Template or Custom App? When does it make sense to choose?

In the current landscape..

Technology nowadays is ever advancing and we luckily live in a world where there is (almost) a digital solution to everything you can ever dream of. Whether it’s just a quick to-do list or something as complex as filing documents for government bases nowadays, more than ever, apps have become a staple in helping us navigate our lives.

Own a restaurant? We have booking and queueing apps.

Want to just order takeout while pondering your choices for 30 minutes? Food delivery is your best friend.

Just want to kill some time? We have idle games for those too.

In sea of overflowing app stores seemingly having something for everyone, why do some apps seem to gain more attention than others?

Why of some of them work better than others? If you’re starting something new and fresh. what might be the best way forward?

Building Your Presence

20 years ago, people would speak of everyone’s carbon footprint and how it is a good indicator of your overall impact to the environment. While it’s a measure of something we care about, it is not something that is on everyone’s minds.

Fast-forward to 2024, your digital footprint (or presence) is all the rage. While it’s partially propagated by our increasing access to technology, anyone with a camera now has the ability to share something with the world and become a sensation overnight.

Though the situation may differ from individuals seeking fame froma 30-second clip online, it is unmistaken that with an ever-increasing reliance on technology, businesses have increasingly opted for more digtal solutions for everything that they do. Processes have become digitized, physical printed media have slowly been converted into QR codes and it just feels like the world is moving faster in every way.

Apps nowadays evolve at breakneck speed with new ones popping up on app store charts every other week. As people work faster and more efficienctly, the choices become overwhelming and while it seems like we’re spoiled for choice, we also have to make the concious decision to decide whether we want something that is more templated or something more custom made for your business.

Templated Apps - A Jack of All Trades

What are they?

As their name suggest, they are apps made from app templates which exist for a large variety of industries out there ranging from the restaurant industry to the groceries. Have you ever been to a grocery store self-checkout and noticed how the software on these machines are quite identical? That’s a sign that they are templated apps. At its core, these apps function identically with the aim to streamline the checkout process.

While not particularly unique as an overall experience for their customers, they serve to enable them to easily accomplish tasks and drive conversions. But how about something a little different?

Booking platforms are another example of templated apps. The past 5 years has seen the immense surgence of these products with companies like Airbnb, and Expedia taking over the market. While they may differ in industry, these products are designed with very similar requirements in mind i.e get the customers to where they want, when they want, and at the price they are willing to pay for it.

In many cases, we build products based on what is familiar for customers as creating new customer behaviours may eventually cause some unneeded friction that may turn peope away from an otherwise wonderful business.

Who are they for?

So who are templated apps for then? If we want to mainain consistent customer behaviours, how would you know that’s the best course of action for your business?

One of the biggest benefits of templated apps would be that you won’t need to train your customers to form new behaviours. These are best benefitted for industries with an already established product language such as booking websites, restaurant queues and checkout software. In these cases, businesses can focus on creating more unique experiences in the products they sell and services they provide. However, just because you decide to go with a templated app doesn’t mean that you forgo any uniqueness to your app.

At the end of the day, a template is only representative of the core experience to your customers and the beginning of their digital experience with you. In many ways, you can use colours, branding, loyalty programs and much more to enhance your customer experiences further.

Custom Apps - Tailor-made for your business

What are they?

The world of custom apps is ever growing and here, many products take centerstage in excelling at their specifically designed tasks. These apps exist to further enhance an already existing service in the real world or are built for more specific needs such as internal management, or the need for customers to experience something truly unique.

While these tailor-made solutions stand to take more time to develop, they are a one-of-a-kind nature make it incomparable to many products out in the public market. In many ways, when there is no one-size-fits-all solution to your business problem, custom apps are there to fill that void.

Examples of these can be seen as more ‘designed’ for specific users.

Duolingo for example is a custom app that excels at their industry. With a full release in 2012, the product has had many cycles of iterations and refinement to reach the level of where it’s at today. One may argue that it ptioneered the gamified language-learning model as it was the first of its kind back in 2012. While there are now comparable apps to them, their designs are derivative of Duolingo’s as they’ve had 10 years to iterate, research and refine customer behaviours.

Who are they for?

If you find that a template doesn’t quite fit your need, you might be in the market for a custom app.

From complex internal tools that streamline processes to entire systems and games for your customer to enjoy, the possibilities are endless when it comes to them. In many ways, these apps get better with time as long as you trust the process and the team to take you there.

With so much room for growth and the potential for it to become something amazing. understanding your customers on a deeper level naturally fluorishes the product into its true potential to ultimately fit your unique needs.

Conclusion - It depends on you

Whether you’re looking to build something from scratch or branch out from a template, we believe that there is no one-size solution for everyone.

You can think of customization as a spectrum.

With a base of a template, the more you add or substract to and from it. the more customized it will be. Whether it’s the branding that you want to emphasis or a very unique feature, the possibilties are endless to build something that truly speaks to you.

We here at Raccoopack are passionate about finding that right fit for you. Do you need a custom app? Reach out to us for a free consultation today! 😀

by Raymond, Product & Content @ Raccoopack Media