Why Directual is great for no-code software development agencies

Developing software on demand is a balancing act. You’ve got all sorts of things to be on the lookout for - overhead, client expectations, project scope, competition, tech stack, expertise, etc, etc…

And that’s why more and more dev agencies turn to no-code as a go-to solution. No-code makes the equation far simpler: projects can be delivered faster, at a fraction of the cost, and with a smaller team. 

In this article, we’ll take a look at why Directual, apart from being a powerful full-stack no-code platform, is also a great choice for dev agencies.

What you can build with no-code platforms

Just about anything, really. The best thing about no-code platforms is that non-technical members of the team can also learn to use them reasonably fast. Product managers developing their own apps for team use? Truly a miracle of science.

It’s worth saying that most no-code platforms specialize in certain things. For instance, Bubble is great at producing MVPs but can’t sustain heavy-load apps. Adalo can be a decent choice to create a functional mockup of a mobile app, but again, scaling can be tough. Directual, on the other hand, excels at strong backend and frontend functionality tailored to delivering good and standard visuals. 

Here’s what software devs usually produce for their clients:

Internal apps

CRMs, HR support, business support, you name it. The main difference for this kind of project is that the visuals are not nearly as important. If the analytics suite works, great! The CRM is connected to other backend and support systems, fantastic! It doesn’t need to be super pretty, so long as it gets the job done. 

An example of a pre-made kanban component in Directual that you can build a functional CRM with, in half an hour or less. Pardon tooting our own horn - it’s just too good to pass up.

Web applications

Anything that is a separate product designed to be available via a browser for the company’s end-users. Real estate websites, e-commerce, marketplaces, finance platforms, the sky’s the limit. 

These applications require at least some eye candy to appeal to the end-user. In this case, no-code platforms are also supported with dedicated frontend builders, like Webflow. Most no-code platforms have API capabilities that help them to synergize really well with other no-code platforms and connect to any other third-party solution necessary. 

Mobile apps

No-code also helps to create native mobile apps faster. Since there are millions of apps on the app stores already, no-code mobile app builders often offer templates an agency can use to further speed up the development process. 

Blockchain apps

The future of the internet is slowly but surely finding its way into our lives. Blockchain is extremely lucrative, but there’s one caveat: very few people know how to build a great dApp (decentralized application).

With the help of no-code platforms capable of creating dApps, the process becomes far simpler. Crypto finance, crypto games, fundraising, DAOs, all of that is now a possibility for a far wider audience at far lower costs, which is another avenue for no-code software development agencies can explore. 

Why Directual is a great choice for dev agencies

With Directual, a development agency can enjoy a great number of things at the same time, namely:

• Quick production of any kind of software listed above
• Affiliate benefits upon successful delivery and use of the project by their customer (more on that below)
• Powerful backend combined with frontend specialized on delivering great results in the nick of time. 

Just recently Directual launched on Product Hunt and got the #2 product of the month. That happened for a good reason, and I boldly invite you, dear reader, to check out the reviews.

Speaking in plain terms, here’s why Directual is a great choice for a software development agency:

Strong backend and API builder

The main bottleneck a lot of other no-code platforms run into is scaling. Not this time! Directual excels at code-free database configuration, easy design of API methods for any occasion, user authentication, and strong security. It’s basically a whole package you need to build the entirety of the cloud-hosted app that just works.

Pre-made scenarios

Templates to get started with common application types, and logic cubes that embody core functionality that you can simply drag and drop. These functions can help you build an app without any coding knowledge whatsoever (and it helps immensely if you have it) incredibly fast.

Web page builder

Because you will need some UI at the very least! Directual’s frontend builder is tailored greatly towards the fast delivery of standardized UI elements, which are then highly customizable. You don’t need to painstakingly align every single button - the elements already have everything measured out, and ready to be used. 

Blockchain capabilities

As mentioned above, Web3 is a big, lucrative thing to go after. In 2021, Directual pivoted towards becoming one of the best Web3 no-code platforms on the market, and now you can create wallets, enable NFT functionality, engage Smart contracts, and loads more. It makes building a dApp a breeze.

An example of NFT transfer via Directual

‍Integrations

Because humble no-code platforms will always admit they can be even more powerful by synergizing with other solutions. Directual already has a sizable integration catalog, and the API builder can help you connect Directual to literally anything also API-capable.  

And now, the cherry on the cake. 

The Teams plan

There is a separate payment plan made specifically for software development agencies plying their trade with the help of Directual. Here’s the short version of how it works:

Directual’s app plans have no seats, meaning there is one developer, operational limits (because servers are expensive), and you pay per app. If you are building two apps on the Pro plan, you pay for two Pro plans. 

The Teams plan has seats for your team, which are much cheaper than the app plans and they include a sandbox space and Pro plan features on top of it - for every seat. That way, for every client you have, there are separate live and testing environments. Upon delivery of a successful project, your clients continue to pay for the app plan their project is on, and you get a cut of every payment they make. 

Up to 50%!

But does anyone actually do that with Directual? Yasss, and here’s a success story:

Success case: Code Word

Code Word was a marketing agency that got tired of waiting for developers to deliver what they promised. They started to look into no-code solutions to develop internal tools, chiefly accounting. Long story short, it is no longer a marketing agency, but a software development agency instead. 

Code Word started small, and then expanded the platform expertise, coached more devs, discovered a whole variety of tech stacks Directual synergizes with really well, and now thrives, bustling with activity. 

The agency built and delivered projects of various scale on Directual. From SEO link builder services to internal CRMs and intranets to full-cycle venture capital support systems. Strong backend and API capabilities allow rigging just about anything together, so no task is insurmountable. 

At the end of the day, Code Word can deliver projects of just about any scale much faster and cheaper than a dedicated dev team without sacrificing quality. One thing the agency also praises is the direct lifeline with the platform creators—some features that are really needed suddenly appear in Directual shortly after being requested.

“You can even build a spaceship on Directual!” - Dmitry Novozhilov, CEO of Code Word agency

Afterword

Looking to explore what Directual can do for your agency? Give it a try, it’s free to get started! If you’d like to reach out to platform developers directly, just shoot us a message at hello@directual.com