Leveraging Low-Code and No-Code to Empower Your eCommerce

Have you ever heard of low-code and no-code development platforms? You might have heard of these terms but still need to learn about what they are and what has made them so popular.

Yes, low code and no code solutions are gaining a huge reputation within the eCommerce industry since more and more businesses are aware of the potential and advantages of creating custom applications with some simple lines of code or even without code. The era of traditional coding systems has gone, authorized for the rise of no-code and low-code platforms. low code and no code tools

All in all, low code and no code tools are revolutionizing the software industry, allowing companies to do things smarter, faster, and more efficiently without having to rely on expensive technical expertise. These low code and no code platforms have tackled the gap between non-technical and professional technical users by creating a lower entry-level, which is friendly for everyone, no matter how skillful you are in programming.

Alongside how much faster a no-code solution can respond to your needs and the time and cost savings on building in-house tools, it’s easy to understand why businesses are turning to no-code solutions to modernize their organizations.

That said, not everyone fully understands and appreciates the comprehensive guides of low code and no code for eCommerce development. If you are in that bracket, be with BSS Commerce Shopify and keep reading this blog to discover what they are and how they can benefit businesses.

What Is Low-Code?

Low-Code development platform is an emerging technology revolutionizing software development with flexibility for users’ different technical skills. The demand for low-code solutions is increasing day by day as it eliminates the need for extensive coding expertise and the recent search for accelerating the digital transformation of organizations.

Low code comes with a visual interface like pre-built modules, drag-and-drop functionality, and model-driven logic that provide users with powerful tools to generate applications effortlessly and promptly, surpassing the speed of traditional coding methods. Low code aims to simplify the process of software development, shorten the time-to-market for businesses, and make it more accessible to people who have little knowledge of programming and coding. Yet, since it allows customization, a technical background is needed to harness the full power of the technology.

Low-Code: Best Suited for

• Low-code is most frequently utilized for online apps, e-commerce, customer support, automation, and integrations.
• This is a particularly useful tool for freelancers or teams who are looking to develop and deploy certain types of apps and tools quickly while also having some level of control over the base code that already exists. Once you have the initial structure of the app, you can address more complicated coding tasks or integrate them with other systems. This is called the hybrid development approach.

Low-Code: Primary Features

• Visual development with customization: Drag-and-drop functionality with intuitive visual UI helps to increase productivity.
• Model-driven development allows visualizing how the application works through one-click deployment.
• Reusable and customizable components let users build cross-platform applications.
• Integrate logic and data securely from any system, source, or service, including your main legacy systems.
• Equipped with collaboration tools used for feedback loops, revision tracking, user stories, messaging, and more.

Low-Code: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Allow users to quickly digitize the operations, accelerating the transition into the digital age and staying competitive.
• Permit businesses to tap into a larger pool of individuals with diverse backgrounds who are capable of contributing. This keeps companies ahead of the curve and helps them develop their technical skills.
• Accelerate the process of development.
• Very little experience with coding is required.
• User-friendly interface.

Cons

• May not be suitable for complicated projects because of its limited coding ability.
• Poorly written code may lead to data breaches or other malicious activities.
• Some features may not satisfy industry regulations and compliance standards.

What Is No-Code?

If you were to create web apps or mobile apps from scratch, you would probably see yourself struggling with an infinite circle: writing a bunch of lines of code, testing it, making changes, and then testing it again. We understand how an application was created: time-consuming, challenging, bugs, and countless mistakes. But No-code has changed everything. So what is No code?

No-Code development (also known as Zero-code) is a type of software development that allows everyone, regardless of non-programmers, to produce applications. With drag-and-drop tools and web-based forms, no code platform gives users the permission to design and create functional applications without writing a single line of code, with little effort and time. For businesses that require access to coding professionals but wish to employ non-technical in-house personnel for simple apps, this is the perfect answer.

In short, the goal of no code is to personalize the development process, which is the solution for your unique needs. This approach makes it much easier and faster for businesses to respond to market changes and reduce the time for application delivery.

No-Code: Best-Suited for

• SMEs and startups: No-code is useful for SMEs and startups since since they often operate with limited budgets and technical expertise, and no code empowers them to create custom software solutions without investment in a professional development team.
• Rapid prototyping and MVP (Minimum Viable Product): If you want to test your product concept through a prototype or MVP, then no code development platform is your right choice. The reason is that it permits you, with no need for coding, to create functional applications, fast iteration, and experimentation. We know that testing the product concept is the very first step of product development to determine whether that product has potential or not, so no code definitely your destination when it comes to this stage to validate your ideas with minimal time and effort.
• Content-driven platform: Blogs, eCommerce websites, and content management systems are some examples of content-driven platforms that require frequent updates that no code tools can manage efficiently. Through a no-code platform, content creators and site administrators can easily make changes and additions without relying on developers, speeding up content delivery and updates.

No-Code: Primary Features

• Drag-and-drop interface to simplify and speed up the process of creating applications
• Extensive libraries of ready-to-use UI components, templates, widgets, and views
• Out-of-the-box functionality removes the need to build an app from scratch
• Purely visual development
• Limited customization
• Amiable toward non-technical users

No-Code: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Easy support and update
• Cost saving: removes the need for hiring and training developer team; eliminates ongoing maintenance costs
  Empowering non-technical individuals to build applications tailored to specific and unique requirements, without relying on external developers.
• Flexibility and agility: There is no need to develop a new app for additional features or to mitigate user growth.

Cons

• Limited customization for complex business rules or unique design requirements.
• Integration limitations
• Possibly more susceptible to security problems

Key Difference Between Low Code and No Code

As we can see, the primary similarities between low-code and no-code are survey level – providing businesses with a powerful tool to build apps without writing code and programming language knowledge. Due to their similarities, many people get muddled up, making it confusing when choosing the best method to build an e-commerce store. Now, let’s compare both approaches and find out where the similarities between low code and no code end.

Benefits of Using Low-Code and No-Code

From increasing productivity to reusing codes or leveraging built-in app development components and functionalities, the advantages of low code and no code for business users, professional developers, and citizen developers are undeniable. Now, let’s find out the way of how low code and no code platforms become a big bundle of business values:

Easy to Use and Maintain

First things first, as the low-code and no-code are not built from scratch, development is simplified, making them attractive options for businesses striving for agility. Coming with drag-and-drop functionality, they simplify the complex task of coding into an intuitive process, making it user-friendly even for non-technical individuals. Users with minimal to no prior programming experience can design applications since the learning curve is significantly lowered.

In terms of maintenance, businesses who use low code and no code platforms are always the ones who lead the technology, and you do not need to fix up regularly thanks to the built-in, ready-to-use components, and automatic updates. These updates are designed to be future-proof and comply with the latest trends and standards, so you can identify and address problems easier, and quicker and reduce downtime.

Cost-Effective

It seems like an exceptional developer team is a hard-to-achieve dream of business, especially SMEs as its frankly and mind-boggling cost. According to recent research, it costs businesses upwards of almost $30,000 to hire a full-time professional developer. It is a quite high rate that not all companies can invest in.

Fortunately, low-code and no-code platforms help you to save $30,000. They eliminate the requirement of extensive manpower since even non-programmers can develop applications, leading to lower labor costs. Also, as mentioned, these platforms provide regular updates that ensure alignment with the latest technologies and standards, saving an extensive amount for system overhauls and recruitment programs specialists.

In a nutshell, the cost-effectiveness of low code and no code development platforms arises from their ability to minimize labor costs, long-term maintenance, and upgrade expenses. As a result, you can spend that investment on vital activities like inventory expansion, marketing projects product development, etc.

Quicker Development and Delivery of Applications

When stripped down to its most basic form, the issue of increased operational efficiency essentially comes down to time management. Thankfully, low-code and no-code platforms bring it to entrepreneurs, and you have no longer to spend likely a thousand hours to create beautiful and highly interactive user interfaces.

Factfully, they eliminate the most time-consuming part of the process – extensive manual coding. Thanks to the pre-built functions and drag-and-drop tools, you can build numerous applications to follow your needs more quickly and efficiently. In addition, the continuous testing and deployment features allow you to make changes and see results in real-time. In this way, low code and no code facilitate a more agile, efficient development process, enabling businesses to deliver applications to market faster than ever before.

What’s more? Its friendliness with both technical and non-technical users encourages collaboration and speeds up decision-making. Even though the business stakeholders do not have formal coding skills or technical knowledge, it is possible for them to take part in the development process directly, making real-time changes and providing immediate feedback.

It is undeniable that low code and no code platforms can cut 50% to 90% of development time in comparison with high-code platforms. Rather than relying heavily on those trained technically in formal programming skills, you and your staff can now focus on more mission-critical tasks at hand.

Enhance Customer Experience

One of the most obvious benefits of low code and no code development platforms is that they can significantly enhance the customer experience, directly influencing brand loyalty, word-of-mouth referrals, and competitive differentiation. It is undeniable that some low code and no code platforms fasten the process of building customer-facing applications by up to 80%.

Some research has indicated that it takes businesses roughly 9 to 12 months to automate core business processes through traditional methods, while a low-code and no-code approach achieves this milestone within a span of a few weeks; what an incredible time!

Additionally, by using low code and no code platforms, businesses are enabled to tailor the applications to deliver unique and personalized user experiences, thereby setting themselves apart in the market and meeting customer expectations more effectively.

Risk Management

Proactive risk management is essential in a world where breaking regulations may result in large penalties and harm to one’s image. Low-code and no-code platforms also help reduce the risks and errors during the application development process since the majority of the code is automatically generated. With pre-built components that have been thoroughly tested, all the bugs and security flaws that might arise from manual coding are likely to be eliminated, ensuring a smooth and safe store management process.

Moreover, low code and no code platforms provide users with the ability to prototype promptly and iterate on the go, which allows you to carry out solutions and strategies at an affordable cost and with security. They also permit real-time testing and feedback, so you can get better end products and reduce the risk of project failure.

Low-Code Development Platforms

Salesforce Lightning

This is a low-code product that belongs to the Salesforce Platform. With this platform, you can use any programming language to create an app with advanced security. Its biggest benefit to users is a premade CRM with the option to add custom functionality.

Highlight Features

• Service Console allows managers to have total control over all activities of the business from one screen.
• The Patch feature maps out the most likely routes toward closing a deal, with in-depth tracking for past and upcoming activities like meetings, emails, and calls.
• Integrate with Google Workspace, Dropbox, Mailchimp, HubSpot,…

Discover more: Salesforce Shopify Integration

Microsoft PowerApps

Microsoft Power Apps is low-code app development software that allows users to create and run applications for personal, team, and enterprise use in a fast and simple way. Based on your specific needs and requirements, you can build custom apps with its various apps, service and data platforms, and professional developer tools.

Highlight Features

• The point-and-click method of creating apps
• Pre-defined templates
• Data and application connectivity made simple
• Suitable for Windows, Android, and iOS devices
• 200+ connectors to integrate disparate data and systems

Mendix

Founded in 2005, until now, there are over 4000 medium and big enterprises using Mendix to build applications. It is ideal for everyone and is simple to adopt.

Highlight Features

• Agile project management
• Visual modeling tools
• Reusable components
• Suitable with many kinds of devices, including mobile ones
• Support offline working

Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a minimalist low-code application development platform with intuitive visuals that enables users to build powerful and custom applications that match their advanced needs. ‌Users with any level of technical expertise can create functional applications because of its intuitive interface and short learning curve.

Highlight Features

• Comes with some powerful features such as drag-and-drop, guided scripting, prebuilt integrations, and predictive analytics. This simplifies the process of building an app.
• Cross-platform functions offer offline capabilities
• Role-based controls ensure the security of data shared within the application

Kissflow

Kissflow is a cloud-based solution for businesses of any size from any industry to simplify work management and accelerate digital transformation. Thanks to its robust features, Kissflow is now used widely by thousands of companies across 160+ countries.

Highlight Features

• Over 45 pre-installed applications
• Drag-and-drop feature permits users to add and edit fields
• Allows custom multifunctional applications, automated human-centric processes, issue tracking, and project management

No-Code Development Platforms

Shopify

When it comes to starting an eCommerce business, the one that hits every mind is Shopify – a no-code powerpack platform that helps elevate growth and manage all essential activities.

Highlight Features

• Over 8,000+ apps integrate directly with Shopify
• Offers a wide range of custom templates and free themes which is suitable for every industry
• Omnichannel selling
• Built-in marketing tool
• Analyze and Report

Webflow

Webflow is a popular no-code development platform that offers a wide range of powerful features to help users create professional-looking websites. The customization offered, combined with its versatility, and ease of use, makes Webflow one of the most interesting and powerful no-code platforms out there.

Highlight Features

• Offers SSL certification
• Offers various templates that are fully customizable
• Provides a custom code and custom domain option, and permits developers to add unique code to build your website design

>>> Shopify vs Webflow – Comparison Broken Down

Bubble

Because Buble is a no-code platform, you can construct web apps with it without having to know how to code. Being a full-stack solution, it includes all the necessary front-end (user interface) design, back-end functionality, and hosting environment components for an app to perform properly.

Highlight Features

• Drag-and-drop permits users to build applications without writing code
• Automate processes by setting up a sequence of events and actions thanks to the equipped Workflow function
• Encrypted databases keep the privacy of data sent between the server and users’ devices
• An integrated debugger helps to find and fix errors

Zapier

As a web-based automation platform, Zapier streamlines your app building without coding and technical background. Zapier plays the role as an assistant who takes care of repetitive tasks, allowing your staff to focus on what truly matters.

Highlight Features

• Connects with over 3,000 apps
• User-friendly interface
• Automates processes using actions and triggers
• Highly customizable, including the ability to add delays, filters, and conditions to workflows

Quickbase

At its core, Quick Base is all about simplifying the application-building process for non-technical users. By using Quick Base, you can effortlessly create a useful and fully functioning cloud application that is tailored to your needs.

Highlight Features

• Drag-and-drop interface
• Dashboards and internal tools streamline processes
• Ability to integrate with numerous powerful platforms such as Salesforce, Slack, and MailChimp to extend its functionalities

>>> Top 14+ Free eCommerce Platforms to Start Online Businesses

In a Nutshell: Low Code and No Code for eCommerce

In conclusion, thanks to their undeniable advantages, low code and no code platforms have proven that they are not only reshaping the software development landscape but also being game-changers for businesses across various sectors. They fasten the development process, reduce cost, improve collaboration, manage risk, and streamline operations. Along with the inherent flexibility, ease of use, and friendly interface, these platforms have made them the ideal choice for entrepreneurs to stay competitive in the digital age.

Embracing no code and low code platform guidelines, now it’s your time to unlock the world of innovation and efficiency. Are you ready to join us in the low-code and no-code revolution? 

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