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Web Application Development Services

The capability and sophistication of modern browsers has grown incredibly in recent years. Our team of web application developers have helped many businesses take advantage of the power and flexibility of web browsers. From B2B SAAS products to internal/external business operations, the business minds at First Option Software can help you gain the benefit of custom web apps.

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Unleash the power of web applications for your business

With every computer having a web browser pre-installed, the benefits of providing a custom web based system to your users are clear. Modern web browsers are feature rich, flexible, fast and secure. Combined with easy access, it’s clear to see why so many businesses and services are moving to the web browser. Here are the sort of web applications we create for our customers.

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Workflow management systems

We build tools and systems to help businesses manage and fulfil their daily activities. Many of the web apps we develop become central to the workflow of the businesses they are developed for, offering improved performance, better oversight and ultimately business growth.

Web portals

Often forming part of a system integration, web portals serve as a single point of access for clients, staff or suppliers. Whether your portal is a read-only point of access or provides access to key business functions, this type of web application ensures that access to key parts of your business is convenient and easy to use.

Software as a service (SAAS)

More and more users and businesses are paying for the systems they use, seeing the value in improving process efficiency. We’ve helped businesses create or redevelop SAAS offerings as custom web applications. From HR systems to secure file transfer services, the possibilities are endless.

eCommerce web applications

Often payments and transactions are key to business processes and workflows. Our web app developers can seamlessly incorporate payment and booking processes into your custom web application.

Enterprise systems

We help global corporations run on web-based applications. The flexibility and extensibility of web applications allows us to support different teams across the globe with business critical functions accessible through the web browser.

What are the benefits of custom web applications?

In bespoke software, businesses have a number of approaches they can take to create a system that fulfils their needs. Here are 8 benefits to choosing to build a bespoke web application. Alternatively, you may like to explore custom desktop application development or custom mobile app development.

Chat to us about the benefits of web applications

Scalable architecture

A good web application should help your business grow. A key benefit to web apps is that their architecture is highly scalable, allowing you to build upon your system as your business grows and evolves.

Deployment and rollout

A centrally updated, single code base ensures that every user is always using the latest version of your web application software, giving you better control over your business processes and workflow.

Low barrier to entry

The web browser environment is familiar and trusted by users. Without the requirement to install a web app before use, your users can be up and running instantly, ensuring they get straight to enjoying the benefit of using your application.

Visually superior

The web has advanced at an incredible rate, allowing for an incredibly rich presentation and execution environment for web applications. If you’re looking for a beautiful custom application, web applications are likely to deliver this best.

Security

There are various security mechanisms built into the web browser to ensure that access to your web application and its data are secure.

Open source

A wide range of open source projects can be tapped into for infrastructure and application purposes, enabling you to gain access to high levels of functionality without the cost of developing them from scratch. We can help advise on suitable libraries for your web application.

High compatibility

All of the standard used in web application development are device and vendor independent, meaning that your web app will be accessible from almost any device, regardless of hardware or operating system.

Mature, tried and tested

The world wide web is over 30 years old, meaning that the protocols and architecture used in web applications are very mature, providing you with confidence in the longevity of your investment.

Your questions answered

We don’t have all the answers but here are a few answers to the questions we’re commonly asked about mobile apps. If your question isn’t answered here, get in touch and we’d be delighted to help.

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What are mobile apps?

A mobile app (also known as a mobile application or an app) is an installable software application that is designed and developed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet or wearable. Apps can be publicly distributed via app stores provided by the phone’s operating system such as Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store. For businesses, apps can be distributed via a closed enterprise app store or ad-hoc distribution.

Why are mobile apps important for business?

Mobile apps provide high levels of functionality, combined with portability. There are many reasons why businesses may want a mobile app, from mobilising a workforce to improve productivity, to customer loyalty apps, bringing personalisation, in-app purchases and promotions to their customers.

How much does it cost to build an app?

We build bespoke mobile apps and the cost will vary depending on the functionality you require. Adding complex business logic, user logins and two way communication will all add complexity, as well as the use of native features such as push notifications or location services. If cost is a major consideration for your project and you’re considering removing functionality, it may be that a mobile application will give a better return on your investment. We’ll happily discuss your options with you. Just get in touch

What’s the benefit of a mobile app versus a web app or website?

The key difference between a mobile application and a website is that mobile applications have a deeper level of integration with the device’s operating system, allowing for additional functionality such as push notifications, geofencing and offline storage. Mobile browsers however are getting closer to providing an experience that rivals that of a mobile app, with the added benefit of a cleaner user flow by avoiding the need to install the application software. We’ll help you weigh up the pros and cons of mobile apps vs a mobile website to help you choose the best route forward. Just ask!

Why is mobile app testing important?

Mobile app testing is particularly important because of the number of potential devices that the app can be installed on. By following a mobile app test strategy that is appropriate for your project, the number of bugs can be significantly reduced. Mobile application testing can be achieved with automation as well as manual testing; which is most appropriate will depend on the type of project.

How web application development works at First Option Software

To ensure your business gets the best web application possible, these are the steps we typically follow.

Talk to us

When it comes to web application development services, the most important stage is the conversations that lead to a strong understanding of your business and your needs. A strong relationship founded on communication is essential to a successful web app project and we offer an honest, knowledgable and pragmatic viewpoint to your project.

Analysis and specification

Our understanding of your needs is embodied in your system requirement specification (SRS). Our job is to translate your business wants and needs into a custom web app that delivers on them. We’ll agree the commercials, scope and methodology for your project before we move on to its development.

We develop your web application

Our team of bespoke web app developers will build your web application to your exact requirements, while our project managers will keep you up to date with progress. All of our web applications are developed on internal development environments, which are backed up regularly to keep your source code safe. We’ll also create a QA version for our web app testers, a staging environment for you to test your app and of course a live environment for your finished web application.

We test your mobile app

A web application test engineer works alongside our development team to manually test functionality as it’s completed. If we’ve agreed to incorporate automated testing to your project, we’ll build unit tests as we go.

Go live

Once your web application is tested and approved, we’ll deploy your finished web app to your live environment. The beauty of web applications are that as soon as it’s live, you can access your brand new custom web app from anywhere!

Web application maintenance

Our web app development services don’t end at the completion of your bespoke web app project. Once your web application is live, we provide support and maintenance to ensure your system is running smoothly. From advice and support, to bug fixes and updates, we’re able to provide a service level agreement (SLA) to suit your needs.

Why choose First Option Software to build your web app?

We’ve been developing web applications since the late 90s so we’ve developed a wide range of applications including:

  • Ordering systems
  • SMS management system
  • Documentation management
  • Workflow management
  • Support management systems
  • CRM systems
  • Recruitment management and candidate portals
  • Financial reporting
  • E-Commerce
  • Customer portals

Having been developing web applications in a wide range of languages for over 20 years, we’ve got the experience to be able to advise you on the best approach for your project.