The adoption of no-code/low-code solutions has been growing steadily for years, but with the advent of new tools, things are heating up. Art West, founder of NoCodeDevs, a directory for no-code/low-code apps and tools, and co-founder of MergeWebDev, a community for developers, agrees:
“With no-code/low-code tools you can shrink your time to market, save tons of money on development costs, and test functionality early without overinvesting on resources. You’re also able to iterate much faster and respond to your clients’ needs in a more timely manner,” he says.
The tools simply make you more efficient. And because you're more efficient, you can reallocate your spare time to scaling your agency. Talk about a winning strategy.
Below, West responds to some of the most common questions to code/low code solutions.
Can you scale past an MVP with no-code/low-code?
The short answer: yes.
The long answer: “No-code/low-code tools allow you to test things quickly without spending extra funds, time, or resources on development. This means you get data faster, and when that happens you’re able to pivot quickly with changing customer demands” says West.
In other words, ‘build quick learn quick’ is the name of the game. And whether it’s testing new features, making your UI more accessible, or checking how your front end and back end interact, no-code/low-code tools let you hit the ground running and grow as you go.
There is one caveat though: you have to choose the right tool from the jump. One that scales with your ambitions.
“Whether you're a traditional or low code developer, you’re already picking and choosing your software stack anyways,” adds West. To scale faster, invest in no-code/low-code tooling with robust infrastructures, native solutions that can be added as needed, and are preferably fully managed so you don't need to allocate additional resources.
How easy is it to migrate to code later?
Just because you start no-code/low-code doesn’t mean you can’t integrate complex code down the road.
“A lot of folks ask me, ‘is there a specific point in the life cycle of building websites and business infrastructures that I'm going to want to switch to a full-on development team?’ And the answer depends on which product you're using and what you’re looking to get out of it,” says West.
So when should you migrate to full-code? When the project requires it. It sounds like an obvious answer but for the sake of efficiency and not wanting to start over, you only want to go full-code when it's absolutely necessary to deliver the brand experience you're after. Of course, some platforms let you go both ways within the same site...that's a sweet spot if your devs are ready to code away.
The takeaway? You need to do your homework. Determine not only how the no-code/low-code platform scales, but how well it plays with coding integrations.
Is it better to use an all-in-one solution or multiple tools?
Many of the best no-code/low-code tools available on the market are multifunctional. And while the saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” rings true with business solutions ( you never want to rely on just one solution provider in case something happens to them), there is such a thing as too many solutions in your software stack too. Strike a healthy balance with an all-in-one solution as your operating system, coupled with a few tools that go deeper in areas vital to your business.
For instance, Wix Studio puts the power of email marketing, SEO invoicing, social media marketing and customer communications directly in your hands. In many ways it's an all-in-one solution for building and scaling a digital agency. But it also plays well with other tools agencies like to use, such as Google Suite, MailChimp, Klaviyo, TrustPilot, ClientKit and Canva.
Traditionally no-code/low-code tools served a singular purpose, so it wasn’t unheard of for people to amass up to 15 such tools. “From my experience, of course you have to find a proven and entrusted provider, but more than that you want to cut down on the expenses and complexity of using so many tools. Eliminate as many possible breakpoints in your business operating system as you can,” says West.
Is the perception around no-code/low-code changing?
There's never been a better time to leverage no-code/low-code tools. West alludes not only to the growing popularity of these tools, but the shifting public perception around them as well.
“You've always been able to get a whole business off the ground with no-code/low-code solutions, but now that they've gotten better, we're finally seeing clients asking for them,” says West. And if they’re already asking for it, that means pitching no-code/low-code tools is easier than ever before. Don’t believe you can build powerful, robust websites with no-code/low-code tools? The proof is in the pudding.
Plus, you can move faster to build and launch their websites. It’s a win-win-win, for client, agency and solution provider.
Ultimately using no-code/low-code solutions is a no-brainer (in the right situation), but selecting the right solutions takes some thought. Our best advice: craft a long-term strategy and plan accordingly. Create a hub-and-spoke model of compliant solutions, but keep your toolkit down to the essentials.
Have more questions? Want to speak to Art West directly? Join the MergeWebDev community to chat with him and like minded professional developers and get your questions answered.
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