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7 TIPS FOR COST-EFFECTIVE WEB APPLICATION

DEVELOPMENT

Application development is becoming more and more important to the modern business. Your ability to create and deploy applications quickly

directly impacts your competitive advantage. But, most businesses can’t afford a team of developers on staff. How can these businesses create the

applications they need without breaking the bank?

The question: How can you keep up without breaking the bank? How can you create cost-

effective applications that drive your business?

ALWAYS CREATE CLEAR SPECIFICATIONSToo many businesses go into a development project with a rough idea, rather than a clear requirements specification.This is one of the biggest money-wasters in the development process.Why? Because the goal isn’t clear. Or, the goal is constantly moving. When your developers don’t know exactly what they’re aiming for, you waste time and money

GET SOMETHING OUT, FAST“Every web app is built to solve a problem and the 80/20 rule is in effect,” says Eric Scott, CEO of Dolphin Micro Custom Software. “Only 20% of the features, solve 80% of the problem. Identify them, prototype them, and start testing them in the real world with real users as fast as you can. The sooner you get feedback on your 20%, the sooner you’ll know if you picked the right 20%, and what else you need to add to deliver high value with the software.”

It’s the common problem of trying to build everything perfectly before releasing the application. When the users finally get the completed app, it’s not what they wanted. What’s the answer? Figure out the bare minimum you need, and get it out to the users.

GIVE YOUR DEVELOPERS THE TOOLS THEY NEED

It’s a common (yet ironic) problem: Companies give their developers inadequate tools (or none at all), just to save money. In reality, the productivity lost with inefficient tools far outweighs the cost savings. What if a tool would cut development time in half? What if it simplified maintenance? If you have in-house developers, make sure they have the tools they need to do their job efficiently.

LOOK LONG TERM

Now, I’d like to give one note of caution to the previous point: Not all tools are a wise choice. Some lock you into a vendor. Others limit you to a specific database or platform. Others make you learn a proprietary language.

INVEST IN A TEMPLATE OR A FRAMEWORK

When we redesigned our website, we had a choice: Do everything from scratch, or pay $20 for a pre-built template and modify it to fit our needs. It’s a no-brainer. The template provided a design and a mobile-ready foundation. Rather than spending weeks building it from scratch, we simply modified the template to fit our needs. This is a great money-saving approach for both web site and front-end web app development.

INTEGRATE BEFORE BUILDING FROM SCRATCH

Do you need a specific feature in your web application? Chances are, it’s already been built. For instance, suppose you need to add reporting to your internal system. Sure, you could build it from scratch, but…why? Instead, look for an existing solution that integrates with your current applications. You’ll save time and money in the long run.

FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO PAY FOR ITI know what you’re thinking: “Why would someone else pay for my development?” The answer: They will, if it also helps them solve a problem.Explanation: I know of some developers who spend nothing on development. Rather, they sell the concept to prospective customers first. They find paying customers before they even create the software. This does two things: It validates the idea, and finances the development. I know of other companies (without developers on staff), who get low cost development in exchange for equity. They sell the concept to a developer, who creates the application in exchange for a portion of the proceeds. As explained below, this approach helped one company get software up and running at a fraction of the cost.

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