In 2024, are you looking for a no-code website builder or are you considering migrating your website to another CMS? If that's the case, you've come to the right place. Webflow is here to help.
There are thousands of website creation tools in 2024, but Webflow has taken a crucial place in the site creation market. It is undeniably a next-generation hosting platform, making it the preferred choice of 3.5 million businesses, teams and designers.
With Webflow, designers can create scalable and beautiful websites without technical knowledge. This allows them to devote time to essential tasks while attracting more audiences.
In this article on “What is Webflow?” , we are going to understand what Webflow means and take a detailed look at its features, benefits, and reasons for choosing Webflow over another solution. We will also provide a comparative study of Webflow with other CMS tools. So, let's dive in and discover the basics of Webflow through this article.
What is Webflow?
Whether you're a prolific blogger or a business owner, you can create smooth websites with Webflow.
Webflow is a visual website builder and editor that allows you to design, build, and launch your website simply by clicking, dragging and dropping various elements, such as images or text, onto a page. It combines the power of HTML, CSS, and Javascript and helps you build a website without the need to code. So this allows you to focus on the visual aspect of the design rather than fighting with complex codes.
Start building your Webflow site
Webflow CMS acts as an all-in-one design platform with an easy to use visual interface. It is the ideal solution for those who want to create websites at the cutting edge of technology. With Webflow, users can:
- Create interactive experiences through animations.
- Manage various contents easily via a comprehensive CMS.
- Sell a wide range of products thanks to eCommerce features.
- Access an active community for quick problem resolution.
- Guarantee rapid site performance to capture and retain users.
- Ensure the security of the website, protecting user and company information.
Now it's time to go deeper into Webflow.
What is Webflow for?
Webflow is a dynamic and versatile web development platform that helps design, create, and launch websites without necessarily having to write code. It combines the power of visual design with coding, making it ideal for designers and developers. Webflow helps create a wide range of sites, including one-page sites, portfolios, corporate and marketing sites, SaaS platforms, eCommerce sites, and user-generated content sites.
Here's why people are using Webflow:
- Webflow offers a visually intuitive platform that simplifies the web design process, making it accessible to both beginners and professionals.
- Another big advantage of Webflow is that it allows users to design websites without the need to write complex code.
- Webflow offers powerful CMS (content management system) features that help manage a variety of content types.
- It offers extensive support resources, making it easy for users to learn and solve problems.
- The drag-and-drop interface makes the site easy to use and makes it quick to create.
The 6 main features of Webflow in 2024
Visual Design Tools - No Code Needed
Webflow's visual design tools are a standout feature, especially for those who prefer a more intuitive approach to web design. Unlike Wix and SquareSpace, Webflow allows you to customize each design. In other environments, designers have to write a series of codes. But with Webflow, you can visualize how your site looks with drag-and-drop elements in your visual canvas.
Responsive and mobile-ready design
Imagine creating your desktop website, and it fits well on smartphones without extra effort. Webflow provides responsive designs that are ready at the click of a button. Webflow designers don't need to do additional iterations to adjust their sites to different screens. The platform automatically adjusts your layout to provide an optimal experience on computers, tablets and smartphones.
With Webflow, you get 5x faster sites thanks to its ultra-fast content delivery network (CDN) for hosting.
CMS integration in Webflow
Integrating the CMS (content management system) into Webflow allows users to manage large amounts of content. This makes it possible to design unique web pages without writing a single line of code.
eCommerce functionality
Do you have unique products and services to sell? Webflow provides a complete solution for creating online stores. This feature integrates seamlessly with the rest of the platform, allowing you to manage products, inventory, and transactions while designing your store visually.
SEO optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for the success of any website. Webflow offers a complete set of tools designed to improve the SEO of your website, guaranteeing better visibility and better ranking in search results.
Webflow hosting
Webflow hosting gives you space to store your files on a web server in order to be online. With Webflow, your site benefits from world-class speed, security, and customer trust.
What are the advantages of Webflow?
Webflow offers advantages for all segments: designers, customers and businesses.
Webflow for developers:
- The visual editor and the code exist in one place.
- Comfortable drag-and-drop interface for editing designs.
- Design, content, and development team can work together.
Webflow for customers:
Webflow sites work exceptionally well on mobile and offer great interactivity, helping customers better understand products and services.
Webflow for businesses:
Webflow offers unique features to all businesses, from startups to fully functional businesses. It allows teams to focus on marketing instead of coding, with fast load time and site scalability.
How does Webflow work?
Webflow helps your customers understand your products, services, and business through text interactions, engaging visuals, and branding icons. To get the results you want, it's important to follow certain steps in the Webflow process.
Step 1: Who is my target audience for?
What is the purpose of my website? Is it to educate, entertain, or sell products? How do you represent your brand? The main message of the brand and its unique points of sale. Expect an increase in your customers in the near future? You can opt for a scalable design. Who are my competitors? What is their marketing strategy?
Step 2: Set realistic limits and deadlines
Now that you have concrete website design goals, setting achievable deadlines and limits is critical to managing the project effectively. If you don't have a set deadline, the website design won't be completed on time. So specify your milestones and deadlines that you can probably work within. Setting milestones encourages you to move forward more easily.
You can also use tools like:
- Gantt chart
- Network DiagramWebflow simplifies all of these steps by removing the agile design cycle.
Step 3: Site mapping and wireframing
Site mapping and wireframing help you visualize the appearance of your website. Site structure planning (mapping) creates a visual representation of its pages, content hierarchy, and navigation flow. This makes it possible to establish relationships with the various Webflow pages and to create the architecture of the site.
Wireframing is the process of creating sketches or basic layouts that represent the location of elements (such as text, images, and buttons) on different pages. These wireframes serve as a blueprint, guiding the design process and content placement.
Webflow offers you the opportunity to design interactions and create page hierarchies.
Step 4: Develop and organize content
Content is the central part of creating a website. Content development includes writing text, creating images, videos, or any other media element required for the website. Without relevant content, you won't be able to get your brand message and the meaning of your product across to users. Content generates high customer interaction and engagement. So what are the goals?
- You can capture the attention of visitors with engaging visuals, create relevant content, select the right typography, and improve the readability of the content.
- Use natural SEO techniques to aim for higher search engine rankings and meet the needs of your customers. Webflow's CMS is the ideal answer for creating exemplary content and designs. For SEO, Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and Advanced SEO work perfectly.
But if you're serious about maximizing the reach of your site to your targeted audience, you'll need to do some advanced search engine optimization. Don't worry, Agence No Code is ready to help you with your content creation and SEO.
Step 5: Design the visual elements in Webflow
Visual elements are needed to reinforce the meaning of the content you've written. In Webflow, you can optimize your images and make them responsive. Additionally, you can add alternative text to images to illustrate what your images want to convey. Webflow's design capabilities allow for extensive customization without the need for coding.
Step 6: Conduct tests and check if the site is working well
Testing is essential to ensure that the site works as expected and provides a smooth user experience. Webflow has a visual editor for testing websites, and you can customize the code if needed. Go to Webflow's link settings to adjust external and internal links.
Additionally, optimize the site for speed, SEO, and accessibility. This includes optimizing images, implementing SEO best practices, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and resolving performance issues. Also, check if all the links are working properly with SEO analysis tools.
Or you can hire the best website testing experts to test yours.
Step 7: Deploy a Webflow site
Once the testing and optimization are complete and the site meets the goals set, it is time to launch it. The beauty of the Webflow site lies in its ability to constantly make the necessary changes to improve its performance, without the need for maintenance.
If you want to know more about how to create a Webflow site from scratch, check out the easiest and most up-to-date article on the Internet about it.
Is Webflow free? Webflow pricing in 2024
Choosing the right Webflow pricing plan can sometimes be tedious. However, Webflow offers a wide range of pricing plans according to your goals and needs. It offers plans ranging from individuals to large businesses. Let's break down the pricing plans and get a quick overview.
Site maps (general)
- Starter plan: Free
- Basic plan: $14/month (billed annually); $18/month (billed monthly)
- CMS plan: $23/month (billed annually); $29/month (billed monthly)
- Business Plan: $39/month (billed annually); $49/month (billed monthly)
- Enterprise Plan: Contact the Webflow Team
Site maps (Ecommerce)
- Standard: $29/month (billed annually); $42/month (billed monthly)
- Plus: $74/month (billed annually); $84/month (billed monthly)
- Advanced: $212/month (billed annually); $235/month (billed monthly)
From these pricing plans, it's clear that Webflow's site plans are designed to meet a wide range of website needs. The plans range from a basic setup suited for small projects to more advanced options for content-rich and commercial sites.
To learn more about Webflow's pricing plans and costs, dive into our blog “How much does it cost to create a Webflow site?”
Alternatives to Webflow in 2024
Now let's take a look at some of the best Webflow alternatives available in 2024.
Webflow vs WordPress, which is better?
Comparing Webflow and WordPress, Webflow stands out for its visual design interface, offering granular control without requiring intensive coding. It's an all-in-one platform, simplifying content design, hosting, and management. Conversely, WordPress, known for its vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, requires more technical skills for customization.
Webflow focuses on visual design, aimed at designers and businesses looking for intuitive control, while WordPress is suitable for a wider audience, offering plenty of customization options but with a steeper learning curve and maintenance needs.
The choice depends on design control preferences and technical skills, Webflow excels at visual design, while WordPress offers diverse customization through its vast ecosystem.
Here you will find a comparative table highlighting the main differences between Webflow and WordPress.
Webflow vs Squarespace
The two tools for creating sites, Webflow and Squarespace, represent two distinct approaches to creating websites.
Webflow targets designers and businesses looking for complex design control. It offers a visual-oriented platform, allowing users to create highly customizable and responsive websites without the need for advanced coding.
Squarespace, on the other hand, focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It is aimed at individuals and small businesses looking for a user-friendly platform. Squarespace offers pre-designed templates and a guided interface for quick site setup. While it offers a more streamlined experience, it provides slightly less customization compared to Webflow.
The choice between Webflow and Squarespace therefore depends on the user's priorities.
Webflow vs Wix
Wix is another popular solution outside of Webflow, WordPress, and Squarespace.
Both Webflow and Wix offer user-friendly drag-and-drop templates that are ideal for those who don't have coding skills. However, there are significant differences between the two tools.
Webflow is for beginners as well as experienced developers. While newbies can easily navigate the interface without coding skills, experienced developers leverage its HTML/CSS capabilities, extensive customization, online editing, and advanced features to create bespoke sites from scratch.
In contrast, Wix relies heavily on templates, with over 800 professionally designed options. Users select from a variety of templates for quick website setup, but customization options are relatively limited.
Both platforms offer ease of use with diversified plans, but Webflow is distinguished by its flexibility, while Wix favors model-based simplicity for a fast and varied implementation of websites.
Benefits of using Webflow in 2024
In 2024, the benefits of Webflow became more pronounced. From the “What is Webflow” blog, you should have understood that Webflow is an all-in-one solution for website creation, content management, hosting, and much more. From newbies to seasoned developers, Webflow connected everyone without requiring coding skills. Its drag-and-drop simplicity and complex design control make it an ideal choice for newcomers and experienced developers.
Plus, if you want to develop a custom Webflow site — quickly and at an affordable price, Agence No Code is just a phone call away. We have the best Webflow developers to hire, who are experts in creating innovative and tailor-made websites. For any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
