Building a Wix Website for My Mom: The Experience and Lessons Learned

It started as a simple idea: “Hey, Mom, let me build you a website for your new baking business.” What followed was a rollercoaster of drag-and-drop edits, design tweaks, and lots of “Can we make that font just a bit bigger?”

If you’ve ever considered helping a family member build a website — especially using a beginner-friendly platform like Wix — you’re not alone. In this post, I’m sharing what it was really like to create a Wix site for my mom: the process, the surprises, and the lessons I’ll definitely use next time.

 Why We Chose Wix

Before diving into design mode, I had to pick the right platform. We considered WordPress, Squarespace, and even Shopify, but Wix won for three reasons:

• It’s beginner-friendly: My mom wanted to be able to make small updates on her own.
  
• Beautiful templates: Wix’s drag-and-drop builder made design easy.
  
• Built-in tools: From forms to photo galleries, everything was ready out of the box.
  

 Mom’s business: “Sweet Beginnings” – a home bakery selling custom cakes and cookies.

 Step-by-Step: Building the Site

Step 1: Choosing a Template

We chose a bakery template that already had soft pastel colors, gallery sections, and a homepage layout that felt personal yet professional.

I quickly learned:

• Less is more: Clean templates worked better than fancier ones.
  
• Think mobile-first: Many templates looked beautiful on desktop but clunky on phones.
  

Step 2: Customizing the Site

This part took the most time. Here’s what we tweaked:

• Fonts and colors to match her branding
  
• A custom logo (made in Canva)
  
• Simple navigation: Home, About, Menu, Gallery, Contact
  

We also added:

• A contact form linked to her email
  
• A map to her pickup-only kitchen
  
• A testimonial section using reviews from WhatsApp
  

Step 3: Connecting a Custom Domain

We upgraded to a paid Wix plan so she could use her new domain: www.sweetbeginningscakes.com. Connecting it was smooth — Wix guided us through each step.

Challenges We Faced (And How We Solved Them)

 Feedback Overload

Every time I thought we were “done,” she had another change. Fonts, button shapes, wording—small things added up.

Fix: We used Google Docs to agree on page content before editing in Wix.

 Image Quality Issues

Uploading photos from her phone resulted in pixelated images.

Fix: I taught her how to use natural lighting and basic editing apps like Snapseed to improve photo quality.

 Mobile View Tweaks

Even though Wix offers mobile optimization, some elements looked off.

Fix: I manually adjusted mobile layouts within the Wix Editor to ensure spacing and buttons worked well on phones.

 Cost Breakdown

Here’s what we spent:

• Wix Combo Plan: ~$16/month (includes domain for a year)
  
• Domain registration: Free for year 1 via Wix
  
• Logo design: Free (DIY with Canva)
  

Total first-year cost: ~$192 — affordable and worth it for a polished online presence.

 Results: The Finished Product

Once live, her Wix website helped her:

• Attract new local customers
  
• Take orders directly from the contact form
  
• Share her menu with photo examples
  
• Gain credibility (especially with older clients)
  

It also made her feel official. “I have a real website now!” she said proudly — and that made it all worth it.

 Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Repeat My Mistakes)

1. Start with a content outline: Know what pages and info you’ll need before you build.
   
2. Keep your mom (or client) involved—but not too involved: Regular check-ins work better than real-time edits.
   
3. Design mobile-first: Over 70% of her visitors came from phones.
   
4. Use built-in Wix tools: Don’t reinvent the wheel — the built-in apps (like gallery sliders and forms) were life-savers.
   
5. Teach them to edit: A quick tutorial on how to swap images or change prices made her feel in control.
   

Final Thoughts: Helping Someone Else Goes Beyond Web Design

Building a website for someone you love isn’t just about drag-and-drop tools — it’s about collaboration, empathy, and communication. And while Wix made it easier than expected, the best part was watching my mom feel confident about her growing business.

So if you’re thinking of helping a parent or loved one get online, go for it. Just bring patience, a bit of tech savvy, and a shared snack break or two.

 “I never thought I’d have a website,” my mom said. “Now I feel like I really have a business.”