Balancing Cost and Innovation: When to Splurge or Save on Custom Apps
When developing an app, a common dilemma that most businesses face is deciding between the cost aspect and the quality of the app.
However, the best approach is to strike a balance between quality and cost. This way, users can expect seamless experiences, and businesses can eliminate financial constraints.
But how do you guarantee quality performance without spending a bomb?
This blog delves deeper into the relationship between mobile app development cost and quality.
Let’s begin.
Breaking Down Custom App Development Cost
The app development budgeting process relies on several factors, such as the development approach, complexity, and location. Here is a breakdown of the factors driving the cost –
- Platforms
Developing apps for multiple platforms costs more than native app development built for only one operating system, such as Android or iOS.
- App complexity
Complex, advanced, and innovative apps with modern and custom features and technologies, such as real-time updates, payment gateways and options, and links with other programs, have a higher development cost than apps with traditional and standard features. Complexity is a significant factor that drives the cost differences between off-the-shelf vs custom apps.
- Developer location
The cost of development significantly varies depending on different regions. While North American developers charge around $100-$150/hour, South American developers may cost around $20-$50/hour.
- Features and design
Tailored graphics, designs, and features can add up to the complete cost. Features like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), etc., can make your enterprise mobile app development more expensive than those with basic and traditional features and designs.
Furthermore, the cost of app development also depends on building an app development team. Outsourcing or choosing IT staff augmentation for your mobile app development process will cost you less, while building an in-house team may incur costs like hiring the right candidates, providing leaves and other employee benefits, having a backup, etc.
The Cost of Poor Performance: The Hidden Expenses
Before fixing your budget, it is also important to consider the performance. If your app development technology results in poor performance, it will cost you conversion and revenue. Besides, error fixing will also add to your expenses. These errors usually include bugs, customer frustration, and security issues.
Suppose your app crashes very frequently, underperforms, and is difficult to navigate; your users might try your app once or twice. 70% of users abandon apps after two attempts if they perform poorly, resulting in increased bounce rates, decreased engagement, and missed revenue and opportunities.
How Much Does Custom Mobile App Development Cost?
Along with complexity, platform, and developer location, the cost of modern mobile app development will also depend on –
- Security plugins and compliance: The cost of your app will significantly depend on the security best practices you implement and the plugins and hosting you use to strengthen your security.
- Scalability: Having scalable applications is the need of the hour. However, making your apps scalable can increase your total app development cost while reducing your future expenses.
- Customization: Choosing off-the-shelf template-based apps is cheaper than customized ones. Custom apps include advanced features and functionalities that increase the cost. Nevertheless, custom apps are scalable, save future expenses, secure, and ensure seamless integration with existing systems, resulting in a more cost-effective option.
The industry average cost of mobile app development with scalable features can range anywhere between $30,000 and $70,000 for apps with medium complexity and over $80,000 for enterprise-level, highly innovative apps.
On the contrary, traditional or simple apps will cost less. However, it is crucial to understand that splurging on quality and innovation will, in return, increase the custom app development ROI for small businesses. Whereas cheaper apps will cost your conversions and revenues.
How to Choose Innovation Without Blowing Your Budget?
While quality is paramount, most businesses face challenges with the budget. This is when it is important to strike the right balance between innovation and expenses. Here is how you can splurge on innovation with the right return –
- Define the Core Features: Have a plan, identify the core features you want to implement, depending on your objectives and goals.
- Outsource Development: If building an internal team increases your costs, outsourcing mobile app development services can reduce your budget while maintaining efficiency.
- Prioritise User Experience: Enhancing user experience will unleash more opportunities and increase conversions.
- Test Early: Keep testing your app to identify errors, bugs, and glitches in the initial process, ensuring better performance and an enhanced user experience.
Furthermore, practice using agile methodologies for affordable mobile app development, leveraging pre-built frameworks, focusing on security best practices, etc.
Summing Up
Choosing cost-effective app development is the key to avoiding financial constraints while giving your customers what they need. Nevertheless, it is important to prioritize innovation and quality when developing applications for your business. Choosing cheaper versions with poor performance will cost you conversions and revenue, reducing your ROI.
On the contrary, apps that focus on performance, quality, and innovation are more likely to help you achieve your objectives and goals, while reducing your future expenses and increasing ROI.
Thus, choosing the best mobile app development agency in New York will empower you to build custom, high-performance mobile apps that attract, engage, and convert.
