What Does No-Code Mean for Web Developers in 2022

What is HTML All The Things?

HTML All The Things is a web development podcast and discord community which was started by Matt and Mike, developers based in Ontario, Canada.

The podcast speaks to web development topics as well as running a small business, self-employment and time management. You can join them for both their successes and their struggles as they try to manage expanding their Web Development business without stretching themselves too thin.

EPISODE 200!

Just want to say a huge thank you to anyone that's ever listened to the podcast, chatted with us on Twitter or hopped in our Discord!

200 episodes flew by and we are crafting up some huge ideas for the next 200!

What's This One About?

Welcome back to the HTML All The Things Podcast your web development, web design, and small business headquarters. This week, Matt and Mike discussed the state of the web development industry with a focus on how no-code is influencing the industry at large. No-code tools are getting more complex by the day, to the point where web developers cannot ignore them anymore. The duo believes that web developers should be using no-code platforms as a tool in their arsenal to help deliver websites and web apps to customers at the right price, as quickly as possible.

Show Notes

Introduction

• No-Code, whether coders like it or not, affects the industry as a whole
• While there is still some split opinions on whether you could be coding or not coding, the lines appear to be getting blurrier as more No-Code tools emerge to empower virtually anyone to build increasingly complex apps
• There is also a culture of coders using No-Code to become more productive
• So where do we find ourselves in 2022?

No-Code Is Expanding

• The primary No-Code tool that I use is Webflow, which has two big upgrades coming including Webflow Memberships and Webflow Logic
• Webflow Memberships empowers creators to make membership websites with functionality like user management, curated content, payment processing, and more
• Webflow Logic gives creators the power to extend their Webflow site functionality with triggers, actions, and conditions (ie you can perform different actions depending on how a user fills in a form, maybe marketing needs the email, or just sales does - previously could not do this all forms needed to go to one set of addresses)
• There are also third-party No-Code tools such as MemberStack that give creators the ability to make Webflow into a membership site, and they're expanding into other areas and languages/frameworks/tools like React, WordPress, and many more
• This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to No-Code tools of course, but the general idea here is that as time goes on, No-Code tools get more powerful, bringing that power to almost anyone that knows computer basics

The Result

• So what does this extra power mean?
  • Does it mean that coders are no longer needed for anything that No-Code touches?
  • Is there a limit to no-code's potential?
  • Are No-Code tools so big that they can't be ignored by developers anymore?
  • Should developers use No-Code tools?
• Does it mean that coders are no longer needed for anything that No-Code touches?
  • No-Code products are built to be generalist. They need to appeal to the masses and therefore the features are built to be used by many, while any niche features are harder to find. In general, I believe that there is always a market for custom anything. Generalist products are usually a one-size fits all scenario, and there is typically a custom market that is smaller but more premium feeling. Either your product will adhere to what the No-Code product provides, or a developer will need to be contacted.
• Is there a limit to no-code's potential?
  • No-Code is limited by the most popular demands of the public, like I mentioned in the first question. However, the industry is constantly evolving and new technologies are emerging all the time so it's natural to assume no-code will continue adding new functionalities as technologies become more familiar, but the amount tech is ever-expanding
• Are No-Code tools so big that they can't be ignored by developers anymore?
  • I think this is true. No-Code has even infiltrated WordPress with editors like Elementor and others. It's to the point where users will start asking specifically for things like Webflow sites
• Should developers use No-Code tools?
  • I've recently seen a rise in developers using no-code tools as a way to stop re-inventing the wheel. They don't need to keep making the same web components over and over again, instead they'll use Webflow to make the core website features and then extend it with custom code, or even other integrations with other services like Memberstack
  • A good example: I found Josh Hartman on Twitter and from his site found this - https://www.jsforwf.com/

What does no-code mean for developers in 2022?

• I personally see No-Code tools as just a tool to make websites, I try not to subscribe to one tool being better than another just for preference-sake (albeit we all have our biases)
• No-Code tools can really boost your productivity allowing you to spin-up websites very quickly
• They're almost like a replacement for a plugin, library, or framework
  • Similar to what designers use, with asset libraries, figma community, stock photos, and more
• With the economy possibly taking a turn for the worse, getting every dollar the most efficient way is more important than ever.
  • I've been seeing a sentiment on Twitter that the people arguing over whether you're coding in one language or another, are the people that are making the least money
  • There comes a point where you can fight for whatever tech you want day in and day out, but if you're able to make a site 3x faster using a tech you don't prefer, it's going to be better for the bottom line

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