Approximately 90% of startups fail due to a lack of understanding of MVPs. This applies to all industries! 

So, why does the dream of turning a brilliant idea into a business crumble at the MVP stage? Well, product development isn’t easy, especially when you combine it with the coding aspect.

But what if building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was less complicated? That's where no-code MVPs come in. This method allows you to create a no-code MVP without hiring a programmer or suffering from analysis paralysis. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through the six-step process to building and launching your no-code MVP in no time.

What is a no-code MVP?

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the most basic, stripped-down version of a product. Launched to get early customer feedback, an MVP’s purpose is to find out the quickest path to activation for a customer. 

Traditionally, building an MVP required coding skills, but times have changed.

No-code MVPs can be created without writing a single line of code. They’re built on user-friendly, no-code MVP tools with drag-and-drop interfaces. 

With a simple no-code MVP builder, startups can create an MVP in as little as ten days. Meanwhile, a traditional MVP would take three to six months to complete! No wonder the use of no-code and low-code platforms in businesses has increased by 20% in recent years.

No-code MVPs aren’t just simpler and faster – they’re also cheaper. Traditional MVP development can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000. Meanwhile, no-code solutions are just a fraction of that cost, sometimes as low as $5,000 to $25,000 if you use basic tools.

How to create a no-code MVP in 2024

MVPs are essentially the humble beginnings of any successful company. So, it’s not unusual that many startups don’t have access to expert coding skills when it’s time to build one. Luckily, anyone can create a no-code MVP if you use the right tools. 

Searching “no-code MVP Reddit” will only tell you why you should or shouldn’t go the easy route. In our six-step guide, we’ll tell you exactly how to bring your product to the market with a no-code MVP.

Step 1: Conduct detailed market research

Before building your no-code MVP, get behind the who, what, and why of things.

Who are you building for? What problems do they face? Why do they need this product?

Knowing your target audience and competitors brings you closer to the perfect MVP. Here’s how to conduct detailed market research.

Take a closer look at the competition. 

First and foremost, you want to see what you’re up against. Every company has an MVP – the trick is finding out what sets yours apart. 

That means analyzing companies that have already successfully launched similar products. What solutions did they use? There are bound to be some gaps in their approach, which you can fill if you want to dominate the market. 

Simply put, answer this question: What are users not getting from their current provider of similar products/services? 

Segment your customer base.

There’s no exact answer for who your perfect customer may be. One person may need your product for a completely different reason than another buyer.

Ideally, your product should cater to both of these buyers in different ways. The trick is to segment your customers based on their demographics, needs, and behavior. 

For instance, a Gen Z customer may not have the same pain points and motivations as a Baby Boomer buyer. Similarly, customer needs can vary across locations, occupations, and genders. 

Learn the motivations behind the purchase.

That means answering the question, “Why would a customer want to buy this product?”

About 75% of startups that fail do so because they build products that nobody wants. That only happens when you forget to consider a buyer’s motivations behind the purchase. 

To make your MVP compelling, you must determine why a user would choose your product over another. If there are already similar, best-selling products out there, what would motivate them to make the switch? 

Depending on your product, that could be a lower price point, better quality, easier access, or other unique selling points (USPs).

Step 2: Define the problem statement

The next step is to write a concise problem statement for your no-code MVP. It should include:

• Who the problem affects (your target audience)
• What the problem is
• Why it's a problem (the impact)

Here’s how you define a compelling problem statement. 

Identify the main user of your product. 

First, let’s identify who the problem affects – that’s your target audience. Thorough market research will tell you about their characteristics, preferences, behavior, buying practices, and needs. Then, you can make sure your MVP aligns with all these factors. 

Find out what problem your no-code MVP will solve.

Once you’ve identified your target buyer and their pain points, you can outline the problem statement. 

For instance, if your MVP is an e-commerce solution, it could solve problems like difficulty finding unique products and slow shipping. On the other hand, a productivity app could solve problems like inefficient task management and lack of time-tracking features.

Validate the problem statement.

Finally, you can validate your problem statement by identifying why it’s a problem in the first place. That means quantifying the impact specific issues have on the business and its customers. 

Let’s say the MVP solves the problem of long support ticket wait times with the help of highly sophisticated chatbots. That problem statement can be validated by the fact that the average response time to customer support tickets is over 7 hours! Meanwhile, resolution can take up to 82 hours. 

Not only does this make customers feel anxious and undervalued, but it also drastically increases the company’s churn rates. In fact, 14% of churn is caused by bad customer service.

Step 3: Brainstorm possible MVP features. 

You can finally start mapping out your MVP – the features are the first step. Here’s how you determine which features your no-code MVP needs while staying as relevant, minimal, and efficient as possible.

Create the golden path to activation. 

The user flow is the journey your customers will take when interacting with your product until they finally get the benefit they were looking for. The thing is, there are multiple routes the user can take to achieve success.

But since the MVP needs to be the most efficient, stripped-down solution, you’ll need to define the Golden Path. That’s the fastest and shortest route the customer can take before activation.

Keep in mind this path may not be the most immersive or the best experience. It’s simply the most efficient. Mapping out this user flow will help you determine what features your MVP needs to be considered a whole product. 

Add potential features and solutions.

This is your chance to get as creative as possible. You don’t need to restrict yourself to the Golden Path when you’re simply brainstorming features. Think of all the possible routes the customer can take and what features can improve the experience. 

Most importantly, you want to develop features that move the customer further along their journey. Each step/feature should seamlessly segue into the next one so the user never feels lost.

Prioritize your no-code MVP features.

You’ve brainstormed a list of features and solutions you want your product to have. Now, it’s time to set your priorities straight. Some features are a crucial part of the customer journey, while others are simply there to make the experience more enjoyable. 

Here’s how you should prioritize your MVP features.

1. Must-have features (Critical for the MVP to function and prove the most value)
2. Should-have features (Important but not critical)
3. Could-have features (Nice to have, but not important at all)
4. Won’t have features (Add no value to the overall product experience)

Your no-code MVP should only have the must-have features. 

Step 4: Choose the right no-code platform or developer.

Most businesses that don’t have the coding resources to build an MVP from scratch tend to take the outsourcing approach. That means hiring a SaaS development team like Belighted to do it for you. Their talented team of programmers and developers have all the skills needed to build a compelling MVP at a fraction of the traditional cost.

But if you want to give it a try yourself, the trick is finding the best no-code MVP platform. These tools allow you to build MVPs with a drag-and-drop interface or other simple functionalities. 

Here are some tips for choosing the right one for your business.

Understand your MVP requirements.

Before you even search for the best no-code MVP tool available online, you need to find out what your MVP needs from this tool. Since you have the basic features your MVP will have, it won’t take much effort to find a tool that allows you to create these features.

For instance, if your MVP’s must-have features focus on eCommerce, look for platforms with shopping cart functionalities, payment gateways, and inventory management. Similarly, a social networking MVP requires tools that excel in user profiles, feeds, messaging, and community-building features.

Compare popular no-code MVP platforms. 

Next, narrow down your options by creating a list of the best no-code platforms for your business. Here are some of the top no-code MVP builders in the market and the types of products they specialize in.

1. Bubble: Web applications.
2. Webflow: eCommerce sites and landing pages.
3. Airtable: Content and project management apps.
4. Adalo: iOS apps.

Test different tools and get quotes. 

After you’ve read their reviews and case studies, you can start testing these tools to see if they offer the functionalities they need. Most no-code MVP platforms offer free trials or demo versions. Once you’re satisfied, call them up and get a quote.

Step 5: Develop your no-code MVP

Finally, it’s time to put your no-code MVP development into action. 

Create a prototype.

Since you’ve done your research, your product won’t be among the majority that fail in the development stage. The simplest way to avoid this is by creating a compelling prototype.

Yes, even your MVP needs a prototype!

This prototype should showcase the basic structure and flow of your MVP. Once you’re happy with the result, your team can use it as a blueprint for the no-code MVP’s development. It also visually represents how your features will function once the MVP is complete.

Focus on core functionalities. 

When creating the no-code MVP, it’s absolutely crucial to keep your focus on the must-have features we outlined earlier. It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics of things. But remember: your no-code MVP needs to be functional above all. 

That means you can’t compromise your MVP’s speed, efficiency, and simplicity for any enhancement or extra features. Keep your feature set minimal, and you’ll have a high-performing, compelling MVP.

Use the no-code platform’s features and integrations. 

This is the time to make the most of the no-code platform you’ve invested in. Ideally, it should make the job simpler and quicker. Use its built-in features and automation tools to save time and energy so your product development team can get a strong starting point.

You can also integrate your MVP with a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to sync your data much more efficiently. This way, you can make changes in your MVP as you get testing feedback in real time and optimize your feedback loop.

Step 6: Iterate and improve the no-code MVP

You’ve built your no-code MVP, but the job isn’t complete. In fact, it’s time for the most important step of the MVP development process: feedback and improvements. 

First, launch your MVP and make it accessible to beta testers. Actively collect and analyze their feedback about the most important features and how they add value to the user. Most importantly, you want to hear about features that can be eliminated.

Don’t worry; if you really love this feature, you can still include it in the final product. But for the MVP, avoid anything that doesn’t provide immediate value. 

Measuring success after launching a no-code MVP

The most important post-launch step for any project is monitoring and tracking. The question is, how do you know whether your no-code MVP is successful? Which KPIs should be met, and which ones are simply vanity metrics?

Here are some important ones to keep an eye on:

Customer Engagement

It sounds pretty generic at first, but customer engagement is essentially a group of more specific metrics. That includes user interaction, time spent, frequency of use, and overall satisfaction with your MVP. For each of these metrics, higher is always better.

Active Users

Track the percentage of users that actively signed up to use your MVP. This will tell you about the MVP’s ability to attract and retain customers.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Customer lifetime value (CLV) is the amount of money each user brings in during their time spent with your product. Ideally, it should offset your customer acquisition costs (CAC) – the amount of money it takes to attract one user. 

If your CAC is higher than your CLV, it could mean two things.

1. Your no-code MVP simply isn’t enticing enough. So, you have to spend extra on marketing and lower your prices drastically to attract users. 
2. Your customers aren't as valuable as you thought. That means your MVP doesn’t make the most of upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Even more, it means your MVP isn’t doing a good job of retaining customers.

Paying Users

If your product has a free and paid version, you must also track the number of users willing to invest in the latter. A high number of free users isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it means your free version is doing just enough for most users. 

However, it could also mean your paid version isn’t enticing enough to invest in. It’s not an improvement over the free version. You can find this out by tracking how many users churn after using the free trial of the paid version.

Churn Rate

This is perhaps the most important metric to track. If you have a high churn rate, there is clearly a gap in your MVP that is forcing users to stop doing business with you. 

More importantly, while tracking churn, find out the exact point in the customer journey where most users tend to churn. That’s the checkpoint you need to iterate and improve upon. 

Simplify your no-code MVP launch with Belighted!

Minimum viable products allow companies to build products that customers actually want. However, the barrier of complex coding is why many startups fail to create compelling enough MVPs. 

With our no-code MVP building guide, anyone can create an MVP that converts visitors into buyers. Without any coding skills required, the development phase becomes the easiest part of the process. 

The real trouble comes after, when you have to scale the MVP and gather user feedback. Luckily, an experienced team like Belighted can assist you with all these steps. Contact us today to discuss your MVP requirements, and let us handle the rest.

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