Mobile apps are everywhere. Think of any activity that we religiously do in our everyday professional or personal lives, and chances are that you’ll have a mobile app dedicated to assist you in it. The rise in significance of on-demand apps is quite obvious these days. Thanks to personal smart phones, and consequently the smart apps, people are becoming more and more reliant on personalised apps to make their lives easier. Until a few years ago, if you wanted to purchase something, you would have had to physically visit the store and procure it. Fast forward to today, all our needs can be fulfilled with just a click of a button.
With the increased impact of globalization and advancements in technology, there is a surge in demand for companies to develop custom apps that provide unique solutions to everyday challenges.
The popularity of smartphones and on-demand apps enabled through smartphones is estimated to generate billions in revenues across the globe this year through app stores and in-app ads. For businesses all over the world, mobile apps not only help them serve their customers better, but also help them stay consistent and up-to-date in an increasingly dynamic environment. Businesses today struggle to obtain a competitive edge over their peers and the idea to develop custom apps might just be the solution to their problem.
What is a Custom App?
In order to better understand and judge whether or not your business needs to invest in an on-demand app, it is important for you to know what custom app development is and how it differs from off-the-shelf solutions.
Custom app development is the process of developing bespoke software solutions or tailor-made solutions that include features that are more suited for your business and are in sync with what your customers expect. This is the defining feature that drives businesses to develop custom apps rather than settling for off-the-shelf solution.
Off-the-shelf apps offer universal solutions for every organization that uses the platform, with little room for customization to accommodate the business goals and aspirations. A custom app, on the contrary, can deploy your idea exactly the way it was conceived, satisfy your business’ needs, and ensure that the final product functions in a manner that fits the way your business operates.
While the easily available ready-made solutions might seem attractive to the clients at first due to its affordable price, they must consider the bigger picture. Custom app development is surely a much better long-term investment for any business if they believe in maintaining brand identity and continuity.
Pros and Pros of Custom App Development
Yes, you read it right! Custom apps and on-demand apps have numerous benefits, if you can make peace with the slightly increased one-time cost that they come with during the business’ development phase.
While the obvious benefits include scalability, ease of deployment, and improved profitability, there are many other reasons why developing custom app makes sense for a business. So, let’s look at the benefits these apps provide:
- Security
In most cases, businesses work with data that is highly sensitive and even personal at times. In such circumstances, data security becomes a paramount concern for the business and the customers.
When customers feel that their information is under threat, they do not hesitate to switch to a safer solution – thus, making the business lose its credibility and valued customers. Developing custom apps helps in this situation by eliminating threats and risks by integrating customized security measures and data encryption.
- Building Better Customer Relations
On-demand apps and custom apps add a personal touch to the way a business interacts with its customers. This strategy results in positive outcome in most cases as customers appreciate the efforts put in to provide a better experience on the app.
The business owner can integrate analytical tools that can track preferences of each customer and show them results that are completely personalized. It is safe to say that custom apps boost customer relationship with the business.
- Highlight the Business’ Strong Points
Every organization relies on certain strengths to make its mark in this highly competitive world of business. By developing a custom app, they can easily highlight their strengths and lay the spotlight on them, while avoiding the focus to go on areas that they still need to work on. This approach lets the customers feel confident in the ability of the business to handle their case, and nudges them in favour of it.
As the business adds new functionalities and capabilities, it can add the same on its on-demand app as well and advertise it effectively to its client base.
Investing in the Business
When a business decides to develop a custom app, it becomes the sole owner of the app. The business owner can completely customize the app according to his or her preferences, and make the app offer functionalities that are unique to its customer base. Off-the-shelf solutions never give a business the reins and the ability to run the show on its own. Bespoke apps evolve as the business evolves, and at a scale that is right for giving required support to the business. Developing an on-demand app is like investing in oneself, and having the power and ownership of the product.
- Improved Productivity
Irrespective of the size of the business, developing custom apps facilitates smooth workplace collaboration by focusing on integrating functionalities that are most important for the business. This increases the efficiency of operations and increases the productivity. Generic apps, on the other hand, are unable to interact seamlessly with existing software and lead to a decline in productivity. They are also not free of errors, thus making employees waste significant time in managing different software.
- Accountability
For most businesses operating on personal client data, it is essential that the files be stored in secure locations that can be accessed only by authorized staff. Off-the-shelf apps hardly give that choice to business owners as the data is retrieve-able and codes are penetrable in so many locations. When a business decides to develop custom apps, it can ensure that this point is covered and that the app is accountable for the safety of data produced.
Conclusion
It is no secret that custom apps and on-demand apps provide a better and a more personalized experience to the customers, as well as the employees. This factor goes a long way in helping a business win the trust of both the customers as well as the employees.
Developing custom apps might seem like an expensive and unnecessary solution in the first look, but the innumerable benefits that it quietly brings into the equation tilts the balance in its favour.
The future of mobile development is custom apps – and we, at SoftProdigy, are ready with the right tools to help you enter the mobile space with the help of a robust and effective on-demand app that not only meets business goals,but also client and employee aspirations.
To discuss your project ideas, drop us a line and we’ll get in touch with you.