App Building Software

Mobile application development involves extensive coding. Businesses have to either hire in-house developers or outsource the entire development process to third-party providers. But not all businesses have the time to set up an internal development team or the budget to outsource. App building software offers a fast and cost-effective way of developing mobile applications for such businesses.

App building software enables visual app development and provides prebuilt app templates that help build mobile apps without the need for writing codes. It can be connected to databases, software applications, etc., to automate data transfer for testing and deploying mobile apps.

To help you select an app building solution that’s right for your business, we’ve created this buyers guide. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is app building software?
• Common features of app building software
• What type of buyer are you?
• Benefits of app building software
• Market trends to understand

What is app building software?

App building software is a software platform that allows users to develop mobile-based business applications using a design interface. It lets users build mobile apps for both business-specific requirements (e.g., HR and accounting apps) and consumer needs (e.g., ecommerce apps).

The software is similar to a website builder tool—which allows users to create websites without any coding knowledge—except it’s used to build mobile applications.

App development interface in Appery.io (Source)

Common features of app building software

Understanding the features of app building software will help you select a tool that caters to your requirements. Let’s take a look at some of the common features.

Feature	Description
App templates	Use prebuilt app templates to develop business apps (e.g., accounting and HR), content management apps (e.g., media distribution), or consumer-facing apps (e.g., ecommerce).
Connectors	Connect mobile apps with software solutions, databases, etc., to automatically pull up data from these sources.
Visual app development	Use a visual tool to design and customize business applications. Some solutions provide a drag-and-drop interface for adding features and design elements to the app interface.
Application testing	Test the developed mobile apps for functionality, usability, consistency, security, etc. before releasing them for use.

What type of buyer are you?

Understanding buyer groups will help you select a solution that can address your business challenges. Following are the main types of app building software buyers:

Buyers looking to build content-based applications: These buyers are looking to build apps for their content management and distribution needs. They could be news publishers, media companies, or online streaming service providers, among others. These buyers must invest in app building solutions that have strong visual app development capabilities. They should look for prebuilt design components and graphic workflows to make content presentation visually appealing as well as easily readable for consumers.

Buyers looking to build ecommerce applications: While these buyers may have some content needs, they primarily need mobile apps for ecommerce functions, such as publishing product catalogs, taking orders and receiving payments from within the app, and integrating the app with the inventory system to check if products are in stock. Such businesses should ensure that the app building software they choose includes “connectors” for software systems that are essential for ecommerce operations. For e.g., inventory management, payment processing, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Buyers looking to build apps for internal business functions: These businesses want to develop mobile apps for internal business requirements, such as HR, CRM, and finance and accounting needs. They should look for app building software that offers app templates specific to the business function they need help with. These templates provide ready access to the most commonly used features in a business app and are usually free of bugs or malfunctions.

Benefits of app building software

Following are the main advantages of using an app building solution:

Cost savings: App building software allows you to build mobile apps without having to hire developers for writing codes. The application UI and most commonly used features are already coded in the built-in app templates. The software not only helps save money on hiring but also lets you focus on customizing unique features that add more value to your app.

Faster app development: The software offers prebuilt app templates for designing mobile-ready business apps. These templates save you months of development time, so you don’t need to spend hours coding app functions. Your product can be deployed and pushed to the market faster.

Ease of making changes: Making changes to an application, such as formatting the text or color, can be technically tricky, especially if the app needs to be programmed manually. The visual development tools of app building software make it easy for even non-technical users to add or remove features or make minor changes.

Market trends to understand

Following are the key trends shaping the app development software space:

5G to enable new technologies for mobile app development: The speed of 5G networks will allow app developers to implement features that demand high-speed data transfer, such as augmented reality and 3D visuals. As 5G takes effect, app building software vendors are expected to introduce these features in their offerings as well.

Artificial intelligence (AI) to become a core mobile app building functionality: AI is proving to be a useful tool for businesses looking to obtain better insights from mobile app data. For instance, it enables businesses to analyze user behavior on ecommerce apps and recommend products based on their interests. As more businesses attempt to leverage AI, app building software vendors are expected to incorporate AI-based features into their offerings.

Note: The application selected in this article is an example to show a feature in context and is not intended as an endorsement or a recommendation. It has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.