Blog Software Development The no-code revolution is here. How can you develop digital products without writing code?The no-code revolution is here. How can you develop digital products without writing code?
Are you searching for a way to quickly develop a web application? Try using no-code development. This simple product creation technique saves your money and time - you don’t need to hire senior programmers or developers. If you’re motivated enough and your product is not too complex, you can build it on your own. What is no-code development? How can you use it? Why is it getting more and more popular? Find the answers here.
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What’s so special about no-code tools?
No-code and low-code tools help to deal with two common problems of digital product teams: lack of programming skills and low budget. Thanks to no-code solutions, even without specialists on board you can build your own website, web app, or landing page in just a few days. This opens the digital market’s door for low-cost development companies and startups that can’t afford hiring a full product development team.
No-code and low-code development - what’s the difference?
Digital product owners and creators often use the terms no-code and low-code interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Tools such as Webflow are no-code tools. Users can pick ready-made website components and join them together into a functioning app. The components consist of a code, but users don’t need coding skills to implement them.
Low-code development on the other hand can only be used by teams and product builders with some programming experience. There are code lines in low-code tools that require writing and modifications. Someone with no knowledge of the programming language would not be able to create or edit them. No-code solutions are made for non-programming users (i.e.business users), and low-code tools are dedicated to programmers or development teams who want to save time and reduce the cost of digital product development.
No-code development - how does it work?
No-code platforms use special web creators and software solutions that make it easy to build an app. By simply dragging and dropping ready-made blocks with specific functions, you can quickly create the website you need. You can of course edit each block’s functions according to your needs. Writing code is not necessary for using a no-code platform, but sometimes basic programming knowledge may be helpful for faster product creation.
For non-programming users there are educational video guides available online and knowledge exchange platforms dedicated to specific no-code tools, where new users can find help from others. Thanks to no-code platforms, teams without programming skills can easily develop a digital product. For example, a person from the marketing team can create a landing page for their marketing campaigns without asking developers for help.
Here are some examples of no-code platforms:
What is low-code development?
Low-code platforms focus on enabling users to apply chosen modules in building an app, webpage or specific product functionality. This helps to speed up the development process and make it more effective. Developers can just pick ready-made modules and adjust them to the product’s needs.
Low-code development - as the term suggests - requires from its user at least basic coding skills and an understanding of common programming languages. Here are some examples of low-code platforms:
Benefits of no-code development
If you need a simple website or web-based application, and not a complex custom solution, no-code development will help you to keep the cost of development down. As you may know, building a digital product from scratch can be expansive and risky. Thanks to no-code tools, you can do it in a relatively short period of time and within a small budget.
No-code development enables you to:
- save time
- adjust the app’s design and functionalities to your needs
- share editing access with others (thanks to this, others can also edit the app directly on the platform - i.e. a copywriter can enter and edit content themselves)
- take advantage of the low entry threshold (after a few hours of self-training, anybody with basic technical skills can create and publish their own web app or website)
- change your product’s features at any time
- change your app’s target audience or market
- easily update and maintain your product
- have fun with creative and interactive tools
When to choose no-code development?
No-code development is especially beneficial for startups who want to quickly validate their business idea without investing large amounts of money. In this case, they usually aim to produce a prototype or an MVP (minimum viable product), which will give them a chance to verify their hypothesis. No-code development enables them to build a functioning application in just days. And they don’t need to hire a senior specialist or an interdisciplinary product development team to do it.
No-code tools are also very attractive for sales and marketing teams. They can use them to create sales and marketing materials, such as dedicated landing pages or website-based apps that can make a buying decision easier for future prospects. This way non-development teams can be independent from programmers and build digital products on their own. No-code products as well as the usual digital products can look amazing and have many useful functionalities.
How do we use no-code at Boldare?
At Boldare, we use a tool called Readymag to create interactive moodboards that impress our customers. We are also investigating Webflow as a potential tool for creating prototypes of simple web applications. Our development teams analyze the best ways of using no-code and low-code tools for more efficient and effective product development. We have definitely taken notice of no-code’s potential and we consider it a permanent feature of our internal tools’ library.
Limitations of no-code solutions
No-code platforms have their limitations. Sometimes you won’t be able to build exactly what you wish. Some no-code platforms limit the number of outside apps that can be integrated with the product. Issues may also arise with a growing database, when security becomes crucial for the app’s users. This is why, in many cases, the investment in a full product development team is a better idea. It all depends on your business and product needs.
No-code tools today and tomorrow
Internet content democratization
No-code tools open up a wide range of possibilities for non-developers to publish their content online, or to transform an idea into a web-based product that people can use. There is no need to have a degree in software engineering any more. Nowadays, if you want to create a website, you don’t even need to know programming languages. Simple no-code platforms let you do it with minimum tech skills, time, and effort. This situation brings both: opportunities and risks, but that’s how democracy works.
Will no-code replace developers?
With the growing no-code and low-code tools market, the question arises: will no-code replace programmers in the future? It doesn’t seem so. Although no-code is not just a short-term trend and it’s staying with us, it’s not going to take developers’ jobs. No-code tools do not address the complicated requirements of custom digital solutions. We will still need developers with coding skills to build complex, scalable, stable, and secure digital products. At Boldare, we will definitely need them to take clients on the journey through our custom process of full cycle product development.
We recommend using no-code platforms for building prototypes and simple MVPs. But if you need to create a complex MVP or a scalable and future-proof digital application, contact us and let us set you up with an interdisciplinary product team that will help you achieve your goals.
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