Founding an Online Platform – Here’s How It’s Done

In our modern digital age, setting up your own online platform has become an attractive option for companies looking to offer their services online. In many sectors, platforms have even become indispensable. A tailor-made online platform allows you to offer your customers a portal filled with information and services. In this article, we’ll show you step by step how to found your own online platform as your own website and what to pay attention to.

Founding an Online Platform: The Essentials at a Glance

Which Online Platform to Found?

One of the first questions you must ask yourself is which type of online platform you want to develop. Should it be a CMS? A learning portal, a booking platform, or perhaps an online shop?

The possibilities are practically endless. However, deciding which type of platform you want to found is of great importance. The type of platform affects the features and possibilities and therefore significantly influences the costs of development.

If you are unsure which platform is right for your purposes, you can seek advice from a professional agency like Shopboostr.

Creating an Online Platform: What Is It and How Does It Work?

An online platform is a type of website that allows your visitors or customers to interact with your company. The form of interaction depends on the type of website or your business. It might involve booking a ticket or scheduling an event or another service. This could be for classic tickets for bus, train, or plane, or software for booking and reserving rental cars or hotels. Selling concert or circus tickets is also possible. A capacity calendar must be available to select which days to reserve. As you can see, there are numerous different booking platforms on the internet that serve various purposes. The end goal, however, is always the same: the customer should be able to book or reserve something. In addition, online payment should be possible, for example via PayPal. Everything needs to be clearly laid out, and double bookings must be prevented. If there are changes to or cancellations of the event, the relevant customers need to be notified. Ideally, everything is handled directly via the platform and is fully automated so you don’t have to do anything yourself.

Creating an Online Platform: What Is Important for a Good Web Portal?

A good and reliable online platform must fulfill its tasks thoroughly and reliably. The success of the company could depend on it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s selling items, offering services, or other functions. After you create an online platform, it needs to reliably carry out its tasks. At the same time, confirmation emails, invoices, etc., must be sent, and payments processed. The online platform also needs to be easy to use and meet security and data protection requirements, given that payment information and confidential customer data are processed here.

The Different Types of Online Portals

There are several types of online platforms on the market. Below is an overview of which platforms can be created. This list will help you decide on the right platform for your own needs.

We recommend conducting thorough research on the internet and making a product comparison before settling on a particular model of online platform.

Creating a Successful Online Platform: Examples of Portals You Can Found

• Sales Platform
• Booking Platform
• Marketplace Platform
• Matching Platform
• Social Media Platform
• Real Estate Platform
• E-Learning Platform
• Job Platform
• Community Platform
• Auction Platform
• Event Platform
• Crowdfunding Platform
• Travel Platform
• Course Platform
• Dating Platform
• Adult Platform
• Automotive Platform
• Streaming Platform
• Art Platform
• Gaming Platform
• Comparison Platform
• E-Commerce Platform
• Mediation Platform
• Internet Platform
• B2B Platform

Founding a Successful Online Platform: How It’s Done

To ensure that your project is successful and stands out from the competition, we’d like to share some tips to help you. If you want to create an online platform that’s successful, take note of the following points.

I. Founding an Online Platform: Requirements Analysis

Before you begin creating your online platform, it’s important to carry out a comprehensive requirements analysis. Ask yourself questions like: Which kind of services will be offered? How should customers be able to book? Which features and functionalities are needed? A clear idea of the requirements will help you structure the development process.

II. Choose the Technology to Found Your Online Platform

Selecting the right technology is crucial for founding a successful online platform. You need to choose a language or framework that meets your requirements. Popular options include Ruby on Rails, Python with Django, or Node.js. Also pay attention to the scalability and extensibility of the chosen stack.

III. Database Design

A well-thought-out database design is one of the most important foundations for a booking platform. Identify key entities like customers, items, products, availability, etc., and create corresponding database tables. Use best practices for normalization to ensure an efficient database structure.

IV. User Registration and Authentication

User registration and authentication are critical components and are particularly important for successfully founding an online platform. Implement a secure, user-friendly design with straightforward registration and login procedures. Use proven security measures such as password hashing and two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your users’ data.

V. Founding an Online Platform: Implement Core Functions

The main functionality of your booking platform lies in the ability to manage bookings. Implement features such as searching for available appointments, choosing services, booking details, payment integration, etc. Ensure that your platform is user-friendly and provides clear instructions for each booking step.

VI. Payment Integration: Crucial for the Success of Any Online Platform

Integrating a secure payment gateway is essential for accepting payments from customers. It doesn’t matter what type of platform it is. Choose a reliable payment gateway that supports common payment methods such as direct debit, PayPal, Sofort, Giropay, and credit cards, and that is PCI-DSS-compliant. Implement the required APIs and interfaces for seamless payment integration, so your customers can shop easily. Nothing is more frustrating than a customer leaving because they want to pay but encounter a problem. At the same time, you naturally need fraud protection.

VII. Rating and Feedback System for Your Online Platform

A rating and feedback system allows customers to share their experiences with your online platform and the services offered, and to provide feedback. Implement a straightforward rating system with star ratings and a comment function, making it easy for customers to leave reviews and feedback. This can help build trust with potential customers and improve the quality of your online platform and services.

VIII. Responsive Web Design: Important When Founding an Online Platform

In today’s mobile world, responsive web design is essential. Make sure your online platform functions reliably on various devices and screen sizes. Optimize the user interface for mobile devices and ensure fast loading times to provide a smooth experience for your users on all devices, whether mobile or desktop.

IX. Founding an Online Platform: Testing and Deployment

Before you put your online platform into operation, you need to conduct extensive testing to ensure everything functions correctly. Test the platform thoroughly, check its security and user-friendliness. Once all tests are completed, you can deploy your online platform on a reliable hosting provider or your own server.

Founding an Online Platform Successfully: Conclusion and Summary

Free Consultation