How Much Does It Cost to Make an App? The Expensive Way vs the Practical Way

How Much Does It Cost to Make an App? The Expensive Way vs the Practical Way

How much does it cost to make an app? This is such an open-ended question that finding the right answer is often difficult.

A simple bare-bones mobile app can cost you less than a thousand dollars, but the more features that you integrate into the app, the more it’s going to cost you eventually. Having a mobile app is critical to the growth of your business. With revenues going up in billions for mobile apps, it’s easy to understand just how much potential there is for businesses that want to grow by building their own mobile app.

While many developers will claim to make an app for you at a lower fee, you should know that it’s going to be severely lacking on features as well. After all, you will only get your money’s worth. But, in general, how much does it cost to make an app? In the following paragraphs, we will break down the costs associated with building a mobile app into separate phases.

How Much Does It Cost to Make an App? Breaking Down the Elements

There are three major elements that you need to focus on: app development, design, and startup costs. The average cost of an app ranges between $80k and can go as high as $250k depending on the type of features you want to integrate.

The first stage is app development, in which the front end and back end of the app will be developed. Extensive testing will have to be carried out to iron out the creases and make sure that all of the included features are working properly.

Once that is done, the app will move into the design phase, where the visual design of the app will be configured. This includes working on the UX and the UI of the app, along with the design, logos, and other features. Copywriting services will be required as well to create the app’s content.

Once that is done, the next step is the startup costs. Marketing the app is going to be critically important. Without adoption, it’s going to be virtually impossible for the app to sustain itself. As a result, a significant amount of the budget is going to be set apart for marketing.

Then, there’s support. Problems with the app will need to be catered to, so appropriate support will be provided. An office will be set up to hire staff who will run the office and manage issues.

Now, how much does it cost to make an app? Here’s a brief summary:

  • Simple apps can cost a maximum of $80,000
  • Basic database apps can cost as much as $150,000
  • Apps with advanced features can cost as much as $250,000
  • Gaming apps can cost even more than that depending on the quality

However, there are other things to understand as well. App development is usually an ongoing process. Once the app has been built, it’s going to be refined and reworked over and over again, and all of this is going to require money. For instance, car dealers are going to need an app that allows them to show off their inventory easily.

Requirements for Car Dealers

There are several key features that you are going to want to include in your app for car dealers. You need to start by figuring out the number of platforms on which you are going to make the app available, and then determine the complexity of the app itself. Certain design elements are also going to play a role in the overall build.

Now, let’s take a look at these requirements separately for car dealers.

Platform Requirements

You can either create a native app for iOS or Android, or you can create a cross-platform app that is available on both platforms. As a car dealer, you need to understand that both iOS and Android are incredibly popular platforms. To allow more potential customers to view your inventory and access the app, you need to make sure that you develop apps for both of these platforms.

Cross platform apps are slightly more expensive, but they are definitely worth the money. You are going to have to pay a bit more, but it will also allow you to access a greater number of customers.

How Much Does It Cost to Make an App? The Expensive Way vs the Practical Way
How Much Does It Cost to Make an App? The Expensive Way vs the Practical Way

Design

How do you want the car dealer app to look? There are a few design elements that you need to include. For starters, the car dealer app should have an aesthetically appealing design. The look and feel should be in line with the aesthetic at your dealership for creating brand consistency.

That’s not all; you will also need to work on the user experience to make it as seamless as possible. Essentially, you have to understand that you will be listing plenty of cars on the platform. It’s important to allow for fluid navigation and lots of high-res pictures so that people can check and make a booking easily. They should also have an option to set up an appointment.

Complexity

This is a slightly confusing part, but one that plays an important role. You might need to add integration for accepting payments online as well, especially if you are going to offer in-app purchases to your customers. Obviously, as a car dealer, this is a fantastic feature to add, but you may have to spend more money.

That’s why it’s important for you to evaluate whether such a feature is necessary or not, especially considering your target market. Most people will want to visit before they decide to buy a car.

If you want to avoid going through the traditional way, you should consider getting in touch with DealerApp Vantage. Our mobile app platform that allows you to build an app tailored for car dealers within minutes, without having to pay over the top. It’s a fantastic option for people who quickly want to build and launch an app to separate themselves from the competition.

deploy your auto dealer app with just a few clicks.

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