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What is Webflow (they call it visual code editor)

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Rea Terzin
LAST UPDATED ON
Jul 12, 2024
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Editor’s note: This post was originally written in Jul 12, 2024 and has been updated in Jul 12, 2024 to provide fresh insights into , ensuring it remains as relevant as possible. Read on to learn more.

What is Webflow?

Webflow is a “low-code” website builder that offers fully customizable features, making it easy for users to build, test, and launch custom websites.

The best website builders streamline the website-creation process so that novice users can do it too - and Webflow is just like that.

This website builder simplifies website development by empowering code control. We also appreciate its excellent technical SEO optimization and extensive integration capabilities.

Given how proven and flexible Webflow is on the web, it’s a great choice for agencies, startups, and other growth-oriented businesses.

Read on to learn more.

Why Do They Call it Visual Code Editor?

Featuring a high degree of control over the actual code means that Weblow provides visual power for HTML and CSS.

In other words, what you see in Webflow is exactly what you’ll get when you publish your site.

Every action you take in Webflow directly impacts the HTML and CSS of your website.

Like here:

Weblow provides visual power for HTML and CSS.

And yes — you can build completely custom designs.

Ultimately, CSS is all about styling—something designers are accustomed to doing in complex visual tools like Sketch, Figma, and Photoshop. However, apart from Webflow, there has never been a production-oriented tool that visually offers the power of HTML and CSS.
The Webflow Team

So, for experiencing the most power of web development, it's essential to know programming languages in front-end development, such as:

  • JS (JavaScript)
  • HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
  • CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

Check out these Webflow websites to see how visual code editor helps in real projects.

What is Webflow Used For?

Webflow is truly a reliable website builder for those who want to quickly launch their sites with little effort. It features easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface with no or low-coding required.

This website builder also comes included with hosting.

Webflow has more customizable options than competing website builders.

For example, users can easily drag and drop elements to make pages functional.

There are few builders that allow you to switch themes without needing to rebuild the site—a significant advantage that Webflow does not offer.

Webflow ensures quick code changes, leading to all the robust functionality serious users need.

The bottom line is that Webflow is rich with customizable features and strong tools. Therefore, it offers nearly everything you need to build and host a fully-featured personal or business website.

Webflow Design and Development

Besides being popular as a no-code tool, Webflow supports custom code.

This makes the overall full-stack development process smooth. It streamlines the website creation process, featuring a highly intuitive Webflow Designer and Editor.

It also decreases complex errors in the codebase since it features an intuitive and flexible system.

For more information, read our full Webflow review.

What Can You Build With Webflow?

Webflow is great for portfolio websites since it offers templates and features to simplify the process and help you attract clients.

Webflow is great for businesses that want to:

  • grow awareness of their focus product/service
  • boost the number of linking root domains
  • drive traffic and sales

Here is what types of websites Webflow agencies can build with Webflow.

Webflow for SaaS

With Webflow, SaaS businesses can get a high number of sign-ups instantly and focus on their product while Webflow agency handles their website.

With Webflow Editor, creating new CMS pages is easy, making it ideal platform for SaaS businesses. Whether you need a new PPC or landing page, Webflow makes the process fast and easy.

If you choose our agency, we’ll join you as a product team, helping you build your SaaS from the ground up with high-end design and the power of low-code development.

Simply unlock the highly scalable nature of SaaS and eliminate financial risks for your users.

Webflow for Startups

Webflow allows startup teams to incorporate dynamic content, user-generated feedback, and interactive elements into their website.

This way, startups can foster deeper connections with their customers and encourage brand loyalty.

We join you as a full-service Webflow team and help you build your startup to secure steady growth.

By choosing our services, you can expect unmatched speed and uncompromising quality at all times.

Webflow for SMEs

Small to medium businesses face challenges in building a strong digital presence. Not only SEO is a key player in this area, but also design and development.

Choosing a reliable Webflow agency simplifies the whole process, especially when resources are scarce.

For instance, our subscription-based model provides real-time data to prevent your SME financial setbacks. We help you build your small to medium website from the ground up.

Moreover, using Webflow SEO is great for boosting your brand awareness. By optimizing your site and content, we're making it easier for your audience to find you when they're searching for what you offer.

The bottom line: In order to build and maintain a strong online presence, you need the full-stack Webflow service featuring reliable pricing models.

Webflow for Agencies

As a showcase for your agency in the digital world, your website is a crucial part of your ecosystem. In any digital marketing campaign, the landing page plays an extremely important role.

With Webflow, we assist you in creating landing pages for your agency quickly and efficiently. These pages are designed to encourage interested or curious visitors to make a decision, such as a purchase, directly on the page.

Webflow for VCs

To understand why your venture capital isn't attracting portfolio investors, start with a thorough audit of your website.

If you are looking for reliable Webflow solutions for growing your portfolio companies, let our Webflow experts handle it for you.

Potential investors look for innovative ideas, reliable teams, and market potential—all of which can be showcased using a website builder like Webflow. And we are highly skilled in Webflow development.

Webflow for Ecommerce Stores

Webflow, while featuring an editor that supports CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, and compatibility with third-party analytic tools, needs improvement for e-commerce websites.

It allows limited credit card payments using Stripe, Apple Pay, and PayPal, which can negatively affect your revenue.

In contrast, Shopify offers more comprehensive e-commerce solutions with a full capture-to-shipping tracking system. This makes it ideal for logistics or dropshipping companies.

Webflow lacks these dropshipping options and external logins for logistics companies, making it less scalable than dedicated e-commerce platforms.

To learn about pros and cons of Webflow, read our article.

Webflow Website Building: How Does it Work?

Building websites in Webflow is straightforward and requires basic coding knowledge. Webflow is essential for businesses because it enhances website visibility and increases business authority.

Here is how it works.

Webflow Designer

The Webflow Designer (i.e. online app/hosted program) allows you to build your website structure.

It allows you to design, add content, interactions, animations, and custom code.

Webflow enables you to create fully functional websites, landing pages, prototypes, presentations, and more.

In the Designer, you can set CSS properties, manipulate HTML content, and create interactions without writing a single line of code. The Webflow University

As you build your website, the Designer generates clean, semantic, web-ready code that web browsers use to display your site. You can even export this code from the Designer to use in other applications.

Webflow Editor

The Editor (i.e. content management system) allows you to edit and manage the content without access to editing the design, animations, structure, and so on.

Moreover, you can grant collaborators access to clients or members of your team, allowing them to make real-time edits to your website.

The Editor allows you and Workspace members to edit and manage content. So, it focuses mainly on content management - unlike the Webflow Designer, which you use to build and design your website.

Webflow CMS

Webflow CMS (i.e. cloud-based CMS) is a “place” where you house all your content. With Webflow, you can implement permissions and customizable user roles.

A content management system (CMS) helps you build web content with customized content structures - all without requiring technical management skills.

While CMSs may differ in their interfaces, database structure, and development features, Webflow organizes content and help build your website effortlesly.

Webflow SEO

Businesses can implement various SEO strategies to enhance organic performance and achieve a strong technical SEO health score. Webflow’s fast loading speed also helps keep visitors engaged, reducing the chances of them leaving a site after viewing a page.

Webflow offers basic on-page SEO features like image alt tags, meta tags, and descriptions, which are essential for optimizing content.

Users have precise control over technical SEO through Webflow’s streamlined code, allowing direct edits to HTML and CSS.

However, there are limitations to Webflow SEO, such as the maximum number of static pages per plan, limited support for third-party SEO plugins, and restricted server control, which may affect scalability and customization options.

Conclusion

By integrating visual design with code like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Webflow ensures that what you see in the editor is exactly what you get when the site is published.

This seamless experience makes it an excellent choice for agencies, startups, and growth-oriented businesses. Webflow’s robust SEO capabilities enhance business authority.

While it offers advantages like fast loading speeds, it does have some limitations in e-commerce functionality and scalability compared to platforms like Shopify.

With its streamlined code, Webflow helps businesses maintain a strong online presence with little to no coding knowledge.

You ask. We answer.

About the author
Rea Terzin
Rea is a versatile SEO writer with over 4 years of experience. At Nube, she devotes a high degree of attention to content focused on Webflow and design to establish topical authority in this field.

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