Build a Web Builder Business

A key goal for our Low Code Entrepreneur ebook and e-learning series is that it supports the entrepreneurial journey of ‘Building a Web Builder Business’.

Web Builder low code services are those used for creating web sites naturally, a field populated by the likes of Squarespace and Wix and the new generation of Low Code tools.

It’s practically an age old practice now, that began with raw HTML editing, evolved through the first HTML editor tools, simple web site builders then an era of Wix and Squarespace, and now the Low Code phase. So the same dynamics apply – Customers looking for some kind of web site solution, with the evolution of the tools greatly expanding what can be easily produced.

While this evolution does indeed make them easy to use it is still a real world reality that many people and organizations would prefer ‘a techie’ does it for them, as no one has either the time or the skills to use even those types of tools.

Thus in some industry models Low Code is more about the opportunity for developers, those being contracted to build the sites, in terms of how it can extend and improve their service offerings, and how it can accelerate scalability – Being able to deliver more, better sites faster and for less cost. A Web Builder business.

Identifying Low Code Niche Opportunities

In this guide we’ll look at different platforms and how they might influence different business models to build by using them, and given the myriad of tool combinations also examine the associated myriad of niche product market opportunities.

For example consider the interesting niche of Udesly, where you can use Webflow to create a design that is then converted into templates for use in Wordpress, Shopify and others, achieved via a super simple Chrome extension.

It’s an especially interesting scenario as Wordpress is to some degree considered part of the Low Code movement, so it is using one Low Code tool to enhance another; and there is great need for this too, Wordpress is a great CMS (Content Management System) that is very extensible through plugins, but actually the design aspect of the themes is a weak spot.

This is much more of a ‘hacking’ process and high level skills are rare and hard to find, so a tools-based solution makes a lot of sense, and showcases the nature of opportunity to be found in the intersection of the many different new and existing platforms. It’s a perfect example of leveraging the technology to scratch a major itch for a very large, well defined customer community.

Micro SaaS

As we explore these different market dynamics we also identify important, underlying business model ideas, such as “Micro SaaS”, that are especially pertinent to Low Code developers seeking entrepreneurial avenues.

Udesly above offers one such scenario, specializing in rapid development of great looking Wordpress themes, or for another example: pdf2jpg.net. Does exactly what it says on the tin, converts a PDF file to a JPG image.

A SaaS suite like Salesforce.com is exactly that, a suite, and a very large one at that, which can provision an array of complex models suitable for scenarios like Sales or Call Centres, that combines multiple workflows. As the name suggests Micro SaaS is at the opposite end of this scale size, dealing in single processes or functions.

Converting a PDF file is ultra specific, Udesly is more about a tooling scenario, but the principle is the same, address one very specific market need that is typically small in nature but very large in market size.

Scaling a services business

To conclude and close the loop another twist on this same dynamic is that this tools combination could also be entirely abstract to the customer, who simply wants to buy a landing page or a web site. That it runs on Wordpress and was designed on Webflow is of no concern to them, what they love is that it looks great, it was delivered in 24 hours and cost them $49.

Those might seem insane prices and deliverables, the point is academic to highlight the critical insight, the ability to offer differentiators: Something customers just don’t expect for this type of technical service, whether that be speed of delivery, cost or quality, or a combination thereof, and from that unlocks a segment that yields an overall revenue of $ many millions.

As you plan your Web Builder Business these are the factors you can tailor to your local opportunities and capabilities, to know where and how you can leverage an automated pipeline that makes possible these competitive scenarios, in a profitable manner. If the technology makes possible a cost model of $10 then a sale price of $49 is a healthy profit and that price point could unlock thousands of customers.