Zn1-xNixO thin films (nominal x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.1 and 0.2) were synthesized on silicon substrates through a sol-gel/dip-coating technique. Samples were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results from X-ray diffraction show growth in the wurtzite crystal structure for all samples, with cubic NiO being detected as a secondary phase for x = 0.2. While for x = 0 (pure ZnO) no texture is present, for 0 <= x <= 0.1 strong preferential crystallization along the c-axis is observed. A tendency for Ni diffusion towards the film/Si substrate interface was observed. The formation of substitutional ZnxNi1-xO solid solution for 0.01 <= x <= 0.04 is suggested by the results. Photoluminescence spectra exhibit strong near band edge UV emission and suppression of deep defect-related emission in the visible upon Ni+2 incorporation into the ZnO lattice. As in pure ZnO, the UV emission in ZnNiO at room temperature is dominated by the first two phonon replica of the excitonic emission, however the LO phonon energy (h omega(LO)) is reduced by up to similar to 15 meV in the 0 <= x <= 0.04 range. Due to this reduction of h omega(LO), the exciton-phonon coupling increases, in consistency with a corresponding expected increase of the Frohlich coupling constant with decreasing h omega(LO).