How a software development company designs and creates new bespoke software solutions for its clients involves multiple steps, not all necessarily clearly understood by all clients availing of the service. Many -SME clients in particular – embark on custom software development projects without knowing or appreciating fully the scope of ancillary services involved in the end-to-end process. Much like building a house, the development -or build – phase is but just one step in the process. Customer misunderstandings typically occur around the supplementary services, and as a result, can lead to a detrimental knock-on effect on the success of their project.
Furthermore, some service providers, either taking improper advantage of their clients’ naiveties and/or cutting corners, may deliver inferior solutions leading to customer dissatisfaction. Instead of providing and costing for the full range of processes necessary for delivering high quality, robust, bespoke software solutions including design, prototyping, and testing, they too put their main- sometimes sole- focus on the development phase only.
This is why it is important for clients to do thorough research before contracting an agency for its services. Here is a list of the core services to expect from a reputable bespoke software development company in the UK.
1. Bespoke Software Development
A defining feature of a good software development company is that it provides its clients with the option to customize. Clients can choose tailor-made solutions that fit their needs instead of using templates. This means that their software would be unique, efficient, and exactly customized to their needs.
This is particularly important for companies offering niche products or services. For example, the website SeatGeek offers access and discounts to different event tickets.
They cater to a very niche audience and provide a unique service. Meaning whereby, that their website too, needs to be one that is tailored to the service they provide. This includes the general eCommerce website elements such as the landing, checkout pages, articles lists, and much more.
As a result, they would need bespoke software. As a company that provides tickets entirely online, it would be difficult for them to develop their own software. This is why many companies like them search for “bespoke software development company in the UK” in their online search.
2. UI/UX Design
UI/UX design is a very important element of software development. UI, meaning user interface, is the appearance aspect of the software. This includes the usable visual aspects, including icons, buttons, widgets, and screens that a user interacts with. UX, on the other hand, is user experience.
UX can be defined as the entire experience and interaction that a user has with the website and how they feel about it. This includes the user pathway and the information architecture of the website.
The UI/UX is the first thing a user might notice about a brand, and it plays a huge role in customer retention rates. A good software development company in the UK would provide excellent UI/UX services. This would include top-tier services that ensure that the appearance and usability of the software look appealing and flows intuitively.
For example, color grading, compartmentalization of information, and where things are located. It would also include the load time, loading screens, and customer support. UI/UX services are one of the most basic provisions that a software development company offers to its clients.
3. Digital Prototyping
Digital prototyping is the process of designing, creating, and testing a 3D version of a final product. This is a step in product production that determines validity and reliability. For this reason, it plays a crucial role in success rate. It gives the designers the ability to virtually explore a product before it’s built.
By building a prototype, creators can see the pros and cons of using whichever approach they have used. They can gauge the effectiveness of the product created. Consequently, they can also spot and rectify any weaknesses in the design. Digital prototyping is a very important part of a software development company’s portfolio.
As a tentative practical representation of the end product, the prototype is the bridge between the client’s vision and the end product. This is why online searches for “software development company UK” will often retrieve agencies offering prototyping in the armory of skills.
4. Software Testing
Before any software is made live, it needs to be tested. This is to eliminate any threat of bugs, glitches, or other inconsistencies. This is the case for almost every bespoke software development company in particular. That is because tailor-made software is more likely to require testing and upgrading. Given its development from scratch, it is more likely to be faulty.
There is more room for human error in the software that isn’t built on a template, but even template-based software can require improvement. This is why it is important for agencies to quality control their software before making it live or handing it to clients.
Highly ranked searches for “software development company UK” will include entrants that ensure software testing is part of their software development package. The reason for this is that it is an integral part of the production process. Without iterative testing, and quality checks (manual and/or automated) a software product will simply not be usable or scalable.
5. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing refers to any form of marketing through electronic devices. It is often used to broadcast promotional messages due to its vast reach- far beyond that of traditional marketing. In a nutshell, this includes marketing done on phones, computers, and other internet-based devices. Although not strictly a part of the software development process, nowadays it’s fair to say most software is designed and developed to be marketed so it’s clearly a bonus if the agency delivering the software has a marketing team because then it’s fair to assume the product will have been designed and built correctly for subsequent on-line marketing.
The scope of digital marketing includes a range of different mediums. These can be visual such as pictures, videos, celebrities, or influencer endorsements. They can be textual, such as social media engagement, posts, or customer reviews. A lot of the time, they are even sponsored, such as paid PR and brand deals.
At the heart of Inbound Marketing is Search Engine Optimization or SEO. Put simply, SEO includes a series of sequential, strategic actions geared to bring your website into search engines’ focus. It is achieved with the employment of a number of optimization techniques. This includes using keywords that have high search volume and density so that the webpage is ranked higher.
It is important to keep in mind all of the above when short-listing a software development company for your project. The mark of a good one is not merely offering software development services, but also having a demonstrably strong work ethic, integrity, and a track record of prioritizing their client’s best interests at all times.
