5 Biggest Issues With The Low Code App Development And Tips On Avoiding Them
Companies and organizations are developing and deploying solutions at a faster rate than ever before. The demand for developers drastically increased beyond the current supply of professionals to create apps and software. But there is rising usage of low code development services and tools in the past few years.
Low-code platforms are services that allow teams to build apps without having to start from scratch. The low code market is on the rise, expected to increase to $187 billion by 2030.
Of course, there are pros and cons of low-code platforms as services in this category are relatively young and still have room for a lot of improvement. But many of today’s most common low code app development problems aren’t without workarounds.
Here are some of the most common low-code issues and some of their respective solutions.
1. Low-code Learning Curves
As companies deploy low-code platforms, they often don’t have the personnel to implement them. There aren’t enough developers to go by these days. 83% of CIOs and IT directors struggle to hire staff to help meet increasing demands, and most employees have little to no training when it comes to using low-code apps.
Solution: There are a few solutions to this general issue. The first is to hire someone who has the tenacity and desire to learn low-code apps. While there is a certain level of technical knowledge necessary, many of today’s low-code apps don’t require a software development degree. Some professionals have adequate coding capacities to handle the basics of HTML, CSS, Javascript, and so on.
Another solution would be to have an in-house developer or agency to set-up and train a dedicated staff member to maintain. The same freelance developer or agency can stay on-call if the company comes into roadblocks beyond the current capacity.
2. Bloated and buggy apps
Third-party low-code app development tools are often bloated in terms of code and, thus, storage. This issue can significantly slow down the app and lower productivity amongst users. On top of this, low-code apps are often black boxes of bugs and problems.
Solution: Keeping site bugs and bloats to a minimum (there is no way to avoid this, of course, even with customized apps) is to keep it simple. Try to remove as many unnecessary features as possible and strip your low-code apps to a bare minimum. Moreover, it’s best to select a low-code app provider with exemplary customer support and partnerships with agencies and developers so your company has people to call when you have issues.
3. Low Integration Capabilities
A significant amount of the functionality behind applications and software programs comes in their ability to connect with other applications and services. For instance, a low-code app that a company might use for CRM applications internally. Such an app will do wonders if it connects with communication services like Gmail, Microsoft Teams, and others. But not all low-code applications have deep integrations with the thousands of services available today.
Solution: The workaround is to use a third-party integration tool like Zapier. One example of an app development tool is Officexlr, which connects with Zapier seamlessly and provides a variety of connections with over 3,000 apps.
4. Low-code Limitations
One of the more pressing low-code development challenges is the limitations of functionality and design that low-code solutions offer. Just as a web developer might hit a wall with a low-code solution like ClickFunnels, Shopify, or LeadPages, a solution for low-code app development will also have its limitations in terms of customizability or function.
Solution: The first step to developing any software or digital service is to identify your essential functions. Companies’ limitations have little to do with function, most of the time, and have more to do with form and preference. In cases where function-based limits, there is the option to integrate another service, as discussed in the last point.
5. Vendor lock-ins
Another of the prevalent problems with low-code is facing a vendor lock-in, meaning transferring an application to a new vendor in the future might not be a possibility without having to start from scratch. Such is the issue with any low-code service, for that matter, whether you’re creating a sales page, e-commerce backend, or internal software.
Solution: The fix to this issue is more preventive than it is prescriptive. You must find a vendor that you can trust for the long-term and resolve to not switch between services too often. Research all options extensively before landing with any options. Here is an IT development software compilation from FinancesOnline that might help you get started in terms of your options before landing on a service of choice.
The Benefits of Low-Code Development Outweigh the Cons
Low code app development tools provide countless benefits. In most cases, they far outweigh the cons. Low-code solutions offer fast turnarounds.
Between 2018 to 2023, more than 500 million apps will come to life, and that number will increase as companies find faster ways to deploy white-labeled services for internal and external use. Low code app development platforms are also far more straightforward and cost-effective.
With these benefits in mind, it’s worth going through the trouble of going low-code when creating one’s service in the short to mid-term, even if you might hit the occasional road bump. After all, for every problem, there is a solution. With this kind of mentality, there won’t be an issue without a workaround.
