Websites, Stores and Search
Generative engine optimization: how to get cited by AI search
What generative engine optimization really is, what the research shows, and a step-by-step plan to get your pages cited by AI search.
Custom Websites & Web Apps
Web App MVP Build
A working first version of your web app, with real logins, payments and data, ready to put in front of users.
An idea in a slide deck, or a process stuck in spreadsheets, is hard to test. Web App MVP Build turns it into software real people can use. We scope the features with you through a written questionnaire, then build up to six core screens with logins, a database, an admin panel and payments. Automated tests cover the main user flows.
- Up to six core screens and two user roles
- Sign-up, login, an admin panel and Stripe payments
- Automated tests, a staging copy and code you own
$14,775
45–55 working days
Optional maintenance $525/mo
What it is
Web App MVP Build is a working first version of a web app, built in Next.js with a PostgreSQL database. It covers up to 6 core screens, 2 user roles, sign-up and login, an admin panel and Stripe payments or 1 other integration. The code and every account stay in your name.
Why businesses buy it
A first version should prove the idea, not try to be the whole product. This build keeps the scope tight on purpose. A scoping questionnaire turns your idea into a written feature list you approve, and clickable wireframes show each screen before code is written. We then build the app in Next.js with a PostgreSQL database, real sign-up and login, an admin panel and Stripe payments. Automated tests cover the main user flows, and a staging copy lets you try changes safely. If the idea is bigger or still unclear, a Discovery Sprint scopes it first.
Problems this solves
Your idea is stuck in slides and nobody can try it
The questionnaire, wireframes and build turn it into a working app with real sign-up and login. People use it in a browser on any device.
A team process runs on spreadsheets and email threads
Records live in a PostgreSQL database with two user roles and an admin panel. Emails go out for sign-up and up to three key events.
First software builds often run over time and budget
Scope is fixed in a written feature list you approve before code is written. Anything extra is quoted through a Change Quote first.
No-code tools keep your app and data inside their platform
The code sits in your Git account, and the database and hosting are in your name. Setup notes and a written walkthrough come with it.
A good fit if
You want to test a software idea with real users before funding a full product.
Your team runs a process on spreadsheets and email that a simple web app could replace.
The first version fits within six core screens and two user roles, such as customer and admin.
You can open hosting, database, Stripe and Git accounts in your own name, or let us create them for you.
Not the right fit if
Your product needs more than six screens, or the features are not clear yet. Start with Discovery Sprint.
You mainly need a private area where clients see their files and updates. See Client Portal Build.
You want AI features inside the app. Build the first version here, then add AI Feature Integration.
You need a marketing website, not software people log in to. See Custom Website Build.
You want polished, high-fidelity screen designs before any code. See UI/UX Design Sprint.
How it works
- You send a one-page description of the idea, its users and their main tasks, plus access to hosting, database, Stripe and Git accounts you own.
- Your answers to a scoping questionnaire, plus follow-up questions by email, become a written feature list for up to six core screens and two user roles, which you approve.
- Clickable wireframes show each core screen, so you can try the flow and ask for changes before code is written.
- We build the app in Next.js with a PostgreSQL database, sign-up, login, password reset, an admin panel and Stripe or one other integration.
- Emails for sign-up and up to three key events are added, automated tests cover the main flows, and manual checks run on desktop and mobile browsers.
- The app is deployed with a staging copy, you get a written walkthrough of the app and code, and 30 days of post-launch support starts.
What you provide within 72 hours
Your portal lists these the moment you order. Delivery starts the working day after everything is in and your access is checked.
- A one-page description of the idea, who uses it and the main tasks they complete.
- Invites to hosting, database and Stripe accounts you own, or approval to create them in your name.
- A Git account to hold the code.
- Brand assets, or examples of apps whose look you like.
- One decision-maker for the questionnaire and every approval.
The 72-hour rule. Send everything on your checklist, including access, within 72 hours of ordering so your build starts on time.
Timeline
Start
Order placed. The idea summary, account access and brand assets are due within 72 hours.
Weeks 1–2
Scoping questionnaire answered, written feature list approved, and clickable wireframes for the core screens.
Weeks 2–6
Core screens built in Next.js, with the PostgreSQL database, sign-up, login and both user roles.
Weeks 6–8
Admin panel, Stripe payments or one other integration, and emails for key events added.
Weeks 8–9
Automated and browser tests, two revision rounds, deployment with a staging copy and the written handover.
After launch
30 days of post-launch support for anything not working as agreed.
| Option | Delivery time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 45–55 working days | $14,775 |
What you receive at handover
- A written feature list and clickable wireframes for up to six core screens
- A Next.js web app with a PostgreSQL database, sign-up, login, password reset and two user roles
- An admin panel for users and records, plus Stripe payments or one other integration
- Emails for sign-up and up to three key events, and automated tests for the main flows
- Deployment to your hosting with a staging copy, code in your Git account and setup notes
- A written handover walkthrough and 30 days of post-launch support
Expected benefits and how to measure them
- Lets you test an idea with real users sooner
- Helps replace manual spreadsheet work with one shared system
- Keeps the code and user data under your control
- Active users
- Count sign-ups and weekly logins from the admin panel or the database.
- Main task completion
- Track how many users finish the main task each week, such as creating a record or making a booking.
- Payments taken
- Compare Stripe payments month by month in your Stripe dashboard.
Before you start: Write down how the task is done today, how long it takes and how many people do it. Note any waiting list or early sign-ups you already have.
These are things to track, not promised results. Outcomes depend on your data, your team and your market.
Running costs
The build is a one-time payment. Typical running costs are ~$25–100/month for hosting, database and email sending on entry plans, plus Stripe fees per payment, billed by each provider. Plans can grow with your usage, and every bill goes from the provider to your own account.
Ask about running costsCustom requirements
Add a note at checkout if you need something specific. If it fits within the Scope Card it is simply included. If it goes beyond it, you get a written Change Quote within two working days, and that work starts only once you accept it, with its time added to your delivery date.
Request a custom versionKeep it running
An MVP usually changes quickly once real users try it. Optional Upmark maintenance after the support period covers monitoring, fixes, a monthly health report and change hours for small improvements. New features beyond those hours are quoted through a Change Quote. You can stop maintenance any month, and the code stays yours either way.
$525/mo (3.5% of the build price a month, includes 5 change hours)
Optional. Starts after the post-launch support period. Cancel any month.
How maintenance worksHow this compares
| Do it yourself | Hire a traditional agency | Upmark Labs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A no-code app builder and its templates | A long discovery phase before any build | One written questionnaire and a feature list you approve |
| Logins and data | Held inside the builder's own platform | Often on the agency's infrastructure | A PostgreSQL database and accounts in your name |
| Payments | Limited to the builder's payment options | Quoted as extra work | Stripe payments or one other integration included |
| Testing | You click through it yourself | Depends on the team | Automated tests for the main flows, plus browser checks |
| Code | No code to take with you | Handed over if the contract says so | A Git repository you own, with setup notes |
| Cost | Monthly fees that rise per user | Estimates that can grow mid-project | A fixed price for a fixed scope, shown before you order |
Questions about this product
How many features can a Web App MVP Build include?
Up to six core screens and two user roles, plus an admin panel. A core screen is a main view, such as a dashboard, a record list or a booking form. Your questionnaire answers become a written feature list that fits that scope. If it does not fit, we say so before building and suggest what to cut, or a Discovery Sprint.
Should I book a Discovery Sprint before the MVP build?
Yes, if the idea is large or still vague. A Discovery Sprint gathers requirements through two written questionnaires, wireframes up to 10 key screens and ends with a fixed quote and timeline. Order the Web App MVP Build directly when you can describe the users and main tasks on one page, and the first version fits six core screens.
Can the MVP be a native iPhone or Android app?
No. The Web App MVP Build runs in desktop and mobile browsers, which lets you test the idea without app store reviews or two separate codebases. Users open it from a link and can sign in on any device. Native iOS and Android apps are outside this build and would need their own scope.
Who owns the MVP code and the user data?
You do. The code sits in a Git account you own, and the database, hosting and Stripe accounts are in your name. User data is stored in your own database, not ours. You also get setup notes and a written walkthrough, so another developer can carry on if you ever choose.
Can the web app take payments through Stripe?
Yes, if you choose it. The build includes Stripe payments or one other integration that you name in the scoping questionnaire. Stripe charges its own fee per payment, billed to your Stripe account. A second integration, or payment rules beyond what the feature list covers, is quoted through a Change Quote before any work starts.
Can you add AI features to the first version of my app?
Not in this build. AI features are outside the Web App MVP Build, so the first version stays focused and easy to test. Once the app is live, AI Feature Integration can design and ship an AI-powered feature inside it. Mention your AI plans in the scoping questionnaire so the structure leaves room for them later.
What happens when users ask for new features after launch?
You choose how to handle them. During the 30 days of support we fix anything not working as agreed. After that, optional Upmark maintenance includes change hours for small improvements. Larger features are quoted through a Change Quote, and because you own the code, any developer you trust can build them instead.
Can the MVP import records from our old spreadsheets or system?
No. Data migration from old systems is not included, so the app starts with a clean database. Your team adds records through the app or the admin panel. If you need old records moved across, describe them in a custom requirements note at checkout, and we send a written Change Quote before any work starts.
Guides on this topic
All guides Put your idea in front of real users
Order the Web App MVP Build and get a tested first version with logins, an admin panel and payments, running in accounts you own.
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