5 Ways to Know You Need Custom Software
You’ve built a business, gotten customers, and are bringing in revenue.
In 2021, you’re almost certainly using out of the box technology. You probably have a website using something like Squarespace or Wix. You may be using a marketing platform or a CRM. You likely are using Paypal, Square, or Stripe for payments, and Quicken for your books. So how do you know that you are ready for custom technology?
Here are 5 ways to know that custom technology is right for you.
1. You want to use a new tool, but it doesn’t have a native integration into your current system.
The beauty of technology is that new products and programs are showing up every day. There is likely a new product that is right for your business you haven’t discovered yet. But what happens when you find that product, go to the integrations page, and realize that it just doesn’t integrate into your system?
Well just because your current setup isn’t in the native integrations yet, does not mean you are out of luck. While connecting APIs and integrating new systems into your current stack seems small, this is a perfect opportunity to get a developer involved. There is likely a way to connect to the new tool, or add the capability to your business.
Don’t just throw up your hands! There’s almost always a way to make it happen.
2. Current tools make your employees want to punch holes in the wall.
Self-service technology is fantastic, but often doesn’t cover everything. There are almost always gaps in functionality, and sometimes those gaps are the most important elements. The developers of your favorite tools may not be prioritizing particular features for a number of reasons.
When that happens, it’s time to enlist the help of the experts. A good firm will understand the problem and why the current tools are failing. They will ask the important questions, gather the employee feedback, and get you a custom solution that turns your staff into superheroes.
3. It’s time to go mobile, and an app is right for you.
Here’s a hot take: mobile apps are not right for 90% of existing businesses.
Mobile is always the right answer, but apps are not necessarily the way to go. Mobile optimization may work just fine. That said, You may be in a business where an easily accessible discrete application is going to make all the difference for your customers.
There are platforms for that, but we suggest custom development. A developer or firm is going to take the time to understand why you need an app, ask the hard questions, and deliver a higher quality product that fits the needs of your customers.
4. You’ve got a product concept and you want to own it completely.
The simplest version of most product concepts can be created using a number of off the shelf tools. In fact, if you are thinking about testing an idea for a digital product, we suggest looking for ways to create a prototype using anything you can cobble together. This will give you a better idea of what the product is, how your audience is responding, and what you need to reach a large audience.
At some point, however, it becomes very important for you to own the technology underlying the product. At that point, it’s time to bring in a team to build your first proprietary version. Ideally, you have a lot of data from potential users, testing, market research, etc. and you know exactly what you want to build.
A good developer or firm is able to take that data and generate something powerful and useful for you to take to the market, all while you continue to test using your “fake it till you make it” version (we in the biz call this an mvp).
5. You aren’t sure, and you need some help.
Honestly, there are going to be plenty of situations when you think you might need something custom but aren’t sure. The research you’ve done is inconclusive at best, and you just need someone with more savvy than you have. That’s totally understandable.
Never feel bad for asking for help. You never know what you don’t know. Reach out to trusted friends or engineers you know, or feel free to look up a local development firm and just ask. A good firm will be honest with you.