Hey everyone, I'm managing the marketing and AI projects at a small tech law firm, and I'm seriously contemplating moving our website from Webflow to a more traditional coded stack. Our current site is pretty straightforward—it's a static marketing site without much backend or dynamic content. I've been frustrated with Webflow; I struggle to make meaningful changes because the visual editor often doesn't act how I expect, and the platform's structure can be limiting. I believe coding it myself could be more efficient, especially with tools like Claude Code.
I'm considering using something like Next.js or Astro for the frontend and Tailwind for styling, with deployment on either Vercel or Netlify. I'm open to suggestions for a simple, static marketing site as well.
I'm wondering: 1) Has anyone transitioned from Webflow to code? Was it beneficial or did you have any regrets? What was the exported code like? 2) For anyone who has used the Webflow MCP, how well does it integrate with Claude Code? Does it perform well or is it cumbersome? 3) Any tips for managing a mostly static marketing site using Claude Code effectively?
I really appreciate any insights or experiences you can share. My goal is to make this shift efficiently without getting bogged down.
7 Answers
I switched from Webflow to Next.js with Tailwind last year, and I have no regrets. I wanted control over my site, and honestly, once you get through the initial setup, managing mostly static marketing pages is way faster in code. Webflow may feel quick, but structural changes can turn into real headaches.
As a developer for nearly 20 years, I highly recommend steering clear of Webflow if you have other options. Given your static site needs, using the Astro framework and possibly a headless CMS would suit you perfectly. Plus, hosting on platforms like Netlify or Vercel is free and caters well to static sites. Webflow can seem appealing, but once you hit major limitations, you may regret not having more flexibility.
There are plenty of great CMS options available. You might want to consider using one to help streamline your page authoring process, especially if you're planning on adding more lead-gen pages. Personally, I love Statamic—very reliable and allows you to pick your frontend stack. Plus, it offers neat integrations for deploying and managing your content.
Definitely make sure to think about SEO before you switch. If you migrate without a solid plan, you could lose your search visibility which is critical for attracting leads. Measure your current performance and account for that during the migration process!
Before making the move, consider the features you truly use on Webflow versus what you might need in a custom build. Maintaining a custom-coded site can be more expensive in terms of long-term upkeep and security maintenance. Make sure the benefits of migrating outweigh the complexities it brings.
Your decision should factor in who will make site updates and how often. If you migrate and end up being the only one who can manage changes, that could create bottlenecks. Weigh the workload of maintenance against what conveniences you're sacrificing by leaving Webflow.
While I prefer coding directly, for a law firm, I’d be cautious about overengineering. If your site meets your current needs in terms of content and SEO, consider whether you really need to migrate. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, and it can be time-consuming to maintain a custom-built site compared to a structured CMS like Webflow.
We're dealing with similar concerns. We're planning lots of landing pages, and the current Webflow setup just makes things cumbersome. Starting from scratch might be less risky for us since our site isn't performing well at the moment anyway.
Agreed! We always map out 301 redirects in our .htaccess file when moving sites to preserve SEO.