Why I've Embraced Webflow as a Full-Stack Developer

I’ve recently decided to take the deep dive into Webflow.

Yes, I have ventured into low-code land. For those unaware, Webflow is an extremely powerful, no-code/low-code website builder, who markets itself to give more power to the developers in terms of integrations, design freedom, custom code, code exports, and more.

But Paps, you already know how to code? Why use a no-code tool?

It’s simple really. I want to provide more value to my clients.

I am a freelance developer who offers my services to build awesome web solutions for creatives. Many creatives, like myself, like to have control over their content, whether that be graphic design assets, video content, audio content, and even websites.

On the flip-side, I want creatives to see the power that a great website has, driving engagement while generating qualified leads before the contact form is even submitted.

Sure, it’s easy to set up a Squarespace site and call it a day, but what if you integrated your newsletter, e-commerce store, email campaigns, and more directly into your website? Now, you’ve not only beefed up your web presence but you’ve also simplified the user flow. Instead of having to fill out two or three forms on separate platforms, your user fills out one, and the POST request routes data accordingly.

 If I lost you, that’s the thing that happens when you press ‘Submit’, ‘Sign Up’, or ‘Need a Refill?’. Check it out for yourself by subscribing to this newsletter!

Approaching Webflow from a Dev Perspective

Webflow uses a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to develop websites. It reminds me of Figma, and I’ve enjoyed the user experience so far — that is, once I figured out where everything is hiding.

The toughest hurdle that I’ve had to overcome has been my own patience. I’m so used to being able to just implement UI components or changes using code, that it’s frustrating when I can’t work as fast using this new tool.

Aside from this, building in Webflow has been a joy thus far. I absolutely love their Content Management System (CMS). When building out components that utilize CMS objects, Webflow has a dedicated element called the ‘Collection List’, which will iterate over whichever CMS object that you give it, and pull in item styles and data based on what you tell it to pull in. It also generates template pages to give each item its own dedicated page, which is great for blogs or product pages.

Reflecting on my experience so far, bringing my background as a “traditional” web developer allows me to think about the interactivity of the website from that “code-level”. Like for example “when I hover this card-div, I want the button display property to go from ‘none’ to ‘block’”, and then I use the resources at my disposal to figure out how to do that in the GUI. ChatGPT has been a great companion so far, thanks to prompting it properly (see my article on improving your AI prompts)

Tools in the Toolbox

There is so much more to say about Webflow— good and bad. However, the purpose of this article is to show the power of this tool for both developers and creators.

It is advanced enough to handle complex web tasks, while familiar enough to grasp for experienced creators. For the devs, it’s going to take a mindset shift. At the end of the day, it’s about serving the client with the best solution that we can provide. That is the essence of our job as technology problem-solvers, code or no-code. Webflow is just another tool in the toolbox, just like React, Python, Adobe, Canva, Wordpress, or SQL.

Use the right tool, get more clients, deliver stellar results.

Paps.

Speaking of tools — grab my free ‘Unf[…]ck Your Tech Stack’ guide, packed with tools and tips to getting the most out of the modern web.