If you’re interested in an app but don’t have the funds or the confidence to hire a software developer, using a white label app building contractor may save you a lot of money. It’s important to note that white label apps aren’t as flexible as a custom app built from the ground up, but they’re relatively cheaper and quicker to put together.
You’re Not Building from the Ground Up
The structure of the app is already in place when you build your app using a white label app builder. Functionally, it’s a template where you can load your particular products, offerings, prices, and deals. These apps run directly on the operating system they’re built on, so there are limitations to the customizations you can apply, but the process is much simpler than a build from nothing.
Get Very Specific About Your Goals
A simple app construction on a white label platform may serve for a short time, but if you plan to expand your offerings in the future, you may be better off starting with a designer and getting a custom build. Again, the platform for a white label app is quick to assemble, but some fairly tight strictures may get in the way of expansion later on.
Concerns of Using a White Label App
If you’re a business owner looking to buy an app from a developer, make sure you know their platform choice. If you are a restaurant looking to book reservations with an app, the cheaper app may be on a white label platform. Your app will have your data, logo, and name, but it will function like many other restaurant apps.
That’s all well and good until the company that sold you the app needs to make an update or a change, and the platform isn’t ready for an update or a change. In this scenario, your app suddenly doesn’t work; it times out or simply won’t update. You may lose customers or be forced to go back to phone call reservations. Not the end of the world, but this disruption can hit your credibility.
Security Concerns
If your app suddenly has a security concern, you may need to chase data back up the chain to determine the source of the problem. The structure of a white label app platform is that
- Company A builds the app platform directly on an operating system
- Company B buys the structure and customizes it with the data from Company C (that’s you)
- Company C now has an app
If Company A wasn’t on top of security concerns, or if Company B implemented customizations that reduce the security of the information of your clients, then Company C has unhappy clients.
If your business and thus your app need the very best security and ultimate flexibility, hiring a software developer to build your app from the ground up will be a long process at a fairly high expense. However, one bad data breach could cost your business, both in dollars and in credibility. Only you can determine the risks to your client.
Scaling Up
Whether you’re building white-label app structures, designing apps for clients, or looking to purchase an app for your business, make sure you are positioned for growth. Everything is moving online, and even after 2020 and the current worldwide challenges are over, many people will probably maintain a strong online shopping and procurement bias.
Trust but Verify
No matter which app-building choice you make, consider hiring an independent team to do penetration testing on your app. If it’s going to fail, you want to find that out before your clients do. Hire a security consultant who can put it through the paces and see where the weak points are so you can shore things up before you have an embarrassing and costly breach.
The world of commercial procurement is expanding exponentially online as it shrinks in person. Hiring a design team to create an app won’t be cheap, but it will give you the ultimate control and flexibility. Keep your eye on the future and plan for expansion.