How to Develop a Profitable Custom Web Application?

You have an idea for a business application. As a first step, web application development is the ideal choice for a first-timer stepping into the online world. You can either go for an off-the-shelf or custom web application. A custom application addresses your unique business challenges and offers you the best benefits. An off-the-shelf application, on the other hand, is less painful and has more in common with your competitors. 

However, a custom application, be it web or mobile, is considered more expensive comparatively. So, it’s common to ask if there is anything called a ‘profitable custom web application’? If yes, then how can you develop the most profitable custom web application? What're your key takeaways from this?

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Prior to getting started with its answer, let’s see if application development, custom web application development, in particular, can be profitable or not. 

Is Custom Web Application Development Profitable? 

Yes, you can develop a custom web application without busting your budget. Businesses usually prefer custom application development services to establish their unique online presence. The application signifies their brand presence and credibility reaching out to a wider audience. 

Well, all good things end at some point. The dream of a custom business application becomes a nightmare as it hits a roadblock. As a web application development company serving clients all over the globe for over 7 years, we’ve identified some of the major problems faced in custom application development: 

• Lack of clarity in the requirements 
• Poor project management 
• Prolonged development cycle 
• No fixed pricing models
• Trouble integrating the application to existing systems
• Continuous engagement leading to unavoidable dependency on the chosen technology partner
• Over-priced upgrades 

Profitable Web Application Development Ideas 

Here is a short checklist to cut down costs. 

1. Clearly Define Your App Idea

As a business owner, you should have a clear cut idea about your application goals. Prior to getting started with development, ask yourself fundamental questions such as ‘Is my app idea unique?’, ‘Who is going to use it?’ ‘Can it ease their  lives and accelerate my business growth?’ ‘Is the idea strong enough to withstand the cut-throat competition?’, and so on.

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Once you’ve found out answers to all the essential questions, the next step is to list down the identified application features. Start with the basic things first and then progress accordingly. When you communicate with an application development team, list down your application vision, goals, and requirements in clear terms. The simpler and clearer you communicate, the better it will be. Before you kick-start development, make sure that both the parties are on the same page in terms of the app idea and requirements. 

2. Go for a Fixed Pricing Model

A solid cost-estimation process is a quintessential solution. It sets out a fixed pricing model providing customers a clear idea of the cost-overheads involved in the project development and support phases. It eliminates any doubts regarding cost uncertainty which might arise in the future. 

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Otherwise, you can be charged with additional expenses as the project progresses. When such demands are made from the vendor’s side, you wouldn’t have any other option than accepting those additional charges. 

3. Ask for Rapid Application Development 

Programming has evolved a great deal compared to the old times. Now, there are various frameworks and packages that act as the shortcuts to application development. They make development easier by eliminating the need for writing repetitive functions over and again. 

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Hence, agreeing for a rapid application development model is not going to result in hefty prices towards the end of the development process. Instead, it helps to cut down costs by increasing the time-to-market of the custom web app, without compromising on quality. 

4. Active Participation in Project Development Cycle

Once you have clearly defined your app idea and set out the priorities, the next step is to ensure that all the agreed action items get executed in the required manner. Well, we aren’t talking about devising any micromanagement model. A high-level review of the entire process to maintain active participation is the ideal method.

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Weekly calls and meetings to analyze the project progress are mandatory. Also, each change needs to reviewed individually before progressing farther. You need to promptly revert to input requests quickly to avoid any delay.

Conclusion: Start Small, Think Big 

When we have the budget, it burns a hole in your pocket. You might feel like implementing all those app ideas in a single shot to beat your competition. But, refrain from doing so. Start with the simple things first and plan for something big in the long run. Otherwise, you aren’t going to experience a profitable custom application development.

Download Now: Development process for the layperson and what does it take to build an application

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