If you've got past the existential debate of whether you should or shouldn't start a blog in 2023, then you've probably moved onto (and got stuck at) which platform you should choose. However, if indecision strikes you, it certainly won't help you to know that there are many CMS platforms for blogging.
If you're familiar with the idea of blogging, then you've undoubtedly heard of CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, HubSpot, and Blogger. Each of these platforms has merits that may be beneficial for some users. However, there are other platforms out there that take a different approach, like Webflow.
Unlike other platforms that rely on ready-made templates, Webflow allows you to create and customize your design elements and customize pre-made templates.
Webflow's schtick is that it's supposed to work for everyone. This makes it ideal for those with limited web design skills or who want complete control over their blog's design.
Let's discuss how to create a blog with Webflow and if blogging with Webflow will work for everyone.
What is Webflow?
Webflow isn't just a simple blog platform; it's an all-inclusive website-building and hosting tool. Everyone can rely on Webflow for designing, developing, blogging, and hosting needs.
With its powerful CMS features, you can maximize your content creation using its excellent design capabilities.
Whether you are a novice blogger with no coding experience or an experienced content marketer, creating a Webflow blog is similar to other blogging platforms.
However, it provides robust features to help you reach new audiences and improve search engine rankings. Furthermore, its easy-to-use interface makes it suitable for all skill levels.
The only question left to answer is whether or not Webflow is good for you. What makes it so attractive and user-friendly?
Key features when blogging with Webflow
Webflow comes with a wide variety of features to assist you in creating and managing your blog websites. However, Webflow is unique to these features, making it different from traditional CMS platforms.
Here are the key features that Webflow offers.
- Pre-made Templates/Themes – Aside from its ease of use, Webflow offers access to premade templates for your website and its pages. You'll get more options with CMS tools like WordPress, but Webflow's themes work similarly and provide a solid foundation to get started.
- Visual drag-and-drop design – Web design generally isn't for everyone. However, Webflow's builder is a real game-changer, providing absolute command over every aspect of your site, from the layout to creating a new page and adding new font styles.
- Complete CMS – Webflow's CMS-powered templates are available to customize and populate with content related to your blog. Moreover, these templates are designed responsively for optimal display on desktop computers and mobile devices.
- Blogging Platform – Webflow provides an effortless blogging platform, making crafting a remarkable blog home page easier. With Webflow, you can spotlight individual posts and showcase content from every subset of your blog.
- eCommerce -With Webflow, you can quickly build your digital store. All the features are seamlessly incorporated into the service and ready for use – just remember to pay for the eCommerce plan. In no time, you'll have an iconic online shop.
- Code Access – Webflow is an incredible settings-based tool providing users with semantic and W3C-compliant code. Moreover, Webflow controls your website's appearance on every device. Plus, if desired, it also allows you to add custom code to specific areas, like style tags, or across the entire website.
- SEO Optimization – Blog websites must be SEO-friendly. Fortunately, Webflow has all the important SEO fields to generate organic traffic.
Who is Webflow best for?
Over 3.5 million designers and teams use Webflow, enabling them to craft beautiful websites without needing coding knowledge.
Editors
In contrast to other CMS platforms, the Webflow Editor allows you to modify your blog content directly on the page itself. There's no navigating through a convoluted backend to see a blog's sample content. When the changes are finished, just hit publish with one button click, and it's up in seconds.
Designers
Whether you're a one-person design squad or an entire agency, Webflow has the tools to make any project come to life. You can unleash your creative potential and build the website of your dreams with Webflow Designer – an intuitive visual design canvas that empowers you to craft stunning sites utilizing HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
Content Strategists
Content Strategists normally speed up campaign launches, maximize their content marketing efforts, and rapidly create content with a tool that grants them total publishing control. With Webflow, Content Strategists can also:
- Take their campaigns to the next level and unleash their full potential
- Create customizable content and tweak existing collections to make their types
- Quickly optimize their site for maximum efficiency
- Leverage key marketing tools to maximize their digital presence
Developers
With Webflow, you can rest assured knowing you can keep your code clean and compliant with the latest standards. Plus, you can effortlessly incorporate custom elements and their CMS API to take projects further for optimal performance.
Webflow Pricing
Pricing is always a factor when considering what blog platform to use. Webflow has different plans with varying prices depending on your desired features – from free accounts to business and eCommerce plans.
Users often compare Webflow and WordPress when it comes to pricing, but the truth is: the former can get pretty expensive.
If you wanted to, you could start blogging on a WordPress site cheaply, but there's a difference between realistic and simple blog pricing.
Building a WordPress site on a budget can be done for as little as $50-75 per year, yet it's more realistic to plan for $150-$350 annually. This will allow you to purchase premium plugins and themes, plus upgrade your hosting if needed.
If you want to monetize a WordPress blog, i.e., blogging like a business, you'll likely spend between $500 and $1000 annually.
However, Webflow splits up pricing, and depending on your business setup, you may need to use both sides for your clients.
Webflow's Free Plan
When you sign up for Webflow, building your site is free and requires no credit card information. However, a paid plan is handy when making an article available online.
Webflow has crafted a purpose-driven platform that significantly benefits freelancers and agencies looking to streamline their processes when creating client websites.
Webflow offers two types of plans:
- Site plans – If you wish to host your site with Webflow, a plan is essential for each. The service isn't mandatory for static sites – you can choose not to use it if desired.
- Workspaces plans – A Workspaces plan is necessary if you require multiple projects. Additionally, this service's paid plans allow others to collaborate on your project with you.
The free plan is best for anyone who wants to learn Webflows basics or those looking to create a blog but not publish it. If you're looking for more features around site settings or want to launch your blog, you'll need to pick one of their paid plans.
Basic Plan
A basic plan with Webflow starts at $18/month or $14/month annually.
The features in this plan provide the perfect foundation for content management and hosting. You get a secure, custom URL plus access to 100 static pages, 500 form submissions monthly, backups, custom code, and more.
Like most normal CMS platforms, the basic plan is good enough to get your feet wet, but if you're looking for more features, the other plans may better suit your needs.
CMS Plan
For those looking to build a site that revolves around content, the minimum requirement is $29 per month or $23/per month annually for the CMS plan.
In addition to this service, Webflow offers custom-made templates for an additional cost. This plan is also good for a small business or marketing team of three.
Business Plan
If you're switching from another CMS provider or expecting to manifest a high-traffic marketing blog, the Webflow Business plan is for you.
This plan starts from $49/month or $39/month annually and offers a much higher CDN bandwidth, up to 2,500 monthly submission forms, and a team of 10 for a single blog.
You can safely grow your company with up to 300,000 visits a month. If the plan doesn't have enough growth features, there's also the Enterprise plan.
Enterprise Plan
The Enterprise plan is the highest tier available with Webflow. This customized plan unlocks many customization features for large companies that need additional scalability, security, and performance.
You must contact their sales and support team for a price quote for the Enterprise plan.
Enterprise customers get customized benefits like:
- Uptime Service Level Agreements
- A customized number of users
- Advanced DDoS protection
- A Customer Success Manager
Let's find out if blogging with Webflow is worth the price of admission.
Why should you create a blog with Webflow?
There are many reasons to start a blog. You can use a blog to express your ideas and promote services and products worldwide.
Some of the advantages that come with blogging include:
- Broaden your reach – A blog opens up endless possibilities for gaining recognition, driving traffic, and building relationships.
- Become an authority – By being consistent and reliable, your readers will perceive you as an authoritative source of knowledge.
So, what makes blogging with Webflow a good option?
Webflow includes an intuitive CMS
Webflow stands out from other CMS solutions due to its unparalleled customization capabilities, as well as the fact that it offers hosting.
Once your blog is finished, post it on Webflow's servers and even attach a personalized domain name. One of the best parts is that freelancers, creators, or business owners can host multiple blogs or content networks if needed.
More complex editing capabilities
Webflow's on-page editing interface offers a minimal and intuitive UI compared to popular CMS platforms. For example, you can set a clear information hierarchy with the typography panel.
You won't waste time digging through unnecessary options as it only shows you what is relevant to your clients. With an easy-to-use experience that eliminates clutter, Webflow lets you focus on tasks quickly and efficiently.
Customize your site's design
Their seamless code guarantees that the webpages quickly load and boast minimal technical issues. Furthermore, the platform has a more complex designer, allowing web designers to use the style panel to create unique selectors that influence the whole site.
Using the custom coding feature, designers can tweak other elements like:
- The site's body
- Body tag sections
- Heading tag
Webflow is much easier to start
Webflow's tutorials will make the setup process a breeze if you want to launch your blog quickly. With comprehensive learning resources and its supportive community members, anyone can quickly gain insight into the platform.
Once accustomed to all of Webflow's features and capabilities, creating content is easy.
Setting up the account is a breeze since it has an easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorial that can adjust according to your coding proficiency.
Upon signing up for a Webflow account, you'll be asked to answer some basic survey questions allowing the platform to evaluate your knowledge of HTML and CSS.
Your onboarding tutorial will be tailored specifically to how you answered these queries.
How to start blogging with Webflow
A few steps must be completed before you start creating your blog post. Like any other CMS platform, Webflow has a straightforward setup process. Here's what you should do to get started:
Create your Webflow blog account
Ready to start creating content? It's easy – sign up for a Webflow account with your Gmail account or enter another address.
We recommend starting with the free version if you are still exploring this great platform.
Pick a Webflow CMS template
Webflow doesn't have as many customizable templates; however, you can find a free template powerful enough to help you create an excellent blog.
In addition, you can easily find your desired template from the available selection.
With over 100 designs, you can filter by industry, cost, or even eCommerce capabilities. In addition, a preview mode is available to test them out and ensure they support dynamic content.
- If you're starting with blogging, picking a CMS-powered template is the best way forward.
- Once you've picked your desired template, you'll have a checklist of essential tasks that you'll need to do to set up, customize, and publish your site.
- From there, you should also be able to see a preview of your template as you make any changes.
Customize your site's design
You'll gain access to on-page editing and an easy-to-use CMS panel that will simplify your entire process. Customize the template to fit your needs:
- Take the time to tap into the vast collection of Google fonts available on Webflow and update your font to add a personalized touch. You can customize all settings to fit your vision.
- Next, you can transform the template's components with creative animations and interactions, enhancing the user experience for a more engaging online journey.
- You can elevate your blog with vibrant visuals that infuse your brand's unique personality.
Create your first post
Once you're ready to start producing SEO-friendly content and getting it out there, it's time to create some content.
Webflow's blogging capabilities provide a helpful approach to do that.
- Before you publish your content, be sure to update it within the Designer. This will come in handy when you don't want anyone seeing your blog's placeholder content before it's ready.
- Make your site available to the public, then update its contents in the editor. This way, it's unlikely you'll mistakenly publish a blog post with poor SEO scores.
Though standard CMS platforms let you preview changes in the editing phase before releasing them, it is often unsatisfactory. This can be especially problematic when considering how words and visuals appear on a page, as these are critical elements.
Publish your website
You may have great ideas for a blog or content-driven web pages, but it won't matter until you publish them. Webflow makes this process stress-free and simple.
- Once you've set up everything and written your first post, go to your Project Settings and click the Publish Button in the top right corner.
- Save your changes. When you're publishing the site, choose your destination. This typically applies when you haven't added a custom domain or want to use the .webflow.io subdomain extension.
We've talked briefly about how Webflow compares to other platforms, but let's touch on some alternatives for those who prefer to use something else.
Webflow Pages
Webflow Pages was the answer for many who wanted to run a WordPress website but build everything in Webflow. Webflow created the visual builder plugin in an effort to earn business with those who preferred WordPress.
The plugin is all but extinct at this juncture as it has not been updated in over two years and has not been tested with the three latest versions of WordPress.
Webflow Alternatives
Webflow empowers individuals by providing a platform that harnesses customization options that don't demand coding skills or high budgets. While integrations aren't as plentiful with this CMS, users can still do their branding, marketing, and design.
However, some users may seek a more flexible setup and support for other features such as custom forms, e-commerce features, better integrations, and more.
Features and integrations are a big deal; this is where Webflow struggles, comparably speaking.
Weebly
Unlike Webflow's easily customizable content types, Weebly is a bit more simplified. It uses drag-and-drop widgets to arrange content in a set of predetermined layouts.
The editor is intuitive and great for beginners who don't want the hassles of creating custom designs or coding. However, Weebly has some additional features in the editor.
It's also free to use, and small business owners or freelancers can take advantage of its various features and integrations. Because of its simplified structure and zero-cost plan, Weebly is ideal for those without blogging or content management experience.
With Weebly's paid plans, you get much more bang for your buck than Webflow. You'll receive unlimited storage, access to hundreds of premium themes, and more.
Weebly's paid site plans and eCommerce plans both outpace Webflow's options in terms of pricing and features. With the option to use Google Ads credits and expand into email marketing, Weebly may be better suited for anyone ready to start blogging.
Hubspot CMS
Webflow and Hubspot are alike because they don't need extra plugins to run efficiently. Moreover, both platforms are continually updated, so maintenance on your end is unnecessary. As a result, in addition to HubSpot's capabilities as an all-in-one source, it typically takes minimal effort to set up blogging.
If you're using HubSpot to manage your sales and marketing, you'll benefit from its industry-leading out-of-the-box functionality. While HubSpot is more limited in certain areas like blog indexing or template usage, it's easily integrated with other third-party resources to accomplish more. Unfortunately, Webflow falls short in the areas where creators, businesses, and freelancers can get the most value.
With HubSpot marketing integrations, you can embed and build pop-up forms using third-party platforms. Webflow doesn't play nice in this regard, making HubSpot the better option for businesses that need these features.
WordPress
WordPress is still one of the most popular options for those who don't have the time to deal with the Webflow learning curve. WordPress has an extensive library of themes, integrations, and plugins available, but therein lies the problem. WordPress themes and the platform need regular updates; otherwise, compatibility issues may arise and cause problems with your site.
Also, some plugin authors might stop supporting their products, making them useless when WordPress inevitably updates. As a result, these plugins don't automatically update. Fortunately, Webflow doesn't require a roster of third-party plugins to gain more functionality, and it's quite a bit more flexible in blogs.
Because of its “heavy” web structure, WordPress sites are often slower, even with plugins like Elementor to help out.
Additional Blogging Resources
- What is Amateur Blogging? – Everything you need to know to get started with blogging.
- 5 Rules to Help You Write Winning Blog Post Titles – Use these rules and tools to build better post titles.
- Top 10 Content Types Heading into 2023 – These content types are best for creating opportunities.
Webflow Blogging Wrap-Up
Webflow is an excellent system for any user looking for a powerful blog creation tool. Its capabilities are another reason it stands out as a top-notch choice. Webflow may not be the best option for everyone, but it should be considered a viable solution for expanding a web designing business.
Your decision on blogging with Webflow or another platform ultimately comes down to what you prioritize in a content management system. In most cases, WordPress unquestionably emerges as the victor for individuals and businesses aiming to create a blog due to its flexibility and the vast range of integrations available.
WordPress is an economical and simpler choice if you are unfamiliar with the fundamentals of HTML and CSS. But if you're an experienced web designer or someone who typically designs client sites for a living, Webflow should be your go-to option – its features have been developed to save time when building websites.
