Customising Websites on Webflow: More Than Just a Pretty Face for SaaS!

Creating a top-notch business website or landing page is about more than just looking sharp. It's about performance, ease of use, and stellar functionality for your audience. Manual interfaces and integrations can be difficult specially if you are  using HTML/ CSS/ React to built websites. Whether you're a SaaS or a PaaS company, you might think that you need at least one designer and two developers, right?

Nah. not really.

Let's look at how to best use Webflow for your B2B websites and landing pages, with easy-to-follow tips and simple explanations of the technical terms.

What is Webflow?

Webflow is a tool for making websites and landing pages. You can create professional, adaptable websites without needing to code. It's great for designers and developers because it offers a visual editor and the option to use code when needed. Yes, as simple as that.

Key Features of Webflow:

• Visual Design Tool: Create responsive designs without writing code. A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that generates clean HTML and CSS codes.
• CMS (Content Management System): Manage dynamic content effortlessly.
• Hosting: Host your website directly on Webflow’s servers for high performance.
• Interactions and Animations: Add advanced interactions and animations with ease. Features that let you add cool effects and movements to your website, like animations and interactive elements.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): Built-in extensions and integrations to help you optimise your website better in search engine results pages (SERPs)
• Third-Party Tools: Additional features you can add to your website, like email marketing tools or customer relationship management systems.

Now, that we’ve covered the basics, let's get personal, really personal.

1. Use Custom Code for Better Features:

• Adding JavaScript: Put custom JavaScript into Webflow to make it do more. You can put scripts in the head, body, or at the end of the body tag.
• Connecting with APIs: Link your site and pages with other services using APIs. Use fetch() or Axios to easily handle data.

2. Using CMS Collections for Changing Content:

• Custom Fields: Make detailed CMS Collections with custom fields to handle complex data. Use multi-reference fields for related data and rich text fields for flexible content management.
• Conditional Visibility: Make elements appear or disappear based on CMS field values. This makes your content more personalised and relevant.

3. Make Your Site Work Better and Be More Searchable:

• Lazy Loading: Make images and videos load as needed to make pages load faster. Use Webflow’s lazy loading options or the Intersection Observer API for custom solutions.
• Schema Markup: Use JSON-LD in the custom code sections to add structured data. This makes your site easier for search engines to understand.

4. Techniques for Responsive Design:

• Grid and Flexbox: Use CSS Grid and Flexbox layouts in Webflow for responsive design. Combine these with media queries to make the user experience better on different devices.
• Viewport Units: Use viewport width (vw) and height (vh) units for responsive typography and spacing. This makes sure your design is consistent on different screen sizes.

5. Better Interactions and Animations:

• Custom Animations: Use Webflow’s interactions panel to make complex animations that start when users do something like scroll, hover, or click. Use After Effects and Lottie for advanced animations.
• Micro-Interactions: Use micro-interactions to get users more involved. Use Webflow’s timed animations and transitions to give smooth, intuitive feedback for user actions.

Webflow also handles website updates and maintenance, eliminating the need for separate hosting on GoDaddy or third-party maintenance. With Webflow, you can build, optimise, and track your landing pages and websites from a single, easy-to-use dashboard.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out our client's success story in this Maplewave case study. It's a great example of what a Webflow development agency like Radial Path can achieve. Don't miss out!

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