Create and Publish Powerful DIY Apps

20 years ago, a DIY project was repainting your dining room wall after your toddler decided it was the perfect spot for his horsey mural (sorry mom!). 20 years ago, SDI was a twinkle in the eye of CEO Raj Srivastav, hope for the future and a path to success.

Today, a DIY project can still refer to painting over your little Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, it can also refer to an app project. SDI meanwhile has grown to a multinational company with hundreds of global clients and thousands of projects under our belt.

So what is a DIY app? well, DIY stands for “Do it Yourself” and is exactly how it sounds: it’s you taking the power into your own hands, building your own project from front to back. Tools and companies like AppMakr and PhoneGap allow users to quickly and efficiently make their own app.

Pretty cool right? There are some decided advantages to making your own app:

• It’s less expensive upfront;

• You’re 100% in control;

• The software out there helps non-developers create great apps;

• No partners to split the final revenue!

• also, no chance of partner conflicts!

• It proceeds on your schedule;

• The more familiar you are with your app, the better able you will be to fix any issues that may arise.

Custom apps, software, and websites were once the sole provinces of large, global corporations with ridiculously large budgets. Now, there are dozens of programs of varying quality and all are pretty darned inexpensive.

DIY apps are really starting to take off. The software is only going to get better and cheaper from here so

Here’s a short list of excellent DIY app makers:

• MobiCart is the DIY app maker for eCommerce. In fact, it is specifically designed for the retail industry – more specifically it is targeted at SMBs and entrepreneurs. Unlike competitors, MobiCart is inexpensive (about $9 a month); plus it comes with a readymade mobile storefront. It is specifically designed to bring a mobile element to small businesses with small budgets;

• BuildFire is the perfect entry-level DIY app. It’s a bit pricier than other options at nearly $40 bucks a month, but if you are just getting into the DIY app business, there is literally no better option. BuildFire lets you build an app in two simple steps (Design and Widgets). It even lets you select your industry from a drop-down menu. This lets the software know exactly what kind of app would best suit your needs. The best news is you can go from opening the program to having an app in about 10 minutes. Pretty sweet, right?

• Appy Pie is our final selection of the day. As one of the most famous DIY app options out there, Appy Pie is pretty well known. It lets users create apps via drag and drop methods and creates apps across all major mobile platforms – Android, Blackberry, iOS, and Windows.

The Downsides

While a DIY app is a great option for many entrepreneurs, it has some distinct drawbacks. If you’re looking to create a really simple app with no plans for expansion or any desire to make oodles of cash, a DIY platform is a way to go.

However, if you’re looking into becoming a serial app maker or you have a complex idea with a ton of features, DIY is probably not a great idea. A better option is probably to hire a professional development team who knows the industry from front to back.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest disadvantages of DIY apps, and how a qualified app development company can answer those issues:

• DIY apps are generally made of pre-written blocks of code with set functionalities. Some are just pre-written code. This is done in order to make it easier for non-coders to use – but there is a downside:

You don’t know the quality of the code. Presumably, it’s good, but what if there is an error. You don’t know the code, so how are you going to fix it? SDI, on the other hand, has 200+ developers who can fix a coding error with a few keystrokes;

• Another consideration – pre-written code that makes it easy to build an app, but it means everyone else using the DIY platform has the same or similar code. Customization is possible, but again only through other blocks of pre-written code. Conversely, development experts can make a project entirely from scratch to be as unique as you desire. Heck, we can even take chunks of pre-written code and customize that! This reduces the time it will take to make an app (plus the price!) and still results in a custom product;

• Marketing is a big deal in the app making world. It’s complicated, it draws from multiple fields (not just marketing) and it requires experience, know-how, and extensive attention. None of the DIY app makers out there can help you market your app. In opposition to this stands SDI – a company known in Dev circles for its excellent marketing team. If you want to know the best marketing practices to land you in a pile of money, we’re your guys!

So to DIY or to not DIY? That is the question. Whether its nobler in the mind to suffer the marketing slings and coding arrows of outrageous DIY apps, or to take up the phone against a sea of Do-It-Yourselfers and give SDI a call?

The Complete Package

While the idea of creating an app on your own is highly attractive, the drawbacks can be a deal killer. If you think your project will need professional help (Marketing, Design, and Developing, not a Shrink!), give the experts at SDI a call at 408.805.0495. We can tell you what your project needs and help you achieve your goals – for less than you might think! Call or Email us today to get started immediately!