DEV Community

Arham Shah
Arham Shah

Posted on

How to Build a Website with Webflow — Raw, Real, and Step-by-Step

#webdev #programming #javascript #beginners

Let’s Start with the Truth Nobody Tells You

Most “how to build a Webflow site” guides are copy-paste jobs.
Same screenshots, same over-polished tips.
They make Webflow sound like a magic wand that does the work for you.

It’s not.
Webflow is powerful, but you’re still building a website.
You still need to think about layout, structure, design, and function.

The good news?
If you stick with me through this, you’ll be able to go from “never touched Webflow” to a fully live website without begging a developer.

The 3 Main Fears People Have Before Starting Webflow

1. “It looks way too complicated.”
Yes, at first glance, Webflow looks like Photoshop and Figma had a baby and it went to coding school.
But once you understand where things are and what they do, it clicks.

2. “I don’t want to code.”
Perfect.
Webflow is visual coding—meaning you’re still building with HTML and CSS concepts, but without typing the code.

3. “I’ll screw it up.”
You will.
That’s how everyone learns Webflow.
The difference is you can undo, duplicate, and experiment without breaking anything.

Why Webflow is Worth Learning Instead of Wix/Squarespace

  • Real control over design — you can adjust every pixel if you want.
  • Clean, exportable code — unlike drag-and-drop builders that trap you.
  • Built-in CMS — perfect for blogs, portfolios, or products.
  • Grows with you — beginners can start simple, pros can build crazy animations.
  • SEO-ready — not magic, but the tools are all there.

If you ever felt boxed in using Wix or Squarespace, Webflow is the open highway.

Before You Open Webflow — Do This

A lot of people skip straight to “clicking around” and then wonder why their site feels messy.
Before you even log in, grab a notebook (or a whiteboard app) and figure out:

  • What’s the goal of the site? (Portfolio? Blog? Business?)
  • What’s the minimum content you need? (Home, About, Contact, Services)
  • What’s your structure? (Header, sections, footer)
  • Any must-have features? (CMS for blog, forms for leads, animations for wow factor)

Pro tip: The simpler your first site, the faster you’ll learn.

Step-by-Step: Building Your First Webflow Site

Step 1 — Create an Account and Start a New Project

  • Go to webflow.com and sign up (free to start).
  • Click “New Site.”
  • Choose either Blank or a template (I recommend a blank if you want to really learn).
  • Name your project something simple — this name is for you.

Step 2 — Get Comfortable with the Designer

The Webflow Designer is where you’ll live.
It has four key parts:

  1. Canvas — your live preview.
  2. Navigator — like a folder tree showing every element.
  3. Style Panel — where you style stuff (size, color, typography).
  4. Settings Panel — where you tweak element-specific settings.

Important:
Learn what “Classes” are in Webflow.
Think of them as styles you can reuse.
If you style something without a class, you’ll regret it later.

Step 3 — Build Your Layout First

Don’t even think about colors or fonts yet.
Focus on structure:

  • Add a Section for each part of your site.
  • Inside sections, drop Containers or Div Blocks.
  • Use Flexbox or Grid to control layout.

Example layout for a homepage:

  1. Navbar section
  2. Hero section (big heading, subheading, button)
  3. About section
  4. Features or services section
  5. Testimonials
  6. Contact/footer

Step 4 — Add Your Content

Now that you have the skeleton:

  • Drop Headings, Paragraphs, and Images where they belong.
  • Replace placeholder text with your real copy (or at least realistic fake copy).
  • Keep text short and readable — this isn’t an essay.

Step 5 — Style Like a Pro (Without Going Crazy)

When styling:

  • Pick 2–3 fonts max.
  • Choose 1–2 main colors + 1 neutral.
  • Use consistent padding/margin.
  • Assign Classes to everything so changes apply site-wide.

Pro tip: Use Webflow’s “Style Guide” page to set global fonts, colors, and headings first.

Step 6 — Make it Responsive

Webflow has breakpoints (Desktop, Tablet, Mobile Landscape, Mobile Portrait).
Start with desktop, then shrink down and adjust for each.

  • On mobile, stack columns.
  • Reduce font sizes for small screens.
  • Check spacing so nothing gets cramped.

Step 7 — Add Interactions & Animations

Webflow’s animation panel is addictive.
But don’t overdo it.

  • Use simple fade-ins for sections.
  • Animate buttons on hover.
  • Maybe add a scroll-based animation for your hero.

Step 8 — Connect Your Domain & Publish

  • If you’re just testing, hit “Publish” to the free webflow.io domain.
  • For a real site, upgrade your plan and connect your domain in Project Settings.
  • Turn on SSL (free with Webflow hosting).

Step 9 — Test Everything

  • Open on your phone.
  • Check all links and forms.
  • Make sure images load fast.
  • Run a quick speed test (Webflow is pretty fast out of the box).

Step 10 — Keep Improving

Webflow is endless.
After your first build, start learning:

  • Client-First naming system by Finsweet (keeps projects organized).
  • How to use CMS for blogs and portfolios.
  • How to create reusable components (Symbols).
  • How to build multi-step animations.

Pro Webflow Tips from the Trenches

  • Duplicate your page before making big changes — saves headaches.
  • Use “Navigator” view often — easier to drag/drop elements.
  • Webflow University is your best friend — free and better than 90% of paid courses.
  • Don’t fight the box model — padding, margins, flexbox are your bread and butter.
  • The + button is for adding elements, not random clicking — be intentional.

Why This Article Isn’t Sugarcoating Anything

I’m not saying “you’ll learn Webflow in one day.”
You’ll probably struggle the first few hours.
But once you understand how classes, flexbox, and structure work, you can build pretty much anything.

The best part?
Everything you learn in Webflow makes you better at understanding websites in general.

Final Words: How You Actually Get Good

  • Build something real. Not a fake “practice” site you’ll abandon.
  • Ask for feedback (Webflow forum, Reddit).
  • Clone and reverse-engineer cool sites from Webflow Showcase.
  • Iterate — your second site will be 10x better than your first.

If you stick to this, you’ll not just have a “built in Webflow” site — you’ll have a portfolio-worthy project that shows you know how to design, structure, and publish a professional website.

Top comments (0)