How Custom Software Development Can Give You a Competitive Advantage

The future of business is digital, with companies competing online and on smartphone screens for market share and consumer attention. Software, whether in the form of websites, online stores, mobile apps, internal administration systems, cybersecurity, etc., is key to success in this competitive marketplace. When it comes to software development, companies have two choices: purchase an off-the-shelf software solution or develop their own custom software to suit their needs. The former may seem to be the simplest option, but the latter can offer some invaluable advantages. Here are a few reasons why custom software development can provide that critical edge for market success.

Freedom to Innovate and Adapt

‘At the speed of business’ has become something of a cliché, but the meaning of the phrase is still very relevant. Technology moves at a fast pace, with new trends, tools, and platforms emerging all the time. With off-the-shelf software solutions, you are limited to the functionality of the software that comes out of the proverbial box. To expand on this, you need to wait for the company that made the product to update. By that time, it may be too late.

In contrast, custom software is designed to meet your needs and can incorporate the latest trends. What if your company has some great new ideas and needs to pivot to blockchain integration, or VR metaverse experiences before the competition does? Having your own custom software means that you have the flexibility to quickly adapt that rivals depending on pre-built software do not.

Improved Efficiency and Security

Time is money, and when it comes to software for internal workflow and administration management, it should be saving you as much time as possible. Pre-built software products for productivity are not optimized for the size or organization of your company, which means that there can be redundancies or wasted features.

By investing in custom software development, you can create a productivity platform designed specifically to enhance your organization’s performance without any unnecessary bloat. It also allows you to quickly scale up, giving you an advantage over the competition. As an additional bonus, because custom software is unique, it is more difficult to hack than out-of-the-box software, providing extra security.

Better Customer Experience

Considering the customer-facing side of the business, the adaptability that comes with using [custom software](/services/custom-software) is invaluable. If you know your customer base and target audience, you can build your [custom software](/services/custom-software) to provide the [best experience for them](/services/product-discovery). If you don’t yet know your customer base, this can provide you with the data collection and analytics to get the information you need.

Your customer-facing software, be it on the web or mobile, is your customers’ relationship with your company. Through your software, they can give feedback and make their needs known. By having your own software, you can quickly adapt and introduce new features to meet those needs, building positive and long-term relationships with your customer base so that they choose you over the competition.

Faster Troubleshooting

After it is deployed, software needs to be maintained and improved. No company will survive if its platform is known to be slow, buggy, or outdated. In this case, users will switch to a platform that offers a better experience.

When an out-of-the-box software needs fixing, you are at the mercy of the manufacturer, but when you have your own software developed by your own team, you can more quickly and easily fix issues, using the same developers that created it in the first place, giving your product an advantage in reliability and dependability.

Better Brand Awareness

Competition in offering any kind of digital service is fierce—customers are just a few swipes or taps away from a competitor when scrolling their devices or browsing an app store. If you use the same software package as the competition, then customization is limited and your product may end up with a UI and visual style that looks very similar to the others.

To catch and hold the attention of customers, it’s best to have a design that stands out from the crowd. Choosing a custom software solution will allow you to create something unique to your brand.

Choose the Best Team

Possibly the best advantage you have in commissioning custom software development is the close relationship with the development team, who work with your company to achieve your goals during planning, development, deployment, and maintenance.

Having control of the development team improves every aspect of the software experience, and enables a better quality product than competitors that opt for off-the-shelf software solutions. You don’t even have to scout, hire, and onboard a dev team yourself—agencies exist than can provide experienced developers to suit your needs at affordable prices.

At AccelOne, our nearshore software development team is experienced in developing quality software solutions for a wide range of industries.

To learn more about how we can help you create the perfect software for your needs, contact us online or call 800.863.6814.