Without a doubt, a website is an essential component for any business. Whether your business is just starting out or has been in the field for quite some time, a good website will help make you relevant in today’s fast-paced world.
But building an exceptional website is not exactly easy. According to research published in the Behaviour & Information Technology journal, you have about 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression before your visitor decides to either stay longer on your website or leave. One smart way to save time and resources while still achieving impact is to reduce costs by using the MVP methodology—launching a lean, functional version first and iterating based on real user feedback.
There is a lot of trial and error involved in designing a website, especially if it’s a complex one. Of course, you have to invest a lot of resources, such as time and money. And when you’re just laying the foundations of your business, these resources can be pretty hard to come by.
The good news is that there is a method that can save you a lot of money. That is the minimum viable product (MVP) methodology. We build a lot of websites at WPRiders. Based on our internal research and experience, we believe that this is the best way to start a website.
In fact, our internal data has shown that online entrepreneurs who build their website as an MVP website first end up paying 67% less than they would have paid for a full-blown website.
Let’s look at what a minimum viable product actually is and the concrete benefits of starting out with an MVP website.
What Is a Minimum Viable Product?
To put it in simple terms, an MVP website is a basic version of your website. This would satisfy your very first customers. You might be wondering why you should build a basic version of your website. Can’t you can go all out now and not waste any time on it later? The answer is pretty simple.
Let’s say you’re passionate about cars, and your biggest dream is to build your own car that you could drive in a desert. You know exactly what kind of car you want to build and how to build it.
Therefore, the next step is to buy the frame of the car you want and the main components, like getting special tires that would be good for sand, the engine, radiator, battery, etc. Then you’ll start building.
Once you have your car in its most basic form, you need to make sure it’s working properly. This is the perfect analogy to how you reduce costs by using the MVP methodology. Start with the essential parts, test their performance in real conditions, and only then invest further based on actual needs and results.
After all, you don’t want to finish up the process and realize that your car:
- Is not appropriate for the harsh conditions of a desert adventure.
- Your car is a safety hazard.
So you take the car for a test drive in a controlled environment, see what needs improvement. Then, continue building until you reach your desired result.
Similarly, when you launch a new website, it’s always cheaper to launch the minimum amount of features first and “test the terrain.” And then, based on the feedback you gather, you can adjust the development course.
What Are the Benefits and How to Reduce Costs by Using the MVP Methodology?
- We already know that an MVP is going to save you money. This alone is a benefit that should make you at least consider trying the MVP methodology. In fact, one of the smartest ways to reduce costs by using the MVP methodology is to avoid investing in features or content that haven’t been validated by real users.
- An MVP will also uncover the unknown unknowns. There are things you don’t even know you don’t know about your business and website, and by increasing learning opportunities early on, it becomes much cheaper to correct the course sooner rather than later.
- Moreover, an MVP reduces risks as early as possible. Since you’re launching the most basic version of your website, it includes only the core features needed to function. By testing your product now, you minimize the chance of spending time and money on features no one ends up using.
- Lastly, the MVP approach ensures a much faster time to market by using the right pre-built components that can be assembled efficiently. We usually recommend a time span of 60 days for launching such a website. Not only do you move faster, but you also reduce costs by using the MVP methodology to focus on what really matters.
How Can an MVP Website Be 67% Cheaper Than a Full-Fledged Website?
One of the secrets of building an MVP, and essentially a strong WordPress website, lies in plugins. Plugins are pre-built components that offer many features that a business might need within a development project.
Plug-ins are convenient tools because they incorporate certain features that you want while being accessible and inexpensive. So when using certain plugins, you can cut out a ton of custom development. And if you see that the features that come with certain plug-ins work out with your customers, you can start investing in said features.
What Kind of Websites Can Reduce Costs by Using the MVP Methodology?
To give some examples, the websites you can build are two-side marketplaces, job board websites, e-shops, subscription services, membership sites, pages with events and even learning management systems (LMS).
The MVP methodology has been used by professional software developers for years. Now, it’s time for the website developers to learn about it too. As an online entrepreneur, saving whatever resources you can is vital for the preservation and well-being of the business.
When it comes to your website, you shouldn’t cut any expenses. But if there were a method to do it in a safe manner, that would be the MVP method and the no-code approach.
Article originally published on Forbes.com
Need help starting or maintaining a WordPress-powered business? Check our support offer or read our complete guide on how to hire the best WordPress maintenance agency for your business.
