Are You Considering a No-Code Platform for Your Website?

If you’ve been thinking about launching your own website, you’d most likely come across no-code platforms such as Framer, Webflow, WIX, and more gaining significant traction. It’s clear why they are gaining popularity; the appeal ticks all the boxes — you don’t need to understand coding to get started, you can iterate design and content quickly within minutes and you can reduce your dependency on developers. All of these boil down to the main appeal, and that is it helps your website launch faster.

We can’t deny the appeal too, which is why we built our own site on one of these no-code platforms (you're looking at it now!). This is so we could move and iterate quickly, all while applying our full UX and design thinking processes.

But with all that said, no-code tools are not magic. They are not a substitute for strategic thinking, thoughtful design, or proper planning. If anything, these tools make these points more important than ever, because it’s what differentiates a rushed versus a deliberate, well-thought website. So before you get caught up with the benefits and jump in headfirst into using no-code solutions, here are some key considerations:

What is the purpose of your website?

No-code tools are efficient in getting a website up quickly, but a tool is only useful when it serves you well. Is the goal of your website to generate leads? Improve brand awareness? Create a resource hub? Promote a new product? The focus here is on the external opportunities that your website might bring.

Without this clarity, it’s easy to:

• Overbuild by including every little detail about your product or company so that users know the ins and outs of what you’ve done

• Underdeliver because you did not include features or details that your targeted users actually want to know

• End up with a website that looks fancy with an overuse of animations but does not actually serve your business needs

Knowing the purpose of your website ensures that you’re not just building for the sake of building — it ensures that your outcome aligns with your business goals and needs.

Strategy first, tools second

Tools are only as good as the strategy behind them. Once you’ve aligned on what your website’s purpose is, you’ll then have to think about how to solve that. This is where strategy comes in — the recipe that you will need to craft out for your website (the main dish) to deliver. Think about it in this context: What is your recipe (strategy) for a delicious, favourable dish (website)?

Your strategy should connect your purpose and your business goals to the content, user experience, and structure of the site. Some areas to cover include:

• Target audience: Who are you trying to reach? What are they looking for? What actions do you want them to take?
  
  

• Main pages and user journeys: With your target audience in mind, how do you want them to navigate through your site? What pages does your site need to contain to get them the information they need?
  
  

• Success metrics: With every strategy, it’s important to plan ahead and think about your definition of success, so as to assess if it’s working for you or if you’d need to switch it up. How will you know when this strategy is working? Remember to list it down in detail — vague success metrics are ambiguous and difficult to evaluate, which will lead to a lack of clear, actionable insights.

No-code platform tools makes it easier to launch a site, but it doesn’t take away the importance of a clear strategy. Without a clear roadmap, you may find yourself rebuilding or iterating endlessly, wasting the time and efficiency that a no-code tool is supposed to provide.

One part of the entire site map we drafted out earlier on for our corporate site, before jumping into design. This helps us to have an overview of the content we have, what we're lacking, and understand how users can move through the website.

Are your brand and content ready?

After crafting out your recipe, you’d need to assemble your ingredients before jumping in to cook! This is where the nitty gritty (but important) details come in — you’ll need to ask yourself:

• Is my brand ready to be applied to the site?
  This means having a visual identity ready, such as a logo, your typography and colour styles, and the tone of voice you’re going for.

  
  

• Do I have the content I need for the website?
  A website consists of multiple pages. You’ll need to ensure that your website structure, visual assets, and the content that goes into each and every page are all ready. A non-exhaustive list of pages include product pages, blog, home page, services and more, depending on the type of site.

It’s important to approach this with care — because even the best strategy will fall flat without strong branding and quality content. It’s like having a great recipe but using poor ingredients; the outcome simply won’t live up to its potential.

User experience and design still matters

At this stage — after all the thinking, planning, and preparation — you’re more than ready to build your site. But what truly sets a website apart is the final layer of refinement: the design and user experience. It’s the cherry on top that brings everything together.

A well-crafted user journey is what transforms a functional site into a seamless, engaging, and enjoyable experience. This includes:

• Clear navigation and intuitive user flows

• Responsive and accessible layouts across all devices

• A consistent visual language that reflects and/or reinforces your brand

• Smart use of interactions or animations that support your goals (when they make sense)

This is often the point where teams realise they could benefit from a design partner — a team who can help bring structure and clarity, or to elevate the site to the next level.

Before designing, we'd draw inspiration from different sites, using them as references (along with our brand identity) to help shape the overall visual style of our site.

No-code platform tools have trade-offs too

After considering all the benefits, it’s worth acknowledging that like any approach, no-code platform tools come with their own set of trade-offs.

When we chose to build our site using a no-code tool, we knew we’d need to work within the platform’s features and limitations — and do most of it ourselves. That meant taking the time to understand how the platform was designed, learning by doing, and experimenting along the way (especially with animations). In some cases, we adjusted our layout decisions and CMS structure to better align with how the tool worked.

Using a no-code platform for our site allowed us to move faster and launch quickly, but that speed came with a learning curve. Every time we hit a roadblock, we had to solve it ourselves — there was no external development partner to fall back on. This might sound like a huge downside to some, but for us, it was a trade-off worth making. It pushed us to build new skills, stay adaptable, and collaborate more closely as a team.

Closing thoughts: Make no-code platform tools work for you

No-code platform tools can be a game-changer when used strategically. They offer speed and flexibility, but not at the expense of thoughtful design, clear goals, and a strong execution. With the right preparation, they can be powerful tools that work for you. At the same time, you’d need to consider the constraints and determine how crucial they are to your business.

In summary, make sure you’ve considered:

• The purpose of your site

• Who your site is targeted at

• The visual identity and content it requires

• If your team is equipped to handle UX and UI effectively

• The limitations of no-code platform tools

At 55 Minutes, we take pride in our process, doing the best we can at every step of the way and deliver results that work. From UX research to strategy to interface design, we ensure your site isn’t just functional, but it’s built to work for you.

We’d love to hear what you’re planning and explore how we can support you and be a part of your process. Feel free to reach out at hello@55mins.com!