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Business Directory Script
What’s the Best Way to Build a Prototype for a Website Like Yelp?
By admin on Dec 16 2025
Yelp is a platform that presents a combination of business listings, user reviews, along with location-based searches. If you are considering building a prototype for a website like Yelp, you will need to plan carefully and proceed with a strategic approach. Before getting started with building your website, you will need to create a blueprint and make sure it offers quality user experience. Building a proper model will help you avoid many expensive mistakes during the development process.
In this post, we will have a detailed discussion on how you can create a proper blueprint for building a website like Yelp.
Familiarize Yourself with the Key Features of Yelp
Before getting started with building a blueprint for a website like Yelp, it is essential for you to understand the core features of Yelp. This platform allows users to find businesses along with ratings and reviews. Users can also share their own experiences on the platform.
Here are some of the key features of this online business platform:
Lists of Multiple Businesses
Yelp offers multiple business listings in various categories. All these listings have essential information including address and contact numbers.
Advanced Filters for thorough Search
By using the advanced search filters, users can easily find businesses or categories.
Ratings
Based on their experience, users can rate businesses and write reviews.
Tools for Business Owners
The platform offers tools through which businesses can manage their listings and respond to reviews.
When you familiarize yourself with these features of Yelp, it becomes easier for you to plan the features of the prototype that you are building.
Build a Prototype for a Website Like Yelp
Begin with User Flow and Wireframes
Get started with building the prototype by mapping out the user flow. This will enable you to visualize a user’s journey from entering your platform to taking actions such as searching for a business or writing a review.
Steps for Mapping User Flow
- Figure out what you want your users to do when they visit your website. You may expect them to write a review, look for a business, or do both.
- Make the platform easy for the users to navigate. Users should be able to easily and quickly find what they are looking for, whether it is a business or reviews.
- Make a list of interaction points where the users will interact with your platform.
Once you successfully map out the user flow, the next step is to create wireframes. Wireframes are simple sketches that present the basic structure of your platform.
You can use the following tools for creating wireframes for your prototype.
While creating wireframes, make necessary changes based on feedback from users and your design team.
Create an Interactive Model
Once you’ve completed the wireframes, add more details to the design. Integrate elements such as buttons, dropdown menus, and links which will easily lead users to the next page.
Elements to Include in Your Website Blueprint
- Search Bar- Include a search through which users can conduct searches.
- Business Listings - Add mock business pages with complete information such as address and contact number.
- Ratings - Include elements through which users can rate and write reviews.
Useful Tools for Building Your Website Prototype
InVison- By using this tool, you can turn static wireframes into clickable prototypes.
Marvel App- This tool allows you to build interactive prototypes by using drop and drag functionality.
Adobe XD- This tool offers advanced features that you can use for building your prototype.
With the help of interactive prototypes, you can evaluate the kind of experience your users are going to have and repair any existing issues.
Collect Feedback and Refine Them
Now, it is time for you to test the prototype with real users. Share it with a group of people who represent your target audience and request them to perform key tasks (such as looking for a business or leaving a review) on the model platform.
Look for these things while conducting the testing:
- Usability - The users should be able to easily navigate the platform and complete their tasks.
- Performance - The pages should load quickly and the search function has to be responsive.
- Engagement - The platform should be able to interact with users the way you expected. They should be able to write reviews and upload photos.
Collect feedback from the users by conducting surveys, observing directly, or through screen recording. Use this information for improving the blueprint of your website like Yelp. Even making some small changes can significantly improve user experience on your online platform.
Make Your Prototype Mobile Responsive
More than 60% of internet users access websites through their mobile phones. Make sure the prototype you are building is mobile-friendly. The website model you are building should replicate the experience your users will have while using the actual platform. The prototype should be accessible from all devices including mobile phones and laptops.
Here are Some Tips to Make Your Platform Mobile Responsive
Ensure the prototype offers simple navigation from all devices including mobile phones that have small screens.
Nobody likes to deal with a slow loading website. Compress images and avoid putting content that could make your website slow.
- Include More Touch-Friendly Elements
Include links, buttons, and forms that users can easily tap and proceed to their next action.
Test with Users and Make Final Adjustments
Once you make basic changes to the model based on feedback and ensure the model is mobile responsive, you will need to conduct another round of tests. These tests will ensure that the design is fully ready for development.
Test the Core Features
Make sure the users can easily search for businesses, leave reviews, and interact with the platform.
Conduct an A/B Testing
Test different variations of the key elements such as button placements or color schemes to find out which one performs as per expectations.
Track Metrics
Monitor the users’ interactions with the design by using heatmaps, click tracking, and other tools.
Transforming Your Blueprint into a Functional Website
Once you thoroughly examine your website model, you can proceed with developing it into a functional website. You can easily build your platform within a quick time by using a ready-made website solution.
Using a readymade, customizable software solution for building a website like Yelp offers a host of benefits. A few to mention:
Reduces Development Time
Building a functional online platform like Yelp will take months. But you can enter the market quickly and save your time by using a pre-built solution.
Minimizes Costs
Developing a website like Yelp from scratch is highly expensive. You can significantly reduce costs by choosing a ready-made platform.
Keeps Your Platform Ready for Future Growth
A quality pre-built website solution is scalable. As your business starts to grow, you can expand the platform easily with building anything from scratch.
Final Words
When you are looking to build a prototype for a website like Yelp, you will need to pay careful attention to user experience, overall functionality, and the design. You will need to follow a structured approach to ensure your platform is user-friendly and effective.
For startup founders who want to enter the market faster without having to wait for months, a ready-made website solution is the best option. By using such software, you can launch your website within a quick time and avoid the hassles of custom development. At Best Classified Script, we offer fully customizable Business Directory software solutions that allow you to build a functional website in 24 hours. Connect with us today for a free demo.
