Building business applications sounds like a daunting process reserved for only the savviest of tech professionals. However, the popularity of apps for all types of organizations has called for lower barriers to entry. You can empower yourself and your team to propel your business forward and build apps using user-friendly tools and platforms.
Non-technical users may not have the extensive skills required to code an app and launch it without errors. Instead of assuming your business can’t handle app building internally, learn how to create seamless apps with ease — staying competitive and providing your customers with personalized, agile mobile applications.
The Power of Empowerment in Business
Non-technical users can be CEOs, business analysts, marketing creatives, or industry experts. Their unique perspectives and expertise in a specific field actually make them perfect candidates to build applications that are useful for your customer base. By empowering them to build apps, you can drive your organization toward innovation, streamline workflows with internal apps, and propel external growth. Rather than assuming you can’t handle app development, use your existing skills and expertise to finetune user-friendly app-building programs.
Benefits of Low-Code and No-Code Platforms
User-friendly app development platforms utilize low-code and no-code systems. Low-code platforms require some coding skills but significantly reduce the amount of manual coding needed. They offer APIs, drag-and-drop interfaces, code templates, and process flows. This is akin to website builders like WordPress which allow you to build easily but still give you access to customize some aspects using coding.
No-code platforms are similar but don’t allow for coding customization. This is best for users with no technical experience. It relies entirely on visual tools and is ideal for the rapid development of simple apps with straightforward user interfaces (UIs). The UIs for developing them will also be easy to use. Consider this if you need a simple app for self-service ordering, internal communication, or content management. Updates are also easier, allowing for quick scalability.
Traditional app-building costs can be high if you want a lot of features and outsource a user experience (UX) designer. If you have graphic designers and IT teams in-house, you must include the time-spend and salaries in this cost. Low-code and no-code platforms are more cost-effective if they work for your business needs.
For example, Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagram tools can be free and can help you visualize system architectures, design patterns, and data structures. This helps immensely with software development. Other app-building tools are low-cost, as well, if you want simple features and the ease of drag-and-drop development.
Implementing Practical Strategies To Build Applications
Non-technical app development allows you to tap into your existing team’s creativity and expertise in your field. Regardless of coding experience, you can create innovative solutions for internal and external business issues. It’s your job to identify business needs and pain points,
map out workflows and processes, select the right platform, and facilitate app-building and updates.
Provide Step-by-Step Guidance for Non-Technical Users
To empower non-technical users in your company, including yourself, create step-by-step guides for custom app development. Break down the process into digestible chunks to help them feel confident. This will include defining the app’s purpose, target audience, and features. Collaborate with your team to figure out what they need to feel comfortable developing, and create visualizations for how you want the app to look and flow in the end. You can choose a platform with your team that they feel most suits their needs, and provide training in that specific platform as needed.
You can also work with an external company to help facilitate this process. For instance, consider a mobile app development company in Delhi that can provide hands-on assistance during each building process, including testing and updates.
Encourage Collaboration and Communication
Collaboration between non-technical users and IT is crucial for successful app development. This way, everyone can feel confident if problems arise. Use seamless communication tactics and tools like regular meetings about app development, shared documents, and collaboration tools like Slack. By bridging the gap, you open communication channels between IT and non-technical staff that wouldn’t exist otherwise — aligning goals and creating better solutions in the long run.
Address Security and Privacy
Your team may feel wary about handling data security as non-technical users building apps. To mitigate this concern, foster education and awareness of security best practices. Show them that with the right systems in place, they can easily avoid risks and potential vulnerabilities. Remember that even the best app developers can run into data security issues in mobile app development. Don’t place blame unless internal actions are malicious or negligent. Instead, offer guidelines for maintaining data privacy and compliance, as well as contingency plans if data is compromised.
Measure the Efficacy of Applications
To ensure that non-technical app development is benefiting your company, it’s important to track the efficacy of said apps. Consider key performance indicators (KPIs) like user engagement, conversion rates, app responsiveness, and user feedback. Continuous improvement based on these KPIs is crucial to not only your return on investment but also the advancement of your team’s learning and collaboration.
Adjust as Necessary
As you learn more with your team about app development, you can adjust and scale as needed. Low-code and no-code apps make adjustments easy and code-free, allowing you to A/B test what graphics or user interfaces work the best. When it comes to adjusting apps without technical prowess, flexibility is key.
Cloud storage solutions offer a scalable and accessible platform for storing business app data. Rather than using costly, bandwidth-heavy internal servers for storing all the data to build your app, cloud-based platforms allow you to harness that power offsite. This way, you can up your storage capacity seamlessly and cost-effectively without worrying about physical hardware limitations and technical upgrades.
Continuing Optimization and Education
Empowering non-technical staff to build apps for your business can yield substantial benefits. You’re not only fostering a culture of innovation and agility, but you’re also reducing the burden on IT staff and lowering costs for outsourced IT processes. The return on investment is much higher, giving your customers an additional, useful touchpoint with your business that didn’t cost you an arm and a leg upfront. This empowerment for non-technical employees — and yourself — is about creating a culture of continuous growth, ingenuity, and collaboration.
