Custom vs Packaged Apps: To stay within the box or to step out of it

As a business owner, one constantly finds themselves caught up in between the ever classic dilemma- to stay within the box or to step out of it. Each with their own pros and cons, it is natural to not be entirely sure about if you are making the right decision for your company or not. The best way to go about it is to ask for help when you are not sure about what you are getting yourself involved into.

It's not news that mobile platforms have become the ride or die for each and every business out there. Each business has a unique narrative which needs to expressed to their customers, if not, nobody will bother to know about the product or services the business has to offer. This duty is fulfilled by web or mobile app solutions. The more unique and synonymous these solutions are to one's business, the better the chances to flourish. This is where comes the pick and choose between Customized and Packaged apps.

There is a substantial difference between these two kind of app platforms. As a business owner one needs to have a good understanding about what you want your mobile or web apps to do for you. Having that awareness will narrow it down for you, helping you pick the right choice. If you still think that you might not be able to make a decision; hire an experienced app developer to help you make the pick. For now, let's dive into the characteristics of both, customized and packaged apps.

CUSTOMIZED APPS:

step outside the box

also called, tailor-made apps, bespoke apps

Built specifically for a target audience, customized apps give the business more control over customization according to latest trends or to what the audience expects out of them. Not only is it beneficiary for the audience, it also works well for business as well, giving more control and synchrony amongst colleagues. Managing duties of each person working with the company becomes notably easier. Let's check out some of the pros and cons of customized apps:

PROS:

• specifically designed for your requirements

• can be easily modified according to your business' requirements, insights obtained by data received, colleague suggestions etc.

• customized apps are malleable and can be plugged in to work with solutions already in place by your business.

• do not get outdated easily since it is always possible to keep up with the trends of the market place

• you can keep track of each and every function of your app and avoid anything you might not need to simplify it further on for your business and audience

• more control over the functions which need to be included and which can be excluded

CONS:

• more expensive than packaged app solutions when it comes to investing capital

• processing and development time is usually longer

• needs thorough understanding of systems and processes

• requires staff and vendor support

PACKAGED APPS:

stay within the box

also called, commercial off-the-counter apps

Packaged apps are tried and tested alternatives to customized apps. They provide a good foundation and give a definitive process for your business. These kind of apps cater to the mass public as opposed to a specific audience. Packaged apps can still be really complex systems. Designed to cater to the public, a lot of time and effort is put into creating these apps to provide businesses with a wide range of functionalities serving as the common denominator. Let's dive into some of the Pros and Cons of packaged apps:

PROS:

• cheaper up-front price

• provides a clear and defined process and timeline for your business to follow

• development time can be faster

• tried and tested methods which convert audience patterns and preferences to functionalities to be used by businesses to generate content

CONS:

• customizable but at a pricey cost

• rigid systems which are hard to change according to data provided

• not for innovative businesses

• easy target for hackers

• money can be wasted on paying for app features your business will never use

• not unique to your business only

• availability of these apps leads to competitors to get the same apps leaving no difference between you and them

• messy to transport data

Not all of it will make sense right away. Choosing the right app solutions requires you to have a trusted vendor (if choosing a packaged app) or a dedicated development team (customized app). Think of it as this way, customized apps are the designer clothing of the app world and packaged apps the generic clothing. You may ask yourself if it is "worth" to invest the money in designer clothing or not. Turns out, in some cases, purchasing designer goods are most of the times worth the price-tag. The end line is, if you want quality over quantity, you should really think about investing capital in to customized apps. Still confused if that is the right option for you or not? Let's put our heads together and we can figure it out together, at BluEnt.

Maximum Value, Achieved.