In this era where the demand for coding dramatically exceeds the supply of developers, traditional development tools no longer allow escaping the shortage of skills necessary to create software, applications, or websites. In this context, no-code or the use of ergonomic tools to design an environment without coding has come to meet an exponential need. However, with this innovation, freelance developers, consultants, and employees ask themselves: does this creation of an environment without coding represent the end of their profession?
What is no-code?
Most of the time, the use of a developer is essential to create a complete IT environment adapted to the needs of a company (website, apps, software, etc.). The role of the provider will be to write the code line by line, design the infrastructure, and obtain the final result. But this process can however take time; therefore, it does not always allow to respond effectively to the demand of entrepreneurs. Thus, they can use no-code to save time and make the creation less complicated.
As its name suggests, no-code uses ergonomic and easy-to-use tools instead of lines of code. These tools have everything you need to build a website or develop a mobile application without programming skills. Thanks to a no-code platform, companies that do not have the techniques required for these complex tasks can have access to basic functionalities allowing them to put their showcase site online or manage their product and online sales. In most cases, this alternative will be preferred to save time while saving on developer fees.
What are the advantages of no-code?
You won’t have to do any code development to get started, which allows you to design infrastructures or workflows quickly. Moreover, it is for this reason that no-code platforms are not only useful for professional users. Indeed, developers wishing to complete their mission as soon as possible can also use it.
This solution is often ideal for companies with an overbooked development team or who do not have the budget to hire a developer. For VSEs and SMEs, no-code provides access to high-performance digital tools for an affordable price and an exciting deadline.
Low costs and short deadlines are mainly the significant advantages of no-code, but other practical benefits should be considered:
- Better agility thanks to a pre-established interface and modules allowing to modify the environment visually
- Ideal for prototyping and application or testing its effectiveness: the tests being automated, you further reduce development time
- Increased productivity: tasks that used to take weeks can be done in hours
- Ease of editing compared to manual coding
- Development of team autonomy
- With no-code tools like WordPress or Bubble, entrepreneurs will be able to begin their digital transition, then automate specific tasks and optimize the management of their projects.
And the limits…
In general, no-code makes it possible to quickly and easily develop websites or applications with essential characteristics without resorting to the service of a developer. But when the expectations of the project become more specific, this alternative has certain limitations in terms of functionality and design.
Indeed, the software and sites created from these tools are not personalized elsewhere; they are likely to resemble the finished digital products of other users who have used the same platform. Of course, the creation and assembly of the bricks are constrained by the tool, which makes the project less flexible.
Furthermore, the possibilities of upgrading the tool depend entirely on the selected no-code platform. But above all, the process for a data migration operation can sometimes be very complicated, unlike a custom development.
One of the significant disadvantages of no-code indeed lies in the security and reliability of the project. Due to the lack of data control, it is not always easy to meet the required data encryption, authorization system, or authentication certificate requirements. In this case, the intervention of a developer remains essential to implement best practices and avoid any attempt to breach security.
Using a developer, a decidedly essential step
Although using a no-code platform is advantageous for some entrepreneurs, it does not always meet the specific needs of companies, especially if it is a large project. With no code, the site owner does not necessarily own his source code, which makes modifications impossible. By calling on a developer who masters specific frameworks, he can have total control and full ownership of his data.
In one way or another, no-code is not always suitable for projects that are too specific; therefore, it is mainly to be preferred in a minority of cases and for limited products that evolve. For example, this solution is particularly suitable for creating basic websites with complex functions, SaaS site prototypes, “business” oriented software, or even CRM and programs for managing customer files.
In some cases, the professional will also help draw up detailed functional specifications, which will avoid many subsequent problems. According to specialists, the best compromise would be to combine the use of no-code tools and the intervention of a developer to implement specific features using lines of code. This is what is currently called low-code.
To conclude
All in all, no-code does not in any way represent competition for freelance consultants and developers, as it cannot replace the intervention of a coding expert for a tailor-made result. Consequently, developers still have their place in the labour market, but with the required specialization (frameworks, rebranding, etc.). Moreover, if you are an independent consultant, you are interested in adopting this technique to improve the quality and the delivery time of your achievements. Anyway, do not hesitate to think about freelancing, particularly wage portage, to secure your activity.
