Webflow: A Powerful Website Builder That Gives You Control [2024]

SUMMARY: I have created and designed personal and small business websites in varying roles for over a decade. Much of this time I spent it in the world of Wordpress (with ProPhoto as the visual builder) and the endless plugin compatibility and security patch issues. I then moved to platform SAAS products for websites such as Squarespace and even Smugmug. This direction eliminated the compatibility and security patches nightmare, however offered more restricted design freedom than I was used to. Along came Webflow. It is different. It is powerful. It is custom. It is fast! Webflow offers a level of control that is drag and drop, yet with unprecedented level of CSS/Script access. I highly recommend Webflow for building your next personal, portfolio, small business and  e-commerce website! I used their service for almost 2 years.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Gated Membership Content
Whether you offer or plan to offer premium subscription content, online courses or a member portal with tiered access, give your audience access to gated content experiences — directly in Webflow.

Build a Custom E-Commerce Store to fit your Brand
‍Look beyond cookie cutter templates; build your brand, including complete layout control, custom checkout pages, interactions and animations. You can even customize transactional emails without ever writing a line of code. Payment methods supported are secure payments via Stripe (credit card), Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. Native Integrations such as sending order details to Quickbooks, collecting customer emails in Mailchimp, including fulfillment and dropship options. Why stop there? Automate tax collection and on-page SEO, integrate with Google Analytics, sell digital or physical products, streamline shipping options while keeping orders synced with shipping software, and the list goes on. Find out more about e-commerce [here].

Web Design for Everyone
Are you looking for a static website without the need for e-commerce or other advanced CMS feature sets? Webflow is for you to. My site is by definition, at the time of this writing, a mostly static website. While I am in the midst of adding content and intending to integrate some e-commerce and/or membership products, I began my Webflow experience as a basic website subscription. However, there is nothing basic or template about it. I still wanted a completely custom experience where I could mold every detail on every page to my brand look while being confident it would looks great on desktops, laptops, and tablets/phones. I was glad to find no real limitations on what I could design even with the basic subscription. This is where Webflow excelled and why I promote its virtues; I personally use it to create and host this website. I honestly find it easier to adjust and understand than Squarespace as well. Running GT Metrix speed tests, I have also found that performance is excellent as highlighted below. Find out more about designer [here].

Content Management System [CMS]
Connect your collections or add a blog component with no database management required. Find out more about CMS [here].

Animations and Interactions
‍Easily build components from scroll-based parallax animations to tying motion to scroll process, and even animations that build as you scroll. You can create micro animations based on mouse movement to capture the users attention. Animations can be simple or rich and complex, only limited to your brand experience. To take it further, you can even control the playback of AfterEffects and Lottie Animation files with Webflow's interactions triggers without code. Find out more animations and interactions [here].

Logic
The ability to create a logic workflow based on custom form submission answers. Create new CRM leads based on form submissions. Trigger customer communications based on site activity all by setting triggers with conditions followed by actions. Create a more personal and onboarding experience. For dynamic sites, this is a game changer. Find out more about logic [here].

Plans and Prices

I believe Webflow is great value for what you get - that is why I trusted it with my own website for two (2) years. It is feature rich, very customizable, fast and stable all while competing with the best of the SAAS platform services. All prices are USD. If you are not an Agency or large firm, you only need the free Workspace plan and the BASIC site plan for a static format website. If you move into e-commerce or CMS dynamic web design collections (such as a blog or inventory), then the popular CMS or Business Plans are what you want. Find out more about plans and pricing [here].

Support

Customer support is available Monday to Friday from 6 am to 6 pm PT. There is also a forum style support and an extensive knowledge base. I have to admit that I have not yet once needed to email their support. I have found every answer from either their Webflow University help pages or a simple Google Search. So as much as some may offer phone or 24/7 support, I have not found a shortcoming here as the product has been well documented and is stable.

• Steep Learning Curve Needed to Maximize the Product
• Email, Webflow Chatbot and Forum Support. No phone option.