When you’re at the moment utilizing Wix and contemplating a transfer to WooCommerce, you will not be fairly positive easy methods to get began. The excellent news is that migrating knowledge from Wix to WooCommerce isn’t as difficult as you would possibly assume! You may have three viable choices for transferring your on-line retailer that we’ll discover in a second.
However first, let’s check out what Wix and WooCommerce are, and evaluate WooCommerce vs. Wix on components like scalability, ease of use, and pricing.
What’s Wix?
Wix is a proprietary web site constructing platform that provides each a free, restricted plan, alongside a number of premium plans. It bundles all of its web site performance on one platform, together with internet hosting and any ecommerce instruments wanted to run ecommerce web sites. Whereas many web site house owners select Wix vs WooCommerce for its ease of use, that does come at a worth when it comes to value in addition to customizability and management.
What’s WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an open-source, free plugin that provides ecommerce performance to WordPress. It’s run by Automattic particularly for WordPress, and consists of every little thing it’s worthwhile to function a web-based retailer, together with product listings, fee assortment, and delivery choices. There’s additionally a library of free and premium extensions that may add extra performance to your retailer.
WordPress and WooCommerce work collectively to supply unparalleled ecommerce options and supreme flexibility and customizability, whereas nonetheless being usable for learners and builders alike.
WooCommerce vs. Wix
So how precisely do these two platforms stack up? Let’s check out some key components.
Management and possession
WordPress is an open-source platform, which implies that the software program is out there to the general public, and anybody can use, modify, and examine its code freely. What precisely does this imply for retailer house owners?
Along with elevated safety and performance because of the variety of builders engaged on it, you even have full management over how you employ it. The code isn’t “locked down,” like that of proprietary instruments like Wix.
You may have full flexibility and management over the design and performance of your web site, and might use it nevertheless you see match. You received’t have to fret about proprietary platforms taking down your ecommerce website with no discover in the event that they determine you’ve violated their phrases. And, with WordPress, you may entry and modify the complete supply code of your website, whereas this isn’t potential with Wix.
With WooCommerce, you too can select any host that you just’d like, based mostly on issues like safety, options, bandwidth, and velocity. When you construct your retailer with Wix, you’re confined to solely utilizing their internet hosting instruments, which may restrict your development.
Flexibility and customization
Whereas Wix touts itself as a platform with out limits, it nonetheless doesn’t evaluate to the flexibleness and customization choices that include WordPress and WooCommerce. Listed below are just a few examples:
Themes/templates
Each WordPress and Wix provide designs that work as a place to begin in your web site. WordPress calls them “themes” and Wix calls them “templates.” And whereas each provide an excellent variety of selections, there are lots of extra choices accessible with WordPress. Choose from free choices within the WordPress repository, free and premium themes straight from WooCommerce, or any variety of themes made by third-party builders.
And for those who ever need to change WordPress themes, you may simply accomplish that. Merely select a brand new theme, preview it in your website, after which activate it. Normally, particularly for those who’re utilizing the Block Editor, there can be only a few modifications you’ll must make throughout your website.
Nonetheless, with Wix, you merely can’t change templates on an present website. You would need to switch the positioning to a brand new occasion, then change your Premium plan to that new website. And there are fairly just a few components you may’t switch from one website to a different, together with your on-line retailer.
This makes it fairly tough and time-consuming to modify templates — a key distinction between Wix and WooCommerce.
Plugins/add-ons
Once more, each WooCommerce and Wix provide instruments that you need to use so as to add performance to your on-line retailer. Wix calls these “apps.” WordPress calls them “plugins,” whereas WooCommerce-specific instruments are “extensions.”
Wix does have an app market with an honest variety of choices, from dropshipping and advertising and marketing apps to type and social media instruments.
However with WordPress and WooCommerce, the alternatives are just about infinite. The WordPress repository, which is fully made up of instruments which might be free and vetted by WordPress, has over 60,000 plugins. You’ll be able to seek for the proper answer, and decide based mostly on critiques from actual customers, screenshots, and descriptions.
The WooCommerce extension retailer has tons of of extra free and premium choices, each particular to the world of promoting on-line. Discover options for advertising and marketing, funds, delivery, buyer administration, and extra. And, lastly, you may at all times obtain and set up a premium or free WordPress plugin from third-party builders.
Retailer performance
Each Wix and WooCommerce embrace all of the performance wanted to start out and run a web-based retailer. Design your web site, record your merchandise, acquire funds, ship or ship your gadgets just about, and comply with up with clients.
However once more, because of the open-source nature of WordPress, WooCommerce permits you to create something you’d like, with out limits. If there isn’t an answer already constructed into WooCommerce, there’s nearly definitely a plugin or extension accessible to satisfy your wants. And if there nonetheless isn’t an answer, then you may rent a developer to create one thing for you, because the software program code is available to view and modify.
With the web site builder from Wix, you don’t have that very same functionality. And also you’ll run into different constraints, too. For instance, you may solely embrace as much as 15 photographs for every product. So when you’ve got just a few completely different variations that clients can select from, you might not be capable to embrace photographs for all of them.
There are additionally limitations with regards to the way in which you promote your merchandise. For instance, wholesale promoting isn’t at the moment potential with Wix, with out an inefficient and restricted workaround. However with WooCommerce, you may have a full-fledged wholesale retailer, with customized wholesale roles, role-based pricing, delivery and fee guidelines particular to wholesale clients, and extra.
Running a blog
Running a blog is a essential a part of any web site, particularly a web-based retailer. And with WooCommerce, you may make the most of the highly effective running a blog options of WordPress. You see, WordPress was initially created particularly for running a blog. And whereas it’s expanded far past that now, running a blog remains to be at its core.
If you create a weblog put up with Wix, you might have entry to a really restricted drag-and-drop editor. For instance, you may solely add 13 varieties of components, together with photos, movies, tables, and buttons.
However whenever you create a weblog put up with WordPress, you might have entry to all the block editor (extra on this under). Select from dozens of components, from primary paragraphs, photos, and movies to columns, newest posts, tables, and social media feeds. You need to use this to actually create distinctive content material that may interact potential clients.
Ease of use
Each Wix and WordPress make the most of a drag and drop editor to create pages and posts. Each allow retailer house owners to construct their whole website visually, without having to know any code in any respect. Each additionally provide particular person components – paragraphs, photos, movies, and so forth. – and prebuilt segments like lists of latest posts and picture galleries. In WordPress, these are referred to as “blocks” and “block patterns,” whereas Wix calls them “components” and “sections.”
However one of many greatest ways in which the block editor included with WordPress shines is in its flexibility. Whereas there are many blocks and block patterns included by default, you too can set up WordPress plugins that add much more options and capabilities to the block editor.
For instance, the Jetpack plugin provides numerous further blocks, like picture hotspots, social media feeds, and calendars. There are additionally block-specific plugins that embrace components like maps, pricing sections, accordions, information containers, and extra – primarily, something you may think about.
Each WooCommerce and Wix are thought of comparatively simple to make use of with regards to constructing a retailer and creating and managing merchandise. Nonetheless, the flexibleness and customizability that include WooCommerce push it excessive. Be taught extra concerning the WordPress block editor.
Delivery capabilities
When you promote bodily merchandise, delivery is a vital a part of working your on-line retailer. With Wix, you might have a number of delivery choices accessible to you:
- Free delivery
- Flat price delivery
- Weight-based delivery
- Value-based delivery
- Product-based delivery
- Calculate USPS real-time charges
Whereas WooCommerce additionally consists of all of those choices, most by default and others utilizing extensions, you too can:
- Arrange desk price delivery, which helps you to create intricate, customized guidelines for delivery, based mostly on every little thing from location and worth to weight, merchandise depend or any mixture of those.
- Calculate real-time charges from further carriers, together with UPS and FedEx.
- Set conditional delivery charges based mostly on components like person function and product class.
- Get discounted delivery labels from USPS and DHL.
As with many different areas that we’ve already checked out, WooCommerce merely affords you extra choices and suppleness than Wix.
Scalability and world promoting
As you develop, you need the ecommerce platform you select to develop with you. And since Wix is a web site builder on a proprietary platform, you’re, sadly, restricted with regards to scalability. You’re tied all the way down to their internet hosting instruments, and restricted with regards to the modifications you may make to website efficiency, SEO, and code optimization. You’re additionally restricted with regards to the performance and design selections you may make throughout your on-line retailer.
However you’ll by no means outgrow WordPress and WooCommerce. You’ll be able to select any host you’d like, based mostly on components like efficiency, safety, and bandwidth. And you may make any performance alternative conceivable – if there’s not a WordPress plugin for what you want, you may work with a developer to create it. To not point out the truth that WordPress and WooCommerce have been constructed for scalability, serving to shops with tens of 1000’s of merchandise and hundreds of thousands of shoppers discover success. Be taught extra on this article about WooCommerce scalability.
As you develop, you might also need to promote globally, although some shops may even need to accomplish that from the start. There are a selection of things to think about right here, together with languages, currencies, and delivery choices.
Whilst you can show costs in a number of currencies with Wix, you can not really cost for them in a number of currencies. This may make issues way more tough for patrons in a number of international locations. However with WooCommerce, there are a number of instruments that make it simple so that you can settle for any variety of currencies in your website, and permit guests to modify between them.
Help and neighborhood
Wix gives a wide range of help choices, relying on the plan you’ve bought. Additionally they embrace documentation that helps you construct and run your retailer.
WordPress and WooCommerce have a neighborhood help discussion board the place you may get solutions to your whole questions. For premium WooCommerce extensions, stay chat help can also be accessible. Each WordPress and WooCommerce even have intensive, detailed documentation, and a curated video tutorial library.
And the neighborhood that comes with WordPress and WooCommerce is totally unmatched. Due to the open-source nature of the software program, there’s a spirit of helpfulness that merely doesn’t exist with proprietary platforms like Wix. There’s an enormous group of retailer house owners and builders on the market who need to assist one another succeed.
How do you harness the ability of this neighborhood? Be a part of the WooCommerce Slack channel, attend a meetup in your space, or take a look at the official WooCommerce Fb group.
Pricing
Relating to WooCommerce vs. Wix pricing, WooCommerce clearly stands out. WordPress and WooCommerce are fully free for all core performance – every little thing it’s worthwhile to arrange, design, and run the vast majority of on-line shops. All you’ll want is a internet hosting supplier and area identify to retailer your web site knowledge and make it viewable on-line.
Whereas Wix gives a free plan, it’s not a viable choice for ecommerce shops, as you may’t use your personal area identify, your website will show Wix branding all through, and you can not settle for on-line funds. Ecommerce plans begin at $27 per thirty days, however limit the quantity of cupboard space you might have and the variety of movies you may host in your web site.
You’ll even have extra restricted options. For instance, with the Enterprise Fundamental plan, you may’t make the most of automated gross sales tax, acquire and share buyer critiques, provide subscriptions, or acquire funds in a number of currencies. If you would like entry to all ecommerce options, you’ll want the Enterprise VIP plan, which is $59 per thirty days.
We’ve talked fairly a bit about WooCommerce extensions right here, which open up the performance and design potentialities even additional in your on-line retailer. Whereas many of those are premium instruments, they’re very moderately priced and let you piece collectively particular options fairly than pay for ones you don’t want.
The add-ons accessible with Wix fluctuate extensively with regards to pricing. Some can be found without spending a dime, others as month-to-month subscriptions. For instance, the Google Adverts & Google Procuring app prices $39.99 per thirty days with Wix. An identical WooCommerce extension, Google Listings and Adverts, is out there without spending a dime.
All in all, WooCommerce is a way more cost-effective answer, whether or not you’re simply beginning out or working an enterprise-level enterprise.
Methods to migrate from Wix to WooCommerce
After evaluating Wix vs WooCommerce, you’re most likely prepared to modify. So if you have already got an present web site on Wix and are able to migrate to WooCommerce, this part’s for you! There are just a few completely different paths you may take right here, and the fitting alternative will rely in your particular wants and expertise stage. Regardless, you’ll first must:
- Select your personal internet hosting plan. Your internet hosting supplier will home your web site recordsdata and make it potential for folks to see your website on-line.
- Set up WordPress and WooCommerce. Hottest hosts embrace one-click WordPress installations. WooCommerce additionally comes with an easy-to-use setup wizard that may stroll you thru the method of beginning your retailer.
Now, let’s take a look at just a few methods emigrate from Wix to WooCommerce.
Observe: Since Wix is a proprietary system, there’s not a method to export your website as a complete and import it to a different platform like WordPress. So this course of will deal with migrating knowledge, reminiscent of weblog put up content material and pictures, fairly than the design of your web site.
1. Manually migrate your on-line retailer
Need to sort out the migration by yourself? No downside! Listed below are the steps it’s best to take:
Export your Wix weblog content material
The very first thing it’s best to do is export your weblog content material from Wix, which you’ll do utilizing your website’s RSS feed. When you haven’t already, you’ll want so as to add an RSS feed button to your present web site. Navigate to a web page within the Wix Editor and click on the + button on the left-hand aspect. Choose Weblog → RSS Button, choose the one you’d like, and add it to the web page. Save your modifications.
Now, open your RSS feed by going to https://instance.com/blog-feed.xml, changing “instance.com” along with your web site’s URL. It will present you a web page of code. Proper-click, select Save As, and obtain the file to your laptop.
Import your weblog content material into WordPress
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Instruments → Import. Then, select Set up Now beneath the RSS choice.
Subsequent, select Run Importer. On the web page that follows, add the file that you just saved out of your Wix web site and click on Add file and import. Now, you may go to Posts → All Posts and look at all the weblog posts you imported.
Nonetheless, this import didn’t embrace any of the weblog put up’s photos. To maneuver your photos, you’ll want to make use of a plugin referred to as Auto Add Photos. Go forward and set up and activate this software in your WordPress website.
To put in any plugin from the WordPress repository, just like the one above, you’ll go to Plugins → Add New. Then, you may seek for the plugin by identify, click on Set up now after which Activate.
Now, return to Posts → All Posts and open the Display screen Choices dropdown on the high of the dashboard. Change the “Variety of gadgets per web page” area to “999” and click on Apply.
It will present 999 weblog posts per web page. You probably have greater than 999 posts in your website, you’ll nonetheless must take the following step on a number of pages.
Now, verify the clean checkbox subsequent to the Title area to pick out all of the posts on the web page.
Select Edit from the Bulk actions dropdown and click on Apply. Now, merely click on the blue Replace button and all the photos can be introduced in from Wix for these posts.
Export your Wix merchandise
Now, it’s time to maneuver your merchandise. In your Wix dashboard, go to the Merchandise tab. Click on the checkbox on the high left to pick out your whole merchandise. Click on Extra Actions → Export.
It will obtain a .CSV file to your laptop that you could now import into your WooCommerce website.
Import your merchandise into WooCommerce
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Instruments → Import and select Run Importer beneath the WooCommerce Merchandise (CSV) choice.
Add the product .CSV file you downloaded earlier, then click on Proceed.
Subsequent, on the Column Mapping display, WooCommerce will match the columns out of your .CSV file to WooCommerce product fields. Chances are you’ll want to attach a few of these by yourself, which you are able to do with the dropdowns on the fitting aspect of the web page.
Now, click on Run the Importer and look forward to the method to complete. On this case, you’ll now must manually add your product photos to every particular person product.
What about pages? Sadly, Wix doesn’t provide a method to export web page content material in anyway, so that you’ll must recreate these in WordPress from scratch.
2. Rent a developer emigrate your ecommerce retailer
When you don’t need to sort out the steps above by yourself, you may at all times rent a developer to deal with every little thing for you. They cannot solely migrate your Wix retailer to WooCommerce, they will additionally design your website as a complete and get you began on the fitting foot. It is a nice choice if you wish to focus extra in your merchandise and advertising and marketing than your retailer setup.
The WooExpert Market is a good place to search out the fitting developer in your wants. You’ll be able to view a listing of companies totally vetted by WooCommerce, then filter them based mostly on language, price range, location, and extra.
3. Simplify the method with the Cart2Cart software
The Cart2Cart extension takes care of the vast majority of the migration be just right for you, with out requiring you to rent a developer. And for those who’re undecided if it’ll work in your scenario, you may take a look at the software at completely no value.
Right here’s a listing of only a few issues that you could migrate with Cart2Cart:
- Product names, SKUs, descriptions, costs, variations, and pictures.
- Stock administration data like amount and availability.
- web optimization knowledge like meta descriptions and titles.
- Buyer and order data like identify, fee technique, order date, and extra.
- Coupon codes.
- Weblog posts and pictures.
You’ll be able to see a full record of migration knowledge right here. There are additionally further providers you may make the most of, like preserving order IDs and organising 301 redirects.
Pricing varies relying in your particular retailer, and relies on the variety of merchandise, orders, and clients you might have, in addition to any add-ons you determine to buy. You need to use the useful software on the backside of this web page to get an estimate.
You’ll be able to full all the migration from Wix to WooCommerce in three easy steps:
- Select your Supply (Wix) and Goal (WooCommerce) platforms.
- Choose the info you need to switch.
- Run an non-compulsory, free demo migration or proceed with the complete migration.
Then, simply look forward to the method to complete. Not proud of the outcomes? You received’t should pay something!
What do I do after migrating my knowledge?
Now that you just’ve moved your website and product knowledge from Wix to WooCommerce, you’ll must construct and design the remainder of your on-line retailer. This beneficial article about beginning a web-based enterprise supplies all the main points it’s worthwhile to create your pages, design your ecommerce web site, add any extensions you’d like, and extra.
As soon as your website is strictly the place you’d prefer it to be, simply level your area identify from Wix to WordPress. It will enable guests to see your new web site once they kind your URL into their browser. Whereas the method of doing this can rely in your area identify supplier and host, Bluehost has a tutorial right here that’s an excellent instance of the method.
Steadily requested questions on WooCommerce vs. Wix
When you nonetheless have questions on transferring from Wix to WordPress and WooCommerce, or the comparisons of Wix vs. WooCommerce, we need to assist! Discover solutions to ceaselessly requested questions under.
Can you employ WooCommerce with Wix?
No, WooCommerce and Wix usually are not suitable with each other. WooCommerce is a plugin that provides ecommerce performance to a WordPress web site, whereas Wix is a proprietary web site builder platform.
How do I import a product from Wix to WooCommerce?
You may have a number of choices to maneuver merchandise from Wix to WooCommerce. The primary is to export a .CSV record of your merchandise from Wix, then import that .CSV file into your WooCommerce retailer. The import software included with WooCommerce will work to map the fields for every product (e.g. worth, title, description, and so forth.). This technique is totally free, however does require some work in your finish.
Your second choice is to rent a developer emigrate merchandise for you. Whereas that is the most costly alternative, it’s additionally probably the most hands-off, and permits you to deal with different elements of working what you are promoting.
Lastly, you need to use the Cart2Cart extension emigrate your knowledge from Wix to WooCommerce. Whereas this can be a premium software, it’s extra reasonably priced than hiring a developer, and requires little or no work in your finish.
Is it higher to make use of Wix or WordPress?
Relating to WooCommerce vs. Wix, the platform you select in your on-line retailer will rely in your particular wants. However for almost all of shops, WordPress and WooCommerce are a greater choice. They provide extra flexibility, scalability, and management than Wix.
And so they’re extra reasonably priced and supply entry to an unmatched neighborhood of builders and retailer house owners.
Migrate from Wix to WordPress and WooCommerce
When you’ve determined to maneuver your on-line retailer to WooCommerce, welcome! We’re right here to assist with something that you just want. An incredible place to get began is with our documentation, which may present solutions to any questions you’ll have.
Need to see what others are doing with WooCommerce? Try ecommerce shops that cowl all completely different industries, all of that are utilizing WooCommerce to develop their enterprise.
