No Code Websites

Because of their ease of use, no-code development tools have exploded in popularity over the last five years. The underlying concept is alluring: an individual with no knowledge of coding can quickly build a website. To a certain degree that sales pitch is true. Almost anyone with baseline knowledge of the internet can assemble a site. But as we will read later, there are certain skills that can’t be automated that make a big difference in the performance of your site.

The key selling point of no-code sites is that much of the design and development work is done for you. A user simply selects from a provider’s templates, plugs in content, and the site comes to life.

Another key feature of many no-code platforms is the inclusion of hosting. This class of website tools are referred to as SaaS (Software-as-a-service) which are native to the cloud. This allows the site to go live immediately after it is constructed and a domain name is chosen.

However, the biggest drawback is that most individuals who start building a website with these tools don’t know how to structure their content or, don’t have content. Many don’t have the design touch that makes a great website stand out. And many don’t have the time or patience to truly leverage all of the tools available to them within the no-code platform.

“It isn’t uncommon for inexperienced users of these tools to begin with a well conceived template only to have the design degrade as they populate it.”

That’s where THOR can help. But first, here’s a rundown of some of the basics.

Some of the providers and our thoughts

Webflow

The newest of the no-code platforms, Webflow, is the favored no-code platform of the THOR team. It delves several levels deeper into the development process than other tools giving users full control over styles and layout. It even provides a basic content management system (CMS) that elevates the capabilities of the platform immensely.

Upside: Customization is what sets them apart. Webflow strikes an outstanding balance between out of the box sites that often provide a cookie-cutter outcome and custom CMS-driven sites that are complex and costly to build.

Downside: It has the steepest learning curve.

Squarespace

Squarespace’s website builder is one of the original no-code providers and is known for a particular modular approach that results in a clean and polished aesthetic.

Upside: They are known for providing high design templates that deliver modern design for a great price.

Downside: Their offering is rigid and hard to customize.

Wix

This company has typically been at the back of the pack of the no-code world. They’ve recently upgraded by mimicking much of Squarespace’s design aesthetic.

Upside: Recently revamped aesthetic.

Downside: Clunky design and a questionable management interface.

Shopify

This company has been around for ages but came into their own during the pandemic. They are the go-to source for individuals trying to stand up a digital business with a lean budget.

Upside: They are the established leader in affordable ecommerce sites.

Downside: The platform can be cumbersome to customize.

Basic budgeting for a no-code website

The base-level price points for accessing these platforms are incredibly affordable. Most providers have a basic tier of service that starts at $20-30/mo and scales with your ambitions. The top tier pricing generally stays under $300/mo.

Webflow has a slightly confusing pricing system that breaks its fees into a ‘designer’ charge and a ‘hosting’ charge. Squarespace and Wix are more straightforward with a single bundled cost. Shopify has a much larger price range, starting around $50/mo and increasing up to tens of thousands of dollars with their Plus offering that grows in step with the amount of ecommerce business being conducted.

Our services in the no-code world

While no-code tools provide the basic building blocks of site construction by bundling web hosting, design, and development into a single package, the need for professional content, graphics, and development customization is still a key component of successful site creation. THOR has worked with many clients to build sites with Webflow. These engagements generally land in the $20-30K price zone depending on the available assets and the integrations that are required. Our team can walk you through the process of establishing a site within the system, generating a plan of action for developing and assembling content, constructing a sensible site architecture, integrating often overlooked backend infrastructure such as SEO and analytics, and executing the design and deployment of the site at the web’s highest standard.