This article is part of our complete Wix guide.
Picking a Wix template feels like the fun part of building a website: you scroll through hundreds of polished designs and choose the one that catches your eye. Unfortunately, that is exactly how many business owners end up with a site that looks great in the preview but does not suit their content, slows down on mobile, or needs to be rebuilt six months later. The best template is not the prettiest one. It is the one whose structure matches what your business needs to say and sell. This guide shows you how to evaluate templates like a web designer, which features to prioritise, and how to customise your choice so nobody can tell it started as a template.
- Judge a template by its structure and sections, not its photos or colours, because you will replace those.
- Check the mobile view, page list and built-in apps before you click Edit.
- In the classic Wix Editor you cannot swap templates on a live site, so choose carefully.
- Simpler templates usually load faster and convert better than animation-heavy ones.
- Customise fonts, colours, imagery and copy so the result looks like your brand, not a demo.
In this guide
- Why your choice of Wix template matters
- Where to find Wix templates
- What to look for in a Wix template
- Wix template scorecard
- Best Wix templates by business type
- How to customise a Wix template step by step
- Common Wix template mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
Why your choice of Wix template matters
A template gives you a starting layout, a set of pages, preset text styles and sometimes pre-installed business apps such as Wix Bookings or Wix Stores. It shapes how visitors move through your site. Three things make the choice more important on Wix than on some other platforms:
- You cannot easily switch templates later. In the classic Wix Editor, a site built on one template cannot have a different template applied to it. Changing design means rebuilding pages manually.
- Templates include hidden structure. Strips, columns, galleries and mobile settings are already configured. A good structure saves hours; a poor one creates constant fixes.
- First impressions drive trust. Visitors judge credibility in seconds. A layout that puts your offer, proof and call to action in the right order wins more enquiries.
If you have not started building yet, our step-by-step guide on how to build a Wix website explains where template selection fits in the overall process.
Where to find Wix templates
Wix offers several sources of templates, and it helps to know what each one is for:
- The Wix template library: hundreds of free templates for the classic Wix Editor, organised by category such as business, online store, restaurants, beauty and wellness, portfolio and blog. Browse them on the official Wix templates page.
- Wix Studio templates: responsive templates designed for Wix Studio, aimed at designers and agencies. Read Wix Editor vs Wix Studio to decide which editor you need first.
- AI-generated starting points: the Wix AI site builder creates a layout from your answers instead of a fixed template. Our guide to the Wix AI website builder explains when this works best.
- Blank templates: good for experienced designers who want full control, but slower for beginners.
- Third-party template sellers: some designers sell premium Wix templates. Check reviews, support and how the template is transferred to your account before you buy.
What to look for in a Wix template
Before you fall for a design, preview it with these questions in mind.
1. Does the structure match your content?
Write down the sections your homepage needs (for example: hero with call to action, services, reviews, about, FAQ, contact). Then look for a template that already has most of them in roughly that order. If you sell ten services, you need a template with a services grid, not one built around a single hero image and a gallery.
2. Is the homepage hero clear?
Look at the area visible before scrolling. Is there room for a strong headline, a short subheading and a clear button? Templates with huge background videos and tiny text look stylish but often hide the message.
3. How does it look on mobile?
Use the mobile preview. Check that text is readable, buttons are large enough and sections stack in a sensible order. If the mobile preview already looks messy, it will only get worse once you add real content. Our guide to making a Wix website mobile-friendly shows what good looks like.
4. Is it lightweight?
Heavy animations, autoplay video, large slideshows and parallax effects can slow pages down. A simpler layout usually loads faster, which helps both visitors and SEO. See our Wix website speed optimisation tips.
5. Does it include the business apps you need?
A restaurant template may include a menu, a salon template may include Wix Bookings, and a store template includes Wix Stores pages. Pre-configured apps save setup time, though you can add most apps to any template later.
6. Is the typography readable?
Thin, decorative fonts and light grey body text look elegant in screenshots but are hard to read. Look for clear contrast and a body font you could read for several paragraphs.
Wix template scorecard
Use this scorecard to compare your shortlist. Score each template from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) and pick the highest total, not the prettiest preview.
| Criterion | What a 5 looks like | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Structure fit | Has most of your planned sections in a logical order | High |
| Clear hero and call to action | Headline, subheading and button visible without scrolling | High |
| Mobile layout | Readable text, tappable buttons, sensible stacking | High |
| Performance | Few heavy animations or autoplay videos | Medium |
| Readable typography | Good contrast and comfortable body text | Medium |
| Built-in features | Includes the Wix apps you need (bookings, store, menu) | Medium |
| Easy to brand | Uses site colours and text styles you can change globally | Medium |
Best Wix templates by business type
Instead of recommending specific template names, which Wix updates and retires, here is what to look for in each industry.
- Local services (trades, cleaning, repairs): phone number in the header, service grid, reviews, service areas and a short quote form. Pair it with our Wix local SEO guide.
- Health, beauty and wellness: booking buttons throughout, service menu with durations, team profiles and calming but readable design.
- Restaurants and cafes: menu, opening hours, location, online ordering or reservations, and food photography that does not slow the page down.
- Online stores: clear category navigation, product grids, trust badges, shipping and returns information. See how to start an online store on Wix.
- Consultants and agencies: strong headline, case studies, process section and a lead form.
- Photographers and creatives: full-width galleries with lazy loading, project pages and a simple enquiry form.
- Real estate: listing pages that can connect to the Wix CMS for dynamic property pages.
Want a design that fits your brand from day one instead of adapting a template? Our Wix design and development service creates custom layouts built around your goals.
How to customise a Wix template step by step
A template only looks generic when it is left half-customised. Follow this order:
- Set your site colours and text styles in the design settings first, so changes apply everywhere at once.
- Delete unneeded pages and sections so you are only working on what you will use.
- Replace every placeholder image with your own photos or carefully chosen stock that fits your brand. Compress large images and add alt text (see Wix image SEO).
- Rewrite every line of text. Use your own headline, services and calls to action. Never leave sample text.
- Adjust spacing and alignment so sections breathe and line up consistently.
- Customise buttons with one consistent style and clear action words such as “Book a call” or “Get a quote”.
- Add your logo, favicon and social share image.
- Review the mobile layout page by page and fix anything that overlaps, is too small or is unnecessary.
- Set SEO titles, descriptions and URLs for every page using our Wix SEO setup checklist.
For more polish, read our 15 Wix website design tips, which cover hierarchy, whitespace and visual consistency.
Common Wix template mistakes
- Choosing by photography. The stock images will be replaced, and your real photos may not suit the layout.
- Picking a template from the wrong industry and forcing your content into it.
- Keeping every animation. Effects should support the message, not distract from it.
- Leaving template pages live. Unused pages such as sample blog posts or placeholder shop items look unprofessional and can be indexed by Google.
- Ignoring mobile until the end. Fixing mobile layouts last often means redoing work.
- Planning to switch templates later. On the classic editor, switching means rebuilding, so choose well now.
Need help choosing or customising a Wix template? Let MIVAQ do it for you
MIVAQ helps businesses pick the right Wix or Wix Studio template, or skip templates entirely with a custom design. We plan your page structure, customise layouts and branding, write conversion-focused copy, optimise mobile and speed, and set up SEO, so your site looks unique and is ready to win customers. You get a fixed-price quote and a free consultation before any work begins.
Explore our Wix solutions, our web design service, and our portfolio of recent work.
- WhatsApp: message us
- Email: hello@mivaq.com
- Form: send your project details
Related Wix guides
- How to build a Wix website
- Wix website design tips
- Wix Editor vs Wix Studio
- Make your Wix site mobile-friendly
- Redesign your Wix site without losing traffic
- The complete Wix guide
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my Wix template after publishing?
In the classic Wix Editor you cannot apply a new template to an existing site. You can redesign pages manually, or create a new site from another template and move your content across, then transfer your plan and domain.
Are Wix templates free?
Wix’s own template library is free to use. You still need a Premium plan to connect a custom domain and remove Wix branding. Some third-party designers sell premium templates separately.
Do Wix templates affect SEO?
Indirectly. Templates affect page speed, heading structure and mobile usability. Your SEO settings, content and links still matter most. Follow our Wix SEO checklist whichever template you choose.
Should I start with a blank Wix template?
Only if you have design experience. Beginners usually build faster and better from a well-structured template that matches their industry.
Can MIVAQ customise a Wix template for me?
Yes. We customise templates or create fully custom Wix designs, including copy, mobile layout and SEO, for a fixed price. Contact us for a free consultation.
Conclusion
The best Wix template for your business is the one with the right structure, a clear hero, a clean mobile layout and the features you need, not the one with the nicest stock photos. Shortlist a few, score them, choose carefully, then customise every detail so it looks like your brand. If you want a professional to do it for you, contact MIVAQ for a fixed-price Wix design.
