If you have used Wix.com to build and host a website, you may have noticed a decreased amount of traffic visiting your page(s) toward the end of last year. This happened to many Wix users as a result of an update Google made to their search engine code. This algorithm change had long-term effects on search engine results for sites like Wix, because it excluded sites that were built and relied heavily on JavaScript/Ajax.

Wix.com is appealing to many people because of its low cost and easy-to-use tools, like drag and drop site-building elements, which allows anyone to create a website fairly simply and without the need for a skilled web-development expert. Wix is a particularly attractive option for smaller businesses and start-ups, as it is a very affordable way to provide a primary web outlet for their customers. However, as businesses grow and have increased website demands (including ecommerce and blogging integration), sites like Wix become a hindrance to long-term growth, especially considering the most recent issue with Google’s update.

Here’s an example to demonstrate:

If you were to set up a brick-and-mortar business, chances are you wouldn’t rely on low-cost materials like rolls of duck tape or bottles of glue to hold your building together. You would want a high-quality, solid foundation – one which would last long-term, look nice, and give you the opportunity to build on if you wanted. The same concept applies to your growing website.

Don’t lose business because your website looks like you bought it from the discount section at a super store.

If your webpage was built using a site like Wix.com, you have probably already experiences the sharp drop-off of visitors or overall interest in your products or service. You’re left with two options:

Option 1: Wait for Google to reindex your site, which they are in the process of doing but there isn’t an ETA on when this fix will be complete or added into their algorithm.

Option 2: Use a website platform that is just as easy to use, yet catered toward the long-term growth of your business. A great option to accomplish this is WordPress.com.

Building and hosting your own website through tools like WordPress is a preferable alternative to sites like Wix.com. WordPress allows you to have control over content, overall design and even offer custom themes. Plus, WordPress isn’t excluded from Google’s search algorithm – so your page(s) can be indexed appropriately and you won’t lose potential visitors or business as a result. With great plug-ins that provide you with user-interaction tracking, improved loading speeds and more, WordPress offers many reasons to consider it as a platform. Even for someone with a small start-up, it’s invaluable to have a reliable website to effectively reach your target audience and easily manage and maintain your content.