In 2023, setting up a new business is incomplete without implementing the right software solutions. There are two major types of software applications you can implement for your company – off-the-shelf software and custom software.
In an ideal scenario, businesses choose to implement an ideal blend of off-the-shelf and custom software solutions. However, when you compare the two alternatives, custom software has an edge over off-the-shelf solutions.
So, what is custom software?
What Is Custom Software?
Custom software refers to a software solution that can be customized according to your specific needs and preferences. Such applications are built from scratch to fulfill your business needs and provide the right user experience to your target audience.
A custom software application is completely under your control. You can choose to add specific tools, features, and functionalities to these applications while retaining control over the source code. Over time, the need for custom software has substantially increased. In fact, businesses are switching from off-the-shelf applications to custom software solutions. The autonomy and freedom offered by such applications bring you closer to your inherent business goals.
If you have been working solely on an off-the-shelf application and want to grow your business, it is advisable to find the right software development company for your project.
How Does Custom Software Help Your Business Grow?
Here are a few major ways in which custom software helps your business grow:
High Flexibility
The biggest benefit of building a custom software application is that it provides you with high flexibility in developing and operating it. From designing the UX/UI and choosing the development methodology to make necessary upgrades and troubleshooting technical issues, almost every process associated with custom software development is highly flexible.
Such flexibility provides you with greater control to make changes to your software without spending undue time, money, and effort.
Better Scope For Innovation
To thrive in the market, it is important for businesses to think out of the box and create a lasting impression on their audience’s minds. Creativity has always been the key to growth. When you purchase an off-the-shelf application, there is little scope for innovation. While you can configure these platforms to some extent, you cannot make changes to the core design and programming of the software.
On the other hand, custom software development allows you to innovate your offerings the way you want them. Most Custom software development company help their clients add creative solutions and tools to their applications to stay ahead of the curve and provide unique services to the end users.
Cost-effective Development
Especially if you have set up a new business, it is important to manage your costs while building software solutions. Custom software is often considered way too expensive as compared to purchasing an off-the-shelf solution. However, this is not true.
When you get an off-the-shelf software solution, you are likely to purchase add-ons to bring the software in tune with your business requirements. This adds to the overall software development cost. On the other hand, custom software does not require you to incur any additional cost of development. As it is built according to your business needs from scratch, you will have a complete and perfect software application for your business in the first go.
Increasing Your ROI
Greater ROI is a great impetus your business can receive, helping it grow and prosper. While custom software development is a little more expensive than the purchase price of an off-the-shelf solution, it provides you with a greater ROI.
By having complete control over the features added, technologies used, and design created, you can build a custom business application that is perfectly in sync with the end users’ needs. When your customers get what they are looking for, you are bound to get the desired traction and generate a greater ROI.
Ensuring Data Security
In the digital age, almost every business process revolves around data management. This makes it important to keep your business records secure. The smallest breach in your database can have serious implications for your business, customers, and employees.
Off-the-shelf applications are easier for hackers to break into due to their generic and consistent programming. Custom software development, on the other hand, allows you to define your own security standards and protocols to safeguard your data. It also helps you manage user access to manage the data usage within your organization.
When your business data is safe from threats like data leaks, unauthorized access, fraudulent attacks, etc., you can grow your business without the fear of compromised data security.
Third-party Integrations
Software integration is a common tool used by entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. It helps you integrate the features and data belonging to your software application with a suitable third-party app or service.
Performing such integrations with external entities is difficult with off-the-shelf applications as they are more rigid than custom software. Owing to the high flexibility and control offered by custom software development, you can integrate your business application with the right external service to improve user experience.
Creating A Distinct Business Identity
Upon entering the market, it is important for businesses to make themselves identifiable. Irrespective of the services/products you offer, there will always be a bunch of companies providing the same or similar offerings to the same audience. Off-the-shelf software solutions do little to help you create your business’s unique identity.
Custom software solutions allow you to add features and tools that belong just to your business. This helps you follow a unique approach reaching to your target audience and engaging with them. When your brand stands out from the sea of similar ventures, your business will grow and receive the traction you are looking for.
The Final Word
This was everything you should know about custom software and how it helps your business grow. If you run a startup or a small business, make sure you partner with a skilled and reputed custom software development company such as IntelliSource to stay on the road to growth and prosperity.
