Why is it worth creating an MVP?
The main goal of building MVP for startups and established companies is to test the product with real users. This means it has a minimal set of essential features and no advanced functionality. Mind that it is a fully functioning piece of software so it should be treated seriously.
The main benefits are:
- Saving time and money: since you test the product at an early stage, you can quickly adjust it during the development process.
- Feedback from users: will serve as a base for further improvements.
- Quick time to market: the development takes about several months only.
Hence, if you decide to develop an MVP, you’ll be rewarded with many benefits. However, the development process will slightly differ for web and mobile applications.
The difference between creating MVPs for web and mobile products
Even though the actual development processes for the web and for mobile will not differ much, there are certain things to remember.
Web development
Most web applications share a common goal - to persuade a user to make a conversion. It can be completing a transaction, signing up for a newsletter, or whatever you want. Based on that, we can derive the following: MVP for a web application should be user-friendly and converting.
Mobile development
When working on MVP for mobile, one of the core things to keep in mind is the UX/UI aspect of the product. Since mobile screens are much smaller than PC ones, it is vital to pay great attention to the design and user-friendliness of the product.
And obviously, you’ll need to choose which platforms you want to support and whether you want to make a web app first and then create a mobile one (or vice versa).
Good practices for developing MVPs
The development of an MVP is a bit different from developing a full-fledged software product. Hence, you need to remember certain things that will speed up and facilitate the development process.
Keep it simple yet functioning
Since MVP has only minimum functionality, it might be tempting to overload it with a bit more features. Another mistake that many business owners make is keeping it too simple out of concern that it will turn out way too advanced.
Neither of these options is good, though. Yes, an MVP should be simple but it should still perform the intended functions and deliver the intended value to the user. So when you outline your list of features, make sure to prioritize them and see how they answer the question “How will it benefit the user?”
**Adhere to deadlines **
It’s always easy to get distracted by an option of adding more features, a desire to tweak the product a little bit, or by an idea to change the whole concept. This will lead to a prolonged deadline and as a result, the product may take years to get completed.
In order to keep the MVP simple and in correspondence with the requirements, strictly follow the deadline and do not implement unplanned changes on the go. This will help you save time and money as well as retain the initial functionality.
Don’t try to please everyone
One of the most important things to remember about an MVP is that it has minimal functionality. This means that it will be aimed at a selected user group - so don’t try to cover all potential users.
Later on, when you transform MVP into a final product, you’ll be expanding its functionality and adding more users to the list. But right now, focus on your primary goal and don’t get distracted by the possibility to target multiple user groups.
Pay attention to usability
Since the main goal is to deliver value to users, high usability is a must. That means a user should have zero issues with navigating the product, finding what’s needed, and using it in accordance with the user flow.
A tip: for better usability, define a user flow before starting the development process.
The Benefits of an MVP Website
We’ve already talked about the general benefits - now it’s time to have a look at the benefits of creating an MVP website.
Understanding real users behavior
When you launch a new website, there is always a certain amount of guesswork impacting your UX/UI decisions. An MVP can help you eliminate guesswork and understand what the real users’ behavior is.
Either by using specialized tools for analyzing on-site user behavior or with the help of analytics, you can easily define MVP success criteria. This will help you improve it, increase the number of conversions, and eliminate problem areas.
Quick build and launch
Since MVP is a simplified version of a final product, it’s much easier and quicker to develop and launch it. Thus, if you need quick time to market or have to urgently launch your product, this will help greatly.
Quick understanding of mistakes
One of the most costly aspects of software development is fixing errors and bugs. Imagine that you’ve created a full-fledged and complex website and it turns out there is a whole bunch of errors or wrong UX/UI. Just how much money and time would it take to fix it all?
With an MVP, you can immediately see how people react to your website and what they like/don’t like. This enables you to improve the product in the future.
Drawbacks of an MVP Website
Same as every software product, an MVP website has its cons too. Just keep them in mind and don’t let them turn into bottlenecks.
High risk of failure
When you launch an MVP website, you can’t just tune and tweak it as needed until the users are 100% pleased. It’s the first impression that counts and if your website is poorly developed, the risk of failure is really high. Plus, a poorly developed product can significantly harm your brand’s image so mind that as well.
Not for everyone
MVP is usually developed by an agile development methodology. While it has multiple benefits, it just may not be suitable for everyone, especially for those who love the waterfall approach. So one may have a hard time convincing decision-makers to try it.
Conclusion
An MVP website is a quick and efficient way to see how users interact with your website and what they look for upon entering it. A trick to successful development is finding an experienced software agency - and once you’ve done that, you can rest assured that your website will bring you the needed value.
