Getting a Mobile App Built in Europe: A Step-by-Step Guide for Businesses

Your customers spend most of their day looking at their phones. That is why many business owners eventually ask: "Should we have an app too?" The answer is not the same for every business. In this article we explain what a business in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria or Belgium should clarify before ordering mobile app development.

First question: an app or a website?

Not every business needs an app. If customers visit you only a few times a year, a well-built website that loads fast on a phone is often enough.

An app usually makes sense when:

• Customers use you often: regular orders, appointments or bookings
• You need to send notifications: order status, appointment reminders, offers
• You need phone features: location, camera, QR code scanning
• You want a loyalty programme: points, offers and membership

Sometimes the right answer is both: a website anyone can open and an app for regular customers.

What will the app solve?

The best apps solve a concrete problem in the business today. Are orders getting lost between WhatsApp messages, are appointments taken by phone, do customers keep calling to ask about their order? Writing this down is the easiest way to define the app's scope. Where needed, the app is planned together with an admin panel or custom software.

iOS, Android or both

In Europe your customers use both iPhone and Android. Today it is possible to build one codebase for both platforms, which reduces both development time and maintenance. What the app needs to do determines which approach is right for you.

Store rules and publishing

To be published on the App Store and Google Play, an app has to follow both stores' rules. Apple's App Store Review Guidelines and Google's Play Developer Policy set clear rules on privacy, content and payments. Working with a team that knows the publishing process keeps your app from getting stuck in store review.

Data and GDPR

If the app collects customer names, phone numbers, location or order details, it must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Which data is collected and why, where it is stored and how users give consent should be planned from the start.

Connecting to existing systems

The app does not have to work on its own. It can connect to your till system, stock software, accounting tool or existing website. This API and system integration removes the need to enter the same information in several places by hand.

What belongs in the contract?

As with a website, scope, delivery date, revisions, ownership of the source code and maintenance after launch should all be in writing. Apps need regular maintenance as operating systems update, so agree on how this is handled from the start. See also our guide to getting a website built.

How we work at Kordevo

At Kordevo Soft we build iOS and Android apps for businesses across Europe and also communicate with clients in Turkish. In the first conversation we talk about your business, not the app: how do you work today and what do you want to change? If an app is really needed, we set out the scope and delivery date in a written offer; if it is not, we say so openly.

You can see our work on the projects page, and if you are thinking about an app for your business, get in touch.