MVP of a Hotel Review Web App
2
Weeks to a landing page
Ready to generate the first sales lead.
4.5
Months to the MVP
Complete and ready for commercial release.
3
Systems connected
Hotels, reviewers and administrators in one platform.
The client
The Know runs mystery shopping and insight for boutique and luxury hotels, done better than the category usually manages. Its network of reviewers — Knowers — write detailed reviews in exchange for reimbursement, rewards and membership of an exclusive club.
The challengeWhat the teams actually needed
The company came to Netguru to build the web app from nothing, against business milestones that would not wait.
Challenge 01Three databases, one system
Hotels, reviewers and administrators each needed their own data, joined by a system that stays reliable and uncomplicated.
Challenge 02Interfaces that match the positioning
The design had to sit alongside a brand aimed at luxury and boutique hotels.
Challenge 03Insight presented clearly
Data and insight had to reach hotels and Knowers in a form both find intuitive and transparent, inside budget and on time.
What we did
A landing page in two weeks, an MVP in four and a half months
Five people — two full-stack developers, a senior QA specialist, a project manager and a product designer — picked Ruby on Rails for the backend with React.js in front of it, a pairing that gives easy testing and maintenance, a native-feeling experience and quick development.
Picked against time and budget
The stack was chosen for the best outcome achievable within the time and money available, rather than on preference.
Three user types
The database was built for three different kinds of user, which is the structural problem at the centre of this product.
Selling before the product existed
A landing page inside two weeks let the company start attracting Knowers and hotels, and begin positioning the brand early.
Everything needed, in time
KnowOpps booking, three functional dashboards, an onboarding wizard for hotels and Knowers and an invitation mechanism all shipped — ahead of the Independent Hotel Show, which mattered commercially.
Client testimonial
We have been hugely impressed with Netguru and consider them an extension of our team! We are immensely proud of our platform and firmly believe that the quality of design and delivery far exceeds that which we could have implemented with an onshore provider.
Tech stackThe tools that made it possible
01
Ruby on Rails
The backend, chosen for speed of development and ease of maintenance.
02
React.js
The frontend, giving responsive interfaces that feel like a native app.
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