DIY Apps for Small Business

By Alex Carter on November 1, 2024

Developing a mobile app is no longer limited to large corporations with extensive technical teams. Small businesses now have access to practical tools and services that make app creation more accessible and cost-effective. Whether the goal is to improve internal operations, enhance customer engagement, or offer new services, a well-structured app can support business growth.

For those who are ready to take the next step, learn how to build a mobile app that aligns with your company’s objectives and provides genuine value to your users.

Starting from Scratch: Building a Business App That Works

Building a business app from scratch requires more than just a good idea. It demands clear thinking, smart planning, and a focus on real-world needs. Many apps fail not because of poor design or technology but because the foundation wasn’t solid from the beginning. Each step plays a role in creating something useful, reliable, and worth the investment.

Step 1 — Clarify the Purpose of Your App

Before you start developing an app, be sure you know why you are doing it in the first place. As many organizations do, avoid the error of disregarding this stage or adopting a too generic strategy.

Determine the main objective of the application first. Which issue are you attempting to resolve? Insufficient guidance will result from vague concepts like “increase revenue” or “improve customer satisfaction.”

Naturally, your goals will vary depending on your sector, clientele, internal organization, and company style. This is why setting objectives early on is so important.

Begin by focusing on your users. Who are you building the app for? What are their pain points? Is this app customer-facing or designed for internal use?

Example: Customer-Facing App

Assume you are the manager of a 25-location regional chain of gyms. Attendance varies according on the time and teacher, and each gym has its own class schedule. While some classes are half-empty, others are overbooked. Staff time is squandered, and customers have a bad experience as a result.

A clear, focused goal for your app could be: let members book classes in real time so they can easily reserve spots. That alone can help improve attendance, make customers happier, and reduce waste.

You can always add extras later—like meal plans or personal training videos—but the key is to start by solving one core issue really well.

Example: Internal Employee App

Now, picture a company with 700 employees spread across eight offices. Many work remotely or on hybrid schedules while the HR team sits in one location and keeps traditional office hours. This setup creates bottlenecks. Employees in different time zones struggle to get quick HR help, and expanding HR coverage just isn’t practical.

In this case, a solid goal might be: build an HR app that gives employees 24/7 access to payroll, benefits info, and company policies. It saves time and improves support across the board.

Later, the app could help with onboarding, training, or sharing urgent updates—but again, start by solving a specific, high-impact issue.

Step 2 — Define Your Budget and Set a Realistic Timeline

Planning your budget and schedule comes next when you have a firm understanding of your app’s objectives. To establish a reasonable budget based on your available resources and anticipated return, meet with your finance team, which may include your controller, project lead, or CFO.

Remember that a well-designed app adds recurring costs even while it might save money in areas like customer service or human resources. Your long-term strategy should account for hosting, frequent upgrades, and maintenance.

Here are key cost categories to consider when budgeting for app development:

• Developers and engineers;
• UX/UI designers;
• Backend infrastructure;
• Servers and cloud architecture;
• Hosting and third-party services;
• Ongoing maintenance and updates.

If your program is intended for consumers, remember to budget for post-launch expenditures such as marketing, app store optimization, and user acquisition.

Next, construct a specific timeline. What is the app’s needed launch date? Certain projects have predetermined timetables, while others are more flexible. For example, a retail app that caters to Christmas clients must be developed well in advance of the season. An app with an event focus should be published before any marketing initiatives.

Your timeframe and budget will have a significant impact on the formation of your development team, which we shall discuss in the next step.

Step 3 — Choose the Right App Development Team

One of the most important—and often difficult—steps in the app development process is assembling the proper development team. Even while many firms have internal IT departments, not all of them have the specialized skills required to develop native apps.

It’s critical to consider how accepting an app project may influence their current duties. As a result, many firms decide to employ outside expertise to create their applications.

There are four primary approaches to consider:

• Utilizing existing internal staff;
• Hiring freelance or contract app developers;
• Partnering with a professional app development agency;
• Using an app builder or no-code platform.

Using Internal Resources

Less than 5% of firms are completely prepared to manage app development in-house. Having engineers or developers on staff does not guarantee they are qualified for mobile app development. Most IT teams lack the specialized knowledge required to create reliable, scalable mobile apps, particularly when the stakes are high.

While an in-house team may be able to create a rudimentary internal tool for a specific process, large-scale apps designed for customers or widespread employee use typically require more specialized abilities. In these circumstances, depending only on internal resources generally results in less functionality, longer timeframes, and more risk.

Hiring Freelance App Developers

Many businesses assemble their app development teams using freelancing marketplaces such as Fiverr or Upwork. For small enterprises with minor app needs, this approach could make sense. However, it frequently presents difficulties for bigger and mid-sized businesses.

Writing code is usually not the only task involved in creating a mobile application. In addition to designers, QA testers, and a project manager, it could be necessary to hire different developers for iOS and Android. Longer schedules and more complexity may result from expecting one freelancer to do everything. Managing several independent contractors, particularly those who live in various time zones, can potentially lead to communication problems and project delays.

Another risk is reliability. Freelancers may unexpectedly drop out of projects or become unresponsive, which can disrupt progress, especially during critical development phases.

Partnering with an App Development Company

App development agencies provide a comprehensive solution, offering all the necessary expertise in one place. Leading agencies manage every phase of the process—from strategic planning and design to development, testing, launch, and ongoing maintenance.

Using an App Builder

App builders are ideal for individuals or small enterprises with minimal resources and simple app requirements. These platforms enable non-technical people to build apps with pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop features.

While this DIY technique is useful for basic functionality, it lacks the flexibility and performance of specialized development. Hiring a development company is the better option for advanced functionality, user scalability, and enterprise-level connections.

Step 4 — Designing the App Interface and User Experience

The app design phase will vary depending on the development approach selected in the previous step. Projects handled in-house or through independently hired freelancers will require sourcing a dedicated app designer. On the other hand, full-service development agencies typically include design services as part of their offering.

The process begins with wireframing, which creates a blueprint for layout, structure, and functionality. After the wireframe is accepted, a visual prototype is created that contains branding elements like as logos, colors, and fonts.

Professional development companies usually provide interactive prototypes at this stage. These mockups allow stakeholders to assess the app’s design and functionality early in the development phase, which helps the development team match its efforts with business objectives.

Platform-specific design modifications must also be considered. iOS and Android smartphones feature distinct screen sizes, navigation techniques, and UI approaches. As a result, design changes are usually necessary to ensure a consistent user experience across both platforms.

Before moving further with development, the app design must be finalized. Redesigns after construction has begun might cause considerable delays and increased expenses.

During this phase, the design team will work with developers to determine the backend architecture, API structure, and technology stack. Stakeholder input is essential at this stage to ensure that the final product represents the desired functionality and user experience.

Step 5 — Focus on Essential Features Only

Many projects lose direction during this phase due to feature overload. Adding too many functions too soon increases complexity, drives up costs, and puts unnecessary pressure on the development team. To stay aligned, refer back to the original app goals defined in Step 1. Only include features that directly support those objectives.

For example, a fitness app designed to simplify class bookings does not need community chat or member profiles at launch. An internal communication tool for employees doesn’t require e-commerce capabilities.

Most apps share core components such as:

• User login and authentication;
• Push notifications;
• App analytics;
• Basic user navigation.

Each additional feature impacts both cost and timeline. The best approach is to begin with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)—a version of the app that includes only the critical features needed to support the primary use case.

Future upgrades can include secondary features depending on actual user behavior and changing demands when the MVP is made public and feedback is received.

Step 6 — Conduct Thorough Testing

Before making the program available on Google Play or the Apple Store, be sure it has been thoroughly tested. Since errors or performance lags might cause users to stop using the software altogether, a smooth and reliable user experience is crucial. Although no product is completely error-free, issues should be minimized to maintain functioning and user trust.

Quality assurance (QA) experts should be included from the very beginning of the development process. This facilitates continuous testing at each development milestone and makes bug fixes easier by addressing issues progressively.

Testing should be conducted across multiple platforms and devices. An app may perform well on iOS but experience problems on Android, or vice versa. Testing must also be ongoing. Mobile operating systems, devices, and screen sizes are constantly evolving. A feature that works today may break after the next OS update. Regular maintenance and regression testing are essential to avoid compatibility issues in the future.

Collaborating with a professional app development business adds value because these teams often handle all testing, QA, and update requirements as part of their ongoing support.

Conclusion

Developing a mobile app for a small business requires more than just a concept. Each phase, from goal definition to feature selection and cross-platform testing, adds to the overall efficacy of the product. Choosing the correct development strategy, remaining focused on core functionality, and preparing for long-term maintenance are all critical for success. Small companies may create useful applications that address specific requirements and help long-term growth with careful planning and a systematic procedure.