DSB moves to Webflow

Earlier this year, Business Catalyst released an “End of life” statement to all of it’s users. This caused a little panic for some as the software has been a long time staple for small businesses, marketers and entrepreneurs alike. Users worried about finding a new Content Management System (CMS) that would allow the same benefits and still fit within a similar price point. Although there is an insane range of options out there, we believe we’ve found the absolute BEST option.

Webflow was the clear alternative for our business and our clients. The platform matched and exceeded the benefits and features we were used to receiving from Business Catalyst. We’re stoked to share some insight on this killer platform. We hope this will help all of you current Business Catalyst users out there decide whether Webflow is the right choice for YOU.

First, let’s review what was so great about Business Catalyst in the first place:

• Business Catalyst (BC) was acquired by Adobe in August of 2009. As a member of the Adobe family, Business Catalyst allowed creators to keep their products all within the Adobe ecosystem.
• The key features included: Content management, eCommerce, Email marketing, Integrated CRM database, Reporting & analytics, Social media integration
• On a scale of 10, the platform was around a 6 so many users deemed it “user friendly” and relatively simple to utilize.‍

Following Adobe’s announcement for end-of-life on Business Catalyst, they purchasedMagento. This new software is completely geared toward eCommerce and carries a price tag that most if not all previous BC users would never be able to afford. So where to turn?

Webflow to the Rescue
Webflow has made it clear that they do not offer native customer login features OR CRM systems at the moment but this wasn’t a deal breaker for us. What really drew us in was the feel that this system was built by designers and developers FOR designers and developers. Visually based and effective web design is extremely near and dear to our business so a “design first” attitude was a huge factor in our decision making process.

In addition to the focus on great design, there were a few additional offers that really sealed the deal for us:

• Webflow is capable of allowing users to build custom sites, develop web applications, incorporate eCommerce and much more.
  
• Users have the ability to combine prototyping with design. This means that users are able to conduct design and web building all in one. View your changes in real time and enjoy a user friendly quick edit system.
• Content editing is a breeze. The Editor feature allows users to edit content live, right on the actual website. This means there’s no need to log in on the back end and find the content you wish to edit. The on page editor allows you to edit right then and there. Learn more about this powerful feature here.
• Native SEO tools and resources (such as automatic mobile compatibility)
• Minute control over everything in the site without having to use plugins (as you do with WordPress).
• Adding Blog content is much easier in terms of using pull quotes, adding images, etc. The WYSIWYG in BC is a HUGE improvement over other sites like WordPress. It is much more solid and doesn’t “break” content on your site.
• Webflow assists with creating a brand experience online rather than allowing your website to simply be a digital brochure
• No need to learn PHP. This is an HTML, CSS and Javascript only zone.
• Free SSL with all Webflow hosting (meaning every site will be https://)
• Webflow University - a well organized resource to assist you in learning how to use Webflow. The instructional videos are easy to understand and extremely visual.

These are just the top few content management system features we loved about Webflow. There are many MANY more and several key advancements coming down the pipeline soon. In our opinion, this is the best content management system available for small to medium sized marketing businesses . If you’re attempting to decide on WordPress vs Webflow or if you’re simply researching the options, be sure to take note of the awesome benefits listed above. We wish you the best of luck in your new CMS hunt and look forward to rolling out our newly hosted sites!