Is building a Wix Website easy? (2022 Update)

The short answer is yes but the longer answer is "it depends".

Looking for someone to build your website?

What does it depend on? Well, it depends on what you are trying to achieve really. Wix is a really easy to learn and intuitive website builder that has limitless possibilities. This means that you can create any kind of website on Wix but knowing how to create any kind of website is where many people get stuck. If you simply want a basic site that looks like a template with your pictures in it, then Wix is by far the easiest tool out there to get your business online. But if you want a custom site that has specific features and functionality, it may be a little more difficult for the first time Wix user. That's why Wix has created the Wix Partner programme and the Wix MarketPlace. Through the Wix MarketPlace, users can find a Wix professional to assist them in building their websites. Some partners specialise in doing the basics very well, while other partners specialise in things like adding custom code to Wix sites to unlock extra functionality.

No matter your experience level, working with a Wix partner is a great option and makes the Wix platform very competitive in comparison to Wordpress or Squarespace which have no such programme to help their struggling users.

Can you learn Wix on your own?

Absolutely, but you also don't have to because Wix has a bunch of really good training and tutorials with my favourite one being on the Codecademy Website. If you are just getting into Wix and want to learn how to code Javascript, then this is the tutorial for you. Wix also has so many independent users making awesome YOUTUBE CONTENT THAT TEACHES OTHER USERS HOW TO USE WIX. So that is really great too!

Is Wix expensive?

This is one of the questions i get asked all the time. The short answer is no. The longer answer is, it depends. It depends on what you need. If you need an e-commerce platform, Wix is way cheaper than the alternatives and has way more functionality. If all you need is a simple one pager, then you can definitely build that cheaper on other platforms. I see Wix kind of like how I see Apple because Wix is one eco-system that has many components, where as Wordpress for example is a more open source platform that has people from around the world making components. This means you end u paying per feature on Wordpress, whereas on Wix you pay one fee and get all the features. In the long run, this makes Wix the cheaper option.

Here is a "short" list of just 115 of Wix's most sought after features:

1. Activity Dashboard
   

2. Activity Tracking
   

3. Alerts/Notifications
   

4. Appointment Management
   

5. Attendance Management
   

6. Attendance Tracking
   

7. Attendee Management
   

8. Availability Management
   

9. Backlink Monitoring
   

10. Billing & Invoicing
    

11. Booking Management
    

12. Calendar Management
    

13. Campaign Management
    

14. Catalog Creation
    

15. Cataloging/Categorization
    

16. Categorization/Grouping
    

17. Chat/Messaging
    

18. Class Management
    

19. Class Scheduling
    

20. Collaboration Tools
    

21. Commenting/Notes
    

22. Communication Management
    

23. Confirmation/Reminders
    

24. Contact Management
    

25. Content Management
    

26. Content Publishing Options
    

27. Content Sharing
    

28. Credit Card Processing
    

29. Customer Accounts
    

30. Customer History
    

31. Customizable Branding
    

32. Customizable Fields
    

33. Customizable Forms
    

34. Customizable Templates
    

35. Dashboard
    

36. Data Security
    

37. Design Management
    

38. Document Management
    

39. Drag & Drop
    

40. Email Management
    

41. Email Marketing
    

42. Employee Management
    

43. Event Calendar
    

44. Event Management
    

45. Event Scheduling
    

46. Event Triggered Actions
    

47. For Small Businesses
    

48. Form Builder
    

49. Forms Management
    

50. Full Text Search
    

51. HTML5 Technology
    

52. Image Editing
    

53. Image Library
    

54. Instructor Management
    

55. Inventory Management
    

56. Invoice Management
    

57. Keyword Rank Tracking
    

58. Kitting
    

59. Knowledge Base Management
    

60. Landing Pages/Web Forms
    

61. Membership Management
    

62. Multi-Channel Campaigns
    

63. Multi-Channel Communication
    

64. Multi-Language
    

65. Multi-Location
    

66. Multi-Store
    

67. Online Booking
    

68. Online Booking Tools
    

69. Online Forums
    

70. Online Store Builder
    

71. Order Management
    

72. Order Tracking
    

73. Payment Processing
    

74. Point of Sale (POS)
    

75. Post Management
    

76. Post Scheduling
    

77. Pre-built Templates
    

78. Preview Functionality
    

79. Product Catalog
    

80. Promotions Management
    

81. Publishing Options
    

82. ROI Tracking
    

83. Ratings / Reviews
    

84. Real Time Editing
    

85. Real Time Notifications
    

86. Real-time Updates
    

87. Recurring/Subscription Billing
    

88. Registration Management
    

89. Reminders
    

90. Reporting & Statistics
    

91. Reporting/Analytics
    

92. Reservations Management
    

93. Responsive
    

94. SEO Management
    

95. SMS Messaging
    

96. SSL Security
    

97. Search/Filter
    

98. Shipping Management
    

99. Shopping Cart
    

100. Social Media Integration
     

101. Support Ticket Management
     

102. Survey Builder
     

103. Template Management
     

104. Templates
     

105. Third Party Integrations
     

106. Video Management
     

107. Visitor Tracking
     

108. WYSIWYG Editor
     

109. Wait List Management
     

110. Website Analytics
     

111. Website Hosting
     

112. Website Integration
     

113. Website Management
     

114. eCommerce Management

115. Wix Partner Programme

Still not convinced? Why not give us a call and we can chat you through the decision making process. We do not "sell" wix plans or get commission for getting you on Wix and you have no obligation to work with us once you get on Wix. We are simply a dedicated Wix Partner agency that believes in the platform we use for our clients

7 internet trends we noticed in 2021 (a 2022 retrospective)

The internet changed a lot in 2021. Here is what we learned as digital agency...

Two thousand and twenty one was a crazy year. We saw the rise of new and wonderful innovations on the web alongside a myriad of concerning and downright crazy trends. From online advertising to e-commerce, web3, NFTs, the metaverse and more - everything changed in 2021.

Instagram and Facebook are dead

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of what was once Facebook, even admits this fact himself. The days of social media in a traditional Web2 sense are over. In 2021 the Facebook founder launched the new direction for his monolithic enterprise and at the heart of it, is the abandonment of the internet we have all become so comfortable with.

The future of online interactions, according to Zuckerberg and the likes, lies in the metaverse; a virtual reality world where people can truly feel as though they are present online through their avatars.

Of course, such a shift away from Facebook is still years in the making, however already in 2021 we are seeing trends that spell the beginning of the end for this online tech giant.

Research shows that Facebook advertising has become less effective, not only because of the fact that Apple has waged war on the Facebook business model, but also because people are starting to trend towards more niche platforms. Gamers have their own social media - Twitch - and the younger generation views Facebook as "an old person's platform".

With social media companies like Tik-Tok and Clubhouse leading the way in new forms of social media, the web is about to take a new form and that form is no longer in the image of old Zuckerberg.

Relevance is King

Given the downward trend of generalised social platforms and the upward rise of niche online experiences, it is vital that any content put out onto the web has an exact relevance to the audience. Understanding relevance and audience has historically been much easier, but with all the data and user information we now have it gives large corporations an upper hand in understanding their audiences and developing content that meets their exact specific needs on the platform they are active on. Knowing your audience and understanding what content they need has never been more important and the proof of this is in the major core updates to the Google Search algorithm.

Websites are getting cheaper

Every year we see the development of new tools to help businesses get a website up and running fast. As a rapid development agency we are acutely aware of the plethora of tools available to create a viable website for any client - no matter the size of the project. Using tools like Wix, Wordpress, Shopify, Webflow, Weebly, Google and more it is a mere few clicks away to get your business online.

If you are needing expert advice or want an agency to build your site, get in touch today!

Canva is as good as photoshop (sometimes better)

Before you go mad in the comments, bare with me... In 2021, Adobe's flagship creation tool Photoshop acquired the internet company Canva. Canva allows users to create stunning graphics with just a few clicks and thousands of stunning templates to help fast-track the design process of just about any piece of content - be it for print, presentation, web or socials.

Photoshop will be a more powerful program and experts in photoshop will always have more design freedom that an expert in Canva, however for the average marketer, layman or designer Canva is an incredible tool.

As online tools like Canva become more mainstream it creates an imbalance in the eco system of designers with years of experience in programs like photoshop. Just like when Garage Band made it easy for the average joe to make an album in his bedroom, so too will Canva make it easy for the average Joe to consider themselves a designer. All of this has a profound impact in the industry rates for design... Only time will tell what the long term impact of Canva will be on the world of graphic design.

People are sick of MS Teams and Zoom

It's probably worth mentioning here that we are also sick of Google Meets, Slack, Monday.com and any other tool used for online collaboration and video conferencing. But, just because we are sick of it doesn't mean we won't still use it. According to most authorities video conferencing as a tool for remote work and meetings is here to stay. 2022 may see the return of workers to their office cubicles, but even in an office cubicle it is likely that at least one stakeholder in a meeting will dial in via Zoom and in all likely hood the entire meeting will take place there.

Metaverse

We briefly touched on this subject above, but it is worth mentioning here because in someways it is the answer to the above problem but in other ways it only makes it worse. If you are tired of 2d video conferences, what makes 3d virtual reality conferences any better? In our opinion and the opinions of many early adopters, the virtual reality world is still a headache - literally. If you thought screen time in front of your laptop was hard on your eyes, you're gonna hate a VR headset. Screen time aside, the biggest issue with VR is that too much time in the virtual world can cause severe nausea, headaches and other dissociative symptoms... Of course, the metaverse is not all bad - far from it. The metaverse will usher in the new era of the internet and lay the foundations for the billionaires of the next generation. We have already seen a steady increase in the number of metaverse related investments and businesses and 2022 will undoubtably continue that trend.

NFTs Web3 and Crypto

If you haven't heard of any of the above yet, don't worry. Although these are not new concepts, 2021 really brought them to the public attention. As 2022 continues we will see a heavy increase in the adoption of crypto and NFT based architecture.

An NFT (Non Fungible Token) is a digital asset that is making a huge impact on the art world. People are buying and selling NFT's at record high prices and the more people are spending, the more the world will pay attention. The future of NFT's will likely be more about assets that are usable in the metaverse or online games or even tradable assets that could be used as a means of exchange on Web3 applications and websites.

Web3 is the next buzz word you are likely to come across a lot over the coming months. Web3 is the next stage of the internet. Web3 application and sites will interact directly with Crypto wallets that store digital assets like cryptocurrency or NFTs.

Crypto, being at the centre of the next digital revolution will also make some pronounced developments over the next year as many countries race to legislate, legalise, criminalise, tax or other wise get involved with digital currency. Blockchain technology will pave the way for a new era of trading and purchasing online and the show has only just begun.

It has been just over a decade since the first BitCoin was mined and inn the coming years, we will see what the impact of decentralised finance really is. On top of the decentralised and community owned crypto currencies, 2022 will also see the real dominance of state backed crypto currencies called Stable Coins. Stable coins are backed by a physical currency and so their value is not tied to the runaway speculation that causes the BitCoin price to skyrocket and Fall (hence the name "Stable" coins).

Conclusion

2021 changed the web and the world that interacts with it. 2022 is bound to have new highs and lows. The world online is evolving and there is a heap of opportunity waiting those who have the mind to seize it.

What do you think the biggest trends in 2022 will be? We'd love to read your thoughts in the comments.

Virtual Events in 2022 - How the future of online eventing will look

Virtual events have changed the business model and the experience of events around the world. 2022 will certainly see the continuation of online experiences, while the physical events start. to happen again alongside them.

Mother and daughter attend online pre-school. Everyday is a virtual event for these children of the new world.

By now most of you have attended at least one online gathering or virtual event. Whether it was a webinar, livestream event, Instagram live, facebook, YouTube or even attended a meta-verse meeting, we have all experienced virtual eventing on one or another platform by now.

I don't even want to talk about Zoom, Teams or Google Meets... We all know those and most of us use those platforms like FaceTime or just fancy telephone.

I am talking about fully-online experiences that are curated for a specific event - like a birthday party, wedding or a product launch.

The days of "all-hands meetings" taking place in person every week are basically over. Company Town halls are going to move forward online for most businesses. In fact for most businesses, the online meeting model is working out pretty well. They are able to get a message out to thousands of employees across multiple regions and the cost/ time implication of the virtual event is negligible compared to the live model. Virtual events are still pretty awful for things like live music concerts, but they are actually pretty great for things like theatre, movie premiers and music video launches.

In the early days of the pandemic, I developed a virtual event platform which has now hosted well over 200 online events for all kinds of things; from African Fashion Week to the memorials of CEOs and loved people around the world. I have done virtual events for businesses, bands, corporate socials, fashion shows, team-building games and more.

Contact us about virtual events

Boardroom meetings online mean that execs travel a lot less which saves companies money in travel expenses and time.

How hybrid events will become the norm

Now that we are moving onto the post-pandemic world, most things are getting back to a resemblance of the normal we once knew, but the world has been trained in an online way of engagement and we are going to bringing many of these newly learned skills with us into the coming years.

In 2022 we will start seeing the rise of truly hybrid events - experiences that happen online and in the real world. Participants of the event will have the option to stay home and attend or they could attend in person. The entire conference will be available both virtually and in real life (IRL).

At Marshall Arts we have developed an app solution that allows people at the conference venue to chat with each other as well as the participants from around the world who are attending from home. The event app and accompanying website are completely white-labeled and create a fully branded immersive experience for the event.

Using 360 video, we are able to give the at-home-attendees an immersive glimpse into the conference and allow them to actually experience the physical space (virtually), while taking part in discussion, polls, surveys, demonstrations, presentation and more.

Live streaming and VR meeting rooms offer enough an experience that people are able to collaborate, network and make new connections with vendors, participants and organisers from around the world.

"We know the model will remain because hybrid events are allowing international attendance at virtually no cost"

The world has never before been able to offer international guests at events a quick and easy way to attend a conference. Now colleagues from other countries don't have to travel to attend annual company meet-ups. Parent's don't have to get baby sitters to make an evening gala or awards ceremony.

These are pretty substantial benefits of the hybrid model. By giving the attendees the choice between the virtual or physical events, we can increase attendance and international networking opportunities.

The other beautiful part about it is having a centralised point of communication for all attendees during and post the event. If there are agendas, resources like training guides, programmes, goods for sale or any type of digital product - the online portal for the event can house it all. From the ticket sales, RSVP lists, attendance registers, LMS systems - you name it - the virtual aspect of the event provides a centralised system to house, manage and distribute all of these things that we once done manually or via multiple different third part softwares.

How much does a virtual event cost?

Virtual events (with Marshall Arts) start at around R85 000 for the full package. A virtual event platform starts at around R20 000. To throw an event like a fashion show, the full virtual package will cost around R200 000 ($12 000). This would include a virtual app, the video production of the broadcast as well as the broad cast and the management of the virtual aspects of the event.

What are other virtual event platforms?

Why choose Marshall Arts to build your virtual event platform?

What is the next step in Virtual events?

Do people enjoy virtual events?

The technology of VR and AR bring value to experiences at the event venue and for the attendees at home.

As companies like Facebook and Microsoft put more and more energy into concepts and experiments like the metaverse, the world will slowly adopt these technologies and become used to using them.

Already the children of today are very used to the concept of a VR headset. Anyone who owns a VR headset on the PS5, knows that the tech is amazing, but still far from perfect - yet that doesn't stop millions of people from wanting to play with these toys every day.

We are not far from seeing the Oculus Rift transcend from the status of toy to everyday accessory - or at least a piece of kit provided at every event venue.

Most people reading this will either believe online events are awful and VR will end real human connections or they will believe that this is the future of humanity and this exciting tech will one day make incredible things possible for people around the world.

The thing I always try to remember is, the virtual events world is not everybody's cup of tea, but it is an important tool for the future of humanity. The technologies we are developing now will help earthlings of the future have Christmas with their relatives on Mars and ensure that work places never get disrupted by a lockdown ever again.

Want to tell us how you feel? Let us know in the comments, we love to chat.