Online social networking is a pivotal tool for connecting with colleagues, college mates, and family members. The evolution of online community platforms plays a crucial role in fostering strong communal bonds. Our dedicated WordPress development team created custom social networking platforms for one of our clients to facilitate interpersonal connections and online business opportunities.
This platform empowers members to engage through diverse channels such as chat, text, and participation in live events. Let’s delve into the development of customized solutions, leveraging the capabilities of WordPress.
Case Study of Custom Platform Development
One of our clients required a custom community platform for their university alumni. The required bucket list was very long.
Key Requirements of Our Client
- Different user roles for organizers and members.
- Option to create and schedule events
- Allow to book online tickets
- Live streaming access to paid members
- Implement discussion forums
- Option to sell online courses
Our Vision & Development Approach
Our WordPress developers kickstarted the project after understanding all the requirements. We utilized the best available technologies to fulfill our client’s specific needs.
Create a Development Plan
Choose the Website Theme
Make the Required Customizations
Select the Best WordPress Plugins
Implementation of Third-Party Apps
Ensure Seamless Integration
The Development Process of Community Platform
We leveraged the BuddyBoss theme as it comes with many in-build options for social connectivity. Customization of the home page and other key pages was necessary to enhance user-friendliness. We implemented the custom sections, refined the navigation menu, and augmented the hero section with extra user features.
Key Features We Implemented in the Platform
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Option To Create Profile
We leverged BuddyPress plugin for online communities to implment the custom profile creation functionality. Users can submit the registration request to create an account and log in to the platform. The platform was originally organized by a local university and includes certain restrictions.
The registration form was forwarded to the admin for confirmation. Once the admin verifies the account, members gain access to the platform.
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Custom Feed Panel for Members
After successfully joining the platform, members can access the custom feed panel. Members can view their account details and recent activities in this panel.
It also allows members to edit and update their profiles.
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Option to Create & Join Groups
Members can create custom groups and invite their community friends for group participation. Group admins hold the authority to oversee the activities of group members, including the addition and removal of members.
Furthermore, group admins can establish the privacy settings for the groups.
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Chat & Follow Option for Members
Chatting and other social engagement features were mandatory to make this platform more engaging.
We created a social environment for community members that let them chat, follow, share pictures, and check other members’ activity seamlessly.
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Live Streaming Option for Members
We seamlessly integrated a live-streaming feature for members directly within the platform. This feature enables all members to access live TV events without being redirected to external third-party websites.
Our team successfully embedded a custom live-streaming solution within the platform environment, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted viewing experience for users.
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Create & Enroll in Online Courses
Our client had a specific need for creating and tracking online courses within their custom-built platform. We integrated the Learndash plugin to meet this requirement and tailored it to align with their specifications. Members can both create and enroll in online courses.
Additionally, our custom solution includes tracking functionality, allowing users to monitor their course progress, and understand how much of the course is completed and what remains.
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Option to Schedule Events & Book Tickets
We’ve integrated the Events Calendar Pro plugin to streamline our online event creation and management capabilities. Our primary goal was to empower members with the ability to create engaging events for fellow members while also providing a seamless ticket-booking experience.
Through thoughtful customization, we’ve tailored a dedicated page specifically designed for members to effortlessly create and manage events, ensuring a user-friendly experience for all participants.
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Email Marketing and Data Tracking Option
We needed to embed the solution of email marketing and data management. It was required to fetch all the user details in real time to generate accurate reports. We incorporated Fluent CRM and set up custom email templates to send email newsletters.
Furthermore, This integration enabled us to retrieve real-time reports of user activities, providing a comprehensive view of member engagement and interactions across the platform.
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Online Marketplace for Members
We integrated Multivendor X with Woocommerce to incorporate marketplace functionality for community members. This innovative marketplace empowers members to exhibit and sell their cherished legacy products to fellow community members.
Additionally, implementing the Shop feature on the custom platform enables effortless browsing of listed products and facilitates smooth purchase transactions.
Difficulties We Faced During the Development Process
In this custom platform development, our focus was on incorporating WordPress Plugins and custom functionalities such as social activities, online commerce capabilities, live streaming, and integrating a custom payment gateway, among other features. Throughout the development phase, our team of dedicated WordPress developers encountered and successfully navigated several challenges, including:
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Less Customization Options in Plugins
Our primary goal was to ensure a seamless and user-friendly experience on our social community platforms while optimizing its functionalities. However, we encountered limitations in integrating third-party solutions. To overcome this hurdle and ensure a smoother experience for users both now and in the future, we’ve developed custom solutions tailored to our specific needs.
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Third-Party Solution For Live Steaming
We were required to integrate live streaming functionality seamlessly within the user dashboard to prevent any need for navigating to external sites. Given the absence of an inherent live-streaming option, this presented a significant challenge. To address this, we successfully integrated a custom third-party solution, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted live streaming and viewing experience for community members and users.
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Transfer the Data From Siteground to AWS
Our task was to migrate hosting and backups from Siteground to AWS, focusing on a secure and reliable platform to handle increased traffic. We successfully transferred the data and followed all the AWS cost optimization steps to avoid unnecessary costs on unutilized instances.
Quick Answers To Your Queries
The cost varies based on factors like platform complexity, required features, and customization needs. For an accurate estimate, please contact us with your specific project details, and we’ll provide a tailored cost breakdown.
These platforms serve as online spaces where people with shared interests or affiliations can interact, collaborate, and exchange information. It opens the door to new opportunities for business collaborations, organizing charity events, and facilitating online business transactions.
The platform includes a custom Super Admin panel for efficient management and capabilities for members to create profiles, communicate, host events, and sell products. Users can join as volunteers, participants, or buyers.
The development timeline for an online social platform can vary based on project scope, required features, and customization needs. Generally, it may take several weeks to a few months for development, but the precise timeline depends on the complexity of the platform and specific client requirements.
We utilized the most reliable plugins like BuddyPress, Leardash, Events Calendar Pro, FluentCRM, and Multivendor X.
Why Build Online Community Platforms?
Online social community platforms allow users to connect with their community members for business interaction, collaboration, and growth. We developed it by integrating Buddyboss WordPress plugins and other custom plugins. It is a versatile hub for alumni, businesses, and social endeavors.
Are you seeking a similar solution to unite and amplify your community or business? Look no further, click the Contact Us button below.
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March 19, 2024 
