WordPress or Wix? Clients are often confused when I suggest moving away from Wix to another CMS such as WordPress or Webflow.
The site often looks ok on the surface, you might hear ‘I built it myself’ or ‘a freelancer helped me’ – but beneath the hood, there are often some issues that might not be initially apparent – particularly pertaining to mobile speed.
Here’s 5 points on why Wix’s speed is slower, and why that is an issue:
- Code Overhead: Wix’s drag-and-drop functionality creates bloated code, slowing down the site. This impacts bounce rates—users expect fast load times, and if the page takes more than a few seconds, they leave, reducing potential conversions.
- JavaScript Dependency: Heavy reliance on JavaScript delays rendering times, leading to a poor user experience. Even if users stay, they’re less likely to engage or convert on a slow site, especially in e-commerce or form submissions.
- Third-party Apps: While third-party apps add functionality, they also introduce extra scripts, further slowing down load speeds. This directly affects conversion rates, as users become frustrated and abandon the process.
- Image Optimisation & Caching: Sure, Wix has tools to improve this, but they’re not as customisable as other platforms. Poorly optimised images can drag down the site, affecting SEO rankings and reducing organic traffic, another hit to conversions.
- Perceived Credibility: Speed is tied to trust. A slow site makes your brand look unprofessional or unreliable, making users less likely to convert.
In summary, Wix’s performance issues—especially its slower page speeds—don’t just create technical drawbacks but can also directly lead to fewer conversions.
If you’re after a high-converting site, platforms with better speed optimisation capabilities (like Webflow, WordPress, or custom builds), built well, will outperform Wix every time.
