What Factors Influence the Cost of Web Application Development
- Web
- January 7, 2019
It is true that with the escalation in the numbers of Smartphones and other devices, the mobile applications have also seen phenomenal growth in the current scenario. However, the prominence of the web applications cannot be subdued as they would also play a crucial role in generating more traffic towards your business.
One of the significant reasons why mobile apps are dominating the web applications is because of the two most high-flying players; Google and Apple, which have captured the majority of the market.
But it does not mean that mobile web apps are out of the race, they are still in much contention. According to a report of the SimilarWeb’s Mobile Web, around 56% of the user traffic from the popular websites has now gone mobile.
The Major Gains of Web Apps
The web applications can prove to be a power booster for any business enterprise with a set of few advantages. It is important to brief it out before moving on further.
Budget Friendly
The web apps are cost-effective in comparison to the native mobile apps development because you don’t need to develop and test all operating systems and configurations. The web trouble-shooting also gets simplified.
Can Be Accessed Anywhere
The web applications can be accessed anywhere and anytime either using a mobile device or a personal computer with internet connectivity. This also helps the team to coordinate with each other in real-time while working from remote locations.
Customization with Ease
The user interface of the web applications can be easily customized making it much simpler to update the application.
Can Be Accessed from Various Devices
The web apps can be accessed through various devices such as a Smartphone, tablet or a PC. Therefore, the user can reach out to your products and services using any device that suits him best.
Easier to Maintain
The maintenance of the web apps are much simpler than the traditional apps. In addition to these benefits, there are some other plus points can web apps can handle the increased workload more efficiently and offer better security and interoperability.
The Category of Web-Based Applications
We are here to throw some substantial light on the cost of developing a web app. But you should be aware of the different types of web-based projects, which summarily is categorized into four categories:
Basic Web Apps
As the name suggests, these apps are the entry level sites having the usual features and functionalities. They have simple landing pages with minimal content. Their UI is also quite straightforward and takes less time for development; about a month. The cost would vary according to the project.
Pro-Level
These web apps are more interactive and offer much more features to get developed proficiently. Yes, it’s true that you can even place someone as e-commerce web apps within this category.
The difficulty level is moderate where a developer also needs to create a prototype for various small business groups and multi-functional Internet portals. The development time is three months.
The Complicated Projects
The third group is the complicated projects where the web apps tend to get customized as per the project requirements. It also comprises of a unique Content Management System (CMS) platform along with intuitive UI and UX design techniques.
This type of web app primarily focuses on stabilizing the project and automating the business process. The time frame for complex projects is slated to be around six months.
Corporation
The clientele of these types of web apps are basically the corporate houses and big enterprises who are ready to invest a good sum of money and time for the development of such apps.
Factors Taken into Account for Developing the Web Apps
Well, once you have decided upon the development of the web apps, it’s time to think about various important factors that are taken into account.
Generating the Idea
Any application development starts with the formulation of the idea where you have to consider the future of your web product.
Research
Once you have stuck with a business idea or plan move on further with the research. You need to find out who your target audiences are, the major competitors, and market demand.
List of Requirements
The list of requirements usually would stick around the features that you want to integrate into the web app. Apart from that you also need to decide what type of web app will be suitable for your business operation.
Developing a Prototype
It is important for you to first create a prototype for the concerned web application before going on for the final development of your product. This would rather give you an idea about how your final app would look like.
UI and UX Design
You don’t need to be told that UI and UX design is an integral part of the web app development process. Make your app simple but visually appealing and sophisticated. The interface should be comprehensible for the users.
Read also: Importance of UI/UX Design in Mobile App Development
The Web Development
This part mainly comprises of developing the front-end i.e. the client-side and backend i.e. is server-side. Your experienced web development team would decide which best programming language is best suitable for implementing on both sides.
App Testing
The web app must be tested for sure before its final launch to verify that it is fully operational and that there are no bugs whatsoever.
The App Release
Once you are satisfied on all the fronts that your app is working all and you think that’s time to make it public, you can release the app. Now it is up to the audience whether they prefer or reject your app.
Key Professionals Playing Role in Development
When you are hiring the services of a hands-on experienced web app development company to cater your project requirement, there are some key professionals involved in the development process.
- The Project Manager who manages or guides the entire project and the team.
- The web app developers; numbers depending on the choice of platform and complexity of the project.
- The User Interface and User Experience Designers in collaboration with the graphic designers.
- The Backend Developer
- Quality Assessment Engineer who tests the app to check its functionality.
- The System Administrator
Factors That Influence the Cost of Web App Development
Finally, we need to consider and analyze the essential factors that can influence the cost of web app development.
Type of App and Platform Choice
We have discussed earlier the four main types of web apps and also seen that their prices and time frame would differ from each other depending on the complexity of the app.
For example, the basic web apps are the most affordable and the corporation apps the most expensive. The cost would also depend on the choice of platform as well.
Implementing the Features
The choice of the features should be done with care as it plays a large part in impacting the cost of web apps. Of course, you need to integrate the common features such as user registration, admin panel etc. It depends on the nature of the business.
Choice of Web Development Agency
This is another vital decision on the part of the client to select the right web development firm to assign the project. Here the price largely depends on the geographical location or country where that company is located.
If you are outsourcing the project in the US or Europe you need to pay more in compression to a company based in India.
The Choice of Pricing Model
You also have to take a stance on the pricing model that the web development company is offering. There are two types of pricing models; the fixed price model and the hourly rates.
This is something you need to decide depending on your specific needs, the time frame and most importantly, the budget in the pocket.
The Aftermath Support and Services
Don’t think that your job is done once your app is launched. You would require the aftermath service and support as well, specifically when the app would need an update or it some bug fixes. Apart from that you also have to incur some infrastructural cost including registration of domain name and web hosting charges.
Conclusion
We have discussed the various imperative factors related to the cost of developing web applications. But at the same time, it must be remembered that it is a tough job to estimate the exact of building the web application. Web app development is a complex task considering the fact that takes many twists and turns during the process and passes through various pivotal phases.
If you are planning to create a web application for your business insurgence, do let us know more about your project. We are here to transform your ideas into reality.