Do you need a custom development agency?
If there ever was a doubt, we think it’s safe to say that most of the modern businesses need to go digital in one way or another. Unless you are aiming at specific, highly niche markets, your customers have sold their souls to the Devil and went digital a long time ago. Renowned mega-corporations have been building custom software for a very long time and that software has helped them conquer new markets and improved their business tremendously. We’re sorry David Icke, but the reptiles had nothing to do with that.
It didn’t take long for medium and small enterprises to hop on the development train. Everyone wanted a custom app or a custom game as if having a piece of custom software was going to make you or break you. Nowadays, the value of custom development in business seems almost axiomatic, and while that certainly isn’t without merit, it’s worth noting because some of the development trains won’t reach their destination. In fact, some of them will fall out of their tracks and end in a spectacular explosion of failure and disappointment.
Yes, your business will probably benefit from custom development and, yes, sometimes it will benefit greatly. Sometimes, custom development will be the best decision you have made in your entire life. And sometimes, well, sometimes you will fail miserably. Custom software development might be just what your business needs and, yes, it can improve your business overnight, but before you decide to hire a custom development agency, here are some things you should consider.
#1 Custom development isn’t magic
Things haven’t been going good lately. Your family has been running a business of selling dried spicy pork ears for the last 48 years, but the last few years have been a real struggle. Somewhere you overheard two guys talking about their business being at an all-time high. They mentioned leverage, custom development, and some other newly coined words. Foolishly, you quickly decide to spend every penny you have left on custom development. Needles to say, the world lost a delicious treat as you went bankrupt.
What we’re trying to say is that although custom development might seem magical, it really isn’t magic. True, we do deal with coding and we are making wonderful things happen, but we most certainly aren’t magicians. We will do everything we can to help you create desired custom software that can improve business. Sometimes, that is everything you will need, but most of the times – you can’t just rely on custom software to do all the work for you. Hiring a custom development agency should be a part of a larger business and marketing plan for your enterprise. If you are aware of that, then yes, custom development will do wonders for you and your company.
#2 Be perfectly aware of why you need custom development
Yeah, during last few years, custom development has become one of the most fashionable terms in every industry. It’s really great that so many industries are becoming aware of endless possibilities offered by having a piece of custom software, but for God’s sake – sit down and think for a bit. Custom development isn’t a short-lived fad that is going to disappear tomorrow. If you truly wish to maximize the effectiveness of custom development for your organization, then sit down and think.
Don’t rush things. Make a plan. What exactly do you need? Do you need a Facebook app to engage existing fans? Maybe you’d benefit more from an Instagram Postcard App that will help you reach a new audience or raise brand awareness. Maybe your cereal mascot has become so popular among the kids that you could benefit greatly from a mobile platform game with the mascot as the lead character.
Don’t rush it. Take your time. Go to a lake, meditate if needed. Realize why is it exactly that you want and need a custom development agency.
These are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself before considering custom development. You should be perfectly aware of why you want a custom piece of software and what is the desired outcome. The more you plan the better the final product will be. Not only will you help developers create just the right software (remember, developers are not magicians, meaning that they can’t read minds), but you’ll also have easier time with additional marketing needed in order to use the software to the fullest. Developing a good piece of software takes time and effort, even more, if you aren’t sure what you really want and why exactly do you need that.
#3 Custom development makes life easier
If you run a small or medium enterprise, chances are that you simply don’t have enough money or manpower to build a custom app or game. First of all, that takes time. Second, that takes money. Let’s say you want a custom mobile app for your pork ears business. Do you have enough time to look for various developers and designers? Probably not. Do you have enough money to employ them? Probably not. Think about it, unless you’re running a major business with a constant need for custom software, hiring a team of custom developers is your best option.
Custom development agencies have a lot of experience with various clients across the globe and various industries. That makes it easier for them to communicate with you and to understand the needs of various markets. Custom development agencies also often provide full-time technical support, ensuring that it always works like it’s supposed to. As we’ve mentioned already, you could go for in-house development, but that’s a good solution only if you can afford it and you have a specific need for full-time development. Most organizations use custom software as a tool to boost their marketing and require custom-tailored software only now and then. If you fall into this category, custom development should be the way to go.
On the other hand, some organizations need custom software not because they will use it as a marketing or selling tool, but their core business depends on using the software. Custom-tailored software could be a perfect option for you if your business depends on certain software that fails to meet the standards. Maybe that program you’ve been using is buggy. Maybe it doesn’t offer enough customization options. These are some of the situations you might find yourself in that require a piece of custom-tailored software.
All in all, almost every organization and business can benefit from custom software. If it’s backed up by a good plan, whether we are talking about a marketing, sales or HR plan, your organization could benefit greatly from it. Just remember to take it slowly and not to rush it. Custom development isn’t cheap and, if done hastily and without proper planning, could result in failure. Make sure to have a plan and to communicate it with developers as best as you can to secure maximum effectiveness. Do that and you’ll realize why so many companies are hopping onto custom development train.
If you think that custom development is the way to go, contact us. After all, we’ve been recognized as the Top Custom Software Development Company by the SoftwareDevelopmentCompany.co and we are more than happy to tackle new challenges.
