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When a client came to us a couple of weeks ago wanting to revamp their website, we were pumped. We love a good website build. And in this case, they had already gotten a head start. Well… at least they thought.
See, they chose to start building their site with Webflow. Like many other marketers (over 200,000 in 190 countries to be more exact), they were drawn to the simplicity that the platform has to offer, making it easy for less tech-savvy teams to build and manage a cool looking site.
But it didn’t take long for them to realize, that was just about all it really could offer. As soon as we started chatting, we got to chatting about their long-term goals and even those not so far down the road. And it was enough to sway them to a whole new technology all together.
Why? The answer to that is best described through a helpful pros and cons list. So we’re diving into why Webflow may or may not be the best option for your next site project.
What is Webflow?
The no-code website building platform works on a “fremium” SaaS model, providing drag and drop templates similar to platforms like Wix, but with a lot more features and personalization. You can use it to design AND host your website, or take the site’s code from there and host it on your own server. While it offers a large selection of customization options, it still has its limitations.
Despite this, Webflow has seen a significant increase in popularity over the last 3 years. With over 3.5 million designers and teams on the platform, Webflow has become the 19th most popular CMS in the world. From 2020 to 2022, its customer base doubled from 100,000 to 200,000. In 2021, it built 480,000 websites and another 450,000 new Webflow sites were created in 2022.
All along the way, they have made several updates and improvements to its staging and publishing workflows, designer and editor performance, variable font updates, and more.
Webflow Upsides
No-code. As a true no-code platform, page layout, stylings, visuals, and all updates can be implemented without knowledge of underlying tech or coding.
Professionally crafted templates. Over 1,000 templates cater to a wide range of business needs and expressions.
Clean interface. With Webflow, there’s no guessing as to what your updates and changes on the backend will look like on the front end. You can see the effects in real-time since they’re made directly in a rendition of the page itself.
Integrations. With a wide range of pre-built integrations to other applications and tools, you can hook up all your tools and tech to ensure a more streamlined process for creating custom forms and tables, executing customer relationships, downloading photos, and more.
Built-in SEO. From support for WedP images, which have smaller file sizes for faster loading to easy-to-use SEO boosting features like meta and title specifications on each page to the ability to generate and modify the sitemap page and robots.txt, Webflow understands the importance of search engine optimization in a website build.
Coding option. Despite not requiring any coding expertise, you can edit CSS of your Webflow site, and add HTML or Javascript to it for extra customization.
Security. Unlike the website design processes of the past, Webflow doesn’t skimp on security. Instead, it makes it a key part of the setup process, with all sites having a free SSL certificate that enables encrypted connections, as well as protection against distributed DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks, two-factor authentication, and capability for backup and restore.
Webflow Downsides
Limited Plugins. While the platform does have a nice selection of integrations, plugins are a different story. Compared to WordPress marketplace’s 60,000 plugins, Webflow takes a different approach. It has those essential features built-in. It’s up for debate whether or not this is a pro or a con. While having less plugins helps minimize vulnerabilities, it also limits capabilities. For businesses looking to scale and expand their sites as they grow, Webflow has serious limitations.
Lack of functionality for complex projects. While Webflow’s simplicity and straightforwardness is its biggest strength, it’s also its most significant downfall. When it comes to intricate databases, advanced filtering systems, or custom logic, it just can’t handle the task. This is also very prevalent for e-commerce sites due to its lack of inventory management capabilities.
Limited SEO. Before you call us out for having SEO as a pro and a con, there’s a reason for it. While Webflow makes SEO implementation easy for non-SEO experts, it is still very limited when it comes to advanced features like internal linking and schema. For that, you’ll need some coding skills.
Restricted customization. The pre-built templates are great for ease and simplicity, but they’re a detriment to unique identity. If you’re looking for a truly personalized site that reflects your brand throughout every design element, WebFlow isn’t it. And since these templates are stuffed with design elements they also affect site performance and SEO.
CMS issues. With its own CMS built-in, Webflow has its limitations for content or media-heavy sites with multiple authors that are the strengths of true CMSs. Enterprises shouldn’t expect to get very far with it.
So who would benefit from Webflow?
- Soloprenuers
- Entrepreneurs
- Small Business Owners
- Freelancers/Contractors
- Simple Content Sites
To summarize, enterprises and e-commerce brands will likely run into a handful of issues with a Webflow site in terms of functionality. If you have big customization expectations for your website ot plan to continue to scale and grow over the next several years, we’d suggest another option.
Let’s Chat About Your Site
Despite the Assemble team’s certifications in Webflow, we have no problem being transparent with our clients about the downsides of any technology, so they have the full story. We like to make sure you have all the facts when making the best decision for your project and your website. If there is a better option for both your current and long-term goals, we’ll find it. So if you’re considering a site build or refresh in the near future, let’s chat. We’d be happy to help.