Can You Build an Online Store on Wix? Pros and Cons

Wix has carved out a significant space in the website builder market, known for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and vast template library, making website creation accessible to almost anyone. Naturally, the question arises: can you leverage this user-friendly platform to build a fully functional online store? The short answer is yes, absolutely. Wix offers dedicated e-commerce plans and features.

However, the more pertinent question isn't *can* you, but *should* you? While Wix makes launching an online store seem incredibly easy, especially for beginners, it's crucial to understand its strengths and, perhaps more importantly, its limitations compared to platforms purpose-built for e-commerce like Shopify or BigCommerce, or even flexible solutions like WooCommerce.

This analysis dives into the realities of building a Wix online store. We'll explore the advantages that make it appealing, critically examine the potential drawbacks that might hinder growth or functionality, and help you determine if Wix is the right fit for your specific e-commerce ambitions.

Yes, You Can Build a Wix Online Store, But Understand the Context

Wix offers specific "Business & eCommerce" plans designed to facilitate online selling. These plans unlock features necessary for running a store, such as accepting online payments, managing products, handling shipping, and tracking orders. Using Wix's editor (either the standard Wix Editor or Wix ADI), you can add store pages, product galleries, and a shopping cart to your site relatively easily.

The platform provides a visually driven way to manage your store, aligning with its overall ease-of-use philosophy. For small businesses, artists, or entrepreneurs wanting a simple, integrated website and store presence without deep technical involvement, Wix presents a compelling entry point.

Wix E-commerce: The Pros

Why do some businesses choose Wix for their online store?

• Exceptional Ease of Use: Wix's drag-and-drop editor is arguably one of the most intuitive available. Adding products, customizing store pages, and managing basic settings feels visually straightforward, lowering the barrier to entry for non-technical users.
• Beautiful Templates: Wix offers hundreds of professionally designed templates, including many specifically for online stores. This allows for a visually appealing storefront with minimal design effort.
• Integrated Website Builder: If you need a content-rich website with a blog, portfolio, booking system, *and* an online store, Wix provides these tools within a single platform, potentially simplifying management.
• Wix App Market: Offers various apps to add functionality, including marketing tools, customer interaction widgets, and some e-commerce specific extensions (though smaller than Shopify's App Store).
• All-in-One Hosting & Security: Like Squarespace and Shopify, Wix is a fully hosted platform, meaning they handle server maintenance, security updates, and SSL certificates.
• Decent Core E-commerce Features: Provides essential capabilities like product variations, inventory tracking, secure checkout (Wix Payments or third-party), discount codes, basic shipping options, and abandoned cart recovery (on higher plans).

Wix E-commerce: The Cons (Critical Considerations)

Despite the ease of entry, several significant drawbacks might make Wix unsuitable for ambitious or complex e-commerce operations:

• Scalability Concerns: While Wix has improved, it's generally not considered as robust for handling very high traffic volumes or massive product catalogs compared to platforms like Shopify or Magento. Performance can sometimes be an issue for larger stores.
• Limited Customization Potential (Deep Level): While the drag-and-drop editor offers flexibility, deep customization of checkout processes, core e-commerce logic, or backend functionalities is often restricted. You are largely confined to what Wix offers natively or through its App Market.
• Platform Lock-in & Migration Difficulty: Moving an established Wix store to another platform (like Shopify or WooCommerce) is notoriously difficult and often requires a complete rebuild. Your store data, design, and content are tightly integrated with the Wix ecosystem. This is a major long-term risk if you anticipate needing to switch platforms later.
• SEO Limitations (Historically & Perception): Wix has made strides in SEO capabilities, but historically faced criticism. While much improved, some advanced SEO customizations might still be easier or more flexible on other platforms like WordPress/WooCommerce or Shopify. Perception among some SEO professionals can also linger.
• Transaction Fees: While Wix Payments offers competitive rates, relying solely on it might be limiting. Using third-party gateways often incurs additional transaction fees from Wix *on top* of the gateway's own fees (similar to Shopify and Squarespace's policies when not using their native payment solutions).
• App Market Limitations: While growing, the Wix App Market is significantly smaller and less focused on deep e-commerce functionality compared to the Shopify App Store. Finding highly specialized e-commerce tools might be challenging.
• Less Focus on Pure E-commerce: Wix is fundamentally a website builder first, with e-commerce as a major feature. Platforms like Shopify are e-commerce first. This focus difference often manifests in the depth and priority of commerce-specific features and development.

The Ideal Wix E-commerce User Profile

Wix can be a good choice for:

• Small businesses with simple needs: Selling a limited range of products with basic variations and standard shipping.
• Artists, creatives, and solopreneurs: Focusing on visual presentation and needing an integrated portfolio/blog alongside their store.
• Restaurants with online ordering: Wix offers specific features catering to this niche.
• Budget-conscious beginners: Who prioritize ease of use and template design above all else for getting started quickly.
• Businesses needing strong website features PLUS basic e-commerce: Where the store is part of a broader website strategy, not the sole focus.

When to Look Beyond Wix for E-commerce

You should seriously consider alternatives like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce if:

• You anticipate significant growth in traffic, products, or order volume.
• You require advanced e-commerce features (complex shipping rules, multi-warehouse inventory, sophisticated B2B functionality, deep marketing automation integrations).
• You need extensive customization of the user experience or backend logic.
• You want access to a wider range of specialized e-commerce apps and integrations.
• You prioritize maximum SEO flexibility and control.
• You are concerned about platform lock-in and want the option to migrate more easily in the future.
• Your business *is* the online store, and e-commerce performance is the absolute top priority.

Think carefully about your 1-3 year goals. A platform that's easy today might become a bottleneck tomorrow.

Wix: A Capable Option Within Limits

So, yes, you can definitely build and run a successful online store on Wix, particularly if your needs align with its strengths in ease of use and template design. It provides a user-friendly environment for getting started with online selling integrated into a broader website presence. Many small businesses thrive on Wix.

However, it's crucial to be aware of its limitations regarding scalability, deep customization, potential platform lock-in, and the breadth of its e-commerce-specific ecosystem compared to dedicated commerce platforms. Weigh the immediate benefits of simplicity against your long-term growth ambitions and complexity requirements before committing.

Choosing the Platform That Powers Your Growth?

Selecting the right e-commerce platform is a pivotal decision. Whether Wix's ease of use is perfect for you, or your ambitions demand the power of Shopify or the flexibility of WooCommerce, Online Retail HQ can help. We create strategic, high-performance online stores tailored to your business needs. Explore our e-commerce development and management services or schedule a free consultation to discuss which platform best aligns with your vision for success.

Synopsis

Yes, you can build a Wix online store using its Business plans. Explore the pros (ease of use, templates, integrated tools) and cons (scalability concerns, customization limits, platform lock-in, smaller app market) to decide if Wix fits your e-commerce needs.

Adjø,

Lars O. Horpestad
Author & CEO
Online Retail HQ
Email: lars@onlineretailhq.com