Social networking platforms are all the rage these days. People join it because there is amazing content available. Creators become a part of it because they get the opportunity to earn money. Businesses get to promote their products and services in a very cost-effective manner on these social network platforms. But the ones who get the most benefit out of this are the app owners.

So, it makes sense if you are considering building an app like Facebook. But there are some points that must be kept in mind before and during the development process.

This article is going to discuss those points in detail.

1. Never Start With Coding

The most important thing to keep in mind while creating your Facebook clone app is that you must never start with coding. Coding is the most expensive part of the whole app development process. Hiring programmers is no easy task as their fees can be a lot depending on where you hire them from. So, the coding process must be carried out with great precision.

Therefore, this step should be started only after all the other steps have been carried out and finalized. This will help in saving a lot of money and will avoid the development of an app that nobody will use.

2. List Your Goals

So, if coding should be left for the end, what must be the first step?

According to a report by Statista in 2021, there are almost 3.48 million apps on the Google Play Store. So there has to be something unique about your app that will make it stand out from the rest of the apps in your niche. To do that, you must be clear about the goal of your app.

So, the first step should be to make a list of everything that you expect from your Facebook like app and check if there is something unique. If not, keep brainstorming and thinking till you find something that will give your app the edge.

When it’s done, it is time for the next step.

3. Create a List of Features

There are a few basic features that every social network platform consists of and should be a part of your app like Facebook too. These are-

• User Interface

Your focus should be on designing a user interface that is basic but attractive. The platform should allow users to quickly register and start using the app.

• User Profile

The ability to make substantial changes to a user’s profile from the app UI may attract new users while also retaining existing ones. It’s critical to provide your users a positive experience in order to retain them on your platform.

• News Feed

Allow your users to obtain the most recent updates from the news feed. Furthermore, there must be an option to create private, group, and public chats for users.

• Messaging

Adding a feature of messaging is the best way to increase the popularity of your social media platform.

This is a list of all the features that are a must-have on a successful social media platform. Apart from these, there must be features that will be unique to just your Facebook clone app. For example, you can add a feature like Facebook local which will give the users information about events happening near them.

4. Android or iOS

Next, choose the operating system for your app. You can choose to build a hybrid app but that will make the whole development process costlier and will delay the launch of our Facebook like app. So, it is better to choose either Android or iOS in the beginning.

Android is more suitable if you want to target a large user base, and iOS is suitable if you want a more engaged audience.

5. Create a Prototype

This is the step where you actually start working on your app. Complete the wireframing of each page of the entire app carefully with the help of UI/UX designers to determine how you want your app to look.

The prototype will allow you to interact with the design of your Facebook clone app and check how each button works and how the intended function will be carried out.

Prototyping will save a lot of time and money since you can change the design frequently but it is a lot harder to change the code. Also, you will be able to fine-tune all the functions and features of the app before actually starting the coding process. This will help in setting a determined path for the development process.

6. Create the App’s Backend

The backend of your app is where the majority of the work will be done. Most of the time-consuming operations, such as developing APIs, implementing business rules, storing and retrieving data, etc. will be handled by the backend.

Here, you have two options.

• Code the backend from scratch
• Use BaaS (Backend as a Service).

Choosing a BaaS Platform is a great approach to get your backend up and operating quickly. This sort of service automates a variety of processes, including authentication, social login, and data backup, to name a few. The best advantages of BaaS are a reduction in cost and time to launch your Facebook clone app.

7. Create the App’s Frontend

The front end of an app is one of the most important aspects that determine its success. Your app must have a clean, appealing design as well as practical functionality.

You must, however, choose between creating a Native, Web, or Hybrid Mobile app.

• Native apps are deeply integrated into the mobile device’s operating system. This sort of app has the advantages of being quick, working without the internet, and having beautiful graphics.
• Web applications have several advantages, including a low development cost, a quick development time, and the lack of particular user requirements.
• Native apps with a web view running within them are known as hybrid apps.

8. Create the App’s Landing Page

The purpose of the landing page is to persuade people to download your Facebook clone app. Landing pages can boost your app’s and brand’s reputation. It contains details about the developer as well as the objectives they want to accomplish with their mobile app.

9. Create the App’s Analytics Dashboard

The analytics of your app is critical to the growth of your project since they provide you with critical metrics. You can observe how the user interacts with the app and what actions they take via the analytics dashboard. The knowledge gained from these statistics will aid you in improving existing features, adding new ones, and removing those that have shown to be ineffective.

Another important feature of analytics is that it allows you to maintain track of your objectives. The data gathered from your live app is, without a doubt, the most valuable resource for enhancing your app like Facebook.

10. Publish the App

Now that you’ve put in all of the effort to develop the app, it’s time to submit it to the app store. However, you must not overlook the legal matters of your app. Make the privacy policy and the terms of service. You can either buy a template and customize it for your app, or you can pay a lawyer to do it for you.

You’re now ready to share your app with the world. The process of uploading your Facebook like app to Google Play is pretty straightforward.

Apps uploaded to the Play Store are automatically authorized without the need for manual censorship and are generally published in just three hours.

In Conclusion

Facebook is the most successful social network of today and following in its line to create a social network platform of your own can be a solid path to success. But developing an app of such a scale requires resources and expertise that are unmatched. Therefore, our team at Narola Infotech will be happy to be a part of your developmental journey. Contact us today and our developers will guide you towards the most viable approach of developing a Facebook clone app.
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