How to start a web based tech business

Deejaybee

Hi all,

It might sound like a really basic question but here goes....

I have working up a web based business idea that I would like to progress off the drawing board and see if it would actually be feasible. Does anyone have any advise as to where one could start this process. I would have more of a business background than a technical one so am a little out of my comfort zone.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
DJ

ressem

A description of "Web based tech business" is too vague to expect much help.
Selling physical goods? Digital goods? Creating an audience and selling advertising / subscriptions? A service provider?

If this is an expansion onto the web of an existing bricks and mortar business there are vouchers available from the local enterprise board to avail of consultation.

How to start is to draft a business plan for your idea, identify your markets, survey potential customers, the usual business stuff.

Then the techie side, identify the smallest elements that you could prototype to validate your idea. How far can you get using powerpoint and ms paint (or paper and sellotape)?

Then on this site or others, you can ask whether there exists free or scalable solutions that would get you part way to your goal.

Deejaybee

Thanks for your reply ressem. The business is service based and having done a lot of research online I'm fairly confident that it doesn't current exist.

In so far as the business issues are concerned, as I said, I'd be fine on that front but it was more so how to go about the setting up, testing and getting the web business to market. Its something that from a cultural point of view would be better suited to the US and Continential markets as opposed to the Irish market so testing of it may be difficult.

Finding a point to start this process is seeming to be my biggest problem currently!!!

DJ

ressem

The more detail that you have for your webdesigner will cut hundreds from the development price and reduce delays.

Have you created a storyboard as to how a customer will proceed through your website /app?

If you trial out a service like Wix (http://www.wix.com/) or http://www.weebly.com/ and it's drag and drop web components how far can you get with the design?

Is it meant to be mostly mobile + tablet (a service used on the move) maybe try Pixate http://www.pixate.com/education/

Or if you aren't enamored by design on computer...
print out web pages, cut them up and blue-tack them together on a backing sheet into the primary customer story. Then work on the essential variations.

Is all interaction intended to be between the customer and the website /app (support and billing calls/ email / messaging aside)?


Will data and content displayed by the service be mostly generated by yourself and your customers,

Or will you be pulling the majority of information from 3rd party sources and websites and transforming / filtering it into a more usable form?

Or will your business be filling the site with newly entered data from non-web sources, in which case that might play a big part in deciding who builds the site for you, and how.

Deejaybee

Thanks ressem.....sound advise. I have a bit more work to do on fine tuning the idea firstly but the pointers above make perfect sense. Much appreciated.

waynerooney

Deejaybee... that's some great advice above. In terms of getting feedback on the idea, you mentioned that it's more US based. A great way to get feedback (non-biased) is to use 'mechanical turk'. You just create a (simple) task, set the audience to 'US only'