Wix, the site builder behemoth that recently threw its weight behind HTML 5, is now reaching platform status as it opens up its 25 million+ users to developers through a new app marketplace.
Premiering with just 25 apps today, the Wix App Market has the potential to contort Wix into a competitor of services like About.me (which offer similar-looking 3rd party widgets), while creating a new marketing opportunity for HTML5 Web app developers.
Site builders, and now also app builders, are generally notorious among designers and developers, because despite attempts, drag and drop interfaces have never proven to be as effective as custom-designed sites created by skilled professionals. Unfortunately, however, the technical skill and budget required to achieve the best results is not available to the average person. That’s why more accessible offerings have emerged.
No matter your distaste or love of Wix, however, its size alone makes for an interesting discussion, and given that its new marketplace is completely untapped, any consumer-facing, HTML 5-based Web service that’s interested in bringing in new users should consider building something with Wix’s JavaScript SDK.
For users, Wix’s new App Market doesn’t require downloads and works directly with the company’s site builder interface. Ultimately, Wix sites are about to get a lot more features.
According to Avishai Abrahami, Wix Co-founder and CEO:
Our goal is to offer a wide choice of apps that provide the popular and niche features Wix users have been asking for or that address current and future market trends. By enabling developers to share their creative genius with our users, the Wix offering becomes dramatically better and the developers gain access to millions of new users for business growth.
Wix users can start playing with the apps today upon login, and developers can learn more by visiting the link below.
Image credit: Medioimages / Photodisc / Thinkstock
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