What services do software development companies offer?
You might be asking this question for two reasons:
Reason 1: You’re looking to outsource a software development project but don’t know how to choose the right company.
Reason 2: You’re on a tight budget and wondering if the project you’re outsourcing is within your budget.
In both cases, knowing what type of services a software development company offers can prove beneficial. It can help you choose a company that specializes in the type of project you want to outsource and help you get an accurate software development estimate.
Now, the answer to your questions can be many, depending from business to business. Some companies only offer specific services like custom web and mobile app development, while others also offer IT consulting, managed cloud services, and MVP and prototyping.
In this blog, we’ll discuss six services you can generally expect from a software development company. Let’s begin:
Top Six Services that Software Development Companies Offer
1. Building Custom Software Solutions
Suppose you need customer relationship management (CRM) software for your company. You can do it in two ways: buying commercial off-the-shelf software and building it from scratch to your liking.
You can easily get a commercial off-the-shelf software. Not only is it easy to set up, but it would also cost you much less. However, its downside is that you don’t get the same level of personalization.
That’s why many businesses, especially enterprises, prefer building custom software solutions tailored to their business and market requirements. It gives the flexibility to meet their evolving requirements, scale the solution based on their market needs, and ensure it fits a specific purpose. Also, custom software solutions are more secure than commercial off-the-shelf solutions.
A software development company can help you build such custom software solutions tailored to your business requirements, such as company portals, employee onboarding platforms, CRMs, and ERP software.
2. Website Design & Development
First impressions matter whether you own a restaurant or a website for your business. It sets the stage for further interactions of customers with your brand. If the first impression is not good, the customers will quickly jump and choose your competitor over you. It’s like having a fast-food stall in a busy market. If you maintain poor hygiene, no one will buy from you even if you offer a portion of high-quality food.
A website helps you create a positive first impression of your brand for your customers. It gives a platform where you can tell them about yourself, build credibility through client testimonials, share your successful projects, and showcase to prospective clients how you can add value to their business.
That’s why having an immersive website is critical for any business. A software development company can create interactive websites for you that engage users, boost sales, and lead to increased revenue. From online stores like Amazon and Walmart to personal websites like Medium and Squarespace – they can build all types of websites for you.
3. Mobile Application Development
A few years back, you could treat having a mobile application for your business as an option. It was nice to have an app, but you could even thrive by having a website alone.
But times have changed now. You can’t just succeed by being present on your platform. Instead, you need to be available to everyone and connect with customers right where they are. Especially, if you own an eCommerce store, you may miss out on a major audience that spends most of its time on smartphones.
That’s why, having a mobile app has become a necessity these days. Many businesses are choosing them as they help them boost their online presence, generate more leads by making it easy for customers to contact them and buy products, and boost sales by offering an immersive shopping experience.
Software development companies offer mobile app development services, covering various aspects of mobile app development, such as:
- Offering consultation on which platform you must choose, what features you must include in your app, and how much budget you must set for it.
- Creating an engaging user experience for your app.
- Building the app using the latest technologies and programming frameworks.
- Testing the app to identify and fix bugs and ensure it works as expected.
- Deploying the app on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
- Monitoring and maintaining your app to ensure it’s always at the peak performance.
If you’re looking for a software development company offering mobile app development services, you will find many options. But keep in mind that not all of them are capable of delivering on their promise. Many only show no substance. So, never finalize a company for your mobile app development project before evaluating it on experience, track record, working style, and pricing structure.
4. IT Consulting
Not always need to approach a software development company to build a new product. Sometimes, you may also need their help to evaluate and align your technology strategy with the changing business and market requirements.
That’s when IT consulting services come into play. In these services, a software development company offers advice and guidance on IT-related matters, such as:
- Business Intelligence: In business intelligence, a software development company guides you on how you can collect, analyze, and interpret data to make better decisions.
For example, if you own an online store, a software development company can guide you on how to analyze data to predict when you will run out of stock or when a particular product’s demand will rise. This way, you can ensure no disruptions occur.
- Cloud Migration: In cloud migration, a software development company guides you on how to successfully migrate your data, applications, and infrastructure to the cloud from on-premises for better performance, security, and scalability.
For example, if you’re an eCommerce company and you are maintaining your entire infrastructure on-premises, a software development company can guide you on how to migrate it to AWS or Microsoft Azure for better performance and scalability.
- Cybersecurity: In cybersecurity, a software development company guides you on protecting your data, infrastructure, and applications from cyber-attacks.
For example, if you’re an eCommerce company, you might be under constant threat from cybercriminals who may want to access your valuable customer information. A software development company can guide you on security measures that you can follow to protect your eCommerce website by implementing measures like 2-factor authentication and encryption.
- IT Strategy: In IT strategy, a software development company can help you develop and implement an IT strategy that aligns with their business goals.
For example, if you’re an eCommerce company, a software development company can guide you on which technology you can adopt to increase the dwell rate on your website or handle peak traffic during the upcoming holiday season. This way, you can make the most out of market opportunities.
- IT Project Management: A software development company can also manage your IT projects from start to finish.
For example, if you’re finding it difficult to maintain your website or mobile app, a software development company can do it for you, ensuring that it’s always performing well. This way, you can focus on things that matter, such as growing your business and tapping into new markets.
If you’re looking for IT consultancy services, keep it mind that they can be expensive. Hence, make sure that you have the budget to proceed with it. Also, don’t settle for just about any IT consultant. Instead, choose someone who has the expertise and experience to help you when you face any issues.
Last but not least, clearly define what services you need from the IT consultant. This way, you can set realistic expectations for the client.
5. MVP & Prototyping
The price that you might have to pay if you develop a product on your idea without testing the waters is huge. The time, effort, and money you spend on developing it may go to waste. Also, you may lose your credibility. So, the best course of action is to build an MVP or prototype on your idea to test the market and user interest.
Many software development companies offer MVP and prototyping services. They can build MVPs or prototypes to test the market and ensure your product’s usability before building it.
To ensure you get the right MVP or prototype for your idea, ensure that:
- You clearly define what you want to achieve. Do you want to test the market? Do you want to gather feedback from users to improve your product? Do you want to pitch the idea to investors to raise funds? It would give the software development company a clue as to what type of MVP or prototype would fit your requirements.
- You have a clear idea of your requirements. You know which features you want to include and what type of user experience you want to offer. It would help the services provider understand your requirements and deliver the right MVP.
- You have set a clear budget. MVP & prototyping can be costly. Sometimes, it can even reach several thousand dollars. Specifying a clear budget would ensure you don’t run out of money.
- You have done enough research and chose a provider that can do justice to your budget and vision.
- You have gotten the scope of work, timeline, and budget in writing from the service provider. It would avoid any miscommunication down the road.
6. Platform Selection
The platform you choose can play a critical role in deciding whether or not your app/website will be a success. A platform acts as the foundation of software applications, ensuring that they meet your business needs.
By selecting the right platform for application development, you can ensure that:
- You’re building an application that has a market demand.
- You save time and money by letting a software development company handle crucial aspects like market research and negotiating favorable rates.
- You peacefully focus on running your business, knowing that a services provider has already done the hard work by choosing the right platform for your business.
To choose the right platform for your business, associate with a provider who knows your business and market requirements. They will never let you down.
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