Wix, the browser-based designer that lets users create Flash-based widgets and full-scale webpages, has launched in public beta. The site specializes in creating colorful Flash pages without requiring any coding, and seems to appeal most to “MySpacers” looking to add some flair to their sites (Wix does have some more professional templates for businesses). You can see our original review of the site here.
One of the common concerns about Flash websites is that they don’t play nice with search engines, leading to lower page traffic. Wix says it can get around this by generating an XML map for each of their sites that is SEO friendly. Since the launch of its private beta, the company says that they’ve seen a surprisingly high number of users using the designer to create full-fledged sites rather than basic widgets, which makes this search optimization especially important.
Wix sees general competition from a number of other browser-based website designers, which include Weebly and Synthasite, but is most similar to Sprout, another Flash-based widget designer.
Cool, we’ll try it out for one of our promotional sites. I hope this doesn’t just lead to more flash mess on the web.
Hi Mark,
Found Wix from the first post on Techcrunch a while ago.
Very cool product, still in its diapers but seems promising
I have been using it for a while now to create on-line exhibitions for artists that I like
Not sure if that’s what it’s intended for J
Take a look
http://www.wix.com/VanillaRoyal/gallery
Lots of high quality graphics, so it loads a bit slow, click on the artists names to see their exhibitions.
VanillaRoyal
Coolest thing on the web these days. Used their private Beta and it’s awesome.
Hope that’s how the web will look eventually …
Peter- don’t worry. It’s nothing like the awful templates we saw before.
In fact flash can be SEO friendly using XSL or html-javascript.
Flash Not-SEO-Friendly-Talk is just a myth…
Flash with XML integration will not help on SEO, this is because Search Engines in general will not know where the xml is hosted, and even if they did the results will point to the xml file not to the html to embeds the flash.
Jason,
Do you know of sites that used this Wix thing?
I need to build a web site but haven’t seen their sites around yet.
Wix is a useful product. I’ve been using it as a designer for a couple of projects, mostly small business web sites. Once you get over the kinks you can make stuff really quickly, still some bugs, no database support yet, search is working, overall great potential.
andrew
Really cool
@ Steve: One site that I know using Wix is IDU Biometrics.
I have tried to locate others, but thus far I have not found any.
As far as Wix goes, they should list sites using their software, as it may help inspire “the masses.”
How do they make money… licensing fees, premium subscriptions? I’d have to see this xml-flash map and that is really SEO friendly before I could believe it. If they did figure out an easy way to get Flash crawled and indexed, that’s super cool. Practical ideas make tons of money….. http://www.readtheanswer.com/index.php?RTA=web2
http://wix.sourceforge.net/
blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2004/04/05/107709.aspx
How can they call this WiX again?
I tested out the interface and I have to say it is one of the most impressive editing environments I have EVER seen for Flash. I know I sound like a cousin of the founder or something but I’m not. They shouldn’t be focusing on widgets—they have a very good full web site builder on their hands. Theire text editing system alone is a breakout.
But why the silly, Pokemon type graphics. They’re solving a HUGE problem for people who want a Flash-based site. This is truly a CMS for Flash. I’ve been looking at CMS tools for years and I have never seen a tool this sophisticated for creating Flash. But WHY the hokey graphics??? They turn off an entire class of designers with the dumbed down, sparkly interface.
My question - why provide this to MySpace kids? Create a sophisticated interface for developing small business sites and you will have a killer Flash CMS application. People would PAY to use the tool to build a site—if they didn’t feel like they were in Candyland.
Just my thoughts.
Two reviews in two months. C’mon guys.
Very intresting!
Don,
We cater to different audiences and over time will segment this better - both on our site and on partner sites where we can create differnet types of content offerings. Happy to chat with you more on this offline - pls email me on allon@wix.com if you’d like.
allon bloch
wix
One of the competitors to Wix is a service called vFlyer. vFlyer has been offering flash and javascript widgets for business to promote themselves, their services and/or listings.
The widgets are dead simple to setup. The business model is easy to digest as well. vFlyer offers monthly subscriptions starting at $12.95/mo.
Off topic: So what happened to that Mac Book Air that Peter was working on on last nights Quk stream? I didn’t quite get what the goal was…
I really like the design of the site FRESH! a new trend setter?
i took a look when this was in beta and agree with some of the above comments about the GUI… it looks like the Pokemon threw up.
i’ll use http://www.sproutbuilder.com anyday.
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comment42
Steve go to goole and search:
site: wix.com - you will find more then 9000 websites and widgets from wix.
this is very cool
go wix
Интересный у вас сайт! Правда сейчас я предпочитаю отдых в турции.
egypt