Web development comes to mind when we think about creating a website, but why not use a no-code website builder?
It is essential to research various web platforms before starting to create your new website in order to choose the ideal platform for your business. Website builders differ in their strengths, with some having more strengths than others.
The market is awash with site builders who claim to be universal solutions to all design problems, but in reality, they fail to meet both design and development requirements. Only a few tools deliver what they promise.
The process of integrating new technology into the workflow of your web design business is no longer a joke. It is possible to put in a lot of effort without a guarantee of results. However, every once in a while, a completely new tool or application completely revolutionizes your approach to web design, development, and customer service. This allows your business to take advantage of new opportunities and continue to grow.
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a software as a service (SaaS) solution that allows designers to create adaptable websites using visual editing software that runs in the browser. Webflow is a tool that designers use, and it automatically generates HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as designers use the tool.
Additionally, Webflow provides lots of materials that explain how to get started. While not as difficult as learning web development, using a website for the first time can present a small learning curve.
Websites created with Webflow are hosted on Fastly and are powered by Amazon Cloudfront. Webflow is an all-in-one platform that includes an integrated content management system (CMS). It does not require external plugins.
Webflow offers a variety of support channels including:
- Customer service
- An online community, a forum
- And Webflow University
The latter offers a wealth of textual and visual material, as well as video training, making it accessible to a wide variety of students.
Web design
Web design is the process of creating the layout and appearance of websites for use on the Internet. In most cases, this refers to components of web development that focus on user experience rather than program development. In the past, website development for desktop browsers was the main focus of web design; however, since the mid-2010s, designing for mobile and tablet browsers has become an increasingly essential aspect of web design.
When it comes to creating and managing websites, web design covers a wide variety of specialized skills and areas of study. Design, user interface (UI) design, writing, which can include both standardized code and custom software, user experience design (UX), and search engine optimization (SEO) are the various sub-areas that make up web design. While some designers are responsible for all of these aspects, most of the time a large number of people work together in groups to cover the many aspects of the design process.
Markup writing is included in the design process, which is generally referred to as “web design,” which is used to define the design process related to the front-end (client-side) design of a website. In the broader context of online development, web design and web engineering share some similarities and overlaps. Web designers need to be aware of usability and be up to date with web accessibility principles.
What does web design software do?
A web designer has the following responsibilities:
Web layout
A web designer is responsible for the overall look and feel of a website, as well as its layout and, in some cases, its content. The use of colors, fonts, and graphics, for example, contributes to the overall appearance. The way information is organized and organized is called layout. A good web design is one that is user-friendly, engaging, and appropriate for the website's target audience and brand.
Simplifying content
A large number of websites today are created with an emphasis on simplicity, in order to exclude superfluous content or functionality that could distract or confuse site visitors. Since a web designer's product is a website that earns and promotes the trust of the target audience, eliminating all potential sources of user irritation is an essential consideration.
3 Responsiveness
Responsive design and responsive design are two of the most common approaches to designing websites that work effectively on desktop computers as well as on mobile devices. In responsive design, website content is fixed in layout sizes that correspond to typical screen sizes, but in responsive design, website content moves dynamically according to screen size. Maintaining as consistent a layout as possible across devices is critical to maintaining user trust and interest.
Because responsive design can cause problems in this area, designers should be careful when relinquishing control over the final appearance of their work. If they are also responsible for the content, then they will need to broaden their skill set; nevertheless, they will have the advantage of having complete control over the final product if they take on this responsibility.
Webflow CMS
Without having to touch a single line of code, the Webflow CMS gives you complete authority over the organizational structure of your content as well as the visual presentation of that information at any stage of the development process.
A content management system, sometimes known as a CMS, is a database that houses and manages all dynamic information. On several pages of the website, references to dynamic content can be found. Therefore, once you or your customer make changes to the material stored in the CMS, it instantly updates any pages that refer to that content. There are so many benefits that the Webflow software offers.
Benefits of using Webflow
Webflow is a great platform if you want to create a website without code. Here are some of the benefits of Webflow software:
1/ Webflow provides a familiar user interface while being interactive.
While web development experts can see a website from their code, most designers cannot.
Webflow translates so that you can focus on the visual world by offering you design consistency. You can drag and drop your cleanly coded and fully responsive HTML components onto the canvas and style them using visual tools, helping you create a more consistent user interface. You get direct, visible feedback instead of writing code, saving, and refreshing your browser, so you can work faster.
You don't have to worry about CSS syntax. Or if it can be done on the web. Or to spend all day coding.
2/ The Webflow CMS allows you to design hundreds of pages.
Do you load up your blog post designs with lorem ipsum, big graphics, and quotes from Steve Jobs? Or do you design with user-generated content?
If you've done the last one, you know how vital real content is. You can:
Develop user empathyIdentify what they really generate, not what you assume they doQuickly identify edge casesDesign for content, not the other way aroundNot all blog posts need the same design
3/ Webflow simplifies the design of landing pages.
Marketing team designers develop landing pages, deliver them to developers, and evaluate the coded results. Spend time adjusting and improving test pages.
Webflow allows you to create team templates and collaborative site templates that you can clone and modify. If only a few copy or image changes are required, you can publish the page and allow your content editor to update it via the CMS.
You can also create a collection of landing pages for use by content editors. No dependency on development or design.
4/ Webflow reduces the gap between design and development.
Without input and compromise, bringing your concepts to life with developers can be difficult and time consuming. You start over and over again when you design static mockups and your developers code them.
Webflow allows you to create HTML and CSS. You can click a button to provide your developers with a clean, coded version of your design. Even if they need to make changes to fit your business systems or style, it's a good place to start. In this way, Webflow bridges the gap between design and development.
5/ Goodbye to plugins.
Plugins for CMS like WordPress are the best way to quickly add functionality to a site. Anyone who has maintained a site full of plugins can share horror stories.
The plugins expire, to stay up to date with the web, they require updates (apparently continuous). Plugins can be unreliable, require micromanagement, and lose support.
So don't worry about plugins and clients bringing down live sites with “personalized” updates. Without customer-facing plugins, the product is more reliable.
6/ Similar actions, similar words
Entrusting a half-coded website to another developer is difficult. The developer taking over should learn the methodologies and habits of the previous developer. Webflow's uniform code makes projects more collaborative and faster to resume.
7/ Less specific knowledge required.
Webflow helps team members design and create simultaneously, ensuring diversity. This can save you money and allow your new designer/developer to complete projects successfully, avoiding broken communication chains. Ensuring diversity creates a new, more efficient delivery workflow.
8/ Webflow simplifies the design of the interface.
You probably have great ideas for interactions and animations. You tried to capture how they would look and feel by adjusting Photoshop layers, generating videos or GIFs, or manipulating Keynote. Maybe you hacked someone's JavaScript to reach your goal.
Webflow makes these days obsolete. Build interactions and animations with the same tool you use for web design, without code, GIFs, or developers.
Customers and stakeholders can experience these meetings when you are ready for feedback. So they can read your mind easily.
It is a complete tool for creating websites and these are just some of the advantages that Webflow has over coded websites.
9/ Attractive price
Webflow is a professional web development tool, so you must think that it is expensive. What would you say if it was free for you? Webflow has a free starting plan if you plan to design your website yourself or if you want to try it out before investing. Yes, for $0! The other plans are basic, at $12/month billed annually, and they can help you with better options and tools that are locked into the starter pack. Then, it has professional CMS plans at $16/month and a business plan at $36/month, which gives you the premium tools to build a high-traffic marketing site and blogs if you want to use it professionally.
10/ Security
You can't defend your website against every possible security threat by yourself. You will need a web platform that has built-in support for a comprehensive security system.
a) SOC 2 Webflow compliance
SOC 2 certification tells users that the organization has extensive and up-to-date security measures in place. To be SOC 2 compliant, a vendor must pass a third-party security assessment and meet five trust service requirements.
Systems and data are secure.These systems are continuously available.Systems are accurate and timely.Sensitive protected informationInformation is collected, used, and disposed of secure.A third-party audit implies that you do not have to trust a vendor's security statements. Webflow is SOC 2 Type I and II certified.
b) AWS hosting
AWS hosts Webflow. Their robust hosting protects Webflow services and your website from security threats, cyberattacks, and traffic spikes.
Webflow's in-house hosting service is safe and reliable. Basic, Business, and Enterprise site plans all meet business requirements.
c) SSL
SSL encrypts non-public data to prevent illegal access. Webflow's servers and your site encrypt all data. Webflow hosting includes an SSL certificate, making your site safe and reliable for users.
Never connect or submit personal data to a site without secure encryption. If a site has an SSL certificate, its URL will start with https://or Chrome will show a closed lock icon.
d) Webflow does not use plugins.
Webflow blends graphic design control, SEO, CMS, and forms, unlike WordPress, which uses third-party plugins. Security requires a plugin and plugins can add dozens of security risks.
There is no easy way to analyze the security measures of each plugin creator. Developers should release plugin updates and distribute them on your site. If they are out of date, hackers can access your site.
Webflow integrates exclusively with trusted organizations, including Mailchimp for customer management and Stripe or PayPal for payments. These transparent businesses require separate secure connections.
11/ Excellent customer support
Webflow has great customer support that can help you with any questions and issues you may have. The knowledgeable members of the Webflow customer support team are located in numerous time zones and are eager to help.
They offer email service from Monday to Friday every week. Within twenty-four to forty-eight business hours, they will provide a personalized response to each request, if possible.
Webflow vs WordPress
Webflow
Webflow is a visual CMS that appeals to web designers who want to build and customize websites while having the hosting, security, and site performance taken care of for them. Webflow is popular among web designers because of its ease of use.
WordPress
WordPress, on the other hand, is an open source content management system that can be extended and is user-friendly for those with a broad range of technical skills. They will be responsible for all aspects of hosting, security, and performance by themselves.
Conclusion
Eliminating the need for web development in website development can result in an overwhelming number of benefits for business businesses. Webflow offers a compelling solution that meets the majority of requirements for professional site design, placing it well above other low-quality DIY web design tools. The platform is constantly evolving with exciting advancements, with many more to come.
