For businesses planning an app
We think we need an app. First, what kind, and for whom?
Customers, field staff and connected devices each need a different kind of app. We start by deciding what to build, and whether to build it at all.
Three common app situations
A customer-facing app
Ordering, booking, accounts and notifications for people using your product on their phones.
A field or staff app
Checklists, scanning, photos and forms for people working on site, often with poor connectivity.
A companion app for a device
Pairing over Bluetooth, showing data and sending commands to hardware you make or use.
Choosing the approach
| Mobile web or PWA | React Native | Native iOS and Android | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best when | Content or simple tools suffice | Most business apps on both platforms | Heavy hardware or platform-specific features |
| Codebases | One web codebase | One shared codebase | Two separate codebases |
| Device access | Limited | Broad, with native modules | Full |
| Store distribution | Not required | Yes | Yes |
What teams underestimate
The backend
Apps need authentication, APIs, push infrastructure and admin tools. These often outweigh the app itself.
Offline and device behaviour
Poor signal, background limits and Bluetooth quirks shape the design from day one.
Store rules and release
Review requirements, signing and updates require planning, not a last-week scramble.
How we plan and build the app
Decide whether and what
We test the need and choose between web, React Native and native with a written rationale.
Prove the risky part
The hardest feature, such as offline sync or a device link, is prototyped first.
Build with test releases
You install builds on your own devices every sprint.
Publish and monitor
Store submission, staged rollout and crash monitoring are handled with you.
Typical timeline for a first app release
Typical durations for this kind of work. Real timing depends on scope, integrations and how quickly decisions are made.
Discovery and prototype
2 to 4 weeks
Approach, backend needs and a prototype of the riskiest feature.
Build
8 to 20 weeks
Depends on offline, hardware and backend scope.
Beta and publishing
2 to 4 weeks
Test with real users, store review and rollout.
Questions before building an app
Is a mobile website enough?
Sometimes. If you need no device features, offline use or notifications, a responsive site or PWA can serve you at lower cost. We will say if an app is not justified.
What will it cost to run?
Beyond development there are developer-account fees, hosting, third-party services and maintenance for OS updates. We list the recurring costs as part of the estimate.
How long does store approval take?
It is controlled by Apple and Google and varies. We plan for review feedback and submit early, but we cannot control their timing.
Services that deliver this
- Mobile app developmentReact Native, iOS and Android apps with offline workflows, Bluetooth and hardware integration, push notifications, payments and scalable backends.
- Product designUX research, interface design, design systems and prototypes for web apps, mobile products and dense admin tools, delivered with engineers in the loop.
- API integrationsReliable integrations between CRMs, ERPs, payments, ads and internal systems with retries, idempotency, monitoring and clear error handling.
- Software maintenanceOngoing maintenance for web and mobile products: updates, monitoring, bug fixes, performance work and takeover of software built by other teams.
Not sure what kind of app you need?
Describe the users and what they must do. We will recommend an approach and say what to prototype first.
Tell us about the app you have in mind
Who will use it, where, and does it need to work offline or with hardware?