Can you imagine modern life without social networking websites? Seems like we all are addicted to social media in some way. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – all these platforms share the best ideas and have a substantial impact on business, culture, and society. Statistically, Facebook has 2.7 billion active users. But this doesn’t mean this social networking site will last forever.
You still can build a social media platform that will be a strong competitor to modern social media giants. But do you know how you can do that? Can you imagine how to create a social media website that will be popular among users? In this comprehensive post, we’ll share some ideas that might help you organize your thoughts and enter the social media industry with a new solution.
Determine What Type of Social Networking Sites You Need
This industry is trendy and quite promising today. Here are the most popular solutions:
- Entertaining sites. People like these comic communities where they can find like-minded users and share jokes with each other.
- Social networks. This is the most popular solution that offers a friendly format of communication. People can find each other, share messages, posts, images, or even call each other.
- Educational platforms where the main connecting element is the learning process.
- Scientific communities where scientists share their knowledge and experience with each other.
- Dating platforms that help users find soulmates.
- Media platforms for exchanging media content. The best examples are Instagram and YouTube.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make a Social Network Website
First, you need to have experience in the area of development. If not, you can hire a team of professional programmers that can help bring your idea into life. Here’s a list of the main steps to follow.
Know your targeted audience
Define what type of social network platform you wish to build. Analyze your targeted audience and try to understand what kind of people will be interested in using it. Do thorough online research, analyze the demographics and behavioral habits of users. In doing so, you’ll understand what people need.
Think about your growth strategy
The modern market is overloaded with social media networks; it is hard to win where there are so many competitors. However, this doesn’t mean a mission is impossible. Think about your growth strategy, define your core audience, and analyze the most exciting concepts. Remember that the future success of your project depends on this.
Always begin small and gradually grow your database. Every platform starts as a local service and then grows internationally. When you see that the number of users is growing progressively, you can go big and focus on larger demographics.
Overview of compulsory features social media network platforms must have
Remember, modern users are a demanding. If your platform is overloaded with an abundance of useless options, people will go to your competitors. Here’s a list of the main features your social media website need to have:
- Registration (simple, reliable and offering a few options).
- Profile creation should be simple and hassle-free.
- The ability to make, comment, and share posts.
- Search option.
- The ability to send friend requests and follow other accounts.
- The wall. It should be customizable, and users should be allowed to post articles, like them, create video and photo galleries.
- User Status.
- Analytical tools are always needed for promoting the products and services through this website.
Use minimal design
Colors that are too bright won’t attract users. So keep it simple! The user experience is the question of major concern for any entrepreneur. Show that you care about their journey. Flashy designs aren’t the right solution because they only distract the user’s attention. Your design should be focused on users’ needs and preferences. Analyze the design of your competitors, see what colors they use and follow their example.
The UX design can’t be too complicated. Remember that the overriding purpose of any social networking platform is to entertain users. Simply put, it should give an enjoyable experience. Consistency is a must. Think about the architecture of your app in advance.
What technology to choose?
It’s a delicate question where you need to make the right choice. Remember that you have two solutions:
- Use a ready-made template, but in this case, there’s no way to make it unique.
- Build a platform from scratch. When choosing this solution, you need to hire a qualified and experienced team of developers that will help bring your idea into life. This solution has more advantages in the long run.
Stabilization of the project
When your product is finally ready, it is time to move on to stabilization. The main goal of this stage is to make sure the code doesn’t include bugs or any failures that prevent smooth running.
The main purposes of this stage are as follows:
- Rigorous testing of the project;
- Creating a list of enhancements (if there are any bugs);
- Beta testing (when your project is tested in practice);
- Finalizing your project.
Overall, these are the main aspects that need to be considered by entrepreneurs. Besides, you should also think about project support and create a powerful marketing strategy that will bring your product to the market. The promotion also requires investments.
When you have a detailed business plan, you only need to find experts that are ready to help you implement it. You’ll discuss time for app development, the number of features, a marketing strategy and much more! Remember that in hiring professionals in this field, you’ll manage to build a powerful product that will definitely be appreciated by its future users. Always keep in mind the needs of your targeted audience, and you’ll create a robust product they will love using in the long run!
