The custom app development approach helps business owners convert their groundbreaking ideas into realistic mobile apps that are needed in the industry. It is a tailor-made solution designed to meet business needs and gives you an edge over others.
If you are a startup, choosing between ready-made solutions and custom app development can be crucial. This is because it will not only determine your app’s success but also decide the future of your brand.
Let’s take Uber Eats as an example to understand the power of custom app development. When it was launched, it witnessed fierce competition from other established competitors. However, they invested in a custom mobile application development approach to design a platform that meets the needs of both restaurant partners and customers.
They integrated some unique features such as personalized recommendations, real-time order tracking, and a streamlined payment process. Today, Uber Eats has become one of the dominant players in the food delivery market.
This success story shows how a custom app can lead to growth, and customer satisfaction and give a competitive edge. It also underscores the fact it is one of the best ways to grow and differentiate yourself in the marketplace. So, if you are also planning to start your business, you can follow this approach to succeed.
In this blog, you will discover why building a custom mobile app from scratch is one of the best choices, especially for startups. You will know how a custom mobile app development approach can make a huge impact on scaling up your business.
Table of Contents
Ready-Made App Solutions V/S Developing Apps from Scratch
Here, we have given a comparison between the ready-made solution and developing apps from scratch to give you a better idea :
Criteria |
Ready-Made App Solutions | Developing Apps from Scratch |
Time to Launch |
As the app is pre-built, it is quick to launch |
As the app is built from scratch, longer development time |
Scalability |
Difficult to scale and doesn’t support growth in the future |
Highly scalable, allowing seamless upgrades as the business grows |
Security |
Includes basic and standard security features |
Includes advanced security protocols |
Cost |
Lower custom app development cost |
Higher initial investment |
Customization |
Limited customization and predefined templates |
Fully customizable and built as per project needs |
Flexibility |
Rigid structure and limited ability to add features |
High flexibility and allows the addition of features |
Integration with Other Systems |
Difficult to integrate with existing systems |
Easy to integrate with existing systems |
Unique Features |
Generic features common for all businesses |
Unique features designed for your project |
User Experience (UX) |
Generic user experience |
Optimized user experience |
Long-term Viability |
May need frequent updates |
Long-lasting solution that keeps evolving |
Ownership and Control |
Limited control over the app, often owned by the platform provider |
Full ownership and control over app features, data, and other updates |
Support and Maintenance |
Standard support provided by the platform solution provider |
Dedicated, ongoing support and maintenance tailored to the app |
So, now you can differentiate between Custom App Development vs White-Label App Solutions to make a better decision for your business. At first glance, ready-made solutions can be a faster and more cost-effective option. This is because when you want to have a pre-built platform, that will be easy to launch quickly. However, the challenge is that it includes only some limited customization or generic features and doesn’t adapt to the changing business needs.
Therefore, if you want your app to serve your unique business model, then a custom app development approach is most suitable for you. Also, ready-made apps come with some scalability challenges and prevent your startup from standing out in the market. Whereas, custom mobile application development allows you to create a more secure and scalable solution aligning with your unique vision and long-term goals.
When you build an app from scratch, the upfront custom app development cost may be higher but it will result in enhanced user experience and seamless integration of tools with your system. So, if you are a startup, check out the below key points that showcase how investing in mobile app custom development is a strategic choice for your business.
Why Custom App Development Approach is Ideal for Startups?
1. Give Your Users What They Need
The objective of every startup is unique and a custom app reflects that. When you develop a custom app, you can design various functionalities specially addressed to your user’s needs. Let’s take an example if your business needs to have a unique workflow or you are looking forward to having exclusive features, then a pre-made app will not help you much.
In this case, the custom app development approach gives you the flexibility to incorporate tailored features that streamline several processes. You can design your app as per the unique requirements of your startup. This approach will also help you to provide a seamless experience to your users. If you are still confused about “how to build a custom app” that your users need, then you can have a look at the custom app development guide to get complete information.
2. Overcome Bottlenecks For Long-term Success
Most of the startups are running to scale, and so should your mobile app. The ready-made app solutions might be helpful for the initial stage but don’t ensure growth in the long run. They can become bottlenecks and may not help to attract more targeted users. On the other hand, custom mobile application development always ensures the success of your application. The best part is that you are free to update and incorporate advanced features as per your project specifications. Therefore, custom app development can boost your business by offering long-term solutions, so that your app can evolve as per the needs of your users.
3. Integrate Emerging Tools With Your Existing System
If you are running a startup, you need to invest in various tools and technologies to effectively manage all aspects of your business. From CRMs to payment gateways or analytics software, you need to incorporate emerging technologies to get useful insights. Ready-made applications do not allow you to seamlessly integrate tools and technologies with your systems. However, with a custom app integration, your app can have better integration capabilities as it will be built from scratch to work smoothly with your existing tools.
This leads to better results and increased efficiency. Also, there will be fewer manual processes and more streamlined business operations, so that you can focus on other core tasks. You can discuss your project with a leading mobile app development company in USA. They will help you to seamlessly integrate the latest technologies into your app.
4. Make Your App More Secure Than Ever
One of the major concerns that most startups face is “Data Security” and dealing with customer-sensitive information. If you choose a Ready-Made app, they offer you standard security measures that are not tailored to your specific risks. Whereas, a custom app gives you full control over security protocols. Therefore, it also ensures that all the sensitive data will remain protected due to advanced security features, encryption, and secure architecture. The more secure is your app, the more it helps to build trust with your users. Therefore, it will help every startup to grow and achieve high.
5. Grab Your User Attention With Appealing UI/UX Design
As per the industrial reports by Ecommercebonsai, around 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to your app after having a bad experience. Startups need to pay high attention to improving the user experience of their app to ensure success and to build a loyal customer base. With custom mobile app development, you can easily tailor the app according to your users. Moreover, you can also incorporate advanced features based on their pain points and feedback. This will make your app more effective and user-friendly. A well-recognized UI UX design agency can understand your project and can help you enhance the overall user experience of your app.
6. Future-Proof Solution To Evolve With Market Needs
Every startup owner needs to build an engaging app that can evolve with the changing market scenarios. When you develop a custom app, it offers you the flexibility to make necessary enhancements and updates in the future. Therefore, your startup can easily adapt to new emerging custom app development trends, technologies, and user demands. So, mobile app custom development is the best future-proof approach that ensures your long-term viability and minimizes overall risk.
Read Also: Custom Mobile App Development: 5 Powerful Strategies to Enhance User Engagement
Popular Examples of Companies That Adopted Custom App Development Approach
Airbnb
Airbnb is one of the best examples. The Airbnb platform was specifically designed from scratch to meet the demands of both travelers and hosts. With a ready-made app solution, they would never be able to offer advanced features of specific booking and communication at your convenience. Custom mobile app development allows them to scale up their business and also helps them redefine their offerings with the growing needs of their business.
Read Also: Complete Research Guide on Airbnb
Spotify
Spotify has also opted for a custom app development approach to meet the unique demand for music streaming experience across multiple platforms. It has included several personalized features such as a curated playlist, real-time music recommendations, and even offline listening. They can redefine their platform using various custom data analytics and machine learning. You can also create a music streaming app like Spotify to deliver the best user experience and dominate the industry.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a popular name, especially for cloud storage solutions. Initially, they started with custom-built solutions to meet the unique needs for storage and file synchronization. Instead, if they had chosen a ready-made app solution, they would not have been able to offer some robust and advanced features to their users. As they choose to follow a custom app development approach, they are staying ahead of their competitors.
Time For Your Decision
For every startup who are looking forward to leading the industry, customer app development is one of the best strategic approaches. Indeed, ready-made app solutions are popular for short-term convenience but they do come with limited features, flexibility, and growth. Therefore, a custom app is considered ideal for startup businesses as it offers more tailored features, scalability, and security.
So, if you are a startup, you can connect with a leading and reputed custom mobile app development company to create a unique and scalable app that perfectly aligns with your business model. They will help you in the best possible way to take your startup business to new heights.