No code app development platforms are exploding in popularity, and with good reason.
Mobile technology is enabling companies to improve the productivity, quality, and safety of their operations, and make more data-driven decisions than ever.
The problem, however, is that the demand for software solutions is far outpacing the supply of software developers.
Fortunately, most businesses do not need to hire a team of programmers. Instead, they can fulfill their needs with no-code platforms. This option is much more cost-effective — and make heroes out of everyday employees.
What is no-code app development?
No-code platforms empower non-technical users (sometimes called “citizen developers”) to build innovative solutions to their business problems.
No-code platforms use a visual development environment, so non-programmers can create custom applications using a straightforward drag-and-drop interface. This eliminates the complexity of coding. It thus allows laypeople to design applications to focus on functionality rather than technical intricacies.
A common misconception about no-code development is that it only works for basic applications. In reality, today’s no-code platforms can be used to build sophisticated, end-to-end enterprise solutions.
It’s important to note the difference between no-code and low-code applications. Low-code platforms (sometimes called rapid application tools) come with pre-built functionality that allows non-technical users to build their own apps up to a point, but require coding knowledge to be completed.
With no-code development platforms, you don’t need any code, full stop.
Some examples of no-code apps are Salesforce, Airtable, and Fulcrum.
What are the benefits of no-code development?
No-code app development platforms deliver huge benefits to the businesses that leverage them, such as:
Cost-effectiveness. As mentioned above, no-code development eliminates the need for hiring a team of software engineers or hiring a consulting agency to build and maintain a bespoke (and expensive) solution.
Workforce empowerment. You can equip more of your employees with the tools they need to become citizen developers to help facilitate faster development and customization of your applications.
Productivity. Bug fixes and updates are handled by the software provider, not your employees. This enables your teams to skip the IT backlog and focus on optimizing your business processes and meeting the needs of your customers.
Speed and agility. The problem with hand-coding is that modifying and testing your apps can take weeks, if not months. With a host of citizen developers using a simple drag-and-drop interface, you can get your apps updated and deployed in minutes.
IT-friendliness. No-code platforms help cut down on shadow IT (projects and software that are managed without your IT department’s knowledge). It’s a lot easier for them to manage one or two no-code solutions that your teams can customize for their own requirements than auditing dozens of different cloud services.
Learn more about no-code app development
Check out the webinar Not All Heroes Write Code to learn how no-code development platforms help ordinary people do extraordinary things, such as:
- Create custom mobile data collection and workflow automation apps
- Instantly format and send reports from the field
- Plot data on maps to provide location-based insights and more