What is Webflow? The Future of Web Development

Did you ever realize while browsing popular sites like TED, Rakuten, or Dell that they weren't built by writing never-ending lines of code?

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Of course, they use web development scripting languages. Like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. 

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But, a popular no-code website builder powers these websites. Yes! You guessed it right.  Webflow powers them.

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What is Webflow?

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Webflow is a no-code website development tool that helps deliver ready-to-publish websites, e-commerce stores, landing pages, etc., without the hassle of coding. It's a visual website builder that generates HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code corresponding to your drag-and-drop. That means you can have a fully functional website without you having to actually write code for it.

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Plus, it also offers a hosting platform to host your newly developed website. Moreover, it has a built-in CMS that non-technical users can directly edit to address their content marketing needs. The best part is, Webflow also offers eCommerce solutions for building spectacular online stores.

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So, Webflow is a one-in-all powerful tool that can spearhead your web development process and help deliver impeccable solutions without tedious processes, tons of revisions, or challenging maintenance chores.

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If you adopt Webflow as your robust No-code tool, you can have beautiful and immersive web solutions without the need for extensive coding.

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How Did It All Start?

Vlad Magdalin, Sergie Magdalin, and Bryant Chou founded Webflow in 2013 through the Y Combinator program. 

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The team first applied through the Y Combinator program to present their idea of visual coding. But, unfortunately, they were rejected. 

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Then, they shared the product on Hacker News and invited users to test the usability of their solution. They received an overwhelming response from the developer and designer community. 

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Based on the feedback, they optimized Webflow and re-applied to Y Combinator next season. And they were selected. This way, Webflow began its journey as a no-code development tool. 

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Current Scenario

Webflow has emerged as a leading no-code website builder for all the right reasons. Experts believe it will shape the future of web development. Because it's efficient, it cuts down development time while offering greater control over customization and the overall look and feel of the websites. 

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If you go through the following facts, you'll soon realize that Webflow is leading the parade of adopting No-code development tools. And it's just the beginning. 

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Webflow usage statistics

• Webflow powers 350,00,000 designers and teams
• Industry leaders like Discord, Fiverr, Dell, Rakuten, Zendesk, and so on trust Webflow. 
• Equally loved by emergent players like MOONSTAR Interactive, Nyaari LLC, RM COCO, and so on. (other Workshore clients)
• Garners higher-amount of traffics than sites using other website builders, including WordPress 
• Webflow has increased its user base by 67% in the past years. 

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Why Choose Webflow?

Well, Webflow is a popular no-code tool. But this reason doesn't suffice for anyone to choose Webflow over others. 

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The benefits of Webflow become clear when we compare the traditional development cycle with Webflow's development cycle. Typical web solutions take anywhere between 150-500 hours of work. 

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The typical web development cycle is as follows:

• Project Discovery and Planning
• Designing
• Coding
• Content Development
• Testing and Debugging
• Launch
• Maintenance
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But, the web development cycle with Webflow looks like this:

• Project Discovery and Planning
• Content Development
• Designing 
• Update Content
• Launch
  
  

So, developing with Webflow cuts down the development time significantly because the code is auto-generated by the platform itself when you are busy designing. Unless you are using custom code for integrations and such, you can build a website with Webflow in less than 3 hours. 

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Are you still unsure of what difference Webflow can make to your web development? Here's how Webflow can bring value to your work. 

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For Developers

Webflow is your junior coder, but much more learned and polished. Using Webflow is quite like coding in power mode. There are no syntax errors to fix or wondering why your code isn't responsive to a particular browser or screen resolution.  

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Automate your work and dedicate your time and prowess to build robust integrations or innovative features in your web solutions. Plus, you get powerful hosting, so you never have to worry about server downtimes. 

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For Designers

The vision of Webflow has always been to empower non-coders, especially designers, to create customized and responsive websites without coding knowledge. You're good to go if you have a basic understanding of how websites function. 

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No more miscommunication with the development team. Every element caters to your imagination and creativity without sacrificing load speed or functionality. 

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For Marketers 

The speed of the Webflow development cycle supports faster A/B testing of websites and landing pages during crucial launch times. Marketers can benefit immensely from social commerce options in Webflow. 

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The inbuilt SEO features of Webflow bring meaningful online traffic to your website. More so, you can exert full control of how search result pages appear. 

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For Creators

Creators and solopreneurs can leverage Webflow's automated website building to create a professional online presence. They can build gated communities and monetize their content. Plus, Webflow offers content-driven designs, where designs can adapt as per content needs, instead of the other way round. 

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This content-first approach is in contrast to traditional blogging platforms like WordPress that weren't designed with content needs in mind. 

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For Business owners

You need not put in an upfront investment for your next big idea to take off. Don't pay until you're ready to launch your website and product to the world. Save billable hours with faster execution. Get immersive websites that are a breeze to maintain without the aid of professional developers. 

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So, you already know how each user can benefit from Webflow. 

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Here's the list of Pros that make Webflow the go-to solution. 

Pros

• Placing design at the center: 

As mentioned earlier, Webflow was originally developed for designers. Use advanced design elements like Lottie integrations, micro-interactions, and animations to make your website stand out. 

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• Ultra-fast delivery: 

As the development time is zero or negligent, Webflow users can save a lot of billable hours on pricey development. And launch your business as soon as possible. 

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• Next-gen CMS Solutions: 

You can use in-built templates or create custom content types to use rich content. It's possible to make on-the-go layout changes. Importing and exporting content is a breeze. 

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• Out-of-the-box SEO: 

Auto-generated XML sitemaps help in SEO optimization. You can customize 301 redirects, alt-image texts, meta titles, and other SEO-critical factors to boost organic traffic. 

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• Excellent security measures: 

Webflow offers a free SSL certificate. It is also GDPR compliant and ISO 27018 compliant. 

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• Modern E-commerce solutions: 

Webflow helps eCommerce owners to offer multiple payment options. Right from the checkout journey to eCommerce emails, Webflow can customize all this to suit your needs. Plus, you can avail of online tax calculations for perfect pricing. 

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• Automatic back-ups: 

You can mark and save versions of your website. You can also benefit from automatic security reviews and patch-ups from the platform.  

Now, it's time to understand the potential drawbacks of Webflow that can stop you from fully leveraging its power. Here's a rundown of its disadvantages. 

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Cons

• Integrations are tricky for novice users:
  Most users stumble when it comes to integrating third-party plugins. 
• Not beginner-friendly:
  Someone completely new to web development may find it challenging to create fully functional websites, even with Webflow. A complete beginner will also have a learning curve in design aspects, let alone coding.
   

The good news is there are 2 ways to overcome these pitfalls. 

• Preliminary knowledge of development or design may help. 
• If you’re unfamiliar with these subjects, you can always avail of professional help to get it sorted. 

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Case-study Sites That Use Webflow

Would you want to see Webflow in action? Here's a website we developed for our client, MoonStar Interactive, a gaming startup. The website offers a wholly immersive experience. Every design element, like the menu bar and background animations, caters to the brand ethos. 

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Webflow can help create interactive and attention-grabbing websites and eCommerce stores to deliver a one-of-its-kind experience to your end users.   

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Concluding Remarks 

Clearly, Webflow is a fantastic tool to create immersive websites to bring your next big idea to life. It offers a drag-and-drop solution for non-coders to build their websites, online stores, and more. Though, our experience with our several clients reveal it can be challenging for complete beginners. 

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So, we have now covered bases on Webflow and how it works. Do you have any doubts? 

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We at Workshore, will be more than happy to address your doubts. You can stay tuned with us to read our upcoming blogs and get all your questions answered. 

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Get to know us here!

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