Why Edgar Allan is a Webflow agency
Edgar Allan has been a Webflow agency since 2013, just about the very beginning of our agency — and Webflow. Initially, we were most excited by what the platform had to offer: easy prototyping that let us stop using print software to design and present sites to our clients. We’ve since found that the platform has so many other amazing benefits, and to say that we’re hooked is an understatement. Here, we explain what originally drew us to Webflow, why we feel it’s superior to the alternatives, and why we’ll continue to call ourselves a Webflow agency.
1. Our projects run leaner and smoother.
With Webflow, we’re able to shorten the distance between design and development time and the gap between creative work and what used to be code. Instead of sending designs off to a third-party developer and hoping for the best, our designers can work directly with our developers — all within Webflow. Webflow’s visual builder also means that we’re able to compare design files and built pages instantaneously, every step of the way, rather than having to file QA tickets and tweak code. This makes everything faster, and gives our designers more confidence that the end product will look exactly like what they presented to clients. And since building in Webflow is so fast, we’re able to get from design to prototype to QA in a matter of weeks, not months.
The speed of the build also means that we have lower overall project costs, with a median build time of two to six weeks. (Migrations can sometimes take longer, depending on how much formatting we have to do, but that’s not common.)
The other platforms: create more work. Tools like AEM, WordPress and Drupal are clunky, and getting from design to development is just harder. Staging is more difficult, and because the whole process takes longer, they’re more expensive, too.
2. We love that with Webflow, everything is built in.
No software updates, no managing broken plug-ins. With Webflow, all of the tools that you need are built into the platform, and updates are rolled out without breaking anything. Also, SEO, security and accessibility tools are built in, not plug-ins. Instead of leaving them as an afterthought, they’re part of the process. From high-performance hosting to clean HTML code that search engines can read, managing SEO isn’t a headache in Webflow.
The other platforms: make it hard. Because of the consistent need for plug-ins and updates, entire sites can be broken when just one element goes awry, leading to frantic client calls at 2 a.m. And plug-ins are needed for so much functionality, from SEO to security to even basic contact forms. With all these extra parts and pieces, no wonder other, fussier platforms are more likely to cause headaches.
3. We want our clients to own their stories.
With just a bit of training (which we provide to our clients at the end of every project) it’s easy for anyone, even non-technical folks, to make updates in Webflow. Often, our clients ask us if we’ll be around to make edits for them once our project with them has ended, and usually, we steer them away from that type of relationship. One of the reasons that Edgar Allan is a Webflow agency is because we want to give our clients the keys to their sites, along with a full component set that allows them to create new pages themselves. We empower them to own their marketing channels, so that they can in turn own their stories.
The other platforms: mean confused clients. We know that for a fact, because almost all our clients are coming from other platforms, asking for builds in Webflow (or, at the very least, “something easier to manage”). We hear again and again that they don’t know how to use their CMS, don’t know how to make even simple updates, and are generally overwhelmed with the entire process. And the worst part is that’s by design; keeping agencies and developers in control and brands in the dark about their own digital experiences makes a lot of people a lot of money.
Bottom line: We believe that anyone can have a professional website with excellent usability and content, and that after it’s built, it should belong to them, full stop. And with Webflow, they can.
Edgar Allan is a brand-to-build Webflow agency with almost 10 years of experience on the platform. Interested in seeing how Edgar Allan can help you make the switch to Webflow? Let’s talk. Check out our blog to learn more about how we use Webflow to create awesome sites.