The most important factors to consider when building digital products with no-code are your product requirement and the no-code builder. 

The builder you select has a significant impact on the future success of your product. Choosing the right platform equals a successful run, while doing the opposite is obviously not going to end well.

At the end of this article, you will understand what makes a good no-code builder and the factors you should consider before subscribing to a no-code builder.

What are no-code builders?

A no-code builder is a tool for building software applications with little or no coding involved.  Software applications here means mobile, web and desktop applications. 

These type of platforms makes it possible for citizen developers like you and me to bring complex ideas to life without attending a 12 months software development bootcamp. 

Taking advantage of the easy-to-use visual interface provided by most builders, you’re able to build applications in record time. 

Before moving too far, remember there are pros and cons of building digital products with no-code. 

Moving forward, every no-code builder must have some core characteristics before it can be referred to as a no-code platform.  

Let’s take a look at these characteristics:

Characteristics of no-code builders

Visual interface

The goal of building with no-code is not to code 99% of the time. The majority of the no-code builders out there provide visually appealing drag-and-drop interfaces to help you build your application fast. 

For example, Bubble io is our preferred tool at Partcloud because it allows us to drag elements and components to the screen with minimal effort.

Although almost every no-code platform provides a visual interface to work with, some can be very complex and hard to navigate. It took me a while to get a hang of Xano’s backend as a service no-code builder. 

Database

In digital product development, the database is everything. Imagine how awful it would be if your product users cannot enter important information like usernames, email and passwords into your application. 

Imagine how Instagram or Facebook would be if users can’t post pictures, videos and text. Boring right :(

First, it means these apps won’t be able to collect information from your users and perform relevant actions. Secondly, you won’t be able to make sense of who, what, where and how your software is been used by your users. 

In most cases, you and your users need to be able to:

• Create data in your app
• Read data they or other users have created
• Update data
• Delete irrelevant data from your app.

Without the database, you won’t be able to collect important information from your users even after creating a visually appealing interface. 

Logic

Still using Instagram as an example. Have you ever wondered what happens when your click on the “ Add new post button “? If you haven’t here's what happens:

• ^You click on the Add new post button
• It opens your gallery or tells your phone camera to get ready for a photo/video snap
• Uploads the image/video to the Instagram database
• Tells Instagram to display it as a list of post

Everything I just listed above is logic. Logic serves as your application connector. It connects your visual interface and your database. 

Furthermore, without logic, your no-code application would be boring and static. Visual interactions will not be possible. 

Factor to consider when choosing a no-code builder. 

Just like you have to perform due diligence before buying a new car, you do have to consider some factors before choosing a no-code platform for your project. 

You don’t choose a no-code platform because of its popularity, funding round or recent breaking news. You choose a platform because it suits your product requirements and more. 

Listed below are factors to consider when choosing a platform for your software development. Forget to consider the factors below at your peril. 

Your project requirement 

Consider your product's end goal before anything else. What do you hope to accomplish with the no-code mobile or web application you intend to build?

Brainstorm your product goal and gather requirements. If you don’t have users yet, feel free to do the same with your team or find credible resources on the internet simply by taking a look at what your competitors are doing. 

Moving forward, write these requirements as futures down in three columns:

• Must Have

• Feature 1
• Feature 2

• Should have

• Feature 1
• Feature 2

• Might have

• Feature 1
• Feature 2

Now that you have figured out what you intend to build, you can go ahead and search for a credible no-code platform to build your product with. 

Your skill set 

Now that you have figured out exactly what you intend to build and the futures you want to include, it’s time to evaluate your skill set to see if it’s something you can build yourself or outsource to a freelancer/no-code agency.

Timeline

Alongside your skill, also evaluate how long it would take you to start and complete your project. You don’t want to have an incomplete project you alone can use.  

Community

An active community means you will get help whenever you need it. There’s a huge chance you will be needing help along the way as your build your project. 

This is one of the reasons we chose bubble io. Its community members are very innovative and respond quickly.

Take time to study the no-code platform engagement rate, activities, and active contributions by platform owners before deciding to begin your project on the platform. 

no-code platforms like Bubble io, Glideapp, and Webflow have very active communities.

Ease of use

Here’s a rule you must follow if you want to succeed at building apps with no-code . “Don’t start with the hardest no-code platform if you’re a beginner”

With that in mind, you must consider ease of use when selecting a no-code platform for your project. Find out if your chosen platform is usable before making your choice. 

Updates

Technology changes all the time and too many no-code platforms out there fail to keep up with these changes or even fix bugs. 

Platforms like Bubble io, webflow and glideapp are known for the regular updates they make on their platform. While some other no-code builders wait for months. 

You must understand that these updates will in no small way affect the kind of products you’re able to build with your chosen platform. 

Success stories 

Bubble io & webflow are popular because they have so many success stories. Intending founders read articles of other applications built on Bubble and are now scaling or acquired by investors. 

That’s why we have chosen them as our choice no-code platform here at Partcloud. 

If a builder has a lot of success stories, there is a very high chance that yours won’t be different when you build your product with the same platform. 

There you have it. Now you understand how to choose a no-code platform for your software-based products.

Still, having doubts? Feel free to jump on a quick clarification call with us here.