In the past, website builders solely relied on traditional programming or coding development to create digital platforms. However, gone are the days when they had to build websites from scratch. Today, even ordinary people can develop their own sites using ready-made templates and drag-and-drop features.
Enter the no-coding development approach. With this approach, the idea is to build websites and apps even without writing a single line of code. But is it worth leveraging this year—and beyond?
This page shares the pros and cons of no-coding website builders in 2024. Read on to weigh both sides of the coin to make informed web development decisions.
Understanding No-coding Development for Web Development in 2024
First things first, what is no-coding development?
No-coding development allows users with no technical skills to build websites—without coding at all! Instead, this approach makes use of graphic user interfaces (GUIs) to configure digital parts and build online platforms using:
- Templates
- Drag-and-drop features
- Conversational interfaces
- Logical sequences
In recent years, the no-code development approach has become increasingly popular. Today, hundreds of no-coding website builders are readily available in the markets—all at your disposal.
Further, the no-code development platform market has been continuously growing and expanding. Growth Market Reports predicts its global market size could grow from $14.9 Billion in 2022 to $102.7 Billion by 2031. It’s forecasted to expand at a 24.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
According to Gartner, nearly 85% of business enterprises have already begun utilizing no-code and low-code technologies. They seek to reduce the stress involved in leveraging IT resources, accelerate product innovation, and focus on digital assets development.
Furthermore, Gartner predicts that the low/no-code platforms will comprise nearly 65% of all app developments this year. Not only are these platforms best used for websites, but they are also dominating the app development segment.
Explore and weigh the pros and cons of using no-coding website builders in the next section.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using No-coding Website Builders
Now, you understand the no-coding development approach, discover some website builder options, and learn about its market growth and expansion. However, the question is whether or not it’s best for your website.
Take it from Zapier—Accordingly, people are using no-code development approach to achieve the following objectives:
- Time savings (83%)
- Automation (76%)
- Flexibility (74%)
Take a peek at the table below for further details:
But whether you are building a business website for your click-and-order store or establishing a portfolio website for your skilled services, find out if the no-coding website builder is right for you.
Let’s weigh the pros and cons of using no-coding website builders below.
Advantages
Using no-coding website builders offers several potential benefits, as follows:
- Broader user accessibility: Traditional coding requires a professional team of web developers. However, no-code development reduces the entry barriers, meaning anyone can access and use the tool–it’s even used in coding classes for kids. Let’s take WordPress as a no-coding website builder, allowing bloggers with little technical skills to create their own sites. Amazing, isn’t it?
- Seamless website building: Traditional coding demands multiple lines of code to build websites, which can be tedious and cumbersome. However, no-code development offers a variety of templates as well as drag-and-drop tools to help optimize your website. For example, you can simply add a retirement income calculator to your insurance site.
- Rapid web development: Language programming and traditional coding used to be time-consuming. But gone are the days when the web development process took time and required an expert team. Today, your regular employees can quickly build a website, such as the case with Wix having tons of templates and plug-ins.
- Easy deployment and maintenance: Traditional programming requires a pilot run before the actual launch. Even the website’s regular upkeep can be tedious and laborious. Using no-coding website builders is the exact opposite, making it easier for you to deploy and maintain your site. It reduces the general cost, and helps to avoid spending money. Thus, if looking for the best business loans, you can use them for other needs. Try Bubbles for installing and maintaining your SaaS platform.
- Work efficiency and accuracy: Time and quality are determining factors in the web development process. No-coding website builders let you create a website in just a few hours—not weeks or months, as with traditional coding. Likewise, they are less prone to errors since they are less complex than the conventional coding approach. Use MailChimp for your online store.
- Cost-effective web solution: No-coding website builders have become readily available at a lower cost. They offer individuals and businesses cost-effective web development solutions that suit their budgets and needs. For instance, you can create a digital platform demonstrating the retirement outlook for every generation at an affordable pricing!
Disadvantages
Meanwhile, using no-coding website builders might have possible drawbacks, as follows:
- Restrictive customization: No-coded website builders usually have templates for you to choose when building a website. However, some web development services offer limited customization options, restricting you from developing a website you envision. As such, check website builder choices and opt for those with expansive customization features
- Platform dependency: No-coded website builders make you highly dependent on the platform for the web development process. They don’t give you the freedom to customize your site since you’ll only rely on the available templates. For instance, Webflow will make your website look like any other startups with less content publishing.
- Performance issues: As cited, no-code development minimizes the entry barriers to the web development process. Sure, anyone in your team can build and develop a site for your organization. However, the question is whether or not they are reliable. You don’t want your website to end up with a cluttered user interface (UI), complex navigation, and high loading time, affecting the user experience (UX).
- Limited scalability: The no-code development approach might hinder you from scaling your site up and down. You might not be able to make drastic changes once your website is set up completely. As such, choose a no-coding website builder that lets you optimize your site after its deployment. Likewise, pick one that allows you to integrate it with other digital tools and platforms.
- Network security issues: The cybersecurity trends are apparent in today’s digital landscape. No-coded websites can be particularly prone to cyberattacks, like phishing, malware, and denial of service (DoS) attacks, since they aren’t built by expert web developers. Therefore, select a no-coding website builder with robust security features and let an expert inspect and audit your site once done.
- Data privacy concerns: Statista reported about 1802 cases of compromised data in 2022, with more than 422 million impacted individuals. Unfortunately, no-coded websites can be vulnerable to data breaches due to the lack of web development expertise. Anyone can just create a website without paying particular attention to privacy and security.
Final Words
Traditional coding has long established itself as a viable solution for web development. But today, industry players and companies can no longer dismiss the undeniable value of the no-coding development. This approach has been transforming and shaping the web development industry for the better.
As such, invest in no-coding website builders for your business as early as this year. But before leveraging one or some of these, weigh their pros and cons. More importantly, consider the potential benefits and possible drawbacks discussed above.
No-coding development gives access to all, helping them build, deploy, and maintain their websites quickly and easily. But on the flip side, it might have limited customization and cause platform dependency, resulting in performance, scalability, and privacy issues.
That said, examine your business needs, assess website builder options, and weigh their advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, pick one or some best suited for your company based on how they provide real value to your organization!
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