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How "Custom" Should Your Custom Software Be?

Custom software is designed for a specific group of users. It differs from off-the-shelf software — commercial products created for a mass audience. You might need custom software when existing applications don't fulfill your exact requirements. Yes, it's more expensive to set up than off-the-shelf software, but it provides you with a large spectrum of features that you won't find anywhere else on the market.

But just how customized is customized software? And how can you benefit from this technology?

How Unique is Custom Software?

Custom software is completely flexible. You bring ideas and functions to the table and your developers will turn them into features. You can incorporate as many features as you like into an application and scale the software to meet the needs of your organization or project.
Whether you want to create an application from scratch or just make some upgrades to your existing system, custom software development protects against external threats, centralizes multiple processes and supports business growth.

When Should You Use Custom Software?

Here are four circumstances where you might want to invest in custom software:

1. You Want to Improve Security

Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in commonly used software products. They might access a company's server and obtain valuable data, for example. These types of security breaches have a significant impact on businesses. Each lost or stolen record that contains confidential information costs a business, on average, $145.
 
Custom software development makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to sensitive information.

2. You Want to Improve Usability

Some software is difficult to use. More than half of companies achieve less than 49 percent effective software usage, according to one study. Staff might not know how to use particular features, resulting in poor adoption rates. This can have a dramatic impact on your business and even slow down sales.
 
Custom development simplifies the most commonly used software features to increase employee engagement and productivity. You can update old software functions and improve usability for your staff.

3. You Want to Improve Sales 

Even the newest software has limitations. If you want to drive business growth and boost leads, there might not be a product on the market that satisfies your sales requirements. You might need deeper analytics, for example, or more accurate sales-tracking features.
 
With personalized software, you can grow your business and execute your sales and marketing strategies. You choose the features that you want to incorporate into your custom software product. This way, you don't pay for features that you don't need.

4. You Want to Save Money 

Although custom software development requires an initial outlay, it could save you more money in the long run. Off-the-shelf software often comes with expensive license fees. You pay these so you can use the software on your computer. Some license fees cost thousands of dollars a year and could prove to be an unnecessary expense.
 
With custom software, you often pay a one-off cost for integration and personalization. After this, you typically won't have to renew any licenses every year.
 
Customized software offers an alternative to existing applications on the market. It provides you with improved security, higher sales, lower costs, and greater adoption rates. Use this software if you want to optimize your business processes and workflows and generate a better return on investment.
If custom software development is something in your near future, it's important to hire the right development team. Download this guide that includes nine questions to ask when conducting research and be confident in your team!

Hiring a software development company?

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If you're in the market for a software development agency, there are a few crucial questions you should be asking candidates. Be prepared to interview your potential software development company with these 9 questions. Download the guide for FREE!

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