We at Friflex develop off-the-shelf mobile applications for those who want to save their time and money. Off-the-shelf app is a sort of optimized version of a bespoke app. It is not developed from scratch but is built on ready-made templates. You can customize it for your business needs though.
The off-the-shelf solution can be two or even three times cheaper than a bespoke one. And we can develop it three times faster. While creating an off-the-shelf app we applied best practices of bespoke solutions.
Different goals, different approaches
Friflex has developed more than 80 bespoke apps. And we love off-the-shelf solutions as well. The main thing is to decide what you have and what you need.
- Bespoke app
- Developed from scratch according to the client’s requirements. It’s a big project with a team of developers, analysts, designers, and managers.
- Customized product allows to select individual adjustments, exceptional design, and features no one else on the market has.
- To design a bespoke app, you need more money than if you have chosen a pre-made solution.
- It usually takes from six to eight months to design, test and set the bespoke app.
- Off-the-shelf app
- Ready-made solution with a basic set of features and options, which you can apply to different business scenarios.
- You can adapt an off-the-shelf app for your own needs. But the level of adaptation may be limited. And extra features development may require more time and money.
- Pre-made templates help to shorten the time you need to develop and implement the app. And thus reduce the costs of the project.
- The less time the development takes,the sooner the app will be launched. You can publish an off-the-shelf app in three-four months.
Smart choice for retail
Off-the-shelf app is a smart choice for everyone engaged in e-commerce, be it a food store or a clothing boutique. It’s an easy way to create an e-shop, where your customers will find the catalog, read the product cards, and buy things. You can also add a loyalty program. It will make personal recommendations to your customers and motivate them to buy more.
As an extra sales channel, an off-the-shelf app will boost your conversions, improve your communication with users, and make it easier to collect statistics, so you can make a better offer for your clients.
Basic, but gold
We at Friflex work with retail market leaders. That is why our off-the-shelf solution consolidates best practices of e-commerce. Here are some of the features your mobile application may have.
Registration and authentication. You can log in with your phone number, create a personal account, and manage your data.
Catalog and product cards. The catalog is packed with filters and search. Cards contain detailed product descriptions and allow adding items to the cart.
Main page. The main page gives fast access to key features: loyalty program, discount catalog, news, and promotion banners.
Cart and checkout page. In your cart, you can see the list of items and their price, choose the shipping way and add the delivery address, and, finally, checkout. On the order page, you can find your order number, price, delivery status, and support requests.
Loyalty program. If your business has a loyalty program, you can integrate it into your app. Customers will always have their loyalty card at their fingertips. It’s easy to use and is available offline.
Personal account. You can manage your account: edit personal data and notifications or confirm email.
Navigation. Our off-the-shelf solution has easy and intuitive navigation based on UI elements such as bottom menu or tabs.
Notifications. Your app may send pushes about new messages, updates or other events to attract user’s attention.
Administration panel. The administration panel helps to manage content and engage with the users: upload banners, send push notifications, images, and text.
Integration with third party services. You can integrate your app with third party services. For example, with Google Maps.
Analytics and reporting. Integrated analytic tools (Crashlytics, AppMetrica, AppsFlyer) help to track user behavior, efficiency rates and other metrics.
To conclude
- Off-the-shelf app is the best choice when you need to launch your product soon, have a limited budget and don’t need one-of-a-kind features.
- Off-the-shelf app has everything for a fast start, you don’t need to develop anything from scratch.
- You can set and adapt an off-the-shelf app to your needs. But the level of adaptation can be limited.
If you are still hesitating between bespoke and off-the-shelf apps, you are welcome to contact us. We’ll analyze your project and find the best solution.
