For years, Wix has been working on solutions and tools to help businesses enjoy creative freedom online. Whether you owned a restaurant and needed a sophisticated way to collect reservations, or you were a brand owner looking to launch your first eCommerce store—Wix had something for you.

Now, you can access any of Wix’s tools from anywhere on the web with Wix Headless, a cutting-edge API and convenience SDK(node), backed by enterprise-grade performance, security and reliable infrastructure.

True to our mission, Wix Headless lets you freely access the same business management platform and services that power businesses on Wix, from any app or website that you’re building.

For example, consider the Wix and Netlify integration. Netlify was our first design partner, making use of Wix Headless to give their users access to Wix’s powerful scheduling and booking services. Keep reading to discover how Wix Headless works.

How can Wix Headless benefit you?

While helpful for making a website, an all-in-one, no-code site-builder often comes with limitations that can hinder your business's growth. Wix Headless addresses these common pain points in the following ways:

1. Future-proofing: Wix Headless offers a flexible and scalable solution that grows with your business, supported by Wix's comprehensive range of commerce, business and marketing tools. This ensures that as your business evolves or expands to new platforms, you won't need to spend time and money rebuilding critical infrastructure from scratch.
2. Optimized frontend design: Traditional no-code or low-code site generators often limit your design choices, forcing you to conform to the decisions made by their developers. However, front-ends should not be "one-size-fits-all," as tailored optimizations may be necessary for specific use cases. Wix Headless empowers you to craft your unique frontend design, resulting in a cleaner and more optimized user experience, while still benefiting from the convenience of Wix's Business Services and robust management dashboard.
3. Comprehensive business management dashboard: Wix Headless provides an all-inclusive back office system that enables businesses to manage and monitor their operations efficiently. The intuitive dashboard offers a centralized location for tracking key performance indicators, managing customer data and overseeing sales and marketing efforts. This powerful tool ensures that you have complete control over your business, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and streamline processes.
4. Streamlined API integration: Wix Headless consolidates a wide range of backend services into a single, holistic API, simplifying the process of managing your business. This eliminates the need to rely on multiple APIs with varying billing cycles and integration complexities. The Wix Headless API includes powerful modules for essential business functions, such as eCommerce, Bookings, Events and Pricing Plans. By offering a comprehensive suite of services within a single API, Wix Headless simplifies your development process and streamlines your business operations. And, if your project requires additional APIs, you are free to integrate them as needed.

Wix Headless in action: WhatsApp chatbot integration

Wix Headless can be used in a multitude of ways, from creating more engaging shopping experiences across multiple devices, to delivering different types of content to diverse user groups.

Here’s a more specific scenario: Imagine you own an online store and want to provide a unique shopping experience for your customers through a popular messaging platform like WhatsApp. Wix Headless allows you to build a chatbot that seamlessly integrates with your Wix store, enabling customers to browse products and add items to their cart directly within the WhatsApp platform.

To achieve this chatbot integration, you can refer to this code as an example. Here’s a brief overview of the key components of this chatbot integration:

• wix_client.mjs: Sets up the Wix API client and handles OAuth authentication, enabling the chatbot to communicate with the Wix store through the Headless API.
• message_handler.mjs: Handles incoming WhatsApp messages and user interactions, managing the chat flow.
• products_api.mjs: Retrieves the available products from the Wix store.
• token_management.mjs: Manages user tokens and authentication for the Wix API, allowing the chatbot to interact with the Wix store on behalf of individual users.

The chatbot guides customers through the entire shopping process, providing a product catalog view, individual product information (including images) and options to add items to the cart or proceed to the checkout.

Here’s a breakdown of the WhatsApp chatbot’s flow, demonstrating how the Wix Headless API is utilized:

1. The chatbot displays the product catalog, allowing users to browse available products. This is made possible through the Wix Headless API, which retrieves the product information from the Wix store.
2. Users can select a product by sending the corresponding number.
3. The chatbot then displays detailed information and an image of the selected product.
4. Users can add the selected product to their cart. This action uses the Wix Headless API to manage the user's cart within the Wix store.
5. The chatbot confirms the product has been added to the cart and displays the current cart items.
6. Customers can either proceed to checkout or return to the product list to continue shopping.
7. When users are ready to check out, the chatbot provides a link to complete the payment process on the store's website. The Wix Headless API is used to create a checkout session and generate the corresponding payment URL.

Here's a bit more technical detail on how this all works:

• The Wix Headless API is used to fetch the list of available products in the store. This is done using the getAvailableProducts() function in the products_api.mjs file, which calls the wixClient.products.queryProducts().find() method.
• The chatbot maintains the state of each user's interaction with the store, such as their current stage in the shopping flow, the products they have viewed and the items they have added to their cart. This state management is implemented using the getUserState(), setUserState() and removeUserState() functions in the state_manager.mjs file.
• The handleMessage() function in the message_handler.mjs file is the main entry point for processing incoming messages from WhatsApp users. It uses the user's current state to determine how to respond to their input, such as displaying a list of products, showing details about a specific product or adding an item to their cart.
• To add items to the user's cart, the handleAddToCart() function calls the wixClient.currentCart.addToCurrentCart() method. When the user is ready to check out, the handleCheckout() function creates a checkout session using the wixClient.currentCart.createCheckoutFromCurrentCart() method and provides the user with a link to complete their purchase on the Wix store's website.

This example showcases the limitless potential of Wix's Business Solutions when combined with popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp. By allowing customers to complete the entire shopping experience within the familiar interface of WhatsApp, you could better drive user engagement and increase conversions.

Empower your business with Wix Headless

This innovative platform empowers you to craft exceptional, captivating experiences across diverse channels, leveraging the comprehensive capabilities, robustness and user-friendliness of Wix's Business Services. Simultaneously, Wix Headless ensures you retain complete authority over your brand identity, data management and customer relationships.

To get started with Wix Headless, check that you have a Wix premium plan and follow our guide for getting set up.

When you started the process of launching your business, you likely gravitated to items on the checklist that sparked your creativity, such as perfecting a sales pitch or creating a business website. Other to-dos are less obvious and less enticing to complete, but just as important—sometimes even more so.

In fact, one of those behind-the-scenes tasks is so important, it’s the very first step to take once you begin the launch phase: determining what type of business structure to use to start a business.

This decision will affect nearly every aspect of your operation. Although it’s tempting to consider the selection a mere formality, it’s important to thoroughly research your options so that your venture is positioned for success. In this article, we’ll explore:

• Why does your business type matter?
• 12 types of business structures
• How to decide which type of business structure is right for you

Why does your business type matter?

Your business type (a.k.a. “business structure” or “business entity”) is the legal blueprint for creating and running a business. Your chosen business structure determines company ownership, profit distribution, decision-making power, regulatory requirements and taxation.

Beyond these high-level parameters, the structure of your business affects many aspects of day-to-day operations, such as administrative overhead, record-keeping and tax planning. Banks and investors may look at your business structure when deciding whether to give you a loan or other financing. And if your company runs into legal or financial trouble, your business structure determines who’s responsible.

In short, the type of business structure that you choose impacts the organizational structure of your company at every level. Therefore, it’s crucial that you think carefully about this decision and ask your financial advisor, attorney or accountant to weigh in. Professional associations, local chambers of commerce, networking contacts and business mentors can also provide guidance on the matter if you can’t afford to hire someone at the moment.

Although you can convert your business from one entity type to another if circumstances change, the process to do so can be costly and time-consuming. It’s therefore better to launch your business with a structure that will accommodate all the growth and change you can foresee.

12 types of business structures

The four most common types of business structures are sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations and LLCs. However, there are sub-categories within these classifications, as well as other types of businesses to consider.

Each type of entity has its own advantages and disadvantages, especially in regards to accounting, taxes and liability. In this section, we’ll provide a detailed overview of each of the following types of businesses:

1. Sole proprietorships
2. Limited-liability companies (LLCs)
3. General partnership (GP)
4. Limited partnerships (LP)
5. Limited liability partnership (LLP)
6. C corporation (C corp)
7. S corporation (S corp)
8. Close corporation (CC)
9. Public benefit corporation (PBC)
10. Nonprofit corporation
11. Cooperative
12. Joint ventures

01. Sole proprietorships

A sole proprietorship is the simplest and most affordable business structure because it involves fewer legal formalities. Basically, all you need to do to start a sole proprietorship is to start doing business. Keep in mind that although the federal government doesn’t require sole proprietorships to take extra steps, your state or local government might.

Sole proprietorships are pass-through entities, which means business owners claim profits on their personal tax returns. As a result, accounting and tax reporting are relatively straightforward and business owners only need to pay one set of taxes.

On the flip side, sole proprietorships can be a risky option because legally, the owner bears complete responsibility for the activities of the business. So, if your sole proprietorship runs into legal or financial problems, your personal assets (such as your home and personal savings) could be at risk.

That said, a sole proprietorship is likely a safe bet if your business doesn’t involve significant startup or operational costs and you don’t plan to involve other people in the business. This business structure is generally appropriate for freelancers, online store owners, personal trainers and consultants.

If you want to start a side hustle or aren’t sure if your venture will be a full-time thing, you may consider starting as a sole proprietor. You can always change your business structure down the road if your company expands. For example, Pierre Omidyar started eBay as a sole proprietorship in 1995 and incorporated it seven months later.

02. Limited-liability companies (LLCs)

An LLC is one of the most flexible options for structuring your business. This type of business combines the liability protections of corporations with the pass-through tax benefits and flexibility of a sole proprietorship.

LLCs don’t offer stocks for employees or outside investors. Instead, they offer membership to individuals with an ownership stake. Members can manage day-to-day business operations of an LLC themselves, or they can function more like a corporate board of directors overseeing the activities of non-member company directors and officers. Because there’s more opportunity to commingle member and employee roles, those involved in LLCs are exposed to more personal liability than those in corporations.

The types of businesses that use the LLC structure vary from single-person businesses to massive companies. Forbes, Deloitte and Kind are just a few prominent examples of LLCs.

Check out this Wix template here.

Partnerships

As the name implies, a partnership enables two or more people to start a business together. Forming a partnership is a simple way to share the responsibilities and rewards that come with owning a company.

As with a sole proprietorship, a partnership doesn’t require you to set up a separate legal entity, which makes it easier and less expensive to get started. Also like sole proprietorships, partnerships are pass-through entities; profits are simply distributed directly to individual partners and taxed as personal income.

Partnerships aren’t one-size-fits all—there are three different types and each has different characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Whichever form your business takes, it’s wise to create a partnership agreement that clearly outlines roles, responsibilities and profit-sharing formulas.

03. General partnership (GP)

If you plan to run a business as a true partnership in which you share the responsibilities, gains and risks evenly with your partners, a general partnership is right for you. Each partner has an equal say in legal decisions and daily operations.

That equality extends to liability. All partners bear equal responsibility for debts and legal problems, even if one single partner is the direct cause. If a partner leaves, the entire enterprise could dissolve.

Professional service companies with two or more founders, such as architectural firms or ad agencies, are often a good fit for general partnerships. Companies that require pooled startup capital to launch, such as restaurants or art galleries, also tend to form GPs.

Check out this Wix template here.

04. Limited partnerships (LP)

A limited partnership involves a general partner who typically runs the business and assumes all liability as well as a limited partner (a.k.a. a “silent partner”) who contributes capital but doesn’t participate in day-to-day operations. Silent partners typically earn a proportional share of profits and their liability is limited to their initial investment in the company.

Because LPs are easy to set up and dissolve, they are especially useful for short-term projects that require significant investment. For instance, film productions often operate as LPs in which the studio is the general partner and the investors are silent partners. The LP business structure can also be useful for real estate projects, private equity firms and small businesses that require significant investment.

Check out this Wix template here.

05. Limited liability partnership (LLP)

In an LLP, each partner has limited liability for the company’s impact and activities, even if they have an active role in managing the business. Each partner benefits from a simple profit-sharing plan, while enjoying protection from debts and liabilities held by the company as a whole.

Rules for forming an LLP vary from state to state. In some locations, only specific professions requiring licensure can form LLPs, such as doctors, accountants and financial advisors. LLPs enable professionals to share overhead costs and profits, without being subject to malpractice claims levied against another individual in the group.

Check out this Wix template here.

Corporations

If you form a corporation, your company exists apart from you. It is a separate entity with its own governance, taxation and liability. Because individuals can’t be held personally responsible for a corporation’s impacts, actions or debts, the structure significantly reduces the potential risk for owners and investors.

The tradeoff for this protection is complexity. There are more record-keeping requirements and regulations governing corporations than other types of business. Corporations involve a significant amount of administrative overhead, regardless of the company’s size and corporation type.

06. C corporation (C corp)

A C corporation is the type of company you likely associate with the word “corporation.” It’s a legally constructed entity that has a board of directors who are responsible for guiding business decisions. C corps are subject to corporate income tax on profits, meaning that the company is taxed as an individual entity and its individual employees and shareholders are taxed on their personal income.

If you want your company to go public and sell shares on a stock exchange, then a C corp is the way to go. Many publicly traded household names like Apple or Target are organized as C corps. C corps can also issue stocks without being publicly traded in order to raise capital for large initiatives.

C corps are generally more complex to set up and manage than partnerships or sole proprietorships, but it’s much easier to transfer responsibility and ownership. The administrative burden may be worthwhile for companies with potential to grow quickly and scale globally right away.

Check out this Wix template here.

07. S corporation (S corp)

An S corporation is something of a hybrid business type. S corps are separate legal entities, with all the structure and governance that C corps entail. But like sole proprietorships and partnerships, S corps are pass-through entities, enabling shareholders to claim business profits on their personal income taxes. As a result, S corps largely avoid the double taxation that C corps face.

Companies must meet specific criteria to qualify as S corps. Among them:

• S corps can only have up to 100 shareholders. This makes it more difficult to raise capital through the sale of stock than C corps.
• Shareholders of an S corp must reside in the U.S.
• S corps can have only one class of stock, with every shareholder receiving the same voting rights and access to dividends. By contrast, C corps can offer different classes of stock that give preferential treatment to some shareholders’ votes and offer different dividend benefits.

Check out this Wix template here.

08. Close corporation (CC)

Because they aren’t publicly traded, close corporations (a.k.a. “privately held companies” or “family corporations”) operate under looser governance and reporting rules than other corporations, giving shareholders flexibility and control akin to a partnership. Shareholders are limited in number and are typically family members, employees and others directly involved in the company. This structure allows shareholders to have greater control and flexibility in managing the company, similar to a partnership.

While this format is typically associated with smaller businesses, close corporations are also well-suited to larger companies that need the structure of a corporation while maintaining family or private ownership. The Publix supermarket chain and Kohler manufacturing company are examples of large privately-held corporations.

Check out this Wix template here.

09. Public benefit corporation (PBC)

A public benefit corporation designation is supplemental to a company’s primary business structure and doesn’t affect its federal tax status. Depending on where they’re located, C corps, S corps, CCs and co-ops can qualify for PBC status.

Also known as “benefit corporations,” PBCs publicly commit to balancing the pursuit of profit with acting in the best interests of society and the environment. Keep in mind that this business structure is distinct from the Certified B Corp credential, which is a separate designation that companies can get from the nonprofit organization, B Lab. Therefore, your company can be a benefit corporation without being a Certified B Corp.

For example, Warby Parker is a C corp with a PBC designation and a B Corp certification. That means that it is a publicly traded company that prioritizes social and environmental objectives over shareholder profits. Its B Corp status means that B Lab has verified that it meets its standards of social and environmental impact.

Check out this Wix template here.

10. Nonprofit corporation

Nonprofit corporations are technically considered corporations because they are required to file articles of incorporation with the state that they're registering in. But in almost every other respect, non-profits have little in common with the average company.

Even compared with a B corp, nonprofits have a very different structure and purpose. A B corp can still earn a profit and pay its shareholders, whereas nonprofits don’t have shareholders and don’t have to pay dividends. Instead, proceeds are reinvested in the organization.

Organizations must satisfy a number of criteria to earn nonprofit status. But once established, nonprofits are exempt from paying federal income taxes and eligible to seek grants and other donations.

Well-known nonprofits include the Sierra Club and Habitat for Humanity. Likewise, local cultural institutions, churches and charities are almost always organized as nonprofit entities.

Check out this Wix template here.

11. Cooperative

Like nonprofits, cooperatives (a.k.a. “co-ops”) are technically corporations, but they have unique characteristics that set them apart. A cooperative is owned by its customers, its employees or both. There are no shareholders nor stocks. Like an S corp or a partnership, profits are taxed solely as personal income.

Crucially, no owner has a disproportionate ownership stake. Whereas executives of a traditional corporation might hold more shares than a front-line worker each member of a cooperative has equal say. Employee-owners are deeply invested in the success of the company and are often additionally motivated by socially conscious business goals.

Because of that arrangement, decision-making within a co-op can be slow, and reaching consensus can be challenging. Traditional funding sources like bank loans and venture capital may be harder to come by, so co-ops may encounter cash-flow issues as they grow.

Outdoor retailer REI is one of the most famous examples of a consumer cooperative, with customers paying a one-time membership fee to access annual dividends. One of the largest worker-owned co-ops, Cooperative Home Care Associates, provides home health care in the New York City area.

Check out this Wix template here.

12. Joint ventures

If you’re joining forces with other businesses to collaborate on a specific project or task, you can make your partnership official with a joint venture arrangement. Formalizing the relationship ensures that your business retains its independence while benefiting from the resources of other participants. Joint ventures can help you and your partners move more quickly on urgent initiatives than if you were to handle them alone.

It’s critical to plan beforehand to ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear. Negotiate your share of the costs and liability for the project, and spell out a clear exit strategy in advance. Otherwise, if the project stalls or falls apart, you may find it difficult to end the venture without significant legal costs.

Any type of company can be involved in a joint venture: C corps can partner with nonprofits on a charitable initiative, for example, and an LLC can establish a joint venture with a partnership. A C corp can also do the same with a nonprofit. For example, when the global pandemic began in 2020, diagnostic testing firm Renalytix AI formed a joint venture with Mount Sinai Health System called Kantaro Biosciences to develop COVID antibody test kits.

How to decide which type of business structure is right for you

To set up your business for long-term success and avoid future legal or financial issues, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of each business structure. Consider your business's unique attributes and goals, and research which structure aligns best with your vision. Specific considerations include:

• Startup costs, complexity and speed
• Tax implications
• Liability
• Fundraising
• Purpose vs. profit
• Local and state laws

Startup costs, complexity and speed

Establishing each type of business requires a different level of investment. For example, establishing a corporation or LLC requires paperwork to get started, whereas you can file your taxes as a sole proprietor without even registering your business in many states.

Tax implications

The type of business you establish will have significant implications for your taxes. While requirements vary at the state and local level, these general tax categories apply:

• Pass-through tax status: Sole proprietorships, partnerships, S corps, LLCs and co-ops have pass-through status. As noted above, that means business owners claim the business’s profits on their personal tax returns.
• Double taxation: Double taxation occurs when a company’s profits are taxed at both the corporate and personal levels. C corps are taxed as independent entities, while their shareholders and employees are additionally taxed on their personal income. Closed corporations, B corps and cooperatives are subject to corporate tax unless they also file for S corp status.
• Tax exempt: Nonprofit organizations are exempt from taxation, but their employees are still obligated to pay income taxes..

For complete, up-to-date information about the tax implications of your business structure, refer to the IRS website.

Liability

Your exposure to risk is a key consideration when deciding what type of business to establish. Selecting a business entity that shields your personal assets is wise if you’re entering a volatile marketplace, expect margins to be thin, need major capital investment or provide professional services subject to malpractice claims.

Fundraising

Some types of businesses allow other individuals or institutions to invest in your business as partners or shareholders, while others do not. If you already have other stakeholders on board, or plan to add them in the future, you’ll need a business structure that accommodates their involvement.

Additionally, if you plan to seek funding from banks and business lenders, they may require you to establish a more formal business structure than a sole proprietorship or partnership. Similarly, proof of nonprofit status is often a requirement for mission-based organizations that seek grants and major donations.

Purpose vs. profit

If your business or organization has a mission beyond generating revenue, you may decide to establish a structure that formalizes those priorities. By design, B corps and co-ops must balance profit-making with social and environmental goals. Purpose-driven entities may qualify for targeted investment opportunities, grants and government programs.

Local and state laws

While business structures are defined in part by federal taxation rules, state and local regulations also play a major role in determining how your company can operate and which entities are available. For example, some states require a formal registration process for partnerships and not all states recognize close corporations. Research your options carefully to understand the regulatory, liability and tax implications of the structure you establish.

It goes without saying that if you’re going to start a business, you need to give it a name. A really cool and catchy name, at that.

But choosing a business name is no simple task. Beyond landing on a name that sounds cool, you need to find a name that’s relevant, flexible and memorable.

This post will help you find the perfect name for your company. You’ll learn where some of the best company names come from, tips for picking the right name and 100+ creative business name ideas to get you started.

Need a little nudge? Try Wix’s free business name generator.

What’s the secret behind the best business names?

The best company names don’t come about by drawing a name out of a hat. A lot of thought needs to be put into crafting the name. As you begin brainstorming the best company names for your establishment, keep the following factors in mind:

• Simplicity: Short, simple business names are easier for people to recall. If you can’t avoid a longer name, consider giving it a user-friendly acronym as well. For example, most people know the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as ASPCA.
• Originality: Pick a name that can stand on its own two feet. Avoid names that are easy to confuse with another business’ or are too generic. Check that your desired name isn’t already registered in your state or trademarked.
• Keywords: Think of keywords that represent your brand’s core values and personality. You don’t necessarily need to add any of these words to your business name, but they can act as a springboard for your brainstorming. Take Tinder, for example. Its founders knew that fire would be an important symbol in their branding and messaging. The word “fire” doesn’t appear in the company name but inspired the name they chose.
• Evergreen-ness: The choices you make for your business’s branding need to have long-lasting staying power. So, it’s generally not a good idea to base your name on temporary trends or fads. Instead, choose a name that’s future-proof and able to grow with your business.
• Memorability: Make sure that your name stands out, both now and in the future. One option is to inject humor into your name. Alternatively, use idioms, alliteration, power words and/or onomatopoeia to increase its memorability factor.
• Spelling: You want people to be able to recall the spelling of your name when they go to look up your business online or suggest it to others. To that end, choose a name that’s easy to spell. That goes for real words as well as made-up ones like Instagram.
• Pronunciation: The easier a brand name is to pronounce, the easier it’ll be for them to say it out loud (and for others to remember, too). This can sometimes be an issue when creating a business name from foreign words. For instance, Fage may be a well-known yogurt brand now, but not everyone is confident in how to pronounce it. (FYI, it’s pronounced “fa-yeh.”)

The origins of 20 cool, iconic company names

Wondering how the most iconic companies came up with their names? Read on to see how today’s industry giants came up with their now-famous monikers.

01. Verizon

The word “Verizon” has two roots. “Ver” comes from the Latin veritas, meaning “truth.” “Izon” comes from the English word “horizon.” Verizon wasn’t a random word that the owners cooked up—rather the company spent $300 million to create the brand name and the marketing around it. “Verizon” was just one of 8,500 possible names considered.

02. Reddit

According to Reddit’s FAQs page, the name has a simple origin. It’s a misspelling of the words “read it.” As in, “I read it on Reddit.” As it turns out, the Latin reddit has a relevant meaning: “to submit for consideration or approval.” This connection between the Latin verb and the online discussion platform is a total fluke though.

03. Netflix

Netflix’s name began with a whiteboard and a mission to combine one internet-related word with one movie-related word. The final result put together “net,” a shortened form of internet and “flix,” a colloquial version of the word “films”—a much catchier portmanteau than others in the running (TakeTwo and NowShowing, to name a few).

04. The North Face

Although the idea behind The North Face originated on a beach, the business is named after the coldest and most difficult-to-climb side of a mountain. The name was meant to attract hiking, mountaineering and outdoor enthusiasts who are on the hunt for high-performance climbing and backpacking gear.

05. Spotify

Daniel Ek, cofounder of Spotify, went on Quora to tell the origin story of the brand name. As he and cofounder Martin Lorentzon were spitballing names, Ek misheard a name as Spotify. He quickly googled it and found that it was available as a domain name—and voila, Spotify was born. (The afterconstruction, according to Ek, is to say that Spotify stems from “spot” and “identify.”)

06. Wix

The North Face isn’t the only business concept that began on a beach. Wix’s three co-founders were on a beach when they came up with the idea of a no-code, no-cost platform that would allow anyone to build a business website. The goal was to think of a name that started with a W and was easy to remember, consistent with their mission to build a platform that’s easy to use and supports creative expression.

07. Sephora

If you’re familiar with the Greek language, then you probably have a good idea of where Sephora comes from. The Greek word sephos means “beauty.” The company’s name also draws inspiration from Zipporah, the wife of Moses who was known for her beauty. In Greek, her name is transliterated as Sepphōra.

08. Squatty Potty

Squatty Potty might not be a universal household staple, but the company has made tens of millions of dollars on this effective bathroom appliance. The creators originally toyed around with different names. “The Health Step” was one. “The Stool Stool” was another. “The S@#$ Shelf” was an even cruder one. In the end, they named it the Squatty Potty, a reference to the hole-in-the-ground toilets used in China.

09. Airbnb

When Airbnb first started out, both the concept and name were different. The owners came up with the website for Airbed & Breakfast as a way to help out-of-towners book space (i.e., sleeping on an air mattress) in someone’s room. The business concept evolved to enable users to rent out entire apartments, homes and hotel rooms. Airbed & Breakfast became known as Airbnb from that point forward.

10. Dr Pepper

The founder of Dr Pepper, Wade Morrison, was not a physician. However, he knew a Dr. Charles Pepper in real life. He was the father of a girl that he once loved.

11. Slack

Many have speculated about the origins of the name Slack. That’s because it’s a project management term for the amount of time a task can be delayed without causing issues. Cofounder Stewart Butterfield, however, says that it’s an acronym for searchable log of all conversation and knowledge.

12. Etsy

Etsy might have a cute-sounding name, but that wasn’t why cofounder Rob Kalin chose the moniker. Because this was going to be a platform unlike any other, he wanted the brand name to be a nonsensical word. He came up with that nonsensical word from real Italian words. While watching the movie 8½, he misheard someone say “et si” (the actual phrase is e si). In Italian, it means “oh, yes.”

13. IKEA

Although the IKEA brand is known for its Scandinavian-inspired product names, the company name doesn’t come from any of these languages. According to the company website, IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder’s name) Elmtaryd (the farm that Kamprad grew up on) and Agunnaryd (the village near where Kamprad lived).

14. College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving

If you’ve ever seen one of the massive moving trucks around your town before, you may have wondered if the company really is staffed by a bunch of hunky college kids. A blog post on the company site from 2013 explains what the H.U.N.K.S acronym actually stands for honest, uniformed, nice, knowledgeable students.

15. Mazda

While some believe that “Mazda” (formally called “Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd.”) was inspired by its founder Jujiro Matsuda’s name, that’s only partially true. The company name also has a mythical origin: Ahura Mazda is the god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom celebrated by early West Asian civilizations. As the company’s site explains, “Striving to make a contribution to world peace and to be a light in the automotive industry, Toyo Kogyo was renamed ‘Mazda Motor Corporation.’”

16. Craigslist

Craigslist was founded by Craig Newmark, and the original concept for Craigslist was an email list that would help Newmark’s friends learn about what was going on around San Francisco. This all goes to show that sometimes the best company names have the simplest of origins.

17. Mattel

The name Mattel may not look like a familiar word. However, it is, in fact, a portmanteau stemming from two well-known names: Harold “Matt” Matson and Elliot Handler, cofounders of Mattel.

18. Tinder

Tinder was originally going to be called “Matchbox,” according to Tinder cofounder Jonathan Badeen. Jonathan and his team had even designed the logo and branding around the name, incorporating fire-related imagery as an abstract concept for “finding a spark.” But the founders ultimately pivoted to “Tinder”—a name that maintained the fire element but wasn’t as commonly used.

19. Starbucks

Starbucks’ founders weren’t as concerned with choosing a cool-sounding business name as they were with finding one that represented their brand well. They needed a name that tapped into a sense of adventure, had a connection to the Pacific Northwest and related to the seafaring origins of the early coffee traders. As the company website explains, there was an overlap between two of their main sources of inspiration: “Starbo,” the name of a mining camp on Mt. Rainier—and “Starbuck,” the name of Pequod’s first mate in the novel Moby-Dick.

20. Panera Bread

Panera Bread originally began as a single bakery called the St. Louis Bread Company. After five years of major growth, the company was acquired by Au Bon Pain. To make the brand more marketable on a national scale, the business was renamed “Panera Bread.” Panera in Latin means “breadbasket.”

Get inspired: 105 catchy, cool and creative company names

As demonstrated above, some of the most iconic names weren’t created by huge marketing teams with equally massive budgets. They were, rather, the invention of a few creative minds sitting together in a room.

Whether you’re about to launch a new business endeavor or looking to rebrand a current one, you can easily do the same. Rather than start completely from scratch, comb through these lists of great company names. You’ll find a good mix of inspiration here, from real company names to ones generated using Wix’s free business name generator.

App company names

• Calm
• GoodRx
• IFTTT
• Skype
• WhatsApp
• Puzzles Shack (puzzles and games app)
• Tripper (road trip planner)

Check out Wix’s app name generator.

Artistic business names

• BLICK
• Childish Gambino
• Electric Cinema
• Huemor
• White Cube
• Nature in Color (photography studio)
• Fire Talent (talent agency)

Check out Wix’s artist name Generator.

Beauty business names

• Byrdie
• Lume
• MiniLuxe
• SHISEIDO
• Supercuts
• The Cuteness (beauty salon)
• Elemental Beauty (natural hair products)

Check out Wix’s beauty business name generator.

Blog and media names

• Apartment Therapy
• BuzzFeed
• Flipboard
• The Stranger
• TechCrunch
• Freelance Connection (blog about freelancing)
• Miami Food Dude (local food blogger)

Check out Wix’s blog name generator.

Boutique business names

• EnCreme
• LOVESTITCH
• Mukti Organics
• pHformula
• Recycled Karma
• Silky Curves (lingerie boutique shop)
• The Marry Bride (wedding boutique)

Check out Wix’s boutique name generator.

Clothing and fashion business names

• FatFace
• GUCCI
• Osh Kosh B’gosh
• Too Faced
• UNIQLO
• Surf Comber (beachside clothing shop)
• Smuggler Shoes (footwear reseller)

Check out Wix’s clothing and fashion brand name generator.

Furniture company names

• Allform
• Anthropologie
• Arhaus
• DreamCloud
• Tuft & Needle
• The Small-Time Furniture Store (furniture for kids’ rooms)
• Real Home Office (office furniture shop)

Check out Wix’s furniture store name generator.

Jewelry business names

• Blue Nile
• BVLGARI
• Catbird
• Local Eclectic
• Olive & Piper
• Watertight Watches (sports watch manufacturer)
• Silver Bakery (custom-made jewelry designer)

Check out Wix’s jewelry business name generator.

Podcast names

• Dr. Death
• Fat Mascara
• Lore
• This American Life
• WTF With Marc Maron
• Keto & I (podcast about journey with Keto diet)
• Eternal Widow (podcast about the black widow serial killer)

Check out Wix’s podcast name generator.

Restaurant names

• Dunkin’ Donuts
• Little Caesars
• Sugar Factory
• The Melting Pot
• Whataburger
• The Athens (Greek restaurant)
• Lobster Nook (seafood food truck)

Check out Wix’s restaurant name generator.

Small business names

• Front Porch Pickings
• HOTWORX
• Long Dog Fat Cat
• Naked Bar Soap Co.
• Social Llama
• Remarkable Candle (local candle maker)
• Air Yoga (yoga studio)

Check out Wix’s small business name generator.

Store names

• ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
• Chewy
• Pep Boys
• Trader Joe’s
• Wawa
• Bookmarked (online book store)
• Pure Grocery (organic grocery store)

Check out Wix’s store name generator.

Technology company names

• Acorns
• Fitbit
• Google
• Lyft
• Toast
• A Eye (AI startup)
• Cool Code (web development tutorials)

Check out Wix’s tech company name generator.

Travel company names

• Booking.com
• Carnival Cruise Line
• Intrepid Travel
• Virgin Atlantic
• YOTEL
• Joyful Italy (tour operator)
• The Pack Vacation Rentals (dog-friendly rentals)

Check out Wix’s travel agency name generator.

YouTube channel names

• Bad Lip Reading
• Cocomelon
• First We Feast
• PewDiePie
• The Nerdwriter
• Moody Kale (DIY cooking channel)
• Slick Workout Gear (unboxing channel)

Check out Wix’s YouTube channel name generator.

5 tips for coming up with the best company name

Before you make a business website, both your company and its matching domain need a name. Here are five tips to keep in mind.

01. Do your research

Before you start thinking of names, make sure you have a good understanding of the market you’re about to enter. Doing an analysis of the competitive landscape can give you a good idea of what sorts of company names are best.

For instance, does your target audience appreciate a sense of humor when naming a company? If you take a look at local beauty salons, you’re apt to find a lot of puns in their business names.

See what’s going on in your particular market and if you can spot any trends. Also, look for concepts and keywords that the competition has failed to capitalize on. Choosing a name that has untapped potential could be a great move for your business.

02. Play around with different options

There are so many ways to construct a business name. For example:

• Straightforward name vs. a playful or catchy name
• One-word name vs. a name with multiple words
• Full name vs. acronym
• Real words vs. made-up words
• Collective brand name vs. person’s name

As you generate business name options, experiment with different styles. You may find that an unexpected one suits your brand’s style best. Or, you may find that one stands out more effectively when displayed side-by-side with your competitors’ names.

Before you move onto the next step, confirm that the company names that you’re considering are available. Check that they’re available as a domain name, plus aren’t registered or trademarked by another business. You can check your state’s business registry and the USPTO’s trademark database, respectively.

03. Get feedback

What you think is a cool company name might fall flat with your target audience. The best time to find out if that’s the case is before you’ve spent money on registering your business name and generating your branding.

Before you officially settle on one name, come up with a number of options. Then run them by people you trust—co-founders, team members, family, friends, old colleagues, etc. It’s also a good idea to connect with potential users on social media, or by hosting focus groups and user interviews. This way, you can give your target audience various options to look at and learn their preferences.

04. Claim your business name

Once you have a winning name, it’s time to claim it. There are a number of steps to consider when you go to register a business name.

• Register your business. Each state has its own unique processes and requirements, but at minimum, you’ll need to decide which type of business entity you want to establish. From there, you can file the right paperwork and pay any necessary fees to get your business registered. (Note: if you want to operate under a name that’s different from your legal name, you’ll have to file for a DBA separately.)
• Buy the domain name. You can get a domain name for your business’s website through your website builder or a third-party hosting service. The sooner you can snag up the domain that matches your business name, the better.
• Get it trademarked. Trademarking your name will allow you to protect your business’s title and branding from being copied and exploited by others. Look up the trademark office for your country to register your business name.
• Create social media accounts. Once all the legal naming is done and your website’s domain name is official, get your business online using social media. The handles you use on these platforms should be identical to your domain name and business name in order to strengthen brand recognition.

05. Create a logo to match

The best company names have beautiful branding to match. So, last but not least, you’ll have to spend time creating your own logo for your new company name.

Your logo design should include the business name—either the full name or a shortened but still recognizable version of it. It should additionally have colors, fonts and layouts that align with your business’s values, purpose and goals.

Harness the power of the internet by finding the best color combos for your designs. Here are our top website picks for painting with all the colors of the wind.

Neon and bright or pastel and muted? Monochromatic or full-on rainbow splash? A good color palette can set the mood and convey specific feelings, making it a treasured aspect in every design project, from fashion to website design and more.

Yet, crafting the perfect color combination can often lead to us obsessing over tiny tweaks and adjustments of saturation, brightness and hue. Whether you're choosing a website color scheme or designing a logo for a client, this process can be tedious. To make things more efficient – and fun – we suggest utilizing some of the best color tools and resources that the internet has to offer. Once you have your palette, try our free website builder to see how everything works together.

Here are our top free color palette generator tools, covering everything from color schemes to complementary colors, to text readability and even the shades of your Instagram feed:

7 best free color palette generator tools

1. Adobe Color CC
2. Khroma
3. Coolors
4. Color Tool - Material Design
5. ColorSpace
6. Colorkuler
7. Designspiration

01. Adobe Color: Explore existing color schemes and create your own

Adobe Color is an advanced tool for getting your hues just right, making it one of the best color palette generators for professionals. On your first visit to the site, we recommend heading to the Explore section, where you can browse different user-crafted color palettes at random, or according to parameters like popularity and recency.

When a particular color combo catches your eye, you can customize it to your project’s needs. To do so, add it to your library, then head to the My Libraries section, pick the color palette and click on ‘Edit this theme.’

Now, say hello to the Color Wheel - where the real fun happens. Here, you can tweak each color individually, or all at once, using its CMYK, RGB or other values, and control its brightness and darkness. You can set a ‘Base Color’ (marked by a white triangle at its bottom) and apply the color harmony rule to find new color schemes that match that particular shade. At any stage, you can check the accessibility of your color palette, to ensure that all visitors will be able to interact with your final result.

Another useful feature on Color CC is ‘Extract Theme.’ It generates a color palette from any photo or image that you upload. You can play around with the shades, then once you’ve reached color-perfection, there are many ways to incorporate the new palette into your project. You can copy the hex codes into your clipboard, download an ASE file or save it into your Adobe libraries if you’re logged in with your Adobe ID.

02. Khroma: Infinite color palettes tailored to your style

As a designer, your well-trained eye and personal style are perfectly on-point. Now, train a computer to share your exquisite taste level - and imagine what perfect color matching it could do for you! Product designer George Hastings rose to the task when creating Khroma, a website that figures out your color preferences using machine learning, and generates unique and personalized color combinations to match.

When first opening Khroma, you’ll be asked to pick out 50 color shades that you love. Singling out 50 favorites does take a bit of time, but clicking on pretty colors can hardly be considered a tedious task.

Once you’re done, the Khroma algorithm will generate color combos in five different displays: type on a colored background, color blocks, gradient, two-toned photographs and lastly, a palette made up of four colors. The combinations are laid out as an endless, Pinterest-like scroll that encourages discovery, or “digging for gold” as George describes on his UX portfolio.

Pair this tool with a basic understanding of color psychology to ensure spot-on designs that not only look the part, but that also evoke the intended emotions.

03. Coolors: Professional tools for color hunting

Coolors is a highly useful and professional tool for perfecting the color scheme of your choice. This convenient generator offers a speedy way of finding the right shades for your project, whether you’re choosing a color palette for your business or for a new illustration.

The website welcomes you with a randomly generated palette of five colors that fill your screen. Press the spacebar to explore more color schemes and watch as your screen transforms into a celebration of color. Once you hit a combination you like, hover over any of the colors to see the different menu options. You’ll be able to find similar shades of the same color, drag the colors elsewhere to rearrange your palette, adjust them by hue, saturation and brightness, or lock them.

Coolors also allows you to upload an image to the site, and extract a color scheme directly from there. You can create color gradients with its Gradient Maker, check out trending palettes on the Explore page, and more. Once you’re happy with your palette, you can export it as a URL, PNG and more, or copy the hex code to use in your design.

Another benefit is that Coolors is also available as an app. It lets you generate color palettes on-the-go, making it one of the most useful smartphone apps for designers.

04. Color Tool - Material Design: Test your UI color choices

Material Design is a design system developed by Google, implemented across their range of digital products to ensure a cohesive visual language throughout. Designers and developers alike can take inspiration from it and adopt certain elements to use in their own interfaces. It includes many useful resources such as a free icon pack and many free fonts.

Color Tool is just a small fraction of this staggeringly rich database of tools and information that Google’s Material Design provides. This simple and friendly generator is one of the most professional color palette generators, allowing you to test what your color palette might look like as part of a user interface design.

The Material Design color system adheres to only two colors, a primary and a secondary, together with their light and dark variants. This limited palette ensures harmony, and together with a strict approach to text legibility and accessibility, it still allows for enough color leeway to ensure that all UI elements are easily distinguishable.

These complex principles are much more approachable after a quick dive into the Color Tool. Once you select two colors - a primary color and a secondary one, the tool generates a few variants of each. The color scheme is then displayed in six UI wireframe examples, giving you a sense of how it would later come to life in your design.

Color Tool also runs a quick and convenient accessibility test for you. Crucial for making your website accessible, this test shows you whether your color choices will allow for legible text on your site.

05. ColorSpace: One color, countless options

If you have a color that you want to base your color palette around - whether it’s a brand color or just a shade that you really love - ColorSpace is the tool for you. Enter your hue of choice using its RGB values, hex code or by recreating it straight on the color wheel, and click ‘Generate.’

The website will instantly produce a generous amount of color combinations to match your color of choice. With anything from a gradient palette to a classy mix, you’ll discover many different paths you and your color could venture on.

06. Colorkuler: Let your Instagram account do the coloring

If you showcase your design work on Instagram, Colorkuler can be a fun experiment. Extracting a color palette from your most popular posts, it reveals your true colors and helps you maintain a consistent brand identity. It’s as easy as typing in your handle to see what color scheme comes up.

If you’re feeling indecisive, Colorkuler can be a useful tool for picking a color that reflects you and your personal brand. The only side note is that your account must be active and public for Colorkuler to be able to perform its magic.

07. Designspiration: See your palette in action

Love the color palette that you’ve chosen, but still in need of inspiration on how to use it right? Designspiration’s color search allows you to select up to five colors and then browse a variety of designs and diverse stock photos that share the same palette (and make it work).

You can get even more specific by searching for a certain kind of design content, such as infographics or hand lettering, or type in any other keyword relating to the content you’re interested in. Functioning as a color palette mood board, the feed will let you explore other designs and draw inspiration for your own creation.

Color palette examples

What is Wix? Wix is a website building platform that enables you to create fully customizable websites. It provides powerful tools to build, adapt and ultimately grow your site into anything you can imagine. Try it out for free now.

If you want to turbo-charge your digital business results, there’s no better rocket fuel than an effective landing page. These powerful assets are vital for digital marketing strategies, as they show off your offerings and persuade visitors to make a purchase—all in a single, easy-to-read page.

You want to make landing pages as straightforward as possible for visitors; that's a lot easier than it sounds. In order to help you develop your own, we’ve put together a list of landing page examples with notes on what makes each one so great. Later on in the article, we’ll also review some landing page best practices.

Use Wix’s landing page builder to generate an effective landing page of your own.

• What is a landing page and how does it work?
• What is the purpose of a landing page?
• 13 best landing page examples of 2023
• 8 keys to success for landing pages that convert

What is a landing page and how does it work?

A landing page is a web page that offers visitors a standalone experience that helps them accomplish a specific goal without much effort. Whether visitors reach the landing page through an advertisement, a search results page or an email, it should meet their expectations.

The singular focus of a landing page is what sets it apart from other webpages. A home page, for example, broadly communicates your brand identity and business proposition and it invites further exploration. Home page visitors may want to explore multiple categories, view video content or look up customer service contact information. By contrast, a landing page typically focuses on a single call-to-action (CTA) that is hard to miss. Every element of a landing page works to help visitors complete that single action without distraction or confusion.

What is the purpose of a landing page?

From a business perspective, a landing page exists solely to drive conversion, whether in the form of selling a product, capturing new subscribers or enrolling attendees for an event. The amount of people who fill out a form or click CTAs is usually pretty high. Quicksprout estimates that it can be as much as twice as high as the conversion rate for generic website content. Unbounce found that landing page conversion rates range between 10% and 19%.

To make sure visitors move smoothly from looking to doing, marketers often create landing pages that go along with their marketing campaigns. This way, visitors are more likely to take the plunge and convert. Keeping tabs on how each landing page performs can give marketers a good sense of how well the whole campaign is working.

13 of the best landing page examples of 2023

A successful landing page is a snap for visitors to navigate—but creating it requires more effort. The page needs to communicate credibility without getting bogged down in details. How you strike that balance will depend on your industry, intended audience and unique business requirement.

To kickstart your inspiration and planning, we’ve rounded up some of the best landing pages on the Internet and highlighted the takeaways you can use for your own landing page designs.

1. Wix.com
2. ExpressVPN
3. Blue Apron
4. LinkedIn Ads
5. Hootsuite
6. Wondrium
7. Uber for Business
8. Skillshare
9. Snowflake
10. Spatium
11. Beats by Dre
12. Inbound by Hubspot
13. Masterclass

01. Wix.com

Our marketing team designed this landing page to attract potential clients at the beginning of their digital business journey. The content “above the fold” (meaning the top section of a web page) includes all the essential elements you’d expect to find when creating a landing page: the company logo, a concise headline conveying authority, engaging visuals and a prominent CTA.

What you can learn from Wix’s landing page:

• Include a prominent CTA: The message “start now” is clear and conveys a sense of urgency. The blue color stands out nicely against the light orange background. It’s also useful that the CTA button appears in every section so that visitors don’t have to scroll to find it.
• Use engaging visuals: Wix uses a captivating digital illustration that makes for a pleasant scrolling experience. The mountain in the first section points to the CTA, and a waterfall flows over it and through the rest of the page. The mountaintop image evokes the feeling of reaching new heights, suggesting that visitors will succeed as Wix clients.
• Focus on key concepts: Although the product featured on this page has dozens of neat features, the page hones in on the top four. This makes it easy for visitors to quickly skim the information and still get enticed to learn more.

02. ExpressVPN

Virtual private networks (VPNs) add an additional layer of security to WiFi browsing, and ExpressVPN has created a landing page that communicates safety and simplicity. The main headline promises visitors a seamless online experience, and the graphic of someone accessing a variety of digital experiences reinforces that message. As visitors scroll down, the text describes the chief benefits of the service, accompanied by simple graphics that help make abstract concepts like “global access” more concrete.

What you can learn from ExpressVPN’s landing page:

• Build trust on multiple levels: Given that ExpressVPN is a security tool, establishing credibility is important. With muted graphics and simple language, this landing page manages to do so without alienating the visitor. Prominent TrustPilot and app store reviews further signal that the company is reputable.
• Put customer service in reach: While this landing page maintains a tight focus on the main CTA, it includes one other link—a button that connects visitors to 24/7 tech support. This exception reinforces the idea that visitors can quickly and easily get the help they need to get ExpressVPN working on their devices.

03. Blue Apron

Meal planning and ingredient delivery service Blue Apron aims to win new customers with a landing page that emphasizes the variety of menu options available. High-quality food photography entices visitors to keep scrolling, with content down the page emphasizing the service’s value, flexibility and convenience. The CTA remains consistent throughout, encouraging visitors to “view plans” and begin designing a subscription to suit their dietary preferences and schedule.

What you can learn from Blue Apron’s landing page:

• Minimalism rules: Blue Apron could have cluttered this landing page with testimonials, menu examples and links to recipes, but it kept the focus on its core messaging: value and convenience. The landing page is quite short (it only has four sections) but it manages to mention a lot of features with the help of cute graphics.

04. LinkedIn Ads

This landing page outlines the benefits of advertising on LinkedIn to potential business customers. A fixed header menu with the CTA button “create an ad” stays anchored as visitors scroll through the content and the button appears twice more.

What you can learn from LinkedIn’s landing page:

• Use a carousel to engage attention: In the middle of this landing page, visitors can click through a carousel presentation of the key benefits of LinkedIn Ads. The design gives each concept room to shine without devouring too much screen real estate.
• Describe processes succinctly: The page concisely outlines the three-step process for launching an ad, signaling that visitors won’t waste time with a cumbersome backend system.

05. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management tool that helps marketers create, schedule and track all their social content in a single dashboard. The landing page aligns with the concept of social media being a fun but legitimate marketing tool, with Hootsuite’s trademark cartoon owl sharing center stage with a photo of a youthful-looking customer. The CTA, which is repeated throughout, invites visitors to start a 30-day free trial. Details about product benefits share space with a testimonial and a section displaying customer brand logos, which signal that the company has a track record of success.

What you can learn from Hootsuite’s landing page:

• Organize an information hierarchy: Hootsuite’s page starts out with minimal text and an immediate CTA button for those who already know they want to get started. As visitors scroll, each section of the page includes more detail, with priority given to describing tools for Instagram and TikTok, followed by Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Granular information on pricing and product benefits is displayed down the page, followed by a button for scheduling a demo for visitors who seek a deeper dive.

06. Wondrium

The landing page for this streaming service uses a tiled background of movie title graphics to showcase the breadth of the service’s offerings, with a prominent CTA highlighting a 14-day free trial offer. Testimonials from well-known Internet creators provide proof points that the service is worth exploring, while a FAQ proactively explains more details of the service.

What you can learn from Wondrium’s landing page:

• Use an FAQ to delve deep: In keeping with Wondrium’s educational focus, a prominent FAQ provides details about the service and reveals additional benefits, such as a quarterly magazine and audio-only streaming capabilities.

07. Uber for Business

The popular ride-sharing business has expanded to offer a feature set specifically for businesses, such as ride services for company customers and helping employees track travel expenses. This squeeze landing page, reached from a Google search, gives companies a fast track to setting up an Uber account with the headline “Let’s get started.” Three succinctly-stated benefits on the right persuade visitors to take action, while the logo at the top links to a purpose-built microsite for further information if needed. While the page looks different from the typical Uber app experience, the typeface and black-and-white color scheme make it recognizable as part of the Uber brand.

What you can learn from Uber’s landing page:

• Create a skimmable pattern: Web design research shows that most users skim what’s on screen in a predictable pattern, with eyes moving across the page and down in a zigzag and “Z pattern,” or else straight down and then across to the right in an “F pattern.” Uber’s page uses an F-pattern by placing “Uber for Business” in the top left corner. After that, your eye is drawn straight down to the CTA form, with the three horizontal bands to the right providing supplemental material to skim.

08. Skillshare

This landing page design for online course provider SkillShare includes a navy blue background with text in high-contrast white and lime green. Tiled photos showcase the variety of course types available via the service, from cooking to computer skills. Using an F-pattern layout, the page uses the right-hand side to detail three key differentiators. The signup form requires just a name and email address to get started and visitors can use existing social media logins that are integrated with the site.

What you can learn from Skillshare’s landing page:

• Keep signups simple: By keeping the number of required fields to a minimum, Skillshare’s page keeps visitors moving toward the goal of signing up for the service. Integrating with other login services makes the process even easier, allowing new customers to avoid needing another username and password to remember.

09. Snowflake

This event page for a data service provider demonstrates a commitment to mingling informative content with networking and fun. Detailed descriptions, an agenda and an interactive event finder give potential attendees all the information they need to find the right event for them.

What you can learn from Snowflake’s landing page:

• Not every audience needs flashy design: This straightforward page looks information-heavy, with minimal graphics and plenty of text. While that’s the opposite of most landing pages, for a data analytics audience, the wonky approach may be just right.
• Add an element of exclusivity: By stating that events are sold out and inviting viewers to fill out the form to be placed on a waitlist, Snowflake signals that their events are worthwhile and exclusive. This positioning helps ensure that visitors who sign up will rush to register when another event invitation comes their way.

10. Spatium

Different shades of purple and captivating images of outer space make it difficult not to install this Google Chrome extension on your computer. An abundance of blank space accentuates the limited text, creating an attractive and straightforward design. The CTA includes a reminder that the extension is free; for those who need more information, the page goes on to illustrate functionality with lush photos and to list widgets and options included with the download.

What you can learn from Spatium’s landing page:

• Keep it simple: If the CTA can be accomplished quickly with little risk or cost to the visitor, there’s no need to over-elaborate. While you should spell out essential details (such as shipping costs for a product or which devices are compatible for a download), make the action as easy to take as possible and be sure any checkout or download processes are similarly streamlined to keep visitors on track to completion.

11. Beats by Dre

Landing pages give retailers the room to elaborate on style elements, technical features, craftsmanship and other differentiating details of their products. To that end, this page dedicated to wireless headphones includes extensive information on sound quality, charging capabilities and built-in functions. Large visuals and concise text spell out the benefits, while the “buy” button links directly to the shopping cart, shortening the path to purchase.

What you can learn from Beats by Dre’s landing page:

• Use a floating header: If a landing page is long, visitors can lose track of the initial CTA. Repeating the button at several points throughout the page is one solution, but it’s more elegant to use a floating header that anchors the button at the top of the screen at all times, keeping it within reach.

12. Inbound by Hubspot

This conference landing page makes it easy to secure tickets with a focused CTA and persuasive content to convince visitors that the event is worth their time. Video, photos and speaker bios showcase the event’s subject matter and aggregation of expert talent, while clearly-delineated descriptions of the two available ticket types make it easy for visitors to select the right price point for them.

What you can learn from Inbound’s landing page:

• Hone the purchase options: While it can be tempting to show a variety of price points and products to appeal to multiple tastes, having too many options to choose from can confuse and overwhelm viewers. By sticking to the two ticket types available to attendees who aren’t also exhibiting as vendors, HubSpot avoids complicating the selection and gives page visitors a binary choice.

13. Masterclass

Online course provider Masterclass has set the standard for marquee instructors and its offering for screenwriting is no exception, with Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin teaching the ins and outs of the trade. For those who search for the class using Sorkin’s name, Masterclass has devised a landing page with his photo front and center and a simple red CTA that makes it straightforward to claim a class spot. Video preview clips and a course outline help visitors decide whether the content will meet their needs.

What you can learn from Masterclass’ landing page:

• Use star power: If you’re working with an influencer or have a celebrity connection, by all means put their endorsement or credentials front and center. Masterclass appeals to its target audience with this approach, attracting visitors who want to be able to name-drop their instructors at cocktail parties. The clean and simple design of the rest of the page concentrates attention on the celebrity, while the preview clip demonstrates why they’re worth paying for.

8 keys to success for landing pages that convert

As you can see from the variety of one-page websites above, the specifics of your business and your landing page goal will influence the design and content choices you make. Even so, a core set of best practices apply. Whether you’re using a landing page template or decide to code your page from scratch, keep these principles in mind:

1. Know your audience
2. Spotlight your CTA
3. Design for a quick skim
4. Mobile-first is a must
5. Connect the experience across touchpoints
6. Reduce friction for quick action
7. Put the squeeze on squeeze forms
8. Test and retest

01. Know your audience

The design, messaging and CTAs should align with your intended audience’s needs. Research in advance what motivates potential customers or clients. Analyze the performance of your current website content to identify successful tactics, and target your landing page to a specific cohort and situation.

Once you’re ready to assemble the landing page, develop its elements with the goals of building trust and persuading visitors to take the next step. Content to tailor includes:

• Explanations: if your products are complex or your potential buyers tend to research purchases heavily, consider a FAQ. Comparison charts, instructional videos, detailed specs and even head-to-head comparisons with competing products can also be effective. Not only do these elements provide clarity about the product or service, but they demonstrate that you care enough to proactively address key questions in a format that works for your audience.
• A curated list of social networks: While you want to make the CTA the primary focus on the page, including a feed of user-generated content and linking out to social hubs can signal that your brand has an established community that visitors can join. But don’t be indiscriminate; selecting the social networks most relevant to your specific audience is a way to signal that you’re attuned to their preferences.

02. Spotlight your CTA

A clear and compelling CTA is the single most important element of a landing page. The CTA is why the page exists; all the other content elements should support it. For landing page visitors, the CTA represents the solution to the problem, challenge and question that caused them to check out the content in the first place. To maximize conversion, heed these tips:

• Use an eye-catching design: The CTA button or form should align with your brand’s overall look and feel, but don’t be afraid to use bold colors and fonts.
• Get pithy with language: Ideally, your CTAs should be short and sweet. They shouldn’t be longer than four words. Make sure to use action-oriented verbs such as “Subscribe” or “Try.” Do your best to keep your CTAs in your brand’s tone of voice.
• Keep it front and center: Wherever visitors are on the page, they should be able to see the CTA without needing to scroll in either direction. You can either make the button sticky so that it’s always in view or copy the button to every fold.
• Streamline other navigation: To keep the focus on the CTA, remove links that could potentially distract visitors and send them meandering away. There’s no need to include a website menu leading to multiple pages. Carefully curate what navigation and links you do include so that they all support the CTA. Make sure to set links to open in new tabs to ensure the landing page stays accessible.

03. Design for a quick skim

In today's fast-paced digital world, consumers have shorter attention spans and countless distractions, which means they anticipate immediacy and convenience from online content. According to analytics firm ContentSquare, attention spans onscreen are under a minute and 50% of users no longer bother to scroll. Landing pages are under special pressure since their goal is to drive conversion, so the message has to be instantly clear and persuasive. To make the most of limited time and attention, consider these tactics:

• Showcase your brand identity: All the elements on the page should work together to establish a recognizable identity within seconds. Every choice, from the color scheme to the tone of the text, is an opportunity to reinforce your brand.
• Keep text clear and short: Most of your page copy should be concise and no longer than a sentence or two. If you want to communicate more elaborate concepts, use bullets, an FAQ format, collapsible accordion sections and tabs to avoid overwhelming visitors with large blocks of text.
• Use visuals to communicate: Everything from image composition to the color palette affects the user experience, so it’s vital that you carefully consider every design choice you make to ensure that they are serving your goal for the landing page. Use video and images to illustrate features, functionality and quality in an eye-catching way.
• Say it all above the fold: The most crucial information should appear above the fold, as this initial screenful will determine whether visitors keep reading, click or leave. Keep verbiage to 11 words or less and include a prominent CTA. If essential content is located lower down on the page, consider adding internal anchor links above the fold to enable visitors to skip to the topic that interests them most.
• Incorporate whitespace: Whitespace refers to the amount of blank space surrounding a webpage’s visual elements. Leaving a significant amount of whitespace draws the user’s eye to important elements and makes content easier to process.
• Align your design with proven skim patterns: Eye-tracking studies from leading web design and usability firm Nielsen Norman Group show that web users generally skim pages in either an "F-pattern" or a "Z-pattern." In the F-pattern, they read straight down from the top left, then scan across horizontally. In the Z-pattern, they read from left to right along the top, then diagonally down to the left, and then from left to right again. By using these patterns to construct the anatomy of your landing page, you can conform to their skimming patterns so as to hold their attention and increase engagement.

04. Mobile-first is a must

According to Insider Intelligence, consumers now spend more time on their phones than they do watching TV and the majority of web traffic comes from mobile devices. To maximize your landing page’s chances of success, pay special attention to the mobile version of your landing page. Wix’s website design AI automatically reengineers desktop layouts to fit on mobile. It’s also easy to toggle between the desktop designer and the mobile designer so you can make your own adjustments.

05. Connect the experience across touchpoints

To maximize the impact of your advertising campaigns, it's crucial that your landing pages offer a consistent and cohesive experience. Regardless of whether visitors arrive via a sponsored social post or a search ad, they should immediately recognize the landing page as a natural extension of their prior interaction. This means using consistent color schemes, images, and promotional offers throughout the entire funnel.

06. Reduce friction for quick action

Integrate services such as Google Login or Venmo payments into your landing page to make it as easy as possible for visitors to respond to the CTA. These third-party services enable visitors to skip the tedious task of filling out form fields, and they can also provide reassurance that sensitive information will stay secure. For example, a Venmo option allows customers to place purchases without keying in sensitive bank or credit card details.

07. Put the squeeze on squeeze forms

While user data is valuable, it's important to strike a balance when requesting information on a landing page form. Long forms can be off-putting, especially on mobile devices with cramped keyboards and limited screen space. Consulting and research firm Gartner recommends limiting your form to between three and five fields. If your form asks for sensitive information, explain why the information is necessary and link to your privacy policy.

08. Test and retest

Landing pages aren’t “set it and forget it” projects—it takes time to perfect a landing page and figure out what resonates with your audience. Luckily, landing pages offer a controlled experiment due to the limited number of outcomes. Therefore, it's much easier to track and analyze their performance compared to other complex marketing campaigns.

A/B testing is an effective way to determine the effectiveness of different elements on your landing page. By changing just one variable at a time and measuring its impact, you can identify what works and what doesn't. At Wix, our landing page optimization process can be as granular as testing the impact of the color of a CTA button on its performance. Options for elements to tweak include:

• Shorter or longer text: Although landing pages are generally more effective when they are concise, certain sections may require more detail in order to effectively convey their message to visitors.
• More direct or time-sensitive messaging: Does the verbiage of your CTA explain enough while motivating action? Does it help to add a countdown or deadline to drive more immediate conversions?
• Background or text colors: Make sure your CTAs and headers stand out without being jarring.
• Size and placement of CTA: Is the link to take action coming too soon? Is it buried too deep on the page? Experiment with both Z and F pattern layouts to see if either yields a better conversion rate.
• Image selection: Videos and images can have a massive effect on the performance of a landing page. Experiment with different types of media—such as closeups versus lifestyle photos, or videos versus still image carousels—to find what resonates best with your audience.
• Promotional offer: To improve your landing page, it's important to test different offers such as a free trial versus a low monthly fee or a percentage discount versus a free gift. By tracking the results, you can not only optimize your landing page but also gain insights that can inform your other digital promotions.

If there’s one place first impressions are absolutely critical, it’s your website—and we’re not just talking about design and content. On top of that, speed optimization is one of the most important determinants to its success.

A slow-loading website can damage your reputation and cause you to lose out on traffic and conversions, ultimately costing you money. Conversely, a high performing website will have a domino positive effect on your business’s success. It will attract more visitors, in turn increasing sales, leads and bringing in more customers.

The very first step in ensuring you have a fast loading site is to create your website using a robust website builder, which provides optimized technology from the get-go. However, your job isn’t over after this, it’s in your hands to make sure the content on your site doesn’t get in the way of its performance.

There are many factors to consider, but you’ve come to the right place. This article will provide you with everything you need to know about website speed optimization and how to improve your site’s page speed.

What is page speed

Page speed refers to how fast content on your webpage takes to load. There are many ways to measure this (for example, from first contentful paint, to speed index, to large contentful paint)—but one of the most meaningful ways to define page speed is by time to interactive.*

Time to interactive is how long it takes a page to load to the point where a user can interact with it. This might mean clicking on a CTA, choosing to play a video, or any number of actions a user can take on a given page.

Your next question is probably, “what is considered good website speed?” While the answer to that is industry specific, it’s highly recommended that, on average, your pages load in under three seconds. It’s also important to remember that page speed times can vary across different pages of the same site, as well as across mobile and desktop.

*Since Lighthouse 10, the time to interactive metric has been removed as a page load metric. It was removed because LCP, Speed Index and Total Blocking Time are considered to be better indicators of the user experience.

Why page speed matters

There are four main reasons why page speed matters when it comes to website speed optimization:

Usability

It may seem obvious, but the faster your pages load, the sooner a website becomes interactive. We’re referring to loading items such as the website menu, visual content, buttons and more— which help visitors take action on your site. Allowing these features to be visible and usable faster by optimizing for page speed will create happier, returning visitors. It’s as simple as that.

User experience

Users are more likely to engage with your website when they can move through processes quicker. For example, if you have an online store and each step of the checkout process takes more than a couple of seconds to load, it’s understandable when potential buyers abandon the process altogether.

The same goes for any action a user tries to take, such as filling out forms or jumping between pages. Website speed issues that limit user engagement will have a knock-on effect on conversion rates, and the number of visitors who will return to your site.

Conversions

One specific goal most site owners have in common is conversions. Studies show that even an 0.1 second improvement in your website speed can have a positive impact on your conversion rate, funnel progression and customer engagement. If visitors can’t utilize your features fast enough, they’ll move on to the next one.

Search engines

Google takes into account website speed, and user experience, when ranking sites (known as SEO, Search Engine Optimization). Therefore, if you want yours to appear higher in specific keyword search results, you’ll have a better chance for every millisecond faster your pages are visible to the eye.

How to measure page speed

There are a number of ways to measure page speed on your website. One of the most reliable and popular methods is using Google PageSpeed Insights, where you can simply submit your site url and wait for Google to deliver a report on your site's performance.

The report contains a number of metrics, or Core Web Vitals, which Google includes as another potential ranking factor when determining how high to rank a page in its search results.* A good (green) score may benefit your sites overall rankings, and individual page rankings in search. A low or warning (red) score may impact negatively on your site’s overall and individual page rankings.

* In April 2023, Google clarified that page experience, page speed, mobile-friendliness and site security are ranking "signals"—not to be confused with ranking "systems." The statement came after Google updated its help documentation, removing page experience as a system. While the above signals are still important, John Mueller notes that the changes were because "We've seen people hyper-focus on these numbers, that's not a good use of time & energy."

Google PageSpeed Insights will rate your site’s overall speed performance using a score out of 100. A score between 90-100 is considered optimal, while anything lower than a score of 59 is considered a warning, and should push you to prioritize your website speed optimization.

Creating a site with Wix? Even Google agrees, we put performance first. “Wix always makes performance their priority and it definitely shows, both in monitoring tools and in their user's experience,” says Yoav Weiss, Senior Software Engineer and Developer Advocate at Google.

With a Wix site, page speed insights and current loading speeds can be found in the Site Speed dashboard within Wix Analytics. This data is pulled from your site users and Google PageSpeed Insights, giving you an easily accessible way to measure page speed. Learn more about Wix Performance here.

Using different performance testing tools to measure page speed will invariably lead to different scores. Each platform gathers their analytics and data in different ways, and this can impact your page speed score at any given time. What is most important, however, are the steps you can take to improve your score, which we will address below.

How to improve page speed (and your user experience)

Generally speaking, if you choose the right website builder, many of the steps necessary to improve page speed and website performance will be built-in. All you will need to do is focus on measuring your page speed from time to time, while understanding the impact of your design and content on the performance of your website.

Below, you’ll learn how you can boost a website's performance and page speed to make sure that both your customers and Google are satisfied. We have also included some handy tips that you can use to give your website speed optimization the very best chance.

Here are the foundations of how website speed optimization happens:

1. Optimizing media

2. Simplifying code

3. Employing a CDN

4. Utilizing lazy load

5. Avoiding plugins

6. Mobile first

7. Deploying caching

8. Optimizing content

01. Optimizing media

Large images can be a huge block to improving page speed. Image quality is important—but it has to be balanced with performance. To do this, there are a number of ways you can compress images.

By far the best option is to opt for a website builder, like Wix, which automatically optimizes media on its servers by resizing, cropping and transforming it. This optimization delivers the best quality, across a range of devices.

When making a website, changing your approach to saving images can have a positive impact on your site’s page load speed. Some best practices you can deploy on your site include: saving images as JPG instead of PNG (JPG files are smaller and consequently load faster), using SVG files when possible (which are even smaller and work well for shapes or logos), and finally, placing larger images further down the page so they have time to load while users focus on your above the fold content.

Nothing makes a page pop more than animated GIFs—we get it, we love them too—but there is also nothing that slows a page down more. Therefore think very carefully before using them, and if you must, place them lower down on your page. Limiting the number of frames your animation has and keeping the dimension size small can also stop design features impacting on your page speed scores.

Another great website speed optimization tip (if you really can’t live without some form of animation on your site) is to opt for video, since it uses smaller file sizes than animations.

Sometimes simple is better, and experts agree. One of the easiest ways to improve your website performance is to reduce your site’s complexity.” reveals Dan Shappir, Performance Tech Lead at Wix.com. This starts with your design and content—specifically your images—and extends into the setup and functionality of your website.

02. Simplifying code

Complex code, or code that has not been formatted properly, can slow down page speed. Using simplified code makes it easier for Google to crawl your site, which also makes it easier for pages to load fast (anything that makes Google’s life easier is a win for your website). Choose a website builder that utilizes simplified code on all of its pages so you won’t need to worry about checking it or cleaning it up, and can rest assured your pages are optimized for performance.

03. Employing a CDN

A CDN (content distribution network) refers to servers and data centers placed in different geographical locations, which then deliver content to websites in their region. This speeds up content delivery times and consequently reduces load times. Wix’s network of global CDNs means your site's pages are optimized for performance, regardless of where in the world your site is located.

04. Utilizing lazy load

Lazy load means delaying the loading of website content or media which is outside of the user's initial view. This happens automatically with many website builders, which often deploy lazy loading on all of their page. You can also do your part by placing larger or higher resolution elements lower down your page, giving them time to load before users scroll down.

Think carefully about what loads first on any given page of your website. Prioritize above the fold content, as this is what users see when they first hit your site. You should aim to keep it simple, but impactful, and use it as a way to hold onto visitors while the rest of the page is loading.

05. Avoiding plugins

Adding third party analytics, tracking codes and plugins to your site can really put a real damper on page speed. This makes it important to choose a website builder which has all of this built in. This way you avoid that delicate—often complex—dance between gathering as much user behavior data as possible, while still optimizing for speed.

Still need more data on your users and site performance? We recommend prioritizing the use of plugins and tracking codes that focus on analyzing how users interact with your site, as they will give you more meaningful feedback on its functionality. It is also possible to assess your site’s page speed and performance, both with and without added tracking plugins and pixels, to fully understand if they are hampering page speed.

06. Mobile first

Making sure users and search engines have the best possible mobile experience is crucial to optimizing your website's performance, and it should be an integral part of your website launch checklist. We know Google crawls for mobile first, and that users are increasingly browsing on mobile devices. So when it comes to page speed optimization, your mobile website should be a priority.

07. Deploying caching

Automatic caching means that part of your site's content is saved as initially seen by a user, and displayed exactly the same way when they visit again. This is an important aspect to consider for improving page speed, and user experience, because it reduces load time by delivering saved content for repeat users to a site.

Wix deploys automatic caching to all of its pages, allowing you to focus on launching your new website like a pro without thinking about the specifics of how it is optimized for page speed.

08. Optimizing content

Content optimization can mean many things. Here, we refer to it in the context of how you display content on your page in a way that the page speed is not affected.

A great example of content optimization in the name of improving website speed is Wix’s built-in video player. This allows you to display videos on your pages without relying on an external source, such as embedding a YouTube video, which can have a real and detrimental impact on your page speed. Built-in features like these make designing a performance driven site easier.

Also be conscious of the number of fonts on your website, and their sizing. The more typefaces you use, and the more variety of color and size you have, the slower your page will load. Opt for a few options that will make an impact, and stick with them. This is something to be aware of, whether you are building a website from scratch, or simply optimizing a current one to improve its page speed.

Website speed optimization FAQ

We’ve all experienced that critical moment when you’re about to make a big purchase like a plane ticket or book spontaneous dinner reservations—and the page stops loading. Your heart quickly sinks as you wonder if the transaction went through and you panic that you’ll get charged twice. Ultimately the frustration settles in: you needed to book something and you lost your chance thanks to a page that simply didn’t load in time.

If you can relate to this rollercoaster of emotion, then you understand the importance of website performance when you create a website.

What is website performance?

Website performance measures how fast a website's pages load and display in a user's browser on any type of device, impacting overall interactivity and usability. Simply put: the faster a website loads and displays, the better it “performs.”

Server and platform infrastructure play a key role in site performance, but other factors can affect performance, like unintentionally overloading a website with content and images. In this guide, we’ll cover all the basics of website performance, plus share what you can do to monitor, support, and improve your site.

Tip: Learn more about Wix Performance and how Wix sites now perform better than ever. Constant infrastructure enhancements—like continuous code optimization and automatic image conversions to WebP format—help sites load more quickly, regardless of your device or location.

Why website performance matters

Regardless of your industry or niche, think of website performance as the scaffolding for your online success. Many times, a good initial performance is all a visitor needs to ensure that they’ll not only interact with your site again, but possibly also convert into a customer. For example, if a website visitor experiences site freezing or content that takes even a second too long to load—they likely will not return to your site. This can have a long-lasting impact on not only your website, but how the public perceives your brand, too.

As Niya Noneva, Senior Solution Expert at Contentsquare put it in their 2022 Digital Benchmark Report:

“With people all over the globe suffering from online conference call fatigue and seeking to reduce their time behind screens, every second of user attention and engagement counts. Slow loading times are outside of the tolerance threshold of today’s busy, attention-deficient user. Customers expect website experiences that make it worth their while.”

Let’s dig a little deeper into why website performance is so important, it impacts:

• User experience
• Bounce rate and visitor retention
• Conversion rates
• Brand perception
• Mobile-first culture
• SEO

User experience

As you create a website, it’s essential to consider how design affects performance. If a website looks amazing but is slow-to-load, erratically shifting or slow-to-react, it’s likely your visitors will become impatient, frustrated and even leave. This is because those aesthetic elements come at the expense of your site’s user experience. “Web performance is user experience,” says Lara Hogan, author of Designing for Performance. “As you design and develop a new site, you’ll consider many components of its user experience: layout, hierarchy, intuitiveness, ease of use, and more.”

By providing a user experience that factors in website performance, you give your website the best chance at ensuring business success.

Bounce rate and visitor retention

Website owners have an extremely short timeframe to make a good first impression on their site’s visitors—so it’s essential that their website performs well. Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who land on a website and leave after only visiting one page or without clicking any links. According to Google, if a page takes three seconds to load, as opposed to one, visitors are 32% more likely to bounce.

Conversion rates

If a user has a good experience with your smooth-and-speedy site, it’s likely they will stay on your site and click a few things. The experience may even prompt them to return to your site and buy something or request your services. According to Cloudflare, “The quicker a webpage loads, the more likely a user is to perform the targeted action on that webpage.”

However, a 2019 Portent study found the first five seconds of page load time have the highest impact on conversion rates. Even just a one second delay will reduce conversions by 4.42%.

Brand perception

Keeping tabs on your website’s performance and overall appearance can signal to customers that you value their time and their spending. Just one bad experience with an underperforming website can influence brand trust and overall brand perception.

Imagine this: A member of a certain famous family posts an Instagram Story wearing your company’s branded sweatshirt. Another micro influencer then posts the link to your merchandise page, giving a call-to-action to their predominantly Gen Z audience that not only is the branded sweatshirt available—it just so happens to be on sale. Thousands of high-intent visitors decide to click through to your site and spontaneously grab one for themselves but encounter a merchandise page that is slow to load. If these impulsive buyers are like 60% of their peers, it’s likely they’ll bounce if a website or app is too slow to load.

And it’s likely that the damage won’t stop there. Their disappointment could linger and affect how they see your brand. The same IBM study states that, “Companies that can’t meet Gen Zers’ extremely high expectations risk rapidly falling out of favor—and leave the way open to competitors.”

Mobile-first culture

On average, Americans check their phones 344 times per day—that’s once every four minutes, so it’s no surprise that 57.84% of all web traffic comes through mobile phones. Creating a high-performing mobile-first design that loads quickly is an important part of user experience. Mobile users likely browse your website as they commute or wait for their coffee, meaning distractions are everywhere and speed is of the essence.

Studies show that a 0.1 second improvement of mobile site speed increases conversion rates by 8.4% for retail sites. You can check out if your site is mobile friendly using this simple test.

SEO

Performance affects not only how your user experiences your website, but it can also impact how visitors find your website in the first place.

Google’s Core Web Vitals (which we will get into below) are a part of the Google Page Experience (a set of signals to measure perceived user experience) and can impact how a website shows up on a search result page (SERP).

It’s important to note, however, that Google doesn’t consider Core Web Vitals as a key ranking factor. Also, page experience itself is a ranking signal—not a ranking system, according to Google—and should not be something you hyper-focus on.

John Mueller, Google's search advocate, said that, "relevance is still by far much more important."

“Page experience is just one of many signals that are used to rank pages,” he further explains. “Keep in mind that the intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a page with a subpar page experience may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content.”

For example, if your business ranks alongside a competitor for a query on a SERP, whichever site has a better performance may rank higher on the page.

Performance metrics

Site performance is measured by various speed and quality tests, including how quickly a website loads when a visitor arrives, how quickly it reacts to user interactions and how smoothly media like animations run. These tests are measured either in the lab, running controlled simulations or in the field, using real users’ experiences and real measurements. Since there are so many tools and metrics to keep up with, Google’s Core Web Vitals initiative creates a unified and aligned industry standard to help websites focus on the most important metrics. While they are key metrics for measuring website performance, it’s important to note that they are not the only metrics that factor into performance.

Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals measure speed, interactivity and visual stability using three signals:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the time it takes to render the largest image or text block on the page.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures all layout shifts during the entire lifespan of a page. A layout shift occurs anytime a visible element changes its position while the page loads.
• First Input Delay (FID) measures the time from when a user first interacts with a page (e.g., by clicking on a link or button) until when the browser actually processes that interaction.

Tip: You can learn more about Core Web Vitals and Wix site performance including the difference between mobile and desktop scores.

Page load metrics

At their 2018 developer conference, Web Performance Made Easy, Google placed great emphasis on speed, saying, “Most users [75%] rate speed as being at the very top of the UX hierarchy of their needs.”

Page speed refers to how quickly content on your webpage takes to load. Page speed can be measured in several ways including:

• Speed Index (SI), representing how quickly content displays during page load.
• First Contentful Paint (FCP), measuring the time from when the page starts loading to when any part of the page’s content (texts, images and other graphic elements) render on the screen.
• Time to Interactive (TTI), measuring how many seconds it takes from when a user lands on a page to the moment it becomes fully interactive (when users can click on buttons and otherwise engage with your site).*
• Total Blocking Time (TBT), simply put, measures the total amount of time your webpage was blocked, preventing the user from interacting with your page.
• Time to First Byte (TTFB), measuring the time between the browser requesting a page and when it receives the first byte of information from the server.

*Since Lighthouse 10, the time to interactive metric has been removed as a page load metric. It was removed because LCP, Speed Index and Total Blocking Time are considered to be better indicators of the user experience.

What affects website performance

To optimize your site’s performance, let’s dive into the parameters below you should consider.

HTTP requests

HTTP, or hypertext transfer protocol, requests structure how web browsers and web servers communicate. When you type a URL into your browser, you’re essentially asking your browser to request each of those page's files from the webpage’s host server. In general, the more complex a web page is, the more HTTP requests it has to make to load the full site, the slower it loads.

Generally, the fewer HTTP requests a site has, the better it performs. Things that can impact the number of HTTP requests include images, JavaScript, CSS files and third-party tools.

Page weight

While the number of requests affects performance, so does the content actually being requested. Page weight, also known as page size, refers to a web page’s file volume—the HTML, images or other media, JavaScript, CSS and third-party resources contained on the page. The heavier a website is, the more elements and assets that need to load on a page, the slower the page performs.

• Image size: Images play an essential role in your website design. They convey brand messaging, captivate visitors, support blog content and can even act as calls-to-action (CTAs). However, images weigh more than plain text HTML files, take longer to load and therefore can significantly impact a website’s performance. To ensure the best performance, all images need to play a strategic role on your site and be optimized. Image optimization refers to the process of converting images into the smallest possible file size without compromising on the quality. You can then download them in either JPG, PNG or GIF file formats. It’s important to note that the best format in terms of performance is JPG, since JPG images can be up to 10x smaller than PNGs, and as a result, they can load much faster. It’s also the best practice to avoid GIFs, since these animated images tend to have large file sizes which lead to longer load times. Instead, try a video since it uses a smaller file size and can be viewed by a user before the file is fully downloaded. Tip: Every image added to a Wix site is automatically optimized and converted to modern image formats (like WebP) to ensure fast downloads and high quality. Wix sites also use “lazy loading” to optimize performance, so browsers delay loading content or media outside of a user’s initial view. You can also use an image resizer tool to scale your images to the exact dimensions you want.
• File size: The smaller the file, the faster to send and download. To improve performance, files can be “compressed” by a web server, or shrunk down as much as possible without losing information, then sent to a browser to receive and render them as normal. Tip: Wix automatically compresses all files using Brotli or gzip for faster, more efficient downloads.

Web hosting

Web hosting refers to the serving of a website’s files to a user browser. Different hosting options can affect your site's performance based on website size, traffic numbers and scalability.

Tip: Wix handles hosting for you, by serving all websites on servers in multiple locations around the world, automatically served and cached by CDNs, which ensures fast server response times, specifically Time To First Byte (TTFB).

Caching

Caching is the process of storing data (either on the server or via a browser) where it can be more easily fetched in the future to avoid an HTTP request and response cycle.

For example, if you have an ecommerce website selling thrift store finds, you’ll have certain assets like your logo that appear in the same place on every page. Without caching, the page would have to download the logo every time a user clicked on a new product page. All Wix sites deploy automatic caching to all pages.

Geographic location

Even though it may feel like the omnipresent Internet exists nowhere and everywhere, the infrastructure that causes websites to work is not only tangible, but located all around the world. Each HTTP request has to travel from the browser to the server, and then the information has to travel back from the server and be delivered to the browser. The longer the physical distance data has to travel between servers and browsers, the longer the time it takes for a request and response cycle to complete. For example, a website hosted on a Seattle, Washington-based server would perform better for a browser request in Seattle than it would a request in Madagascar, because the data has fewer physical miles to travel.

To cut down the distance data needs to travel for requests, hosting providers also strategically-place servers (called proxy servers) around the globe as part of Content Delivery Networks. These servers host cached copies of web pages, images and videos and quickly respond to requests from browsers closest to them.

Tip: Wix hosts all sites on globally distributed CDNs and data centers, plus automatically enables server-side caching, seamlessly saving it on our CDNs to ensure quick and efficient content delivery—regardless of location.

Browser plugins, extensions and third-party applications

Third-party add-ons give your website additional functionality by accessing data stored on another server. Since they require additional HTTP requests to these servers, they often are slow-to-load. To optimize performance, keep add-ons limited to only those that greatly contribute to the user experience.

URL redirects

Redirects forward website visitors and search engines to different URLS from the page they originally requested. They’re triggered when a browser sends an HTTP request to a server for a certain page URL that has been redirected to another page. The server responds to the browser’s request with the new page URL, and then the browser responds with a new request for that URL. Since it requires completing an additional HTTP request, it can negatively impact a page’s performance. Multiple redirect requests can be quite taxing on the browser resources and ultimately slow down page load time.

As your business grows and your online content changes, you may need to update the flow of your website using redirects. For example, let’s say you’ve created several blog posts covering the same topic and you want to consolidate them into one strategic post based on a topic cluster model. While redirects are often unavoidable and necessary for SEO, keep them as straightforward as possible to guarantee good performance.

Tip: Use the bot log reports to define issues/error codes, or Deepcrawl's app (costs money), to set redirects using Wix's redirect manager. (Go to your dashboard and click SEO Tools and click the URL Redirect Manager).

Best practices for checking website performance

The first step in checking your website performance is testing it.

Tip: Using the Wix Site Speed Dashboard you can view your site’s TTI (time to interactive), plus test, analyze and optimize your site’s performance for desktop and mobile. You can also monitor your loading speed per page, compare it to other competitor businesses in your industry, plus learn actionable tips to improve your overall user experience.

Before you start testing, consider the following:

• Pay attention to your data source. Field data, or Real User Monitoring (RUM) data, is the most accurate measurement since it comprises data from your real users from real visits and reflects the actual conditions of your users’ devices, networks and locations. However, not all sites have sufficient traffic to get this field data, so they can use lab data instead. Unlike field data, lab data comes from a simulated environment. On mobile, specifically, the simulated conditions test on a low-end device with non-ideal network conditions, therefore they aren’t 100% accurate since it doesn’t necessarily equate to the real world user experience. While it’s less accurate, lab data comes in handy when you’re trying to see how a design change could affect your website performance. Let’s say you’re considering embedding a new gallery to your site and want to see if it has any noticeable effect on your website performance before you publish it. Since you can’t get field (RUM) results because the design is not live, use lab data to get immediate results to detect theoretical performance degradation for the typical user experience on desktop and mobile.
• Pay attention to cache. For lab tests, results will change whenever you refresh. For each test, it’s recommended to refresh between three and five times and run an average to get the most accurate and trustworthy results.
• Different tests give different results. Each test works differently and calibrates its own measurement and unique performance score. Also, when analyzing a URL, you’ll receive two separate reports—one for desktop and one for mobile. They will likely have different performance results due to processing capabilities, network conditions, website content that sometimes is different between desktop and mobile. To get an accurate result, try anywhere from one to three tests—just pay attention to the specifics of each test and where the data comes from to best understand why they may differ.

Google has several free tools that track site performance, including Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Lighthouse. Some other tools worth checking out include GTmetrix, Treo and Calibre.

Website performance checklist

• Are your images optimized? Review the media you're using, and consider replacing heavy loading GIFs with images that can be compressed.
• Have you chosen a CMS that deploys lazy loading, cache and minimizes HTTP requests? If you're working with a web developer on your site, make sure they also have these in mind.
• Have you checked that your website builder uses CDN's (Content Delivery Networks) to deliver content faster?
• Are you regularly testing your website performance, both on mobile and desktop, and both with field and lab data, to ensure when you add new pages or content you're not slowing your site down?

Website performance FAQ

If you’re wondering how to create a blog, you’ve come to the right place. As a blogger myself, I can tell you it’s a rewarding way to hone your writing skills, explore new ideas, and build an online presence that revolves around your passions and expertise. You’ll get the chance to inspire, educate, and entertain your readers—and as your blog grows, you can even start making money and turn it into a full-time job.

In other words, blogging is the first step toward finally pursuing your dream job or favorite hobby, so you really can’t go wrong. While starting a blog might seem daunting, I’m going to walk you through every step to make it as smooth and successful as possible. The process is actually quite easy, and you’ll have your blog up and running before you know it.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find all the guidance and tools you’ll need to start a blog. You’ll learn how to get your website off the ground, write your first blog post and draw in loyal readers. Sounds exciting? Let’s dive in.

How to start a blog

1. Choose a blogging platform. Use a platform that offers customizable templates.
2. Pick a hosting platform. Consider a platform with good bandwidth, uptime and customer support.
3. Find the right niche. Narrow down your theme and have a specific audience in mind.
4. Select a blog name and domain. Choose a descriptive name that piques readers’ interests.
5. Set up and design your blog. Include imagery and effects that reflect your theme.
6. Brainstorm blog topics. Write down all your ideas before narrowing down topic selections.
7. Write your first blog post. Engage your audience with a killer title and use headers to make the content skimmable.
8. Create an editorial calendar. Create a calendar to help you publish consistently and hold yourself accountable.
9. Promote your blog. Use marketing strategies to expand your reach.
10. Make money blogging. Take advantage of opportunities to monetize your blog.

In this complete how to blog A to Z tutorial, we’ll cover everything from choosing your blogging platform to making money from your written work. With a little bit of guidance, you can get your blog online in 30 minutes or less.

This is going to be the most comprehensive advice you’ll find on building a successful blog from scratch. If you want to start a blog fast, though, feel free to use the numbered steps above as a quick cheat sheet. You can go directly to the step you need the most help with, or grab a cup of coffee and read it all the way through.

Ready to get blogging? Get started with Wix today.

What is a blog?

While a blog can encompass an entire website or simply be its own section of a website, this is a place to share content about a topic you’re passionate about. A blog will typically include both written and visual elements published in an easy-to-read, article format so visitors can swiftly browse and find what they’re looking for. And with over 31.7 million blogs in the US alone, you can literally find blogs about every subject out there, from home renovation to baking to local business marketing strategies. Once you’ve established a community of readers, the possibilities are truly endless.

Why start a blog?

People start blogs for a variety of reasons, some of which include:

• Share your ideas with the world. Sometimes you just want to be heard and get your ideas out into the universe. This is where a blog can help—it’s a form of communication and space that’s entirely your own. You can use your creativity and passion to create a space customized exactly to your liking where you can share your ideas, expertise and experiences.
• Promote a product or service. Blogging for business is a great way to engage potential customers and provide more information about a product or service. Additionally, blogging does wonders for a website's SEO.
• Earn revenue. Blogging can be lucrative with time and continued effort. The best way to see the monetary fruits of your labor is by posting quality content regularly that draws in new readers and brings more traffic to your website. This will help your blog gain advertisers and can also boost your status as an online influencer, which can open up the door for affiliate marketing.
• Build an online community. Thanks to the internet, we no longer need to live in the same city, state or even country to feel connected to others. A blog creates a space to share your story, ideas and start conversations with people all over the world with mutual interests. A blog typically has a comments section where your readers can speak with you directly, allowing you to engage in conversation and build relationships.

Now that you have a better understanding of the reasons behind starting a blog, let's explore the steps you need to take to create one, from ideation to publication.

Ready to start your blog now? Sign up with Wix today.

01. Choose a blogging platform

The first step in starting a blog is to select a blogging platform or Content Management System (CMS) for publishing your content. A quick Google search will show you that there are several different sites available that suit bloggers from all industries. I recommend Wix because it’s a good all-around blogging platform that satisfies most needs.

Wix’s blogging platform is fairly straightforward to get the hang of, and it offers a variety of attractive design options and templates to work with. In addition, it comes with features to analyze your blog’s performance and monetize your content, which will come in handy as you setup your blog and build your readership.

How much does it cost to start a blog?

When researching how to start a blog, one of the biggest questions people have is how much it costs. On many platforms, starting a blog is completely free.

You can decide at any point whether you’d like to upgrade to a variety of different plans, depending on your budget and needs.

02. Pick a hosting platform

Once you select your preferred blogging platform, you’ll need to choose a hosting platform. A blog, like other types of websites, requires a host. This essentially stores websites on a server under a unique address so that visitors can easily reach them.

On some blogging platforms, hosting is already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host when setting up your blog. In that case, you can skip this step and move to Step 3.

With other website builders, such as WordPress, you will need to find and pay for a separate web hosting platform. Some popular options include:

• BlueHost
• HostGator
• GoDaddy
• DreamHost

If you’re not sure which web hosting platform to choose, take into account these factors:

• Uptime: The amount of time that the server hosting your website is up and running. A strong uptime rate (99.95% or above) is a good indication that the host’s servers perform well.
• Bandwidth: The amount of data your website can transfer to visitors over a certain period of time. This factor is based on the size of your website pages as well as the amount of traffic you expect. This quick bandwidth calculator can help you determine your site’s bandwidth.
• Customer support: Customer service you can contact in the event something goes wrong. Ideally, your hosting provider should offer an online help center, offer callbacks and respond to questions and concerns on social media.

Once you’ve chosen your blogging platform and hosting provider, you can start coming up with your blog idea.

Don’t worry about picking and registering your domain name just yet. We’ll walk through that process together in Step 4.

03. Find the right profitable blog niche

Let’s move away from the technical and dive into the more theoretical. Take a step back and think about the main element that will form the foundation of your blog, from its URL and domain name to its content and design: your blog’s niche. What, exactly, do you want your blog to be about?

There is virtually no limit when it comes to your choice of subjects. The most crucial thing is that you select a specific topic area that will be the central focus of your entire blog and its content strategy.

Possible blog types range from fashion blogs to marketing blogs to book blogs or food blogs. Because there are lots of other blogs focusing on the same subjects, you’ll need a way to stand out while still writing about what you love.

Here are three simple steps for choosing the perfect blog niche—one that not only is in line with your passions, but one that you can also monetize and grow:

1. Narrow down your interests
2. Research your audience
3. Check if it’s profitable

Narrow down your interests

When you start a blog, think long term. To motivate yourself to blog regularly, you’ll need to write about something you’re genuinely interested in. If you choose a topic solely on the basis of its being popular or profitable, your efforts will peter out pretty quickly, along with your entire blog content strategy.

If you aren’t sure right off the bat what you should be blogging about, that’s okay. Begin with a simple brainstorming session about subjects you like. What do you get excited talking about? What are you eager to learn more about?

Now, write down the first five to 10 interests that come to mind. For the sake of this example, let’s say:

• Travel
• Cooking
• Family
• Music
• Hiking

Next, think about your more specific interests within these subject areas and add them to your list. Your additions might look something like this:

• Backpacking in Southeast Asia
• Vegan recipes
• Raising twins
• Indie rock music
• Hiking in the Rockies

Don’t worry about these niches being perfect just yet. You’ll research them more thoroughly in the next steps. (However, if you're looking for inspiration, check out how these popular art blogs are using their platforms to connect with audiences who share a similar passion.)

Research your audience

The next step of starting and creating a blog is to learn which topics people are interested in reading about. If your blog gains traction, you can eventually start making money from it and become a full-time blogger.

You can determine the demand for any given niche with a bit of market research. Begin by taking a look at Google Trends, which shows you how many people are searching for a particular topic. The more searches a topic gets, the more public demand it has.

For instance, let’s type “vegan recipes” into Google Trends. In the image below, you’ll see that there’s a relatively stable level of interest in this topic, so it’s a good candidate for a blog niche.

“Paleo recipes,” on the other hand, has a much lower degree of interest. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea—some bloggers prefer to write for a more specific crowd if they have a unique specialty—but it does mean there are fewer people interested in that particular subject area.

If Google Trends reveals that interest in a subject area is either very low or declining, then that topic is unlikely to gain traction.

Check if it’s profitable

Whether you run a personal blog or a professional one, it’s a good idea to check whether your niche is profitable. Even if you’re starting out as a hobby blogger or want to create a fan website, you’ll want to think about future monetization options in the event that your blogging efforts evolve into a career.

There are multiple ways to earn money as a blogger, but one of the most common methods is affiliate marketing. As an affiliate, you’ll work together with a specific company, providing a link to their products within your blog, and earning a commission for any sale made through your site.

Considering whether you could blog as an affiliate is a good way to figure out if your niche is profitable. Think about the kinds of “best of” or “how to” posts you might write. For instance, “Best kitchen appliances for easy cooking” or “How to make carrot cake in 10 minutes.” In both instances, you could include an affiliate link to your favorite food processor or electric mixer and make money for each purchase made through your blog.

You don’t need to plan out your money-making strategy just yet, but thinking generally about profitable opportunities can help you choose a niche. For now, focus on starting your blog—we’ll talk more about making money blogging in Step 10.

04. Select a blog name and domain

As you think about how to make a blog, the question of what to name it is probably lurking somewhere in the back of your mind.

There are three main routes you can go with your blog's name. These include:

• Your first and last name
• The name of your business (if you have one)
• A creative new name

When choosing your blog’s name, you should also think about the personality you want it to reflect. Should it be formal and professional? Sweet and romantic? Edgy and offbeat? If you’re stuck on names for your blog, this blog name generator is a helpful source of inspiration.

Once you decide, you should also go ahead and choose your domain name for your blog. Also referred to as a URL, a domain is a site’s address on the web (this website’s domain name, for example, is www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same as, or at least influenced by, the name of your blog.

05. Set up and design your blog

1. Choose a blog template
2. Decide which pages to include
3. Get indexed on search engines
4. Create a blog logo

At this point, you’ve chosen a blogging and hosting platform, domain name and blog niche. You’re now equipped with all the basics for setting up your blog. Here's how to optimize your blog design:

Choose a blog template

The first part of setup for a blog is selecting a template. Like your blog’s name, its look and feel will be an important part of its personality.

The most efficient way to get your blog up and running is to choose a pre-designed blog template. Afterwards, you can customize it based on your preferences.

Be sure to pick one that conveys your blog’s subject area. There are website templates for bloggers of any genre, whether you’re a food blogger, photography blogger or business blogger. As you browse, think about the mood you want your website to communicate, for example. whether it’s classic, modern, rugged or minimalist.

You should also take that into account as you further personalize the template with your preferred colors. Color psychology plays a huge role in forming your audience’s impression of your blog. As you choose a color palette, keep in mind the feelings and attitudes that different colors evoke. Blue, for instance, tends to evoke dependability and trust, while yellow evokes energy and joy.

If you’re unsure of which templates to choose, these blog examples serve as a helpful source of design inspiration.

Decide which pages to include

Once you’ve chosen a template, think about which pages to include. Most blogs include more than just a section to display their posts. They might also include an online store, as in the image below, or a contact page.

Here's an overview of the different options when designing your blog:

01. Contact page: This is a place to put your email address so that fans and potential business partners can reach out to you. You can also include a contact form so that people can send a message directly through your site.

02. About page: This tells visitors who you are, what you do, and why you do it, providing some context behind your blog and humanizing your content.

03. Online store: You’ll also want to add a separate online store page if you’re thinking of selling items related to your blog. You can call this page “Products” or “Shop.”

If you want to beef up your blog with even more pages, a Tutorials page, Now Trending page or Author’s Pick page are all popular options.

Furthermore, some blogs opt to place their posts directly on the homepage, while others keep their homepages and blog pages separate. If you do this, make sure to include a navigation menu so that visitors can easily access your blog as well as any other pages.

There’s no right or wrong way to set up a blog, so play around with different options to see what best suits your style and personality. Keep in mind that you can always add or remove pages over time as your blog evolves.

Get indexed on search engines

Another part of starting a blog is making sure it’s visible on Google and other search engines. This is crucial if you want your content to pop up in search results, so you’ll want to take care of this step right away.

First, make sure your site is indexed on Google. Essentially, this means giving Google a heads up that your blog exists. You can do this by submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console.

Pro tip: Google Search Console is not only important for indexing your site, but it’s also a valuable platform that you’ll be using throughout your blogging journey. It tells you important data about your blog’s site visitors and clicks, which you can use to improve your content.

To find out whether your site is already included in Google’s search index, do a quick site search (a site search uses your homepage URL and takes the form of site:yourblogname.com). If your blog pops up in the search results, then your site is already indexed.

Create a blog logo

Finally, polish off your site with an attractive blog logo. This is another way to add personality to your site, and it’s an essential step if you want to create a blog that evolves into a recognizable brand.

One option is to design your own or outsource the task, but you can also use an online logo maker. These tools give you plenty of room to customize your logo with your preferred colors, fonts and icons, and tend to be quicker and more affordable than hiring a professional designer.

Once you create your logo, place it in the upper left-hand corner of your website, and link it to your homepage. This will help brand your content while improving the navigation experience for readers.

06. Brainstorm blog topics

On the technical side, your blog is now setup and ready to go. It’s time to start thinking about which topics you’ll get started with.

Begin by thinking about your experiences, successes, failures or discoveries related to your niche. What insights can you share? What ideas are you looking to explore in-depth?

As you think of topics, try to get into your readers’ heads. Here are some questions to guide you through the brainstorming process:

• What characteristics does my target audience possess?
• What subjects does my target audience get excited about?
• What challenges does my target audience face?

You can also come up with ideas using the topic cluster model. Essentially, this is a tightly organized system that strings together related posts using a series of internal links. While this process is usually considered part of SEO, you can also think of it as a mind map for coming up with ideas.

By this model, think about a broad topic—say, recipes—and then divide that up into smaller subtopics, like dinner recipes or brunch recipes. Then, divide those up into even more specific topics, like 20-minute dinner recipes, mimosa recipes, and cake decoration ideas. Any of these topics could be its own blog post.

If you’re still stuck, this list of blog ideas can help jumpstart the brainstorming process. They include:

• A 30 before 30 list (also 40 before 40, or 50 before 50)
• Your sources of inspiration
• Beginners’ guides
• Time-saving hacks
• A challenge you’ve faced

Use these ideas to guide you, but feel free to add your own creative twist based on your niche.

07. Write your first blog post

1. Start with keyword research
2. Come up with a blog post title
3. Outline your main points
4. Write engaging content
5. Insert images
6. Optimize for SEO
7. Edit and publish

Now that you’ve come up with ideas, you’re ready to dive into the writing. Let’s go over how to write a blog post from start to finish:

Start with keyword research

Finding the right keywords is crucial for getting people to read your posts. By targeting certain phrases with your article, you increase the chances of your blog appearing on search results pages for those queries.

Let’s say, for instance, that you want to share a carrot cake recipe in your blog. You’ll want to target keywords such as:

• Carrot cake
• Carrot cake recipe
• Best carrot cake recipe
• How to make carrot cake

Depending on your topic, some keywords may be more obvious than others. You can refine your keywords using free keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner or you can use more robust paid options like SEMrush or Ahrefs.

Next, you’ll need to strategically target your selected keywords throughout your article. This means two things: First, you’ll need to sprinkle those phrases throughout your post (but try to do so as organically as possible—no one likes unnatural keyword stuffing). Second, you should structure your article based on the format you see in the top 10 search results for those keywords (you can also reference these results when deciding how long should a blog post be).

Let’s say, for example, that you want to write an article about your favorite carrot cake recipe. Start by checking your competitors—the top 10 search results on Google for the keyword “carrot cake recipe.”

When you type that phrase into the search engine, you’ll notice that the top results are written as numbered steps, rather than as a story. You can therefore assume that most readers prefer the list format for these types of posts. In order to provide valuable content to your readers—and to rank high on Google as a result—you’ll want your own post to assume a similar format.

Likewise, you’ll want to touch on all the main points covered by your competitors. This doesn’t mean you can’t be be creative. It’s just to say that in addition to sharing your own original insights, you should cover all the bases.

To continue with our example, let’s assume that when you look up “carrot cake recipe,” the top search results include a section about how to make cream cheese frosting. This is an indicator that many readers find this content helpful. In addition, it shows that Google has a preference for articles including that detail. You’d be wise, then, to touch on this idea in your own article.

Outline your main points

Keyword research gives you an idea of the best format for your blog post, as well as which sections to include. This naturally segues into the outline stage of the writing process.

First, choose which type of blog post you’d like to write. Will it be a how-to guide? A product recommendation? An op-ed? Whichever blog post template you choose, you’ll want to have a clear idea in mind before structuring the outline.

Then, use headers and subheaders to break up your content into organized, bite-sized chunks. Beneath each heading, make bulleted notes of the main points you’ll include in each section. This will be the skeleton of your first blog post.

Feel free to use this downloadable blog post template to help with your outline. All you need to do is fill in the blanks:

Come up with a blog post title

The next part of starting a blog article is coming up with a strong title. You can come up with your blog titles at any stage of the planning process, but the best ideas often arise as you build your outline.

A blog title is a small but mighty piece of content. Often, it makes the difference between whether or not people click on your article.

To make your blog titles catchy and compelling, put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Think about what might interest and excite them, and try the following strategies:

• Be clear and direct
• Promise value
• Appeal to your readers’ emotions
• Pique their curiosity
• Use humor, alliteration or wordplay

Here are a few fill-in-the-blank blog title ideas to help you:

Here’s more information on how to write a headline that stands out. If you’re curious about diving more into what makes a headline a success, Buzzsumo’s shared headlines study is also an insightful resource.

Write engaging content

Now, it’s time to start typing away. Keep in mind that you’ll need an introduction, body text broken up by headers and subheaders, and a conclusion (optional).

In the introduction, grab your audience’s attention with a captivating anecdote, a compelling quote or statistic, or an interesting fact. Then, share a brief summary of what the article is about, making sure to grab the interest of your readers.

Next, write the body text, using your outline as a guide. This is where you share your knowledge and expertise as a blogger. Be sure to avoid fluff; writing for the sake of writing is one of the biggest blogging mistakes. Instead, make sure each sentence is meaningful, and dive straight into sharing your original insights and actionable tips. You should also use a tone of voice that resonates with your audience, whether it’s funny and casual or serious and formal.

Finally, wrap up the post with a concluding section. While not every blog includes this final bit, it’s a nice way to tie your ideas together and share your closing thoughts.

Keep in mind that writing a blog post can take several hours, and it’s a process that shouldn’t be rushed. Set aside at least half a day to write your first draft.

Insert images

As you start your blog, remember that your choice of images can strengthen readers’ overall impression of your article. Whether you add photos, screenshots or illustrations to your articles, they should be functional as well as beautiful. Make sure they convey your main points and highlight important examples in the post.

If you don’t have your own images, begin by browsing free stock photos on the web. Pexels and Unsplash are both popular sites for gathering visual material. While you might eventually want to use photos you take yourself, stock photos are a quick way to get your blog started.

Optimize for SEO

Once you create your content, there are a couple things you’ll need to take care of before hitting Publish. These steps primarily revolve around strategy, from improving your blog SEO to generating conversions through your article. Here’s a quick post-writing checklist to guide you:

• Double check your keywords: Quickly search your content (CTRL+F) to review your use of keywords. Did you include all the keywords you intended to? If not, check to see whether there are any other opportunities to incorporate the keywords throughout your article. (Keep in mind that keyword stuffing is considered a bad practice, and search engines can penalize you for it. Incorporate them naturally into the text, rather than forcing them in.)
• Add internal links: One trick up every bloggers’ sleeve is to link between their blog posts (also known as the practice of internal linking). This helps improve your posts’ SEO, and it also encourages your readers to browse your other articles. Rather than linking randomly, you should link between primarily related blog posts; this is better for SEO, and it also makes the links more valuable to your readers. If you’re just starting a blog and don’t have much content yet, don’t forget to go back into your posts and add in the links later.
• Incorporate CTAs: The next trick in the book is to include calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout the article. These little snippets of content often take the form of phrases such as Buy Now, Subscribe, or Read More. By placing call-to-action buttons in your article, you can direct readers to buy your products, subscribe to your newsletter, or click for further reading.
• Use alt text: Because Google can’t read photos, bloggers often add a short description to each image (ideally using keywords) to help the search engine understand what is being displayed. This description, called alt text, helps your images show up in Google image searches.
• Write your post’s metadata: Metadata is the term for the text used to display a web page in Google search results. This includes the meta title (also known as the title tag) and meta description. Sometimes, the meta title is the same as the title of your blog post, while other times, you’ll want to choose a slightly different title for displaying your post. There’s no right or wrong here, so long as your title is engaging and includes your most important keyword. The meta description, which is the short snippet of text beneath the meta title, should also include your main keywords and should preview the article’s main points.

• Choose your URL: Every webpage has a dedicated URL, and your blog posts are no different. A strong URL helps your articles rank high on search engine results pages, and typically contains a keyword. Blog post URLs often take the form of www.yourdomainname.com/blog-post-keyword or www.yourdomainname.com/blog/blog-post-keyword. If you’re unsure, set aside time to browse this guide on how to properly structure URLs. Most blog posts will generate a URL for you automatically, but it’s good to know that you can go in and customize the URL for each blog post as needed.

Edit and publish

You now have everything you need for your first blog post. Give it a couple reads, and share it with family members or friends to review. It’s always helpful to have a second, third, or fourth pair of eyes.

When you think your article is ready to go, upload it to your blog. Your blogging platform will also have a place for you to type in the metadata and URL. Once that’s done, hit Publish and let the celebrations begin.

08. Create an editorial calendar

Whew! You’ve just written your first blog post. Take a break, and when you’re ready, plan out the rest of the month’s posting schedule.

Creating an editorial calendar is an important part of starting a blog. It’s an effective way to ensure you publish content consistently, letting you hold yourself accountable as a writer and ensuring you don’t deviate from your blogging goals. Your readers want new content, and you need to deliver. Plus, search engines take into account how frequently you publish when determining your site’s overall ranking.

You probably already have a handful of topics from your brainstorming session in Step 6. If not, use the same process to come up with new ideas. Once you have at least 10 or so ideas, start building a content calendar.

Your calendar doesn’t need to cost a thing, and it certainly doesn’t require the use of unfamiliar tools or platforms. Open up Excel or Google Sheets, and start building a schedule from there. The columns you use are completely up to you, but you’ll probably want to create different sections for the publishing date, blog title, main keywords, article status and comments.

Pro tip: If you know you’re prone to procrastination (aren't we all?), open up a Google Calendar and fill in your deadlines there. You can even set aside blocks of time in your calendar for writing.

How often should you blog?

When learning how to start a blog, a big question people ask is how often they should be publishing new content. As a rule of thumb, the more often you blog, the more traffic you get. There’s no black-or-white answer for exactly how frequently that is, but studies have pointed us to a few important statistics:

• 11 or more posts per month yields a noticeable increase in traffic. Among small companies of 10 or fewer employees, those who published at least 11 blog posts a month had twice as much traffic as those who published two to five blogs a month.
• Small companies also found that publishing at least 11 posts per month yields twice as many leads as those publishing six to 10 monthly articles. This is important if your goal is to obtain subscribers, sell products or work as an affiliate (more on that in Step 10).

How often you blog also depends on your goals. If your main goal is to generate brand awareness, start with one to two new posts per week. On the other hand, if you’re primarily aiming to increase blog traffic, you should ideally be writing three to four new posts per week.

Keep all this in mind as you create your editorial calendar, but make your goals small and achievable. If you set unrealistic deadlines that you can’t meet, you’ll get thrown off course and even discouraged.

You can always ramp up your efforts once you get used to publishing and make it a habit to stick to your schedule. In addition, remember that you can always bring in guest contributors to up the quantity of published content each week.

09. Promote your blog

1. Share on social media
2. Create a blog newsletter
3. Write for other sites
4. Reach out to an existing community
5. Participate in question and discussion sites
6. Invest in paid ads
7. Try new content formats

At this stage, you have everything you need to start a blog. These last couple of steps will focus on how to spread the word about your blog and grow it into a serious monetization tool.

In order to get readers, you’ll need to find creative ways to drive traffic to your site. While improving your SEO is an important step, the following methods can also help you promote your blog. Note that most of them are completely free, while a few (like advertising) are paid.

• Share on social media: Social media is an excellent place to post your content and draw attention to your blog. Whether you promote your blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, it’s a great way to reach new readers.
• Create a blog newsletter: Send out a weekly email newsletter to engage your readers and get them coming back to your blog for more. This will help you sustain a loyal fan base. To get subscribers to your blog email list in the first place, include a prominent Subscribe button in your website’s navigation bar, footer, and within your blog posts.

• Write for other sites: Strengthen your reputation as a writer and expert in your niche by publishing content outside your own website. Consider opening a Medium account and making a name for yourself there, or post articles on LinkedIn. You should also keep an eye out for guest blogging opportunities, which are offered by publications such as Forbes and Entrepreneur.
• Reach out to an existing community: Facebook groups, forums and LinkedIn groups are gathering places for people interested in a particular topic. If you find an online community that’s relevant to your blog niche, share your website with them and network among their group members.
• Participate in question and discussion sites: Sites such as Quora and Reddit give you the opportunity to highlight your blog in discussion threads. Use one of your blog posts to answer a question or follow up on a comment, but be sure to come across as helpful and informative rather than promotional.
• Invest in paid ads: In addition to sharing posts on social media, you can boost your posts with a paid promotion so that they reach more people. Likewise, you can pay for Google ads and reach new users through the search engine.
• Try new content formats: Expand your reach even further by trying new content formats. These essentially repurpose the same information provided in your posts. For instance, you can turn your blog posts into videos and start a YouTube channel. You might even create a podcast or offer a webinar. The sky's the limit.

10. Make money blogging

1. Affiliate marketing
2. Advertise within your blog
3. Offer paid subscriptions
4. Write sponsored content
5. Sell e-books and merchandise
6. Provide consulting services

If you’re looking to start a blog with a large readership, chances are you’re also aiming to make money from your blog’s popularity. We touched on affiliate marketing earlier in the article, but let’s talk more about this and other money-making strategies that can help you generate passive income from your writing efforts.

There are more ways than one to make money blogging. Here’s a quick overview of each method:

• Affiliate marketing: This is one of the most common ways to make money blogging, and it’s easy to get started. Intermediate affiliates can earn between $300 to $3,000 per day, and that number only goes up with experience. There are plenty of affiliate marketing programs out there, but Amazon Associates is a popular choice for beginners.
• Advertising within your blog: Another option is to display ads within your blog, which means you’re essentially selling your blog real estate as ad space. This is a fairly reliable way to make money, as you’ll be earning revenue with each click. If you’re thinking of taking this route, Google AdSense is by far one of the most lucrative and popular programs.
• Offering paid subscriptions: You know how the New York Times makes you pay to read their content? You can do the same thing with your blog. While some of your articles should be free, you can also create exclusive content that readers can buy access to through a subscription plan.
• Write sponsored content: Reach out to companies—or, as you blog grows, make it easy for brands to contact you—regarding sponsorship opportunities. You’ll be writing articles that promote those companies’ products, and the business, in turn, will compensate you for the posts.
• Sell e-books and merchandise: You can also sell digital or physical goods directly from your site. This might include branded merchandise, products related to your field, or e-books and other online resources. One way to do this is by adding a Pay button to your homepage that your readers can click to browse your merchandise.
• Provide consulting services: This approach involves making use of your professional experience and harnessing the knowledge you’ve gained as a professional blogger. Based on your insights and expertise, think about the kinds of consulting services you might be able to offer to your clients. If you’re writing a nutrition blog, one such idea could be making customized diet plans or working as a nutrition coach for clients.

For further details, take a look at this article on how to monetize a blog or check out the Wix Learn online course on monetizing your blog.

Blogging resources

As you learn how to create a blog, browse these blogging resources to help guide you through the writing process, SEO and more:

• Blog post checklist: Check off these steps to ensure you’ve covered all the bases with your first blog post.
• Blogging for beginners: Read through these additional tips on how to start your blog from scratch.
• Free online writing courses (Udemy): Browse Udemy for professional writing courses that will help you develop your blogging skills.
• Free SEO tutorial (Moz): Learn the basics of SEO with this free six-part video course.

Blogging tools

Finally, online tools are a big part of launching a blog, since they make the process more streamlined and efficient. Here’s a quick list of some helpful blogging tools you can use to start a blog—don’t forget to bookmark them for future reference:

• Google Keyword Planner: Get data about which keywords to use in your blog posts.
• Google Analytics: Obtain insights into your blog’s data to strengthen its performance.
• Google Search Console: Have a clear view of the number of website visitors and clicks your blog receives.
• ShareThrough’s headline analyzer: Type in your headline and get feedback on its strengths and weaknesses.
• Pexels: Find free stock photos for your blog articles.
• Grammarly: Review your writing with an AI editing tool.
• BuzzSumo: Keep track of trending content to create relevant, targeted posts.
• Asana: Manage your writing schedule with an online task management tool.

How to start a blog infographic

That's all there is to it. Let's wrap up with a quick infographic:

At this point, you have all the tools and resources you need for starting a blog. You couldn't have found a more rewarding endeavor, and I couldn't be more honored to help you get your blog off the ground. Feel free to bookmark this guide as a reference as you begin this new journey, and happy blogging!

Start a blog FAQ

It’s no secret that good marketing is the backbone of any successful business. Ask any seasoned business owner, and they’ll tell you that you should invest in a well-thought-out marketing plan—from creating a website to building impactful social media campaigns. But with so many marketing strategies out there, how do you know which is right for you and your business needs?

One option is outbound marketing, a tried-and-true marketing idea and approach that has many benefits. In this article we’ll explore what outbound marketing is, different strategies styles and when to use this approach in your own business.

What is outbound marketing?

Outbound marketing is a more traditional type of marketing, in which businesses actively reach out to potential customers as opposed to waiting for customers to approach them. This style of marketing can take on many forms, including TV or radio commercials, billboards, magazine ads, trade shows and cold emails.

Outbound marketing is generally aimed at a large, diverse audience that has not heard of or shown interest in your brand before. It can help to spread brand awareness relatively quickly and bolster inbound marketing efforts.

Inbound vs outbound marketing

Outbound marketing is often considered the opposite of inbound marketing, a form of digital marketing that’s designed to “pull in” specific audiences. Inbound marketing involves creating content that naturally attracts potential customers. This could include well-targeted blogs, newsletters, podcasts, online events and more.

While inbound marketing helps to establish trust over time, outbound marketing aims to deliver immediate results. The interplay between inbound and outbound marketing plays a crucial role in generating buzz for any business and converting first-time buyers into loyal followers. Eventually, every outbound marketing campaign should generate a pool of potential customers, who you can target with more cost-effective inbound and content marketing campaigns in the future.

Pros and cons of outbound marketing

It’s true. Gone are the days when everyone would see the same TV commercials, or hear radio ads repeatedly. Now, people have ways to avoid many of these advertisements, using caller ID apps, ad blockers or using streaming services like Netflix or Spotify to avoid commercials. Additionally, many audiences find outbound marketing to be off-putting, like cold calls, or unsolicited emails, making it more challenging than it used to be.

Don’t let that scare you off. Although it may seem like outbound marketing no longer has a place in today’s economy—that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are still major benefits to using this marketing strategy, and it can still help you reach huge audiences, very fast. In a nutshell, outbound marketing has several benefits and challenges worth considering.

Benefits of outbound marketing

Fast results: You can get your brand in front of thousands—if not millions—of people immediately through social media ads, TV commercials and more (and all the places where mobile marketing really comes into its own).

Scalability: Outbound marketing campaigns can be scaled up or down depending on your budget and/or needs.

Targeting: Most ad platforms will allow you to define who sees your content, based on their demographics, interests, locations and/or recent activity.

Testing: Given how easy it is to set up, target and adjust most outbound marketing efforts (at least online), you can more easily test new messaging and offers.

Downsides of outbound marketing

Cost: Outbound marketing can get expensive, especially if you’re using more traditional methods like TV advertising or direct mail.

Invasiveness: Ads and other outbound marketing approaches can appear pushy and spammy to some consumers.

Cold traffic: Some people may have never heard of your brand prior to you reaching out—as a result you may experience low response rates.

Difficulty measuring ROI: While some forms of outbound marketing may be easy to track, others (like billboards or radio ads) may be difficult to track.

Types of outbound marketing

As we discussed, the goal of outbound marketing is to reach large new crowds. These campaigns aren’t designed to “close the deal” with customers who are already familiar with your brand. Rather, these marketing campaigns are designed to generate interest in your brand among new audiences.

There are various types of outbound marketing, and each has its own value and potential gains.

01. Online advertising

Cost-effective and convenient, online advertising is a great internet marketing strategy for reaching audiences on a large scale. By using this type of copywriting marketing strategy, small businesses can use online ads to engage with potential customers using a variety of mediums, including social media platforms, search engines, native advertising and display ads.

The special benefit of online advertising today is the convenience of targeting your content. Most tools and platforms can guide your advertising strategy, allowing you to track your ad’s performance and use insights to more effectively engage with your desired audience.

02. Cold calls

Cold calls are a semi-targeted form of outbound marketing, in which you contact potential customers who haven’t interacted with your business in the past. These are unsolicited calls, but you should try to only call people who may find real interest in what you’re offering.

There’s an obvious downside to outbound sales calls. People may find them obnoxious, and sales representatives often dislike them as well. But that doesn’t mean you should toss aside outbound calls altogether—there are still benefits to this method.

The point of cold calls isn’t to make an immediate sale. Rather, it’s a chance for your brand to get a foot in the door and create initial contact with a potential future customer. It might be surprising, but this form of outbound marketing is actually pretty effective: 82% of buyers said they’ve accepted meetings with salespeople after a series of contacts that started from a cold call.

03. Cold emails

There are a few subtle differences between cold calling and sending out cold emails. While cold calls can be received badly by the other side, emails get much less of a negative reaction. In most cases, people just ignore them or move them to their junk folder if they don’t want to engage.

Email marketing has the added benefit of not being tied down to a specific time, because unlike a phone call, people can read them whenever it’s comfortable for them. You can also schedule them to be sent at a certain time for convenience.

If you’re going to send cold emails, make sure to keep your emails short and sweet. Offer something of value (like a discount code) and try to personalize your message.

04. Printed ads

Many people consider magazines and newspapers to be a dying art, but that’s simply not true. As recently as 2021, there were nearly 223 million magazine readers alone in the U.S. Magazines are extremely varied, making them a great way to reach niche audiences.

Newspapers can similarly be an attractive outbound marketing outlet to advertisers. National newspapers can get hundreds of thousands, or even millions or eyes on your brand. On the other hand, you can advertise in local newspapers to enable local marketing.

05. Billboards

If you want to boost brand awareness and business in a particular location, a catchy billboard is a classic way to do it. A giant billboard on a busy highway can be expensive and may not be feasible if you have a tighter budget—but overall billboards enjoy a captive audience, and can expose your ad to thousands of people every day.

The challenge with billboard advertisements is catching the attention of those passing by. You can reach a lot of people, but if your ad isn’t eye-catching with clear and attractive messaging, it may easily go ignored.

06. TV and radio commercials

Commercials may seem outdated, but the potential reach of a nationwide TV commercial is massive. In the same vein, radio commercials can offer lots of reach, even on local radio stations.

Commercials give your brand the opportunity to repeat your message to audiences over different channels for a specific period of time. The benefit of this is allowing potential customers to familiarize themselves with your product or service using creative advertising. TV commercials in particular are an opportunity to showcase your business using outstanding visuals, catchy tunes and strong messaging.

07. Trade shows

The fact that trade shows serve to bring together a lot of people with a common interest makes them a gold mine for event marketing. Attending and participating in trade shows can land you new customers on the spot. At the very least, it instantly exposes your brand to a lot of people in your field, including industry leaders as well as local networks. While trade shows are great for creating relationships with potential customers, they tend to be more B2B-oriented, so they may not apply to every brand.

08. Guerilla marketing

Guerilla marketing is a creative wildcard that’s all about the wow-factor. A guerilla marketing campaign can literally be anything, as long as it’s surprising, buzz-worthy and generates curiosity around your brand. Some awesome examples of guerilla marketing include this bus being strangled by a snake, a simple KitKat bench and Nintendo’s sticky note composition. As opposed to other outbound marketing methods, guerilla marketing isn’t necessarily expensive—in fact, if you can manage to leverage your creativity, it can even be free.

When to use outbound marketing

While many businesses these days prefer to invest in inbound marketing and focus solely on the cost per conversion, there’s still a time and place for outbound marketing. So when is outbound marketing a good idea? Here are some instances when it can benefit your brand.

When your time is limited, but your budget isn’t

As noted earlier, outbound marketing is generally more expensive than inbound marketing, but it can produce fast results. Compared to outbound marketing, inbound marketing involves things like building a bank of content or growing a social media following—all of which are very time-consuming.

Instead, you can reach thousands of people within a matter of hours using some of the outbound marketing methods mentioned above. If money isn’t a limiting factor, incorporating some of these tactics can engage a constant flow of new customers.

To collect data for future inbound marketing campaigns

Inbound marketing relies on data about your target audience. The more information you have, the better the results. But in order to generate this data, you need a place to start.

Outbound marketing campaigns can drive a lot of traffic to your website and to your social media channels, so you can start collecting information about who they are, what they like and more. All of this information can then be used to create more efficient inbound campaigns or to better target your existing campaigns.

When marketing common or “seductive” products

Some products just scream outbound marketing. Common items—like clothing—are universal, so going with a broader marketing campaign can still reach a good percentage of your target audience.

Outbound marketing strategies work well for another type of product—the “seductive” type. These tempting products are desired by audiences almost immediately after seeing them, mostly referring to consumable products like food or drinks (notice how the fast food industry never gave up on billboards and TV commercials).

If your business is expanding to new locations

Expanding to new markets is never easy. It takes a lot of money and energy, and it’s necessary to make your stamp as fast as possible. One of the quickest ways to reach a lot of people in a specific location is through outbound marketing. Billboards and local paper ads ensure that the local population will be exposed and aware of your business’ arrival.

For brand building and recognition

Out of sight, out of mind—but if you constantly push your brand in front of people, there’s a better chance that they’ll remember you. This concept is especially important for companies that rely on returning business, like Coca-Cola, which continuously has multiple outbound marketing campaigns running.

Billboards and commercials can do more than advertise a product. They can connect with audiences on an emotional level, too. A giant billboard or commercial that makes people laugh can make your brand seem personable, desirable and memorable. For certain businesses, these moments can be a game changer.

You wake up and start scrolling on Instagram before getting out of bed, liking a friend’s picture of her new Vans. While driving to work, Taylor Swift plays on the radio. Bored at your desk, you open up Tumblr and reblog a bunch of memes that only the most internet-literate people would understand. After walking by a mirror, you wonder if it’s time for a new hair color. So, you pull up a hair dye color quiz online to think it through.

No, this is not a flashback to 2014. This is the present day.

As the age-old saying goes, history repeats itself. The same things that mesmerized us back in the day are bouncing back—and they’re coming back in the form of interactive content. These days, brands like Instacart and Turbotax are embracing interactive content as a marketing strategy, creating BuzzFeed-like content to keep their customers engaged.

Looking to get started with content marketing in general? Create a blog with Wix.

What the heck is interactive content?

Unlike a static advertisement or social media post, interactive content requires active participation from the audience. Interactive content creates a more memorable and immersive experience, making the message more likely to hit home with its viewers . From quizzes and polls to games and augmented reality experiences, interactive content offers a unique way to communicate with customers and drive engagement.

Types of interactive content

Here are some content ideas to keep in mind when building your interactive content marketing strategy:

• Games: You can create games to promote a product or service in an engaging way. For example, a restaurant could create a game where users have to complete different challenges related to cooking or preparing food, with the restaurant's brand and menu items prominently displayed throughout the game.
• Quizzes: Quizzes offer a fun and engaging way to educate potential customers about your business, products or services. By asking questions related to your industry or product, you can engage your audience while collecting valuable data about their interests that can help you personalize your marketing efforts.
• Calculators: Calculators can be particularly useful for businesses that sell products or services with complex pricing structures. For instance, if your business sells solar panels, you could create an online calculator that helps buyers estimate their potential savings based on their location, energy usage and other factors.
• Polls: Polls are a simple but effective way to engage customers while gathering information about their preferences. By asking multiple-choice questions, you can quickly gather insights about your audience's opinions and tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. This is arguably the easiest interactive content to create, because several social media platforms have polling tools.
• Virtual reality: Virtual reality experiences allow customers to interact with a brand in a unique and immersive way. By creating a virtual environment that showcases your products or services, your business can create a memorable experience that helps differentiate your brand from competitors.
• Surveys: Surveys can help you understand your customers' needs and preferences in greater detail. By asking open-ended questions, you can gain deeper insights into your customers’ motivations and tailor your marketing efforts accordingly.
• Dynamic presentations: Dynamic presentations, such as webinars and live streams, can be useful for educating customers about a product or service. By offering valuable insights and expertise, your business can position itself as a thought leader in the industry and build trust with your audience.
• Simulations: Simulations offer customers an interactive and realistic experience of a product or service. By allowing customers to try out your product or service in a simulated environment, you can help them picture themselves using your product or service every day.
• Product demos: Interactive product demos allow customers to see your product in action rather than just reading about its features or benefits. This can be especially helpful for software businesses, where the features and functionality of a product may be more difficult to convey through traditional marketing materials.
• Image sliders: Image sliders are a great tool for comparing images. If you’re selling a cleaning product, you could use a before-and-after image slider to display the transformative effects of your product.
• Interactive maps: Interactive maps are a popular content format for visualizing locations or routes. Simply embedding Google Maps in your footer can be helpful. Users can zoom in and out, click on markers and input their location for directions. Interactive maps can improve local SEO and provide a personalized user experience, making it easier for customers to interact with your business.
• Interactive infographics: Interactive infographics can provide customers with an engaging way to learn about your business or something related to it. You can use them to present complex data or concepts in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you’re in the business of selling organic produce, you could create an interactive infographic that shows the benefits of organic farming and how it differs from traditional farming methods.

What are the benefits of interactive content marketing?

Keeping up with the latest trends isn’t the only reason you should try interactive content marketing—far from it. Let’s discuss a few of the benefits of interactive content marketing to help you decide whether it’s a fit for your business.

Virality potential

There is a good reason why BuzzFeed-esque quizzes and polls are viable options for marketers: the statistics are there to prove their potential to massively scale. Back in 2014, the quiz “What City Should You Actually Live In?” from BuzzFeed reportedly earned more than 18 million views and more than 2.5 million Facebook likes. The most-read story from The New York Times in 2013 wasn’t a profile or an investigation, but a quiz called “How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk.”

Interactive content marketing could have even more potential in the years to come. Looking at data from the last two years, Mediafly customers who used interactive content saw a 94% higher increase in content views than static content.

It’s no surprise that this sort of content performs so well—it’s compelling not only to consume but also to share. Just think back to how many of your Facebook friends used to share what Disney princess they were according to a BuzzFeed quiz or their Sporcle results on how many country flags they could identify. “You can keep [results like these] to yourself, but most people want to brag about it, and they share it,” says Shachaf Rodberg, Wix's marketing trend analyst.

Data collection

Upcoming cookie bans may be playing a role in the trend of businesses embracing interactive content as a marketing strategy. Advertisers, social media platforms and other third-party websites have long used cookies to track consumer behavior and collect their browsing data.

Third-party cookies are extremely useful for marketers but quite invasive for everyone else. Cookies can record years of your web history without you knowing, and it’s all too easy for ill-intentioned parties to access all that sensitive data. Safari and Firefox have blocked third-party cookies to protect their users, and Google plans to do the same by 2024. Because interactive content marketing often asks participants to answer personal questions anonymously in exchange for entertainment and education, it offers the perfect alternative to invasive cookies that may become obsolete in the coming years.

Brand recall and loyalty

Interactive content marketing can also be highly effective for building brand recall and loyalty, especially if the experience is memorable and engaging. For example, a well-designed interactive game can leave a lasting impression on a viewer. The viewer, in turn, will associate your brand with a fun experience. Similarly, interactive content that encourages user participation, such as polls or quizzes, can create a sense of community, building brand loyalty in the process.

The key to interactive content marketing? Putting the customer first

So, how can you create your own interactive content marketing strategy? Rodberg suggests thinking about it from the consumer’s perspective. “From a marketers perspective, it's all about gathering valuable first-party data about your customers and non-customers alike,” says Rodberg. “The magic happens when you actually focus on the type of questions and content that actually enrich the lives of the reader.”

It’s important that you’re offering something of value rather than just creating clickbait. “The battle for our attention is already taking its toll,” said Rodberg. “This type of content can just add to the noise.” Think about ways to use personalization to tailor the content to your target audience’s interest. How can you use your expertise to provide them with valuable insights and data that can enhance their knowledge or decision-making processes?

As long as you keep that in mind, using interactive content to market your business is a promising strategy for engaging customers and driving loyalty. It might make it seem like the internet is so 2014 again, but rest assured, interactive content marketing is a step toward the future.

Check out this blog of content marketing tips for more ideas.

5 examples of interactive content marketing

When it comes to interactive content, the possibilities are endless. To get your creative juices flowing, check out the content marketing examples below.

01. Spotify

If you need help finding the perfect playlist to match your vibe for the day, Spotify can help. The music streaming service’s mood quiz features five quick questions, including queries like “How did you start your morning?” and “How do you like to relax at home?” If your responses suggest that you’re on the chiller end of the spectrum, the quiz may point you to a playlist of acoustic covers. If you’re getting ready for a night out, it might suggest a playlist of dance jams.

02. Sephora

With the explosion of the beauty industry over the last couple of years, it can feel overwhelming to sift through all the skincare options out there. With its skincare finder quiz, Sephora helps customers find a good fit for what they’re looking for. The quiz basically functions as a Sephora salesperson would, pointing out a few product options based on the customer’s needs, age and priorities. What’s particularly clever about this quiz is users can simply click “add to basket” on the result they like best.

03. Mint’s Grocery Budget Calculator

Mint's Grocery Budget Calculator is an engaging piece of interactive content that helps users figure out how much to spend on groceries. By inputting a few data points about family size, projected number of meals eaten out and dietary needs, users can receive a recommended total budget. Users can also toggle on a spectrum of spending habits, ranging from thrifty to generous. This interactive content ties nicely to Mint's personal finance product, recognizing a common need for their customers and providing an evergreen tool that provides noticeable value.

04. Adobe

The Creative Types quiz cleverly weaves in its promotion of Adobe Creative Cloud with the opportunity for designers and users to discover more about themselves. Rather than bombarding users with a product link at the end of the quiz, Adobe enhances the experience by showcasing eye-catching 3D graphics between each question, fueling creativity and inspiring users to start designing.

But the benefits don't stop there. Upon receiving their quiz results, users are provided with digital assets that they can easily share on social media. This not only encourages users to engage with Adobe's products and services, but also amplifies brand awareness through social sharing. By taking a user-centric approach and providing value beyond just the promotion of its products, Adobe effectively connects with its audience and establishes a positive brand image.

05. Marriott

Marriott uses this visually stimulating, interactive infographic to offer families travel destinations in Scottsdale, Arizona. It functions like a “choose your adventure” game with a dotted line that leads through your responses to the results. What’s special about this piece of interactive content marketing is that you don’t have to restart it if you want a different answer. Once you’ve clicked on every answer, the page becomes a static infographic that you can save for later.

06. Wendy’s

By using a poll to deliver a joke about Elon Musk asking followers if he should resign as CEO, Wendy’s manages to make its followers feel like they’re in on the joke. It worked—over 60,000 people weighed in and over 5,000 people liked the poll. The social media manager took things a step further by responding to comments, keeping the tone sarcastic and witty. This approach helped Wendy's build a stronger connection with its audience and created a memorable interaction that could potentially lead to increased brand loyalty.

07. Bloom Energy

Bloom Energy’s power outage map provides valuable information to potential customers, helping them assess their risk and inform their energy resiliency strategy. The map allows businesses in California to quickly see the number of blackouts and customers impacted in their area, and understand the potential impact on their operations. By providing this information in an interactive and engaging way, Bloom Energy can showcase its expertise and position itself as a solution provider for businesses looking to safeguard their operations from power outages.

08. Lacoste

Located on the inside of a crocodile’s mouth and decked out in green, Lacoste’s virtual store is a unique and memorable piece of branding. Instead of simply scrolling through endless pages of apparel, customers can now immerse themselves in a hidden world and discover their next favorite t-shirt. The virtual store provides a new level of engagement and interactivity, allowing customers to explore the products in a fun and playful way. By creating a unique and immersive shopping experience, Lacoste is able to stand out from the competition and create a lasting impression with their customers.

By Emily Shwake

Wix Blog Editor

If you always make a beeline for name brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Oatly and Skyr when shopping for groceries, then you know firsthand how powerful brand loyalty is. The same is true if there’s a shop you always go to, even if it’s farther or more expensive than other options.

This is the dream for every business: to have branding so influential that customers don’t even think to look for an alternative. Luckily, brand loyalty isn’t as much a matter of luck as it is savvy brand management. In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of brand loyalty and the tactics you can use to generate it.

Use Wix to design a website that keeps brand loyalists in the fold.

• What is brand loyalty?
• What’s the difference between brand loyalty and customer loyalty?
• How does brand loyalty work?
• Why is brand loyalty important?
• How to cultivate brand loyalty
• 4 examples of brand loyalty

What is brand loyalty?

Brand loyalty is a customer’s dedication to a particular company. They buy its products or services over and over again, even when other options are available. It’s very difficult for companies to lure loyalists away from the brands they love and trust, which is why brand loyalty is such a powerful business driver.

What’s the difference between brand loyalty and customer loyalty?

Although the terms "brand loyalty" and "customer loyalty" are often used interchangeably, it's important to understand the distinction between the two. Customer loyalty refers to the tendency of a customer to commit to a brand because of inherent benefits, such as pricing, rewards and convenience. In contrast, brand loyalty stems from a customer connecting with a brand's identity on a deeper level.

Because customer loyalty relies on factors like price or convenience, it can quickly wane if the brand becomes more expensive or less available. Brand loyalty, on the other hand, can withstand such variations as long as the brand's identity and values remain unchanged. Therefore, building brand loyalty is crucial for companies—even those with strong customer loyalty—to maintain a loyal customer base in the long term.

How does brand loyalty work?

Suzy walks into a drugstore in search of Advil for pain relief. Even after the clerk mentions that generic brands contain the same active ingredients, she still purchases Advil. Suzy has used it for years, so she knows it works and doesn’t care how much it costs.

That’s brand loyalty in action. Devoted customers will go out of their way to find the brands they prefer, regardless of whether it’s the more inconvenient or costly option. This doesn’t just happen after one purchase. Your customers have to go through various stages before they become loyal customers:

• Brand recognition: At this stage, the customer is aware of your brand and can recognize its logo, name or packaging. The customer may not have any specific feelings toward your brand yet, but they’re familiar with it and have some basic knowledge of what it represents. Customers may not buy anything from you at this stage, but are much more likely to remember your brand in the future.
• Brand preference: Once a customer has tried your brand and realizes its value, they’ll begin to form an attachment. The customer may associate your brand with good experiences related to your product, customer service or marketing. During this stage, customers may make multiple purchases over time. That’s when customer loyalty begins to form.
• Brand insistence: At this stage, the customer has become loyal to your brand and insists on buying your products over other options. The customer has likely grown an emotional attachment to your brand and may be willing to pay a premium price to continue using it.
• Brand advocacy: Brand advocacy is the final stage in which your avid customers start to recommend your brand to others. In order to get them to this point, you’ll need strong branding, sales and marketing strategies that keep your customers engaged.

Why is brand loyalty important?

Brand loyalty is important because it can help you build stable profit margins, establish a positive brand reputation and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Let’s discuss a few of the main benefits of brand loyalty in detail:

• Differentiate from competitors: In a crowded market, where competing brands offer similar products or services, it can be difficult to differentiate and stand out. However, a strong base of loyal customers can help your brand differentiate itself from competitors and create a unique identity. In a market where there are many new entrants, having a loyal customer base can help a brand maintain its position and reputation.
• Make more revenue: According to a 2020 report on the state of brand loyalty, 56% of brand loyalists would spend more money on their favorite brands even if cheaper options were made available. But that’s not the only reason why your brand will make more money—another is that retention marketing is much easier and more affordable than acquisition marketing. Because loyal customers are ride-or-die fans, some of the money you’d otherwise pour into reaching new customers can be invested in developing relationships with loyal ones.
• Higher quality of referrals: Word-of-mouth marketing can be very effective, as it involves customers sharing their positive experiences and recommendations about a brand with others. In fact, consulting firm McKinsey & Company says word-of-mouth marketing accounts for 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions. That’s because referrals that come from people we know are seen as more trustworthy than other types of referral sources.
• More successful product launches: Whether your business launches a new location, service, product or something else, you want to ensure that they’re just as successful as what made your brand so popular in the first place. Whereas customer loyalty might not extend to other locations, services or products, customers with brand loyalty will get excited every time a new offering becomes available.
• Higher resiliency: As no business can be perfect or exist in a vacuum, it is crucial to invest time and effort in cultivating brand loyalty from your brand personality from the beginning. Doing so will help make the business more resilient and better equipped to handle any challenges that may arise.

How to cultivate brand loyalty

There are a number of things you can do to generate brand loyalty.

1. Develop a memorable brand identity
2. Keep things consistent
3. Create an engaging marketing strategy
4. Provide top-notch customer service
5. Build a community

01. Develop a memorable brand identity

The brand loyalty survey we discussed earlier found that 84.3% of customers are more loyal to brands with values that align with their own. It’s therefore crucial to develop a memorable brand identity that reflects your company's values, personality and unique selling proposition. However, this doesn’t mean you should glom onto whatever you think your customers are interested in—they’ll see right through that.

Instead, identify what drove you to start the business in the first place. What drives you to do things differently? Highlight your values across your website, ads and other marketing assets so that customers who share those values can find you.

02. Keep things consistent

When customers know exactly what to expect from your brand, they are more likely to develop a deep attachment to it. Therefore, keeping your quality brand identity and customer experience consistent can encourage brand loyalists to commit to your brand for the long-term.

Think about a brand like McDonald’s. Whether you’re visiting a McDonald’s down the street or in a different country, you know that you can expect a similar experience every time because of the consistency with which the company applies its brand. In addition, staying consistent will help you avoid brand dilution.

03. Create an engaging marketing strategy

While creating a cool video or quirky slogan are important for generating brand recognition, you’ll need a more developed marketing strategy to push your customers into brand devotion territory.

Instead of solely focusing on selling your product, your marketing efforts should be tailored towards creating a meaningful connection with your customers. This connection can be achieved through personalized interactions, consistent engagement and a genuine interest in your customers' needs and interests.

Burger King’s Twitter account, for example, has garnered 2 million followers by actively responding to customers on social media and inviting conversation. In doing so, they’ve managed to build a community of devoted followers.

04. Provide top-notch customer service

Customers who feel valued and appreciated are more likely to return to your brand and recommend it to others. However, creating a positive customer experience involves training customer service representatives to be friendly, knowledgeable and responsive to customer needs.

Train your team to resolve issues quickly and effectively, ensuring that customers feel heard and supported. Regularly ask for customer feedback and use it to guide your business decisions. Additionally, respond to positive reviews and show your appreciation.

Ultimately, the goal of customer service is to make every customer feel like a VIP. By prioritizing their needs, you can more easily build lasting relationships and foster a sense of loyalty that goes beyond simply meeting a customer’s basic requirements.

05. Build a community

Creating a community for your customers on your website and encouraging them to become brand ambassadors is a powerful way to amplify the support for your brand. This approach can foster deeper engagement, cultivate brand advocacy and help you source user-generated content for your marketing campaigns. By enabling customers to connect with one another and share their positive experiences with your brand, you can create a network effect that can significantly boost your brand's reach and influence.

A brand loyalty community can take many forms, such as online forums, social media groups or membership programs. Offering exclusive benefits or rewards will encourage people to join and inviting participation and feedback will keep them engaged. Overall, providing customers a platform to connect and share their experiences can create a sense of belonging and foster a stronger relationship between your brand and its customers.

Add a member’s area to your Wix website so you can offer brand loyalists rewards and a way to connect with fellow fans of your brand.

4 examples of brand loyalty

In addition to the examples of brand loyalty strategies previously discussed, these examples can help spark some ideas.

Columbia Sportswear

As opposed to many clothing brands, Columbia Sportswear never really focused on being a trendy company. Instead, it leverages its authenticity and grit to connect with customers who appreciate their built-tough clothing and equipment.

“At the core, a brand’s relevance is founded on how its products or services perform for its customers,” former CEO and current chairman of the board Gert Boyle told CNBC. “Styles change and activities go through cycles of popularity, but as long as we keep improving our products in ways that help people enjoy the outdoors longer, we’ll remain relevant to consumers of all ages.”

By focusing on what really matters to their customers, Columbia Sportswear has cultivated a loyal following. This, in turn, has helped the company weather changing trends and market conditions, making it a resilient and successful brand in the outdoor apparel industry.

CrossFit

Because community is a central tenet of the CrossFit business model, the fitness company has had great success cultivating brand loyalty. The workout is traditionally done as a group and CrossFit gyms often host events and competitions to bring members together. Some even do community outreach to help members feel more connected to their community.

The company’s online presence also helps to foster brand loyalty. It provides online forums for members to connect and discuss, and its social media accounts inspire them to stay committed to the program. With all these brand loyalty initiatives, it’s no surprise to see it explode in popularity and devotion the way it has.

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s excels in cultivating brand loyalty by prioritizing customer experience. With bright signage, unique product displays and product tastings, its grocery stores are a fun, engaging place to shop. The company puts a special focus on hiring and training to ensure that all their employees are welcoming, friendly and helpful.

Trader Joe's keeps its brand identity consistent online. It uses whimsical graphics, a warm tone of voice and numerous resources to help customers become more familiar with its products. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and creating a unique brand experience, Trader Joe's has established itself as a beloved and trusted grocery store among its loyal customer base.

Chipotle

Despite the fact that Chipotle has weathered multiple food contamination crises, the fast-casual restaurant chain remains strong to this day. How’d they do it? By developing a robust brand loyalty strategy. Thanks to its strong branding, loyalty program and responsible business practices, the chain managed to maintain its dedicated following and survive the bad publicity.

Whether you’re an aspiring web designer or a creative professional who wants to create a website of your own—staying on top of web design trends can help your brand make an impact online.

“As a designer, you really need to look out for cultural references, and not only in terms of web design," says Yiftach Koronio, Wix’s head of Social and Blog design. “Culture affects design trends across platforms—whether it's fashion or website design, UX or UI.”

Luckily, many talented, trendy individuals play a big role in making sure our Wix Editor stays on the pulse of web design, including Koronio, plus Adi Huri and Moran Kadussi. With their professional insight, we’ll round up the most important web trends of 2023, analyze why these macro and micro trends have emerged and how they’ll make an impact. Plus we'll offer ways in which you can apply them to your own website design.

Web design trends of 2023

Overall, this year we’ll see design heavily influenced by conflicting generations reacting to social media and AI. As you’ll see, Gen Z’s feelings will win out the most, pushing aside Millennial minimalism for more dramatic, pop-culture infused website design.

Just a caveat before we begin: The design teams at Wix work hard to make sure our Editor is equipped with most of these elements so you can integrate this year’s over-the-top trends when you design a website. However, you'll still need to do some work to ensure your site sticks to its brand identity and facilitates a strong user experience.

While Wix offers industry-leading performance at the core of every site, too much high-density content can still affect page load speed. Make sure you follow image and media optimization best practices to make sure your site not only looks trendy, but functions its best. It's additionally worth studying web design statistics and the relationship between website design and seo.

Without further ado, get inspired by the nine biggest web design trends for this year (and learn about UX design trends too):

1. Continuation of the Y2K bug
2. Designs with texture
3. More is more, is more again
4. Anti-design web design
5. Dopamine-inspired colors
6. Rounded corners
7. AI-driven content
8. Real, unfiltered imagery
9. Scroll and trigger-based animations

01. Continuation of the Y2K Bug

TL;DR: The pandemic was a time machine… and we just emerged back in Y2K.

It’s no surprise that the Y2K aesthetic has already made its web design trend comeback. We’ve witnessed a non-stop resurfacing of Millennial fashion trends, old interfaces and surprise reboots. This will continue into 2023, says Koronio—driven by nostalgia and the optimistic spirit the younger siblings of Millennials never got to feel.

Bringing back the striking aesthetic we remember from the oughts’ fledgling technologies and optimistic futurism, this year’s visual language will feature bright, clashing colors (think hot pinks, metallics, purples and yellows) and the low-fi feel of Flash-era tech and clip art. Armed with advanced tools, designers like Kurt Champion and Aroke1 Studio imbue an ironic edge of contentment to the low-fi web design of their youth with clashing colors and dense, Flash-style animations that the dial-up internet of Web 1.0 could never handle.

Aroke One's website captures the Y2K spirit

Shiqian Pan's portfolio taps into Y2K nostalgia using sophisticated design tools

02. Designs with texture

TL;DR: We want to feel more (and not just emotion)

After the past couple of years and especially in the age of skim reading, the design world just wants to feel again. 2022’s big web trends included soft, tactile design elements. And thanks to the evolution of technology and the more-is-more spirit of 2023, web designers will bring some outrageously tangible elements to the digital design sphere. “It’s all about textures in typography, abstract imagery, shapes, videos and backgrounds” says Huri.

Huri says we’ve already seen a lot of metallic, liquid-like textures used in web design over the past few months, but the trend hasn’t exploded just yet. She predicts 2023 will go wild with textured techniques like animal fur, liquified glass and “squishy branding.” We’ll also see clay morphism, like the molded style of artist and designer Yonk featured in his Wix Transparent Video Collection, plus collaborations with brands like Meta and Sprite.

The need for more tangible interactions is perhaps influenced by our post-pandemic reality, but we can’t help but see the influence of Y2K: We’re thinking of the lava lamps, Nickelodeon’s GAK and “lucky” Rabbit Foot keychains that once introduced our senses to the wild world of textures.

03. More is more is more... again

TL;DR: Maximalism is back, baby!

It seems designers and brands are trying on a new “more is more”-inspired style after a period of quiet minimalism in modern web design. “If 2022 was a year of clean design, 2023 is going to be the year of bold design,” says Huri.

This web trend puts a lot of information in one place: think symmetrical screens cleanly divided into balanced sections, but instead of delicate and minimalist design within those neat compartments, you’ll see asymmetrical elements, bright and strong typography, powerful colors, plus intense textures and vigorous movement. “Each one of the sections of the screen will be like a TV show, concert or a psychedelic trip of its own,” Huri says.

For Koronio, Starface’s bright and unapologetic branding serves as the right combination of more-is-more inspiration web designers should look for in 2023. The online acne sticker shop’s soft, rounded edges clash with neon colors, 90s-inspired typography and loud imagery.

From the looks of it, brands are aiming for overstimulation to snap us out of the monotonous drudgery of the past few years

Starface's website nails the more-is-more trend

04. Anti-design web design

TL;DR: Chaos. It’s a state of mind, and we like it.

Whether it’s the climate, geopolitical changes or the uncertainty of our workplaces, we live in uncertain times. While designers have grown familiar with chaos over the past few years, web design has tried to find order among the mess. But now, Kadussi says, designers are embracing the wreckage. Welcome to the world of anti-design.

With its roots in Brutalism, anti-design draws on harsh qualities that aim to break the principles of design, re-create the chaos around us and make a strong observational statement. This web trend is characterized by heavy, aggressive elements that broken and disproportional in appearance, such as clashing textures, overlapping elements, big fonts and asymmetrical, unstructured layouts.

Because designers use anti-design to push creative limits and connect with new audiences, this attention-grabbing style won't fit every website and brand. Kadussi points out that many online businesses like e-commerce depend on having a specific website structure and user flow, so anti-design’s nature may limit its success. However, if you have a portfolio, special project, campaign or initiative, anti-design may help you portray a specific subtext. For example, the style helped the New York Times convey the detritus of constant climate catastrophe in this web package.

Breaking all the rules, Kurt Champion's anti-design approach creates an awesomely engaging experience

05. Dopamine-inspired colors

TL;DR: 2023 is the year to get high on color

While last year's web design trends list was full of earthy (hi, Skims!) and primary colors, neon is taking over this year. “Everything will be saturated with bright colors,” Huri says. “[Designers] will make the audience open their eyes wide, smile and go wild.” And it’s not just flashy hues like turquoise, poison green and Valentino Pink, Kadussi adds, but color-maximizing palettes that nod towards maximalism.

Colorful overlays, website gradients and imagery are all ways to incorporate the dopamine-inducing colors of 2023 onto your site. Huri adds that imbuing your site with multiple colors, can create a grungy, noisy feel that is cool enough to attract the likes of the trendsetting Gen Z generation. For example she says you can decorate each section of the same page differently or using a variety of hues across paragraph text, headings and calls-to-action.

Yonson uses dopamine inspired colors to engage visitors

06. Rounded corners

TL;DR: If Apple’s doing it, we’re doing it

When Apple makes a change, it becomes an instant trend—even when it’s barely noticeable. Koronio says once Apple implemented rounded corners on the iPhone’s user interface and app design, the motif has been working its way onto even the smallest eCommerce websites and blogs. “Everything is being placed within soft, rounded corners, whether it’s the margins of the sites, gallery imagery or within a product itself,” he says.

Kadussi and Koronio agree that you can easily mix and match it with other trends on this list. You can pair it with the retrofuturism of Y2K to increase the plushy, dreamy vibes, use it to edgily contrast brutalism’s hardness, or temper the effects of maximalism and noise.

Wix user Nedavius uses rounded edges throughout his online portfolio's layout, imagery and typography

07. AI-driven content

TL;DR: It’s time to experiment

2022 brought with it a major surge of AI tools—along with a healthy dose of skepticism…and panic. “When it first came out, the immediate question on everyones’ minds was ‘will this replace designers?’” Kadussi says. But as the world began experimenting with the tools, it quickly became apparent that while AI can generate groundbreaking images in seconds, humans still need to feed it an initial vision. Our design experts predict that in 2023, rather than replacing designers, artificial intelligence will open many doors.

The trick, though, is that designers will need to sharpen their language skills so AI tools can accurately generate their vision. Moving forward, Kadussi points out that the design industry will need to standardize terminology across photography, graphic and web design to train AI machines.

08. Real, unfiltered imagery

TL;DR: Filters are out, reality is in

Despite our shifts towards AI and VR, audiences are hankering for more candid content like what you would find on TikTok and BeReal. People want to see and connect with more authentic personas and raw images, so this means less touching up and less design. “Images will become less about creating a ‘vibe’ and more about connecting to a story,” said Koronio.

Lauren Z Marsau uses unfiltered imagery on her portfolio website, telling an impressive story

09. Scroll and trigger-based animations

TL;DR: Your mouse is going to have a field day

Speaking of stories, Huri suggests that 2022 was the year of “scrollytelling.” Web design used scroll effects to create unconventional layouts that not only engaged audiences with a complete story but also delighted them.

As attention spans become shorter, audiences need more to stay interested. Next year, Huri says, this interactive web design trend will hit the next level, using small, playful elements more often to keep audiences engaged.

Huri says new effects that can help designers engage audiences will soon be introduced to the Wix Editor. Look out for scroll effects that can be applied to individual strips and elements, infinite animations that play in a loop and micro-interactions triggered by mouse movements.

The website for It's Mine's shows how scroll and trigger based interactions can fit into a brand's website design

Consumers are inundated with banners and popups on a daily basis, making it evermore important for brands to find more strategic ways to reach their audience. Native advertising is a dynamic and effective way for brands to do this, providing meaningful sponsored content that does more than just sell.

From sponsored blog posts and branded Instagram filters, to search engine advertising—native ads help drive traffic when you create a website, increase sales and most importantly—build trusting relationships with new and existing audiences. And with an expected increase of 372% on native ad spend between 2020 to 2025, this is one marketing strategy you don’t want to miss.

In this article, we’re diving deep into what native advertising is, what the benefits are as well as the different types to be aware of.

What is native advertising and how does it work?

Native advertising is a type of online advertising in which sponsored content blends in with the content surrounding it.

The main benefit of this form of advertising is that it’s less intrusive than other types of advertising, such as pop-ups or banner ads. Visitors are more likely to view native ads as trustworthy because they’re not explicitly promotional and/or match the look and feel of the page around it. Native ads ultimately aim to create a mutually beneficial experience that pleases all parties involved: your business gets to promote its products to a relevant audience, while users get to enjoy the content they’re consuming with minimal disruption. It’s a win-win.

Why use native advertising?

When done right, native ads can be a highly effective form of online advertising. Because they appear like a natural part of the content, they convey value rather than distracting users from the primary reason they decided to visit a website or open an app. In fact, audiences find native ads 62% easier to understand than display ads, and 31% easier to understand than social ads.

This can result in 20% to 60% higher engagement and three times the retention compared to banner ads.

However, there are some risks worth mentioning. Some claim that these types of ads can be deceptive to consumers if they’re not properly labeled. For this reason, you’ll need to be careful when integrating native ads into your content to ensure that you remain transparent, plus compliant with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines.

7 types of native advertising

There are several types native ads your brand can utilize as part of your overall marketing strategy. Here are the primary forms you should be aware of:

01. Paid search ads

Paid search ads are a form of search engine marketing that seamlessly match the platform they’re placed on. For example, when you search for something on Google, the first few results you’re shown are ads that have been paid for by the advertiser. However, they appear identical to the rest of the search results, with the addition of the word “Ad” placed next to each header.

02. Display ads with native elements

This type of advertising combines elements of both native and display ads. While display ads are unrelated graphic advertisements on a page consisting of banners, video, text, images or audio, display ads with native elements contain content that ties them to the rest of the page. They’re usually placed in strategic positions, such as on a webpage’s header or sidebar.

03. In-feed units (aka “sponsored social media posts”)

The simplest way to understand what in-feed units are is to look at your Facebook or Instagram feed. You’ve probably seen hundreds of ads that appear in your feed, but they don’t look like typical ads. Instead, they appear as the posts you’re used to seeing from the friends and brands you follow on the platform.

Like search ads, these native ads will also likely mention that they’re paid. On Facebook, for example, you’ll see the word “Sponsored” under the title, indicating the company has paid the social media platform to show it to you.

On other platforms, you might see similar ads in the middle of organic content, such as an article that links to a third-party website. These will also be noted as sponsored content to avoid misleading a publisher’s audience. However, the ad will be relevant to the rest of the content on the page, making it appear more natural.

04. Sponsored product listings

Similar to paid search ads, sponsored listings are the ads you see on an eCommerce marketplace when you search for an item and see a list of matching products. Amazon is one of the online retailers that does this best.

Sponsored listings look the same as other results on the list—the only difference is that they’re usually displayed at the top of the page and are accompanied by the word “sponsored.” Because sponsored listings are still relevant to a user’s search query, they usually have good results in terms of conversions and clicks.

05. Branded content

Branded content is when a business and a publisher agree to create content to promote a specific brand or product. This can take on many forms, but it’s most often seen in publications like blogs or news sites when an article showcases one brand exclusively.

The benefits here are twofold: First, readers are exposed to the brand’s message while scrolling through the publication’s regular content. Secondly, you'll get to capitalize on a new audience of readers who trust the publication you collaborate with, and the articles they publish.

06. Content recommendations

Usually found at the end of an article or blog post, content recommendations show other articles that relate to a user’s interests or browsing history. This section may be titled “You Might Also Like…” or “What We Recommend Reading Next.” To a reader, any ads within this section may seem like simple recommendations for similar articles, but for advertisers, it’s a powerful tool to redirect traffic from heavily-visited publishers back to their own pages.

Content recommendations usually have enticing images and headlines, encouraging readers to click through. This method of native advertising has been shown to result in up to 53% more page views than clicks coming from search engines. Moreover, providing recommendations is also a cost-effective way to market content on a website, with each click from a publisher’s platform usually costing only a few cents.

07. Custom in-app ads

Custom ads can take on almost any form and are reflective of many of the innovative methods of personalization we see used today in digital marketing. A custom native ad can be anything from an Instagram filter created by a brand or even an ad that runs in music playlists. For example, if you create a running playlist on Spotify and then get ads for running shoes while listening to it, this would be considered a custom native ad since it matches the content you’re interested in.

You can find more advertisement examples in our guide.

When starting a brand or business, one of the most important factors to consider is how you will muster interest among potential customers and gain a loyal audience. Word of mouth is one of the most effective marketing strategies, simply because the customers who arrive through word of mouth have been referred to your brand by someone they actually know and trust.

But your customers won’t always feel motivated to send new customers your way—in fact, even though 83% of customers are willing to refer others to products and services they’re happy with, only 29% actually do, a marketing survey by Texas Tech found.

A referral marketing program, as a marketing idea and approach, aims to buck this trend by rewarding customers for promoting your brand. In the following guide, we’ll look at what referral marketing is, how it works and different strategies that your business can use to increase sales and drive traffic when you create a website.

What is referral marketing?

Referral marketing is a type of marketing in which companies turn their existing customer base into brand advocates. This can be done through a variety of tactics, though the goal is always the same: to incentivize customers to tell other people about you.

Referral marketing can refer to when individuals organically refer your brand to others using word of mouth, but creating a deliberate referral marketing program enables this outreach marketing tactic to be strategic and systemized for your brand.

How do referral programs work?

The basic formula for a referral program is as follows:

Make a referral —> Get something for free!

Customers should be able to join your program for free. Once joining, they should receive a unique code or custom URL. Then, if a purchase is made through that link or code, your customer should receive the promised reward.

Why referral marketing works

Aside from being relatively simple and cheap to set up, a referral marketing program can offer three long-term benefits.

01. Referrals build trust

Referral marketing is often effective because of who is actually handling the advertising. With customers serving as the advocates, recommendations appear more genuine and trustworthy.

MarketingCharts.com published the following findings from Kantar Media on the correlation between referral source and trust. It’s clear that consumers follow the recommendations of friends and family more than any other source: 78% of consumers say they trust the information provided to them by people they know, versus only 54% trust the information that a brand provides on their own website.

So, your satisfied customers really can be a great advocate for getting over that trust hurdle.

02. Trust builds loyalty

As you’ll see, there are significant differences in how consumers engage with brands when there’s a long-standing trust. As evidenced by Edelman’s 2019 Trust Barometer Special Report, not only do customers buy more from these brands, but they also:

• Buy local (here is where local marketing comes in very handy)
• Advocate on their behalf
• Defend them

If you can plant the seeds of trust with a referral marketing program, you could exponentially increase your brand’s sales, customer loyalty and advocacy.

03. Loyalty improves your CLV

Most businesses offer products or services that can be sold over and over again—or, at the very least, ones that can be upsold or cross-sold. The goal is to become the go-to provider for your customers and to capture as much of that revenue over their lifetime as possible.

In order to increase the customer lifetime value (CLV) of your brand, trust and loyalty have to be earned as early as possible. One of the best ways to do that is when they grow to know and trust your brand—based on others who know and trust it—is the best way to do that.

Imagine what happens when all the customers you earn through referrals decide that they want to ‘pay it forward’ and start referring their own friends, family and colleagues. This is exactly how you go about lifting your customer lifetime value.

Referral program examples by industry

There are a variety of referral marketing strategies you can use. How you decide to structure your own depends on the type of business you run, the KPIs that you wish to implement and the types of incentives that get your customers excited.

To help you choose the right strategy, here are some referral marketing ideas that have worked for companies in various industries.

Financial services: free money for every referral

DiversyFund is a financial services company that enables consumers to invest in real estate. Customers can find information on the company’s referral program directly from their DiversyFund dashboard.

The user only has to click the “Copy” button in order to get their personalized referral code to share with others. If any of the referrals end up signing up and investing $500, both the user and referred user get a $100 Amazon gift card.

For a company that deals in investing and growing one’s net worth, a free cash payout is a smart incentive strategy.

Retail: a coupon for future purchases

Retailers and eCommerce companies of all sizes can incentivize registered shoppers just as Stitch Frame does here. You can display a referral offer on the homepage, in a pop-up or using the chat widget as Stitch Frame has done. You can also include a reminder about the coupon code offer from your customers’ dashboard once they’re registered.

Health and wellness: free perks for both parties

It’s always easier to work out or to book a luxurious spa day when you have someone to enjoy it with. That’s why this unique referral offer from Planet Fitness is such a good idea.

What better way to motivate customers to hit the gym than by giving them a way to entice workout buddies to join them? In this case, friends get to skip the upfront fee when they sign up through a referral link.

Professional services: extra cash to spend on your business

Professional service providers are no strangers to clients asking for discounts. But rather than devalue your services, you can offer clients a referral bonus the way First Page Media has.

The client gets $50 to spend on their business for every referral that signs up. The referral program is able to find a trusted professional services provider without having to do the research themselves. At the same time, the provider gets to work with more clients like the one that referred the business to them.

Personal services: free service

Personal services providers need to have a steady stream of business coming in if they’re going to make a decent profit. It’s just the nature of the industry.

A doggy daycare service provider like Camp Bow Wow offers a tempting reward to motivate its customers to make more referrals: a free day of camp. Printable or digital coupons are a great option for this type of business as you can hand out shareable coupons or you customers can discover the offer themselves on the website when they go to make a reservation.

Residential services: cash to put towards rent

Residential services are a lot like SaaS subscriptions. You want your customers to be so pleased with their new homes that they never leave (or at least not for the next couple of years).

When you have renters that are happy, you can encourage them to help their friends or family move into the same property. Wheelhouse Apartments has a refer-a-friend program set up for this purpose. In return, renters get a $200 credit for every referral that moves in.

Hospitality services: bonus points

From hotels to restaurants and everything in between, a loyalty and rewards program is a great tool for building long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with customers.

In addition to offering rewards for visits and purchases, you can also reward your customers for referrals as Marriott does.

Tips for running a successful referral marketing program

01. Create a website with an attractive offering

Consumers aren’t going to put their reputation on the line by referring someone to a company or solution they don’t know or trust. So, in order for referral marketing to work, you need to have a rock-solid business idea, offering and customer service strategy. As a first step, consider the four Ps of marketing to fine tune your digital marketing efforts from the get-go.

Once you’ve defined how your business can best reach customers, you’ll start to build an online presence by marketing yourself. One of the best ways to establish this is to build a small business website that’s easy to use, clear about your offerings and represents your brand. Next, work on your growth plans and consider how to boost your brand’s visibility.

02. Encourage people to leave reviews or testimonials

While referral marketing is a way to get social proof, it’s helpful to showcase existing customer reviews on your site. Not only does this help to inspire more reviews, but it also helps to convince newly-referred visitors to give your brand a shot.

In Wix, you can add a testimonial strip to your webpage to highlight existing reviews. Alternatively, use a review app from the Wix App Market to dynamically collect, showcase and/or embed testimonials from third-party sites onto your webpage.

03. Make your ask clear, easy and worthwhile

When asking customers for referrals, think about how you’ll communicate this to customers. Why should they tell friends to use your services? What sort of incentives will your clients expect in return? Consider a pitch that is:

• Clear: “Refer X number of friends and get X% off.”
• Easy: “Click to copy your referral link.”
• Worthwhile: “New customers get $X off their first month.”

04. Spread the word about your referral program

Drive attention to your referral program using various internet marketing strategies.

At minimum, ask for referrals on your website. You can publish details of your referral program on your homepage, in a pop-up or on a dedicated program page.

Another great place to promote referrals is through your social media marketing channels. You can use your social media pages and newsletter to encourage referrals to your business and invite customers to join your program.

05. Automate tasks using marketing software

It may be easy to manage a referral program by hand when you’re just asking a small group of clients or customers for referrals. But the more participants and referrals you get, the less manageable it becomes.

The best way to effectively manage and scale your referral marketing promotions and payouts is to automate it with referral business software. Referral marketing software will enable you to create basic offers for your site and email marketing efforts. Data analysis is an important part of any marketing strategy, so keeping track of your referrals is important. Otherwise, it’s all just a guess as to how effective your campaign really is.

In order to properly track referrals, you’ll need software that’ll help you create unique referral codes and links. This will allow you to gauge which of your promotional methods are the most effective, what segment of your audience is the most engaged with the referral program, which benefits are the best at incentivizing referrals and more.

When you’re learning how to make a website, half the battle is learning how to make sure it functions as well as it looks. After all, nothing’s a bigger buzzkill than launching your site—only to find out that most people are leaving it because your page won’t load.

In today's fast-paced digital world, time is a commodity, and no one wants to waste it waiting for your website to load. That’s why you’ll want to know how to test your website speed and know how to improve it to avoid losing customers to a slow-loading site.

Multiple factors impact your site speed, including (but not limited to) your web hosting provider, the quality of your backend code, your plugins and more. It's easy to lose track of everything—but before we dive into mistakes, let’s go over how websites work behind the scenes.

Think of the internet like a restaurant: A website acts as a menu, displaying all the food available to be made in the kitchen. When you order something off the menu, your server is asked to retrieve it from the kitchen and send it back to your table. The more complicated your order, the longer it takes for the kitchen to serve it up your meal and the longer it will take for the server to return to your table. Keep this metaphor in mind as we jump deeper into common site speed mistakes.

Looking to create a website on a reliable platform? Create a website on Wix today.

01. Using too many custom fonts

When working on your website design, it’s easy to get carried away enthusiastically experimenting with elements like fonts. While there’s a whole design explanation for why you should stick to typography principles—such as contrast, hierarchy and balance—you really just need to know why having too many fonts can affect your page’s performance.

Browsers can easily comprehend system fonts, because most computers already have those downloaded (think the fonts you see most often, like Times New Roman and Arial). However, those who use “custom fonts,” or special stylistic fonts outside of these common fonts, require the file to be downloaded in order for text to be visible. While this will always take more time than system fonts, the more you use on a single page, the longer it will take to load.

For example, asking your server to make one special request at a restaurant will usually go faster than if every patron is asking for meals that need to be specially made.

For the speediest user experience for your visitors, try not to have more than three to four custom fonts or opt for system fonts instead.

02. Using non-optimal image formats

File formats seem like a persnickety thing to deal with when creating your website, and for the most part, they are. For example, when you make a website with Wix, Wix automatically makes sure that the pictures you add to your site look great and load as quickly as possible. It does this by converting images to a “WebP” file, which maintains image quality but requires a smaller file size. But for this to work the best way for your website, you need to ensure the original file you’re uploading is not only the highest quality it can be, but also that that high quality file doesn’t create too many problems in uploading or downloading it.

You can start by choosing the right image formats. Stick to common image formats like JPGs, PNGs or SVGs—you can think of these as the equivalent of ordering the most common drinks at a restaurant. If you order a Coke anywhere in the world, it’s likely they’ll have it on tap and can serve it to you in minutes.

Additionally, use JPGs instead of PNGs when possible. JPG images can be up to 10 times smaller than PNGs and, as a result, can load much faster. While PNGs and JPGs work well for photos, SVGs usually work better for shapes and illustration-style elements like logos. SVGs files are usually much smaller than PNGs and JPGs, and they load on the page faster because the images are directly embedded in the website code. Since the website doesn’t have to go find the image somewhere else on the internet, it helps the image load faster.

03. Overdoing it with lightboxes

If you’re building a website and want to make sure your visitors see an important message or announcement, you may choose to add a lightbox, or a popup window, that appears on top of the main page’s content.

While it’s okay to have one advertising a sale pop-up a few moments after the visitor has entered the site, having something pop up every few seconds would not only be annoying for your visitor, but also slow down your site.

Think of it like how a server interacts with a table. While it’s okay for them to stop by and announce the specials after you’re seated and looking at the menu, it would be annoying if they popped by every few moments—and would simultaneously keep them from going back into the kitchen and serving you the meal you came for.

04. Going wild with third-party features

A fun thing about today’s websites is that you don’t have to use all of your own content—you can often embed third-party content onto a web page, essentially borrowing another website’s content to appear on your page. While this can increase the amount of things visitors can do on your website, it can slow down your website. Essentially, you’re asking a server to run to another restaurant for a special part of the meal and bring it back to the restaurant.

Best practice is to reserve third-party apps and iframes (small windows for other websites) on parts of your website that are not the homepage—and to limit the number of third-party scripts on your site. Only keep the apps that you’re actively using.

Moreover, add any essential third-party apps in a non-blocking manner. You can do this by manipulating the body of HTML code with a special script called “defer” or “async,” as well as placing the code at the end of the main content. Both options will tell the website to load these resources only after all the main content has loaded. Essentially, this is like telling your waiter not to wait on a special dish before bringing out all the other food to your table.

Better yet, avoid using any custom code at all by using Wix’s integrated marketing tools as opposed to third-party apps when possible.

05. Top-loading your homepage design

A common culprit to slow website speed is top-loading a homepage with heavy visual content, like galleries, videos and custom fonts. To avoid this, focus on simplifying the above-the-fold section of your homepage. Try to limit this content to text in system fonts and static images, since they load faster.

Wix also automatically lazy-loads images in most scenarios, meaning that images that live below the fold are first downloaded as very small, low-resolution placeholder images. As the user scrolls the page, these stand-in images are then replaced with the original high-resolution images.

06. Using GIFs

GIFs have completely changed modern communication. Tempting as they may be, GIFs are actually a higher lift for computers to handle than video. Reason being, you can’t control their playback and they will only start playing once all of its content frames are loaded. Since these are multiple speed bumps for page loads, you’ll want to consider using videos instead of GIFs to showcase animated content. (As a bonus, modern video encoding formats have both better quality and smaller file sizes.)

If you’re looking for a GIF-like effect, you can use Wix VideoBoxes to showcase your own videos. You can customize them to show a border around your box, or to add an overlay or video mask (among other customizations). Wix also features Transparent Videos, which allow you to add or upload your own videos and place them anywhere on your site with a transparent background.

07. Not attending to your site’s DOM order

While the Wix Editor is a simple drag-and-drop interface that does most of the work for you, there is room for user error. In fact, a common error in first websites is not matching the order of elements—like images, texts and videos—on your site (also known as a DOM) with the order in the Editor’s Layers panel.

DOM stands for document object model, and is how the computer reads the importance and order of your website elements. With Wix, DOM determines the sequence in which elements load on your site. Automatic DOM order is enabled via the Editor, but it is communicated via the Layers panel where you control each layer of your website elements.

So, if your Layers do not mirror the importance of your site’s elements, your website will load out of order. Think of it like ordering a meal with an incompetent waiter: if you don’t specify that you’d like your food to come out in the order of drink, appetizer, entrée then dessert, don’t be surprised if the first thing that comes out of the kitchen is a bowl of ice cream.

08. Automatically caching

This one isn’t so much of a mistake as it is a flip that just needs to be switched. Wix uses Content Delivery Networks (aka CDNs) to cache (or store) and serve responses as fast as possible for most visitors.

In our restaurant metaphor, you can think of them as condiments and water stands. Since servers know these are the things visitors want most often, they strategically store them throughout the restaurant so they don’t always have to walk back to the kitchen.

However, if you’re an experienced web developer using Wix and Velo, and you notice that your web page still takes too long to load, you may need to manually enable caching for your site to ensure that it stores your most-used content on the CDN servers (if you brought your own sauce to the restaurant, you’ll just need to tell the waiter to keep it on hand for you).

09. Not designing for mobile

Lastly, to provide a tailored experience for mobile users, all Wix websites are adaptive, meaning that the platform automatically optimizes them for each of the most common devices. However, a common mistake that website owners make is not checking to see that the mobile version looks and functions exactly how they want it to.

Some elements may not look as good on a mobile device as they do on a desktop, and others may be unnecessary. By optimizing your mobile site’s layout and hiding unnecessary elements, you can pare down your mobile site to the basics and give the server fewer things to serve. Think of it as a takeout window that only serves the best of your website’s content for on-the-go consumption.

Starting a business in Florida can be a great decision for many reasons. It has the 3rd largest population of any state in the U.S., and the 4th largest state economy. The Sunshine State also has a growing population, making it a place for considerable potential business growth and consumer demand.

With small businesses representing 99.8% of all businesses in the state, Florida has earned its well-deserved reputation as one of the best places to start a small business in the U.S. With this in mind, we’ve put together the seven steps necessary to start a business in Florida.

Once you’ve got your business idea, create a website to jumpstart your venture.

Start a business in Florida in 7 steps

1. Come up with a business idea
2. Choose a business type
3. Name your Florida business
4. Write a business plan
5. License and register your business in Florida
6. Get funding for your business
7. Create a business website

01. Come up with a business idea

Coming up with a viable and eventually profitable business idea is the first step in the process of setting up a business.

With its large number of retirees, Florida is ripe for specific products and services that meet the needs of an aging population. Needless to say that Florida is also popular among tourists, who travel from far and wide to experience Disney (among other attractions)—making it a top destination for travel and tourism-related businesses.

With the unique nature of Florida’s business climate in mind, here are a few business ideas to consider:

• Tourism-related: In 2022, Florida welcomed more than 137.6 million tourists to its beaches, cities and tourist attractions. From holiday rentals, to city tours or chartered boat rental, there are many tourism-related businesses that you could entertain (see our guide on the best hotel website designs).
• Food and beverage: From seafood to southern comfort food, Florida is no stranger to a diverse range of cuisines. This can make it a great place to start a restaurant, food truck or catering business.
• Health and wellness: With a large and always growing retiree population, Florida may be an ideal location to start a fitness business like a center, spa or health clinic. Florida may additionally be a good place to offer in-home care or elderly services, such as food delivery. You could also start a consulting business, offering support to seniors and their families navigating senior care or other similar services.
• Home services: Florida, like many large states, has a flourishing tech industry which attracts a younger, professional population. Home services (such as cleaning, landscaping and general home maintenance) could therefore be in high demand.

02. Choose your business type

There are several types of businesses that can be established in Florida. These include:

• Sole proprietorships
• Partnerships
• Corporations
• Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
• Nonprofits

Ultimately, the best type of business to start is one that draws from your personal interests, expertise and available resources. With this in mind, we’ve put together some general types of businesses you could start as an entrepreneur in Florida:

• Online businesses: For many people the first online business idea that comes to mind is an eCommerce website, but an online business could also mean a digital marketing agency or online tutoring services.
• Dropshipping: Dropshipping is a popular eCommerce business model in which you don’t have to carry any physical inventory. Instead, any customer orders are forwarded to a third party supplier, who handles all aspects of fulfillment.
• Service businesses: In general service businesses are easy to start, and can be started with a team of one. Examples include house cleaning, pet sitting, babysitting and other home-based businesses.
• Consulting businesses: Consulting is a great way to start a business if you’re already well-versed in a particular field or skillset. For example, you could start a marketing consultancy or offer financial advice.

03. Name your Florida business

Naming your business is one of the most important parts of the business setup process. Your name will shape your brand identity and play a pivotal role in building a connection with your customers. When choosing a business name, be sure to consider how the name appeals to the target audience. Ensure that it stands out from the competition, while also reflecting your company’s values.

Once you’ve thought of your business name, it’s a good idea to research if the relevant domain name is available for your website. In addition, you can search the Florida Secretary of State website as well as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) site to check that your name isn’t currently in use by another Florida-based business or trademarked, respectively. It's also a good idea to claim all relevant accounts immediately—including those for your domain, business email and social media accounts—so that no one else beats you to it and forces you to start from scratch.

Tip: Use a business name generator tool to find your perfect business name. Here are a few business name ideas: Florida Sun Rentals, Key West Tutors, Orland Events.

04. Write your business plan

Writing a comprehensive business plan is an important and necessary step when it comes to creating a business. At minimum, your business plan should include:

• An executive summary
• Details about your target market
• Competitive analysis
• Initial financial projections (with a clear path to profitability) - include cost to start your business

It should additionally include details about ownership, hiring goals, marketing plans and more to give a 360-degree view of your move-forward plan. Your business plan helps to keep your team on track, plus communicate your vision to investors or other stakeholders.

05. License and register your business in Florida

Business registration and licensing requirements vary from state to state, so if you’re registering a business in Florida, it’s important to research the specific steps required. These may include submitting an application for a trade name and filing Articles of Incorporation with the state, depending on your business type.

Study these essential steps for getting registered in Florida:

• Register your business with the Florida Division of Corporation, taking care to fill out the necessary paperwork and pay any fees related to your business type.
• Apply for an employer identification number (EIN) with the IRS. An EIN is used for federal tax purposes, as well as to open a business bank account with most banks (among other things). You’ll also need to register your business with the Florida Department of Revenue to receive any required tax IDs.
• Depending on your industry, you may need specific licenses and permits from both the state and local governments in your area. For example, businesses that sell food, alcohol or tobacco will need to obtain specific licenses from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
• Apply for the right insurance. Under Florida law, you’ll need to purchase workers’ compensation insurance if you plan to hire employees. There are a variety of other insurance types that you should consider, including general liability insurance. If you’re not sure what you should get, it’s best to seek legal advice.

Before starting a business in Florida we highly recommend checking all registration and licensing requirements with the Florida Division of Corporations, as well as any relevant local government and industry associations for more specific information and guidance.

06. Get funding for your business

Securing funding for your business can seem challenging but there are a number of capital sources that you can entertain:

• Personal savings: Depending on the intended starting size of your business and the amount of resources needed to get it off the ground, using personal funds can be a quick and easy way to fund a new business. This is generally a good funding option if you’re starting a business from home, or without a staff.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loans: The SBA provides a variety of loan programs to small businesses, including the 7(a) loan program and the microloan program. These across-state loan programs can provide funding to cover startup costs, working capital and equipment purchases. The SBA runs from different regions within states, for example, SBA South Florida. They can also help you understand better how to get a loan for your business and what type.
• Crowdfunding: If you can’t rely on personal savings or a bank loan, consider crowdfunding. Sites such as Kickstarter allow you to set funding goals and raise money from the general public.
• Business grants: Examples of Florida-specific business grants include those from the Florida Small Business Development Center and the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.
• State and local programs: Each state has its own local programs for helping small businesses get up and running. In Florida, these include the Florida Angel Nexus and the Florida Opportunity Fund. These often have strict criteria requirements and favor local, community businesses.

07. Create a business website

Creating a business website is essential for propelling your business forward—whether you’re selling products online or offering local services. It can be one of the most effective ways to build and market your brand.

Start by choosing the right business website template for your needs. From there, you’ll want to consider the functionality and user experience of your site. Carefully consider its layout and design, finding opportunities to drive visitors towards the right actions—be it to purchase something, join your mailing list or anything else.

Business examples in Florida

Check out some business examples located in Florida, all of which use Wix to manage and promote their businesses.

5 Flags Pizza

This affordable pizza joint offers both takeaway and home delivery services in Ripley, Florida. They combine great, fresh ingredients with a creative approach to catering that brings great pizza to your door whenever you need it.

Lumia

This tattoo parlor brings together Florida-based tattoo artists who specialize in detailed and meaningful designs. Site visitors can view past work (including fine line tattoos and micro-realism tattoos) and book an appointment at their convenience.

How to start a business in Florida review

Looking to start a business in another state? Check out

How to start a business in Texas

How to start a business in Georgia

How to start a business in Ohio

How to start a business in Arizona

How to start a business in North Carolina

How to start a business in Wisconsin

How to start a business in Colorado

How to start a business in Hawaii

How to start a business in Utah

How to start a business in Massachusetts

How to start a business in Oregon

How to start a business in Alabama

How to start a business in Missouri

How to start a business in Illinois

How to start a business in Maryland

How to start a business in Michigan

How to start a business in Connecticut

How to start a business in South Carolina

How to start a business in Tennessee

How to start a business in Minnesota

How to start a business in New York

How to start a business in Pennsylvania

How to start a business in Virginia

How to start a business in Indiana

How to start a business in Washington state

How to start a business in Florida

Picking the right font for your brand’s logo can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. There are so many options out there, but sifting through them can get overwhelming, especially if you don’t come from a graphic design background.

When you create a logo, there are many different styles you can go for. Some logos are made up of just an icon, while others merge text and image. Today’s logo trends are all about simple, yet meticulously designed, text-based logos. This kind of timeless design requires a deep understanding of your brand identity, as well as attention to detail and an informed typographical choice.

To narrow things down, we’ve gathered a list of top quality typefaces to consider as you think about how to design a logo for your brand. When downloading and using any of the following logo fonts, make sure you’ve properly reviewed the licensing section. Take note that licenses differ between desktop, web, app, and other usages.

Here are the 20 best fonts for logos, both paid and free.

15 best fonts for professional logo design

1. Avenir
2. Agentur
3. Canela
4. Separat
5. GT America
6. Futura
7. Recoleta
8. Orelo
9. Gotham
10. Whyte Inktrap
11. Ogg
12. Proxima Nova
13. Lydian
14. Noe Display
15. GT Super

5 best free fonts for professional logo design

1. Raleway
2. Cormorant
3. Poppins
4. Eczar
5. Roboto Slab

15 best fonts for professional logo design

01. Avenir

Geometric sans-serif | Paid/Free on Mac

Design: Adrian Frutiger

Foundry: Linotype

Although classified as a geometric typeface, Avenir pushes the boundaries. These kinds of typefaces are traditionally based on geometric shapes. However, Avenir’s “o” is not a perfect circle, and its vertical lines (or strokes) are slightly thicker than the horizontals, giving a hint of harmony and warmth to this otherwise minimalistic font. Released in 1988, it takes inspiration from previous well-known typefaces such as Futura (see below).

There are six weights available—light, book, roman, medium, heavy and black, with an oblique version for each. This gives you the freedom to experiment with anything from a light and airy logo design, to a more dominant one, depending on your brand identity.

02. Agentur

Calligraphic sans-serif | Paid

Design: Kenneth Knutsen

Foundry: Good Type Foundry

With a unique and conceptual approach to typography, each of Good Type Foundry’s designs is full of character. Agentur, released in 2016, treads a fine line between a contemporary look and a more traditional, calligraphic style. It’s optimized for both print and web, so your logo can look its best in any context.

Agentur is available in one weight, but if you’re after a bolder and more distinct look, you can opt for Agentur Display, which is wider than its counterpart. Whichever style you go for, this typeface includes some highly stylized glyphs that can give your brand real character.

03. Canela

Display font | Paid

Design: Miguel Reyes

Foundry: Commercial Type

Canela is an unusual typeface in that it doesn’t fall under one particular classification; it’s neither serif nor sans-serif. The ends of its strokes are flared, but only subtly, giving it a look that is both classical and modern. You’ll also notice a stark contrast between thinner and thicker lines, an element typical of serif typefaces.

This display typeface is available in six different weights, plus italics for each one. Since its release in 2016, three new styles have been added—Canela Condensed, Canela Text and Canela Deck.

04. Separat

Geometric sans-serif | Paid

Design: GUNMAD

Foundry: Or Type

This unconventional typeface can add a strong sense of personality to any logo design. It’s the uppercase letters that really stand out, with many of them having “separated” sections, making for an undeniably quirky aesthetic. Take a look at the “M,” “X” and “K,” for example, clearly distinguishing between the different shapes that make them up.

Type designer duo, Guðmundur Úlfarsson and Mads Freund Brunse, released Separat in 2013. It’s available in four different weights—bold, regular, medium and black.

05. GT America

Sans-serif | Paid

Design: Noël Leu

Foundry: Grilli Type

Drawing inspiration from both traditional American and Swiss typefaces, GT America falls under the genre of grotesque sans-serifs. This means it is reminiscent of early 19th century typefaces, typically crude in their design and often used for large headlines. This extensive typeface family offers a more contemporary spin on this aesthetic.

GT America is available in six different styles, from a very narrow, compressed look to a much wider version. Each of these styles consists of six widths and seven weights, so you can really play around with the options in finding the right font for your professional logo design.

06. Futura

Sans-serif | Paid/Free on Mac and Adobe Creative Cloud

Design: Paul Renner

Foundry: Bauer Foundry

Despite being released in 1927, almost a century ago, Futura remains a highly popular typeface, used both in print and website design. Its timeless aesthetic is simple and stylish, inspired by the Bauhaus design philosophy. Futura is very much “no frills,” with no unnecessary details. Instead, it’s made up of geometric shapes, straight lines that are near-even in weight, and a minimal use of curves.

Futura is available in a variety of weights, styles and widths. You can see a few of them in use in famous logos, such as Calvin Klein, Domino’s Pizza and Supreme.

07. Recoleta

Serif | Paid

Design: Jorge Cisterna

Foundry: Latinotype

With a hint of 1970’s groove, this contemporary design is a fresh take on nostalgic typefaces. It’s made up of soft, fluid lines, merged with angled strokes and is sure to add a strong sense of personality to any logo design.

There are many styles and weights to choose from, as well as a version with alternate characters (notice the change in the “a” for example). To start playing around with it for free, you can download the Recoleta Regular Demo version.

08. Orelo

Variable sans-serif | Paid

Design: Adrien Midzic

Foundry: Pizza Typefaces

What makes Orelo stand out from the crowd is its high contrast between thin and thick lines. In small dimensions, the hairline strokes almost disappear from view. Increasing the weight will place more of an emphasis on this striking contrast. Additional unique touches are the triangular shapes that are formed on certain strokes (for example the tail of the “y” or a capital “L”).

Orelo offers you over a hundred styles to choose from. And if you really want a good logo design tip, go a step further and create an animated version, Orelo makes it a lot easier, as it also comes as a variable font. An animated logo can work well in various digital applications—something you may want to take into account when creating a website.

09. Gotham

Geometric sans-serif | Paid

Design: Tobias Frere-Jones

Foundry: Hoefler & Co.

Since its release in 2000, Gotham has been used in many different contexts. You may recognize it from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, as well as a number of other corporate identities, from Spotify to GQ (who originally commissioned the design). Unlike other sans-serif typefaces whose inspirations often lie in Swiss or German design, Gotham was influenced by New York City, particularly the lettering used in early 20th century signage.

Gotham is available in eight weights, plus four different widths for each one. Thanks to its versatility, it’s one of the best fonts for logos, enabling you to showcase your business name at its finest. Also available is Gotham ScreenSmart, a slight variation on the preliminary design and optimized for use on the web.

10. Whyte Inktrap

Sans-serif | Paid

Design: Johannes Breyer, Fabian Harb & Erkin Karamemet

Foundry: Dinamo

This typeface embraces one of today’s most up-and-coming typography trends - highly visible ink traps. In the past, certain letterforms were designed with missing corners (in other words, ink traps), that would naturally be filled in by ink once printed. These days, especially on the web, ink traps are no longer necessary. However, typefaces like Whyte Inktrap are now utilizing this retro typography feature to form unusual, quirky designs.

Whyte Inktrap comes in ten different weights (from thin to super), plus italics for each one. The heavier the font, the more apparent the ink traps become. There’s an additional version, Whyte, that is available without the ink traps.

11. Ogg

Calligraphic serif | Paid

Design: Lucas Sharp

Foundry: Village

This ornate, calligraphic typeface was inspired by the 20th century hand lettering artist Oscar Ogg. The intricate details and interconnected letterforms of the design make it a truly expressive typeface with a luxurious feel—a definite statement for a logo font.

Ogg comes in a total of five weights, with an italic version for each one. Since its release in 2013, an additional variation (Ogg Text) has been developed for use in long-form copy. You can use it for writing a blog post or a product description on your site, for example.

12. Proxima Nova

Sans-serif | Paid/Free on Adobe Creative Cloud

Design & Foundry: Mark Simonson

Since its release in 2005, Proxima Nova has been a highly popular typeface, particularly across the web. It takes inspiration from other widely used sans-serifs, like Futura and Akzidenz Grotesk, merging their geometric and modern styles into one clean look.

This logo font comes in seven different weights, plus matching italics for each one. There are also three optional widths available.

13. Lydian

Calligraphic sans-serif | Paid

Design: Warren Chappell

Foundry: American Type Founders

Released in 1938, this typeface can add a vintage feel to any logo design. It’s classified as humanist, a typography term that generally implies a more hand-made look, with organic curves and natural spacing between letters. And if Lydian looks familiar to you, you’re probably either a seasoned designer or a Friends fan, as this font was used in the end credits for the hit TV show.

Lydian contains two styles (Roman and bold), plus their italic counterparts. The designer, Warren Chappell, also released Lydian Cursive, which is a more flowing and calligraphic version of the typeface.

14. Noe Display

Serif | Paid

Design & Foundry: Schick Toikka

This expressive typeface makes a strong visual impact, with a high contrast between thick and thin lines, and triangular serifs. Counteracting these sharp edges are flowing, elegant curves, forming a dramatic look that merges genres.

Noe Display is available in four weights, from regular to black, along with corresponding italics. There’s also a text version of this typeface, more suited for writing long-form text, such as the content on your website.

15. GT Super

Serif | Paid

Design: Noël Leu

Foundry: Grilli Type

While GT Super was released in 2018, its inspirations lie in typefaces from the ‘70s and ‘80s, particularly those used in newspapers from the time. The result is an expressive typeface with relatively sharp serifs and a diverse range of stroke widths within each letterform.

There’s a text and display version for the typeface, so you can choose which font best suits your logo. Each one comes complete with five weights and italics to match.

5 best free fonts for professional logo design

01. Raleway

Sans-serif | Free

Design: Matt McInerney

Foundry: The League of Moveable Type

Raleway is a neo-grotesque typeface, meaning it has a clean, simple design and lies in the same category as popular fonts like Helvetica and Arial. However, there are a few special touches that make it noteworthy. It has an elegant look to it, with a subtle and unexpected tail on the lower-case “L” and a criss-crossed “W.”

Originally released as a single thin weight typeface by Matt McInerney, Raleway has since been expanded into a family of nine weights, designed by Pablo Impallari and Rodrigo Fuenzalida. Now you can enjoy it in all its diverse forms, ranging from thin to black, as well as italics.

02. Cormorant

Serif | Free

Design: Christian Thalmann

Foundry: Catharsis Fonts

This typeface takes inspiration from the old-style Garamond - a family of 16th century typefaces. The main difference is that Cormorant is a display typeface, intended for use in larger dimensions. This makes it a great logo font, especially as it also works on a smaller scale. It’s characterized by its flowing curves, contrasted with sharp serifs and dramatically tall accents.

Cormorant is a versatile typeface, available in nine different visual styles (Roman, Italic, Infant, Infant Italic, Garamond, Garamond Italic, Upright Cursive, Small Caps and Unicase). In addition, each one comes in five optional weights.

03. Poppins

Geometric sans-serif | Free

Design: Johnny Pinhorn & Ninad Kale

Foundry: Indian Type Foundry

Poppins is a multilingual font, supporting both the Latin and Devanagari writing systems. It’s a classic geometric typeface, made up of perfect circles and based on geometric forms. The overall appearance is clean and simple, with almost all lines being the same width throughout the different letterforms.

One of the best fonts for logos with a minimalistic aesthetic, Poppins is available in nine weights, with matching italics for each.

04. Eczar

Calligraphic serif | Free

Design: Vaibhav Singh

Foundry: Rosetta Type Foundry

Eczar started out as a student project by Vaibhav Singh during his MA in Typeface Design at the University of Reading (UK). It’s a multilingual typeface, supporting both Latin and Devanagari languages. With dominant serifs that are especially apparent in the heavier weights, Eczar has a strong personality.

There are five weights available for this typeface, but no italics. The bold and extra-bold weights are particularly distinctive, making for a logo font with an intriguing look.

05. Roboto Slab

Slab serif | Free

Design: Christian Robertson

Despite its prominent serifs and mainly geometric forms, Roboto Slab still manages to exude a certain softness. A benefit of this neo-grotesque typeface is that it makes font pairing simple, having been initially created to use alongside its sans-serif counterpart, Roboto, which is also a free font. The two contrast with one another, while simultaneously forming a look that can work well as part of a whole visual identity.

Developed by Google as a system font for their mobile design, Roboto Slab comes in nine different weights, from thin through to extra-bold and black. Roboto is also available in a condensed version, and it also supports Cyrillic and Greek.

Looking for more inspiration for your logo? Check out these best logo makers.

As our means of communication become increasingly digital, the printed business card retains its position as a staple of the business world - and it’s easy to see why. After all, it’s a quick and cost-effective way of handing out information. And at the same time, it also forms a tangible memory of you and your business in the hands of potential leads.

A business card is a small piece of paper that holds your contact information. It conveniently rounds up all of the essentials in one place, including your name, brand logo and contact details like your website, phone number, and social media handles. It serves as a nonintrusive and friendly invitation to reach out at any time. It also represents both you and your company in a professional sphere and is a brand identity example that shouldn't be neglected.

Creating a business card can be done with the help of a professional designer, or independently using a business card maker. Here’s everything you need to learn how to design a business card on your own, explained in a few simple steps:

How to design a business card

1. Choose your business card size
2. Get your branding assets in order
3. Decide on the direction your card will take
4. Avoid common business card design mistakes
5. Choose what to put on your business card
6. Add eye-catching imagery
7. Use unique design touches
8. Finalize everything before you print

01. Choose your business card size

The standard business card sizes vary from country to country. While the following dimensions are the most commonly used ones, note that they are not mandatory and can be changed to best fit your vision and ideas:

US and Canada Standard: 3.5” × 2” (89mm × 51mm)

With bleed: 3.75” × 2.25” (95.25mm × 57.15 mm)

Western Europe Standard: 3.35” × 2.17” (85mm × 55mm)

With bleed: 3.58” × 2.40” (91mm × 61mm)

Eastern Europe Standard: 3.5” × 1.9” (90mm × 50mm)

Oceania Standard: 3.54” × 2.165” (90mm × 55mm)

Japan Standard: 3.582” × 2.165” (91mm × 55mm)

Alongside the standard business card sizes are a few important printing terms to keep in mind before approaching the design of your business card:

• Bleed area: This refers to the design elements (such as colors and lines) that extend beyond the edge of where the card will be trimmed once printed. The bleed ensures that the card will not have any unprinted areas, despite minor offsets in the cutting process. Bleed sizes range from 0.125" to 0.25", so it’s best to check the required size with your printer.
• Trim line: These are lines that mark the edges of the card, signaling where the blade cut should be made.
• Safety margins: These mark the lines beyond which no important design elements (such as text or logos) should be placed. The safety margins are usually around 0.19” from the trim line. This practice is meant to prevent the design from being cut off, as the blade cut can be made anywhere between the bleed and the safety margins.

02. Get your branding assets in order

Your business card should capture the essence of your brand and brand identity. Before approaching the design of your business card, make sure you have everything you need in order to get it right:

• Logo: A logo is one of the most important elements to appear on a business card. If you don’t already have one, you can hire a professional designer, or do it yourself using tools such as the Wix Logo Maker. This logo design guide can also help steer you in the right direction.
• Business name: The name of your business should clearly explain what it is that you’re all about. For inspiration and catchy ideas, check out this Business Name Generator.
• Brand color scheme: Colors can evoke emotions and set the right mood for your brand. Make sure your business card maintains the same brand colors as your website and all other branding assets.
• Tone of voice: Is your brand professional and trustworthy, or is it fun and dynamic? If you haven’t already done so, decide what your business stands for. These brand values should then reflect in your business card, both in its design and written text.

03. Decide on the direction your card will take

While a business card places just a small canvas at your disposal, there are many decisions to be made before approaching its design:

• Shape: Business cards are most commonly rectangular, but you could also opt for more unique shapes instead. Some examples include a square, a circle, or simply a rectangle with rounded corners. And while most business cards are designed horizontally, a vertical orientation could be another interesting option to consider.
• Element placement: Most business cards are double-sided, but there are also fold-over cards (a.k.a tent cards). Either way, decide on which elements you’d like to put on each side. For example, the logo can go on the front, with your name and contact details on the back.
• Style: Taking into account the branding assets from the previous section, make sure that your business card exudes your brand’s style. Check out competitors’ business cards that share a look similar to yours and browse inspiration, ranging from the minimalist to the bold, and from the timeless to the trendy. You can also browse some business card ideas to find a little inspiration.

04. Avoid the common mistakes

• Design with a bleed: Be sure to include a bleed in your design (as explained above). Additionally, don’t place any important information outside of the safety margins, so that it isn’t cut off.

• CMYK color mode: Set your color mode to CMYK, which is the color model used in printing (and not RGB, which is used for screen displays).

• Work in high resolution: To ensure that your business card isn’t pixelated, work on a 300dpi resolution file. All files used in your design (such as your logo, icons, and images), should be of equally high quality.

• Maintain legibility: Make sure that your text is written in a font that’s no smaller than 8 points, so that it’s clear and legible. For the same reason, retain good color contrast in your design (there are many online color palette tools for checking color legibility).

05. What to put on a business card

The best business cards communicate important information quickly and easily, without trying to cram in too many unnecessary details. To help you narrow it down, here’s the most relevant info that should be included when deciding how to design a business card:

1. Logo: A company logo is an absolute must on any business card, adding to your professionalism and credibility. Place your logo in a prominent position on the card, allowing it to stand out.
2. Your name: Your business card is about connecting to you as a person, which makes your name an unequivocally essential asset.
3. Your job title: Help jog people’s memory with a word or two about your role in the company, such as ‘Founder and Manager’ or ‘Designer.’
4. Company name: Be sure to mention your business name, unless it’s already clearly stated in the logo, or if it’s the same name as your own (there’s no need to repeat it twice).
5. Tagline: This one is optional, but you can add a concise explanation of what you do, with a catchy slogan of around three to five words.
6. Website: Add your website’s domain name, meaning your web address. There’s no need to include the ‘https://’ bit, and you can even drop the ‘www’ if you like.
7. Contact details: This includes your phone number and email address. In case you operate from a brick-and-mortar location, add your street address as well. Add your social media handles too, if they’re relevant for your line of work.

06. Add eye-catching imagery

A business card’s visual language can enhance the ideas it wishes to communicate. This can be done by means of design basics such as a color palette, font pairings, composition, and hierarchy. Another element that adds much visual value is the use of imagery.

An image can be an illustration, a photograph, an icon, or a pattern. While each of those serves a slightly different purpose, they can all be used to draw attention to your brand. For example, a bakers’ business card can include a stylish illustration of berry-scattered macaroons, or alternatively, a black and white photograph of hands skillfully kneading dough.

However, avoid using images that are too literal and don’t contribute to the card’s overall mood and vibe. If you’re an artist, for example, showing one of your pieces is a better option than going for a more generic icon of a paintbrush.

07. Use unique touches to stand out

Applying special finishes can make for a truly bespoke business card. While these are significantly more costly, they can also add a luxurious feel and subtle tactility. Be sure not to add too many special techniques on one card, however, as the result can appear chaotic.

• Foil stamping or metallic inks: Metallic colors such as silver, copper, and gold, cannot be achieved using the CMYK printing method. They can, however, be created using foil stamping or metallic inks.
• Embossing or letter pressing: These two printing techniques press select elements of the design into or out of the page, so that they raise off the paper and create a three-dimensional effect.
• Spot UV coating: This technique applies a clear coat over certain elements of the printed matter, such as the logo, adding gloss to the design.
• Laser cuts: This method creates intricate cuts in the design using a laser. It serves to cut out elements of a business card for a more intriguing result.
• Special materials: Business cards are most commonly printed on card stock, but they can also be printed on other materials, from wood to metal or magnets.

08. Finalize before you print

You’re almost done! You’ll soon have these beauties printed out and ready to hand out to colleagues and clients. But before calling it a day, make sure to finalize your work so that there’s no room for error. Once you’ve sent the file to print, any last-minute changes will be much more complicated and pricey.

• Proofread: Triple check that everything on your card is spelled correctly, that the information is up-to-date and accurate, and that it all looks exactly as you intend it to.
• Look over the visuals: Make sure that the images are in high-resolution, and that you have the legal rights to use them.
• Research printing options: Look into available printing options in your area, and compare prices and services. Once you choose your printers, discuss card stock options and printing methods with your contact person. You might also want to visit the shop in person, so as to browse paper options in real life. Lastly, ask for directions on the type of files that the printers would like you (or your designer) to export.

Now, all that’s left is to export your working files, send them to the printers - and enjoy the fresh smell of print when the finished product arrives!

With its positive business climate, diverse talent pool and culture of innovation, Michigan is, in many ways, an attractive place to start business. According to Governor Whitmer, Michigan saw a record number of new small businesses in 2021, with more than 150,000 new small business applications that year—up 59% from 2019.

If you’re thinking of joining this wave of entrepreneurship, you'll need to follow some important steps, from coming up with a business name to creating a website that gets your brand out there.

Start a business in Michigan in 7 steps

1. Come up with your business idea
2. Choose your business entity
3. Select the best name for your business in Michigan
4. Write your business plan
5. License and register your business in Michigan
6. Secure funding for your business
7. Create a business website

01. Come up with a business idea

When you start a business, you’ll need to figure out exactly what to focus on. Begin by brainstorming the products and/or services you want to sell. Think about your personal interests, experience and skills—and don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for feedback on your initial ideas. Make sure to also research your target market thoroughly and avoid operating from gut instinct alone.

With all that said, Michigan has a diverse economy with opportunities in various industries. Here are some business ideas to consider that may be successful in the state:

• Automotive: Michigan is a major hub for the automotive industry (in fact, 96 of the top 100 automotive suppliers have a presence in the state). Dip your toe in the automotive industry by offering auto repair and maintenance, car parts manufacturing or auto detailing and car wash services.
• Healthcare: The healthcare and life sciences sector is booming in Michigan; the state ranks in the top 10 nationwide for bioscience-related R&D, as well as number nine in the pharmaceuticals employment sector. Business opportunities include nursing or residential care services, manufacturing medical equipment and supplies, or ambulatory health services.
• Manufacturing: Michigan is a leader in advanced manufacturing, boasting the 5th largest advanced manufacturing workforce in the U.S. You could try your hand at fabricated metal product manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, plastics and rubber products manufacturing, or supplying raw materials to other businesses.
• Technology: With a strong talent pool of engineers, programmers and tech graduates, Michigan is a springboard for tech businesses. Consider business opportunities involving mobile app development, software-as-a-service (SaaS) or virtual reality.
• Agriculture: Michigan produces more than 300 commodities each year and has a robust food processing sector. That makes Michigan a strong market for businesses that provide agricultural products or services, such as farm-to-table restaurants, floriculture products, wholesale produce and wine.
• Sustainable energy: There’s a growing demand for clean energy products and services in Michigan, plus the state has a goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050. This makes Michigan an excellent place to start a sustainable energy business. Solar panel installation, wind turbine manufacturing, biomass pellet production and geothermal heat pump installation are just a few of the business ideas to consider in the sustainable energy space.
• Online education: Michigan is home to many universities and colleges that offer online courses and degrees, creating a large pool of potential students who are accustomed to—and interested in—online learning opportunities. Starting an online learning, coaching or other mobile learning business in Michigan is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with others.

02. Choose your business entity

There are five types of businesses that can be established in Michigan including sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs) and nonprofits. Here’s a summary of each:

• Sole proprietorship: An unincorporated business that is owned by one individual. Owners of sole proprietorships are personally responsible for debts and liabilities of the business.
• Partnership: General partnership and limited partnership businesses are owned by two or more people who share in the organization’s profits and losses.
• Corporation: A legal entity that is separate from its owners. Corporations can be taxed, sued and enter into contracts. There are two types of corporations: C Corporations and S Corporations. C corporations offer more flexibility in terms of ownership and stock but are subject to double taxation.
• Limited liability companies (LLCs): This business structure combines the limited liability features of a corporation with the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a partnership. Forming an LLC is a relatively straightforward and easy process, though requirements vary by state.
• Nonprofit: Nonprofits are typically organized to serve a specific social cause or to provide a public benefit. They are exempt from paying federal income taxes and may also be exempt from state and local taxes. You can establish your nonprofit by applying for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status through the IRS.

03. Select the best name for your business in Michigan

When it comes to choosing a business name, there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. A good place to start is by brainstorming words and phrases that relate to your mission, product or service. Ultimately, your business name should be memorable and original. It should also be flexible enough that it still makes sense as your business grows.

Here are some ideas that rely on qualities or regions specific to Michigan to kickoff your brainstorming process:

• Motor City Innovations: References Detroit's nickname as the "Motor City" and emphasizes the idea of innovation and technology.
• Great Lakes Green Energy: A nod to Michigan’s Great Lakes and emphasizes the idea of sustainability and green energy.
• Wolverine [Anything]: Michigan is often called the Wolverine State, though the precise reason for this has been lost to history. Attaching Wolverine to your business name is one way to differentiate your business from others in your industry while appealing to people from Michigan (e.g., Wolverine Building and Loan, Wolverine Lighting, Wolverine Candles, etc.).
• Pure Michigan Produce: This name honors the state's agricultural heritage and could be used for a business that sells fresh produce or agricultural products.
• The Auto Innovator: This name references Michigan's strong foundation in the automotive sector and emphasizes the idea of innovation and technology.
• The Upper Peninsula Outfitter: This name references the Upper Peninsula region of Michigan and could be used for a business that sells outdoor gear or provides outdoor-related services.
• Michigan Made: References to the state's strong manufacturing heritage. It’s a concise name that emphasizes the idea of creating a product.
• Superior Gourmet: A reference to Lake Superior which borders Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario, the name could be used for a business that specializes in food products or services.
• Huron Health: A reference to Lake Huron, this name could be used for any type of healthcare business that serves local communities or as a way to differentiate a biotech or device manufacturer located in the area.
• MiTech: A great short name for a Michigan-based business providing technology products or services. This can be easily adapted for different business types (e.g., MiCyber for a cybersecurity business or MiTraining for an online training school).

If you’re looking for more original ideas, take Wix’s business name generator for a spin.

Once you’ve selected a name, you’ll want to check that it’s available as a domain name. Also, make sure to check the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) websites to see if there are any other businesses in the state with the same name or any existing trademarks, respectively.

04. Write your business plan

Launching a business in Michigan is an exciting undertaking, but it's important to be prepared. Writing a comprehensive business plan ensures that your venture gets off on the right foot. Your ‘roadmap to success’ should include an insightful executive summary, as well as key information regarding how you’ll structure and fund your business so that it remains profitable in the long run.

05. License and register your business in Michigan

To register a business in Michigan, you’ll need to follow these general steps:

• Register your business on the LARA website. The exact paperwork and filing fee at this stage will depend on your business structure.
• Obtain an employer identification number (EIN) with the IRS. An EIN is required if you have employees and is also required by most banks when you go to open a business bank account.
• Register for state taxes with the Michigan Department of Treasury. You can register your business with the Michigan Department of Treasury through their Online Business Registration portal. After completing the online application, you will receive a confirmation number of your electronic submission, then receive your new sales tax license in as few as seven business days.
• Register for Michigan unemployment insurance and workers' compensation with the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. This applies to you if you plan on hiring employees.
• Obtain any applicable permits and licenses. Knowing how to get a business license is a key step. Check the LARA site to see which permits and licenses you need based on your business type and industry. These could include permits from the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Health and Department of Taxation.

06. Secure funding for your business

There are several approaches you can take when you’re ready to raise money for your business in Michigan, including:

• Personal savings: Using your own savings to start or grow your business is one of the most common ways to fund a business, at least from the jump.
• Angel investors: Angel investors are wealthy individuals who provide funding for startups in exchange for ownership equity or convertible debt.
• Venture capital: Venture capital firms invest in startups and small businesses that have the potential for significant growth.
• Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is a way of raising money from many people through platforms such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loans: The SBA provides loans to small businesses through participating banks and other lending institutions.
• Community development financial institutions (CDFIs): CDFIs are financial institutions that provide loans and other financial services to underserved communities.
• Business incubators and accelerators: Incubators and accelerators provide funding, office space and other resources to help startups grow.
• Bank loans: Banks offer different types of loans for small businesses, such as term loans, SBA loans and lines of credit.

Additionally, here are some small business funding resources specific to Michigan:

• Small Business P2 Loans: A business loan program run by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). It provides funding opportunities for small businesses that are making efforts toward sustainability, waste reduction and energy conservation.
• Detroit Community Loan Fund: The Detroit Community Loan Fund is a local funding option for small businesses in Detroit.
• Opportunity Resource Fund: Provides mortgages, small business loans, and real estate development loans to Michigan businesses. They can also help explain how to get a business loan and which type.
• Invest Detroit: This is a local organization that connects Detroit businesses with funding sources. They have four primary areas of focus: real estate, small business, commercial and industrial, and venture capital.

Make sure to carefully research each funding option and consult an attorney or financial advisor to decide what works best for your business. When seeking funding, it's important to have a strong business plan that demonstrates how the funds will be used to grow your business.

07. Create a business website

Your business website is the virtual face of your company. It’s where you can promote your business using your own words and imagery.

Having a website is essential, even if you plan to do most of your business offline at a brick-and-mortar storefront or office. From selling products online, to marketing your brand, to establishing customer loyalty—a website lends credibility to your business and is a valuable tool for connecting with your customers.

Choose from Wix’s business website templates and customize your design to your liking. Then, study these steps on how to make a business website that not only looks good, but performs well.

Business examples in Michigan

Check out the below Michigan business examples, which are all built on Wix.

Powers Property Management

Powers Property Management services commercial and residential properties throughout Southeast Michigan, assisting with hydroseeding, excavation, snow removal and more. What started as a small landscape business has evolved into a trusted property management service with more than 10 years of experience under its belt.

State & Main

Located in Scottville, Michigan, State & Main manages several rental units in a historic building that was once home to People’s State Bank. Website visitors can explore floor plans, amenities and information about the property—while residents can log in to a residents’ portal.

How to start a business in Michigan review

Looking to start a business in another state? Check out:

How to start a business in Texas

How to start a business in Georgia

How to start a business in Ohio

How to start a business in Arizona

How to start a business in North Carolina

How to start a business in Wisconsin

How to start a business in Colorado

How to start a business in Hawaii

How to start a business in Utah

How to start a business in Massachusetts

How to start a business in Oregon

How to start a business in Alabama

How to start a business in Missouri

How to start a business in Illinois

How to start a business in Maryland

How to start a business in Connecticut

How to start a business in South Carolina

How to start a business in Tennessee

How to start a business in Minnesota

How to start a business in New York

How to start a business in Pennsylvania

How to start a business in Virginia

How to start a business in Indiana

How to start a business in Washington state

How to start a business in Florida

How to start a business in Michigan FAQ

There’s a difference between deciding it’s a good idea to start a business and actually bringing it to fruition. You will need to take several steps to make it official, such as registering your business and creating a business website. Another quite large leap to truly test your commitment is to write a business plan.

This document will allow you to formulate your ideas into a streamlined and organized process, as well as set goals for your future. With this business plan template guide, you’ll be able to get started on your very own right away.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a written document used by SMBs, entrepreneurs and other new ventures when starting a business. It serves several purposes, such as attracting potential partners, as well as investors and banks when it comes to raising capital. Most importantly though, you’ll be able to use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, operate and manage your new venture.

Components of a business plan

1. Executive summary
2. Company description
3. Products and services
4. Market analysis
5. Marketing and operations plan
6. Management and organization
7. Financial projections
8. Appendices

01. Executive summary

Before you write your executive summary, you may want to start with a concept statement, a short explanation of what you want to achieve. Your executive summary will then be the strongest component of your business plan. That's not only because it's the first part of the document, but it also serves its own standalone purposes, just like in a business proposal.

We mentioned raising capital above. Your executive summary does the grunt work for that. In order words, it’s a necessary piece of information for getting the attention of investors (and crafting your elevator pitch).

In this section, you should give a high level overview of everything included within. Write a few sentences about each of the components of your business plan - company description, products and services, market analysis and more - while leaving your reader intrigued and wanting to know more. It should be short and engaging, at a maximum two pages long.

Although we have listed this part first, you should write it last. Your executive summary will be placed at the beginning of your business plan, but you won’t know what information to include until you’ve completed the sections below.

02. Company description

The first thing you’ll find yourself writing out is your company description. This piece is pretty straight forward too.

Begin with your business name and the names of your founders. Then, give a background story on your business, as well as the people who started it. Include things like the year and location, your company’s purpose, and your mission statement. Briefly describe your core products or services, but without going into too much information since you’ll want to save that for the next section.

Discuss the development stage of your business at this moment as well as past achievements you’re proud of. You’ll want to draw attention to the competitive advantages that can help your business succeed, such as teaming up with other experts in the industry or offering specialized products or services.

Follow up with your future plans by mentioning your goals, partnered with your plan of action for achieving them. Describe the milestones of these goals in a timeline fashion, thinking in terms of quarters and years. Your current or potential investors and other stakeholders will want to know how you plan to grow your business.

03. Products and services

Here’s where you’ll explain your current and future products and services in depth. You’ll need to provide descriptions and potential names of each offering. Predict any questions that could arise from someone who knows nothing about them or even the related industry. Answer them extensively, making sure to not leave out a single detail.

If you’re still working on your idea, include a proof of concept (POC) and describe what stage of development you’re in. Next, add diagrams, product images, and other visual components where necessary to explain the product life cycle.

Finish this section by listing your pricing plan, including the cost of the materials and labor, the cost of the final products/services, and the profit you intend to make on each unit.

04. Market analysis

This is one of the most extensive sections of the business plan template, as it has many lengthy parts. You’ll need to conduct market research, draw conclusions, and write out the related findings for the following points:

• Industry background: Give a background of the industry your business operates in, whether that’s health and wellness, education, or something else. Answer questions like: “What’s the current status of the industry?” and “How is it expected to change?” Discuss the key business players and their offerings.

• Competitor review: List and analyze your top competitors and how you plan to compete with them. Perform a SWOT analysis. This is where you’ll write out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each of these businesses.

• Barrier to entry: Explain what makes it difficult for a newcomer to enter the industry. Is it high start up costs? Specific equipment? Patent requirements?

• Target market: Here, you will give details about your target market. Describe exactly what your potential customer base looks like within this industry, using your market’s demographics, such as age and occupation. You can also include buyer personas to gain valuable insights into the needs and wants of your ideal customer.

• Assess your business: Noting the areas listed above, assess how your business fits into them. What advantages do you have? What does the demand look like for your specific product or service? How will you reach your target audience?

05. Marketing and operations plan

In this section, you’ve got to detail how your business idea will translate into selling and delivering your offerings to potential customers.

Start by building your brand. Establish a brand identity of your own, from the colors and fonts to creating the right online personality for you.

With your brand in place, the next thing to do is explain your advertising and promotion plan, along with your marketing budget. This includes creating a professional website to display and sell your products, and picking the right social media channel for your audience.

The reason you’re thinking this all through ahead of time is because you’ll need to plan how you will fulfill those orders or manage your bookings. You’ll want to explain the labor, supplies, equipment and facility requirements necessary to create and ship orders. If you’re choosing alternative options such as dropshipping, mention those here too.

06. Management and organization

Share with your reader how your business will be structured and who will be the people that make it what it is. This includes everyone from your founders and executive team to all of the other stakeholders.

Stakeholders include Board of Directors and advisors, shareholders, heads of departments and other team members. Even if you haven’t hired all of these people yet, it’s important to show what your venture will eventually look like with all of them on board.

To display all of this, create a visual layout of your stakeholders. A diagram or pyramid of some sort will do the job. Following that, describe the roles of the key players mentioned in your illustration.

07. Financial projections

It’s always important to know how you will be able to sustain your business financially, both for your own sake and for that of potential investors.

In this section, write out the answers to the following kinds of questions:

• How much will you need to invest at first?
• How much funding are you requesting from investors?
• How long until you’ll start earning a profit?
• How much profit do you expect to earn in the next year? 3 years? 5 years?

Additionally, you’ll need to be able to manage your finances through budgeting and keeping track of your income and expenses. This is both to understand how much money is coming in and out, and to be able to pay your obligatory taxes.

08. Appendices

For this final section, list any additional information that will help readers understand the full picture of your business. If you referenced any visuals, research data, or links in your business plan, you can include the supporting details here.

Also make sure to place in this section your licenses, trademarks and patents, contracts, articles of incorporation, insurance, and appraisals.

Business plan template

Writing a business plan may sound daunting at first, but with the right template, you will feel confident about choosing the right direction for your business idea. To facilitate this process, we recommend using our free business plan template for inspiration: