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How To Launch A Website With Webflow Quickly & Cheaply

May 7, 2020

by

Amir M

Given the option, there’s two things any business would like more of: time and money.

And while we don’t have a magical money tree or a time-traveling DeLorean, we do have some expert advice about how to launch your next product faster and cheaper.

We know what you’re thinking: cheap and fast aren’t words normally associated with quality.

But, thanks to the no-code movement, we can achieve all three of these conditions with a single digital platform: Webflow.

Let’s see how it’s done.

The low-code vs. no-code debate

The no-code movement is one of the biggest benefits to come out of the SaaS boom.

Put simply, products built with a no-code philosophy don’t require any hand-coding whatsoever and rely instead on existing platforms and third-party integrations to fulfill core business functions. No-code solutions include Squarespace, Wix, and — of course — Webflow.

But there’s another option when it comes to building digital products: low-code. The two terms sound similar, but there are notable differences. Low-code platforms tend to be more like visual editors laid on top of development languages. You can think of low-code like hand-coding with lots of packaged shortcuts.

As to which is better, the jury’s still out. Which a user will lean on more likely depends on their skill level — low-code requires no previous coding knowledge — and project restraints — low-code tends to be faster and cheaper, while still delivering a great result.

Why Webflow leads the pack in no-code website building

There’s no doubt that you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to no-code platforms.

Whether you’re building a healthcare web app or a website for your personal blog, you’ll find a drag-and-drop solution to make it a reality.

So what makes Webflow such a popular choice among the sea of no-code website builders? Or the more technical open-source options, like Wordpress?

Here are just some of the reasons that businesses across the world are using Webflow to create (and deploy) digital products faster than ever:

  • It strikes the balance between development and design. With its drag-and-drop visual editor, it’s easy to mistake Webflow for Photoshop or Illustrator at first glance. But under the hood, you’re actually building complex systems of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.

  • One-click publishing on lightning-fast servers. As you’d expect from a no-code platform, Webflow is supported by third-party integrations. In the case of hosting, that’s Fastly and Amazon Cloudfront, which deliver near-instant page loads and 99.9% uptime.

  • Flexible, cancel-anytime packages. We’re talking about saving money here, so we can’t ignore the fact that Webflow offers Site or Account plans starting at $12 per month. 

3 top tips for building with Webflow (the faster way)

Okay, so you’ve signed up for your free account and you’re all set to start building your first no-code product. What’s next?

Well, that’s entirely up to you. But we do have a few top tips for building a digital product with Webflow the more efficient way:

  1. Keep the no-code simplicity rolling with third-party integrations

Continue with the no-code philosophy and enable new functionality through third-party integrations. Right now, Webflow supports too many to list, including MailChimp, Google Analytics, Zapier — so take your pick!

  1. Don’t be afraid to use templates

When it comes to building a new website or product, there’s a temptation to ensure everything is totally unique. And while this should always be the case in terms of a product’s core functionality, it would be a waste to skip over Webflow’s beautiful visual element templates.

  1. Save your future self some time by putting in the SEO work now

Search Engine Optimization is one of the more time-consuming tasks when developing web apps and sites. But if you can get ahead of the curve when you’re building your product, you’ll save a lot of time overall.

Need a pointer to get you going? Ensuring you have keyword-optimized H1, H2, and H3 tags on each page is a solid place to start.

Evolve your business with a design-led philosophy

The no-code ethos behind Webflow — focused on doing things in an efficient yet forward-thinking way — is totally in line with our approach at Blackcreek.

Whether your business is a fledgling startup or a veteran market leader, our design-led framework can help you take it to the next level. With a focus on digital innovation, continuous testing, and rapid iteration, our philosophy will ensure that you’re always delivering value.

Want to learn more about Blackcreek and discover what we can build together? Get in touch today and we’ll do just that.