Do you know how much it costs to create an app?

A lot of people wonder how much it costs to develop an app. And you, do you also have this doubt? As you know, determining the price of a product or service depends on several factors. When a company wants to create an application , it has to follow the same logic: the cost varies according to the functions that the software performs and the value it wants to offer to customers.

Some applications aim to improve customer service or an organization's internal public, while others seek to leverage the sales of services provided by a company. All these Apps will display functions that will directly affect the cost of the product.

Complicated? Not so much. We have prepared a material that will help you stay on top of the subject!

But before finding out how much it costs to create an app, let's explain why your company should enter the digital world today? Come on? Keep reading!

Why does your company need to create a mobile app today?

Need to manage your personal finances? Shopping at the supermarket? Rent a car? Make an appointment with the dermatologist?

Surely you've noticed: there are apps for everything these days. This is because most people are always connected and when they need to solve a problem they don't want to give up mobile technology. Everything indicates that this trend is here to stay.

A company that doesn't have a mobile app is outdated and, what's worse, is failing to offer users a closer dialogue. Not investing in the creation of an application will make your company end up becoming less and less competitive.

Here are other reasons why a company needs to create an app:

Offer customer value

The dialogue between companies and customers has changed significantly in recent years, mainly due to the increasingly frequent use of cell phones. This is a great opportunity!

Offering an exclusive loyalty program to customers using your company's App can increase your sales and make customers more engaged. Do not believe? Let's take an example:

The app from Starbucks, an American coffee shop chain, offers users a personalized experience. Over the past two years, the company has added elements to the software that allow the APP to remember each customer's favorite order and suggest which menu items might go well with that order.

Using the geolocation feature, the app allows the user to know which is the nearest store, the menu available at each location and even place an order that will be ready as soon as the customer arrives at the store.

The App layout is simple yet elegant, making the app attractive. The different “pop-up” menus on the screen offer an easy navigation and an experience similar to being in a chain store. It goes without saying that the app is a success, right?

Increase brand visibility

In a world where the vast majority of people spend, on average, about two hours using their mobile devices, creating an app represents a great opportunity to increase your brand's visibility.

This will improve your customer service efforts, making your brand more accessible. Improving the customer experience is one of the determining factors for more and more companies to use technology to their advantage and having a mobile app contributes a lot to that.

Increase traffic to your company website

Mobile apps are very efficient in driving leads, which positively contribute to your company's marketing campaign.

Also, the company website plays an important role in customer acquisition, so the app and your website should complement each other. Most Apps are optimized to redirect your traffic to the company's website. The company's website should also encourage customers and visitors to download its mobile app.

Provide customer feedback and insights

A mobile app allows your company to collect valuable customer data and draw a clear picture of the company's sales funnel.

It also allows you to identify the products that sell the most, those that don't, customer needs and a host of other statistical data. All this valuable data can help you modify your marketing campaign and make it more focused, which guarantees better results.

Now that you know the importance of apps for businesses, let's explain how to hire a company to create an app.

Is it necessary to have a team?

A good application that wants to make a difference in the market will hardly be created with just one member. This happens because of the need for several different professionals. Usually, the designer doesn't know how to program an app.

Likewise, a programmer does not always know how to design the application in the most appropriate way. In addition, it is important to have professionals who know how to deal with market research and user interests.

• In addition, you must have:
• Systems Analyst;
• Software architect;
• Database analyst;
• Test Analyst;
• Project Manager.

That is, it is possible to make an application internally. However, the value is usually higher than those charged by specialized agencies, since there will be several professionals who will work on the project. Each must be contracted separately.

In this case, the necessary technology should be acquired so that employees can perform their work. In addition, there would be monthly costs with the payment of salary (not less than the minimum stipulated by the category), taxes, thirteenth and vacation.

As the creation of an app will require investment from your company, it is necessary to keep an eye on it to save as much as possible and maintain quality.

main costs

The main costs involved in creating and maintaining an application are:

• acquisition of sufficient technology;
• payment of personnel;
• accommodation;
• monitoring;
• engagement;
• marketing;
• updates;
• licenses.

In the case of agencies, they already have part of the resources needed to create and make the application successful. In other words, the cost becomes much lower. Depending on the complexity, it is common to find applications that require investments of more than 300 thousand. Therefore, a team can be useful to minimize costs and increase results.

Are there advantages to outsourcing the process?

Outsourcing the process brings several benefits to your company. Check out the main ones now!

focus and productivity

In a company, employees end up accumulating functions. This can cause the team to lose focus and productivity to deliver results on time. With outsourced workers, it is easier to get the steps completed on time, as sanctions can be applied when the deadline is missed.

experience and quality

With the outsourced process, you will be assured of the experience and quality of the team in doing everything you need. In the case of agencies, it is still possible to look for one where employees are specialized in the type of application you need.

In addition, the process becomes easier, since the agency will know all your needs. In the case of a freelancer, he can give up the project, which would make the next one have a lot more work to get the project going.

It would be necessary to understand how he created the program. Good documentation can be helpful in this, but if that document is not available, a lot of time and investment will be required to be able to make the necessary changes.

How to hire a company to create an app?

To ensure that your company's application is efficient, it is necessary to count on professionals who have a deep knowledge in software development. This will ensure that the usability and layout of the application is in line with the real needs of your company.

In general, a mobile application consists of two parts:

Administrative panel

The managed panel is a WEB software, very similar to a website. Through this panel, it is possible to edit records, configure parameters and monitor application usage.

For example, in an application that sells tickets for concerts, plays and events, the managed panel will allow to include, edit and exclude the attractions that will be seen by the end user of the application.

Application for mobile devices

It can be said that an application is software, which can be downloaded by the user on the App Store, by Apple, or Google Play, by Google. Every action performed by the user connects the App to the company's database, which allows the information and data accessed to be always accurate.

Now that you know the parts that make up an app, let's talk about the professionals needed to create an app for your company:

What professionals are needed to create a mobile app?

designer

It is the professional responsible for creating the application interface. The designer is also known as Front End Designer or Front End Engineer.

Web designer

It is responsible for applying the layout created by the designer in the application. Although the work is very similar to creating a website, here the web designer will use a specific technology for the development of applications.

Systems Analyst

It is responsible for ensuring that the application meets the needs of customers and the company. The systems analyst has experience in software development or systems programming.

Software architect

The software architect is responsible for the technical programming of the project. In addition, he is the professional responsible for developing the most complex parts of the App.

Programmer

It is responsible for creating the source code responsible for connecting the database with the application's visual layer and thus enabling access to information. He is also the professional responsible for transforming the information provided by the architect into code. It is the most important part of the application development process.

database analyst

It is responsible for analyzing large volumes of data and defining the architecture of the database. It is also responsible for creating commands for handling complex data.

test analyst

There's no point in creating an app if it doesn't work perfectly, right? The test analyst is responsible for verifying that all stages of development have complied with what was established in the scope of the project and that there are no bugs in the App. In some companies, this function is performed by the systems analyst.

Project Manager

The project manager is responsible for the project schedule and for distributing the tasks to the team professionals. At least one designer and one developer must participate in every App creation project.

In addition to the number of professionals involved in a project, the cost of creating an application also depends on a few factors.

Factors that affect application cost

To find out how much money you'll need to invest in creating your app, you need to determine what resources you'll use.

See below for the main factors that affect the cost of an application.

Will the user need to create a personal profile?

Does your company's app need to display user information publicly? This should be thought of before creating a . If the answer is yes, then the user will need to enter information about himself, right?

This additional development step will make the application more expensive.

The app can be used on which platforms?

You want your company's app to be known and used by many people, right? If so, it must be compatible with Android and IOS devices, right? iOS is the best option to reach a more engaged user base. However, Android has a broader reach, particularly in emerging markets such as Brazil.

One option is to develop a hybrid App, which doesn't work as well as apps built exclusively for one platform, but still offer a consistent, comfortable, and enjoyable user experience. However, hybrid applications are more expensive than native ones developed for just one operating system.

What will your App's interface look like?

To create an application, you must choose whether the software will display a standard interface or a custom interface. It is also possible to reuse an old interface.

A custom interface, which displays custom transitions and buttons, makes the application more expensive, however, this possibility allows for a unique layout. As you know, beauty is expensive.

Will the app need to be logged in?

Apps can be accessed with or without login. Some apps need sensitive user information, such as personal data and credit card number. If this is the case for your company's App, login is required.

Access can be made via email or social networks, an option that will cost more. Here, the best advice is to question whether you really need this feature.

Will the app have a shopping cart?

As you know, e-commerce applications must display a shopping cart. This tool has a complex development process designed to keep user information safe and transactions confidential.

This means that apps that need the shopping cart are more difficult to create, and therefore more expensive.

One thing is certain: the initial cost of an app that does not have a shopping cart is lower than one that allows purchases to be made through the App. However, in-app purchase can generate greater returns for the company, as it allows for a more engaged user base.

Can users interact with the App?

Will your company's App promote interaction? Will it be possible to comment on published articles, vote in polls and make suggestions? Will it have a wall tab?

If the answer is yes, then your company's app will need to go through an extra development step, which will make it more expensive.

Does the app need to be integrated with your company website?

Do you want your company website to be integrated with the App? This means that you will need to create an API (or Application Programming Interface). It's how all your friendly apps talk to each other. This means another stage of development and, consequently, an increase in cost.

Does your company need to create an icon for your app?

Creating a quality icon is expensive, but it will help your app stand out in online stores, which will encourage downloads.

Will your company app only display one language?

Will your App be in Portuguese or will it need to display other languages such as English, French and Spanish?

In general, developers price according to the language used, so the more languages, the more expensive the software.

Will your App be available in stores?

When creating an app, you also need to decide whether it will be available on Google Play or Apple Store. If yes, you need to add the value of the publication to the price of the application.

How much does it cost to develop a mobile app?

As you can see, the development of an App is a complex process, which involves the work of a large team of professionals and the analysis of several factors. As a result, pricing varies greatly from app to app.

A simpler application takes around 4 months to complete and has a minimum cost of BRL 50,000. Large projects take around a year to be ready and have a minimum estimated value of around R$ 150,000.

It is also important to note that every App must observe a minimum development time since the different stages follow a continuous sequence and require the work of different professionals.

Developing an app also involves maintenance and hosting costs. The cost to hire a hosting service varies according to the power of the server, but, in general, it costs around R$ 15 thousand.

As you can see, it is difficult to calculate the exact amount that your company will spend to create an application. Even if you need extremely simple software, you need to consider the amount paid to host the software and handling costs.

You also need to consider the resources that will be used and the entire team involved in creating your project. Keep in mind a mobile app must strike a balance between available budget and user satisfaction level. As a result, you will find a happy medium.

Now that you know how much it costs to develop an app, how about putting your company in the mobile world? Contact FWC right now and see how we can help you get the best results!