Web applications are now the latest digital asset for enterprises and SMBs. They are gaining popularity, especially for entrepreneurs looking for a way to flourish their business and brand in the digital sphere. Web apps are hugely beneficial for online businesses because it is flexible, robust, dynamic, and compatible with workflow, which is cost-effective too.
But what is the cost of web application development?
Let’s explore the different avenues on how you can derive the cost of web application development from the nature, phases, technology used, resources included, and vendor hired.
The budget, expertise, resources, and time to be devoted to developing depends on the complexity of your web application. The usage and requirements of web applications are divided into four broad categories-
Simple web applications have basic applications with the minimum basic required functionalities and a single web page for your business online. They include static information with minimal coding using HTML and CSS that any web developer has.
The basic elements of a simple web app are drag and drop elements, scrolling, and a few interactive elements like contact forms, graphics, animations, etc, alongside preset themes and templates. They help in developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for startups and enterprises where the beginners can test the idea in reality.
Medium web applications are also known as professional web apps have interactive content, a variety of functionalities, and features along with multiple web pages. The interactive elements are mostly generic and require a higher level of coding than the simple web apps. It contains complex and dynamic elements like pop-ups, contact forms, animations, scrolling, clicking, user login, personalized content for each user, and so on. It issues a lot of reused themes and predefined templates, layouts, etc along with necessary database maintenance and security protocols. For this, you need to be experienced web developers with technical skills in HTML, JavaScript, and CSS for the integration of libraries and frameworks. You can hugely see their real-life application in simple eCommerce web apps, online games, web portals, and web apps for startups.
Complex web applications are much more advanced in terms of functionalities with complex functions, advanced features, and high web traffic. It is made to handle hundreds of users at the same time, providing multiple services. They are custom-made from scratch with proper functions and features. This means that it requires sophisticated coding which is expensive and takes more time to build.
Additionally, the web app needs a proper database management system, security measures, and integration with plugins. They are mainly enterprise-level web applications seen in retailing and eCommerce stores with progressive web apps. Brands like Shopify, Flipkart, Uber, and Twitter, use such complex web applications to offer services to their clients. To develop such apps, you need to hire experts from the most renowned web applications development company, providing quality and budget-friendly service packages.
Innovative web applications are more unique in terms of ideas, custom-made for specific target audiences highlighting the products/services. They include dynamic content that drives traffic with multiple user accounts. It also includes proper database management, and third-party integrations, along with many unique features you need to get tailored for your target users.
For this, you need more time and resources, which makes it the most expensive among the other three web apps. You can seek help from refined and authentic web developers with a creative mindset and technical experience to help you out in this venture.
Let’s get to know more about which factors will influence your web app development cost and how you can make selective choices to control your expenditure, as well as make them budget-friendly.
The cost is firstly dependent on what type of vendor you select or hire for your web application development- whether it will be a-
An in-house team is the best choice when you have multiple projects with no deadline, and the main objective is to maximize the quality of the web app. Thus, you can have complete control over the project. They are hired when there is a specific purpose project with reliable on-time delivery and quality.
Hiring freelancers is the best choice for small projects that only need a few features, a little web app maintainable, and update. Here, the advantage of hiring freelancers is that you have complete control over the cost that is best suitable for you when there is a budget constraint as well as you have limited time. They are affordable, you can even check their work portfolio before making a decision, and have on-point delivery skills.
Hiring web application development companies in India like Futuristic Bug is the best choice to make when you need to build tailored web applications with high-end features and functionalities on a schedule.
The more complex your features and functionalities are, the more cost you will have to incur while developing your web app. Though the features and functionalities define your web app and refine it for your target users, you also need to consider your budget.
If you include advanced features like AI (Artificial Intelligence) integration like digital assistance and chatbots, then it will require more testing and time which will drive your cost up. Whether it will be cross-platform, responsive design outlay, and be upgraded- the whole cost of the package increases. Additionally, if you need payment support, inventory management, filtering, and tracking options – it will need to be maintained and upgraded periodically, thus the cost as a whole increase.
The following different phases of web application development also will give you a detailed estimation of how much cost you may incur and how much time it will take to complete-
You need to scope out your market and also hire professionals for the same if you want to invest money in it. It is the first phase of web app development that requires an in-depth understanding of your target audience and the viability of your product/service – the cost completely depends on the kind of research and market survey tools you are using.
This phase is completely dedicated to the user journey and user experience or as in layman’s terms known as the ‘look and feels’ of the web app. The cost incurred focuses on the visual elements of the web app where wireframing and prototyping take place. It
The cost of this phase depends on the complexity of the web app and what type of functionalities you want. This phase includes the coding, frameworks, and iterations depending on those functionalities as well as for deciding how much time it will take to complete it all.
This is the phase of web development that ensures there aren’t any issues or problems with your web app in the real market. Testing helps in scoping all the errors, and bugs as well as fixing the web app to maintain its quality and seamless UX. Whereas, the deployment includes server hosting, buying a domain name, SEO, and third-party APIs. The debugging and testing make it more cost-incurring than other phases.
In this web app development phase, the cost is derived from your choice of maintenance and support you seek for your web app life long. If you want a web application company on retainer or to hire professionals on an hourly basis to optimize your web app- the cost fluctuates as per so. The cost also increases if you are adding new features, optimizing code, bug fixing, upgrading plugins, and so on.
After reading which factors influence your web application development cost, it is also essential for you to know how you can control the expenditure based on the following avenues of the web app development process overall. If you can cut down your expenditure in these areas, then you can enjoy a budget-friendly web application development process for business online.
Here in this area, you can control your cost or rather cut down your expenditure on the web application development process in specific areas like the type of web application you are using, the framework, the coding, and which platforms you want your web application, the choice of program, technologies, and so on.
The complexity and combination of all these factors will help you to control your cost.
If your web application development is time-sensitive and has a set deadline, you need fast evaporation of resources and help to complete the project. Thus, you need more expenditure to complete right on time by hiring an extra set of hands. If the project does not require much time, then you can capitalize on this investment on a long-term basis.
You need to pinpoint the exact market you want to target and the category of demographic that will engage with your web app. This will provide you purpose and goal on which you can focus while developing the web app. It will help you concentrate on what the target audience needs, how to market them, and include the functionality that your audience is looking forward to. Thus, you do not need to broaden your scope leading to a huge investment. A goal-oriented web app development will reduce your cost incurred in all the processes.
The geographical location of your vendor or web application development service provider will help you to cut down your cost. If you choose any off-shore vendor, the cost will be cheaper than local service providers. The expenditure on such services is derived from the demand for the same. You can analyze the different markets, and companies in different countries and outsource your project for a cost-effective strategy.
All of the above factors and areas will determine the ultimate of your web application development cost overall in India. You need to understand that there is only one factor or aspect that solely drives the price of web app development. A series of choices that you make in all of the above sections and overall resources indulged in the process will determine your investment.
An overall estimation can be depicted from your choices like what type of web application which vendor you will choose, functionalities to include, programming, and so on. If you hire a web application development company in India on a retainer or a monthly basis, it might cost you INR 70,000 to INR 120,000. Hourly hiring of services may cost you less or there are other pricing models available which are flexible so that you can control your expenditure.
After going through all the avenues, you definitely can conclude how to approach your web application development process and ways to control your expenditure as well as on a timeline. You can pen down what you need for your web app’s success in the digital realm and chalk out a plan of action with the help of this blog.
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