The World Wide Web has grown to a stage where that are many tools that can be used to build a website.
As a matter of fact, new tools keep on coming to the market almost every year. Among these tools is Webflow. So what is Webflow?
Meaning of Webflow
Webflow is an online visual tool that is used for building a website i.e. developing a website without code. If you are already familiar with web development, you might know that there are three (3) main ways of building a website. Namely:
- Hard coding the website from ground up (Using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP etc.)
- Using limited block elements and template base tools like WordPress, Wix or others and
- By using powerful visual canvas tool like Webflow
The Meaning of Visual Powerful tool.
All websites are built with code, regardless of how and where they are built. But for most people especially the non-programmers, writing codes is always too tasky and time consuming.
Thus there’s a need for a tool that can abstract the boring process of writing codes away for non-programmers.
You might ask is this not what WordPress, Wix and other limited block elements builders are doing? Similar role basically, however using WordPress builder, Editor-X, Elementor page builder, Beaver and the likes poses limitation on what can be achieved with the layout, navigation, functionality and most especially animations. This is why there is a need for powerful visual builder.
The answer to that is Webflow, but it is not the only one. Similar tools have emerged, example of those are framer, web studio among others.
Why Webflow
Webflow abstracts away the process of hard coding a website with almost all the benefits of code by providing simple visual interface. What this means is that there is a very little to no limitation regarding the creativity that can be achieved with layouts, navigations, functionalities, animations and interactions, and responsiveness.
But it is more than that, Webflow also offer other premium services such as content management system (CMS), real time collaboration with team members, in-app integration and many others.
This makes it easy for everyone regardless of their background to build a powerful website quickly without the hassle of writing complex lines of code.
Historical Background of Webflow
Webflow was founded in August 5, 2013 by Vlad Magdalin, Sergie Magdalin and Bryant Chou. Webflow began by raising fund from Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, Tim Draper and other guys who invest in tech industry.
Getting Started with Webflow
It’s quite easy to get started with Webflow, there are tons of learning resources on popular learning platforms like YouTube, Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and the rest.
However, Webflow also provide courses to master their tool on Webflow University.
Webflow University is owned and maintained by Webflow to house courses exclusively curated by professionals to teach newbie how to to use webflow in a proper way and to broaden their knowledge with related web development tools.
Advantages of Using Webflow
As we have been discuss, Webflow key value proposition is to enable designers, business owners, developers or anybody with zero to mid programming skill to build a complex website without the issue of writing code. That way, building website takes a significant less time. For ease of access the benefits are bulleted below.
- It allows non-programmer to build interactive websites
- Building website takes less time
- It allows real time collaborations between two or more people
- Webflow supports code export: which means you can build your website and export the codes to be hosted somewhere else
- It supports Content Management System (CMS)
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) becomes easier
- Webflow enables you to use other services right in the designer, natively called app
- Managing the websites become easier
- Webflow also provides premium templates that are highly customizable.
- It supports native E-commerce stores
- It supports simple multilingual website
Disadvantages of Using Webflow
Just like any other low-code platforms, limitations around advanced functionality such as user sign-in, advanced logical operations abound. One of the main limitation of Webflow is code exporting.
Webflow does not want you to build the website without hosting it with them, to enforce that the exported code does not include CMS code. It only consist static pages, i.e. codes of website without any dynamic content. Other disadvantages of Webflow are:
- Higher cost of hosting
- Webflow sometime freeze (Service failure)
- Limited e-commerce functionality
- Limited code exportation
- Content can only be edited on desktop
- It has a steep learning curve
Bottom Line
Webflow aims at enhancing the way websites are built without code. Over the year, it has proven that it has achieved its aims. Although there are some limitations around its neck, but clearly the advantages of Webflow outweigh its limitations.
Webflow is now a go-to-tool for UI/UX designers and teams of marketers who have zero coding background. Some programmers also use it to built static websites and then export the code.
Webflow as a tool is improving in functionality all the time. It will not take us by surprise if this tool later shut all the mouths of its competitors up in the nearest future.