I wonder how many of you feel the same as I do about this matter.
I love working on WIX but there is something fundamental which if it would have been changed, would make my life - and in results my client so much easier.
I am talking about the invisible cord linking mobile site to desktop site, one translation version of the site to another etc etc.
In a “mobile first” world where the attention on the mobile site is much higher than desktop, it feel so limiting that on WIX, we still have a “light version” of the website automatically created out of the desktop version and by no mean, we can not create a totally different and mobile friendly experience to our mobile users. Why on earth we can not simply create a mobile site ABSOLUTELY different than the desktop version? Why is this connection between the two sites even exist… wouldn’t it be so simple to design each page of our mobile site completely free from its equivalent page on the desktop? What is the logic behind making those pages be linked so hard and why is the mobile version - which is such an important element in our client visitor experience is a “secondary” light version of the desktop?
In the same format of the linking between Desktop and Mobile, we have the same invisible cord between each translation of the website. Why would each page translation, let’s say the Chinese version of an English page - be linked to its English version? The amount of characters are different, the layout needs to be different, which cause a total chaos because of that linked pages. Now take that into 4 languages multi-lingual site and WIX system simply will not be able to offer a proper site translation due tot hat linking.
Why do we even have to deal with such meaningless connections and links between versions of the site or translation of the site when we can work much faster, deliver better experience, and have a much more simple system on WIX designing each version, each translation as its own page.
can we please CUT THE CORD between mobile and desktop, between one translation to the other, and allow us to work on each version of the site totally independent to deliver the proper experience to the end user?
Who is with me on this or I am the only one who feels the pain and suffering in this world?
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Hi Hidemi, thank you for the feedback. A lot of great information in your post!
I think it’s a great #FeatureRequest.
Thank you Steven. I hope this post will reach someone in WIX product development team…
Unsure how I feel about this. Considering it’s already possible with a simple router, I think most people who use Wix still benefit from the current system that makes life easier. Maybe as an option, but I don’t think it’s a better idea by default.
Hey David.
Could you explain what did you mean by “simple router” and how I can use it to separately edit each of my language pages, or desktop or mobile version in a completely different elements and format?
@skmedia While you and me are Wix Nerds, there are many Wix users who have no idea how to use the current setup to edit some simple features. This proposal would just make it that little bit easier for everyone else.
@deleteduser enlighten me please, Heath. How do you do it?
Enlighted ever so slightly by @Heath H-M and @David - skeptisch.net about the Corvid router which can resolve this issue, it is still a matter for code Jedi or at least a Jedi in training.
I wonder if there is a human approach for this problem, allowing mortals to do the same thing with a simple UI.
Wouldn’t the ability to create sub-domain on WIX (by using the existing DNS editor) lets say japanese -mobile.mydomain.com and then build on that sub-domain the Japanese mobile version - that add a new sub-domain japanese-dekstop.mydomain.com for the Japanese desktop experience and the same with the English versions of the site will allow us to create and place the right version of the site on the right sub-domain.
Next, we should have a simple “Sub-domain Router UI” on the backend dashboard allowing us to route traffic for desktop to the right sub domain and mobile to the other while we link the language selector to the right sub-domain.
Finally to wrap it all up, we will have a domain masking system so the end user will not see that they are on different sub domains, for them it will look like they are not he same domain.
I know it sounds complicated but – there must be a way we can do that without been a Corvid black belt.
This would make it so much easier for all the non-nerds out there.
Still - it’s too nerdy to be human solution…
I specialize in helping startups with bootstrap budgets both locally and through the Arena. I couldn’t keep my prices as low as I do if I had to create separate sites for mobile, and I’m getting loads of Arena referrals for technically-challenged users who built they own sites and are having trouble doing anything with mobile.
sure thing @ dcliege , if you go for quantity and speed bashing sites, that option might not be for you, but when you work with very detailed sites that do need to work well on all aspects, that kind of an option is a must. I am not suggesting to dump the current way of how WIX works, I just suggest TO HAVE THE OPTION for designer who do need it to “switch off” that endless mirroring of the different page variations and allow us to work directly and independently on each eversion.
@hidemitakagi sure that would be ideal to have the option. I agree entirely.
Over the years, the WIX mobile editor has continually updated and improved, I like having the ability to make my mobile experience as light or heavy as I want and the link between the two keeps the visuals and feel the same across all devices.
You never had the need for a mobile site to be totally different from the desktop to deliver a true mobile first experience?
Yes, but I found after exploring fully responsive sites, building 2 styles etc, I came back to the realisation having a totally flexible and customisable platform like wix worked better ‘with lots of frustration along the way’
When I wanted a separate mobile only, I just used a (dot mobi) created a new site and linked back to main site as required.
We all have different needs though,
Right. As you mentioned- when needed we need to go to extreme lengths to get a proper mobile experience- even getting it on a different platform and redirect.
My suggestion is to keep everything on wix by simply having a switch off/on for that mirror feature between desktop and mobile.
Maybe a year or two ago it was not yet an urgent need but now it is a matter of a client stay or leave wix due to this inability for mobile first and independent site.
I am simply out loud what clients asks and hope wix developers are listening - it is of upmost important for more and more clients to have a really cool mobile experience
Maybe a #featurerequest for an independent mobile home page to start?
@ride360org close but no cigar - so to speak… we really need a solution here for a mobile version. Been #FeatureRequest to have a proper mobile editor etc for ages now. I do know that the product team is planning some kind of mobile improvements but I hope they can at least “cut the cord” between the two versions to start with so we can use the still limited but workable mobile editor to create a good mobile version until the mobile editor will match the desktop one.
