What Are the Steps to Creating an AI Tool Website?

After developing and launching a few tool websites recently, I've gathered some insights and experiences that I’d like to share here. The following content isn’t just for AI tool websites; it applies to any website. First. Identify the Need The first step is to clearly define what kind of website you want to create and what problem it will solve. This problem could be your own or someone else’s. For example, the AI image enhancer I made was created to solve a problem my wife was facing. 1. Solving Your Own Problem I believe this is the best type of need to address. When you're solving a problem you personally encounter, you become your own user, using the product daily. This ensures that the need is real and encourages you to stick with the project. Even if you don’t gain many other users, at least you’ve solved your own issue. This approach has the highest chance of success. 2. Copying a Successful Competitor and Adding Unique Value This method has the advantage of entering a proven market with existing examples to follow. It’s the quickest way to see results and avoid pitfalls. However, you need to clearly identify what your unique value proposition is. Can you better understand user needs, offer a superior experience, or attract more traffic than the original? 3. Analyzing Search Keywords to Find Unmet Needs Use tools like Google Trends, Semrush, or Similarweb to analyze search keywords and find unmet needs. In simple terms, look for high search volume topics that aren’t yet well-served by existing websites. However, finding such unmet needs can be challenging since most common problems are already addressed. 4. Coming Up With Your Own Idea This approach involves creating a product based on your understanding and assuming a need exists. It’s the most difficult because you don’t know if the need is real or if anyone is willing to pay for it. Without proper validation, there's a high risk of failure, as the idea might be a “false need” that only you care about. My first website was based on such an idea—it took me months to develop, but in the end, hardly anyone used it. Second. Develop the MVP Quickly create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) version of your tool. New products have a high failure rate, so to increase your overall success chances, you need to boost your output. In the lean iterative process, someone who can release 12 MVPs a year has a fourfold advantage over someone who can only release 3. One key point here is to make smart use of third-party SaaS services—don’t build things from scratch if you don’t have to. Also, developing based on open-source projects can save you a lot of time. Third. Launch Once the MVP features are ready, you can purchase a domain and launch the site. The simplest setup involves buying a domain, using Vercel for hosting, and Cloudflare for DNS management. Fourth. Promotion I think this is the hardest part, but fortunately, there are platforms that can help with a smooth launch, like Product Hunt, Hacker News, and Reddit. These platforms are great for promotion and can help you quickly gain users. When introducing your product, be sincere. Don’t just write a one-liner; give a proper introduction. People need to understand what problem your product solves, what advantages it has, and why they should use it. There are also other promotion methods, such as SEO, social media, and advertising, which require time and effort. I plan to expand on these topics in the future when I have more time. So, what do you think is the hardest part of developing a website? By the way, my latest site is also live on Product Hunt. You can check it out here: Product Hunt