// MOBILE & WEB APPS
App development
Mobile and web apps for small businesses and founders, built to be straightforward to maintain once people start using them.
We build apps for iPhone, Android and the web. Some are used by your customers, such as a booking app or a loyalty programme. Others are tools for your own staff, such as a job card app for technicians working on site. In either case we take responsibility for the whole process with you, from the initial idea through design, development, testing and launch, and we continue to support the app afterwards. Because we look after what we build, we design every app to be maintained over the long term.
Our approach to app development
The most costly mistake we see is trying to include every feature in the first version. An app with a long feature list takes a long time to build, and a long time to establish whether customers want it. We prefer to release a smaller first version to real users, observe how they use it, and plan the next stage of development based on that evidence.
This is what we mean by Simplicity by Design: the simplest solution that solves the problem. It is quicker to build, cheaper to run and considerably easier to change when you learn something new about your customers.
Choosing between a mobile app and a web app
Not every project needs an app in the App Store. If your users work at a desk, a web app that runs in the browser on laptops and phones may be sufficient, and it avoids the effort of maintaining releases on two app stores. If your users are on the road, need to work without signal, or need the phone's camera or GPS, a mobile app for iOS and Android is usually the better choice.
Most apps also need administration screens, so that your team can manage users and content without having to contact us for routine changes. We will help you decide which combination suits your business, and we will advise you if we believe you are about to pay for something you do not need.
How a build runs
We work in short cycles. Every week or two you can use a working version on your own phone, so you can give feedback while changes are still inexpensive to make, and you do not have to wait until the end of the project to see the result.
You deal directly with the engineers doing the work, with no account manager relaying messages. If you want to know why a screen behaves in a particular way, you can ask the person who built it.
Testing takes place throughout the project rather than in the final week before launch. When the app is ready for release, we guide you through the App Store and Google Play submission processes, which involve more administration than most people expect.
Support after launch
Launch marks the beginning of an app's working life. Phone operating systems are updated, app store requirements change, and your users will request features that were not anticipated during planning.
We remain available for fixes, updates and small changes after launch, so that the app continues to work reliably and keeps pace with your business as it develops.
// FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I own the code?
Yes. The code we write for you is yours. We also suggest that the app store accounts are held in your company's name rather than ours, so that you are never dependent on anyone else to make a change.
Can you take over an app someone else built?
In many cases, yes. We begin by reviewing the code and giving you a candid assessment of its condition. Sometimes it is in reasonable shape and needs some attention. Sometimes repairing it would cost more than rebuilding the weakest parts, and we will tell you if that is the case.
How long does it take to build an app?
It depends on what the app must do on launch day, which is why we recommend starting with Discovery Week. At the end of that week you receive an estimate based on an agreed scope.
Will my app work without signal?
It can, if your users need it to. Offline support adds development work, so we only build it where there is a clear need, such as technicians working in areas with poor coverage.
// RELATED SERVICES
Discovery Week
A short first engagement, usually about a week, that establishes what you are building, what it is likely to take, and whether we are the right team to build it.
Support and maintenance
Fixes, updates, monitoring and small changes that keep the software we built for you working as it should.
Custom software
Bespoke systems for the parts of your business that off-the-shelf software does not fit well.