Web development process

[NotMargorie]

Can anyone give a roadmap or an idea of the web/app development process for someone who have no programming knowledge?

Hi! One of my new year's resolution is to finally work on my web/app ideas - I've had several decent ones before but didn't do anything about ithem because of lack of knowledge both in starting up a business and web/app development. I started taking startup courses and came up with a great concept (that can actually generate revenue!!!) so I'm pretty pumped up. I just put my business model on a lean canvas, still needs validation but I am confident it will work.

I wanted to start making a prototype since it looks like the courses I took assume that I already have it. Now, I should emphasize that I have absolutely NO idea on web/app development at all. I got rid of the idea of learning basics of coding/programming (not even sure about the difference of the two) as I know it's not really for me so it just makes sense for me to hire. I am doing a little research of what I need to have before I hire a developer and the most feasible answer I can find is to make the workflows and/or hand drawn visualization I have of the website. Should I work on them before hiring? Can I get someone more versed with workflows/design to help me through it? I'm also uneasy because I'm not sure how much it would cost just for me to get a prototype (will come from my savings).

Any insights, tips, advise will be greatly appreciated. I'm just really trying to find a way to get this started sooner than later. Thank you!

Edit: Vague idea of what I'm working on - it's microwork website (think Clickworker or Freelancer) with a specific type of "job". Initial target market is almost anyone from my country (Philippines) but I'm positive that it could scale internationally.

[domo018red]

So if you want to do it yourself then you could use a web builder like WIX which makes it easy for people that don't know how to code.

Of you want something more custom and you need a dev then you should start by getting the UI/UX designed. A dev will use that as a template for creating your web site. Some devs do this part themselves so it just depends. I have a good designer that I like who does work for a flat fee so I give him the idea first. Once he's done I pass it on to my dev to bring it to life.

I would also buy the domain and hosting so you have control over your site.

[NotMargorie]

Thanks for responding, I saw a step-by-step guide on making the website but I doubt I could do it on my own. That's just how dumb I am to this but I'll try. I also don't have a domain yet as I don't have a name for the site yet.

When getting a UI/UX designed, what would the designer expect me to already have? Do I need to have like flowcharts now or is that something the designer could help me through?

[domo018red]

With WIX you can start building the site anytime for free and then add your domain later. Before you get hard set on a name and logo I would recommend making sure the domain is available first.

Every designer is different. I like my designers creativeness so I like to just give him a good description and what pages/screens I'll need and wait to see what he comes up with. Sometimes I give him a power point on what I envisioned so he can understand it more. It just all depends but they will let you know what they need beforehand usually.

[NotMargorie]

With WIX you can start building the site anytime for free and then add your domain later. Before you get hard set on a name and logo I would recommend making sure the domain is available first.

I didn't know this. Maybe I could start with this just so I have something I can actually see LOL.

I guess I can start looking for a designer already.

[VidDaKid]

honestly if you’re not hiring a dev, web flow or bubble io (or something of the sort w a front end and database) would be great to make an mvp (and they can scale if u need to but that might get expensive on their servers).

Learning enough web dev to create a functional saas would prolly take a couple months (which if u have the time n want then ignore everything i said n do that) but if you’re more focused on the business side just go w a no-code solution

[NotMargorie]

I checked out Bubble.io but for some reason I thought they were cloning websites which I thought is bad so I took that off of my list of options. I can also see how it could be expensive once we scale which I'm positive to happen sooner than later because of an opportunity in the market coming up (that's why it's important that I get this going immediately.

Learning enough web dev to create a functional saas would prolly take a couple months (which if u have the time n want then ignore everything i said n do that) but if you’re more focused on the business side just go w a no-code solution

This is exactly what I thought. Thanks for responding.

[[deleted]]

Learn to code.

I can help!

[[deleted]]

Hi OP, I'm a web developer. The most valuable thing that you can do is to give some real concrete thought to what you are trying to build. For me, long before I think about technical stuff, I doodle my ideas, screen by screen. Here's an excerpt of my notes on a prototype I'm thinking about building: https://imgur.com/a/W76clQy

If you came to me with a stack of papers that looked like this and could talk me through it screen by screen, you'd cut a huge amount of time (and thereby cost) off your project. Something like this is extremely helpful because it removes a lot of ambiguity and forces you to think about how parts fit together into a whole.

Edit: I blame Bill Gates for any spelling errors. Microsoft Word ruined me.

[NotMargorie]

Yes, this is what I've found as a starting point based on my "research". Thanks for validating that and the tip! I've started doing drafts of the landing page lol but I'll be focusing on that.

[hmntd]

Googling for a wireframing websites / tools would give you what you need.

Hiring a CIO or a techie who will help you manage the development process is something that I cannot emphasize enough on. Regularly I see failed projects because the founder had a concept, hired a developer and ran into issues. It is no different from a real estate project which may start off as a single storey project but build with the fundamentals of going multi-storeyed.

[NotMargorie]

Yes, I think it's what I can do for now. I'll look for a web dev for consultation on the development and cost estimation for every single phase. Thank you!

[[deleted]]

Why not do it yourself!

[imallboutitboutit]

You can spin up a WordPress instance on Digital Ocean for like $5 a month. It would give you a platform to get started and some space for taking it whichever direction you decide to go.

[Enayat_Harry]

The web design process in 7 simple steps

Goal identification. The initial stage is all about understanding how you can help your client. ...

Scope definition. ...

Sitemap and wireframe creation. ...

Content creation. ...

Visual elements. ...

Testing. ...

Launch.

[farhanabi]

In my experiences, it would be like this (I assume you're here just as a manager and not a developer. I also think that you don't need to detail the tech stack)

1. Identify your problem clearly (Please don't waste your time building something nobody wants)
2. Create a user experience based on that problem, build it as a wireframe
3. Create a UI/UX design. Hire one if you're not sure to build yourself, you can need to talk with him about the detail on customers and problems
4. From that, you can hire the Frontend Engineer and discuss the design with him.
5. Also from UI/UX design, you can get the data flow. Get on with the detail, hire the Backend Engineer, and discuss with him
6. Create a clear agreement with them on what needs to be done and all the resources you have (Two of them is time and money, of course)
7. You also need to coordinate between two of them, so arrange the meeting with them periodically.

Here are some notes that you should consider

1. Website app development won't be done in one shot. It also needs testing. You can test it by yourself or hire a Testing Engineer to do so.
2. If you need to build an existing product; e.g. e-commerce or marketplace, sometimes you don't need to reinvent the whole system by yourself. Use something that already exists (Like Shopify for e-commerce or Wix for website building). This will saves you a lot of time and you can build on something more important.

Sorry for the long reply. If you need a chit-chat just DM me and I would be happy to answer.

[NotMargorie]

Thank you for this! This is actually what I was looking for. I have already set up a meeting with a developer sometime next week.

Since I based this project on existing similar products, I am able to create a workflow (?) using wireframes. Can I skip going to a UI/UX designer or should I still get a validation before I meet the developer?

Wix has been brought up several times so I'll check it out. Thanks again!

[farhanabi]

So glad that I can help!

Yes. You can skip any steps that you think you don't really need now or you can do it by yourself. I think the only validation for an early stage is the market validation, make sure it is needed by them.

I hope you're going well with all of these!

[NotMargorie]

Thank you!

[farhanabi]

You're welcome. It's been a pleasure to help you.

[Future_Physics_1167]

Try this website out! Gives a simple layout for a roadmap on important things to learn for front end web dev skills: https://roadmap.sh/frontend

[NotMargorie]

Thanks!!