Leveraging the traditional development platforms for application development is a headache for most companies today due to the cost of hiring a new developer and the time taken to complete the project. 

Especially, small and medium-sized companies face the above challenges as they have a tight deadline in front of them to develop and deliver the applications. But, developers are the hot property in the market, and hiring a developer for a project costs massively for these companies. 

Matching the skill gap and resource shortage has forced SMEs to focus on solutions that will simplify app development while expediting the development time. 

One such solution most SMEs prefer today is the low-code platforms. 

The platform’s growth has been imminent over the years, and the trend is set to continue. 

According to the latest report, the global low code development platform market size was USD 10.82 billion in 2020. The market size is expected to rise from USD 13.89 billion in 2021 to USD 94.75 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 31.6% during the forecast period. The market is expected to grow in the coming years, owing to increase in demand for technological advancements for business digitalization. (Source: Globalnewswire)

This post will discuss the significance of low-code development platforms, its benefits, and ways to use them effectively. 

Let’s get started with the discussion. 

What is low-code development?

A low-code development platform enables companies to develop applications through an intuitive graphical user interface. The platform allows companies to create fully functional applications for some projects or require additional coding for other projects.

Nevertheless, the time taken to develop the application reduces significantly with the help of low-code development platforms. This is why the emerging technique is widely celebrated by companies worldwide.

Why low-code development?

Developing an application for a customer involves many processes, and developers’ role is significant. But, not every company can afford to hire new developers for projects as the existing resources are occupied with critical projects already.

The cost associated with hiring a new developer is exorbitant. The hiring process can take longer sometimes, and the hired developer might have to undergo training sometimes. Again, this delays the development process, leading to delayed delivery. Eventually, the companies might lose customers at some point.

Read More : No-Code Analytics – Supercharge Your Manufacturing Operations Smartly

With the help of a low-code development platform, companies can simplify and accelerate the development process while reducing development time.

Key benefits of low-code development

• Improves productivity
• Saves costs
• Reduces IT backlogs
• Accelerates development
• Simplifies maintenance
• Legacy integration
• Turns idea to reality in minutes
• Increases productivity
• Bridges skill gap & resource shortage
• Accelerates prototyping
• Quickens innovation
• Frees up resources to focus on core business activities

Now, let’s figure out how to use the low-code development platform effectively to improve business.

1. Discover the best low-code platform for your unique needs

Identifying and investing in a low-code platform that will transform your development process requires a lot of groundwork. With a plethora of options to choose from, choosing a suitable platform from a reliable vendor is a must.

Here are a few things you can consider when selecting a new platform.

1. Check the graphical interface of the tool thoroughly
2. Ensure the drag-and-drop configuration is easy to use
3. Assure the platform allows for multi-device deployment
4. Check for platform scalability to set new roles and permissions
5. Ensure the platform is easy to connect with existing tools, databases, data sources, and internal systems.
6. Consistent support from the platform’s vendor for faster troubleshooting and queries

By this way, you can end up with a robust and reliable low-code platform that fits your bill and purpose.

2. Spend sufficient time on the tool

Once you’ve selected the platform, the next step would be to explore the features and options to develop quickly. Unless your team spends enough time on the platform, it is hard to leverage it to its potential. In fact, involving other business-critical team members like business analysts, product managers, etc., while exploring the platform will help you unleash the solution’s full value.

3. Start small

To understand the functionality of the development platform, your developers should start with a simple development process. And, most of the platforms have pre-built templates for this, and your developers can use the functionality to develop some applications quickly and efficiently. 

Also, ensure you have a clear goal for your first project, just start with a simple goal to ensure the platform helps create an application that meets your objective.

4. Consider target audience before development

Doesn’t matter whether you want to develop a web or mobile application; if you don’t bring your target audience into the picture, there won’t be any takers. So, ensure your team thoroughly understands the target audience before starting the application development. 

Also, considering audience devices, platforms, and industry can help you develop an application that matches customers’ expectations.

5. Don’t customize when not required

No denying the fact that customizing your application will do wonders for the client. But, what if the client doesn’t ask for one? Overdoing something won’t help solve the purpose. It is always critical to focus on development and customize only when needed. 

Sometimes using the predefined components of the platform can do the trick for you rather than coming up with your own components for customization.

6. List to-be features before development

If you don’t clearly understand the project goals and features, then developing an application for the customer won’t be fruitful. So ensure you have developed a complete idea about the project and the same is communicated to the developers.

Everyone on the same page and sharing the same goals can help you accelerate the development process. Also, having a complete list of features to be included in the app can significantly simplify the development time for the developers.

Wrapping up

First and foremost, you should be ready for innovation to get started with a low-code development platform. There are communities to help developers troubleshoot and improve low-code platforms, and your developers can drop their queries over there to get answered.

Low-code development platforms are growing at a breakneck pace, and companies leveraging them are reaping rich rewards. The trend is set to continue as the demand for the low-code platform is soaring all over the globe.

So, is your organization ready to accelerate development at a lower cost?

Still not convinced? Want to explore how a low-code development platform’s features?

We can help.