Applications for smartphones have taken the place of so many tools in our day-to-day lives. They have replaced the absolute need for things like rules, flashlights, calculators, video games, and other things in the lives of many people. For the individuals who come up with the next great app there is a lot of money to be made.
A mad gold rush mentality has taken hold over the creation of these apps as a result. Before you grab your shovel though consider some of the factors that contribute to the cost of the development of a new app in the first place. You may want to check out mobile app development services to see exactly what your final cost may come out to.
1. Which Platforms Will It Be On?
Do you intend to design an app that only works on Apple phones or are you going to have capabilities for Android and Windows phones as well? It makes a difference because each of those companies has their own specific technical requirements in order to get your app up on their operating system. You can still do this to be certain, but the more platforms you insist on being on the more your cost of development will go up.
2. Type Of App
The type of app that you build has a big impact on the cost of development. It is fairly easy to code an app that is a simple utility for the user such as the previously mentioned flashlights or rulers. Apps of a more complex variety get more costly, but they are also often more popular.
Gaming apps in particular can get expensive with all of the unique coding that goes into them. Various levels of code are required, and that starts to run up your billable hours for coders.
3. Will You Accept Mobile Payments?
The trend in apps today is to not charge for the app itself (or at least keep the charge minimal) but to allow users to purchase add-ons within the app. This generates more profit in many cases than a single purchase app does. If this is the model you intend to use you should know that mobile payments acceptance systems cost a little more to develop.
4. CRM Software
Some apps have customer service software built right into them. It makes it easier for customers to get in touch with customer service representatives when they need help with something or when they need to ask a question. That is a great service to provide, but expect the cost to go up if you do.
5. Coupons
Many smartphone users like to use mobile coupons within apps to save money on their purchases. Give them that opportunity, but raise the cost of your app to cover for this.
6. Extras And Final Cost
There are extra features that are optional. You may pick and choose which ones are right for your app based on the particular types of users you are expecting to your app. It may be helpful to provide at least some of these so that users understand that you do care about their experience.
When the final costs are tallied up the cost of a professional app may run anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 depending on how many of these features are included and how long the app takes to make.
