Having the right tools is essential to getting any job done. For many businesses, those tools are increasingly becoming digital ones as they work to streamline their workflows and manage complex data.
When you need to accomplish a task that your existing tools aren’t able to, creating a custom software application can be an important step in remaining competitive. But designing the right software can be a complex process, and working through the various issues that come with it — issues like user permissions, third-party software integrations, or user interface design — can be difficult.
Here at Webspec, our team works with businesses on custom web application development projects every day, helping them simplify the process and achieve the successful results they’re looking for. If you’re wondering how to start planning and designing a web application to meet your needs — or what to look for in a company that will help you construct one — we’ve put together this guide to help.
Define the Problem You’re Trying to Solve
When you begin working on a project, it’s important to begin with a solid grasp on the whys, whos, and whats of your project. Some important questions include:
- Why is a custom web application right for my needs?
- Who will be the main users (target audiences) for this application?
- What stakeholders need to be involved in this project?
- What is your budget and timeline?
Let’s examine each of these questions in more detail.
Why Is a Custom Web Application Right for My Needs?
As you start out, it’s important to have a clear idea of what pain points you’re trying to address.
- Are you looking to streamline your internal workflow for employees?
- Are you looking to better manage complex data and who has permission to access it?
- Are you looking to strengthen the customer experience through a new digital product?
If you’re working on answering whether a custom app is right for you, check out our guide to what makes a good custom application project. One key question to ask is: If you’re doing something on paper right now, could it be done online? That is a way to help you determine what ways your software application could increase your business’s efficiency.
Who Will Be the Main Users (Target Audiences) for This Application?
The key to a successful application is keeping your main users front and center. Who are you creating this app for? Will it be for customers, employees, or both? What actions will each user need to take?
Your app will very likely involve more than one user group. If that’s the case, it’s helpful to rank these users in order of importance and determine what each one needs from the project. Having this priority list in order will help you make the tough decisions as the process moves forward.
It will also help you ensure that you create a good user experience (UX) within your application’s design, meaning that the layout, content, and functionality of the software meet the needs of the people who are using it the most. Applications that have a good user experience are more likely to keep your employees working efficiently and your customers engaged and coming back — which will help to boost your profits.
What Stakeholders Need to Be Involved in This Project?
Determining the right stakeholders is another major factor in your project’s success. You’ll want to involve the necessary leadership in major decisions while also incorporating the voices of your major users — who may be quite different people — into feedback on the design.
The app design process can be involved, so forming expectations up-front for how progress will be communicated, by whom, and to whom, is essential.
What Is Your Budget & Timeline?
Two other key factors are how much you can spend on developing your custom application and how much time you have to work on it. If you’re planning to partner with an outside web development company (more on that in a bit), knowing this information will help you ensure you’re communicating your expectations clearly.
Determine What Information & Tools You Need to Get Started
What Internal Tools Will the Project Need to Work With?
Understanding the tools you have, what their capabilities are for sending data, and what pricing structure they have is another important step in the planning process. Different tools have different capacities to integrate with software applications, and learning those capabilities will be a helpful part of planning.
For example, if your business has a tool that only allows a certain number of API calls with the standard model, you may need to upgrade to a higher level on the tool if you need more when you connect it to your custom application.
It’s helpful to make a list of the tools that you will need to integrate into your app, and then know what each of their capabilities is.
What Permissions Will Each User Need to Have?
Another common role with applications is governing user permissions. For example, your accountant will likely need access to different data than your marketing director — and both will certainly need different information than your customers. There also may be certain information you don’t want certain roles gaining access to.
Custom software applications are great at controlling who can access what information within the application, so figuring out what needs to be built into your application will be another key in the planning process.
An additional consideration that goes hand-in-hand with access is the types of security features your application needs to have. If it is handling sensitive data, it’s important to know what government regulations or data privacy best practices you must comply with to be sure it’s safe.
Choose the Right Web Application Development Company
So, you know what your application needs to do and why it needs to do it. Now, it’s time to figure out who can build it for you.
Unless you have an internal development team that has the expertise to handle it, one of the most important decisions that will determine the success of your project is what company you choose to work with for your custom app development project.
You could be working with this company for several months, and it’s important to know that you are hiring someone you can trust should unexpected issues arise during the project.
Application development projects are easier if your business has been through one before — and it’s the same way with the companies developing them. It’s vitally important to know that the company you work with has experience with projects in your area of need, or something similar to it. Ask the company you’re planning to hire whether they are experienced with the type of software you are using and the third-party tools they will need to integrate. Check out their reviews from past customers to gain an idea of who they’ve worked with and what their strengths are.
Here at Webspec, We’re Experienced in Making Custom App Projects into Successes
At Webspec, we’re here to make your search for custom web application development services easy. Our team works with many different industries and has a wide breadth of experience with integrating third-party tools. Our development team is well-versed in Laravel, the industry-leading framework for software application development.
If you’re just getting started on your journey, our team stands ready to help you work through all of the questions above — and more — to develop the application that your business needs. Reach out to us today to start a conversation and see how we can help your company.