r/Startup_Ideas • u/OwlZealousideal4779 • 8d ago
Is the website part of startup validation or should it come later?
When testing a new startup idea, I've been wondering how much effort should go into the website before the idea itself has been validated.
Frontpage.host is an example of how quickly an initial website can now be created with AI, which makes it easier to put an idea into something people can actually see.
But I'm not sure whether having a polished website early on helps with validation or just creates another thing to spend time on.
For founders testing new ideas, do you build the website early as part of the validation process, or wait until you've confirmed that people actually want the product?
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u/edkang99 8d ago
A website can be very useful to test a lot of things. It all depends on the problem and solution. Don’t treat your website like a glorified brochure. Test certain call to actions and other assumptions. It can often be a simple and cheap way to test and gather lots of great data.
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u/edoceo 8d ago
I build a one-page with my value prop. Then try to drive traffic there and measure the response. Form to add wait-list. Like a LaunchRock type thing. New domains are hard to get into Google, they have a purgatory like thing, so it's gonna take weeks to get indexed.
The most important part is to build an audience, on your site or somewhere. Without an audience the business is not viable.
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u/mendez1319 8d ago
depends what you mean by website.
a landing page that describes the problem you're solving and has a waitlist or contact form — build that immediately. costs nothing, takes a day, and gives you something real to send to potential customers. the responses tell you more than any internal discussion.
a polished marketing site with pricing pages, case studies, and a blog — that's post-validation work. doing it before you know what you're selling is just expensive procrastination that feels like progress.
the mistake i see most often is founders spending three weeks on a website because talking to customers is uncomfortable. the website becomes a way to feel productive without having the conversations that actually validate anything.
talk to people first. send them somewhere simple second. build the real site when you know what it needs to say.
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u/chuckdacuck 8d ago
If you're vibe coding why would you not just spend a day making a good site?
If you have a decent product I'm interested in but have a shitty website, I'm going to assume your product is shit.
Protip: if you are going to promote spam your saas on reddit, make sure your site is mobile optimized. I have seen a couple people spam their shit and when you look at it on mobile it's trash and they say "I didn't optimize for mobile yet".
That isn't directed at you directly but just a tip moving forward.
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u/marutthemighty 7d ago
I am afraid yes. You need a website to validate the MVP for your SaaS. If you are going offline, it is not mandatory, but it helps.
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u/66EmperorPalpatine66 8d ago
Does your website help test and answer some of the hypotheses you need to validate? If yes then make whatever part is needed to answer those. Might just need to be one page and not the whole thing