The mobile app market is booming. Throughout the years, there’s also been an increase in the demand for application development and project management tools. It’s no wonder demand for custom application development services has rocketed.

So much so that the market is almost flooded with a variety of applicant development tools. An innovative app development tool can simplify the development process without compromising the quality of the app. In addition to automating and securing your web applications, these tools often have built-in automation features.

9 Best Application Development Tools For Your Business in 2023

We’ve sifted through the data to provide a list of some of the most popular, intuitive, and useful app development tools with innovative features.

1) Xamarin

Xamarin, a software development tool from Microsoft, is a popular choice among 1.4 million developers. It works on Android, Windows, and Apple’s iOS, which is a big plus. Xamarin enables application indexing and deep linking and integrates with SQLite, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and DB2.

Cost: It’s open source so it has no fees or associated costs, even for commercial users.

2) Ionic

Ionic uses an HTML development framework, as well as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Syntactically Awesome Stylesheet (SAAS) technology. It’s great at developing highly interactive, hybrid mobile applications that are popular worldwide.

Cost: There are different pricing packages.

3) Braintree

Braintree is a payment mobile app development tool that rivals PayPal. It works on Apple Pay and Android Pay and supports UnionPay. It integrates with 3dcart, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and yodle, and one of its key features is its availability in 23 languages.

Cost: Braintree has a somewhat complex pricing structure. The price depends on the size and type of transaction; for example, credit and debit cards and digital wallet transactions are 2.59% plus 40 cents per transaction. It’s best to contact suppliers to discuss your options.

4) Onsen UI

Onsen UI is the tool for you if you want to create Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). PWAs use web-platform features and progressive enhancements to provide a user experience that rivals native apps. It’s also great for developing hybrid apps, particularly for mobile devices. You can choose whether or not you want to use JavaScript in the software development process.

Cost: Onsen UI is free to users.

5) Buddy

Buddy consists of a wide variety of dedicated, pre-configured actions and services to make app deployment and operation really easy. It’s an all-in-one tool that builds, tests, signs, and deploys both Android and Apple apps with just one click. It’s known for its cool features, such as its intuitive user interface and over 120 actions. It integrates with AWS, Azure, Shopify, Slack, MS Teams, New Relic, and more.

Cost: Aside from its free features, Buddy has several pricing plans.

6) IBM Watson

IBM Watson has advanced features that enable artificial intelligence to integrate powerful apps. It facilitates secure cloud-based data storage and management. The tool can analyze and interpret images, audio, video, and other types of data. It can interpret the user’s personality, emotions, and tone to deliver personalized recommendations. Watson’s AI integrates with IBM Cloud and Multicloud data and can even create cognitive search and content analysis engines almost on the fly.

Cost: IBM Watson has three pricing plans.

7) Sencha Ext JS

Sencha is an MVC-based JavaScript framework that enables you to create apps that are compatible with iOS and Android. Developers can use HTML5 format to code in the Sencha Touch Software Development Kit.

The tool is great for creating enterprise apps. Users benefit from extensive support for animations and enhanced touch events.

Cost: Sencha packages are sold as units at a once-off price.

8) Qt

Qt is a cross-platform SDK (software development kit) that works well across a wide range of devices. One of the great things about Qt is the workaround options for Buggy SSL Servers. Essential features include support for IPv6 and dual-mode networks. It includes a solid foundation of design tools, framework essentials, add-ons, and more.

Cost: Subscriptions are paid per user per month.

9) React Native

React Native is a JavaScript-based mobile app development framework that uses a common codebase to work in both Android and Apple operating systems. The ease with which the software development team can use the framework enables developers to focus on customer-facing elements, like user interface and interactive experience, for greater customer satisfaction.

Cost: React Native costs vary greatly according to the complexity of the app development project. Prices start at $15,000 for simple apps and go up to $300,000 for complex app development.

Custom Application Development Services Are Your Tool To Mobile App Success

The world isn’t just going digital; it’s going digitally mobile. More and more people use their mobile devices, especially smartphones, for everything from the weather and winter soup recipes to forex and movie schedules. It used to be that if a business wasn’t online, it didn’t exist. Now, if a business doesn’t have a mobile app, it might as well close up shop.Laminar Consulting can create custom mobile apps to keep your business at the forefront of your industry sector. Contact Laminar today at (888) 531-9995, so we can get started on your project right away!

Occasionally, operating systems like Android and iOS make changes to the way in which developers can update business apps. It’s important to keep an eye on the operating systems to stay abreast of desktop and mobile app development requirements.

Android Updates For Custom App Development Services

You must have your application ID ready if you want to update an app on Android. Each app has a unique number; for example, com.bingo35.myapp, which is necessary for the update process.

Update Criteria

Android will only accept app updates that meet certain criteria.

(Proof of rotation is a way for apps to communicate their trustworthiness so that other apps don’t block their updates)

It’s very important that you keep your app ID and signing certificate in a safe place where no one else can get them because anyone with that information can go into the system and install updates that change app settings and disable app permission requests.

There is a way to install an updated app version even if you don’t have your ID or signing certificate. Simply uninstall the existing version and install the new version in its place. Note that when you uninstall an app, all of its data is erased from the device. So you must ensure that you have backups just in case something goes wrong.

Updates On Google Play

Google Play has some of the same criteria for updating apps as Android.

The application ID must be the same on the installed up and the update, and the criteria for signing certificates also apply.

Additional conditions include the following:

 After App Submission

You can see the status of your updated app on your Dashboard. Go to the “Update status” option on the dashboard, and you’ll see that it’s “In review.” If Google decides that all is as it should be the status shows it’s been published and is available for all Android phones and other devices.

iOS Updates For Custom Apps

Apple’s app update submission process is more meticulous than Google Play’s. There are eight steps involved in publishing updates for installed mobile applications.

Step 1

Log in to your account and select the app to be updated from your list of apps.

Step 2

Look for a blue button with a + sign and click it. You should get a ‘prepare for submission’ document.

Step 3

You’ll have to fill in the new version number; for example, 2.0.5, and click the “Create” button.

Step 4

Describe the update. Use keywords that you want to focus on; for example, software updates, software app updates, software mobile app updates, auto-updates for software apps, app updates for Apple products, etc.

You can also include screenshots for a visual impact.

Step 5

Add it to the “Build” section and follow the prompts for the compliance messages.

Step 6

Select your preferred method of release. Options include:

Step 7

Keep an eye on status updates. Updated apps have to go through six stages before they can be published in the App Store.

  1. Prepare for submission: You’re still busy with the process.
  2. Waiting for review: The app has been submitted and is now waiting for Apple’s approval.
  3. In review: The approval process has started.
  4. Pending developer release: The update has been approved and is waiting for its release instructions (manual, automatic, automatic scheduling).
  5. Ready for sale: Your app is on the app store and available to everyone with an internet connection.

The sixth stage doesn’t participate in all of the stages above. Unfortunately, the status can be as follows:

Rejected: Someone from admin, app management, or app development will be in touch to explain the reason for the decision. You are allowed to address the problem and resubmit the application update.

Step 8

Confirm if your app has an Advertising Identifier (IDFA). An IDFA is an identifier Apple places on a user’s device. It’s used to track advertising data which is used to customize advertising to users’ likes.

Choose a Mobile App Development Specialist For Custom Services

Apps are taking over the digital marketplace, so you need someone you can trust with your brand’s reputation online. Someone who ensures your mobile apps stay relevant, fresh, and on-trend. Making that decision is easy, Laminar Consulting has years of experience in custom app development and knows just how to draw traffic to your site.

Laminar works closely with clients to ensure their exact requirements are met. Call us at (888) 531-9995 now to get started on your next project!

Outsourcing fills a gap in a business’s capacity to provide services or products without the need to hire permanent staff. Outsourcers can be hired on a short-term or long-term basis. They can also be hired individually or as a team, depending on the business strategy. Regardless of the terms, it’s important to build a mutually beneficial relationship with your team of outsourcers to reach your business objectives.

Like all partnerships, it needs work, commitment, and clear communication. Also, like all relationships, it needs to be a good fit. For example, a mid-sized custom application development services provider might benefit from a joint venture with a managed team.

Types of Outsourcing and Benefits to Custom Application Development Services and Other Businesses

There are three outsourcing models, each with its own benefits and suitability. 

1) Extended Team

This model is particularly suited to software developers who need niche skills that they don’t provide; for example, software architects and user experience and interface designers. It’s essentially a team of experts that business owners or someone on their staff must manage.

Another option is outsourcing project management to a partner who understands your business and its needs.

The model is flexible, so experts can come and go, but with a dedicated team manager overseeing the entire outsource department, as it were, there will always be a core group with whom you can establish satisfying partnerships. It works well with businesses of all sizes but is particularly valuable to small enterprises.

2) Managed Team

This model is particularly suited to business owners who need a cohesive expert team to take over an aspect of the business processes. The team has a project manager who oversees everything from day-to-day niggles to the finished product.

The team is self-sufficient and should easily slot into their space in the development and delivery process.

The model typically provides long-term support and is better suited to medium and large businesses.

3) Custom Solution Development

The outsourcers worked on parts of the product or software project in the above models. In this model, the team manages an entire section of the business. For example, the mobile application development section as opposed to architecture design within the mobile application development section.

The team takes care of all the project activities in the software design and development process. Occasionally, the custom solution development team becomes an integral part of the business, effectively joining the company as a department.

The model is best suited to medium-large businesses with the capacity for another team. It’s not a cost-effective option for small businesses.

Tips for Building a Sound Software Development Partnership 

If you want to get your partnership with your outsourcer off on the right foot, start with clarity.

Get clarity before you choose an outsourcing company. Set out your vision for the joint venture and the outcome. Write a list of questions you want to ask your prospective business partner to get clarity from their side.

Clear lines of communication are essential. It’s no good if both sides have clarity of vision but can’t communicate it properly. Make an effort to keep in contact so you’re always kept abreast of progress, just not so often that it appears you don’t trust them to do a good job. Micro project management defeats the point.

There are five additional parts that contribute to a healthy partnership with your outsourcing company.

A Well-Crafted Contract

Both parties should sit together to create an airtight and fair contract. Be precise in terms of what you require and the expected outcome. Include guarantees and clauses that stipulate the consequences of poor performance, missed deadlines, and other problems on the software project. Remember insurance so everyone knows who is liable for what.

Accept Change

Nothing ever goes according to plan. Often problems are only identified during the process, in which case plans must be adapted quickly. Try to have a contingency plan for different scenarios.

Accept Limitations

It happens that business owners’ expectations are unrealistic, pushing the limits of the outsourced team. This is where communication comes in because the leader of the outsourcing team must convey their limitations as a business unit in a clear, calm manner.

Other limitations include existing technology not being advanced enough to carry out a certain process in the software project. There could also be budget limitations that hold up the supply chain. Everyone can put their heads together and see if they can develop a go-around solution to save the software project.

Build Trust

Both parties must be able to trust one another. This includes your trust that outsourcers can and will complete the project on time. They should be able to trust that you will remain consistent and won’t keep changing the scope of the project.

Acknowledge Work Well Done

Thank the team and individual team members for doing a good job. Acknowledgment can be as simple as a private word to a developer who solved a tricky problem or as fancy as an office party for reaching a software engineering milestone early.

Build a Partnership With Laminar’s Custom Application Development Services

Partnerships with peers in the industry can bear a lot of fruit. They can open up opportunities for networking and perhaps even collaboration by remote teams on new projects. However, you must work on partnerships to ensure not only mutual satisfaction but also to build a reputation as a desirable company to work with. 

Laminar Consulting recognizes the benefits of good partnerships and customer satisfaction. With scalable and secure end-to-end technology solutions, Laminar Consulting is a global leader in custom application development.

Do you have a project in mind? Contact Laminar Consulting today at (888) 531-9995 to get started!

Digital auditing involves assessing your website’s performance in several categories on different devices. The aim is to discover areas that need improvement, strategies that need updating, problems that need addressing, and high-performing areas that need replicating.

It’s important to assess all online brand-related performances, including your mobile apps, from custom application development services providers.

The scope of digital audits differs from business to business because each business has unique priorities and objectives to assess. For instance, some business owners are perfectly happy with their paid advertising (PPC) and social media marketing, but they’re worried about their website’s user experience. That would put a design assessment at the top of their list.

On the other hand, some businesses aren’t fazed by their online presence either way. In this instance, a digital audit is just a massive waste of time and resources.

Make Digital Assessments Count Across Website And Mobile Custom Applications

Before you start the audit process, list areas that could benefit from analysis. Begin with the most important and work your way down. Start with the highest priority because a comprehensive audit covers a lot of ground and is time-consuming. It’s easy to adopt a ‘good enough’ attitude and stop the audit process after only two or three audit findings.

It’s recommended to know what a digital audit entails is recommended so you can properly prioritize your list. The following assessments are listed in no particular order.

1) Social Media Assessment

A social media analysis looks at your social media strategy to see how well it’s performing and measures its performance against your competitors. It includes how the content you posted is perceived by users.

For example, how many likes, how many shares, and how many comments. Performance is measured on desktop and mobile apps to ensure you capture the mobile experience.

2) SEO Assessment

A search engine optimization (SEO) assessment looks at how your site is optimized to earn a (high) search engine ranking on browsers, particularly Google. This includes keyword optimization and site crawlability to achieve your strategic goals. You need to determine the ease with which search engines can find your website and crawl (analyze) the content so they will add it to their index, which is their database of websites.

The assessment uncovers things like broken internal and external links and anything else related to the structural integrity of all the pages on your website.

3) Brand Assessment

A brand assessment looks at the brand’s online presence; for example, its consistency across all online avenues, including social media platforms and apps. Consistency comprises visual branding (the logo is up to date and the same everywhere) and tone of voice (you’re not overly formal in some places, slapstick in others, and dryly sarcastic elsewhere).

It also includes the consistency of your brand’s message or story online. (This is similar to a storytelling audit, which, due to its similarity, is not covered here.)

4) Customer Experience Assessment

A customer experience assessment looks at the ease with which customers navigate your site. That is, can they quickly and easily achieve their goals? It reveals potential obstacles; for example, social media share buttons are too difficult to find. It also highlights potential areas of frustration; for example, conversion pages need to be more deeply on the site. This means customers have to click through too many pages to reach their goal of booking a consultation.

5) SEM Assessment

A search engine marketing (SEM) assessment looks at the performance of your overarching online marketing strategy. It includes the relative success of the keywords you’ve targeted in both organic and paid search results, especially compared to your competitors. This is very important because paying for keywords that don’t deliver is a waste of money.

A comprehensive assessment will not only show you how to adapt your forward-looking strategy, but it will also show you how to use the results of the competitor analysis to overtake them on the search engine rankings.

6) Technical Assessment

A technical assessment looks at the integrity of your site’s architecture. In addition to assessing your site’s architecture, a technical assessment looks at the architecture of your competitors’ sites. You can do this using online tools, such as a proprietary tool called Builtwith.

This simple analysis is particularly valuable if your site was built by a website design and development agency because you can come to grips with the tools used. This allows you to decide if you want to take over site maintenance or assume the bigger responsibility of addressing any technical problems.

7) Paid Advertising Assessment

We’ve touched on paid advertising as part of an SEM assessment, but it pays to conduct a separate PPC (pay-per-click) assessment to measure the effectiveness of your paid advertising strategy. This includes click-through rate, lead generation, conversion rate (online and offline sales), reach/awareness, apps, and mobile growth.

You want to determine the actual cost per click or conversion against your expectations, so you can adapt your paid advertising campaigns accordingly.

Can You Assess Your Custom Application Development Services Provider?

If you’ve paid a company to create high-quality custom applications for desktop and mobile devices, you want them to stand up to scrutiny. You can audit their service and assess the efficacy of the product. As an industry leader, Laminar Consulting delivers top-notch application development services.You can benefit from our expertise today! All you have to do is call (888) 531-9995 to book an appointment or get an online quote.

Agile is a methodology (or philosophy) that was initially created to improve productivity and the quality of work by software developers. It wasn’t long before people realized that agile methods also had beneficial business applications for non-tech companies.

Agile approaches eliminate micro-managing by creating self-organizing teams. The teams as a whole have the skill set to respond to feedback and adapt their approach bearing this new information in mind. Collaboration, responsiveness, adaptability, and flexibility are at the methodology’s core.

In essence, teams devise solutions to customers’ or product owners’ demands. The solutions are tested and adapted in an iterative cycle until the demands have been fully met and the finished product can be presented to customers.

Agile Principles Can Be Applied to Custom Application Services

Various companies have used Agile principles to great success; for example, Standard Bank in South Africa identified and fixed potential bugs early in the mobile application software development process.

This improved the quality and user experience of its new mobile app. The net result was a high-quality product and satisfied employees and customers.

For Agile methods to be effective, companies must embrace the Manifesto for Agile Software Development which comprises four values and 12 core principles.

Values

1) People and interactions over processes and tools.

2) Working software over comprehensive documentation.

3) Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.

4) Responding to changes in a planned manner.

Principles

1) Early and continuous software delivery ensures customer satisfaction.

2) Adapt to changing requirements throughout the development process.

3) Frequent delivery of working software.

4) Throughout the project, business stakeholders and developers collaborated.

5) Motivate, support, and trust the people involved.

6) Enable face-to-face interactions.

7) Working software is the primary measure of progress.

8) A consistent development pace is supported by agile processes.

9) Agility is enhanced by technical detail and design.

10) Simplicity.

11) Self-organizing teams produce excellent architectures, requirements, and designs.

12) Continual reflection on how to improve performance.

How Agile Works for Business

As a philosophy Agile processes can be adapted to suit all business enterprises across all industries. All that’s necessary is to use the key concepts.

Concepts

Following this philosophy, there are seven key concepts for business.

1) Team

A team consists of a small group of people with different skill sets who are allocated one project. They collaborate to meet customers’ requirements.

2) User Stories

User stories result from consultation between the agile team and the customer to divide the work into practical steps, each of which is a user story. Each story contributes to the value of the overall product.

3) Personas

Project teams create their idea for future users with as much detail as possible. The result is a persona with needs that must be met.

4) Daily Meeting

Hold a 10-minute team ‘stand up’ meeting at the same time every day, where project team members talk about what they did the previous day and what they intend to achieve that day. Everyone remains in the loop, and there is no danger of duplication.

5) Incremental Development

Each development cycle must end with a usable version of the product. Each successive cycle must begin where the previous product stopped. In this way, a usable product can be released at any stage of the development lifecycle, even if it still needs work.

6) Iterative Development

The iterative nature of the process allows for the repetition of software development activities. In this way, products can be revisited. 

7) Milestone Retrospective

The retrospective can be held during and/or at the end of the project, where all team members meet to conduct a detailed analysis of the operation, especially significant events. 

Must My Business Use All 7 Concepts?

It’s not necessary to squeeze all seven concepts into a problem. You use the concepts that fit the context. Ask yourself two questions: what is the problem facing my business right now? And can the Agile model solve it?

Take this as an example. Completing an iterative cycle takes too long. The team collaborates and finds a way to refine certain processes that will enable them to complete the cycle 35% faster.

Problems like this involving wasted time and resources have their own type of Agile methodology: Lean Agile Methodology. The Lean Method is designed to identify waste and devise plans to refine the relevant process. The idea is to continuously improve efficiency, efficacy, and quality of work. The upshot is happier employees and an increase in your business’s bottom line.

Lean Agile methodology has five key principles:

1) Identify value

2) Map the value stream

3) Create flow

4) Establish a Pull System

5) Seek perfection 

In the face of uncertainty, implement a plan that is likely to work, get feedback regarding its success or failure, and adapt the plan accordingly.

4 More Agile Development Types

There are four more types of Agile Frameworks.

1) Extreme Programming (XP)

XP is a framework that has five values: communication, simplicity, feedback, courage, and respect. Its purpose is to refine engineering practices to improve the development team’s quality of (work) life and the product’s quality overall.

2) Crystal

Crystal methodology includes Crystal Clear, Crystal Yellow, and Crystal Orange. The Agile practices you’ll apply to your situation are based on team size, system criticality, and project priorities. The idea is that each project must have its own set of policies, practices, and processes to resolve the nature of the problem. Basically, one size doesn’t fit all.

3) Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

DSDM is based on the idea that each project must have clearly defined strategic goals and focus on the early delivery of tangible benefits to the business. It can be used on its own or together with another Agile process.

4) Feature-Drive Development (FDD)

FDD is divided into mini-projects (short work phases) that are completed independently to provide customers with working software within a set period of time. Client value is the primary concern.

Agile Development Complements Custom Application Development Services

Agile development methodology was inspired by software development; this is the spirit in which Laminar Consulting provides its expert app development services.We value any input from our employees that will improve our services and the satisfaction of our staff. Call (888) 531-9995 to book an appointment so we can start work on your project right away!

A little help in the decision-making process never goes awry.

Top 9 Web Applications For Businesses

There are web apps to suit every business purpose. We’re going to look at nine of the best business desktop and mobile apps.

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics has long been one of the most popular analytics reporting applications with a wide range of features. It constantly evolves to stay abreast of user trends. The one thing that has never waivered is its ability to track website traffic so businesses can see how their website is performing in relation to their online business goals. 

Google Analytics is known for its user-friendliness. Business owners don’t need in-depth technical knowledge to benefit from the information generated. It’s easy to see at a glance how websites perform. It also has the functionality to deliver micro-details to those who want to delve deeper into website performance and user behavior. 

Cost: Google Analytics is free to anyone with a Google account. If you really want more detailed information and you have an enormous budget, then you can get Google Analytics 360, which costs $12,500 per month and $150,000 annually.

2. HubSpot

HubSpot is a comprehensive marketing and sales app that helps businesses through various stages of the sales process, from attracting site visitors to completing transactions. Features also include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content management, customer relationship management (CRM), analytics, and social media marketing.

One of the great things about HubSpot is its ability to function as a CMS (content managing system).

Cost: HubSpot has a freemium version and paid plans that start at $45 per month.

3. Slack

Slack is essentially a project management app that facilitates one-on-one and group communication. You can easily set up discussion groups to talk to specific people only (department managers); task groups to talk about matters relating to different projects, and open groups for all employees to make announcements and convey important information.

In this way, it’s easy to provide access to business documents and training videos company-wide. 

One of the great things about Slack is that it syncs with desktop, web, and mobile applications, so you can set notifications, respond to reminders, and make video calls wherever you happen to be.

Cost: Slack has a freemium version and paid plans that start at around $6.70 per month.

4. Trello

Trello is a project management app that uses boards and lists to convey information in a user-friendly, visual manner. Each board is given a title, and all information below appears as cards. Each card can contain information, including attachments, and enable questions, answers, and discussions in the form of comments. 

Relevant parties are automatically notified of any changes to the board, so they always know the status of a project or task. The app uses a default template, but it’s entirely customizable to your business’s needs. 

Cost: Trello has a freemium version and paid plans that start at $5 per month per user.

5. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an email builder app. Its features enable business owners to create professional emails quickly by customizing templates that convey your business’s unique look and feel.

More than that, Mailchimp also provides some analytics, including open email rates and performance trackers.

Cost: Mailchimp has a freemium version and paid plans that start at $190 per month.

6. Expensify

Expensify is a business app that manages expenses incurred on business trips. You can easily link debit and credit cards to the app, so it automatically adds charges to the expense report. You also have the option to take photographs of your receipts and upload them to the app, which will detect and extract the relevant data. 

Not only can the app generate expense reports on demand, but one of its key features is flagging suspicious transactions.

Cost: There is a freemium version for businesses and paid plans that start at $5 per user per month with an Expensify card.

7. DocuSign

DocuSign is a business web app that lets you collect signatures online or on a mobile device. One of the great things about the app is that it integrates with Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and more.

Cost: DocuSign has paid plans that start at $10 per month.

8. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a time-tracking and productivity app that records the time employees spend on billable hours and their set projects. App developers claim that Time Doctor can increase productivity by as much as 22%. 

One of the advanced features is screenshot monitoring, which takes screenshots of employees’ screens randomly to see how employees use their allocated work time.

Cost: Time Doctor has paid plans that start at $10 per user per month.

 9. Inigo

Inigo is a business app that enables you to create virtual business cards, which you can then share directly with other smartphones by simply tapping your phone on another. One of the great things about Inigo is that networking is immediate. There’s no wondering if your business card was lost because you have transferred directly to the recipient. 

Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about misplacing your business cards because they’re right there, on your app.

Cost: Inigo has a freemium version and paid plans that start at $7 per user per month or $5.49 per user per month if paid annually.

Create Your Own Powerful Business Web Application With Custom Application Development Services

These nine business apps and thousands more meet general and niche business needs. Working with a custom app developer, you can create an application with an intuitive interface that enhances customer experience and reflects your business and its services. Laminar Consulting provides expert advice and professional mobile and desktop app development services that make your business stand out from the crowd.Contact Laminar today, call (888) 531-9995 to book a consultation and take the first step to benefit from a burgeoning business app market!

Mobile app development is becoming an increasingly specialized service. App users want more functionality and better user experience, which includes things like load time and interactive features.

These factors drive up the mobile app development costs, but they are by no means the only factors that influence the price.

Factors That Influence The Price of Custom Application Development Services For Mobile Devices

Size is a very important factor in determining the cost of mobile app development services. The simpler the app, the cheaper. The greater the complexity, the more expensive. For example, an estimate of the average cost from small to large apps ranges from $5000 – $300,00 +.

Other factors that influence the cost of app development include the following:

  1. Type/category
  2. Service provider
  3. Complexity level
  4. Features/functionality/visual
  5. Location
  6. Budget
  7. Ongoing maintenance
  8. Native or hybrid
  9. Operating system
  10. Front and backend Infrastructure

1. App Size

A small app with basic features costs $25,000 – $60,000 and takes four to eleven weeks to complete. For example, calendars and recipes.

A mid-level app with additional features costs $36,000 – $85,000 and takes seven to sixteen weeks to complete. For example, educational resources and QR scanners.

A large, custom mobile app with advanced features and high-end functionality costs $60,000 – $137,000 (or more) and takes 11 – 16 weeks to complete. For example, banking apps and apps with artificial intelligence.

2. App Type

There are several types of mobile apps, each with different functions and features that affect cost.

Authentication And Personal Information

User information that will be shared across the user’s devices are required. For example, digital payment integration and order delivery. Cost ranges from $40,000 – $80,000.

Social Networks

Social networking apps require functions for IMs and image and video sharing for hundreds of thousands of users, who access the app simultaneously 24/7. Cost ranges from $50,000 – $300,000.

E-Commerce

E-commerce apps must provide catalogs (lists of products available), user registration, order documentation, and payment options. Cost ranges from $60,000 – $300,000.

On-Demand

On-demand apps provide real-time services, so there is very little time between request and delivery; for example, Uber. You submit a request for a driver, and a driver arrives within a short space of time. Cost ranges from $70,000 – $150,000.

Database

Database apps access the information stored on a website. For example, a user enters a search query, and the website delivers results based on the matching info in its database.

Utility

Utility apps send you directly to the service you’re looking for. For example, up-to-date weather forecasts and real-time sports results.

Productivity

Productivity apps typically include social media monitoring and similar services. For example, Instagram and Shopify.

Gaming

Gaming apps must provide functionality that enhances user experience and uses advanced technologies to integrate score systems and social media. The more functions, the higher the app costs.

3. App Developer’s Location

The location of your app developer (where they are based) determines the average hourly rates so you can work out an approximate cost for your mobile app development project.

4. App Platforms

There are two app platforms, Android and iOS. They are usually mutually exclusive because they have different development requirements. You can develop an app for a single platform, or you can use a cross-platform app developer that meets the requirements of both mobile platforms.

5. App Design

Broadly speaking, there are two types of app design:

Simple Design

Simple apps offer the bare bones in terms of features, function, and looks. Typically, they have a maximum of four screens and don’t store any data whatsoever. They do what is required and no more.

This suits start-ups, small family businesses, and niche product or service providers.

Custom Design

Customized apps can be as simple or complex as you like, however, the more complex (the more custom elements) and detailed the design, the higher the cost. Developers may use tools like third-party app integrations, frameworks, and libraries to meet your needs.

Mid- to large-scale businesses tend to go with custom app designs.

5. App Maintenance

App maintenance includes annual costs, like web hosting and domain registration fees, and sundry costs that arise, like system updates to improve user experience and patches to fix bugs and other vulnerabilities.

6. Hidden Costs

Hidden costs include ongoing costs that tend to fade in the background when first determining your budget and laying out your plan. You may be horrified to know that the estimated value for the hidden costs is $20,000 – $30,000 annually. However, this largely depends on the size, type, and service provider.

For example, simple apps don’t have third-party integrations, which are among the influential factors that add to the expenses.

On the other hand, all apps should have support charges, which cover any situation that spells trouble,  and the cost of updates. Support charges are usually 20% of the original development cost.

Custom Application Development Services

You have many options when it comes to choosing a mobile app developer that offers custom app creation services.

Freelancers

You can hire properly qualified mobile app developers on a freelance basis to either manage all or most of the development or to provide a niche service. Freelancers can reduce functional costs.

In-House App Development

This is really only an option for well-established businesses with an excellent turnover that can afford an internal team of developers. Note: These are experts in their field, so you will have to pay expert-aligned salaries.

The great thing about in-house teams is that you have complete control over the mobile app development process.

Dedicated App Development Company

As with freelancers, you can hire a company that specializes in all aspects of mobile application development or one particular aspect, such as social media apps. The advantage over freelancers is that companies usually employ people with various skills, including front-end specialists and security developers.

Laminar Consulting is dedicated to your mobile app development project. Our custom app development services help to streamline your business processes and give you an advantage over your competitors. Call (88) 531-9995 now or complete our onsite contact form and arrange for a consultation or quote.

In an increasingly online world, website developers are indispensable to business owners. Website development encompasses all aspects of website creation, from front-end and back-end development to drag-and-drop interfaces.  

This can sound confusing and overwhelming to those who want to investigate website development as a career. However, a quick look at its parts and what they entail should guide beginners and enable them to choose which area they want to specialize in. 

Do Website And Custom Application Development Services Have a Strong Growth Outlook?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the web development job market is set to grow by 23% between 2021 and 2031! The bureau also places website development sixth on the list of best job titles in tech.

It’s safe to say that if you have the skill levels and know how to develop different types of websites (online stores or blogging platforms), the outlook is strong indeed.

Must-Know Industry Jargon in Website Development

Start with language or industry jargon. You may know what a website is, but what about IP addresses and custom domain registration?

Here’s a brief look at essential terms you need to know if you’re going to build business websites with powerful features.

IP Address

IP stands for Internet Protocol. An IP address is a set of numbers assigned to a website that makes it identifiable on the Internet. The easiest way to find out your IP address is to enter a simple search on your browser.

HTTP

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It’s like a translator that ensures requests from computers are easily understood by servers, which deliver the website. It’s also the mechanism used when you switch between pages on a website because each switch is a new request.

Coding

Coding refers to programming languages that write code (instructions) for servers and applications. Like human language, programming languages consist of vocabulary and grammar rules that must be adhered to because it impacts the entire design.

Front-end

The front-end of a website is the client-facing side. Users can see and interact with all the images and text, dropdown menus, separate menus, menu bars, and internal linking. It’s the user interface and must provide seamless navigation with Search Engine Optimization or SEO in mind.

Bear in mind that the only client-facing coding includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Back-end

The back-end of a website is server-side. It’s all the behind-the-scenes activity that goes into the site’s digital infrastructure and affects the site’s uploading process. It looks like gobbledygook to laymen, but developers can read the numbers, letters, and symbols as one of the programming languages or codes.

The back-end can be configured to understand most programming languages.

CMS

CMS stands for content management system. It’s a web application or group of programs that are the foundation for your site’s detailed content. A CMS is like a bookcase; all the shelves are there, but you decide which ones you’re going to use, and how you’re going to use them. For example, sales features or blog content.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the way in which you protect your website’s data, networks, and computers from malicious online threats. Conscientious web developers understand the nature of these threats and factor defense mechanisms into the development process for the entire design. They also check the security’s integrity on a regular basis.

What Types of Jobs Are There?

Web development has many areas of specialty, each requiring different technical skills.

Front-end development

Work includes developing the layout, dynamic content, video elements, navigation, and various other visual elements. Your aim is to work with clients to create a website that guides users to a particular goal; for example, signing up for the newsletter. Work with user experience and organic searches in mind.

Back-end Development

You’ll work with the servers, operating systems, site architecture, and more. You’ll likely work with front-end developers to ensure cohesion and maximize traffic from search engines to the site.

Full Stack Development

You work at both ends, front and back, to manage all aspects of development, including website, application, and builder software programming.

Website Development

Incorporates front- and back-end and full-stack aspects of site development. However, developers specialize in websites only.

Desktop Development

Your scope of work is limited to the software that runs locally (offline). Many programs contain offline and online elements, so developers should branch out.

Mobile App Development

Develop apps for all mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. This truly is an area of specialization because the skill levels required for mobile responsiveness are different from websites and desktop apps or pieces of software.

Game Development

This applies to video games, PC, and mobile games. Knowledge of web development is helpful.

Embedded Development

Embedded development includes whatever is left after all hardware is removed, including the development of electronic interfaces, consumer devices, and IoT (the internet of things). It increasingly includes the interconnection of smart appliances and Bluetooth technology. 

In a career sector that is primed for growth, embedded developers are likely to be in even greater demand.

Security Development

You’ll develop security mechanisms and procedures to identify vulnerabilities and fend off hackers. It helps if you think like a hacker, but with ethics.

Trust Professional Custom Application Development Services To Manage The Development Process

When you want a reputable website and app development company to deliver expert services, you want a company that knows the website development process inside and out. Here are some custom application development services Laminar Consulting offers: 

Laminar Consulting provides a comprehensive service package, so there is no need to look for additional service providers and third-party plugins. Contact Laminar via the onsite contact form or call (888) 531-9995 now to schedule an appointment or get a free quote.

The modern world is paving the way for advanced software development practices—making it crucial to know Agile vs. DevOps and their difference. The latter’s methodology facilitates collaboration between development and operations teams, while the former’s methodology improves development efficiency.

Although Agile and DevOps have many notable differences, they share many similarities as well. Detailed comparisons and contrasts between Agile and DevOps are presented in this article, as well as the relationship between the two.

What is Agile?

As part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process, Agile methodology includes continuous iterations of development and testing. An iterative, incremental, and evolutionary approach is emphasized in this method of software development.

As part of Agile’s development process, the product is broken down into smaller pieces and integrated for final testing. It may be implemented in many different ways, including scrum, kanban, XP, etc.

The following four core values of the Agile software development process, which include:

1. Individuals and Interactions Over Processes and Tools

According to the Agile Manifesto, people are more important than processes. Several organizations emphasize acquiring the best possible tools for building their software more than anything else. However, even the best tools would be useless in the hands of the wrong people.

To cultivate a healthy work environment and deal with problems on an as-needed basis, it is essential to have a competent team of individuals and to encourage them to communicate and collaborate.

2. Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation

Despite its importance, documentation should not take center stage. This process was a common practice among many software teams in the past. In the Agile Manifesto, the greatest priority should be to deliver software to consumers rather than spend too much time documenting—instead of writing code and building the software.

3. Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation

Historically, contracts were of great importance, and a lot of effort and consideration was put into writing and negotiating them. Most of the time, these situations have led to miscommunication, as the contract stipulates one thing and the product ends up being something different, while the customer has different requirements altogether.

It is the Agile Manifesto’s belief that continuous development and continuous collaboration with customers are the keys to success.

4. Responding to Change Over Following a Plan

Our world is dynamic, and customers’ needs, preferences, and priorities shift rapidly over time. It is, therefore, crucial that software teams maintain a flexible and adaptable approach now more than ever.

According to the Agile Manifesto, it is important to embrace, accept, and incorporate changes mid-project in order to benefit the overall project. As opposed to following a rigid plan blindly, agile teams are highly tolerant of being able to change direction midway. 

What is DevOps?

To facilitate the rapid deployment of products, DevOps focuses on communication, integration, and collaboration among IT professionals. A DevOps culture encourages collaboration between development and operations teams.

In this way, code can be deployed to production more quickly and automatically. Using it increases the speed at which applications and services are delivered within an organization. In other words, it refers to the alignment between development and IT operations.

How Do Agile and DevOps Resemble and Differ?

People and interactions are explicitly prioritized in the Agile Manifesto. Working software, collaborating with customers, and responding to change are also explicitly prioritized. DevOps clearly extends these priorities beyond development to managing systems and running applications as well. 

How Do Agile and DevOps Work Together?

The concept of DevOps can be viewed as an evolution of agile practices or as a missing component of Agile. Basically, it’s about integrating its innovations and applying them to operations processes. Additionally, it’s a missing piece of Agile because certain principles can only be fully realized through the application of DevOps practices.

For instance, the continuous delivery of software is mentioned multiple times in Agile documents, but continuous delivery is commonly referred to as a DevOps practice because delivery pipelines encompass operations concerns. It is imperative that teams communicate more effectively across and between them in order to boost feedback loops. 

Through its daily standups, planning meetings, and retrospectives, agile, specifically scrum, facilitates this communication. There is a common mindset between Agile and DevOps practitioners. Furthermore, their goals are aligned as well.

A DevOps transition aims to fully automate the deployment of working code into the production environment. In this way, DevOps has reached its full potential. Additionally, the Agile manifesto makes it clear that continuous delivery of software to clients is the highest priority.

The main idea behind DevOps and Agile is to get working software into the hands of clients so that they can build software, ensure transparency, and promote sustainable development—and get software into clients’ hands as quickly as possible by using modern tools and processes.

DevOps with an Agile Approach is the Way to Go!

It makes no sense to talk about agile without mentioning DevOps because the goals are similar: to improve the quality and speed of software development. Several teams have found agile methodologies to be extremely helpful, while others have had difficulty realizing the benefits.

Continuous delivery of high-quality products and services is made possible by the integration of software development and IT operations with DevOps. In agile, small changes are enabled as per the client’s requirements in a fast and efficient manner.

A company can benefit from exponential growth in terms of revenue and customer experience by merging DevOps and Agile for their custom app development.  

If you need help with custom app development, we are able to provide you with the best solutions by analyzing and understanding your business needs. For more information about our services, call us at 888-531-9995 at Laminar Consulting Service today!

Do you ever wonder if you’re on a website or a web app when scrolling down a web page? It is highly unlikely, for sure. Well, it’s not surprising, seeing as most users don’t notice much difference between websites and web apps. This is why hiring an experienced custom web app development service is crucial for your business. 

There is, however, a growing standoff between websites and web apps when deciding which is best for conducting business online. An in-depth comparison of a web app and a website will be provided in this article. In addition, we’ll help you determine which option is best for your business based on your business needs. 

What is a Website?

Websites are collections of web pages and associated content that are identified by a common domain name and are hosted by at least one web server.  The websites Wikipedia.org, Amazon.com, and Google.com are among the most popular examples.  It is every publicly available website that contributes to the World Wide Web (WWW).

Private websites, like in-house company websites, can only be accessed via private area networks. Generally, an average website focuses on one purpose or topic, whether it’s education, commerce, social networking, entertainment, or news.  The hyperlinking between pages allows the user to navigate the site, which, more often than not, begins with the home page.

It is possible to access websites from a variety of devices, including laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, and tablets.  This type of device uses a web browser software application. It is possible to categorize websites into two broad categories—interactive and static.

What is a Web Application?

Web applications or web apps are software applications that run on a web server, as opposed to lists of computer software that run locally on any device’s Operating System (OS). With the help of an internet connection, end-users can access web apps through their browser.

This type of application is automated using a client-server architecture — the consumer is provided with services by an off-site server that a third party usually hosts.  Online retail sales, webmail, online auctions, and online banking are examples of web apps that are frequently used.

Since single-page apps do not require moving between different pages with different Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), they are more app-like than classic web apps.  It is possible to develop a mobile web app more quickly by utilizing the single-page web framework. No complex installation is required for web apps since they run within a browser.

What is the Difference Between a Website and a Web Application?

In many ways, websites and web apps are similar. It is widely believed that web apps are the next development of websites. Even so, there are some notable differences between the two technologies. Web applications differ from websites in the following ways:

Function

From the perspective of a user, the significant difference between a website and a web application is their functionality. The purpose of the former is to inform, and the purpose of the latter is to assist. Despite the ability to view, read, or listen to the content on it—the user cannot manipulate it. 

On the other hand, the content of web applications can be viewed as well as interact with. It is possible to manipulate data through web applications. A form is an example of interactive web content. A web app is anything that provides a service on the Internet. 

Complexity

The complexity of web applications is far greater than that of websites. Websites are simply collections of static web pages. Although modern web development standards have improved the interactivity of websites, they are still relatively easy to build compared to web applications. 

Despite being able to use the same web technologies as websites, such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, web apps require more advanced programming languages, like PHP, frameworks, and server-side scripts. Additionally, web applications rely heavily on UX/UI design as users actively interact with them.

Access 

Almost all web applications require registration and authentication in order to be accessed by the public. Generally, unregistered visitors to websites can access and interact with the same content as registered users. Web apps, however, almost always require user authentication because they provide services tailored to the user’s needs.

Real-world examples of this can be found in banking apps. Despite all account holders receiving similar services online, each user receives a unique experience based on their banking information.

Websites and Web Applications Examples

Alternatively, websites are information web pages such as blog posts, educational sites, eCommerce sites, Q&A forums, service sites, and even search engine sites.

Should You Build a Website or a Web App For Your Business?

Having learned about the differences between websites and web apps, you might be wondering which one would be more effective for your company. Making this decision can be challenging. It is easiest to answer this question by imagining your goals and visions.

You should consider a website if you want users to learn more about your business and your products or services. In contrast, if you wish to provide a service to users, you will need to create a web application. Get in touch with us when you need to create a website or develop an app. By analyzing and understanding your business requirements, we are able to offer you the best possible solutions. To learn more about our custom web app development services, contact us at 888-531-9995 at Laminar Consulting Service today!

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram chevron-down