How To Hire A Wix Coder
Finding a good Wix coder on the platform isn't always easy and I've struggled myself finding someone who can be reliable, available, and also familiar with the platform.
See, Wix Corvid (same name for Wix code) is slightly different than JavaScript because of the proprietary code that Wix has created to build their platform.
This means that it isn't as easy as accessing the code and manipulating it. Sometimes you have to add an iFrame, go to the dashboard tracking and analytics, enable corvid, create databases, etc.
The point is that it takes a learning curve to become comfortable working in the platform so if you are wanting to get your custom form or custom payment screen made, it is best to try and stick with an actual Wix coder.
So how do you find one? How much does one cost? How can you be sure they are familiar with the platform? Is there anywhere teaching this stuff? Where can I find support? I'll give a complete run down of what to expect and what I have learned from my experiences outsourcing and hiring Wix coders for custom projects.
Wix Corvid
Wix rebranded the coding part of their platform as Wix Corvid. This is ultimately, for users, the EXACT SAME product.
If you have a great idea that you want to add to your website and know you will probably need code to do it and have heard of Corvid I want to make sure you understand what you are looking for. In order to do this I want to give a little background first...
Wix Code Language
The Wix code language is based in JavaScript but as mentioned above, since there is proprietary code written by Wix that they do not want others to steal, you do not have access to the entire back end of your site... and neither will any developer you work with.
This means there is less customization that can be done on your site. A project that might be available to websites built from scratch, or even Wordpress, will not always work on the Wix platform.
That is why it is so important to work with a developer who has used Wix and is familiar with the platform so that you can get an accurate estimate if your project is possible instead of talking with an overly confident developer who thinks it will work the same.
Try to ask your developer how long they have been working with Wix code. This will give you an idea of how familiar they will be at this point.
Wix Developer Tools
Before Wix did some rebranding, in order to be able to use Wix code you would have needed to "turn on" the Wix code feature. Wix used to call this section the "Developer Tools" section but now it is just called Corvid. It works the exact same way but I find this to be a decent question to ask your developer.
"How do you access Wix code?"
Turning the "wix developer tools" will allow you see the code section where you can input code and see the backend area where you can manipulate databased and collections.
Most of the time a quick google search will find the answer but you will be surprised at how many don't bother to even take this step. These are the people you do not want to work with.
Where Can You Find A Wix Coder?
There are several places I continue to go back to in order to find a Wix coder. Most of them are pretty well-known spots but a couple are less used and will hopefully fill in any gaps you may have.
Upwork
You can find many different Wix developers and designers here by creating a profile and then using the search function to find your freelancer. Upwork does a good job at making this simple for you by providing a top ten list every month.
This platform made for connecting freelancers and businesses makes it easy to pick out your favorite candidates or simply broadcast your need and have others message you.
If you are searching for freelancers then I would simply type in "Wix" into the search bar. You do not want to get any more specific than this because Wix is already a smaller niche to be working in.
You can find a huge range of prices and freelancers to work with and find whatever fits your project and budget.
Fiverr
The process on Fiverr is a little different because you basically directly contact the person you want to work with. This means you will have to make individual messages to every coder you will want to work with.
Because of this I often use the Upwork platform more. The ability to send out one message and receive many replies vs. send out many messages for the same number of replies just makes more sense for convenience.
I also believe Fiverr has more specific Wix code profiles because of the way the platform is set up. You can make several "gigs" so you can be very specific with what you target.
Upwork is changing slightly to offer this ability as well because it can be hard to determine who to choose when everyone is trying to appeal to as many people as they can and seem more proficient by doing so.
Wix Arena
Trying the Wix Arena is the most specific, and efficient way to locate your Wix coder.
Send out a message and receive up to 6 Wix Experts contacting you about helping with your need.
You can also browse through the expert list and read profiles, check portfolios, and see their reviews to see if they are right for the job.
The only real problem I find with the Arena is that you will not often find as good of rates as other platforms. You will more then likely be paying a higher premium, but it makes sense since you are working with developers who are already familiar with the Wix platform.
Wix Facebook Groups
This is where you can find those developers that will be your go-to-person when you need any Wix code project.
Totally Codable and Wix Code Pro are the biggest groups on Facebook and here is what I would do to find a good developer. Totally Codable also has a website where they list coders that they personally endorse as being reliable and trustworthy.
Go through the comments section and see if you can recognize the same names appearing again and again. These developers are often trying to provide help and support to Wix users to garner trust and a good reputation.
Others in the Facebook group will see this and begin to contact those developers for help and offer to pay them for their help.
This is basically how it works. If you can find a developer who is trying to build their reputation and can start a good relationship with them, you might just have found someone who can help you out for months to come.
I found an excellent Wix coder this way and was able to build about 5 different projects over several months with them. The only problem is that the more support these developers prove they can provide, the more popular they can get.
Which means they have less and less time to complete all the projects coming their way. My recommendation is to do what you can to keep that relationship strong because it will be much harder to find a replacement then it will be to keep your current developer.
Wix Code Pricing
"Depends on what you are looking for" is probably what you have heard if ever asking how much a Wix coder cost. There are so many different ways to use Wix code and what it can do for your site that the price often times fluctuates dramatically. I will be concentrating on smaller projects since I assume that is what most people will be wanting, like custom contact forms or integrations.
I will break it down buy the sections we just described above.
On the Upwork platform you can expect to pay anywhere from $10hr - $60hr. Most of the developers from outside the U.S. in more underdeveloped countries will provide the lower prices and more experienced users from more developed countries will provide higher rates.
Remember when outsourcing to give bonuses if your budget affords it, especially when purchasing from someone providing lower rates. You will also want to consider how much maintenance this will take. Often times if you spend more time trying to manage the project it would have been more worth your efforts to just have paid for a higher rate.
On the Fiverr platform you can expect to pay anywhere between $50 - $250. These are more realistic prices and don't reflect the lower rates provided on the Upwork platform and I feel this is appropriate since most Fiverr gig's are specifically for the Wix platform.
I would HIGHLY recommend messaging your developer before you begin to hire them for a project. Often times there is a lot of confusion for coding projects because there is so many different ways you can use Wix code. Always make sure you and the developer are on the same page before attempting to hire them.
Wix Arena is probably going to be the most expensive area because of the expertise. These are developers who have already proven to Wix that they are familiar with Corvid. These projects will typicaly be between $100 - $500.
Again, if you go the less expensive path there is nothing wrong with that but understand you might be paying more in maintenance and time then you will in money.
Wix Code Tutorials
Maybe you don't have the biggest budget or spend on a developer, maybe you haven't had good communication with one, or maybe you simply feel this shouldn't take as much time as quoted and you want to see if you can take things more into your own hands.
Well, lucky for you there are a couple people putting out quality Wix code tutorials that I recommend you checking out. Your exact problem might be outlined already and all you need to do is spend a little time putting it in your site.
YouTube is where I would recommend finding this material. Wix Training Academy and Code Queen are both channels that you can endlessly watch through their many videos to see if you can find the right one for your needs.
Wix has done their own job at providing the easiest to understand videos you need when trying to learn and build using Wix corvid.
Wix Code Support
Whether you are outsourcing your project or trying to do it yourself, check out the Wix code resource center where you can see every piece of how the code is written and how it works.
You can also visit the facebook groups I mentioned above. They have real life people helping and responding to hundreds of comments about Wix code. You can even use the search function in the group to find older post that might have information on your problem.
What I would do is take note of some of the questions you find in the groups that actually have answers. Take those questions and ask the developer you are outsourcing if they know the answers. This way you can see their experience.
Wix Code Forum
This is run by Wix employees and dedicated admins who are there to help the community.
This is an excellent library of Wix code resources and will be the perfect source to try and find your issue. You can also create your own post but getting someone to respond isn't always as easy as it sounds. I have often had no response at all to my post in the community board.
Mercado Wix Design Takeaways
1. Find a Wix coder through Upwork, Fiverr, Wix Arena, or Facebook Groups. Your best chance at creating a relationship with your coder is through the Facebook groups where I have personally seen many people use this successfully.
2. Cost for a Wix coder will depend on the project and your approach. If you want to go cheap then understand you will pay in maintenance and time.
3. There is plenty of support available if you are trying to learn by yourself but if you are outsourcing you can take popular questions and use those to ask the developer you find.
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