Webflow review: Complete analysis on the CMS for creating a website

Website development has undergone a major transformation thanks to the emergence of no-code platforms, which make web creation more accessible than ever. Webflow stands out as a Innovative CMS, offering users the ability to design sophisticated websites without writing a single line of code. This solution is particularly popular with designers, developers and entrepreneurs for its ability to combine an intuitive visual editor and advanced functionalities allowing the integration of custom code.

In this article, we are going to explore the numerous advantages of Webflow and the reasons why this platform has become an essential tool for creating websites efficient, flexible and perfectly adapted to modern needs.

What is a CMS and how is Webflow positioned?

One CMS is a platform that allows users to create, modify, and manage the content of a website without programming skills. Webflow is distinguished by its unique approach that combines a powerful visual editor and total customization to create tailor-made sites.

Webflow vs traditional CMS: Main differences

1. The complete customization of Webflow allows users to create their site with all the features they want. Unlike traditional CMS like WordPress, where users rely on pre-built templates. Webflow allows you to design a site from scratch. Creators have total control over every element of the design.
2. Advanced visual editor : The Webflow “drag-and-drop” editor is intuitive and allows you to visualize changes in real time. This simplifies the design process for users without coding skills.
3. Optimizing performance : Webflow is based on a lean infrastructure that reduces dependency on plugins, thus increasing loading speeds and improving the user experience.

The key features of Webflow: Why choose this CMS?

Webflow continues to lead the market thanks to its robust features and flexibility. Here is why Webflow stands out among CMS.

1 ️ ※ Visual editor and responsive design

One of the major strengths of Webflow lies in its visual editor that allows users to design fully customized websites without having to code. Thanks to this editor, you can adjust every aspect of the site (margins, fonts, colors) and have a real-time view of the final result.

In addition, Webflow natively integrates the Responsive design. You can preview your site on various screen sizes (computer, tablet, smartphone) and adjust each version individually to ensure an optimal user experience on all devices.

2 ️ Customization and flexibility

Webflow allows total customization of each web page. Whether you're using a predefined template or starting from scratch, you can adjust all the elements of your site to suit your needs. This offers unparalleled freedom to create a website that is perfectly aligned with your brand identity.

3 ️ ※ Dynamic content management

Webflow includes a feature of dynamic content management, ideal for blogs, portfolios or business sites. You can create collections of items, projects, or products and manage this data through a centralized database, without having to duplicate pages manually.

4 ️ Fast and secure hosting

Webflow takes care of the hosting, ensuring optimal performance thanks to powerful servers (via AWS - Amazon Web Services). All sites benefit from an SSL certificate to guarantee secure browsing, an essential factor for user trust and for improve SEO referencing.

5 ️ E-commerce features

For online store creators, Webflow offers a complete e-commerce module. You can manage products, set up payment options, and customize each step of the buying process. Users can add products, categories, and set up promotions or discounts. This module is fully integrated with the visual editor, thus offering total flexibility in the design of your store.

Creating with Webflow: Getting started and design steps

Although powerful, Webflow can seem daunting for newbies. Fortunately, its learning curve is facilitated by quality educational resources, such as Webflow University which offers detailed tutorials and how-to videos.

Steps to create a site with Webflow:

1. Selecting a template or creating from scratch : Webflow offers many professional templates that can be customized. If you are more experienced, you can start from scratch to create a completely tailor-made site.
2. Customizing the design : Use the visual editor to adjust each element on the page (margins, fonts, images) and create a unique design that reflects your brand.
3. Add dynamic content : Create and manage content such as blog posts, products or portfolios thanks to the dynamic management of the Webflow CMS.
4. Mobile optimization : Make sure your site is fully optimized for all devices by adjusting the design for mobiles and tablets.
5. Publishing and hosting Once you are happy with the design and content, Webflow allows you to publish your site directly on its platform or to export the HTML/CSS code to host it elsewhere.

Webflow for e-commerce: A robust solution for online stores

One of the strengths of Webflow lies in its solution e-commerce which is perfectly integrated into the CMS. Whether you are a small online store or a large company, Webflow offers advanced features that rival specialized platforms like Shopify.

Advantages of e-commerce with Webflow

• Full customization of product pages : You can adjust the design of each product from the home page to the order confirmation page.
• Inventory and payment management : Webflow allows you to track stocks, manage payments (via Stripe and PayPal) and configure shipping options.
• SEO integration : The Webflow CMS is optimized for natural referencing (SEO). You can edit meta tags, descriptions, and optimize URLs to improve the visibility of your store on Google.

Limits of Webflow e-commerce

While Webflow is a great option for small and medium-sized stores, its advanced features for larger businesses (such as complex tax management or ERP system integration) are still limited. Solutions like Shopify or WooCommerce could better meet these specific needs.

Webflow rates: What are the plans offered?

Webflow has updated its price offers with a variety of plans adapted to the needs of showcase sites and online stores.

“Site” plans for a showcase site or a blog

E-commerce plans for an online store

Webflow reviews: What do users think?

Les User reviews on Webflow are generally very positive. Here are the top points that content creators and developers raised.

Strengths mentioned by users:

1. Flexibility and customization : Webflow is appreciated for its flexibility, allowing you to create unique designs without being constrained by models.
2. Site performance : Fast hosting and short loading times are often cited as a major asset, especially for SEO.
3. Ease of use for designers : Users praise the ease of use of the visual editor, which allows them to design elegant sites without technical skills.

Disadvantages raised by users:

• Complexity for beginners : Some users report that the learning curve can be steep, especially for those who have never used a web design tool before.
• Limits of e-commerce : Although powerful, Webflow e-commerce still has limits for large companies with complex inventory or tax management needs.

Webflow and integration with other tools and platforms

One of the important questions for businesses and designers is how well a platform can integrate with other tools that are essential for the proper functioning of a website, whether they are automations, marketing, or analytics. Webflow allows multiple integrations with third party tools, thus facilitating the complete management of a website, from its creation to its operation.

1. Integration with Google Analytics and other marketing tools

The integration of Google Analytics is essential for any business looking to track the performance of their website. Webflow makes it easy to integrate analytical tools to track visitors, conversions, and behavioral data. The platform offers a simplified interface to integrate Google Analytics by simply adding the tracking code into the site settings.

In addition, for those who want to optimize online marketing, Webflow allows you to add tools like Google Tag Manager or Hotjar to analyze user behavior. These integrations are essential to adjust marketing strategies based on the real performance of the site.

2. Integration with CRMs and emailing platforms

Webflow offers integrations with CRMs (Customer Relationship Management) such as HubSpot, Salesforce or Mailchimp. These connections allow businesses to manage their customer databases directly from their Webflow site, making it easy to create automated marketing campaigns. You can also capture leads via Webflow forms and send them directly into your CRM for effective follow-up.

3. Automations with Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat)

One of the great advantages of Webflow is its compatibility with automation tools such as Zapier and Make. These platforms make it possible to automate various tasks by connecting Webflow to hundreds of other applications. For example, you can automate the addition of new users to a database, the publication of content on social networks, or the update of an inventory on an e-commerce site thanks to the features of Webflow.

4. Payments and order management

For online stores, managing payments is essential. Webflow integrates with Stripe and PayPal, the two main online payment platforms. This allows you to offer several options to your customers, offering a smooth user experience during the checkout process. Integration with Zapier also makes it possible to automate the management of orders, the follow-up of deliveries or the sending of confirmation emails.

Webflow vs WordPress comparison: Which CMS to choose?

As a CMS, Webflow is often compared to other giants in the sector such as WordPress which has dominated the market for years. However, the two platforms have very different approaches, each with its pros and cons.

1. Flexibility and customization

Webflow offers much greater design flexibility than WordPress thanks to its visual editor, allowing you to create fully customized sites without being limited to a predesigned theme. WordPress, while customizable, often requires additional plugins and themes to achieve a unique design. If you are a content creator with graphic design skills, Webflow is certainly more suited to your needs.

WordPress, for its part, benefits from a huge community of developers who continuously create extensions and plugins, thus making it possible to complete and customize the platform according to very specific needs. However, “overuse” of plugins can affect the performance and security of the site.

2. Accessibility for beginners

For beginners, WordPress may be easier to understand at the beginning because it offers a simple interface and ready-to-use themes for a quick launch. Users can also access free tutorials and help forums, given the popularity of the CMS.

On the other hand, Webflow is more oriented to designers and users who want absolute control over the design of their site. Although it offers learning resources (in particular via Webflow University), the learning curve may be steeper for the uninitiated.

3. SEO and performance

In terms of natural referencing (SEO), Webflow is often considered superior thanks to its fast performance, its management of tags and metadata, as well as its automated sitemaps. WordPress is also very efficient in SEO but it depends greatly on the plugins you use. For example, the plugin Yoast SEO is often essential to improve the SEO of a WordPress site.

4. Hosting and maintenance

One of the major advantages of Webflow is that it takes care of the hosting of your site, thus offering you an “all-in-one” solution without having to worry about technical updates or security. WordPress, on the other hand, requires choosing and configuring hosting separately and site updates must be managed manually. This can become a weak spot for non-technical users.

5. E-commerce

In terms of e-commerce, Webflow is an elegant solution for medium-sized online stores or for businesses looking for total creative control over the look and feel of their site. woocommerce, the WordPress extension, remains a reference in terms of functionalities for online commerce, in particular thanks to its wide range of dedicated plugins.

Webflow use case: Which persona should choose this platform?

Webflow is aimed at several types of users, especially those looking for a complete and flexible solution for creating websites, without the constraints of traditional CMS. However, one of the main targets of Webflow is SMES (small and medium-sized businesses), who want to create high-performance, professional sites that reflect their image without the need for coding skills. Here are some examples of cases where Webflow is particularly suitable, with an emphasis on the specific needs of SMES.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

Les SMES represent a large part of Webflow users, in particular because they are often looking for one solution for creating a website at a time powerful and affordable. Unlike larger businesses that may have in-house technical teams, SMEs often have to juggle limited resources in terms of time and budget. Webflow offers an all-in-one solution that allows businesses to design elegant and professional websites without having to hire expensive developers.

Why is Webflow ideal for SMEs?

• Flexibility without code : With Webflow, SMEs can create a fully personalized website thanks to the visual editor, without the need to code, while benefiting from a robust and professional platform.
• Time saver : Entrepreneurs and SME managers can use templates and customize them quickly, which reduces the time required to put a showcase site or an e-commerce site online.
• Reduced development costs : Rather than investing in an external or internal development team, Webflow allows SMEs to manage the design and management of their site themselves, while accessing a high quality result.
• Simple content management : Businesses that regularly publish content, such as news or blog posts, can easily update their websites using Webflow's CMS features. This helps keep the site active and attractive to visitors.

Designers and design agencies

Webflow is a dream tool for web designers and agencies because it allows them to translate their models (from software like Figma) into functional websites without the need for coding. Webflow's advanced visual editor gives designers total control over every visual aspect of the site. Additionally, the ability to create animated interactions without touching code is a huge advantage for those looking to create immersive web experiences.

Webflow agencies that work with SMEs particularly appreciate the possibility of offering their customers tailor-made solutions at a competitive cost. They can create sophisticated and responsive designs, while offering their customers the ability to manage the content themselves after it goes live.

Freelancers and entrepreneurs

For the freelancers and entrepreneurs wishing to launch a showcase site or an online store with a professional appearance without spending thousands of euros on development, Webflow is a perfect solution. It offers great value for money with professional features, while being easy to use after a few weeks of learning.

Les SME entrepreneurs particularly appreciate the appearance “drag-and-drop” from Webflow, which allows them to have great autonomy in the management of their site. For those who are new to online commerce or looking to strengthen their digital presence, Webflow's ability to quickly integrate e-commerce management tools such as Stripe or PayPal makes it a powerful option.

Big Businesses and Startups

Large businesses can also benefit from Webflow, especially thanks to its plan options. Enterprise, which allow complete customization of functionalities, as well as secure and reliable hosting. Although Webflow is widely used by SMEs, it can also meet the needs of large organizations with high security, content management and performance requirements.

Les startups, for their part, can benefit from the flexibility offered by Webflow to make their site evolve as their needs develop. The ability to start with a simple site and then optimize it or turn it into an online store as the business grows is a real advantage for start-ups.

Content creators and bloggers

Although Webflow is not as popular as WordPress for blogs, it offers great features for managing dynamic content and structuring blog posts. Content creators can use the SEO tools built into Webflow to optimize the visibility of their articles on search engines, which is essential for attracting traffic and converting visitors into customers or subscribers.

Les SMES who regularly publish news, case studies or marketing content will find Webflow a suitable platform to manage and structure their publications dynamically. The interface allows you to create recurring sections (such as blog pages or portfolios), while maintaining professional visual consistency.

The limits of Webflow: What Webflow doesn't do as well

Despite its numerous advantages, Webflow also has some limitations that are essential to consider before starting. These limitations are particularly important for SMES who need to choose a CMS that offers optimal flexibility without exceeding their budget.

High cost for large businesses and e-commerce stores

While Webflow's basic plans are relatively affordable for SMEs, costs can quickly increase for large businesses or high-traffic online stores. For example, the plan advanced e-commerce at €212/month can be a financial hurdle for growing businesses. Add-ons (like increasing bandwidth or increasing the number of CMS elements) are useful but can add to the overall cost, which can become a problem for businesses on a larger scale.

Complex management for very large sites

For very large sites or those with complex needs, Webflow can show its limits. Database and content management is not as advanced as on platforms like WordPress, which benefits from extensions such as Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) for complex content management needs. In addition, for some businesses requiring specific integrations (such as ERPs or inventory management systems), Webflow does not offer native solutions, requiring the use of third-party solutions, which can complicate the process.

Multilingual management: does Webflow offer a native solution?

Contrary to what is often mentioned, Webflow now has several options for creating multilingual sites, although this is not done entirely natively. Webflow does not offer a solution for Machine translation or native for multilingual management but there are effective solutions to make your site accessible in several languages.

Webflow Localization and Multilingual Management

Webflow does not provide a “ready-to-use” multilingual solution to automatically translate a site. However, It is possible to manage several languages on a Webflow site by duplicating pages for each language version. For a smoother process, external tools like Weglot and Localize are widely used to automate translation and manage multiple languages centrally.

Advantages and disadvantages of third party solutions

Tools like Weglot are very popular for managing a multilingual site on Webflow. Weglot makes it possible to automatically translate a Webflow site into several languages while maintaining editorial control over the translations. This makes it easier to locate the site for SMEs looking to expand internationally. However, these tools come with additional costs, which are added to the existing Webflow plan, which can add to the budget for small businesses.

Future trends and perspectives

The no-code industry is expanding rapidly, and Webflow is an essential reference in the creation of modern and efficient websites. With constantly evolving functionalities, the platform continues to meet the needs of businesses, whether they are complex e-commerce projects or advanced integrations with CRM tools and management solutions. Within Noqode, we support companies to take advantage of this revolution and transform their sites into sustainable growth drivers.

This rise in power is part of strong trends that are redefining the future of websites, such as the increased adoption of artificial intelligence, the importance of personalized user experiences, and ongoing experimentation to optimize conversions.

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Conclusion: Is Webflow the CMS for you?

In conclusion, Webflow Is a CMS powerful that offers unparalleled flexibility and customization. It's an ideal solution for designers, entrepreneurs, and agencies looking to create bespoke sites without having to code. However, for large businesses with very specific needs or online stores that require complex functionalities, some alternatives such as WordPress or Shopify could be more suitable.

Webflow remains an all-in-one solution, particularly suitable for those who want total control over the design of their site, with high performance and advanced SEO management. However, it is crucial to carefully assess your needs to choose the right plan and avoid additional costs.

Webflow FAQ

1. Is Webflow suitable for a large-scale e-commerce site?

Webflow is perfectly suited for small and medium-sized online shops. However, for larger businesses that require more advanced features like massive inventory management or complex integrations, platforms like Shopify may offer a better solution.

2. How does Webflow compare to WordPress in terms of SEO?

Webflow is optimized for SEO right out of the box with tools like meta tag management, automatic sitemaps, and customizable URLs. Webflow also guarantees fast load times, which improves SEO rankings. WordPress, on the other hand, offers a wide variety of SEO plugins that allow SEO efforts to be customized even more, but this may require more manual configurations.

3. Can I migrate a WordPress site to Webflow?

Yes, migrating content from WordPress to Webflow is possible but requires manual adjustments. Webflow offers tools for importing blog posts or pages, but the design and functionalities will have to be recreated in the visual editor. This can represent additional work, but it also allows you to leave with a more flexible visual structure.

4. Is Webflow secure for users who manage their website?

Yes, Webflow offers robust security for its users. Each site created on Webflow includes a free SSL certificate, guaranteeing a secure connection (HTTPS). In addition, Webflow supports HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) protection, offering additional protection against certain attacks such as session hijacking.

5. Is Webflow too expensive for a small business?

Webflow offers plans adapted to small businesses, with a cost that varies according to the functionalities required. The €23/month CMS plan is often a popular option for small businesses looking to build a modern and stylish site at a lower cost. However, it's important to assess your specific needs, as costs can increase with the addition of features like e-commerce or advanced integrations.

6. What is the best alternative to Webflow?

If you are looking for a CMS with a bigger community, more plugins, and customization options, WordPress is a great alternative to Webflow. For e-commerce sites, although Webflow offers many functionalities for managing an online store, Shopify is often preferred for its e-commerce specific tools, especially for businesses that need advanced sales management.