What is low code development? What is the difference between high code and low code? Why is low code so popular? And is low code the future? Well, you can find the answers to some of these questions in our deep dive into low-code development. If you’re unclear about what low code is and where it’s used, this is the place to go.

Here, though, we’re going to take a closer look at why low code is so popular, how it differs from high code development, and whether or not it is, as many believe, the future of development. Ultimately, if you want to know the pros and cons of low code development and whether or not it’s right for your application, read on. 

What is low code development?

Let’s start by clarifying what we’re talking about. 

Low code development is the process of building software and applications using far less manual coding than traditional (or ‘high code’) methods require. 

To minimize the amount of coding needed, developers will typically use a set of pre-programmed tools and techniques which can be slotted together to rapidly create versatile software.

Often, low-code development platforms will provide developers with a drag-and-drop interface in which pre-coded elements can be customized and combined to create a bespoke application very quickly.

Flatlogic is a low-code development platform. Using Flatlogic, developers can generate things like admin panels, CRM, CMS, internal tools, ERP, and data management tools in minutes. This makes it an incredibly fast and secure way to generate full-stack web apps for a fraction of the cost of coding them from scratch.

It’s a popular solution, and growing more popular by the minute. It’s even being touted as a solution to developer shortages due to the Great Resignation.

But is low code always the right choice? Let’s take a look.

Is low code development always the right choice?

If we think of development in general as like construction, low code development is construction in which all the elements are pre-made. Rather than having to bake the bricks, mix the cement, carve shelving, and so on, ‘low code construction’ would simply involve putting premade units together in the required fashion. It’s a lot quicker and easier than having to do everything by hand.

To stick with this analogy for a moment, it’s notable that ‘low code construction’ is generally thought of as lower quality than the ‘high code’ version. If money and time were no object, and you had the choice of flat-pack shelving or bespoke shelving put together by a professional joiner from scratch, which would you choose?

Most would go with the bespoke, handmade option. But does this apply to low and high-code development, too?

Well, it honestly depends on your circumstances and what you’re looking for. Research shows that low-code development has a huge amount of promise for software applications and is immensely popular, but organizations should carefully consider their needs before opting for any low-code development solution.

If you are not sure what your needs are and how low code development could (or could not) help you in your situation, we’re going to spend the rest of this article diving into the pros, cons, and use cases of low code development.

What are the benefits of low code development?

Let’s take a look at why a growing majority of businesses are choosing low-code solutions for their apps and other software:

Speed

Low-code solutions are a great way to produce software quickly and with relative ease. Drag-and-drop formats are intuitive to use, meaning that you don’t need to hire or train a full development team. And building software through drag-and-drop is a lot faster than coding it entirely by hand. 

In a world where things can change at the drop of a hat, speed is very important. So, a solution that lets companies get bug-free software out to market very quickly gives a huge advantage. 

Great for mass-production

Low-code solutions like Flatlogic are great for mass-producing software. The same software template can be distributed widely and personalized by clients. Low code is quick, easy, and customizable – ideal for mass production.

For example, if you want to create an ACD that can be distributed across multiple companies, a low-code solution is ideal. What is ACD? It stands for Automatic Call Distributor, and it’s exactly the kind of tool that does the same thing across the board, but that companies may wish to add their unique touch to.

With a low code solution, you can create a basic ACD with customizable features that will do the job clients want without being too generic. 

Can be used flexibly alongside no-code and high-code projects

Low code isn’t exclusive. A project doesn’t have to be entirely low code to succeed. If you want more customized elements in your project, you can create high-code pieces of software and slot them into your low-code program. This is sometimes known as ‘hybrid low code development’.

You can also use low-code solutions alongside no-code projects. While no code is typically a lot less customizable than low and high code, it is possible to weave low-coded elements alongside no-code programs. 

The flexibility, versatility, and scalability of low-code solutions make it the perfect way to add a little more of your personal touch to low-code software and to take hours of mundane coding out of high-code projects.

Startup-friendly

Startups often want to create apps and software, but may not have the skills or resources needed to code everything from scratch. Similarly, startups will often want to scale their software as their business grows and user needs change.

A high-code solution is inaccessible under such circumstances, and no code lacks the scalability that startups need. But low code lets startups create their software and apps quickly and easily, without having to hire developers, and then scale and alter their software themselves as and when needed.

All in all, low-code solutions allow startups to get their ideas to market quickly and at a low cost without sacrificing any quality. It’s ideal for new companies that want to hit the ground running.

Intuitive to use

We’ve already spoken about how low-code solutions make software development quick and easy. The major reason for this is the intuitive interface and admin panel.

The admin panel of a solution like Flatlogic gives developers and other users control over what they’re producing. For example, users can quickly select tools and formats, alter settings, tweak things like privacy, and so on. 

Using this admin panel, the software owners can control their software on an ongoing basis. For example, the admin panel enables the team to make changes and schedule updates without having to break open the core code and make manual adjustments. It’s fast, secure, and convenient, and ultimately makes for a much better experience on both the user and the developer sides of the software.

Closes the gaps between developers, management, and users

By making coding more accessible, low-code solutions can help to close the gap between developers, management, and users.

Often, the process of development is hindered by basic misunderstandings about what is and is not possible. Developers often find it hard to communicate their needs and limitations to managers and higher-ups, as there is a ‘language barrier’ between those who can code and those who cannot.

By effectively ‘translating’ the language of code into solid, demonstrable visuals, low code solutions help developers and management to communicate about what they need, what they want, and what they can do. Low code solutions give management team members valuable insight into what it takes to build the software they need, which in turn helps everyone to work together more productively.

This works the other way around, too. By giving an ‘end-user’ visual view of what the software will look like and how it will operate, low code helps developers to experience their builds from the user’s perspective. So, while high-code solutions often polish up the user experience as an afterthought, low-code platforms bake in positive user experience at all stages.

All in all, low-code solutions help to close communication gaps and bring all key stakeholders together in building an app that works for everyone.

What are the drawbacks of low code development?

Nothing is perfect, and there are some situations in which low code development may not be right for you. Let’s take a look at some of the cons of low code development.

Details may get missed

High-code development lets you go into absolutely every aspect of your software in extreme detail. While low code development is very versatile, it can’t provide that granular level of detail.

If the finer details are important to you, it’s worth noting that details may get missed, or be less clearly defined when you use a low-code solution.

You can often combine low and high-code solutions to add detail where it’s needed, but if you’re considering a fully low-code solution, you should be aware of this potential issue.

Security may not be as robust as with a high-code solution

Platforms like Flatlogic take security very seriously. Our development platform features the most up-to-date security features available, and we are constantly updating to make sure that our customers feel secure in their software.

However, some may feel more in control of security if they have built and are managing it themselves. Low-code solutions are less able to offer this kind of executive control. 

Less customizable

Low-code solutions like Flatlogic are highly customizable and provide plenty of options for creating bespoke software. 

That being said, if you want something with complex and/or unique specifications, you may need to get a bit more detailed with the code.

Let’s return for a moment to the ACD example we used earlier. An ACD application does the same thing across the board but is customizable just enough to let clients add their bespoke touches and features without having to delve too deep into the code itself.

However, if the client needs a more detailed solution for making calls, like a PBX or private branch exchange, a high-code solution may be more appropriate. A high-code solution can be specifically designed to connect with the client’s PBX hardware and to behave in exactly the way the client wants.

May not be universally applicable

Low-code solutions are compatible with a lot of operating systems, infrastructure, applications, and so on, but they may not be universal. This can become a problem if you work across widely differing domains.

For example, if you have a domain registration in the USA and a domain registration in Singapore, you may find that you have to use two different low-code solutions to make software that works for users in both domains. 

While you can customize a high-code solution to plug into tools and infrastructure wherever needed, low-code tools may only work in a limited number of areas.

Requires more skill and knowledge than no-code solutions

Low code development is a lot easier than high code development. The visual, drag-and-drop format of most low-code solutions is intuitive, the admin panel is very accessible, and it doesn’t take long to work out what you’re doing.

That being said, low code development is not any code development. You do need to know at least a bit about coding to make it work effectively.

So, if you are completely in the dark when it comes to coding, you may be better off either hiring a developer or opting for a no-code solution.

The good news is that low-code solutions are relatively easy to learn. They can even provide a gateway into more advanced coding. So, if you would like to learn more about developing, learning a good low-code solution could give you the foundations you need to start writing more advanced code in the future.

When should you use a low-code solution?

Low code platforms are great for:

• Startups who want quick, scalable software solutions but lack the resources to hire a high-code development team
• Companies that want a higher level of understanding and communication between development and management teams
• Companies specializing in mass-production software which can then be customized by the end-user
• Anyone who wants to build software quickly and at a low cost for relative ease
• Anyone who lacks a significant amount of development skills, but still wants to be able to build a sophisticated and user-friendly piece of software

When shouldn’t you use a low-code solution?

Low code solutions are not suitable for:

• Companies that want a completely customized piece of software. While low code is very customizable, it can never be bespoke.
• Very large apps. It is often harder to go through the stages of testing and tweaking that extra-large apps need in low code than it is in high code. Further, larger apps typically need more complex code elements, which are harder to achieve in a low-code platform.
• Companies that want to be fully in control of their software.
• Anyone completely lacking in development skills. While low-code solutions like Flatlogic are relatively simple to learn, if you want to get working immediately and don’t understand coding at all, a no-code solution is probably better for you.

Conclusion

Low-code development platforms are taking the world by storm. By 2025, it’s predicted that the majority of commercial apps will be built using low-code solutions. Through solutions like Flatlogic, companies can build apps quickly, easily, and without the need for extensive coding skills.

However, as with anything, low code does have its drawbacks. It lacks the fine detailing capability of high code solutions, it doesn’t give the creator full executive control over the product and, unlike no-code solutions, low code does require at least a little knowledge of coding.

So, if you either want to create a large and detailed app that’s entirely customized to your precise specifications or if you want to quickly produce a less detailed, less customizable app that requires no coding skill, you will be better off going for high code or no code solutions.

For everything else, though, low code is pretty much perfect.

If you want to create flexible, versatile, bespoke software with ease and speed, check out Flatlogic. Using Flatlogic, you can generate full-stack web apps in minutes, and save yourself a huge amount of time and money on tedious coding!

The post Low-Code Development – Pros & Cons appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Companies must ensure their website not only looks fabulous but also provides the best user experience. Nowadays, there are so many questions to answer when planning web design, but the most common one revolves around whether to choose a template or a custom design and which is best.

Choosing between a template or a custom website design can be fundamental to how your customers feel about your business. The latest research suggests it only takes 0.05 seconds for users to decide whether to stay or leave your website, so you must make a great first impression.

If you’re struggling to decide to go with a template website or a customer website, this article will cover the differences, the pros and cons of both, and the factors you should consider when choosing the best option that meets your needs. 

What’s the Difference between a Custom Website and a Template Website?

Just like email templates use pre-written text and format where you customize the contact details or amend the bits that you need, a web template is a pre-designed web page that follows a theme. Companies can choose from a vast range of design templates that can even include industry-specific themes or designs. Companies then insert their contact information and content using the templates, with no need for web design or coding skills.

Custom websites are bespoke and designed to meet the specific needs of a company. Designed and coded from scratch, a custom website is unique and tailored to meet your specific requirements. This allows companies full control of every aspect of their website, from design and layout to functionality, which can personalize your website in ways beyond simple color and font differences. Custom websites require skills in web design and coding to create a website that meets your every need.

There are pros and cons to both template and custom websites, so let’s examine them first.

The Pros and Cons of Custom Websites

Pros

Control

Whether you produce podcasts for software developers or you’re an online boutique, when you choose a custom website, you have full control over the appearance and function of your web pages. This means you can design a platform that meets your and your users’ unique needs.

Branding

When you design a bespoke website, you create it in line with your branding, from logos and fonts to color schemes. This means that everything on the website will be consistent with your brand values.

Integration

Because you have designed your site to include the plugins you need, there won’t be any unnecessary code hanging around that may slow loading speeds. Your site will have exactly what you need to give an excellent performance for your users and allow for scalability as your needs change or your company grows.

Sustainability

Your custom web design belongs to you and with the support of the right development team, you will have full control over what changes are made to the design and functions. You are not reliant on an unknown design team who may want to withdraw the template or discontinue functions that are vital to your platform. 

This could mean you can no longer use that template and may have to redesign your website. With a custom website, your web design has long-term sustainability, helping you to build trust with your users.

Cons

Web design skills required

Like building a custom CRM for your business, creating a custom website requires highly developed design and coding skills. Some larger companies may have in-house teams with those skills, but many do not. If you want a bespoke website that meets your every need, you will need to hire a web developer to do it for you.

Cost

Not only is there the upfront cost of hiring a web developer, but you are also responsible for the ongoing costs of maintaining the website to ensure it continues to function effectively, meeting your needs and those of your users.

Complexity

When developing code from scratch, there is a lot more scope for error. Code will need to be tested and bugs fixed, preferably before launch, which can increase the set-up time for your website.

Time

Unfortunately, it takes time to build a fantastic bespoke website that meets your every need. Timeframes can vary, but it could be anything between three and six months (perhaps longer depending on the complexity) to get your website up and running.

You must plan

When you’re spending your valuable budget on a custom web design, you want to know that it will grow and change in line with your business. To ensure scalability, you must apply long-term planning. There’s no point in investing in a website that does not allow for growth and increased traffic.

You may design a website for your currently small enterprise, but what about five years from now when your customer base may have increased and demand is higher? Planning will allow you to get it right the first time and allow for scalability.

The Pros and Cons of Template Websites

Pros

Speedy setup

If you want it to be quick, you can have your website up and running with a few clicks when you use a website template.

A more realistic time frame, however, is two to three weeks, which allows you the time to customize the contact pages with your company’s details, add logos and images, and upload your content.

No special skills required

You don’t need to hire a web developer because the pre-set designs and coding have already been completed for you. You may need to include a plugin or two, depending on what you want your website to do, but there are plenty of online tutorials to help you along the way.

Cheaper

Whether you’re trying to create a CRM on a tight budget or a website, both the above means a template website is much easier on the finances. Plus, the web developer who designed the templates is also responsible for any ongoing costs regarding fixing bugs.

If finances are a problem you could look into other options to raise capital such as revenue share deals, where, for example, a party could put a sum of money upfront for website development and in return receive a percentage of the revenue, or the revenue of one department. 

Simple

Perhaps you don’t need a website with complex functions or design. If you find a template design you like that provides the functionality you require, why not use it? There are hundreds of thousands of templates to choose from, so if you want something simple, you should be able to find it without feeling restricted.

Cons

Less customization potential

While design templates are perfect for those who want to keep things simple, if you’re in a niche market and require highly specific functionality, you may struggle to find a template that meets your every need.

Requires developer support

Templates also require continued support from the developer (who has not been employed directly by you) and who may at some point decide to pull support for your chosen theme. Without regular support and updates to fix any issues, your website could crash, which could damage customer trust in your brand and send you back to the drawing board to rebuild your website.

It’s a good idea to research the template provider and check reviews to see if they have a history of pulling support for their web templates.

Slow performance

Templates have pre-installed code for any potential plugins that companies may wish to add to their sites. These extra elements can slow performance and lead to a poor user experience. Google doesn’t like slow-performing websites and consistently punishes them with poor visibility on search engine results pages.

Common design

Template designs are not unique, so there is the potential for other companies, including your competitors, to choose the same design. This doesn’t help if you want your website to stand out from the crowd.

How to Decide Between a Custom Website or a Template Website

As we’ve just seen, both website types have pros and cons; however, the best choice for your enterprise is the one that meets your needs and provides your customers with the best user experience.

Like a call center installing an IVR phone system, setting up a website is an enormous investment in both time and money and needs to be done right if you want to enhance rather than damage your brand. Don’t forget, your website design and usability can have a tremendous impact on your company’s credibility.

Before you invest in your website, determine the following to help you find out the needs of your enterprise and your customers.

A Budget

As always, your budget affects all decision-making, including your website design.

If you are a small company or a start-up with a limited budget, a template website may be the best choice, with lower upfront costs. A template website can still offer you a beautiful design with the essential functions you need to get your site up and running.

If you have a larger budget, you can invest in a custom website created from scratch by a web developer that meets your brand requirements and incorporates every function you and your customers require. If you are planning to hire a web developer to build a customized website and want to understand your options, then you may wish to attend the world’s leading event for developers. This will enable you to meet numerous developers and learn about cutting-edge industry trends.

But don’t let a limited budget get you down.

Budgets are by far the most important factor in deciding the way forward with your web development.

A meager budget doesn’t mean you will be reduced to using a dull, generic website with poor design and equally poor performance.

If you can’t consider a custom design, a template will still allow you to produce a visually appealing and effective website that provides a good user experience.

Do your research and test templates to find the best one to meet your needs and your budget. Find add-ons that will help you provide the functionality you require without damaging the user experience.

If you care about optimizing your position on search results pages, then try to find a template that allows you to include HTML tags and meta descriptions so that you can make the most of your SEO strategies and help search engines to make sense of your content.

If you want to add certain features that are not included with a standard template, find a template that allowed the integration of third-party applications. There are industry-specific template providers that can meet the additional needs of eCommerce retailers or software product marketing, or perhaps you run a beauty salon and want to include an online booking system.

Don’t forget, you can always upgrade to a custom design as your company grows, and you have more resources to invest in your website.

A Timeframe

If you need to have your website up and running quickly, go with a template. All the time-consuming work has already been done, so once you’ve uploaded your company details, logos, images and content, and any additional plugins you require, you can have your site ready to go within a couple of weeks.

A custom website, on the other hand, requires time and patience to set up from scratch. So, if you don’t have a specific deadline, you can use that time to create a website that requires complex coding and testing to meet your individual needs. Once the website is ready, you can enhance its visual appeal by incorporating high-quality images and eye-catching typography that captivate your audience and provide a more immersive browsing experience.

Functionality

If you just want the basics for your website, such as a blog or simple eCommerce functions, then a template should be enough to meet your needs and be professional and effective. Not every website needs to provide the user with every function, especially if you are a small business.

However, if you need more, like a fully interactive user experience or to allow users to customize their products, a template will be too restrictive. Here, a custom website is the way to go and will allow your web team to create the specialized functions you require. Custom websites are also best if you want to include lots of graphics or provide a customer portal.

Scalability

If you don’t think your website will have to deal with rapid increases in engagement over time that may compromise performance, then perhaps a template is the best choice for you. However, templates lack the flexibility of a custom website and don’t allow you to change the functionality as your business grows.

If you expect your business to flourish and user engagement to increase, then choose a custom website that will allow you to expand its functionality as your company and users grow. You can add new features as and when you need them to ensure your customers continue to receive the best user experience.

Compatibility

If you don’t envisage using a lot of add-ons or need your website to communicate with other business tools like your social media accounts or customer service software, then go with a simple template.

But, if you need to integrate those things, you need your website to offer the compatibility required to ensure a seamless customer experience. When you have more add-ons, you need a website that can be easily adapted to incorporate them. Templates tend not to have that ease of extensive compatibility with other platforms and software.

Exclusivity

Templates can be customized enough to help you differentiate yourself from other companies using the same pre-designed template, so this may be the best option if you’re not too bothered about an exclusive web design.

Custom templates, however, allow you the complete creative freedom to design unique web pages that are exclusive to your company and help you stand out from the crowd. You can ensure your website is in line with every aspect of your brand, rather than having to make it fit as best you can.

Performance

Templates can often come with imperfect code. Without regular updates and maintenance, this can slow performance, which also affects your position on search rankings. If other things like budget take precedence, then go with a template.

Custom sites are maintained by your team of web developers, so you have no excess code clogging up performance and can keep your coding up to date. This will have a positive impact on SEO and search rankings, keeping you higher on the results page and maintaining decent loading speeds to improve performance.

Updating Content

If you want to update the content on your website yourself, such as adding a UK business phone number, then it doesn’t make a difference whether you choose a template or a custom website.

Templates have a built-in content management system and make it simple to update content yourself, but you can also do the same on your custom website. All you need to do is ensure your web developer integrates a content management system or builds an administrator portal where you can easily access and update content.

Usability

Unfortunately, a lot of templates, be they website templates or user management templates, don’t provide the same performance across all devices. 

If you’re constrained to using a template but know your customers will access your website via a mobile device and want to provide seamless navigation, then do your research. Some templates are tailored to look and function equally well across all devices. You just need to test them first.

If you want full control over your user experience with a website that is easy to navigate, whether on a desktop or by simply using a thumb to browse on a mobile phone, then go for a custom design.

Template or Custom—Which is Best?

The answer depends on your needs.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or a blue-chip company in any industry, you want a beautifully designed website that provides a seamless customer experience and generates credibility and trust among your customers.

However, not all enterprises need a website with every available functionality, and many do not have the budget to create it.

If you’re still not sure which is the best way to go, check out the web development services from Flatlogic. Their experienced teams can help you create a top-notch website, whether you’re a new startup or hoping to upgrade your webpages and improve performance.

There are pros and cons to both templates and custom websites, but when selecting the best option for your business, establish the needs of your company, your team, and your customers, and choose the option that meets those requirements. Check out another top-notch article about custom templates and development:

• Free Open-Source CRM Software For Small Business
• AI-Generated Roles and Permissions to Flatlogic Generator
• Decline in Coding: Web App Developers Writing Code Drops to 36.02% in 2024 – [Research Results]
• Exploring the Future of AI Web App Generators
• AI Web App Generator to Make Apps in Minutes

The post What’s Better: Custom Websites or Template Websites? appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.