9 No-code Apps to Help you Build a Better Product

Not too long ago, if you wanted to try out a new product idea or add functionality to your app you needed the help of developers to make that happen. Not anymore! Here's a list of 11 apps and tools that you can use with minimum developer assistance.

Kent J McDonald • Mar 11, 2021

Not too long ago, if you wanted to try out a new product idea online or add functionality to your app you needed the help of developers to make that happen.

Today, there are no code solutions that help you enhance your user's experience, generate more revenue, and add functionality to expand your target audience. You can even stitch together an MVP to determine whether a new idea is worth pursuing. The great thing about these no-code solutions is they can help you accomplish those things quickly and without the need for an extensive development team, at least until growth warrants it.

To give you an idea of the possibilities that no code solutions offer, here’s a look at 11 uses for no-code apps along with an app you can use.

1. Build a website for your app

If your team would rather spend time creating an appealing visual design and producing engaging content rather than messing around with code, then Webflow is the tool for you. Webflow gives your marketing and design teams the tools they need to build, launch and grow websites without having to bother your product team to code up a site and promote it.

You can try out Webflow for free as you build out your site, then add a site plan to go live. You can also add account plans to get additional features.

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Website created using WebFlow | Source: webflow.com

2. Sell digital products

Not all startups are based entirely around tech. There are several startups and small businesses that seek to sell the results of their creativity, whether it’s an online course, illustrations, a podcast, or custom socks.

If you are one of those creators, or if your organization wants to sell merchandise associated with your community, Gumroad may be the e-commerce solution for you.

Gumroad is free to get started - you pay a per-transaction fee on any sales that go through the service. You can pay a subscription to get some additional services and a smaller transaction fee.

Screenshot of Gumroad.com

Adding a product on Gumroad | Source: gumroad.com

3. Create a members-only space

MemberSpace is the best option for creating a website with membership options for your business.

You can use the platform to add membership features to your website for things like courses, video tutorials, and member directories. You have complete control over the design of the membership areas of your site. You can also get free help moving your membership data from a different platform.

Pricing starts at $25/month and stays affordable as MemberSpace services grow with your business.

Screenshot of MemberSpace settings page

MemberSpace is a a highly customizable tool | Source: Memberspace.co

4. Let your customers engage with each other

Do you want to engage with your customers and let them engage with each other through a variety of rich communication channels?

Then you should incorporate CometChat into your site.

Using CometChat, you can quickly connect your users with each other via text chat and video calling. This quick connection is especially helpful for social communities, education, marketplaces, dating sites, and live streaming events.

CometChat has a variety of pricing levels based on the number of active monthly users.

Screenshot of CometChat

Screenshot of CometChat

5. Fund your creative work or your community

If you’re looking for a way to fund your creative work, then you should check out Buy Me a Coffee. The platform allows your fans and supporters to make a payment and leave a message and they don’t even have to create an account.

You can use this platform to get support for things you’re sharing with your community, such as valuable content and other resources.

The platform offers a simple setup and does not charge a subscription fee. You only pay a 5% transaction fee.

BuyMeACoffee Screenshot

Buy Me a Coffee Dashboard | Source: buymeacoffee.com

6. Bring your words and data into the same place

Coda is a new kind of doc that combines words, data, and teams. It includes a set of building blocks that you can combine to create a doc as powerful as an app.

_Y_ou can connect docs through Coda Packs and you can link other platforms like Slack, Google Calendar, and Jira. Coda makes it easy to manage the intricacies of your startup and communicate with all of your team members.

Coda offers a free plan as well as three paid tiers that include charges based on doc maker per month.

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Coda App | Source: Coda.io

7. Connect apps and automate workflows

If you’d like to tie together multiple applications that generate important data into an automated process you can’t go wrong with Zapier. You can use Zapier to automate your workflow by connecting different platforms together.

Zapier helps you automate connections between several tools such as Twitter, Slack, Dropbox, and Shopify. These automations will help you save time and make your company more efficient.

Zapier pricing is based on the number of tasks running through your automation and includes a free tier.

Zapier Dashboard

Zapier Dashboard | Source Zapier.com

8. Create a database

Have you ever wished that you could combine the data wrangling powers of databases with the functionality of a spreadsheet? Now you can with Airtable. This product helps you build versatile products that can be used for so many different things.

Airtable’s modular system of building customized tables makes it easy to create applications that can help you organize all kinds of information.

Airtable offers pricing ranges based on the records per base and the attachment space per base.

Customised Table on Airtable

Customised Table on Airtable | Source: Airtable.com

9. Survey your customers and users

Want to build submission forms or conduct surveys? Then you want to use Typeform to make data collection easy with a fully customized user experience.

If you find yourself needing to offer personalized experiences for different personas, Typeform lets you create personalized question paths and logic jumps where you need to.

Typeform starts at $35/month and offers a couple of different pricing tiers that allow for increased personalization and branding.

Screenshot of Typeform Template Gallery

Typeform Template Gallery | Source: Typeform.com

Want to try a no-code app in your product?

You’ve seen the variety of outcomes you can deliver with no-code apps. So hopefully you’re ready to try it out. We’d suggest that CometChat is the perfect app to gain experience with no-code apps, and more importantly, connect with your users and let your users connect with you.

If that sounds like a plan, go here to sign up now.

About the author

Kent J McDonald writes about and practices software product management. He has IT and product development experience in a variety of industries including financial services, health insurance, nonprofit, and automotive. Kent practices his craft as a product manager at LenderClose and provides just in time resources for product people at KBP.media and Product Collective. When not writing or product managing, Kent is his family’s #ubersherpa, listens to jazz and podcasts (but not necessarily podcasts about jazz), and collects national parks.

Kent J McDonald

CometChat

Kent J McDonald writes about and practices software product management. He has IT and product development experience in a variety of industries including financial services, health insurance, nonprofit, and automotive. Kent currently practices his craft with teams in a variety of industries and provides just in time resources for product people at KBP.media and Product Collective. When not writing or product managing, Kent is his family’s #ubersherpa, listens to jazz and podcasts (but not necessarily podcasts about jazz), and collects national parks.

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