The verdict in three sentences
Consumer builders like Wix rent you your online presence: you pay every month, for life, without ever owning the code. Migrating to a controlled pro solution turns a recurring expense into an investment, doubles speed and unlocks SEO. Plan 300,000 to 700,000 FCFA once, a 2 to 4 week timeline and 301 redirects to preserve your traffic.
Wix vs controlled stack: the real 3-year cost
| Criterion | Wix / WordPress.com | Controlled pro solution |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | 15,000 - 30,000 FCFA for life | Hosting 5,000 - 15,000 FCFA |
| 3-year cost | 540,000 - 1,080,000 FCFA | 180,000 - 540,000 FCFA |
| Code ownership | No, locked in | Yes, exportable |
| SEO | Capped | Full control |
| Speed | Average | ~2x faster |
| Data export | Limited | Complete |
Over three years, a full-price subscription often exceeds the cost of a one-off migration: you pay more to own less.
How to migrate without losing SEO
| Step | Action | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inventory | List all existing URLs | Miss nothing |
| 2. Mapping | Match each old URL to the new one | 1:1 mapping |
| 3. Redirects | Set up the 301s | Avoid chains |
| 4. Content | Carry over text, titles, metas | Keep keywords |
| 5. Sitemap | Regenerate and resubmit to Google | Search Console |
| 6. Monitoring | Watch rankings for 4-8 weeks | Fix 404s |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Fatou, a jewelry maker in Dakar, paid 22,000 FCFA/month on Wix, i.e. 264,000 FCFA/year. Her site loaded in 5 seconds and hit a visibility ceiling. We migrate to a pro solution at 480,000 FCFA, hosting at 8,000 FCFA/month. From year one, her recurring cost drops from 264,000 to 96,000 FCFA, i.e. 168,000 FCFA saved per year, while gaining code ownership and half the load time. The migration pays for itself in under three years on subscription savings alone, before counting the conversion lift.
FAQ
Will I lose my ranking when leaving Wix? No, if a 301 redirect plan with 1:1 mapping is applied. A temporary 2 to 4 week dip is normal, with recovery within 4 to 8 weeks.
Can I recover my Wix content? Text and images yes, but automatic export is limited: some must be re-entered manually, which is built into the 2 to 4 week timeline.
Why does speed double after migration? A controlled stack serves optimized, lightweight pages suited to 3G, whereas builders load many generic scripts. The observed order of magnitude is a 2x faster site.
What happens to my domain name? It is kept and pointed to the new site. Your domain-linked email addresses stay unchanged.
Is it really cheaper long term? Yes: over 3 years, a full-price Wix subscription reaches 540,000 to 1,080,000 FCFA, versus a one-off migration of 300,000 to 700,000 FCFA plus modest hosting. You pay once instead of paying for life.
Let's talk about your project. Send us your Wix or WordPress URL and we'll quote the migration with the SEO plan. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
