“Learn to code”. This phrase has become a bit of an insult aimed at people who are out of work or unhappy in their jobs, but which, in many ways, is about to become a thing of the past.
No-code software allows people with no programming skills to build applications, create workflows, and even design robotic processes. Essentially, no-code software uses a “drag and drop” function to copy elements from a menu of components onto a page. The user arranges the components and adds text, and the software makes all the technical connections for the screen to be used as a web page, app, database, etc.
At present, no-code platforms cater mostly to workflow technologies (e.g. Monday.com), app builders (e.g. Candu), robotic process automation (e.g. UiPath), and intelligent process automation (e.g. NICE).
Valued at $35 billion USD, the no-code market has grown significantly in recent years. Why has this happened, and what does it mean for marketers?
Not The Time To Learn To Code
Aside from the maturation of no-code technology, three factors have combined to create a situation that is leading to a dramatic increase in the ability of citizen developers to design and implement their own digital products.
App Addiction
Businesses are dependent on applications; the average employee uses eight different SaaS programs. Moreover, in everyday life, the average phone is loaded with 40. Users have come to expect that software is immediately understandable, and in a way, this has made all of us into experts when it comes to user experience, because we all know what a bad user experience is like. No-code software enables non-technical people to put their experience into practice.
Zoom, Anybody?
Even before the pandemic, knowledge workers were greatly in favor of going remote. COVID 19 (for the time being) has made this a reality, but has also greatly complicated organizational processes that were already challenging. (As an example, try getting marketing and IT departments to cooperate on building a customer-facing phone application for travelers to contact physicians. Believe me, Zoom doesn’t make it easier.) No-code technology appeared just in time for citizen developers to construct applications independently.
The Rich Get Richer
The pandemic has made billions for corporations that were already in a leadership position, but has done great damage to those on the other end of the scale. To survive, businesses are now under greater pressure than ever to innovate - very rapidly. To this end, perhaps the greatest benefit of the no-code revolution is that it permits users to build screens as fast as they can drag and drop.
Why Marketers Love No-Code Software
Putting app and web development in the hands of those dealing with customers is more than just convenient. No-code software can be used across organizations by anyone with an account for the platform in question, and the following advantages can be enjoyed by the whole corporation.
Variety
No-code platforms deliver more than page components – they deliver marketing variety. With app builders, for example, you can design and implement sales and strategy plan templates, content pages, image carousels, and more. In turn, these pages can be displayed on web sites, phone apps, tablets, and social media. Relevant pages can be connected to payment solutions, analytical services, CRM programs, and eCommerce services.
Relevance
Even if your development people had all the time in the world to build apps and web pages, they still would not have the marketing skill to create a quality user experience. Understanding what customers want is a matter of know-how and daily client contact, which is the purview of marketers. So it’s ideal that, with no-code technology, those on the “front lines” of customer service are the ones building the digital services that clients are using.
Efficiency
There are definitely development activities which only IT people can handle. By diverting “easy” jobs to code-free designers, development resources can be focused on the tasks that are technically critical to the organization instead of being distracted by the needs of other departments.
Speed
Busy development departments can take a while to get around to making that survey page or onboarding guide requested by marketing. With no-code technology, it’s not necessary to wait for an IT person to help. In addition, once a user gets accustomed to their particular code-free interface, building app and web pages can take literally only minutes.
No-Code Is Going Mainstream
One current limitation of no-code software is that it tends to be proprietary. You can’t easily move your designs between platforms, and if your service provider goes under, say goodbye to the pages that you built with their product. However, market leaders are getting involved – Salesforce has acquired Tableau, IBM has partnered with Mendix, and Google has purchased AppSheet. Once these giants really get into the market, no-code software will become as permanent as cloud computing and smart phones. In other words, it is definitely time to take part in the no-code revolution.
As published on LinkedIn.
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