In our last installment, we explored the challenges of the time-poor marketer and how multiple features and capabilities available in DXPs actively support them in achieving more in less time. Which brings us nicely to the topic of this chapter: how low-code, no-code are empowering them to do even more, without support from other teams.
Introducing low-code, no-code tools
Low-code and no-code tools allow users to create applications and software solutions with minimal coding or programming knowledge.
- Low-code platforms provide a visual interface with drag-and-drop components and pre-built functions, allowing users to assemble applications by connecting pre-existing modules and workflows. These platforms still require some level of coding but significantly reduce the amount of manual coding required.
- No-code platforms, on the other hand, eliminate the need for coding altogether. They offer an entirely visual interface where users can build applications using visual elements, templates, and configurable options. No-code tools typically employ a combination of visual builders, pre-built templates, and simple logic rules to create functional applications.
Both low-code and no-code tools aim to empower users without extensive programming skills to create applications quickly and efficiently. These tools enable citizen developers, such as business users or professionals from non-technical backgrounds, to take an active role in developing software solutions, reducing dependency on dedicated development teams. They provide a faster and more accessible way to develop applications, accelerating the delivery of digital solutions and driving innovation within organizations.
7 benefits of putting low-code, no-code tools in marketers’ hands
Low-code and no-code tools offer several benefits for users and organizations, including:
- Increased productivity: Low-code and no-code platforms enable users to develop applications faster by reducing the need for manual coding. The visual interfaces, pre-built components, and templates streamline the development process, allowing users to focus on the application's logic and functionality.
- Empowerment of non-technical users: These tools empower individuals without extensive programming knowledge to participate in the development process. Marketers can take an active role in creating applications, reducing reliance on IT departments and accelerating the delivery of solutions.
- Faster time to market: Application development cycles can be significantly shortened. As the visual development environments and pre-built components eliminate the need for starting from scratch, low-code, no-code tools enable rapid prototyping, iteration, and deployment. This agility allows organizations to bring new ideas and solutions to market quickly and for marketing teams to get their content out quickly, engaging customers with highly relevant information.
- Cost-effectiveness: By enabling non-technical users to develop applications, organizations can optimize resource allocation and reduce the need for dedicated development teams. This can result in huge cost savings and increased efficiency in software development projects.
- Flexibility and adaptability: Low-code, no-code platforms often provide a high level of flexibility, allowing users to customize and adapt applications to their specific needs. The visual interfaces and configurable options make it easier to make changes, updates, and modifications to applications without extensive coding efforts.
- Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork: By easing collaboration between business users and IT teams, low-code, no-code platforms enable marketers to actively participate in application development, providing input and feedback, while IT teams can focus on providing technical guidance, governance, and ensuring overall system stability and security.
- Maintenance and scalability: Low-code, no-code tools often handle underlying infrastructure and maintenance tasks, including security updates and infrastructure scaling. This frees up time for users to focus on application enhancements and new features rather than managing technical details.
Low-code, no-code tools democratize application development, enabling a broader range of users to contribute to software solutions. They offer increased speed, flexibility, and collaboration, helping organizations drive innovation and achieve their digital transformation goals more effectively.
The low-code, no-code tools found in DXPs
In a digital experience platform (DXP), you may find various low-code and no-code tools that facilitate application development and content management. Some examples of such tools commonly integrated into DXPs include:
- WYSIWYG content management: DXPs often incorporate user-friendly content management features that allow content creators and editors to manage and publish content without the need for extensive coding knowledge. These tools typically offer drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-built templates, and content scheduling capabilities.
- Form builders: Low-code form builders enable users to create and customize forms quickly without writing code by providing a visual interface with which to design forms, collect data, and integrate form submissions with other applications or databases.
- Workflow automation: Workflow automation tools allow users to design and automate business processes visually. With these tools, users can create workflows that define the steps, actions, and conditions for various processes, such as content approval workflows, lead management workflows, or customer support ticket routing.
- Visual page builders: Good DXPs often include visual page builders that simplify the creation and customization of web pages. These tools offer drag-and-drop functionality, pre-designed content blocks, and layout options, allowing users to visually design and arrange web pages without coding.
- Integration and APIs: Some DXPs may provide pre-built connectors and APIs that allow users to integrate with external systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, e-commerce systems, or social marketing tools. These integration capabilities enable data exchange and workflow automation between different systems without requiring complex coding.
- Personalization engines: DXPs with personalization capabilities allow marketers to create personalized experiences for their audience without writing custom code. These tools leverage user data, segmentation, and rule-based engines to deliver tailored content and recommendations based on user behavior and preferences.
- Analytics and reporting: DXPs often incorporate robust analytics and reporting tools that provide insights into user engagement, content performance, and campaign effectiveness. These tools allow users to track key metrics, generate reports, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their digital experiences.
Low-code, no-code: rocket fuel for your marketing team
Low-code, no-code tools have revolutionized the way marketers work by providing them with the ability to create and manage digital experiences without the need for extensive coding knowledge. They have made it possible for marketers to quickly build and deploy landing pages, email campaigns, and other marketing assets without relying on developers.
Using these tools, marketers can save time and money, while also gaining more control over their campaigns and the overall customer experience. With the rise of digital transformation, low-code, no-code tools have become a must-have for marketers who want to stay ahead of the competition and provide their customers with the best possible experience.
Learn more about the power of low-code, no-code tools
Discover how they’re revolutionizing not just how marketers work, but how developers do too. Our recent ebook, “How to create digital experiences without developers” goes into depth about why they are a win-win for marketers and developers alike and provides the top 9 benefits of the low-code/no-code approach.
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