About Webflow
Create prototypes made with real code, by building in Webflow
When it comes to CMS or Content Management Systems as they are otherwise known, believe us when we say at DUAL we have tried a lot. From WordPress, Concrete 5 and Perch, to Expression Engine and Craft, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. The common link between them all, is the reliance on developers to actually have the know-how to make changes and achieve the functionality that your business needs.
The all-in-one web design tool
From a maintenance perspective one of the main areas that often lets these platforms down, is the ability for an editor to save their changes before going live. In other words, to try out how something reads or looks before it becomes visible to the public. Webflow has no such concerns, as it offers a draft mode, thus enabling any changes to be checked before being published to the live website domain.
Website Builders
In the world of DIY website builders, the existence of Squarespace, Weebly and Wix are all low-cost options, offering pre-designed templates within a drag and drop user interface. Nothing wrong with that for micro-businesses and start-ups on a tight budget of course, but that sort of low barrier to entry, is compromised by bloated code, lack of flexibility, very limited customisation and the fact that you are effectively 'renting' their service through a monthly payment plan.
Webflow by comparison is a professional website tool, requiring design experience and an understanding of how to properly build semantically clean HTML layouts. It is first and foremost a tool for creatives to produce beautiful bespoke websites appropriate to the brand, and unique in functionality. In other words, it's the perfect platform for marketing professionals and businesses who take their image seriously and are looking to grow their profile without having to spend huge amounts of money.
Speed up prototyping
You may already be familiar with the traditional Waterfall method for building websites, which involves flat concept visuals being created (often within Adobe Photoshop) by a designer, before these are then signed-off and sent on to a team of developers to interpret. We've worked with enough technical types in our time, to know that they lack the eye for detail that often leads to a series of back and forth discussions over what happens to a button on mouseover or how the homepage navigation will look on a mobile.
The beauty of Webflow, is that the design stage and development stage are effectively combined, thus reducing the amount of time it takes to go from initial designs to a final website. This approach not only means savings in the budget, but it enables fully coded designs to be shared much sooner with all stakeholders for feedback. Even better, you can be safe in the knowledge that what they are seeing in their desktop browser, tablet or mobile device is exactly how the actual final site will look, with no nasty surprises.
