What’s a minimum viable website and do I even need one?
What is an MVP website?
At the very least, an MVP website is a quick and dirty website. It includes features like a logo, social buttons, as well as a description, basic product information, and the contact details of the company’s founders. Coined from the term ‘Minimum Viable Products,’ MVPs are products that have just enough features to satisfy early customers and meet at least one of their identified needs. The term “minimum” refers to its minimal nature and the term “viable” refers to the need to work in reality. MVPs are launched to introduce target customers to an early version of a product and to gather their feedback for its future development.
Using this same framework, the MVP website or minimum viable website as we call it, hinges on the same principles.
MVP websites are perfect for:
- Startups in the pre-Seed or Seed funding stages of their journey
- Founders who need to showcase their expertise or authority in the market
- Micro-Influencers or niched experts
- Startups who need to test their MVP
- Any business with a small marketing budget just starting out
The Key Features of an MVP Website
Your MVP website needs to be simple and smart. Ideally, it should look good, be easy to navigate, and it must include your unique value proposition as well as product benefits. Make sure it doesn’t include too many “features” that a user won’t use at this stage.
An MVP website is the best way to get started in the early stages, rather than trying to design a multifunctional, complex and cluttered website.
MVP website benefits include:
- Inexpensive to build
- Quick to build and pivot (as needed)
- Enough statistic tools integrated in it to be able to “listen” to its performance and track user behavior
- The form is not final but it provides a platform for updates, additions, and improvements as the brand and MVP evolve
2 Simple Reminders When Creating an MVP Website
Be Fast
An MVP website’s main challenge is that it needs to be live as soon as possible rather than waiting for all parties to make final decisions about the project, which can take weeks if not months depending on how many decision makers are at the table. Quick decisions make for fast turnaround, which is the name of the game when building a Minimum Viable Brand or website.
Keep it Simple
With an MVP website, you should have the bare minimum functionality and content to get users to do what you want them to do and start converting them. Try to differentiate between the minimum functional requirements and the ideal and complete services. With proper testing, you will be able to add more features and sections after launch.
This doesn’t mean your website needs to be ugly. In fact, visitor impressions when landing on an unattractive site can actually cost you more than having no site at all. Don’t sacrifice beauty for minimalism.
What Should the MVP Website Include?
- MVP websites may be a single landing page with a contact form or another conversion option (think newsletter opt-in or meeting request buttons)
- A small gallery of product images or service information
- If you are planning to launch a platform for selling goods online, you may want to start with a simple e-commerce MVP site with your basic goods categories and add itemized products as your business develops
- Clearly define and speak to your target market, their problem, and what makes you special or different
- Founder about blurbs or contact information
You should think of your MVP website as everything you need – and nothing more – to begin generating some feedback and prospects.
Ready to Build Your Minimum Viable Website?
At BrandPsyche, we take the guesswork out of building your MVP website. Our Website in A Week and Done-In-A-Day packages provide you access to simple one and multi-page builds that look polished, professional, and ready to convert your ideal target market, impress investors, and acquire those early customers.
You’ll gain access to our Signature Story Course™️ before we build, as well as brand foundation materials, that take your brand concept and put it into action. In less than a week, your minimum viable website is ready for visitors.
No more high-priced agencies pitching $30k+ for your first stage website design.
No more back and forth resulting in delays and scope creep.
No more embarrassment or confusion when an investor wants to see your homepage.
Instead, you’ll walk away with a beautifully designed site that meets your minimum viable brand standards as your startup grows.
Book a 20-minute discovery call to learn more or learn more at https://brandpsyche.co/minimum-viable-website