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What’s the best way to create a website and app for a third party website and app?

Veteran

Anna LaMark San Diego, CA

I would, specifically, like to create a website and app for a third party marketplace that caters specifically to military family needs. What must I do to get something like this started?

I would like to focus more specifically on a hands-on app production program and would like to know which company is best at getting this accomplished.

**Updated question: if I cater my app to the military, must I get approval from a government entity in some kind of way?

For example, If I created an app for military families to get discounts on things like entertainment, rental cars, trips, etc., then would I need government approval or a partnership in order to seek military families only?

27 November 2020 4 replies Small Business

Answers

Advisor

Amit Chaudhary San Jose, CA

Google nocode, incl. makerpad and retool
That is where the trend is

Advisor

Joe Engle Indianapolis, IN

Hello Anna:
As Christine said define the website operation as best you can. Think through the user interface and flow of the pages. GoDaddy is a great hosting platform, and inexpensive. You may be able to create the website yourself, or you may have to hire someone to do it, depending on complexity.

I would strongly suggest doing the website first. Truth be told, apps are frequently not necessary! Most times they just duplicate what can be done on a web site! Put your time and effort into getting the site up and running. Then if you still want to do an app, define the app screens and find a company to develop it for you. The web site will go a long way to defining what the app must do.

Good luck!

Veteran

Anna LaMark San Diego, CA

Thank you. That was a wealth of knowledge that I can certainly use and appreciate. I probably should have been more specific in explaining that I would like to focus more specifically on app production. I am going to update my question to add this question: if I cater my app to the military, must I get approval from the government in some kind of way? For example, If I created an app for military families to get discounts on things like entertainment, rental cars, trips, etc., then would I need government approval or a partnership in order to seek out military families only?

Advisor

Christine Cox Chatham, MA

Hi Anna,

Thank you for your service! I'm not certain whether you are asking specifically about the technical aspect or the planning aspect of getting a website up and running, so I will try to address both. As far as planning goes, it would be helpful to map out your site in advance: what will the home page look like? It will need to draw the user in. Additional pages should reflect a) the services offered, b) greater detail on services offered, and c) "about" and contact info. I am guessing from your description that your website will link to other sites, so there will be a lot of other websites involved. You will want to discuss the linkages with those owners; I assume this will be your compensation model. Do a little homework and look at other websites. Notice how they are structured - you want a clean look without a lot of extra boxes or sections that might confuse the user. Each page should link logically, and every page should link back to the home page. No need to go crazy with multiple pages either: you may be able to use a basic 3-page setup quite easily - home page, content page, and about page. Make sure you have this laid out before proceeding with the actual building.

For the website itself, know it advance that there will be a small investment upfront.
Everything is a la carte on the internet, so know in advance what you want and don't get upsold when you place your order. At minimum, you will need a domain name and a hosted environment. If you plan to build your own website, you will need to pay for the website builder. You could have a professional do all this for you, but you will pay more for that and never really know your own site. It sounds like you want to be hands-on in the process, and I strongly recommend that! If you know your own site, you can make changes on the fly, update it with new content, and keep it fresh without involving a third party. GoDaddy offers the full complement of services necessary to get your site up and running. There are many providers out there and you can check them out, but I am very familiar with GoDaddy with several decades of experience, and I highly recommend them. You will need to set up a domain, a website, and have your website hosted. GoDaddy can supply all this and their customer service is excellent. They will walk you through the steps if necessary. I have managed my own website with them for years, and migrated over to their proprietary website builder two years ago and found it very easy to use. There are multiple themes to choose from, and you can find one that best reflects the image you wish to project. You will need a domain first and foremost, so should be thinking about a name that is easy to remember and identifies your business. Be a little strategic with your naming selection - you want people to remember it, so it shouldn't be too complex, punctuated or difficult to spell. Unique domain names are difficult to acquire, but you can type something in to see what is available. The domain search function will let you know if your selection is available, offer similar names that are available, or alternative top-level domains that may be available for your name. While .com is the most commonly used top-level domain, you may be able to secure your website name as a .net or .us if the .com is not available. Be a little strategic with your naming selection - you want people to remember it, so it shouldn't be too complex or difficult to spell. These days it doesn't matter too much which you use; what will matter will be your ability to promote your site and drive traffic to it. But those are next steps!

I hope this gives you a start! If I can provide any more assistance, just give me a shout.
Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the US military.

Christine

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