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DEVELOPMENT

What Made Us Switch to Webflow as Our CMS

TIME TO READ:
10 MIN
AUTHOR:
SEPHIE SHAFRAN
PHOTO CREDIT:
WEBFLOW

We have been using Webflow for four years. During this time, the CMS has come a long way from being a niche no-code tool to a certain standard of quality on the new web, but still slightly lags behind solutions like Wordpress in terms of coverage. In this article, we will try to explain how and why we stopped our choice on Webflow - and why we recommend it to our clients.

Visual Code Editor

Despite the reputation of being a no-code tool, Webflow is not one. Instead, it is a visual code editor – a solution that saves a lot of time in page layout, while providing custom-like high-quality code.

In practice, this means that the control of external element properties occurs in the same window where it is being edited, similar to other no-code tools like Elementor, Framer, Tilda, or Wix. However, where they all write a hundred lines of code, Webflow writes, say, only three - precisely the ones needed to make the element behave as required.

Accessibility for the customer

Webflow has a CMS (Content Management System) that allows for easy content management on the website without the risk of affecting the site's functionality.

For this purpose, Webflow has special CMS elements that can be configured and managed by the client's team in a separate window from the site's code. In addition, Webflow has implemented convenient role separation for the project. You can grant someone the role of an editor to allow them to change text, but they will not be able to modify any element properties.

Simplicity for designers

Being essentially a bridge between design and development, Webflow is a convenient tool for designers to test hypotheses and create experiences that far exceed the capabilities of any design software.

This allows designers to be confident that the solutions they devise will be accurately implemented in real code, and it also instills in designers the need to precisely refine the solutions they propose, working out all the details of every state and interaction. This discipline ensures quality in product development and instills confidence in the final result.

Note: All designers at Shafran Agency, including juniors, have basic knowledge in HTML, CSS, and Js. We are confident that this is a necessary condition for creating truly high-quality, adaptive, well-thought-out solutions on the web.

Speed and flexibility

Webflow provides full control over page elements, allowing you to create unique and creative websites using responsive design for all devices - up to two or three times faster than doing it manually. This means that instead of coding pages by hand, developers have more time to create interactions and an impressive user experience.

eCommerce-friendly

Webflow CMS enables seamless implementation and management of online stores, while also providing the ability to integrate payment systems and inventory tracking, making it an excellent choice for e-commerce. In terms of functionality, Webflow solutions are on par with similar offerings from WordPress but come with the added benefits of more convenient and faster page appearance customization.

Overall perfomance

Thanks to fast servers and efficient optimization, Webflow ensures quick page loading and reliable performance, essential for meeting user expectations. Websites built with Webflow easily achieve top performance scores in Google's measurements.

N.B. Why isn't it that popular?

Positioned firmly between custom development and no-code builders, Webflow essentially sentenced itself to unpopularity due to its steep learning curve.

For developers, it's still too "builder-like," and alongside its advantages, it creates certain barriers that require understanding not only code but also Webflow's interface.

For designers, Webflow is overly complex (and achieving the best results still necessitates coding skills). They opt for something simpler, like Wix, disregarding the terrible code. Thus, Webflow finds itself caught between these two types, and its fanbase grows slower than its capabilities deserve.

To balance the situation and continue developing the platform, Webflow must maintain certain price levels, which are higher than prices of, say,Wix and Squarespace (but still much cheaper than custom development). So, high prices, a steep learning curve, and insufficient market popularity lead many studios to consider Webflow suboptimal.

However, judging by the growth Webflow showed in 2020 and 2021, we believe it is here to stay – and will remain the best tool for rapid and powerful website development.