Why more developers are embracing no code websites

Websites, web applications and software, in general, have always been surrounded by an aura of mystery. It seems like in order to break into this world you need to be a little genius who knows at least 10 different coding languages. While this was somewhat true up until a few years ago, the landscape is going through a bit of a revolution thanks to the recent rise of a variety of products and platforms allowing people with low or limited coding knowledge to bring to life working software. Without writing a single line of code. Exciting, isn't it?

What is no-code/low code

Put simply, “a no code development platform is a tool for building software applications without coding; a popular and promising alternative to traditional software development for non-technical business users hoping to build their own full-fledged applications.” (source: CodeBots). Essentially, no-code or low-code platforms allow users who are technically literate but can’t code, to build software without coding. They significantly reduce the amount of time and effort that it takes to go from ideation to execution.

Why does it matter?

I’m sure you are familiar with platforms such as Wix or Squarespace that have been around for a while. They allow you to build websites really quickly with a minimal amount of knowledge. While these tools are great, and they are pioneers in their own right, the offering has enormously broadened. There are now dozens of no-code tools on the market, from website to app builders, all the way to full HR systems.

As Betsy Atkins points out in Forbes, “The essence of low code and no code software is the emergence of a new class of software ‘assemblers’ not traditional software ‘developers’. The software assembler is a “citizen developer” which essentially means that with minimum to no coding training a technically astute person can create new software capabilities which can help speed-up the overall digital transformation initiatives.”

No-code is the beginning of a quiet revolution. It shifts the tech landscape by significantly lowering the barrier to entry when it comes to software development. Now, make no mistake, software engineers and developers still have bright days ahead of them - you still need highly skilled technical people to cater for a wide variety of needs, and also to build and maintain the no-code tools. However, there is an increasing amount of tasks and projects that used to require a developer and that can now do without one.

How can it benefit you?

At Thirst, we have been embracing no-code for a while now. Tools such as Webflow (a no-code website builder with huge potential) have allowed us to build beautiful websites for a much lower price, and at a much faster pace than it would have taken to code from scratch. Have a look at some of our recent projects for our clients The Oranges Toolkit, Grounded Construction Group, and Cookaborough.

Other key players such as Bubble.io allow users to build full applications (frontend and backend) using absolutely no code either.