Custom software development can play an integral role in the success of a company’s mobile strategy. While generic software may work well enough, it can never meet your company’s precise, unique needs the way that a custom developed piece of software can. You can work directly with your developer to find solutions to common issues your company or your clients face, thereby expanding brand awareness and increasing your earning potential.
There are several stages that go into creating the perfect piece of software for your business. Here’s what the custom software development process typically looks like.
Research Your Users
It’s important to consider your current products and services and what customer concerns you’re hoping to tackle with the software. Researching your users—whether they are your own employees, your clients or both—is a key step. This could mean reaching out to your users and asking what features they’d like to see in the software. A good way to gather feedback is through short surveys with either multiple choice questions or yes/no questions. By doing this research before development, you can ensure you craft a positive UI and UX.
The best way to give these ideas shape is with a project brief, a detailed description of your software development project. It should include a timetable with all the important deadlines and the budget. By the end, you should have a deep understanding of what you want the app to look like and how’d you like it to impact your users.
Define Your Goals
Next, figure out how you’re going to monetize the app and measure its success. Measuring ROI can be done in a number of ways. You could opt for ad revenue, add a subscription service, offer a membership with multiple tiers or add a payment gateway.
It’s wise to discuss the pros and cons of each monetization model with your developer, as they can advise you regarding what approach will be best for your company. They can also help you select the best success goals so you can accurately track the software’s performance.
Design the UI/UX
The design process is essential for businesses seeking to optimize the look, feel and functionalities of the software. Simplicity is important in today’s digital culture, as users want the ability to solve complex tasks in a fast and efficient manner. The user interface should be logical and seamless while also offering you the ability to scale up or down depending on changing traffic needs over time.
Part of the custom software development process is deciding whether you need to add buttons, transitions, animations, images or prompts to make it easier for users to navigate through your app. Everything from the overall look, font type, color scheme, sounds and compatibility with specific devices and platforms should be taken into account. Ultimately, you want to make the experience of using your app as intuitive as possible.
The Development Phase
After you have an approved design, development begins. This is where it all comes together. The best developers will take an agile approach to development, meaning they prioritize the functionality of an application and its impact on users over processes and tools.
Daily scrums are a typical part of agile development. Scrums are short meetings at the beginning of each day in which the various teams working on building the software get together to discuss where they’re at and what tasks need to be accomplished that day. The goal is to make sure that everyone is on the same page, as a piece of software that was not developed in a collaborative manner may suffer from flaws and inconsistencies. And because the software is being customized, they will be many opportunities during this phase to adjust elements to fit your company’s exact needs.
Testing and Deployment
After the software is developed, it needs to be tested before it is released. The software development team will test the app extensively, but having actual users test the software is also useful. Beta testing allows participants to use the UI and multiple functionalities in a real-world environment. Based on the results, your development team can make any necessary changes to bolster the software’s functionality and eliminate any bugs or security vulnerabilities.
Once you finish testing, it’s time to deploy the software. However, the process doesn’t completely end here. By continuously testing and updating the software, you can ensure it is always operating at a peak level and meeting the shifting needs of your company and clients.
The custom software development process may seem complicated at first glance, but it can easily be broken down into a few manageable steps. The right developer will consider your company’s goals and work to efficiently craft a unique piece of software that caters to your business.
But how do you find the right software developer? Well, the team at 7T specializes in custom software development. We take a “business first” approach, always zeroing in on the exact needs of our clients. We’re also well-versed in many emerging technologies, including augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, blockchain and natural language processing.
While 7T is headquartered in Dallas, we also serve clients in Austin, Houston, and beyond. To discuss your custom software development project, please contact us today.
