How To Build An MVP That Helps You Raise Investment For Your Startup Idea

According to Moneyzine report of 2023, 47% of startups eventually fail due to a lack of funding.

These startups struggle to secure funding due to the lack of a compelling business model, insufficient market research, inexperienced team, and an absence of demonstrated traction.

To overcome hurdles and increase chances of success, startups need to effectively strategize their approach for securing investment. This involves accurate forecasting of potential challenges and demonstrating their value to potential investors.

Investors evaluate various aspects when considering a startup, which include the uniqueness and practicality of the solution it provides, market size, growth potential, and industry trends.

The team’s strength and their ability to set their startup apart is key, as is their growth strategy and the technology they leverage. A financially sound business model and clear use of investment funds are also important considerations.

But for tech startups, it’s not just about investing in an idea.

Investors seek proof of a viable market, a robust team, and a scalable business model. A working product that shows the startup’s capabilities is crucial. This is often achieved through MVP development for startup products, and then presented as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

While an MVP isn’t directly a selling point, it surely facilitates the process of pinpointing the unique aspects of the product or service. This, in turn, can enhance the startup’s prospects in attracting the required investment. 

Is Your Startup Set for Funding? Indicators of Investment Readiness

When it comes to seeking investment for your startup, timing is crucial. You want to make sure you’re raising and utilizing the funds for growth. So, what does it mean to be ready for investment? 

Let’s explore some key indicators that can help determine if your startup is prepared to seek funding.

  • Clear Business Model: Define how your startup will generate revenue, understand your target customers, and outline your cost structure.
  • Problem-Solution Fit: Validate that there is a real problem to solve and that your solution is appealing to customers.
  • MVP or Prototype: Showcase a minimum viable product or prototype to demonstrate your capability of bringing ideas to life.
  • Initial Traction: Show evidence of market interest and acceptance through user sign-ups, website traffic, or other relevant metrics.
  • Strong Team: Have a committed team with diverse skills necessary for your business’s success.
  • Scalable Growth Plan: Develop a plan for how your startup can grow and articulate how the investment will fuel that growth.
  • Financial Projections: Present a financial forecast that outlines expected income, expenses, and cash flow for the coming years.

By considering these pointers and ensuring your startup meets these readiness indicators, you can position yourself for a successful investment journey. Remember, finding the right investment partner goes beyond the funding itself, as they can provide valuable guidance and support for your startup’s growth.

When Is The Right Time To Seek Investment?

Determining the right time to seek investment for your startup can depend on various factors, including the nature of your business, your stage of development, and your specific funding needs. Here are a few scenarios that often indicate a suitable time to seek investment:

  • Development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): 

Having a functional MVP or prototype demonstrates that you have progressed beyond the conceptual stage and can showcase your idea’s potential to investors.

  • Early Traction and Milestones: 

Investors are more likely to be interested in startups that have achieved some level of traction. This can include user sign-ups, positive feedback, initial sales, or partnerships that validate your business model and market potential.

  • Scalability and Growth Potential: 

Investors seek startups that have the potential to scale rapidly and generate significant returns on investment. It is crucial to have a well-defined growth plan and strategy that outlines how the infusion of funds will drive your startup’s expansion.

  • Demonstrable Team Capabilities: 

A strong and capable team is a critical factor in attracting investment. Investors look for teams with relevant expertise, industry knowledge, and the ability to execute the business plan effectively.

  • Financial Preparedness: 

Before seeking investment, ensure you have a clear understanding of your financials, including revenue projections, cost structures, and cash flow management. This demonstrates your financial preparedness and ability to effectively utilize the investment funds.

Remember, seeking investment should align with your business goals and growth plans. It is essential to evaluate your startup’s readiness based on these indicators and seek investment when you have a compelling value proposition, demonstrated market demand, a viable product, and a solid plan for growth.

Here’s an example of a popular startup that mentions how an MVP could have changed its fate.

Argo AI serves as a prime example of a tech startup that managed to secure substantial funding early in its life but ultimately faced significant challenges due to a lack of product-market fit and market validation. Co-founded in 2016 by veterans of Google and Uber automated driving programs, Argo AI sought to build software, hardware, maps, and cloud-support infrastructure to power self-driving vehicles​.

Argo AI
ServiceDevelopment of software, hardware, maps, and cloud-support infrastructure for self-driving vehicles
Problem Couldn’t monetize their technology effectively. Strategic shifts due to new leadership at key backers. Expensive development and implementation of autonomous vehicle technology. Couldn’t secure a sustainable position in an emerging industry. Absence of a product to validate the market and business model.
FundingOver $3.6 billion from Ford and Volkswagen
Market Validation & FitLack of clear business model for autonomous transportation serviceability to bring a successful autonomous vehicle product to market
Technology
Investment in LiDAR imaging technology Despite advantages in LiDAR technology, unable to leverage it effectively for a successful AV product
Financial Performance
Net loss: Posted an $827 million net loss for the third quarter
MVP Approach and Business Model ValidationIt’s possible that an MVP approach could have helped Argo AI better validate its product-market fit and business model. Instead of making massive bets on specific technologies and aiming for a full-fledged autonomous vehicle, a smaller, more focused product offering that targeted a specific customer need or market niche might have helped Argo AI gain the market traction and validation needed to convince investors of its viability. 

This is a powerful illustration of the importance of an MVP when raising investment for a startup, as it offers a way to validate a product idea and business model with real market feedback before committing large amounts of resources.

Putting Investment To Work: How Funds Can Be Utilized

By strategically utilizing the investment, startups can fuel growth, enhance operations, drive marketing initiatives, bolster product development, and strengthen overall business capabilities. Understanding how funds are deployed across different areas is key to maximizing the potential impact of investment and setting the stage for sustainable growth and success.

In the ideal scenario, funds should be infused when your startup is in a position to utilize them effectively across the following key areas:

Product Development & R&D

  • Software and Tools
  • Talent Acquisition
  • Prototyping and Testing
  • Research

Marketing & Customer Acquisition

  • Advertising
  • Public Relations
  • Content Marketing
  • Sales Team

Scaling Operations

  • Physical Expansion
  • Operational Staff
  • Inventory and Supply Chain

Legal & Compliance

  • Legal Counsel
  • Patents and Trademarks
  • Regulatory Compliance

Working Capital

  • Day-to-Day Operations
  • Emergency Buffer
  • Supplier and Vendor Payments

What Are The Investment Decision Criteria?

When investors evaluate a business for potential investment, they consider a number of decision criteria that help them determine the likelihood of the investment generating substantial returns. Investors assess a variety of factors when considering an investment in a startup, particularly when it’s a technology-driven enterprise. 

Here are the key aspects they look for:

  • Speed of Development: 

Investors appreciate teams that can quickly turn an idea into a viable product. The ability to swiftly execute signals a team’s efficiency, dedication, and competence.

  • Financial Prudence: 

Investors want to see effective financial management. They prefer startups that use their funds wisely and can deliver results within a reasonable budget.

  • Focus on Essential Features: 

Investors value startups that understand their target audience’s needs and prioritize features that cater to these needs. A cluttered product with unnecessary features can confuse customers and hamper adoption.

  • Receptiveness to Feedback: 

Startups that are open to constructive criticism and can adapt their product based on user feedback tend to be more successful. Investors seek this adaptability and customer-centric approach.

  • Market Validation: 

Concrete evidence of market demand for a product or service is crucial. Investors need proof that the startup’s offering has the potential for growth and profitability.

  • Customer Base: 

Early traction in terms of a growing customer base is a strong indicator of a startup’s potential. It’s one thing to believe in a product’s potential and another to see customers actually using and benefiting from it.

  • Risk Management: 

Startups that take calculated risks and have plans to mitigate potential downsides are more likely to secure investment. Investors prefer to back ventures that balance ambition with caution.

Now, how can a startup demonstrate these qualities effectively? This is where a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) comes into play. 

One example of a well-known startup that successfully utilized an MVP to secure further funding is Instagram:

When Instagram launched in 2010, it started as a simple MVP—an iPhone app for sharing photos with filters and basic social features. The MVP gained early traction and quickly attracted millions of users. 

The founders used this initial success and user feedback to secure $500,000 in seed funding from venture capitalists, including Andreessen Horowitz. 

The funding helped Instagram scale its operations, enhance the app’s features, and expand its user base. Eventually, Instagram was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012, showcasing the significant success that stemmed from starting with an MVP.

MVP: Your Secret Weapon for Raising Investment

Investors highly value the market validation that comes with an MVP. By launching an MVP and gathering real user feedback, startups can demonstrate early traction, user engagement, and positive market response. This validation provides crucial evidence of the product’s viability and attractiveness to potential customers.

Investing in a business without a minimum viable product (MVP) is riskier. When there is no MVP, investors have to rely on assumptions and projections, which may not accurately reflect what customers want or how the market will respond. This lack of concrete validation makes it more uncertain and potentially less favorable for investors.

However, building an MVP for startups helps you mitigate this risk by offering a proof-of-concept. It allows investors to see firsthand how the product is received in the market, assess its unique value proposition, and evaluate its potential for widespread adoption. This tangible evidence significantly reduces uncertainty and provides a stronger basis for investment decisions.

An MVP helps startups exhibit these investor-preferred qualities:

  • MVPs are typically developed and launched within about 5 weeks, but the timeframe can vary based on product complexity.
  • Developing an MVP is budget-conscious, usually requiring an investment of around $10,000 to $15,000 for digital products like apps or websites.
  • MVPs focus on delivering essential features that address the primary needs of the target audience, often prioritizing 1-3 key features that solve customer problems effectively.
  • MVPs gather early user feedback, usually from a few dozen to a few hundred users, depending on the product and market size.
  • Launching an MVP allows entrepreneurs to validate market demand, aiming for a few hundred to a few thousand active users or customers within the first few months.
  • MVPs help establish an early customer base, attracting a few hundred to a few thousand initial customers, depending on the product and market.
  • MVPs minimize resources and time in the initial phase, reducing financial and operational risks. This can potentially save significant costs by validating the product concept before full-scale development.

Investments can be utilized in many areas such as marketing, product development, operations, team expansion, and even research and development. But it’s not just about where the money is used, but also when it’s raised.

One successful example of a startup leveraging its MVP to secure good investments is the story of Slack. Slack, known initially as “Glitch,” began as an internal communication tool for a gaming company called Tiny Speck. However, the founders recognized its potential beyond their initial gaming project and decided to pivot. Take a look at how an MVP was turned to be a successful team communication platform. 

Slack
Initial Idea and MVPOrigin: Developed as an internal communication tool for a gaming company, Tiny SpeckMVP Focus: Simplifying team communication and collaboration with channels, direct messaging, file sharing, and integration with productivity tools
Target Audience: Developers and tech community(Launch and Market Response)Public Launch: August 2013 Sign-ups: Approximately 8,000 within the first 24 hours
User GrowthReached 1 million daily active users within six months
FundingRaised over $1.4 billion in several funding rounds
Current Status and ImpactEstablished as a leading workplace communication platform
User BaseMillions of daily active users globally
Key Success FactorsMarket Recognition: Identified a need for an intuitive team communication toolValidation: Swift market validation and user adoption of the MVPInvestment Attraction: Secured substantial investments based on MVP success and potential

Why Investors Prefer MVP Before Investing In Tech Startups?

Investors can gain confidence in the startup’s traction, product-market fit, risk mitigation, scalability, and efficient use of capital. MVPs provide valuable insights that align with investors’ goals of maximizing returns while minimizing risks. Here is the list of specific factors that investors look for when investing in any tech startup:

Evidence of Traction:

  • Launching an MVP demonstrates early user adoption and market interest.
  • Provides tangible proof of a product’s potential to attract customers.
  • Shows engagement and validates market demand.

Validation of Product-Market Fit:

  • MVPs allow startups to test and validate their value proposition.
  • Gathering user feedback helps refine the product to meet customer needs.
  • Reduces the risk of investing in a product that may not resonate with the market.

Risk Mitigation:

  • MVPs provide real-world data for informed decision-making.
  • Investors can assess the startup’s progress and market response.
  • Mitigates uncertainty and reduces risk associated with investing in unproven concepts.

Scalability and Growth Potential:

  • MVPs offer insights into the startup’s scalability and growth potential.
  • Showcases repeatable customer acquisition process and positive user feedback.
  • Demonstrates the startup’s ability to capitalize on market opportunities.

Efficient Use of Capital:

  • MVP development is cost-effective and optimizes resource allocation.
  • Demonstrates the startup’s ability to achieve milestones with limited funding.
  • Shows the startup’s potential for profitability and delivering a return on investment.

Ideal Stages For Kickstarting MVP Development In A Startup

Determining the right stage to kickstart your MVP development for startup is crucial. It sets the foundation for validating ideas, gathering user feedback, and refining the product or service. By identifying the ideal stages to begin MVP development, startups can maximize their chances of success and make informed decisions before seeking external investments. Here are several key stages that are considered ideal for kickstarting MVP development in a startup’s journey.

Idea Validation Stage: 

  • The earliest stage of a startup is where founders have a conceptual idea but need to validate its feasibility. Developing an MVP at this stage allows founders to test their assumptions, gather user feedback, and validate the market need for their product or service. It helps refine the idea and build a solid foundation for further development.

Early Product Development Stage: 

  • Once the initial idea has been validated, startups can enter the early product development stage. At this point, the basic concept and target audience are defined, and the focus is on building a minimum viable version of the product. Developing an MVP helps startups gain early traction, gather user insights, and iterate on the product to refine its features and functionalities.

Pre-Launch Stage: 

  • This stage occurs just before the official launch of the startup’s product or service. Developing an MVP in this phase allows startups to gather feedback from a select group of beta users or early adopters. This feedback can help fine-tune the product, address any potential issues, and create a positive user experience before the full-scale launch.

Market Entry Stage: 

  • Startups that have validated their product-market fit and are ready to enter the market can utilize MVP development to gain a competitive advantage. By launching an MVP with a focused set of features, startups can penetrate the market quickly, gather user feedback, and make iterative improvements based on real-world usage.

Expansion and Scaling Stage: 

  • Startups looking to expand their customer base or enter new markets can leverage MVP development to test market demand and gather insights. By creating a streamlined version of their product tailored to the target market, startups can validate the demand and make data-driven decisions for scaling their operations.

Secure Investment for Your Startup: Build an MVP that Captivates Investors!

For startup founders, early-stage entrepreneurs, and investors seeking insights into startup potential, developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) can be a critical step toward securing investment. An MVP allows you to validate your business idea, gather user feedback, and showcase the potential of your startup.

However, it’s important to remember that building an MVP for startups is just the beginning. It serves as a starting point to refine your product, gather market insights, and pave the way for building a successful and sustainable business.

If you’re looking to develop an MVP for your startup, consider partnering with experienced developers and designers who can guide you through the process. Galaxy Weblinks, serves as a full-cycle web and mobile app development company for startups from ideation to launching. We are committed to supporting startup founders and early-stage entrepreneurs at every step of their journey.

Whether you’re creating a social media platform, an e-commerce website, or a mobile app, we have the expertise to transform your idea into a reality. Reach out to us today to discuss your startup aspirations and discover how we can help you bring your MVP to life.

The 2023 MVP Development Checklist For Startups To Start Your Unicorn Journey

56% of startups fail simply because they ignore product market fit or product validation before they skip the process of validating the market and directly proceed to develop a full-fledged product. 

The challenge in creating a complete product is that it needs a significant investment of around $50,000 to $100,000. Additionally, it usually takes a few months or even a year to bring it to the market. During this time, your idea may lose its initial advantage of being the first, and its unique selling point may diminish as others may have already launched a similar idea faster than you.

The easiest way to validate the market fit at a lower cost and in a faster time is through MVP development for startups.

But what exactly is an MVP, and why is it so critical? 

An MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product development. It’s the most basic version of your product that you can create while still solving the main problems or meeting the core needs of your target customers. 

Think of it as a stripped-down version of your idea, focusing only on the essential features. The goal here is to go to market faster, get real feedback from real users and make iterations to the product to ensure product market fit.

So how should one get started?

Among startup founders, this stage poses a challenge for 67% of them, as they often prioritize rapid growth, market capture, or limited resources, they tend to overlook MVP development. But, understanding the value of MVP validation is important and many founders choose to skip this crucial step due to few complexities and lack of awareness. Our MVP development for startup checklist will help you get started with creating your first MVP and then planning a roadmap to ensure your startup’s success. 

Essential Checklist To Prepare For MVP Development For Startups

Whether you are starting with just an idea, or you need to get the MVP developed based on your research, this detailed checklist will ensure that you do not miss out on any crucial step. 

The Pre-MVP Development Checklist:

  1. Clearly identify the problem or pain point your product solves
  2. Describe the impact of solving this problem on your target audience
  3. Conduct comprehensive industry research
  4. Identify and analyze competitors in the market
  5. Explore market dynamics, trends, and existing solutions
  6. Define target audience demographics (age, gender, location, income)
  7. Understand audience behaviors, preferences, and pain points
  8. Tailor your MVP to meet the specific needs of your target audience
  9. Identify essential core features for your MVP
  10. Prioritize features based on importance
  11. Evaluate feasibility of implementing each feature

Development Team Selection Checklist:

  1. Research the right resources that can provide the technical support and expertise to develop the features you need.
  2. Ensure that you are able to communicate your ideas to them 
  3. Get confirmation on the clarity and understanding of the team
  4. Check if they are as motivated and passionate about building the product as you are 
  5. Ensure that the engagement is affordable for your startup
  6. Give higher priority to a team that  is agile and adaptable to changing trends
  7. Verify the flexibility of their working schedule as per your preferences
  8. Check for the possibility of longer association to ensure the product development team remains the same

MVP Development Checklist:

  1. Create low-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes
  2. Check for the user journey & experience in the application
  3. Determine the essential features that align with the MVP’s purpose 
  4. Incorporate any current technology updates if applicable 
  5. Ensure proper testing of all features with the required stakeholders
  6. Conduct regular meetings with the team for updates and progress 
  7. Ensure that you get all the required documentation for future reference
  8. Check if the MVP is ready for marketing and promotions before launching it in the market

Post MVP Launch & Iterations Checklist:

  1. Regularly monitor MVP performance
  2. Establish feedback channels and monitor metrics
  3. Analyze feedback and metrics for improvements
  4. Resolve problems that impact usability, functionality, or customer satisfaction
  5. Prioritize user feedback and identify issues 
  6. Plan and execute iterative releases
  7. Plan for scalability as the user base grows
  8. Establish maintenance plans and address user-reported issues
  9. Stay updated with security patches and updates
  10. Consider options for raising investment for scaling the business

Start Your Journey to Becoming a Unicorn with the 2023 MVP Development Checklist!

An MVP development for startups allows them to clearly define the problem they aim to solve, the required functionalities, and the marketing strategy. By avoiding feature creep and delays, an MVP enables companies to create a streamlined, user-friendly product and launch it in the market quickly.

At Galaxy Weblinks, we have a proven track record of delivering customized services that meet our clients’ specific needs and target audience. Our experienced development team is here to help in building an MVP for startups. With over 100 startups utilizing our services, our MVP development for startup checklist has been proven to ensure a smooth and effective MVP development process. 

Begin your journey towards your MVP by taking the first step. We specialize in building an MVP for startups and bringing their product ideas to life through the creation of impactful expertise.

Top 5 Tips for Keeping Your E-commerce Website Running Smoothly

Your website is live, the product catalog is all set, and marketing is 100% on point. Now just imagine the horror of people leaving your website without any purchases. Why? Because your website lacks proper configuration. 

Scary, isn’t it?

Running an e-commerce website can be a stressful and overwhelming experience, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. You’re constantly juggling managing inventory, shipping products, and providing excellent customer service. 

On top of that, you have to ensure that your website is functioning smoothly and your customers have a seamless shopping experience. This can be annoying. After all, you established your online business to offer products or services, not to deal with website management.

But what happens when your website encounters issues like slow loading times, broken links, or payment gateway errors? It can be frustrating for both you and your customers and can ultimately lead to lost sales and damage to your business’s reputation. 

According to the stats, 53% of people will stop engaging with a website if images won’t load or take too long to load. Visitors’ patience can last barely 5 seconds, and that’s it. If your website takes more than that to load, poof! They’re gone. And it’s not a good sign for your business. 

E-commerce maintenance and why do you need it?

E-commerce maintenance is all about keeping an online store up and running smoothly. It involves a bunch of tasks like adding new products and features to the website, making sure the site is secure from any online threats, improving the site’s performance, keeping an eye on the server, updating payment gateways, managing inventory, and providing customer support. All of these activities are important for the successful running of an e-commerce website, and they ensure that customers can shop on the website without any hassles. So, e-commerce maintenance is a vital part of running an online store, and it’s something that requires ongoing attention and care.

Now let’s talk about why e-commerce maintenance is so important for you as a business owner. Keeping your online store up-to-date and secure, can improve your website performance, increase sales, and offer a better shopping experience for customers. Regular maintenance means the website is less likely to have technical issues that could result in downtime or security breaches. This ensures that the website is always available to customers, which is essential for running a successful online business. All of these benefits can help boost the business’s reputation, attract new customers, and ultimately, increase revenue. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 5 tips for ensuring that your website is optimized for performance and providing customers with a seamless online shopping experience. So, let’s get started!

Keep Your Software Up to Date

Software updates can be a hassle, but they are critical for the security and performance of your e-commerce website. Outdated software can be vulnerable to security threats and may not function properly, leading to a poor user experience. Ensure you regularly check for updates to your e-commerce platform, plugins, and any other software you use. Keeping your software up to date also ensures that you have access to the latest features and functionality.

Optimize Your Website’s Speed

In today’s fast-paced digital world, customers expect websites to load quickly. Slow page load times can drive potential customers away, resulting in lost sales. A one-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions, and you don’t want that. Right? To keep your website running smoothly, ensure it is optimized for speed. This includes compressing images, minifying code, and leveraging caching technologies. If you’re unsure where to start, consider using a website speed-testing tool to identify areas for improvement.

Test Across Browsers

It’s not uncommon for your website layout to appear different across various browsers. While it may look excellent in Chrome, it may not be the same in Safari. To ensure a smooth user experience, it’s crucial to test your site across multiple browsers. A broken or confusing layout is likely to frustrate customers, so it’s essential to ensure that your website appears correctly on all browsers. Additionally, checking your site on major browsers on mobile devices is crucial to ensure complete responsiveness.

Monitor Your Website’s Performance

Monitoring your website’s performance is critical to ensuring it runs smoothly. Regularly checking your website’s key performance metrics can help you identify and address issues before they become significant problems. Consider using a website monitoring tool to monitor your website’s performance and receive alerts if any problems arise.

Check Loading Times 

If your website takes ages to load or if pages are taking too long to appear, you may need to invest in website maintenance. It’s essential to test your website’s loading times regularly, at least once a month, and especially when you add new content. Failing to do so can lead to slow loading times, which can be frustrating for customers, resulting in lost sales as they abandon the site.

Check Loading Times 

Managing a website in-house can be daunting in today’s fast-paced business environment. Without the necessary expertise, you may find it challenging to keep up with the latest trends and technologies, potentially causing your website to fall behind the competition. 

Outsourcing from a company that can help you with e-commerce maintenance can be your way to ensure that your website is well-maintained and optimized for maximum performance. This can lead to better user experience, higher search engine rankings, and increased conversions.

Take the stress-free road.

Remember, your website is the face of your business, and it’s crucial to make a great first impression on your potential customers. Investing time and effort into maintaining your website can improve user experience, boost conversion rates, and increase revenue. 

So, take action today and implement these tips to keep your e-commerce website running smoothly. And if you ever need help or support, don’t hesitate to contact experts who can provide the necessary development and e-commerce maintenance services to keep your website in top shape. By doing so, you’ll be able to provide your customers with a seamless online shopping experience and take your e-commerce business to new heights!

We know you need a website that runs like clockwork! But always keeping it up-to-date, secure, and bug-free can be challenging. That’s where Galaxy Weblinks comes in. Galaxy Weblinks is an e-commerce maintenance company that provides top-notch e-commerce maintenance services for your online store, so you can focus on running your business. 

How Much Should You Invest In Monthly Website Maintenance?

website maintenance services

Are you compromising on quality to reduce website maintenance costs? Or perhaps you’re overspending on maintenance and wondering if there’s a way to cut it down? Well, we’ve got news for you – there’s a sweet spot in website maintenance, and it’s all about finding the balance between cost and quality.

But how much should you be investing in monthly maintenance to strike that perfect balance? 

On average, businesses should aim to invest at least 5-10% of their website development budget into monthly maintenance, which results in improving your search engine rankings by up to 30%.

So, if you’re wondering how to optimize your website maintenance without compromising on quality or overspending on website maintenance services, we’ve got you covered. Let’s find that sweet spot together and keep your website running smoothly for years to come.

How To Calculate The Cost Of Website Maintenance?

Let’s say you run an e-commerce store using the Shopify platform, and you need to maintain the website on a monthly basis. Let’s take a sample metrics to understand the cost better

Factors affecting maintenance cost for e-commerce website: 

  • No. of hours required 
  • Platform expenses
  • Cost of domain expertise

Let’s take an example to understand the cost calculation with the help of some assumed data.

Average maintenance time required in a month: 9 to 12 hours

Minimum Expense: Maintenance Cost for 9 hours per month

Maintenance time per month (T) = 9 hours

Hourly rate for maintenance (R) = $100 per hour

Domain expertise cost = D

Platform expenses = P

The domain expertise cost can be calculated as:

D = T x R

D = 9 x $100

D = $900 per month

Then, the total monthly website maintenance cost can be calculated as:

Total cost = Domain expertise cost + Platform expenses


Assuming the monthly platform cost is $229

Total cost = D + P


Total cost = $900 + $229

Total monthly website maintenance cost  = $1129

——————————————————————————————————————–

Maximum Expense: Maintenance Cost for 12 hours per month

Maintenance time per month (T) = 12 hours

Hourly rate for maintenance (R) = $100 per hour

Domain expertise cost = D

Platform expenses = P

The domain expertise cost can be calculated as:

D = T x R

D = 12 x $100

D = $1200 per month

Then, the total monthly website maintenance cost can be calculated as:

Total cost = Domain expertise cost + Platform expenses


Assuming the monthly platform cost is $229

Total cost = D + P


Total cost = $1200 + $229

Total monthly website maintenance cost  = $1429

Based on the above calculations, we can conclude that the minimum maintenance cost per month would be $1129 and the maximum would be $1429. If you are paying more, then you need to look into resource and task allocation in addition to checking the technology integration for your website.


If you are paying less than the minimum limit, then you should at least consider looking into the details of the maintenance activities and the overall website performance to rule out the possibility of ignored issues.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Website Maintenance

People commonly associate website maintenance costs to be solely attributed to the number of hours required to get the work done. However, there are other factors like the complexity of the issue, the technical expertise required, the priority of the task, etc. It is recommended to take all applicable factors into consideration when calculating or understanding the maintenance cost for your website.

  • Frequency Of Maintenance Issues

The frequency of maintenance issues can have a significant impact on the cost of website maintenance. 

A report by GoDaddy found that small business owners spend an average of 5 hours per month on website maintenance, but this can vary depending on the complexity of the website and the frequency of updates required. 

For instance, a website that requires daily updates and monitoring will have a higher maintenance cost than a website that only needs updates once a month.

  • Extent of Manual Effort Required

The amount of manual effort required for maintenance tasks can also impact the cost of website maintenance. 

A study by HubSpot found that small business owners spend an average of 2-5 hours per week on website updates, which can include tasks such as creating new pages, updating content, and testing website functionality. 

Websites that require more extensive manual effort, such as custom coding or design changes, will have a higher maintenance cost.

  • Technology Relevance

Outdated technology can also impact the cost of website maintenance. A survey by W3Techs found that only 2.5% of websites still use Flash technology, which is no longer supported by major web browsers. 

Websites that use outdated technology may require additional maintenance to remain compatible with newer web browsers, which can increase the maintenance cost.

  • High Maintenance Requirement for The Platform

Websites with high maintenance requirements may also have limitations due to their current technology. 

For example, a website with complex integrations or customizations may require more maintenance, which can be costly. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to invest in newer technology that is easier to maintain in the long run.

website maintenance services

Recommended Strategies By Experience Website Developers For Reducing Website Maintenance Cost

Yes, it is possible to reduce website maintenance costs by assessing the efficiency of current maintenance practices and exploring technological upgrades. By optimizing current website maintenance services and adopting new technologies, businesses can improve the effectiveness of their maintenance efforts while reducing costs.

Maximizing Efficiency

One way to reduce website maintenance costs is to ensure that maintenance tasks are being performed efficiently. 

  1. Regularly Update Website Software

Keeping website software up to date is crucial for maintaining website security and performance. 

By regularly updating website software, businesses can reduce the risk of security breaches and minimize the need for manual maintenance tasks. For example, updating to the latest version of WordPress or a website theme can provide bug fixes, security updates, and improved performance.

  1. Outsource Website Maintenance 

Outsourcing website maintenance services to a third-party provider can be a cost-effective solution for small businesses that don’t have the resources to hire in-house staff. 

According to a survey by Clutch, the average cost of outsourced website maintenance is $100-$149 per hour. Outsourcing can provide access to specialized expertise and resources without the need to hire new staff or purchase new tools.

Technology Upgrades

Another way to reduce website maintenance costs is to explore technological upgrades as newer technologies may also offer additional features and functionalities that can help reduce the need for manual maintenance tasks.

  1. Adopt automation Tools

Investing in automation tools can help reduce the time and effort required for routine maintenance tasks. 

For example, tools like Jetpack, UpdraftPlus, and WP-Optimize can automate tasks like backups, updates, and optimization, which can significantly reduce manual effort and lower costs.

  1. Use A Reliable Hosting Provider

Choosing a reliable hosting provider can help reduce maintenance costs and prevent unexpected downtime. 

According to a study by the Hosting Tribunal, 1 hour of downtime can cost businesses anywhere from $10,000 to $1 million, depending on the size of the company and the industry. By choosing a reliable hosting provider, businesses can minimize the risk of downtime and reduce associated costs.

By implementing these cost-saving measures, businesses can improve their website performance and functionality while freeing up resources to focus on other aspects of their business.

Achieve Higher Conversion Rate, User Retention, & Performance with Professional Website Maintenance Services

It can be a daunting task for businesses to manage maintenance needs in-house, and outsourcing to the wrong provider can result in higher costs and lower-quality services. 

By partnering with a trusted and experienced website maintenance service provider like Galaxy Weblinks, you can ensure that your website is always optimized for performance, security, and functionality. 

Our team ensures on-time resolution of issues with proactive audits to prevent minor problems from becoming major obstacles. We have also advised our clients on the best technology to reduce maintenance requirements and also scale their businesses sustainably.
Get an in-depth website audit and website maintenance services costs to ensure a high-performing website.

The benefits of using Webflow for your business website

The benefits of using Webflow for your business website

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

The popular saying is applicable to books for sure, but websites? Not so much. 

Websites deal with the most extreme level of snap judgments. One that quickly influences the perceptions of credibility. It takes somewhat around 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website—whether they like it or not, whether they want to stay or leave.

In today’s digital age, having a user-friendly and visually appealing website is critical for any business looking to succeed in the online space. It serves as the online storefront for your brand, providing potential customers with information about your products or services, and acts as a platform for online transactions. 

In our years of experience, we have seen companies struggling to create a website that accurately reflects their brand’s vision and values. Plus, problems like limited customization options, high costs, and poor website performance make it challenging for them to stand out from their competitors. 

Webflow, with over 3.5 million users, creates a website that looks great, loads fast, and works on any device. At present there are approximately 400,000 Webflow websites which are live globally.

While there are many web design platform options for you to choose from, in this article, we will be highlighting the benefits of using Webflow for your business website. 

First of all, what is Webflow?

A lot of you who have landed here might already know about it, but for those of you who haven’t, well, read on. 

Webflow is a web design and development platform that allows users to design and build websites without coding. It’s a drag-and-drop interface that enables you to create and customize your website’s layout, content, and functionality. It has gained massive popularity in recent years with a growth rate of 79% over the past year, attracting both small business owners and large corporations. 

Now that we have established the popularity and potential of Webflow let’s dive into some of its advantages.

Benefits of using Webflow for your business website

Benefits of using Webflow for your business website
  1. Ease of use

One of the primary benefits of using Webflow is its user-friendly interface. You don’t need to know how to code or have any technical experience to use it. The drag-and-drop functionality allows you to create and edit content quickly, making the website development process more accessible and efficient.

Moreover, Webflow provides various templates and pre-designed components, such as navigation bars and forms, that you can easily add to your website. You can customize them to match your brand’s style and color scheme, ensuring consistency across your online presence.

  1. Customizability

While Webflow offers templates and pre-designed components, you’re not limited to using them. You have complete control over your website’s design and functionality, allowing you to create a unique online presence that reflects your brand’s identity.

Webflow provides a vast array of design and customization options, including typography, color, layout, animations, and interactions. You can create complex designs, such as parallax scrolling and hover effects, without needing to write code.

Furthermore, Webflow allows you to integrate with third-party applications, such as Google Analytics and Mailchimp. You can also add custom code snippets to your website, giving you even more flexibility in terms of design and functionality.

  1. Responsiveness

In today’s digital landscape, having a mobile-responsive website is crucial. According to a study by Google, 74% of users are more likely to return to mobile-friendly websites. Webflow’s responsive design feature allows you to create a website that looks great on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.

Webflow’s responsive design is based on the concept of breakpoints. You can define different breakpoints for different device sizes, allowing you to create custom designs for each device type. This feature ensures that your website looks great and functions correctly, regardless of your customers’ device.

  1. SEO-friendliness

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical aspect of website development. It helps improve your website’s visibility on search engines, increasing the likelihood of attracting organic traffic. Webflow provides several SEO features, such as customizable meta titles and descriptions, alt tags for images, and clean code structure.

Webflow also automatically generates a sitemap for your website, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site’s pages. Additionally, you can easily integrate your website with Google Analytics and Google Search Console, allowing you to track your website’s performance and optimize it for search engines.

  1. Fast loading speed

Website loading speed is a crucial factor in user experience. According to a study by Google, the average mobile website takes 15.3 seconds to load, which can significantly impact user engagement and conversion rates. Webflow’s hosting service uses a content delivery network (CDN) that ensures fast loading speeds for your website.

How Webflow can help you create an ideal website

Webflow can help you create modern and responsive websites in minutes without writing a single line of code. It makes managing your website’s content easy without relying on a third-party content management system. With Webflow’s built-in CMS, you can easily add and update your website’s content without hiring a developer. 

In conclusion

Webflow is an excellent platform for service businesses for all of the aforementioned reasons. To summarize, firstly, it is extremely user-friendly and easy to use, even for those without experience in web design. Secondly, it is very affordable, especially compared to other market platforms. Thirdly, it offers a wide range of features and templates that allow businesses to create professional-looking websites with minimal effort. Finally, it provides excellent customer support, so businesses can get help when needed. So if you’re looking for the perfect platform to create a stunning, modern website without coding or learning complex web design principles, then Webflow is the way to go.

Looking for a webflow development company? Galaxy Weblinks is your answer. Take your business website to the next level with our webflow development services. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you build a custom website using Webflow. Let’s start building your online presence together!

Is headless e-commerce really the future?

The e-commerce sector has made tremendous strides. There was a time when eCommerce platforms were designed mainly for desktop users. Cut to the present, customers can purchase products using various devices such as wearable tech, smartphones, social media platforms, etc. The idea behind the evolution is simple: customers who engage with brands across multiple platforms tend to make more purchases.

The market’s ever-changing needs have given rise to new e-commerce approaches in recent years. Earlier methods focused on back-end configurations, but the need for personalized, customized, and engaging omnichannel experiences has prompted the development of a new e-commerce design approach – the headless commerce approach.

Headless e-commerce has gained significant popularity among digital brands, and in the last couple of years, investors have invested heavily in this domain, with over $1.6 billion being poured into such opportunities. Numerous startups and established players in the e-commerce industry have introduced new technologies or products to leverage this trend to stay competitive in an increasingly crowded digital marketplace

Companies are increasingly adopting headless e-commerce as it offers more flexibility, scalability, and customization than traditional e-commerce platforms. In this blog, we will explore whether headless e-commerce is the future of online retail, looking at the benefits of this approach, statistics on its adoption, and examples of businesses that have successfully implemented headless e-commerce.

Is headless e-commerce really the future?

What is headless e-commerce?

Traditionally, e-commerce platforms have been built using a monolithic architecture, meaning the front and back ends are tightly coupled. This can limit the flexibility and customization of the user interface. Headless e-commerce, on the other hand, separates the front and back ends, allowing businesses greater control over the user experience.

In a headless e-commerce architecture, the front end is decoupled from the backend, meaning businesses can use any front-end technology they want. This allows for a more customized and flexible user experience. The backend, responsible for managing the business logic and data, is usually built using an API-driven approach, enabling the platform to communicate with any front-end technology.

Successful businesses that leveraged the benefits of headless e-commerce

Many businesses have already adopted a headless e-commerce approach, with some seeing significant improvements in their online shopping experiences. Here are some examples:

👟 Nike: Leveraged headless to optimize every aspect of their website to suit small-screen interactions, including visuals and call-to-actions. They utilized React SPA and Node.js backend for frontend (BFF) to ensure consistent user experiences across all pages. As a result, Nike gradually gained market share and became a leading player, surpassing their competitor Adidas.

🧼 Lush: Handmade cosmetics became even more accessible thanks to Lush’s faster, more intuitive mobile app with personalized recommendations and real-time inventory updates.

🎯Target: The retailer faced stiff competition from retail giants like Walmart and Amazon, with customers frequently switching between brands. Through thorough analysis, they discovered that almost 80% of their customers begin their buyer’s journey on one device but finished it on another. To capitalize on this opportunity for growth, Target adopted a headless commerce approach to unify the customer buying journey across various devices. As a result, Target experienced an increase in its site’s conversion rate as more users found it easier to finish their purchases with the new unified experience.

📎Staples: The UK-based office supplies behemoth grappled with a massive product catalog that was often siloed and required frequent updates, depending on inventory and promotions. Adopting headless architecture allowed them to update their product catalog quickly and efficiently, and to optimize their website for various functions. They can now offer features such as registering/login in, ordering by item number, or reordering previously purchased items, significantly enhancing their customers’ shopping experience.

💄Lancôme: The French luxury perfumes and cosmetics powerhouse and one of the world’s most valuable brands made the switch to Progressive Web Applications. The decision paid off, with Lancôme seeing a 17% boost in their conversion rate. The headless approach made it much more convenient for their target audience to purchase items even while on the move.

Why is headless e-commerce gaining popularity?

There are several reasons why headless e-commerce is gaining popularity among businesses. Here are some of the key benefits:

Flexibility: Headless e-commerce allows businesses to use any front-end technology they want, which means they can easily customize the user experience to meet their specific needs.

Speed: Because the front and back ends are decoupled, developers can work on them simultaneously, speeding up the development process.

Scalability: Headless e-commerce is more scalable than traditional e-commerce platforms, allowing businesses to add new features and functionality without impacting the user experience.

Integration: Headless e-commerce is designed to work with other systems, making integrating with other technologies easier.

Future-proofing: Headless e-commerce is future-proof, as businesses can easily swap out the front-end technology as new ones emerge.

Headless e-commerce trends 

There is a growing trend towards headless e-commerce, with more businesses adopting this approach. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the headless e-commerce market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.5% between 2021 and 2026. The report also notes that North America is expected to be the largest market for headless e-commerce during this period.

Another report by Digital Commerce 360 found that 43% of e-commerce decision-makers are planning to adopt a headless approach in the next two years. This indicates that headless e-commerce is becoming more popular among businesses as they look for ways to improve the customer experience and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

A report by MarketsandMarkets predicts that the global headless commerce market size is expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2020 to $3.5 billion by 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.8% during the forecast period. The report notes that the adoption of headless commerce is increasing due to the growing demand for a personalized customer experience, the need for omnichannel marketing, and the increasing focus on improving customer engagement.

A report by Acquia found that 77% of organizations plan to adopt a headless approach within the following year. The report notes that headless commerce offers greater flexibility, scalability, and customization, which is particularly important for businesses looking to provide a differentiated customer experience.

Digital Commerce 360 found that 43% of e-commerce decision-makers plan to adopt a headless approach in the next two years. The report notes that headless commerce is becoming more popular among businesses as they look for ways to improve the customer experience and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

A survey by BigCommerce found that 76% of e-commerce businesses plan to invest in headless commerce in the next two years. The survey notes that headless commerce is a way to differentiate from competitors, enabling companies to offer a more personalized, seamless, and engaging customer experience.

So, is headless e-commerce really the future?

Yes, headless e-commerce is the future of online retail, as it offers a more flexible, customizable, and scalable approach to e-commerce. Decoupling the front and back ends enables businesses to use any front-end technology they prefer, allowing for a more personalized and intuitive user experience. This flexibility, coupled with the speed and scalability of headless e-commerce, makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to improve their online shopping experiences and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. With the headless e-commerce market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.5% between 2021 and 2026 and an increasing number of businesses planning to adopt a headless approach in the next two years, it seems that headless e-commerce is set to become the future of e-commerce. 

Want help with adopting headless for your business? Let’s talk. We can help.

MVP Mobile App Development: How to Get to Market Faster and Make Data-Driven Decisions

About 90% of startups fail to grow without building an MVP.

It’s a strong number to convince startups to take over their idea and create a prototype before stepping into it.

But what about the rest?

The rest of the startups look for ways to get their ideas to the market quickly and efficiently, and MVP (Minimum Viable Product) supports this concept to help startups achieve this goal. 

An MVP is a simplified version of a mobile app that contains only the core features and functions needed to validate the app idea and gather user feedback. 

The idea behind an MVP is to bring the app to the market as soon as possible and test its viability without spending a lot of time and resources. 

This way, startups can learn about their app’s strengths and weaknesses early on and make necessary changes to improve the product. 

All in all, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your unique value proposition, target audience, and metrics for success. 

Showcasing a demo of the MVP and providing examples of similar successful apps can also be very effective in demonstrating the potential of your app.

But, first, let’s take a look at what you’d miss out on if you target completing the whole project at once and not breaking it into simpler steps.

How MVP Eliminates Challenges: For Users

Creating a solution that provides real value to users is the actual idea of developing an MVP, but let’s clear our lenses to see what would happen if we skip this part. 

Some common pain points for target audiences in mobile app development include:

  • Difficulty In Completing A Task Or Process
    Users may struggle with organizing their requirements and finding information quickly and efficiently.
  • Inefficient Or Time-Consuming Processes: 
    Users may be frustrated with the time it takes to complete a task and compelling them to shift to other alternatives. 
  • Poor User Experience:
    Users may be frustrated with clunky interfaces or confusing navigation in a mobile app.
  • Lack Of Functionality:
    Users may want additional features or functionality not currently available in a mobile app.
  • Security Or Privacy Concerns:
    Users may be concerned about the safety of their personal information or the security of their transactions in a mobile app.

How MVP Eliminates Challenges: For Developers

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach to mobile app development helps to minimize the difficulties that can arise in the development process. Some of the difficulties that are excluded in the MVP approach include:

  • Overbuilding:
    With an MVP approach, the development team focuses on delivering only the most essential features, avoiding the temptation to add too many bells and whistles that can slow down the development process.
  • Time and Cost Overruns:
    By focusing on a minimal set of features, MVPs help to control the development timeline and budget, avoiding the risk of project delays and overspending.
  • Unvalidated assumptions:
    An MVP approach validates the assumptions about the app’s potential success before investing too much time, money, and resources in the development process.
  • Lack of user feedback:
    MVPs allow developers to test the app with real users and gather feedback, which helps to avoid developing features that may not be useful or desired by the target audience.
  • Technical complexity:
    By focusing on only the essential features, MVPs help to reduce the technical complexity of the app, making it easier to develop and maintain.

An MVP approach to mobile app development can help businesses to minimize the risks and difficulties associated with the development process, while still delivering a functional product that meets the needs of their users.

Understanding The MVP Development Process 

Building an MVP is an iterative process, and the product will evolve over time based on user feedback and market trends. The goal is to validate the product idea and gather feedback as quickly and efficiently as possible to inform future development decisions.

Here is how MVP development staging takes place to bring out a better user experience.

  • Product Discovery:
    Identify the problem you are trying to solve and research your target audience, market trends, and competitors. The more data a company possesses, the better its prospects of success.
  • Feasibility:
    The product must provide value to users in the simplest form possible, as the term MVP suggests. Outline the users first, then create the MVP around their requirements.
  • Targeted Market Testing:
    The goal is to validate the product idea and gather feedback from potential users. Based on the feedback received, make changes to the MVP app and iterate on the product.
  • Comparative Costs:
    The cost of developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) can vary widely depending on several factors, including the complexity of the product, the development methodologies used, the technology stack, and the size and experience of the development team. 

    For example- If the estimated cost to create an android or ios application is 3000$, the estimated cost of developing an MVP mobile application will cost 40% of that. 
  • Comparative Time:
    It’s important to keep in mind that these are rough estimates, and the actual time required to develop an MVP can vary widely depending on the specific requirements and constraints of the project. 

    Additionally, the time required for ongoing maintenance and support should also be considered when calculating the total time required for an MVP project.

MVP Development – How To Get To Market Faster 

Developing an MVP mobile app provides developers with a faster, more efficient, and more effective way to validate their ideas, build a product that users love, and grow a successful and profitable business. 

Here are a few well-known facts about MVP mobile app development. 

  • Faster time-to-market:
    An MVP app can be developed and launched quickly, allowing developers to get user feedback and validate their idea in a shorter time frame.
  • Lower development costs:
    29% of startups crash due to multiple financial disasters. An MVP app typically requires fewer resources and less time to develop compared to a full-fledged app, which can result in lower development costs.
  • Improved user engagement:
    By focusing on a minimum set of features that deliver the most value, an MVP app can engage users more effectively and increase their likelihood of retaining and referring others.
  • Better decision-making:
    Developing an MVP allows developers to collect feedback from users early on and make data-driven decisions about what features to add, remove, or modify in the future.
  • Improved risk management:
    By validating the concept with a smaller investment of resources, the risk of building a product no one wants is reduced, allowing developers to make necessary pivots early on.

  • Improved focus:
    By developing an MVP, developers can focus on the core features that deliver the most value and avoid wasting time and resources on unnecessary features.
  • Better fundraising opportunities:
    An MVP that demonstrates traction and user engagement can increase the chances of attracting investors and funding to take the app to the next level.

Can MVP Market Itself As A Product?

The answer will always be Yes. 

By focusing on delivering a minimal but valuable set of features, an MVP app can demonstrate its potential to solve a problem, provide a unique user experience, or offer a new level of convenience. 

Here are a few solid reasons why MVP is the one. 

Reason #1: It Attracts Early Adopters In Building User Base

Attracting early adopters and building a user base are critical goals for MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Unique Solution: 
    By offering a unique solution to a pain point, you can differentiate your MVP from similar products and attract early adopters looking for a fresh, innovative solution.
  • Word-Of-Mouth Marketing: 
    Early adopters can be powerful marketing allies, and their positive experiences with your MVP can help to attract other users through word-of-mouth marketing. Encourage early adopters to share their experiences with others, and reward them for doing so.

Reason #2: It Establishes A Brand Identity & Creating A Following

Establishing a brand identity and creating a following are important aspects of MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Brand Personality: 
    Brand personality and values of your brand ensure that these are reflected in your messaging, marketing, and product design.
  • Clear Value Proposition: 
    It is a clear, concise value proposition that communicates the benefits of your MVP to users. This value proposition is reflected in all of your marketing and product design.

Reason #3: Increases Visibility & Credibility 

Increasing visibility and credibility are important goals for MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Content Marketing: 
    Use content marketing to educate potential users about your MVP and demonstrate your expertise in your field. This can help to increase credibility and build trust with your target audience.
  • Partner With Businesses: 
    Partner with businesses that complement your MVP, such as app stores, service providers, or complementary products. This can help to reach a wider audience and increase visibility.

Reason #4: Gathering Feedback & Iterating To Improve The ProductReason #4: Gathering Feedback & Iterating To Improve The Product

Gathering feedback and iterating to improve the product are critical aspects of MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Leverage Analytics: 
    Use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or Mixpanel, to track usage and engagement with your MVP. This can help you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about future development.
  • User Testing: 
    Conduct user testing to get direct feedback from potential users. This feedback can help you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about future development.

Case Studies Of MVP Mobile App Development

Statistics show that one-third of startup business owners started their businesses with less than $5,000 and without any assurance that they would make a profit.

The temptation to start a big campaign immediately could be strong, but you should always start modestly. Due to the lengthy development process, about half of new concepts are abandoned since they cannot be proven at an early stage.

Since premature scaling is to blame for the demise of more than 70% of all firms, it is equally crucial to begin with tiny steps.

Here are two major examples of MVPs you know very well. 

  • Uber: Uber started as an MVP that allowed users to request a ride through a simple mobile app.
    The company validated its business idea by offering a small group of users a basic version of its app and gathering feedback to improve the product.

    Today, Uber is a multi-billion dollar company that offers ride-hailing services in hundreds of cities around the world.
  • Dropbox: Dropbox started as a simple MVP that allowed users to store and share files in the cloud. The company validated its business idea by offering a small group of users a basic version of its app and gathering feedback to improve the product.

    Today, Dropbox is a multi-billion dollar company that offers a full suite of cloud storage and collaboration tools.
  • Blum Telehealth: With the idea to serve users in the comfort of their homes, Blum Telehealth is focused on bringing medical care through Video calling regardless of the patient’s geographical location.

    The remote care facility validates its business idea by offering doctors and patients to effortlessly communicate apart from elevating the level of care for the entire community. Today, Blum Telehealth has served 6+ years successfully with an aim to reduce health care costs. 

Get Started With MVP Now 

If you’re considering MVP development for your startup, staying focused on your target audience, understanding their pain points, and continuously seeking feedback to improve the product is key.

By taking these steps, you can increase the chances of success for your mobile app and build a strong foundation for future growth.

So, what’s your next step toward MVP mobile app development for your startup?

If so, the galaxy can fit your idea into an app. We offer a wide range of product engineering services to help businesses at all stages of product development, from initial concept to market release.

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Build Better Apps in Less Time: 5 Reasons to Choose Low Code MVP Development

As of 2022, nearly 3 million apps are available for download on the Google Play Store. And of all people, millennials are the most active app users, with 21% opening an app 50 or more times per day.

Your analytics will reveal that most website traffic comes from mobile users. That’s why startups today want to ensure their presence on the mobile platform as long as their idea and the problem they intend to solve are feasible with a mobile app.

But here’s the catch, a growing app market can mean something other than that your new app will succeed. Especially for startups, you will know if your application will grow once you test it. Does this imply that you should invest in full-fledged development? Not quite.

There is another solution that is quite a buzzword in the industry! Many startups and app market legends, such as Spotify, Uber, Instagram, and Dropbox, have succeeded through the MVP approach. And Low-code MVPs can be especially beneficial for mobile startups working on a limited budget or timeline.

If you’re considering this approach for your startup, we recommend reading this post to learn more about it.

Build Better Apps

Why is Low Code MVP essential for mobile-based startups?

Before we get into the details, let’s talk about what an MVP and a low-code MVP are.

MVP is the primary product version you build to understand your audience better. It helps the audience know the product and what to expect from it. On the other hand, it helps businesses realize the actual value of the product and its feasibility.

MVPs allow you to determine:

  • if your users are ready for the product,
  • if they’ll be interested in using your solution, and
  • what the scope is for scaling the product.

If you get enough insights from the users of the no-code MVP, it may be worth investing in a full-fledged solution.

A Low code MVP performs the same function but involves less to no code in its creation, which comes with additional benefits for startups and small businesses since they are more efficient and cost less.

In fact, it is considered one of the quickest and most established routes to success, whether a new product or a feature upgrade.

Now let’s discuss the benefits!

Benefits of Low code MVP in mobile-based startups

Higher efficiency

As we saw earlier, No-code and low-code platforms appeal to startups because they offer ready-made tools, reusable code, pre-built integrations, and templates for various development scenarios.

According to Gartner, by 2024, 65% of development functions will be low-code.

Some solutions include in-depth analytics, monitoring, and A/B testing features to optimize system performance. Plus, they support integrations with third-party services and comply with various industry standards.

Sounds terrific, right? But wait, there is more.

Cost-saving

Efficient and costs less? What can be better than this combination?!

Low code development tools help enterprises reduce their costs by up to 84% by allowing them to spend less money hiring professional development teams, cloud specialists, and other technical jobs. Businesses also don’t need to invest in expensive hardware infrastructure, development software, and licenses.

On top of that, these tools let you build your low-code MVP with less effort.

Faster deployment

IDC found that these organizations have reduced their development lifecycle for new applications by 62% and new features by 72%, respectively.

Low-code solutions improve your company’s agility by making it easier to reuse modules and code templates, create your MVP, and get feedback from users more quickly.

All of this means that you can attract potential investors faster than your competition and get a head start on solving the issues that are holding you back, and you are all set for launch in less than half the time. Now that’s exciting!

MVP helps you identify the market demand and evaluate the customer experience.

Being a startup founder, you prefer to test and validate your product idea by creating an MVP. The concept may seem promising regarding projections and visual designs, but the actual proof of concept interacts with a tangible application.

Customer feedback is crucial, as it allows you to identify your product’s most and least appealing sides.

The reversibility, or being able to go back to make changes, is one of the key reasons why MVP development is popular among startups. If any functions are unnecessary or have bugs, fixing them or adding new features during the quality assurance testing process is much easier. This flexibility helps to implement updates smoothly and bring the release date closer.

Limitations of Low code MVP & Setting the right expectations

Like all tools, despite their benefits, developing MVPs has limitations concerning drawbacks.

Here are the primary things you must consider:

  • Technical constraints

No-code and low-code platforms might not support the features you want in your app. You might need to resort to custom development tools to overcome some restrictions.

  • Vendor lock-in

Your app can become locked into the vendor’s proprietary technology stack and lack access to the source code. So, migrating your MVP to another low-code platform will become too costly.

The most typical and crucial mistakes startups make during MVP development are fixating on minor imperfections, needing more feedback, ignoring analytics, and needing more time for release.

Developing an MVP using no-code and low-code platforms does not guarantee affordability and timeliness unless you keep the limitations in mind and stand clear of any mistakes that might happen.

DIY vs. Professional Services: Which is better?

If you are a startup, low code should assist you in delivering an MVP to market with as few resources as possible. And if you are an established brand and want to try out a new feature on your app, low code MVP can also benefit you.

On the other hand, just building an MVP does not guarantee success. Business owners must remember that creating a no-code or low-code MVP is a quick way to test their business idea, not a magic switch that improves everything about your app.

Your apps rely on coding methodology and management practices to succeed. Furthermore, your team may still need to do some custom coding to overcome the limitations of low-code technologies.

If you believe you require the assistance of an experienced software development company’s assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’ll make your MVP development truly affordable.

How to leverage product discovery to get funding for your app?

With numerous apps rolling down the industry daily, it’s essential to make the app survive and significantly impact this competitive market. So, how can one greatly influence a wider variety of prospects than at any other time in history? It takes more than just an idea to create a cutting-edge app. Getting funding for the project is equally of utmost importance. Only the right investments will ensure that your winning apps actually win the market.

According to McKinsey, 17% of IT projects fail the business trying to execute them. According to CB Insights, poor market, product, development, and consumer research lead to a product’s failure in 35% of cases.

Before pitching investors your business or app idea, you need to put in some effort. Investors want to know that you have given your concept some serious thought, so a basic idea won’t cut it. IDC predicts that in 2023, infrastructure and service investment for public clouds would nearly double to $500 billion globally. This is where product discovery can make a world of difference.

Using product discovery, businesses can assess whether a potential product concept is viable on the market. Product discovery justifies why your product should exist and determines who will use it instead of creating solutions to challenges that nobody currently faces. Additionally, it brings about the possibility of attracting new investments quickly.

Product-Discovery

What is Product Discovery?


Product Discovery is a process that helps product teams initiate project development to better understand your customer(s) and their problems. In a nutshell, you put your idea to the assessment in terms of how well it really works to solve issues and live up to user expectations.

The primary goal of the discovery phase is to validate your assumptions and ideas about the app and mitigate your risks. Based on the data gathered, you can refine your idea and find the best approach to address their challenges and deliver a solution that meets the users’ expectations and demands. It often involves consumer research, market research, mockups, prototypes, and even the development of preliminary functional products. 

The aim is to:

  1. Recognize and identify users’ existing problems.
  2. Validate the team’s proposed solutions.
  3. Deliver solutions that actually meet users’ and consumers’ expectations.
  4. Minimize risks that might arise before, during, and after product development.

You will find yourself being tugged in many different directions by stakeholders and customers if you don’t know exactly who you are targeting as your customer. You need a product discovery to offer you a solid foundation. You will benefit from presenting a better possibility, and the business will benefit from a more significant return on investment.

How Product Discovery Can Help You Get Investments?


01- IDEA VALIDATION ENSURES FASTER CREATION OF A PREMIUM PRODUCT

When a business idea is validated, you can assess whether any flaws might lead to significant returns, discounts, fixes, or replacement expenses. According to Business of Apps, the cost of developing a simple app can range from $32,000 to $48,000, while the cost of developing a complicated app starts at $72,000. Over 80% of mobile apps need 3 months or more to build, according to a survey by Outsystems. That is just another way of explaining that idea validation for your app will sometimes shield your business.

Investors get a sense of affirmation from product discovery that you will develop products or services that will address the issues your potential customers may have. Additionally, a business may already use a similar model on the market, or it may be excessive and complex for a potential client to grasp. However, product discovery allows you to test your idea, which lowers the risk before investing time and money in an unsuccessful venture. Moreover, incorporating a sharp vision into development will assist you in reducing time to market (TTM).

Key Takeaway- Product discovery serves as a methodical approach to verifying that the problem and the proposed solution you’ve defined align with what customers are willing to pay the price for. Investors get a sense of validation with product discovery as it lowers risk, accelerates the market launch of a value-adding service, and cuts expenses.

02- STREAMLINES PROJECT BUDGETING MORE ACCURATELY

According to **Fortunly, 18% of businesses fail because of cost overruns, and the product discovery process might help you avoid this. It will enable you to gather an accurate estimate of the project’s specific scope, preventing the possibility of transpiration that the product cost ends up being much more significant than anticipated due to unanticipated shifts in the scope or hidden complications. It can spare developers from completing extra work and reduce project delivery costs and time.

Not only will the product discovery increase your chances of getting an investment, but it will also enable current stakeholders to resolve any crucial issues before the start of development. To put it another way, you can set up a process for what you’re developing and how you will make it if you grasp the potential of your product.

Key Takeaway-  A detailed timeframe and an in-depth budget projection are both enhanced by the product discovery process. It prevents falling short of covering necessary costs and lowers the chance of earning less than expected.

03- GET A PRODUCT OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY

Spotting potential pitfalls early on and understanding how to avoid them, as well as making it clear what you’re developing and why product discovery will help you release a product more efficiently and quickly. You will save time in the long run if you take the effort to grasp the product needs slightly earlier. Product discovery aims to eliminate repetition and guesswork from product development and delivery by continually checking for hundreds of frequent change points.

With product discovery, making a choice is simpler if you think about everything your app has to accomplish, including scalability, function as expected, and connecting to data and other systems. All desirable features may be included later as the product gains momentum in the market. Therefore, the discovery analysis carried out at the start of the discovery phase will help you prevent various flaws and faults while saving money on additional development.

Key Takeaway-  Companies that are keen to capitalize on emerging market trends must release products fast to the market. If you use product discovery early in the development process, you can exceed customer expectations and outperform your competitors with quicker development timelines.

04- MINIMIZE DEVELOPMENT RISKS AND DELAYS

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 664 projects were delayed, while 425 out of 1,579 reported cost overruns.

Each investor has a unique level of risk tolerance. It goes without saying that low-risk applications are more likely to receive investment than high-risk ones. By doing product idea analysis as part of the discovery phase process, you can spot apparent risks, provide strategies to manage them, and lower the possibility of unexpected issues throughout the product development process.

Product discovery lays a significant focus on disclosing risks, from missed deadlines and delayed releases to low demand for planned product enhancements to price wars with competitors. You can avoid making risky decisions by thoroughly undergoing product discovery before kicking off the development process.

Key Takeaway-  The discovery session provides you with a range of crucial hypotheses and minimizes the risk of paying extra unnecessary expenses or delivering a product that doesn’t satisfy the needs of the target market.

05- PRIORITIZING THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES

Which aspect or element of your app is most crucial? Which one should you start with? Prioritization is a tough nut to crack in product development. However, the product discovery phase makes it easier to validate the functionalities that will be used the most frequently and bring in the most revenue. Your priority will be clarified by actual user data regarding their problems and expectations. You can work with stakeholders to set the product backlog’s priorities with the help of user input.

Key Takeaway- With product discovery, investors can know what the app can deliver from the start, allowing them to prioritize the most important features with significant parameters. It allows the team to focus on creating something that provides genuine value to customers.

Wrapping It Up

Most app businesses fail due to a lack of investment, as accessing investors can sometimes be challenging. However, product discovery will help narrow down the appropriate investors for your product, as its primary objective is to gain a deeper understanding of business objectives and requirements. This makes it possible for you to lay the groundwork for your mobile app development that will satisfy your company goals and start turning a profit right away. Needless to say, you should do some preliminary research before pitching your business concept or app proposal to investors. Investors will undoubtedly invest in your project if it appears groundbreaking to them.

Galaxy Weblinks has expertise in building software from the get-go, including serving clients through the discovery stage of a software project for a wide range of industries and delving deeply into your product concept and context while providing effective discovery consulting. Contact us, and we’ll assist you in every step of the product discovery process. We believe that a product’s success depends not only on its original concept but also on how well it is put into practice.

Things To Be Considered During Design Phase For Low Code App Development

Galaxy Low Code No Code Services

Low code solutions are all the rage these days, and their popularity as general social and technological phenomena is expected to rise. It simplifies and streamlines every application lifecycle stage, promoting ongoing connectivity by splitting the conventional IT and business boundaries. They are just as remarkable and successful as those developed by highly competent experts, even though they can be built in less time and effort.

As new technologies and features are introduced to close the gap between what someone with little to no coding abilities can do and what a full-fledged developer can do, the low code and no code solution design movement is resurgent.

According to McKinsey’s “The business value of design” study, businesses with a better user experience outperform their competitors in terms of revenue by a factor of two and shareholder returns by 21%. According to Gartner, more than 65% of application development activity will be carried out using low code platforms by 2024. This indicates that low code app development tools won’t go away, and the primary focus will be on demand for better design.

Design Challenges Of Low Code App Development

You are no longer limited by drawn-out development cycles thanks to the introduction of LCNC platforms. However, a team can face a few oft-cited design challenges during the design phase for low code development.

Improper Scalability and Reusability of UI Elements.

A low code platform might have numerous small UI components spread across several devices. And as to maintain a consistent end-user experience, even the slightest modifications to one element need to be replicated elsewhere, this leads to a design barrier.

Lack of Customization.

Each platform has a different set of customization options. While some low code no code platforms restrict editing options, others provide access to the source code. Similarly, some will let you create custom applications while others won’t. These limitations often hinder you from gaining that edge in your app.

Limited Integration Options.

Operational efficiency is the main objective of no code platforms. They must work on a core user experience and connect to older systems. It limits the ways that users can integrate. Additionally, the provider forbids third-party or internal system custom integrations.

Furthermore, managing APIs when integrating hundreds of systems is the most challenging element.

Things To Consider For Low Code Platforms During The Design Phase


1- Design for impact.

Regardless of your users’ desired solution, provide the one that best addresses their problems. By setting up a shared understanding and creating solutions, design thinking approaches can assist you in identifying unfulfilled requirements.

Therefore, compile the system design specification document that represents the software requirement specification (SRS document) from earlier phases.

Key Takeaway: Ensure your design solutions align with the problems at hand to provide exceptional customer outcomes that lead to the intended business objectives. Think about using the North Star method for goal setting to direct your planning and choices during the design process.

2- Develop a system document.

Creating a document that translates the specified low code no code platform guidelines could be extraordinarily valuable. To keep the team in sync and enable them to meet the rising demand for continuous delivery, it can be informative to specify which tools and services users could use on the platform, access permission for usage based on roles, unification of project-related data, and the keeping of all policies in one place. Additionally, people can carry out the entire project swiftly if they have all the relevant information. Expanding and enhancing digital workflows aims to combine business processes while eliminating the guesswork and maintaining team cohesion.

Key Takeaway: With the introduction of the system document, you are no longer bound to spend months interacting with an app production team. The goal is to efficiently complete the software development’s design phase while accelerating the app design and delivery.

3- Define your information architecture.

Using hierarchy manipulation throughout the designing phase is a great approach to demonstrate how the elements of your work interact, highlighting the most crucial components and detracting attention from others. These should be set as parameters to inform users of information and relevance. Having this outlined makes it simpler for the subsequent UI design stage for your team members to convert this architecture into semantic code that is simpler for assistive technology to understand.

Key Takeaway: The goal of information architecture in low code app development is to organize, structure, and classify content functionally and sustainably. The goal is to make it easier for users to access information and finish tasks.

4- Put Accessibility into Play.

If accessibility is essential to your business, you should consider it from the start. Fixing accessibility issues on already-existing websites requires more time and effort than starting from scratch with a fully accessible website. When accessibility is incorporated from the start, it maximizes the outcomes and uses fewer resources. It helps consider the diverse variety of customers that utilize your services and items.

Key Takeaway: Regardless of how big or small your project is, accessibility should be considered from the beginning if it is crucial to your business. This prompts you to consider the wide range of complex individuals utilizing our designs and code. It aids in ensuring that we don’t build any obstacles for them.

5- Conduct Design Reviews.

Sometimes all it takes to shift from mediocrity to excellence is a design review. Design reviews are carried out to ensure that the functional requirements, performance requirements, security requirements, etc., are met. The review looks into implementing certain features and analyzes a project feature or user flow prototype. It’s usually a good idea to incorporate diverse roles in the process. This lets you see your design from multiple angles and create a distinctive, organic, and intuitive end result.

Key Takeaway- It’s crucial to implement a successful design review process to get insightful feedback. With an advanced design review process like the Adalo app, your entire team can make faster and more informed decisions. Even the slightest ideas and suggestions can help to improve and simplify the user experience for everyone.

Wrapping It Up

The design stage in creating low code apps is crucial to successfully completing the software project. It yields one of the project’s two critical elements: The Design and The System. The second crucial component, the system, can only be built, practiced on, put into use, or operated with a detailed design.

The ultimate shape of the software product is substantially impacted by the quality decisions made during the design phase regarding development techniques, frameworks, configuration, implementation, software and hardware architecture, etc. Using the design checklist outlined above, you can develop enterprise-level, usable solutions that advance your business.

If you’re looking for qualified software designers and architects, Galaxy Weblinks can help. We streamline the process of offering practical answers to complex business problems.