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Hello Guide: What’s An MVP Website?
December 5, 2016
By Team Hello
We’ve listened carefully, and this is the question we get asked the most lately: What’s an MVP Website, and how will it grow my business?
What exactly is an MVP website?
With Smart Websites, an MVP website goes live quickly, instead of waiting around for what most people think of as a “perfect website”.
This idea of a “perfect website” is different for everyone working on the project—and that’s exactly what the problem is. It’s up to the audience, not the builders or business owners, to decide what that ideal website should look like. And with the right tools, you can find that out after the site goes live. But first, you need to go live with something.
Okay, so what’s the best way to launch my new website?
Start small, and grow from there.
The MVP, or Minimum-Viable Product, means your website will go live with the smallest amount of content that’s necessary to begin earning leads. It separates the wants from the needs, since you’ll have time after launch to add in all those less-impactful items.
For some businesses, an MVP website might be a landing page with a contact form. For others, a small catalogue of products for sale. Basically, it’s everything you need—and nothing more—to begin generating prospects.
What’s next, after launching my MVP website?
Using analytics and tracking tools, you’ll collect data to see how people explore and interact with the website. You’ll do this through tools, but also by listening carefully.
If people are contacting you about your business’s hours, then you might want to increase the visibility of your hours on your website. If people are exiting the website too quickly, you’ll probably need more content to keep them there.
But let’s say you still feel like your website is missing a little something before or after launch…
Building a Wishlist will help you decide what you need next.
As time passes and more people interact with your website, you’ll collect enough data to begin adding some of those Wishlist features to your website. You’ll also learn which items are the highest priority, so you can start improving right away.
It starts with the MVP launch, but then you’ll have the chance to make small changes, and slowly, your ideal website will form in front of your eyes. It may look different than you originally pictured, but you’ll know that, based on data, it’s the better way to go.