Being an entrepreneur, you sooner or later face the necessity of creating your own software product, be it an app, a website, a program, or whatnot. But a pertinent question arises — who will help you develop your digital solution? There are a few options. You may hire freelance developers, build your own in-house team, or go for a custom software development company. All three, of course, have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, there’s obviously a reason why outsourcing companies are overtaking in this race.
In-house teams are costly and long to hire. Freelancers lack supervision. Moreover, it’s quite difficult to predict the quality of their performance. Meanwhile, custom software development companies already have teams of hand-selected experts. They specialize in creating tailored-made products customized exactly to your business needs and specific target audience. In a word, you get a unique solution and can fill your market gap. This makes a huge difference as such an approach lets you stand out, successfully compete, and grow.
But if you’re still hesitating about custom software development and want to weigh all the pros and cons, below you’ll find the information you need. Ready?
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5 Main Reasons Why You Should Go for Custom Software Development
Why out-of-the-box software is often a no-go for businesses? What are the advantages of custom solutions? Let’s figure it out!
1. Targeted solution
Very often, instead of developing a customized product, businesses make a decision to go for off-the-shelf software solutions. These are standardized products that are mass-produced and available to the general public. At first glance, such an option seems beneficial as it’s cheaper and quicker to implement. However, in a while, you start experiencing more and more pitfalls:
- it’s impossible or inflexible to change;
- upgrades cost extra;
- no support after time;
- lack of features;
- problems with integration;
- no control, etc.
That’s why, in the long run, custom software development is much more advantageous. All because your business is unique and so are your needs. You have to understand that there’s no universal digital solution that can perfectly meet your requirements. That’s why choosing a customized development is usually the only option as it provides you with a targeted solution. At least if you’re planning to grow and upgrade.
2. Cost-effectiveness
Selecting a product meant for reselling and deprived of your specific needs won’t save you money. On the contrary, it’ll require more and more resources sooner or later. Why?
First, you’ll probably end up buying additional hardware, as the capabilities of the one you already have might not be enough.
Second, there are monthly or annual subscription fees you’ll have to pay. This is certainly not beneficial if your project is planned to be long-term, while custom software development, with the passing of time, will get you a bigger return on investment.
3. Integration
It’s highly likely your organization is divided into several departments (for example, HR, accounting, sales, etc.). Each of them requires its own software to function properly, and that’s where software integration comes in handy. It’s a process of aligning a few kinds of sub-systems and making them unified. This helps to:
- automate tasks that were manual;
- speed up the flow of information within the organization;
- save resources;
- optimize business processes;
- increase sales and profit.
The thing is, integrating your software into already existing solutions is near-impossible if you choose an off-the-shelf product. Error-free integration with other products is real only if you opt for the development of custom software. Such a decision will eliminate lots of technical issues, give you control over users accessing the system, make you free of memorizing a lot of passwords, and help your employees adapt to the new solution easier and faster.
4. Scaling
You create your company to grow, right? Then your needs and, consequently, product requirements will ultimately change in time. Therefore, you surely want your software to be able to grow and scale to your business processes. Is it feasible with out-of-the-box solutions meant for reselling? Of course, no. When time passes, you’ll have to look for something new, more suitable to your demands, and probably much more expensive. Does it look like you’re saving time and money?
Being a business owner, you have to think long-term, months and years ahead. When choosing custom software development services, you invest in your future business. You give it a chance to grow at its own pace, scale smoothly and naturally. Besides, who would mind saving on additional licensing or subscriptions for extra features?
5. Independence
This point has a broad sense and many advantages for you, as an entrepreneur. Let’s first touch upon support and maintenance. Imagine the following situation — an off-the-shelf product you bought or had a subscription for is no longer updated because, for some reason, the project was closed. It might happen, right? What are you going to do in such a situation? You just end up with outdated software. Extra expenses are just inevitable.
Second, what about changes in prices? It’s doubtful you’ll pay the same cost in 2, 5, or 10 years for someone else’s product’s usage. Can you plan your budget and allocate resources properly if such an essential part of your business as software isn’t under your full control? And, last of all, can you provide personalized services and enhance customer experience if you’re limited by the functionality of a product developed by people who have no idea about what you do. Remember — it’s you who knows your business in-and-out.
If you don’t want to depend on third parties and crave for complete freedom — look for a software development company offering customized services for businesses. Make research, read reviews, get familiar with companies’ portfolios and delivered projects. With such an approach, you’ll inevitably find the option completely suitable for your business needs, budget, and timeframe.
