integrations: Check if the builder connects smoothly with marketing, CRM, analytics and payment tools you use or want to add. How to use a website builder like Wix Sign up: Visit Wix and create an account. You can sign up using your email or social media accounts. Choose a template: Browse through Wix’s extensive library of templates and select one that fits your business style and needs. Or get started building with Wix Harmony, it all starts with a single prompt. Customize your site: Use the drag-and-drop editor, or prompt Wix's AI website builder, to add elements like text, images and videos. Adjust colors, fonts and layouts to match your brand identity. Add features: Incorporate additional features such as contact forms, social media links or an online shop if needed. Preview and publish: Once satisfied with your design, preview your site to ensure everything looks perfect across devices. Then, hit publish to make your website live and share it with the world. Aria can generate full sites, rewrite content, restructure layouts, configure business tools and manage site settings through natural conversation. Tips for using a website builder effectively once your site is live SEO optimization Keyword research: Identify relevant keywords related to your business and incorporate them naturally into your website content, titles and meta descriptions. Quality content: Create informative and engaging content that provides value to your audience. Regularly update your site with fresh content to improve search engine rankings. On-page SEO: Use headings, alt text for images and internal linking to enhance the structure of your site. Regular updates and maintenance Regularly update your website’s content to keep it relevant and engaging for visitors. This includes blog posts, product listings and company news. Monitor your website performance using analytics tools to identify areas for improvement, not just site speed but traffic and engagement as well. What is a website builder FAQ What does a website builder do? A website builder helps you design, build and launch a website quickly. It handles layout, structure, hosting and sometimes SEO and eCommerce, so you don’t need to manage everything manually. What’s the easiest website builder for beginners? Most builders are beginner-friendly but look for ones with drag-and-drop editors, clear templates and good support. Ease of use matters more than the number of features. Do I need coding skills to use a website builder? No. Most builders are designed for people with no coding experience. Some offer custom code options but they’re optional. Are free website builders worth it? Free plans are fine for testing but they usually come with ads, limited features or no custom domain. For a professional site, a paid plan is better. What’s the difference between a CMS and a website builder? A CMS (content management system) gives you more customization options but often requires technical skills or developer help. A website builder is more beginner-friendly, offering drag-and-drop tools, templates and built-in features that make setup fast and easy. Do I need a website builder to make my website? Not necessarily. You can build a site using a CMS or by coding it yourself but a website builder is the fastest and easiest option—especially if you want to avoid technical setup. Should I pay for a website builder? Free plans are useful for testing but paid plans offer more features like custom domains, ad-free pages and eCommerce tools. If you want a professional-looking site with room to grow it’s worth paying. Is web hosting and a website builder the same thing? No, a website builder is what you use to build a website. Web hosting is the storage space on the internet where your site lives. Most website builders now also include web hosting in their monthly price, so you don't have to buy it separately or set it up yourself. With a website builder do I have to download software? With most, no. Most website builders are cloud based, meaning no software downloads necessary.

The perfect domain is just a click away: claim your domain→ A domain is the name people type to find your website it’s how your site gets noticed remembered and trusted online. It’s simple but it tells visitors who you are before they even click. Find out what a domain really is and why picking the right one matters for your site’s security, credibility and success. Secure your perfect domain in just a few clicks with Wix. Get everything you need in one place: business email, reliable hosting, SSL protection and full privacy. With 24/7 support and no hidden fees, getting your site live is simple and worry-free. TL;DR: what is a domain name To help you get started, we’ve put together a detailed guide on all things domain names. You’ll learn what a domain name is, how it works and the best practices for picking and registering one that fits your goals. Here’s what you’ll find in this guide (you can skip ahead to any of the sections below): What is a domain name? What does a domain look like? How do domains work? Who runs the domain name system What domains are for The history of domains Difference between a domain name and a URL The difference between domain and hosting Different types of domains Why do domains matter? What is a domain name? A domain name is the human-friendly address people type into a browser to visit a website, like wix.com or wikipedia.org. Every website is connected to a numerical IP address like 142.250.80.78 that computers use to communicate, but domain names make those addresses easy for people to read, remember and share. A domain name also gives your website a unique identity online. Instead of remembering a string of numbers, visitors can simply type your domain to find your site, send emails or access connected services. To put the role of a domain in plainer terms, we spoke with Ofir Gvili, domains product marketing manager at Wix: "Think of your domain as the headline of your brand. It's often the very first thing people see, even before they land on your website. A strong domain builds trust instantly and sets the tone for your entire website." In other words, your domain is doing brand work before your homepage ever loads. That's why this guide treats it as a core business decision, not a technical detail. What does a domain look like? A domain name has a few parts separated by dots. The name in the middle is your second-level domain which is often your brand or project name. Then there’s the extension like .com .org or .net which tells you what kind of domain it is. You can also add subdomains like shop.example.com to send visitors to specific parts of your site. For example, in blog.example.com: blog = subdomain example = second-level domain (SLD) .com = top-level domain (TLD) Domains can have letters numbers and hyphens but no spaces or special characters. They aren’t case-sensitive either so Example.com is the same as example.com. How do domains work? The internet is a global network of computers connected by submarine cables, with each computer having an IP address to send and retrieve data. Domain names are easier-to-remember versions of these IP addresses, like saving a friend’s number under their name in your phone. The domain name system (DNS) acts as the internet’s phone book, translating domain names into numeric IP addresses. Here’s what happens behind the scenes: You type a domain name into your browser The Domain Name System (DNS) looks up the matching IP address Your browser connects to the correct web server The website content loads on your screen When you type a domain name into your browser, the DNS quickly directs your request to the correct server where the website is stored. That server is connected to your web hosting provider, which stores your site’s files, images and content and delivers them to visitors in real time. This entire process happens in seconds, making websites feel instant and seamless to access. In fact, approximately 16.4 billion searches are made daily on Google alone, relying on the DNS to connect users to the correct websites quickly and efficiently. Learn more: What is a URL? What is a web address? Who runs the domain name system A global system manages domain names, making sure every web address is one-of-a-kind and assigned correctly. To make this happen, several organizations and providers work together. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): Oversees the global domain name system and sets policies for how domains are registered and managed. Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA): Maintains the root zone of the Domain Name System and coordinates technical aspects of domain management. Domain registries: Organizations that manage specific top-level domains like .org, .com or .net and maintain the database of registered names. Domain registrars: Companies where individuals or businesses register and manage domains, including renewals, DNS settings, and transfers. Found the perfect name for your business? Lock in your domain before someone else does. What domains are for The most common use of a domain is hosting a website, but domains also power email, landing pages and web apps, keeping your projects and communications organized and easy to access. Websites: Domains let people find and access your website easily for business, portfolios, blogs, or personal projects. Professional email: Domains let you set up email addresses like info@yourbrand.com so messages go to the right inbox and are easy to identify. Landing pages: Domains can point to dedicated pages for events, promotions, or campaigns, making them easy to share and track. Apps and services: Domains provide a clear address for web apps or tools, helping users reach the service directly without confusion. So, if you’re planning on building a website whether it’s to open an online store or to display your online portfolio for potential employers to hire you—then you’ll need to get familiar with the ins and outs of domain names. Get your domain name now and then learn how to make a website to go with it. What is a domain in email? The domain in your email address shows which server sends and receives messages. It’s the part after the @ symbol and usually matches your website’s domain making it easier for people to recognize your brand. Using a branded domain for your email adds a professional touch and makes sure replies go to the right place. You can also create multiple email addresses with the same domain like sales@yourbrand.com or support@yourbrand.com to organize your communications. Worth knowing: connecting your domain to a custom email isn't an automatic step. It requires updating your DNS records (specifically MX records) to point to your mail provider. Most domain registrars, like Wix, walk you through this in their dashboard, but factor in an hour or so the first time you set it up. If your domain is registered with Wix, the connection runs automatically through your dashboard. The history of domains Domain names revolutionized the early days of the internet. Before they existed, users had to input long numeric IP addresses to access websites—a frustrating and complicated process. In 1983, Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel introduced the Domain Name System (DNS), pairing human-readable names (like “example.com”) with IP addresses. This breakthrough made navigating the web simple and accessible, laying the foundation for the internet we know today. Initially, domain names came with just a few extensions. The first top-level domains (TLDs) launched in 1985: .com for businesses, .org for organizations, .net for networks and a few others. While these TLDs started with specific purposes, their use quickly expanded as the internet grew. Difference between a domain name and a URL A lot of people use the terms domain name and Universal Resource Locator (URL) interchangeably but there’s actually a bit of a difference. A domain name is just one part of a URL. Think of it as the main part of the web address that includes two main elements: the name itself and the extension. For example, in “google.com,” “Google” is the name and “.com” is the top-level domain. But when you look at your browser’s address bar, you’ll see more than just that–it’s made up of several parts of a URL working together to form the full URL. Learn more: URI vs URL Parts of a domain The difference between domain and hosting To create a website, you need a domain name and web hosting. A domain name is not the website itself. The domain is the address people use to find your site, while web hosting stores the website files and content behind it. These two are often provided by the same company, which can make their roles confusing. Together, they form the foundation of your website’s infrastructure. Think of your website as an apartment complex. Web hosting is the land where your building (the website) stands, storing all its files on web servers. The domain name is like the building’s address, making it easy for visitors to find you just as a physical address does. Adding a path, such as “/blog,” directs visitors to a specific page, much like an apartment number guides someone to a particular unit. We asked Itay Shmool, VP of Wix Domains, who is responsible for Wix's domain product strategy and infrastructure, about the tradeoffs of consolidating domain registration with your website builder: "For most small businesses, reducing technical overhead is more valuable than chasing marginal cost savings across multiple platforms." Translated into a buying decision: if you're a beginner or a growing business, paying slightly more for an all-in-one setup usually saves you more in time and troubleshooting than it costs. Advanced users managing large portfolios may still prefer a dedicated registrar for finer DNS control. Learn more: Web host vs. domain registrar Different types of domains The DNS uses a unique tree-like structure to keep its huge database organized. At the top is the root domain, represented by a dot. Everything below that dot forms the domain name space, broken into different levels based on how fast down they fall from the root. This results in different types of domains, all of which serve a different purpose: Top-level domains (TLD), including new top-level domains Second-level domains (SLD) Third-level domains Learn more: What is TLD? What is a generic top level domain? What are new top-level domains? Top-level domains (TLD) A top-level domain, generally referred to as TLD or domain extension, is the right-most segment of a domain name located after the last dot. It serves to recognize certain characteristics of a website address, such as location and purpose. In August 2022, there were 1,487 TLDs available for registration, the majority of which were added in the last decade. If you’re picking a TLD, choose one that matches your website’s vibe and audience. The options are endless, (Wix, for example, sells over 400 domain extensions) so you’re sure to find one that makes your site unique. Keren Nir, senior SEO strategist at Wix, frames the choice this way: "The extension matters more than you think. .com is often the default, yet choosing something like .store or .design can immediately signal what your website offers." Worth knowing: .com is still the most recognized and trusted extension for most general business websites, and visitors default to typing it. Newer extensions can work well when they reinforce what you do (a design studio on .design, a retailer on .store), but if your audience is broad and your brand is the priority, .com usually carries the least cognitive friction. Learn more about how to find the owner of a domain or domain name trends. Let’s take a look at the most popular categorizations: Generic top-level domains (gTLD): Commonly known simply as gTLDs, generic top-level domains are made of three or more characters and are open for registration by anyone. gTLDs account for the vast majority of domain extension options, with more than a thousand added in recent years through ICANN’s new gTLDs program. Available options range from the traditional .org, .com and .net to newer options such as .biz, .llc, .tips, .store, .co, .photos, .love, .work, .space, .digital, .club, .tv, .blog, .info, .site, .land, .company, .solutions, .website, .tech, .training, .coach, .world, .party, .yoga, .wiki, .ninja, .directory, .guru, .live, .fit, .studio, .today, .design, .pictures, .expert, .technology, .top, .co.uk, .london, .tokyo, .email and .xyz. Sponsored top-level domains (sTLD): These are more niche and managed by specific organizations. To register an sTLDA, you usually need to meet certain criteria related to a community or theme. If your website caters to a specific group, an sTLD can help establish credibility and trust right away. Country code top-level domains (ccTLD): There are 308 country code top-level domains, each of which is identified by a unique, two-letter string. While country code top-level domains were originally intended for business and individuals operating in specific geographical areas, there is also a significant number of website owners who register ccTLDs for branding purposes or to take advantage of certain benefits. This is the case with extensions such as .ai (Anguilla), which is particularly popular within companies in the artificial intelligence industry, and .gg (Bailiwick of Guernsey), which has seen a significant popularity rise in the gaming sphere. Other ccTLD include: .de (Germany), .nl (Netherlands), .at (Austria), .mx (Mexico), .me (Montenegro), .ch (Switzerland), .br (Brazil), .be (Belgium), .fr (France), .in (India) and .ca (Canada). According to Tom Pasha from the Wix domains team, "The latest additions to generic top-level domains (gTLDs) addresses the growing demand for .ai domains, which have become increasingly popular and competitive in the industry." Claim a premium domain to boost your brand authority and make marketing easier from day one. Second-level domains (SLDs) The second-level domain (SLD) is the part of a domain name that comes before the TLD. It’s typically where you’ll find your brand name, like "wix" is the SLD in "www.wix.com." In some cases, the SLD can also show the type of website in a region. For example, commercial websites in Spain may be registered with the domain extension .com.es whereas in the UK they appear as .co.uk. Likewise, in these same countries academic institutions may be registered under .edu.es and .ac.uk respectively. Third-level domains A third-level domain (or subdomain) adds a prefix to a main domain and creates a separate section of your site. It’s perfect for things like blogs, online stores or resource pages without needing to buy a whole new domain. For example, when creating a free Wix website, your URL might look like username.wixsite.com/siteaddress. But once you buy your own domain, you can add custom subdomains like shop.yourwebsite.com or blog.yourwebsite.com. Third-level domains can get longer if you start adding more nodes. You might come across four-level domains like news.bbc.co.uk or even five-level ones like www.village.fairport.ny.us. While it’s rare to see a domain with more than four levels, it’s possible. For more in-depth examples, check out the most popular domain extensions. How to choose a domain name With over 349.9 million domains registered and thousands added daily, finding the perfect domain requires creativity, SEO knowledge and foresight. This guide to how to choose a domain name will help you cover your bases. Here are the most important steps to get you started: Make it easy to type and pronounce: Avoid tricky words, abbreviations or alternate spellings. Test ideas with friends to ensure they’re simple and memorable. Stay on brand: Your domain should reflect your brand name. If it’s taken, add a keyword or use a domain name generator to find alternatives. Register your domain as soon as you choose your business name. Choose the right extension: According to a study by GrowthBadger, ".com" is the most memorable and most trusted TLD of them all, but weigh options before settling on one. Keep it memorable and relatable: Short, catchy names stick. For example, Bhavik Sarkhedi, founder and creative director of Ohh My Brand, shares, "A great domain name has to stick. My current company, OhhMyBrand, plays off the phrase 'Ohh my God,' which makes it relatable and fun. My first business was called Write Right-straight to the point and easy to recall... All short, all catchy, all under 12 characters." As Bhavik continues: "The funny thing is, even though I've sold those companies, people still ping me because they remember the names. That's the magic of keeping it simple, relatable and memorable. If your name has recall value, especially in your industry, it's a game-changer. Short and sharp, that's the rule I swear by." One thing worth knowing: even if a domain feels perfect, give yourself 24 hours and say it out loud to one or two people before you buy it. Domains are inexpensive to register but expensive to migrate from later. The names that stick are the ones that survive being said over a phone, written on a napkin and remembered the next morning. Learn more: Domain lifecycle Best .com alternatives What is a parked domain? Why do domains matter? A strong domain name helps your website and brand in several ways: Branding: Establishes your brand’s identity online and makes your site look professional. Memorability and accessibility: Makes it easier for visitors to find, remember and return to your website. Trust and credibility: Shows users your site is reliable and builds confidence in your brand. Research from ERI Design Studio reports that 75% of users admit they judge a company’s credibility based on its website design, including its domain name. Connectivity: The Domain Name System (DNS) ensures users can reach your site seamlessly. Promotion: Works well on social media, business cards and custom email addresses. Learn more about how to create an email with your domain. To see what that looks like in practice, one Wix user who has navigated this exact challenge is Mackenzie Precht, who co-runs Kindling Home, a vacation rental company in Western North Carolina: "Having our own website allowed our properties to be a part of a brand as opposed to these independent entities, and it also gave us control over bookings. By having guests book directly through us, we're able to give them a pretty significant discount because we're avoiding a lot of fees." The result is concrete: 60% of Kindling Home's bookings now come directly through their Wix site, nearly double the 34% industry average for direct vacation rental bookings. Owning a domain meant owning the customer relationship. Take the case of Nissan Motors v. Nissan Computer. Nissan Motors had to use "nissanusa.com" after another company had already registered "nissan.com," showing how important a domain is for branding, trust and user recognition. Learn more: What is a custom domain? What is a domain name example? We've put together some of the world's most well-known domain examples, categorized by niche and as proof that the right domain name is essential to the branding of your business and website. Here are some examples of popular domain names: harvard.edumit.edu amazon.com wix.com spotify.com airbnb.com How to get a domain name Once you’ve chosen the perfect domain name for your site, it’s time to make it yours and purchase it. There are a few things to keep in mind when figuring out how to register a domain name, including: Checking if your domain name is available Choosing the right registrar for your needs Planning for the long term so your domain stays secure Let’s take a closer look at how to handle each step. Search for your domain name First things first, make sure no one else is using the domain name you want. While you could check manually, it can be a hassle if your top choice is already taken. A domain name search tool saves time and effort by showing you whether your domain is available and suggesting similar options (you can also explore the best domain name generators to help you come up with similar domain names). These tools also give you domain pricing details so you can compare your choices and pick the best one for your site. Learn more: How long should a domain name be? Domain name ideas Pick a domain registrar Once you’ve found the perfect domain name, it’s time to decide where to buy a domain name. Not all domain registrars are created equal–pricing, customer support and extra features like privacy protection and domain management can vary. Keep these points in mind: Pricing Domain prices can vary between registrars and the lowest price upfront isn’t always the best long-term deal. Look beyond the first-year cost to avoid unexpected fees later. Comparing these factors helps you understand the real cost of a domain over time not just the promotional price. Registration price: Many registrars offer tempting first-year discounts. Make sure to check the standard price you’ll pay after the promotional period ends. Renewal costs: Renewal fees are often higher than the introductory price so it's smart to compare the long-term cost of keeping your domain. Privacy protection: Some registrars include WHOIS privacy for free while others charge an extra annual fee for it. Transfer fees: If you think you might move your domain to another registrar down the line, review these costs upfront. Add-ons and extras: Features like email hosting, DNS management or security services can add to the total price. Worth knowing: the gap between a domain's first-year promotional price and its renewal price is where most surprise costs come from. A $1 first-year registration that renews at $40 with paid WHOIS privacy can end up costing more over five years than a slightly pricier all-inclusive plan. Add up the actual five-year cost before deciding. Sign up for a Wix Premium plan and learn how to get a free domain name with a one-year domain name voucher. Private domain registration ICANN requires everyone who purchases a domain to provide personal information (including full name, email, address and phone number) that is then made publicly available on a database known as WHOIS. If you’re concerned about privacy or want to minimize the chances of spam and identity theft, you can hide this information using WHOIS privacy protection. Some domain registrars include WHOIS privacy protection as part of their offering, immediately protecting your personal data when you learn how to buy a domain name, while others offer it as a paid add-on. Web hosting pairing Pairing your domain with hosting from the same provider keeps things simple and can save you money. It allows you to manage all site assets within a single platform, thus minimizing the overall cost and headache. Tip: When you host a site on Wix, you’ll have advanced security monitoring, automatic set-up and enterprise-grade reliability of 99.9% uptime. This helps protect against domain squatting and domain spoofing amongst other cyber threats. Customer support The availability of customer support is one of the most overlooked aspects when it comes to finding a domain registrar. If you ever have any issues at 3 am and can’t get a hold of anyone, you’ll kick your past self for not choosing a registrar that offers live customer support 24/7. Domain age Domain age refers to the amount of time that a domain name has existed, or, as it sounds, how old it is. You’ll want to know your domain age for the following reasons: If you take a domain that previously belonged to a different business, it can indicate the business’s age. This can affect brand trust, both good or bad, if the domain has built an associated reputation over time. This also can make it necessary to check domain history. Older domains may have some SEO benefits since they have had time to build traffic. You can verify domain trademark claims based on domain age and the date it was originally registered. One thing worth knowing: domain age on its own won't lift your SEO performance. What matters is whether the domain has accumulated authentic backlinks and a clean history. A 15-year-old domain that was used for spam will hurt you, not help you. If you're buying an aged domain, check its history before transferring. Domain email Some domain registrars’ offerings extend beyond website-focused features. Keep an eye out for additional products and tools that may interest you, as it will make it much easier to connect and manage them through your website. For example, if you want a business email address that uses your domain name instead of that of a generic mail provider, you should look for a registrar that also offers personalized email addresses. Bulk purchasing If you’re planning to expand or launch new brands, buying multiple domains now could save you time and money later. This is especially relevant if you plan to expand your operations to other geographic locations or have a certain product you’d like to promote as a stand-alone brand. How to keep a domain name secure Protecting your domain name is important to keep your website safe. Here are some simple tips to help you secure your domain: Choose a reputable domain registrar: Pick a domain registrar known for solid domain security and great customer service. As Daniel Yeromka, CEO of HostZealot, notes: "A domain seems like a simple thing that you buy and forget. I didn't know that domain registrars might get acquired, or that there might be regulatory changes around domain ownership and enforcement...[If I could do things over now,] I would look at the registrar's stability, their registry policies and any trademark overlaps." (Read Daniel’s advice in our blog on 12 web domain-related questions you're too shy to ask.) Use a strong password: Create a password that’s at least 12 characters long with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Adding 2FA means you’ll need to enter a code from your phone when logging in, giving you an extra layer of protection. Keep your contact information updated: Make sure your contact information with your domain registrar is up to date. This will help them to contact you if there is any suspicious activity on your account. Watch out for phishing emails: Phishing emails are designed to trick you into revealing your personal information, such as your domain registrar account password. Be careful about clicking on links in emails, even if they appear to be from legitimate sources. Keep your domain registration information private: Domain privacy is critical. Don't share your domain registration information with anyone you don't trust. This includes your domain registrar account password, your domain name and your contact information. Worth knowing: the most common way businesses lose a domain isn't hacking. It's a missed renewal email going to an old address. Set auto-renewal to ON and keep at least two valid contact emails on file. Domains in the post-expiry grace window can be auctioned to third parties, and recovering one once it changes hands is rarely cheap. Read also: Domain vs. URL vs. IP address It’s easy to mix up a domain name, a URL and an IP address, but each serves a distinct purpose on the internet. Understanding the difference helps you navigate the web more confidently and explains how websites are found and accessed. Domain name URL (uniform resource locator) IP address (internet protocol) Example wix.com https://www.wix.com/about/ 192.0.2.2 (IPv4) Function A human-friendly address that points to a specific website. The full web address that points to a specific page or file on a website. A unique numerical identifier for a device on the internet that allows computers to communicate. Relationship The core part of a URL. Includes the domain name, the protocol (https://) and the specific path (/about/). The actual address that the domain name is mapped to by the DNS. The domain name is the readable address you type in your browser. The URL is the complete path to a specific page and the IP address is the number your computer uses to find the website behind the scenes. Together they make it possible to navigate the web smoothly. Plan ahead by purchasing your domain name If you’re looking to buy a domain or just curious, you’ve likely realized how important domain names are. The US domain name industry is an 8.1 billion-dollar market that’s still growing, including the lucrative business of domain trading. Once you register a domain, it’s yours—so long as you renew it annually or within your registrar’s time frame. This makes it crucial to secure the domain name for any business you start. It can be simple, like your name, or highly marketable, like business.com, which sold for $345 million. This practice, known as domain parking, often aims at domain flipping, and it’s more common than you might think. Consider purchasing additional TLDs you might want in the future to prevent others from taking them—otherwise, you could find yourself paying in the domain name trade. What is a domain name FAQ What is ICANN? The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees all domain registrations, allocates and assigns IP addresses, runs accreditation systems for domain registrars and keeps a centralized database of all domain names and their IPs. The ICANN also has the authority to approve new domain extensions (also known as TLDs), manage them and shut them down if they don’t follow the determined rules. They can also approve domain registrars to manage domain extensions and domain registration. How do I find my domain name? Your domain name is the unique web address people use to find your website (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com). If you already own one, you can find it through the domain registrar where you purchased it. Log in to your account there, and you’ll see your domain listed. If you're starting fresh, you can easily choose and purchase a domain through a website builder or domain registrar. Do I need a domain for a website? Yes, having a domain is essential if you want people to find your website on the internet. A domain acts as your website’s address, making it easy for visitors to reach you. Some platforms offer free website options with subdomains (e.g., yourbusiness.wix.com), but a custom domain looks more professional and builds trust with your audience. What is the difference between a website name and a domain name? A website name is what you call or brand your site—it's how you refer to it publicly, like "Your Business" or "John's Blog." A domain name, on the other hand, is its web address (e.g., www.johnsblog.com). Think of the website name as your site’s identity, while the domain name is the way people access it online. What is a domain name in computing? A domain name in computing is a web address used to access websites, making it easier to locate online resources without relying on numerical IP addresses. Beyond websites, the term “domain” can also refer to organizational functions in networking, where it manages grouped resources like user accounts and servers, or in software development, where it defines specific areas of focus such as healthcare app components or database management with domain-specific languages like SQL (structured query language). What is a domain registry? A domain registry is the organization that oversees domain name databases and manages all the information related to domain owners. They keep things organized based on different TLDs like .com, .net. or .co.uk. For example, Nominet handles .co.uk extensions in the UK. Registries set the rules for how domain names can be registered and used, making sure everything runs smoothly. They also provide access to domain registrars, like Wix, allowing users to see and register available domain names. What is a domain in email? A domain in email is what comes after the "@" symbol in an email address, like "yourbusiness.com" in "info@yourbusiness.com." With Wix, you can create a personalized email address that matches your custom domain, helping your business look professional and trustworthy. This domain not only routes emails to the right servers but also reinforces your brand's identity every time you send a message. How do I create a domain name? Start by brainstorming names that are short, memorable and relevant to your brand or niche. Use a domain registrar like Wix, GoDaddy or Namecheap to check availability and register your chosen name. Make sure it’s easy to spell and pronounce so it sticks with visitors. Do I need an LLC for a domain? No, you don't need an LLC to register a domain. You can buy a domain as an individual, but forming an LLC offers legal protection and credibility if you're running a business. It really comes down to your business setup not your domain ownership. Can I get a domain for free? Yes, some platforms offer free domains, usually as a subdomain (like yoursite.wixsite.com). For a professional look and more control, buying a custom domain is recommended—it’s affordable and avoids the limitations of free subdomains. Who actually owns a domain name? The person or entity that registers the domain through a registrar owns it for the period of registration. Ownership is maintained as long as you keep renewing it and follow the registrar's rules. Can I run my website without a domain? Technically you can use a platform’s free subdomain to run your website. But, a custom domain adds credibility and trust and makes it much easier for people to find and remember your site. What to avoid in a domain name? Avoid long, complicated or hard-to-spell names, numbers and hyphens that confuse visitors. Steer clear of trademarks or names that could infringe on other brands to prevent legal issues. Keep it simple, catchy and relevant to your business.