Introduction to Custom Development

What is Custom Web Development?

Custom web development is the process of customizing websites to match the requirements or ideas specific to a brand or organization. A custom web development company works hand-in-hand with the business (you) to ensure that your brand’s online presence reflects your mission, identity, desired customer experience, and functionality wishes.

There are many advantages to a custom web development solution, including increased visibility on search engines, a flexible website structure that can easily be changed to meet user needs, improved content workflows, and amplified visitor engagement.

What is Custom Software Development?

Custom software is also a technical avenue that is leveraged to help produce unique and successful back-office workflows, so that company operations can function as desired. Custom software development often includes integrations between existing applications and new systems so as to form one cohesive system, setting up secure and reliable hosting solutions, designing user-friendly interfaces, and offering support services throughout the life cycle of the custom application or software‘s lifespan. These systems are designed to last for decades.

As a result, bespoke custom software improves results in comparison to generic,  off-the-shelf options and provides a vast array of benefits, including reduced long-term costs and improved overall efficiency, by customizing the software for the company’s specific needs. 

From complex e-commerce systems to sophisticated productivity tools, custom software solutions help brands solve messy problems in a timely fashion — ultimately delivering both an optimized customer and internal user experience.

Understanding the Basics of Custom Development

Custom development makes use of tools like coding languages, databases (DMBS), libraries, and APIs (frameworks)—along with specific algorithms to create custom websites, custom applications, and novel user experiences. 

Having a basic technical understanding of these elements helps you navigate the overall process as a client. While it is not required to understand each and every technical intricacy of each term, a basic layman’s understanding does help to understand the terminology that nearly all custom projects will entail. 

Some of the top-level variables of nearly all custom development projects include:

Development programming languages

What is a programming language?

A programming language is a group of grammatical rules that tell computers what functions and processes to perform. You can think of them as vocabulary or syntax guidelines that instruct computing devices to perform specific tasks. Web developers may choose programming languages based on the project’s functionality requirements and also on their proficiency in a specific programming language.  

There are dozens of programming languages. Some of the most popular web development programming languages include:

• JavaScript
• C#
• Python
• PHP
• JS
• Ruby
• Rust

Development Frameworks (DBMS)

What is a web development framework?

A framework is a set of programming tools to help build well-organized, reliable software and web systems. They help build web applications, such as web services, web resources, and APIs (application programming interfaces). This occurs through a library of components, templates, or code snippets used throughout the development process. Typically, frameworks operate through a specific programming language. 

There are two categories of development frameworks. 

• Client-side frameworks are built and managed by frontend developers that focus on how users interact—the UI (user interface)—with a website or web application to improve the overall user experience (UX). They deliver resources to the client more efficiently, are often more secure than server-side frameworks due to their centralized nature, and require fewer resources to maintain.
• Server-side frameworks are managed by backend developers that create and manage how the client-side framework interacts with web servers to retrieve and deliver information. They can improve SEO (search engine optimization) more than client-side options by speeding up page load times. This not only improves the site performance but can improve your page rankings in Google search results.

Examples of development frameworks and their programming language include:

• Ruby on Rails (server-side | Ruby)
• Django (server-side | Python)
• Laravel (server-side | PHP)
• React.js (client-side | HTML, CSS, JavaScript) 
• .NET (server-side | C#)
• Angular.js (client-side | HTML, CSS, JavaScript) 
• Vue.js (client-side | HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
  

Database Management Systems (DBMS)

What is a DBMS?

A database management system (or DBMS) is a systemized way for computers to store information i.e. “data”. That’s why most people just use the term “database” in place of DBMS.

Users of a system—depending on the roles assigned to them by the Admin user—are able to perform various operations on the data within the database. Authorized users can add, edit, update, and/or delete data. A database can also be used to store user activity logs, change histories, and dates/times when data is updated to help track when actions were taken.

A few of the many examples of a DBMS include:

• Microsoft SQL Server
• MySQL
• Postgres 
• Redis
• Microsoft Access

Development Frameworks (DBMS)

What is a CMS?

A content management system (CMS) is an application-based system used to manage information in the form of text, images, and files. This information is also referred to as “content”. Content can be anything but is commonly thought of as bits of information that are displayed to a user in a browser or a mobile app.

A CMS allows multiple contributors to create, edit and publish content with minimal technical knowledge. The main purpose of a CMS is to simplify content management so that no coding is required to create, edit, or collaborate on content. 

A lion’s share of websites today is built upon WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace. These are user-friendly CMS options and are ideal for non-technical managers. They are not ideal, however, for the creative flexibility that custom development agencies can offer.

Examples of some popular CMS options include:

• WordPress
• Squarespace
• Wix
• Drupal
• Joomla
• Magento
• Shopify
• WooCommerce

Importance of Custom Development For Businesses

By understanding your specific needs (and your customer’s needs), custom development companies create a well-planned strategy to satisfy those needs. In turn, you can offer a highly-optimized, user-centric solution to your audience that can scale and adapt to shifting user demands over time.

Reasons businesses need custom web development

A business may need custom web development or custom software development for a variety of reasons. Some possible reasons include:

• Unique Business Needs: Off-the-shelf solutions may not fully meet the specific needs of a business. Custom web development allows a business to tailor the solution to its specific requirements.
• Competitive Advantage: A custom web solution can help a business stand out from competitors by providing unique features and functionality.
• Branding and Identity: A custom web design can help a business create a distinct online presence that reflects its brand and identity.
• Scalability: As a business grows, its website needs may change. Custom web development allows for scalability and can be easily modified as business needs change.
• Integrations: Custom web development allows for integration with other systems and platforms that are crucial for the business’s operation.
• Cost-effective: In the long run, custom web development can be more cost-effective than using multiple off-the-shelf solutions.
• Security: Custom web development can offer enhanced security to protect sensitive business data and customer information.

Reasons businesses need software development

Similarly, a business may need custom software development for a variety of reasons that echo the above. Some specific reasons include:

• Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Custom software development services can automate tasks, freeing up resources for more important projects.
• Improved User Experience: By creating a custom software solution that meets the exact needs of end-users, businesses can greatly improve the overall user experience.
• Cost Savings: By developing custom software, businesses can avoid costly license fees associated with using off-the-shelf software solutions.
• Superior Scalability: Custom software is easier to scale as they’re designed to meet the exact needs of the business rather than being a catch-all solution.
• Flexibility: Custom software development services can be tailor-made to fit the exact needs of a business, allowing greater flexibility in how they operate.
• Increased Data Security: Custom software can include features like two-factor authentication and encryption for sensitive data that may not be included in generic, off-the-shelf products.
• Enhanced Brand Image: Businesses using custom software can gain an advantage over competitors by providing a unique and tailor-made solution that reinforces the company’s commitment to quality and innovation.
  

To wrap up, custom development—web or software—provides a business with user-focused solutions to their specific needs. In turn, companies gain a competitive advantage over others in the industry who are not implementing similar solutions.

This page last updated on March 15, 2023 by Credo Team