AI & Automation
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Medium-term (3-6 months)
Last month, I had a client ask me a question that stopped me in my tracks: "Why did you recommend Webflow when Framer looks so much more modern?" Here's the thing - after 7 years of building websites for startups and watching them struggle with traffic, I've learned that the shiniest tool isn't always the smartest choice.
I've migrated dozens of websites from WordPress to both Webflow and Framer. I've seen teams celebrate beautiful launches only to realize months later they're invisible on Google. The harsh reality? Your website platform choice directly impacts whether you'll get found or forgotten.
Most founders get caught up in design flexibility and miss the bigger picture: your website needs to be a marketing machine, not just a digital brochure. Through real client work, I've discovered which platform actually delivers when it comes to search visibility.
Here's what you'll learn from my hands-on experience:
Why the "sexier" choice often hurts your SEO long-term
The hidden SEO limitations that platform demos don't show you
My decision framework after building on both platforms
When Framer actually makes sense (spoiler: it's rare)
How to avoid the migration trap that kills rankings
Let's dig into what actually matters when you're choosing a platform that needs to drive business results, not just win design awards. Check out our website strategy playbooks for more insights on building sites that convert.
Platform Wars
What every startup founder has been told
Every no-code platform promises the same thing: "Build beautiful, SEO-friendly websites without code." The marketing materials show sleek designs, drag-and-drop simplicity, and claims about "built-in SEO features." But here's what they don't tell you in the demos.
The Standard Pitch:
"Both platforms are SEO-optimized out of the box"
"Choose based on design preferences"
"Modern platforms handle technical SEO automatically"
"Focus on content, not platform limitations"
"Migration between platforms is seamless"
This advice exists because most content about platform comparisons comes from people who haven't actually managed SEO campaigns across different platforms. They compare feature lists instead of real-world performance. They focus on what's possible in theory rather than what works in practice.
The reality? Platform choice is one of your most important SEO decisions. I've seen beautiful Framer sites with zero organic traffic and "ugly" Webflow sites dominating search results. The difference isn't in the design capabilities - it's in how each platform handles the technical foundation that Google actually cares about.
Most founders discover these limitations too late, after they've already invested months in development and content creation. By then, switching platforms means starting over, losing momentum, and potentially tanking existing rankings. That's exactly what I help clients avoid through this hard-learned experience.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
The wake-up call came during a project with a B2B SaaS startup. They'd built their entire marketing site on Framer because, honestly, it looked incredible. Modern animations, beautiful interactions, everything you'd want in a 2025 website. But three months post-launch, their organic traffic was practically zero.
The Client Situation:
They were a productivity SaaS with a decent product-market fit. Their paid ads were working, but they needed organic growth to hit their revenue targets. The founder had specifically chosen Framer because he wanted something that "didn't look like every other SaaS site."
When I audited their site, the problems became obvious:
Framer's CMS couldn't handle their content architecture needs
Blog functionality was limited and didn't support proper internal linking
Technical SEO customization was restricted compared to what they needed
Site speed suffered under the animation load
My First Attempt:
I tried to make Framer work. I spent weeks optimizing what I could - improving their existing structure, cleaning up meta tags, working within the platform's limitations. We saw marginal improvements, but nothing close to what a growing SaaS needed.
That's when I had to have the difficult conversation: we needed to migrate to Webflow. The founder was resistant - they'd just spent months building this beautiful site. But the numbers don't lie. Sometimes the best marketing decision feels like a step backward in the short term.
This experience taught me that platform choice isn't just about what you can build - it's about what you can optimize, scale, and maintain long-term. Beautiful sites that don't get found are just expensive digital art projects.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
Step 1: The Migration Strategy
I developed a systematic approach to preserve their design vision while gaining SEO functionality. We didn't just copy-paste - we rebuilt with SEO architecture in mind from day one.
The Webflow rebuild focused on:
Proper heading hierarchy and semantic HTML structure
Custom meta fields for every page type
Flexible CMS that could support content scaling
Clean URL structure with proper redirects from the old site
Step 2: The Technical Foundation
Webflow's technical capabilities made the difference. Where Framer felt restrictive, Webflow gave us control:
Custom code injection in header/footer for tracking and optimization
Granular control over meta tags and Open Graph data
Proper schema markup implementation
Advanced redirect management
Step 3: The Content Architecture
This is where Webflow truly shined. We built a content system that could scale:
Dynamic blog with proper internal linking structure
Category and tag systems for content organization
Related content recommendations
Advanced filtering for their resource library
Step 4: Performance Optimization
We optimized for speed without sacrificing the visual appeal:
Implemented proper image optimization workflows
Reduced animation overhead that was hurting Core Web Vitals
Set up proper caching through Webflow's CDN
Optimized for mobile-first indexing
The key insight: Webflow treats your website as a marketing asset, while Framer treats it as a design portfolio piece. When you're building for business growth, that philosophical difference matters more than any individual feature.
For more insights on platform decisions, check out our guide on choosing the right website foundation.
Technical Control
Webflow's custom code injection and meta tag control gave us SEO flexibility that Framer simply couldn't match.
Content Scalability
The CMS architecture in Webflow supported our content strategy growth, while Framer's blog felt like an afterthought.
Performance Impact
Site speed improved significantly on Webflow, directly impacting search rankings and user experience.
Migration Safety
Webflow's redirect management preserved link equity during the platform switch, protecting existing rankings.
The Numbers Don't Lie:
Within 90 days of the Webflow migration, we saw dramatic improvements:
Organic traffic increased by 340% compared to the Framer version
Page load times improved from 4.2s to 1.8s average
Search Console impressions grew from 12K to 89K monthly
Blog content started ranking on page 1 for target keywords
The Unexpected Outcomes:
Beyond the SEO wins, we discovered additional benefits. The Webflow site was easier for their marketing team to maintain. Content updates that previously required developer involvement became self-service tasks. The improved site speed also boosted their paid ad conversion rates.
Most importantly, the client's internal team could actually manage and optimize the site. With Framer, every change felt like a development project. With Webflow, marketing owned their digital presence.
This wasn't just about SEO features on paper - it was about building a marketing machine that could evolve with their business needs.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
Key Lessons from the Trenches:
Platform philosophy matters more than features - Choose tools built for marketers, not just designers
Migration timing is critical - It's easier to start right than to fix later
Team adoption determines success - The best platform is the one your team will actually use
SEO isn't just about features - It's about the entire technical foundation
Design trends change, but search principles don't - Build for longevity, not just current aesthetics
Speed impacts everything - From SEO to ad conversion rates
Content architecture is your competitive advantage - Platforms that limit this limit your growth
When Framer Actually Makes Sense:
Don't get me wrong - Framer has its place. For portfolio sites, agency showcases, or projects where design interaction is more important than organic discovery, it's excellent. But for businesses that need to be found online, Webflow's marketing-first approach wins every time.
What I'd Do Differently:
I'd push back harder on platform choices early in projects. Too often, I let design preferences override marketing strategy. Now I lead with the business case for platform selection, not just the creative possibilities.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS startups specifically:
Choose Webflow for marketing sites that need to rank and scale content
Prioritize CMS flexibility for blog and resource library growth
Ensure your marketing team can own site updates without developer dependencies
For your Ecommerce store
For e-commerce businesses:
Consider Webflow for marketing sites, but integrate with dedicated e-commerce platforms
Focus on site speed and technical SEO foundation for product discovery
Ensure your content team can manage product pages and category SEO independently