How to Build a Social Network Website from Scratch: Full Guide

How to build a social media platform from scratch? This question is becoming quite relevant in the modern world where social media becomes a powerful one-stop-shops for all of their daily needs. Communication, selling, advertising — everything goes online. In this regard, creating a social media website is the primary condition for businesses to survive in the current social media age.

We could not stay away and created a guide for everyone who wants to take advantage of the trend. Look through it to learn how to build a social network website from scratch backed with the popular social networks types and development costs.

A social media website refers to a community where groups of people can interact via chats or online calls, create and share textual or video content, purchase products/services, comment on other users’ posts, make their own network of contacts, and many more. It’s also a great marketing tool allowing for client segmentation and targeting for creating powerful marketing strategies and brand planning.

We wouldn't be talking about how to build a social media website if the social media wasn't successful and promising, right? So we’ve decided to collect some optimistic predictions and statistics to strengthen further your decision to enter social media with your own website:

• According to recent statistics by Globe Newswire, the global social media platforms market is expected to reach $939.679 billion in 2026
• Datareportal states that more than half of the world (62,6%) now actively uses social media, with an average of 2h 20m spent time daily
• Statista predicts that the number of social media users will increase to over six billion in 2028
• A study by the European Journal of Information Systems showed that information provided in social networks websites has already received more influence on public perception than a traditional media and is commonly used for advertising
• According to Forbes Advisor, the average individual globally boasts 8 social media accounts, ranging from an average of 3 in Japan and 12 in India

Statistics prove that the social media market is constantly evolving, and its growth will be even more significant in the coming years. This is why creating a social media website is an excellent strategy for startups and functioning businesses.

Now, as we overviewed the statistics, let’s explore what are the main benefits you can receive creating a social media website:

Increase brand awareness: Create a social media platform to promote your brand and products, increasing visibility and attracting new customers. It helps to expand your audience and build the reputation of your business.

High user engagement: Provide users with a personalized experience through forums, groups, and chats, which enhances their loyalty and interaction with your brand. This leads to increased user engagement and retention.

Cost-effective marketing: Reduce marketing costs with affordable promotional opportunities within your own platform — use your social network to place campaigns and promotions without resorting to third-party advertising networks.

Data ownership and analytics: Monitor and analyze how users of social networking websites behave to make informed business decisions and improve strategy. Gather valuable insights on user behavior and preferences to tailor your offerings.

Monetization capabilities: Building a social media website is a great way to gain revenues. You can implement various monetization strategies, including advertising, premium memberships with exclusive features, sponsored content, in-app purchases, etc.

Planning to build your own social media website, it’s vital to define what type of networking service you want to create. It’s not limited to social platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Commonly, every website refers to one of the popular social media groups depending on the concept and features provided. Let’s consider the most popular types of social networking platforms.

This is the most well-known type you think of when planning how to make social media website. It implies a friendly format of interaction and allows users to establish connections with different people. Any app like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, is the most striking representative of this type that managed to convert from a simple idea to a billion-dollar platform that joins order users and brands.

This type is mostly similar to the one described above. The difference is that the main goal of building a social network from scratch, in this case, is to connect users according to their interests and hobbies. People adore such supporting communities because they allow them to reach like-minded people and share their thoughts and ideas with them. There are numerous examples of such hobby networks like MeetUp, Vingle, Patook, etc.

Educational networks also join people based on their interests, but the main linking element is gaining new knowledge. Building a social network site for learning purposes allows for student-teacher interaction, provides access to outstanding research opportunities, and delivers other social network features. Academia is the most prominent example of this type enabling users to share interesting articles and research outcomes as well as their opinions on different subjects.

Corporate websites are a powerful tool to enhance the company’s sales performance. Hence, business owners aiming to reach commercial success are ready to build a social media website of this type. These platforms not only boost sales but also create a unified space for employees, fostering collaboration and raising brand loyalty. By facilitating communication and engagement, corporate social media websites help build a strong, cohesive company culture while driving business growth.

Dating platforms are experiencing an unprecedented rise in popularity. Designed to help people find their partners, these platforms offer a unique opportunity to build a social media website that satisfies community needs and provides monetization opportunities. Dating apps like Tinder are the most famous examples of successful social media platforms of this type.

Professional websites are designed to ease communication between specialists from various industries. LinkedIn is a leading player in this industry. You can create your own social media site to enable professionals to discuss business matters, share their experience, schedule a meeting, seek and offer the job, and do other related activities.

To understand how to make a social media website, you should consider what features to include. The functionality may vary in different applications, but it is better to start building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) version, including only basic features. MVP development services allow you to create your own social media site with minimal required functionality, validate your idea, increase the number of active users, and collect initial feedback before investing more. Moreover, the MVP version increases the chances of getting investments since a working social website makes stakeholders trust you more.

So, the basic features to build your own social media website are:

This feature is the first one you should think about when planning how to create a website for social media. Start with fast and convenient registration, including several options like email, phone number, or Google/Apple accounts. To allow users to make the most out of this feature, add multiple personal profile customization tools and diverse privacy settings.

It's a foundation for all social networking solutions. Developing a social media website, implement tools for creating, editing, and publishing media content, as it is the primary function of such platforms. You can include several content types (e.g., text, pictures, videos, audio, etc.) and also add free and paid templates allowing users to deliver unique post designs.

These features are the basics required to build a social network site. Social media is the place where people can present themselves and show their awareness of multiple things, and they expect a reaction to their posts. Implement various interactions to allow active users of social media to build a community within your application. This function will help you attract opinion leaders to your platform ready to pay for their brand promotion.

A dynamic newsfeed keeps users updated with relevant content. How to create a social network website feed? There are several important points to consider. Implement an algorithm to sort new social network posts based on user preferences and interactions and remember to prioritize news from friends. Moreover, newsfeeds are very important for monetizing your social media, so you should include advertisements and sponsored content to provide a steady income.

Messaging is the cornerstone of social media websites. Basic communication includes one-to-one and group chats with multimedia support. However, this feature causes a demand for more protection since social networks store users' personal information. Thus, secure message exchange between participants is critical when building a social network website. For this purpose, you have to integrate TLS/SSL protocols to ensure that all conversations will be confidential.

When you make a social network, remember to keep users informed about the latest updates in their profiles. Add real-time notifications on your platform about new messages, friendship requests, likes, and comments. You can also send reminders by email if users are offline to allow them to check the news at their convenience.

The admin panel is a must-have for all social networks, allowing owners to manage platform content and users. Here are the main tools it should include:

• User management (ban, restrict, or approve accounts)
• Content moderation tools (flagging, reviewing, and removing inappropriate content)
• Analytics and reports on user activity and engagement
• Settings for site-wide preferences and configurations
• Tools for managing advertisements and monetization options

Now, it's time to proceed to the central part of our article - how to build a social network website from scratch. As a software development company with expertise in social media website development, we’ll discuss the appropriate steps you need to take to design a cost-effective product that aligns with your requirements and market demands.

To make a social network website, start with a strong idea and concept. Start by defining your target audience. Go beyond basic demographics to understand your potential users' specific interests and needs. Next, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing social networks. What features do they offer, and where are they lacking?

Finally, define what will make your platform unique. Consider the specific features that will set it apart from the competition and its main purpose. Ask yourself what value you can offer that you don't currently have. Based on this, define a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that will make your own social website stand out. What unique features or services will your platform offer? This could be anything from a novel content-sharing method to advanced privacy controls or integration with other services.

How to start a social media website? Choosing a reliable web development partner is a very important step in defining your product’s seccess. Regarding social networking website development, the most cost-effective approach is IT outsourcing, which provides access to a wide pool of talent worldwide. Moreover, you are free to choose one of the flexible cooperation models that best suits your needs:

• Dedicated Development Team allow you to hire a full-fledged team to develop social networking websites. All processes will be managed by your vendor's manager, allowing you to free up your time for other business tasks and enhance productivity
• IT Staff Augmentation services allow you to fill in the missing expertise for your project. You can hire all the necessary specialists and get full control over the social networking website development

When choosing an outsourcing vendor, consider their experience and expertise in web development services. Also, study the portfolio of the potential IT partner and customer reviews on hiring platforms like Clutch, GoodFirms, or IT Firms.

Here’s what one of our clients says about collaboration with Cleveroad on creating social media platform:

Solution Workshop is the first stage of your collaboration with a software vendor, aiming to assess your requirements and initially combine them with technical plan to develop a social network. During the Solution Workshop, experts analyze your business needs and problems to solve by software. They clarify product expectations, define the functional scope, and propose a technological solution.

Upon completion of the workshop, specialists provide a proposal that includes all the details of creating a social media site. They also calculate approximate costs, considering constraints such as deadlines, budget, and collaboration preferences.

By the way, Cleveroad offers free Solution Design Workshop. Feel free to contact us to get an assistance in matching your social meia website vision with technical implementation.

This phase is the next important step towards building your own social media website. Discovery Phase services help you turn your social media website requirements into a clear plan, accelerate development, and improve quality. IT experts detail your business processes, clarify features, and update the system architecture. This process also includes creating a comprehensive social network feature list, analyzing business processes and quality attributes, and developing a UX concept.

The project requirements fleshed out in the Discovery Phase allow you to see a complete roadmap of how to build a social network website from scratch. The IT team calculates a timeline and cost estimate based on the information obtained.

Design is essential to create your own social media website, as the visual appeal and user experience play a major role in its popularity. A compelling and intuitive design attracts users and enhances engagement. UI/UX design services include creating a detailed website prototype, page by page, based on the approved wireframes from the Discovery phase and the project’s requirements. They incorporate current design trends to ensure the platform is functional and visually appealing.

Once the prototype is completed, designers hand it off to developers and shift to a supportive role, assisting with any design-related issues during development to ensure the final version of social media site meets your expectations.

Developers work with UI/UX mockups and product specifications to turn it into a functioning social networking site during the development phase. Today, IT companies most often follow the Agile SDLC, working in two-week sprints. Developers create a social media website functionality during each sprint.

After each sprint, QA engineers conduct thorough testing of all implemented features. If bugs occur, they send reports to the software developers to fix them. After completing all sprints, they perform comprehensive regression and load testing to ensure the site functions properly and can handle heavy loads. Throughout the process, the project manager monitors the work, and technical experts make recommendations on feature feasibility and complexity.

After creating a social media website from scratch, software engineers perform final tests to ensure that the social media website is ready for release. This includes finalizing features, fixing outstanding issues, and ensuring all platform aspects meet the required standards. Once the polishing is complete, the developers push your social networking site to a live server to make it available to users and hand over all product materials to you.

However, building a social media site is not enough for its success. Once launched, it is important to focus on marketing to increase the platform's popularity and user engagement. Effective marketing strategies include social media advertising, search engine optimization (SEO) to improve search visibility, and content marketing to engage users. You can combine these and use additional methods that seem appropriate to promote your social media website and attract many users.

Apart from the obvious steps such as defining an idea and building a social network website code, you should also consider some other important aspects that can affect the success of your product.

When building a social media website, you csn choose one of these approaches:

• Using website builders
• Opting for custom software development services

Website builders offer a quick and easy setup with pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop functionality, requiring minimal technical knowledge. However, they primarily have limited functionality and customization options. Additionally, the risk of using a common template can reduce the uniqueness of your platform.

Bespoke software development, on the other hand, involves building a social network site from the ground up, integrating unique functionalities, designs, and logic tailored to your needs. This approach ensures your platform stands out and offers a distinctive user experience.

Though custom social networking website development requires more time and investments, it provides significant long-term benefits. It offers a competitive advantage by delivering a web resource that fully meets your needs, making it the best choice for achieving maximum results and ensuring your platform's success.

Choosing the right web development tech stack is crucial to create social media website ensuring the smooth operation, reliable data storage, and overall success of your social media website. Your web development partner will select tools and technologies depending on your individual requirements, including the scale of your social network site, expected user base, and unique functionality needs. However, we are ready to show you an example of the technology stack our team typically uses for social networking website development:

Building a strong brand identity is essential to make a social media website that becomes successful. A compelling brand sets your platform apart, fosters trust and encourages user loyalty. Here are some simple tips to help you create a powerful brand identity:

• Define your purpose: Clearly state what your platform is about and what values it stands for.
• Create a memorable logo: Design a simple, eye-catching logo that represents your brand.
• Choose consistent colors and fonts: Pick a color scheme and fonts that reflect your brand's personality and use them consistently.
• Develop a unique voice: Decide on the tone and style of your communication and stick to content.
• Engage with your audience: Interact with users regularly through posts, comments, and messages.
• Be authentic: Stay true to your brand values and be genuine in your interactions.
• Use social media: Actively promote your brand and connect with users on various platforms.

How to develop social networking website and turn it into a profitable asset? First, you need to consider several monetization strategies and choose the most appropriate for your business. Here are the most popular ones that are used more commonly.

You can select any monetization strategy you assume appropriate for your social media website or app. Moreover you can even combine them all to increase revenue stream and make your own social website eve more profitable.

The final price to build a social media site will vary depending on diverse factors such as features, design, 3rd party integrations, etc. That’s why it is hard to estimate the exact cost without knowing exact product requirements. However, our analysts have calculated the approximate cost to create social network website based on the basic features. Our estimation is based on a $50/h rate typical for Central and Eastern Europe.

Given the amount of work, it'll cost you approximately $100,000 - $120,000+ to build social networking website. However, this estimate includes development time only. The costs for UI/UX design, project management, Quality Assurance, etc., are not included and should be estimated separately. Also, do not forget that you will have to pay monthly for hosting the website and updating it from time to time to stay on the cutting edge of technology. If you want to receive a rough estimate of costs to develop social media network, feel free to book a meeting with our managers.

Cleveroad is a professional software development company with 12+ years of experience providing Social Media development services. We help companies and various-scale businesses meet their objectives, improve user engagement and expand the sales funnel with contemporary web solutions.

Cleveroad offers a variety of advantages for every client to start your own social media website:

• Social media development services we provide include social networks, media sharing platforms, blogging pages, dating apps, messengers, etc.
• Expertise implementing social media tools and integrations to optimize development time and budget: Google Maps, Apple/Google Pay, Blockchain, NFC, GPS, Twillio, and others
• On-demand IT services aligning with your tech needs: software engineering, cloud development and migration, UI/UX design, Discovery Phase, DevOps services, Quality Assurance, monitoring & maintenance, etc.
• Free Solution Design Workshop aimed to align your social media platform vision with technical implementation
• Mature quality management and robust security management assured by ISO 9001 certificate and ISO 27001-certificate proving our commitment to providing the best service
• Flexible cooperation models to suit you social media project need: Dedicated Development Team services and IT Staff Augmentation

To demonstrate our experience in social media software development, we would like to present a couple of our clients cases from our portfolio:

One of our recent works is a social media for dancers that connects people from all over the world. It’s currently available on the web and iOS. The platform is equipped with a bunch of interactive features like battles or duets where users can dance with or compete to show their talents. The app’s interface is based on a traditional news feed so that all the participants will be able to see the performances of other dancers and vote.

• Explore global social network community for dancers case study

Second case we want to tell you about is donation-based social media with streaming capabilities that enables real-time video streaming and donations receiving. Platform includes all the functionality required for photo and video sharing, live-streaming and creating community allowing streamers communicate with their followers.

• Explore donation-based social network with streaming case study