App development has changed a lot in the last few years. It was a practice dominated by programmers and agencies specializing in coding apps from scratch. High entry barriers stopped many businesses from even considering the possibility of starting a mobile app.
Now, no-code development has become a viable option. Businesses can choose to bypass technical app development and instead build an app without coding.
There are many app makers in the market that enable you to build your own app. In short, you broadly have two options to build an app for your business: code-based custom development and no-code app building.
Which option suits your business more? First, we’ll look at both the options closely and understand the implications of choosing either custom development or no-code app making.
Custom app development: What are the variables involved?
Let’s assume you decide to build an app for your business with custom development. How would you go about this process?
Custom development means coding your app from scratch. You can either hire a team of app developers and build an in-house team, or hire an outside agency to build an app for you.
Here are the variables you must immediately consider:
- Technicality: Custom development involves coding. If you don’t already have a team of developers, the technical scale of building an app is very significant.
- Cost: App development is expensive. Whether it is hiring a team of developers or an agency, you will need to invest first in order to begin the process of development. Since coding an app from scratch is a complex process, the costs are high too.
- Time: It takes time to build an app from scratch. Unlike building websites with a CMS, app development takes time.
Code-based app development does enable you to customize your final app completely. However, the costs involved are steep, and it can take anywhere between three to nine months to even build a viable version of a simple app.
This is why we have to discuss the second option.
No-code development: Using app makers
This is the natural option in case code-based development is not for you. Tools like the AppMySite free app maker are known across the board for helping businesses launch apps quickly without coding.
So what are the problems app making tools solve? Let’s look at the factors we discussed previously for custom app development:
- Technicality: App makers generally involve little to no code. This makes it easy for businesses to build apps without having to hire a third party agency or a team of developers.
- Cost: Much more affordable than compared to the complete cost of custom development.
- Time: App development does not take many months or weeks. You can build and publish a functional mobile app within a week, something inconceivable with custom development. With custom development, it
As you can see, these development tools enable you to sidestep all the problems you have to face with custom development. The consistent improvement in no-code tools further makes no-code development a great prospect for your business.
How do app makers work?
Custom development is all about writing code for every part of your app. No code tools simply remove the coding component. Every codeless app making tool is built differently. In this section, we will specifically cover tools that enable users to convert their websites into apps.
Website-based app creators are advantageous for many reasons. For one, you do not need to manage app content through a separate admin panel. You can simply import all your website data to the app. In short, your app reflects your website’s content. Furthermore, any change you make to your website is reflected in the app.
Platforms like AppMySite manage to showcase your WordPress website’s content in a native app environment. Furthermore, these apps are carefully constructed to avoid rejection from the app stores.
Here are some advantages of website-based no-code solutions:
- Unified management: Managing your app from a separate admin panel can be a challenge. This problem is nullified with website-based app makers as you can manage your app content by simply making changes on your website. Your website changes are reflected in the app automatically.
- Porting website functionality: Reflecting your website content in your app can also mean porting some of its functionality. If you have a WordPress website, a good app creator will provide support for the plugins on your website. Alternatively, top platforms like AppMySite also offer webview options that allow users to replicate mobile web pages for specific app screens.
- Consistency: Many brands have websites and apps that look and work differently. This causes a serious dissonance in user experience. Website-based platforms make this a non-issue as they import data directly from the website.
- Short learning curve: App makers are surprisingly easy to use. You don’t need an extensive course on how to create an app to learn development with no-code tools.
Which option should you choose?
We’ve explored both custom and codeless development in detail. So which option is best for your business? For something as big as app development, there are no general answers. There is a case to be made for both forms of app development.
Custom app development is certainly beneficial if you’re looking to create a fully custom app. Furthermore, if you have the financial backing to hire developers or an external agency, it is a sound option.
However, development would become faster and efficient with no-code solutions. Even companies with ample resources would prefer efficient development solutions to create and launch a mobile app. So which option should you choose?
Look at the resources you have available and which path gives you a better outcome. No-code solutions are cheap, thus enabling you to atleast try them out before taking a call.
In conclusion
This article presents the two most prominent options you can choose to develop a mobile app for your business. Both custom and no-code development have their advantages. The points made here should help you decide which option you should choose to build an app for your brand.