People have grown accustomed to having all of their digital needs met promptly with the push of a button, which has resulted in the recent growth in the custom web application market. This demand for immediate satisfaction may seem unreasonable to you as a business owner. Still, if you can't offer your customers what they want when they want it, it can reflect poorly on your competence and, as a result, your business. As a result, a growing number of companies are turning to custom software programs to keep up with the times and keep their businesses relevant in today's technology age.
Regardless of the industry, every company needs to have a digital presence. In order to stay competitive in today's digitally-driven world, it's become critical to choose the proper foundation for establishing and maintaining your company's online presence. When selecting the best software to meet your customer's needs, maximize operational efficiency, and increase productivity, you have two main options as a business owner: purchasing commercial off-the-shelf packaged solutions or working with a web application development firm. So how do you know which option is best for your company? Both have advantages and disadvantages, but a custom web application may not be the best option for small to medium firms without the proper resources.
Why Custom Web Application Development May Not Be The Right Fit
Time limitations
When you require software rapidly, you may not have the time to wait for a custom application to be developed and deployed, which might take weeks or months.
Commercial off-the-shelf packaged solutions are a time-saving option for designing a web application. They usually don't require any code, which is a huge plus if you're not very tech-savvy. You should also assess how much time you'll need to devote to coaching your team while they develop the program for you.
There are many ready-to-use app builders on the market, and a fast Google search will yield a plethora of alternatives. Some commercial off-the-shelf packaged solutions allow for limited custom coding of plugins to meet your individual needs. In addition, because of the lower development time, commercial off-the-shelf packaged solutions help you get your software to market faster.
Available commercial off-the-shelf software meets your needs
There are a few questions you should ask yourself when looking for off-the-shelf software:
What level of responsiveness is required? The coding expertise of the developers determines how well a web application performs. Developers select the appropriate coding and technology for your business model or product type, ensuring maximum performance and keeping your business up to date with current technological developments. Commercial off-the-shelf packaged solutions usually take a one-size-fits-all approach to app development. So if you merely want to utilize the software to establish your brand and online presence and excellent responsiveness isn't a concern, this may be the better option for you.
What are your available resources? When it comes to developing a web application, commercial off-the-shelf packaged solutions may seem to be the most cost-effective option. But are they? The lower upfront cost of a subscription plan will be more affordable in the short term. But most off-the-shelf packaged solutions charge fees based on your requirements, such as the quantity of storage, the number of users, or the functionality you desire. Other app builders may need you to keep a premium account or charge a fee for developer support to customize the application to your specific business needs. The more specialized the functionality for your business applications, the more expensive the off-the-shelf option tends to be. This may be the best option both for your cashflow and timeline, but you'll want to consider the total cost of ownership and the lack of flexibility as factors in your decision.
Customization options with your legacy software or off the shelf solutions
Off-the-shelf solutions that require little to no coding for application development will provide you with a selection of templates, design themes, and plugins to use on your website. There are still cost-effective choices available if you require a more customized application to meet your business demands better.
For example, the software apps you're using now might be able to be extended or changed. QuickBooks Desktop, Visual Manufacturing, and Sage all feature built-in APIs that can be used to adapt them to meet your specific business needs.
Working with a web application development company, such as Provisio, that has previously produced specialized software unique to your industry that can be tailored to match your organization's demands is another excellent choice.
Custom Software Development with Provisio
Your software selection should be based on what works best for your company. Your unique business objectives, requirements, and resources will ultimately define the best course of action when it comes to choosing custom web application development. Provisio is always available to assist you with the decision and development process. Our team can not only create new software, but they can also tweak off-the-shelf products and assist you with data migration, integrations, and more. So contact us today, and let's chart the best course of action for your software application needs.