What is No-code?

No-Code is the process of creating a website or application without having to code it with complicated coding language. This article will be talking about how No-Code is used in creating websites. 

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Building websites the No-Code way is done by using software with visual editing tools that allows you to build the front end of the website and the software generates the correct code for you so everything works on the backend. Some popular examples of No-Code web tools are Google Sites, Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly. 

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I have only used a few no-code website builders to build and or edit websites and to be honest, I really do not like using them. Millions of people use these tools daily and they love them these software does exactly what they need them to do for their business and saves them a lot of money in the process. So just because I do not like them doesn’t mean that you will, so if you are looking to build a website and do not want to code it from scratch I highly recommend checking them out. 

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The reason why I do not like using the no-code tools list above is because I am a designer and my job is to make things look cool. These tools have a lot of limitations when it comes to design. 

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Who uses No-code?

But I doubt that these tools were created for designers. I think these tools were created for people that need a budget-friendly way to create simple websites fast. 

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No-Code has changed the way websites are built. In the past you would have to code and test your website locally and then package everything in an organized file structure with an appropriate file and folders naming convention, then use a File Transfer Protocol FTP  to get everything uploaded to your Hosting Server so people can actually visit your website. 

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Now you pay for a subscription, connect your domain name, build your website by dragging and dropping things where you think they should be on the page, and then press publish and wait a minute or two and everything is good to go. 

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The problem with the old way was that not everyone knew how to code so there were not a lot of websites being built by people who were not developers. I was never a developer but I took a few coding classes and tried to expand my coding knowledge by taking some courses on W3Schools,  I was able to build a portfolio website for myself but I did not love it and had to compromise a lot of the design elements because I wasn’t good enough at coding to figure out how to include them. I felt really accomplished that I was able to build the site and get it online but I hated the process so I never tried to pursue a career in designing websites because I knew I didn’t want to build them. The process was just too technical and complicated for me. 

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Now, I will agree to design and build a website using the Low-Code platform Webflow. As I mentioned before, simple and easy-to-use platforms are the best at intricate design. I believe most of them work best with a pre-built template and you can change the contents within the template but you can not do any real design. Webflow on the other hand can replicate any design with pixel-perfect accuracy. The only downside is that it is a very steep learning curve. 

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When to use No-Code web builders

You should use No-code web builders if you are short on time and money and you need a website up fast and you do not care about having a unique design. 

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When not to use No-Code web builders

You should use other options if you need a custom design that no one else has and if you need expanded functionality that you can’t get from simple web builders. 

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Possibly try a Low-Code option like Webflow

No code is great but if you need just a little bit more functionality out of your website, I highly recommend the Low code web builder Webflow. It is harder to learn compared to the completely no-code platforms I listed, but there is a lot of documentation on Youtube and Webflow University to learn how to use this platform. 

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Low code is the perfect in-between between the limited features of the no-code and the expanded functionality of the huge custom-developed websites. With added benefits come added difficulty and costs, so keep that in mind when deciding between no-code, low-code, and hiring a developer. 

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I highly recommend trying some of the no-code and low-code options discussed. An article on Forbes discussed how the use of no-code code has grown over the years and will continue to grow. You can find the article here and a pull quote below.  

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“…the no-code and low-code platform market grew by an average of more than $1 billion per year, from $3.47 billion in 2019 to $8 billion in 2022. It is forecasted that the no-code-low-code platform market will grow almost 20% in 2023 to $10 billion and to $12.3 billion in 2024.”
‍Charos Boboyorova, Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.  

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So now is the perfect time to start! Stay tuned, I will be releasing content on how to get started with my favorite low-code tool Webflow. 

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