Mobile app development for iPhone and Android

Do you need an app or a mobile website?

Many businesses get what they need from a fast mobile website. An app earns its cost when it has to do something a website does poorly, and we will tell you if a website is the better answer. These are the usual reasons to build an app:

• Push notifications that reach people without them opening a browser
• Camera, location, or sensor access, such as photo capture or job-site check-ins
• Use without a signal, in basements, remote sites, or on the road
• A tool people open every day, where a home-screen icon matters

What kinds of apps we build

• Customer apps for booking, memberships, or loyalty programs
• Staff and field apps for checklists, job logs, and photo reports
• Companion apps that extend a website or service you already run
• First versions of a new product, built small so you can test it with real users

iPhone, Android, or both

Your customers' phones decide where to start. Native apps are written separately for each platform and get the fullest access to each phone's features. A shared codebase can serve both platforms from one build, which is usually quicker and less costly for apps with standard screens. The right choice depends on the features you need and which phones your audience carries. We recommend one after scoping and show you the tradeoffs.

How an app project works

1. 1Scope: who uses the app, the core features, and what can wait for a later version
2. 2Quote: the feature list and the price, in writing
3. 3Screen design: you review how the app looks and flows before it is built
4. 4Build and test: we build in stages and put test versions on real phones for you to try
5. 5Release: we prepare the listing and submit the app to the App Store, Google Play, or both

App store accounts and ownership

Apple and Google each charge for a developer account, and the accounts should be opened in your business name. That way the app, its store listing, and its reviews belong to you, and you can move to another developer later. We walk you through setting the accounts up.

After the app is released

Apps need attention after launch. New iOS and Android versions change how apps behave, and store rules shift over time. Ongoing updates are quoted separately, and only if you want them.

Apps and websites work together

App stores ask for a support contact and a privacy policy link, and a small website handles both. If you do not have one, the free website for small business program builds five pages at a $0 design fee. If you need a larger site, or a web app that mirrors parts of your phone app, see website development.