Formerly, only big companies used mobile apps, but things have changed. Mobile applications are useful tools for all kinds of businesses. They bring many advantages, like making the business more visible, getting customers more involved, and increasing sales. What’s more, developing mobile apps doesn’t have to be expensive.
Creating mobile apps on a low budget is often seen as a risky endeavor by many companies, as app development is known to be intricate and time-consuming.
Consequently, there is a prevailing belief that low-cost mobile app development is more prone to failure than projects with a higher budget.
Low cost mobile app development can be achieved with the right approach, well-defined objectives, and a skilled team of app developers.
How to develop low cost business mobile apps?
Here are some efficient tips for building high-quality mobile apps on a low budget:
1. Define clear goals
Setting clear goals at the start of the mobile app development process is crucial for businesses aiming to stay within their budget for developing low cost business apps.
Nonetheless, many businesses struggle to establish specific objectives for their mobile application.
Below is a checklist to assist you in setting clear goals for your low cost mobile app development:
- Identify the target audience for your mobile application
- Determine your competitors in the mobile app market
- Highlight the unique selling points (USPs) that make your app stand out and entice customers to download and use it
- Determine the specific problem your app aims to solve
- Define the desired outcomes or achievements you hope to attain through the mobile app
- Define the essential functions and features that the app should have to meet user needs
You can learn about the following things using the checklist mentioned above:
- Your target audience and competitors
- List of functionalities and features that should be included in your mobile app
- An excellent strategy for monetization
Make sure to sort out all the above before negotiating with a company concerning the cost of developing a mobile app.
2. Consider the requirement of developing a mobile app
The price of making mobile apps mostly depends on how many features and functionalities you want. More features mean higher costs. So, deciding which features you want is crucial before starting app development.
Creating a list of things you need and talking about it with your team or app creators will help you understand what parts are important for the app and what you can skip. Before deciding, it’s a good idea to look at similar apps and see their features.
3. Choose the correct pricing model for the mobile app development project
Next, you must decide how to charge for the mobile app development project. Some companies prefer to pay based on the number of hours worked, while others choose a set price in advance. You only need to consider this when outsourcing an outside company for mobile app development.
If you have limited money, deciding on a set cost is better. But remember that choosing a fixed price means you won’t be able to make changes or improvements later. However, if you’re willing to pay more, you can make modifications.
4. Develop a cross-platform mobile app
It is true that native apps deliver faster results and ensure superior performance; developing a mobile application for multiple platforms like Windows, iOS, and Android significantly raises the overall development cost. Consequently, there is a possibility that the cost could surpass your current budget.
Businesses should consider cross-platform mobile app development if they want to create apps with a small budget. It can help lower the cost of development.
However, it’s important to know that cross-platform apps may not provide a great user experience. So, it’s best to think carefully before deciding.
5 easy tools for low cost mobile app development
Companies are attempting to reduce the expenses of creating different productivity apps by experimenting with different techniques and tools. Here are some commonly used tools businesses employ to develop cost-effective mobile applications.
- Bizness Apps: It is a cheap tool for building mobile apps and mobile websites for small and medium businesses. It creates a personalized and professional-looking mobile app for a low cost mobile app development. It’s easy to connect your business services with this tool.
- PhoneGap: It is a tool that uses JavaScript to create affordable business apps using HTML5 and CSS3. These are common programming languages used nowadays. Using these languages helps developers avoid the difficulty of making the app work on different devices. PhoneGap lets developers upload their code and get iOS, Android, and Windows apps ready to launch.
- AppMakr: This tool makes it easy and cheap to create mobile apps without knowing how to code. With this tool, you can build a basic app and add things like push notifications, RSS feeds, and a personalized icon.
- EachScape: It is a special tool that helps you create mobile apps easily and affordably. It has a simple interface where you can drag and drop different parts and combine them with your content to make iOS, Android, and Windows apps.
- Conduit: This tool helps connect your business app with social media, lets users leave reviews, allows you to sell products online, and gives you data to see how many people are using your app. It works on iPhones and Android phones, and it’s also a low cost option for making apps for Windows.
What are the risks associated with low cost app development?
When choosing low cost mobile app development, there might be several risks associated, including:
1. Limited Functionality and User Experience
One of the primary risks of developing low cost business apps lies in compromising functionality and user experience. Developing a feature-rich, intuitive app requires time, expertise, and meticulous attention to detail.
By cutting corners to reduce costs, developers may end up with apps that lack essential features, have limited usability, or suffer from performance issues. Such shortcomings can deter users, hamper engagement, and negatively impact the app’s overall success.
2. Poor Quality and Unreliable Performance
Low cost app development often involves hiring inexperienced or unskilled developers, outsourcing to unreliable teams, or adopting shortcuts in the development process. These practices can lead to poor code quality, inefficient architecture, and a lack of rigorous testing.
Consequently, the app may suffer frequent crashes, slow loading times, security vulnerabilities, and other performance issues. A subpar user experience due to these technical flaws can tarnish the app’s reputation and hinder user retention.
3. Security and Data Risks
The quest for lower mobile app development costs may inadvertently compromise the app’s security measures. Cutting corners on security practices, such as inadequate data encryption or neglecting secure coding practices, can expose user data to potential breaches.
This threatens user privacy and exposes the app developer to legal and financial repercussions. In today’s data-driven world, ensuring robust security measures is paramount; neglecting them can have severe consequences.
4. Lack of Scalability and Maintenance Challenges
Low cost app development may prioritize quick and cheap solutions, often overlooking the long-term scalability of the app.
As user demands evolve and the app gains traction, scalability becomes essential to accommodate growing user bases and feature expansions. Failure to consider scalability during the development phase can result in performance bottlenecks, server crashes, and an inability to meet future demands.
Moreover, when app maintenance and updates are neglected due to budget constraints, it can lead to a degraded user experience and a loss of competitiveness in the market.
5. Negative Impact on Brand Reputation
The quality and reliability of an app significantly impact the brand reputation of both the app developer and the associated businesses. Low-cost apps with a subpar user experience, frequent issues, or security breaches can quickly tarnish the reputation of the developer and any affiliated companies.
Negative user reviews, low ratings, and word-of-mouth can harm the brand image and hinder future growth opportunities.
How NetWeb Tech can help you develop low cost business apps?
Netweb Tech specializes in low cost mobile app development, offering customized solutions tailored to meet businesses’ specific needs.
Their team of skilled professionals efficiently allocates resources and leverages Agile methodologies to streamline the development process, ensuring timely delivery within budgetary constraints.
Netweb Tech maximizes efficiency and minimizes unnecessary expenses by staying up-to-date with cost-effective technologies and tools. With their commitment to delivering high-quality apps at affordable prices, businesses can confidently partner with Netweb Tech to achieve their mobile app goals without compromising on quality or budget.
Wrapping Up
To avail low cost mobile app development, prioritize features based on user needs and development expenses. Consider starting with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test the concept and gather feedback.
Factor in maintenance costs for bug fixes and updates. Keep the app simple, unique, and intuitive for a better user experience. Custom app development doesn’t have to break the bank if you set clear goals and stick to them.
The more features and functionality the app requires, the higher the development time and cost. However, with advancing technologies, creating and customizing apps is becoming more accessible to a wider range of people. The future of mobile app development holds exciting possibilities beyond our current imagination.
