Wix Sets New Standards for Site and App Creation: Using Artificial Design Intelligence and Wix Code™ to Create Custom Solutions

TL; DR: Fresh off growing beyond 100 million users, Wix continues to reinvent the website builder industry. The one-of-a-kind platform recently harnessed artificial intelligence functionality to choose the most impactful layouts, images, and text for websites, while a hassle-free and serverless coding environment enables site owners to build custom web applications. After more than a decade in business, Wix appeals to a global user base with industry-specific tools and functionalities tailored to create a powerful, scalable online experience.

The three members of the British rock band Black Hats are well versed in website builders. After becoming fed up with the limited options on the original platform they chose, drummer Mark Franklin moved the band’s website to Wix.

In addition to roughly 50 themes specific to music, the Wix website builder suite includes industry-specific tools to further improve the design and functionality of users’ creations.

For Black Hats, that meant easily integrating various music sharing networks into their website and saving time when engaging with their listeners.

“While the templates are easy to use, the flexibility gave us the freedom to make the site that we wanted and add the content that we felt was most important,” drummer and vocalist Mark Franklin said in a customer success story.

Wix, which recently eclipsed 110 million users, has long been known for its drag-and-drop website editor, visually stunning templates, and usability. The last two years, however, have seen a surge of game-changing tools and new features that capitalize on artificial intelligence and self-service app creation.

Wix ADI, which stands for artificial design intelligence, is the first tool to use the emerging tech to build websites, according to Rona Davis Tzur, Head of Public Relations and Communications for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Users “won’t even have time to finish their coffee” before their website is ready, she said.

To use Wix ADI, aspiring site owners answer a handful questions about their online needs. Once users identify what type of website they would like to create, whether it be a portfolio, business, photography, or restaurant site, they can decide to use either Wix ADI or the drag-and-drop editor.

Wix ADI will then ask for more specific information on what the website is for by suggesting a variety of businesses within the industry selected earlier. The tool then suggests an even more detailed list of potential occupations and specialties.

Site owners can then select what type of functionality they need for an online presence: eCommerce, blogging, subscriptions, or the ability to book appointments.

After filling in basic information, including business name and address, Wix ADI will scan the internet for additional content related to you. You’ll have the chance to review the information, such as a logo, contact information, or social networks, to ensure its accuracy.

Users are then asked to pick out a general design aesthetic, and the platform chooses from billions of combinations to match design and content elements and create a fully functional website. Once the site is up and running, users can go back to the familiar Wix site builder to adjust colors, font sizes, and layouts. Content automatically adjusts as you make changes.

“The science behind Wix ADI was developed using a decade of data and the real-time knowledge of more than 110 million Wix users worldwide,” Rona said. “Because we have so many millions of users, we have the knowledge of what a website should look like. We know how a design should look, how it should be built, and how to make it stunning.”

Launched as a beta test in mid-2017, Wix Code further removes boundaries to creativity by enabling users to build custom web applications that add functionality or affect how Wix components behave.

The end result is typically a boost to interactivity, according to Rona, who added that users also use Wix code to create dynamic pages, collect user information, and generate databases.

The development happens within Wix’s infrastructure, meaning the company’s team configures and maintains the development environments and other technical aspects of creating apps.

“Before you write one line of code, you need a huge setup,” she said. “With Wix Code, we provide all of that. We’re enabling every business that exists to have exactly what they need.”

Because Wix Code is based on the site builder’s usability features, many applications or components don’t even require coding. More experienced developers can incorporate JavaScript or use APIs from Wix or third-party organizations.

“Anyone can build their own sophisticated and powerful web application,” she said. “The amazing thing is that you can build it much faster than any other platform. It’s serverless, hassle-free coding where you don’t need all sorts of structure.”

Rona said Wix Code will likely come out of beta testing in the next few months and become a full-fledged product available for wider use.

“We already have a lot of solutions, and each one of them is actually a web application,” Rona said. “There will always be businesses that don’t have the specific solution for them, and Wix Code enables them to create their own.”

While many customers enjoy using the site builder for free to create an online presence on a Wix subdomain, upgrading to a paid account comes with a bevy of new capabilities and additional storage and bandwidth.

Premium users unlock access to hundreds of web applications that can extend site performance or functionality. While some simply add basic elements, such as a blog, photo gallery, or contact forms, others are tailored to specific businesses and industries:

1. Wix Restaurants: Manage menus, reservations, and orders with a trio of helpful applications. SEO-friendly menus are optimized for mobile and can be integrated into a Facebook business page, while Wix Reservations automates email confirmations and reminders when visitors book a table. Wix Restaurants Orders distinguishes between pickup and delivery options and sends alerts through email, text, fax, phone, or printer.
2. Wix Art Store: Showcase, sell, protect, and promote your masterpieces with one of Wix’s most recently launched apps. Artists can upload high-quality images and select the proper license, price, and payment methods. Images can be protected with a customized watermark.
3. Wix Music and Wix Video: Distribute your albums, tracks, or playlists on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and other music platforms, in addition to customizing a player on your site. Wix Music provides metrics on how many listens, downloads, and sales your songs garner. The video app integrates with YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook to sync and distribute your channels. Users can sell, rent, and offer subscriptions to their work.
4. Wix Hotels: Take reservations and accept payments for rooms in your bed-and-breakfast or vacation rental. The all-in-one booking system helps the hospitality industry manage room types and inventories and is accessible from a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
5. Wix Bookings: Schedule appointments, book classes, and oversee your calendar with an app perfect for hair stylists, yoga instructors, or business consultants. Wix Bookings syncs with Wix and Google calendars to manage staff and customer times. The app stores customer information and automatically sends email reminders.
6. Wix Events: Send invitations, collect RSVPs, and sell tickets to whatever shindig you throw. The hassle-free app, perfect for conferences, concerts, weddings, parties, and other gatherings, lets users add as many events as they want and manage the guest list.

Perhaps most importantly, Wix does not charge business owners a commission for any transaction made through an online store, booking app, or music download. The fee-free approach means to help Wix users build successful customer interactions and online presences.

“Of course, we continue to enable solutions for every type of user,” Rona said. “That’s our goal. We want everyone to be happy.”

With tools to send invoices and newsletters, along with social media integrations and blogging functionality, Wix is more than just a platform for easily building a website, according to Rona, who prefers to think of Wix as a method to grow customers’ businesses.

“When you’re a small business, you want to do a lot of things yourself,” she said. “Wix enables all of that. On one hand, you can easily build a stunning and professional website. On the other hand, you have the back-office tools that enable you to run your business.”

With such a personal approach to business, Rona said the company enjoys engaging with customers through support tickets, social media, workshops, and even a co-working space in New York City.

“Of course, we continue to enable solutions for every type of user,” Rona said. “That’s our goal. We want everyone to have their own tailor-made solution.”