Software developer, or is it web developer?

[Carl S]

Hi all,

I'm building a business plan which includes (as I suppose many do) a basic start up structure as well as my future investment / development plan. Top of my list for investment is bespoke software which would be accessed through my website for clients (as well as for internal staff).

It would have information from a database and some function, such as being able to add notes, send emails, label something etc.. Later plan is continue to develop this software further and further to be central to by business model.

I need to understand costs.. I have no idea what if my early function software needs would be £50k or £5k Also should be speaking with Software developers or website developers or both?

Any guidance, would be appreciated and if anyone/ company could give me a ballpark / expectation value I'll put you top of my list to discuss when the time comes to start to build it?

I can send further details in PM if needed.

Thanks
Carl

 

[ryedale]

Well we do similar projects for a lot of clients so I would say that if it runs directly through your site (both front end and admin and the database is online) then it falls under the label of web designer work assuming that designer can work with databases and programming languages such as PHP and isn't just a front end designer!

If you were looking for a client version that ran on Windows etc as well then that side of the work falls more into the software development category.

Please feel free to pm me and I'll be happy to help you narrow costs down.

 

[garyk]

You need a detailed spec. before any developer worth their salt can give you an accurate cost estimate.

Is the software downloadable and run locally? in which case you would typically look for a software developer. If its completely web based? then you would be looking at a web dev. The issue here though is that many web devs are not designers so they can build you something functional but not necessarily nice looking. If you were going to a web shop then they would probably be using a designer and a developer.

The lines have been blurred somewhat though as what was a software developer, depending on the technology they use can also do web as the underlying language (and framework) is the same.

Gary

 

[Carl S]

Thanks Gary / Ryedale,

from what you've both replied its definitely more of a web designer build. I didn't plan to have downloadable software, everything web based.

Ryedale, I'm putting a basic description together and will drop you a PM,

Thank you both for your time and input.

Carl

 

[ryedale]

You're welcome, will be happy to take a look at that for you

 

[easidoo]

@Carl S from the sound of what you're looking for, it seems you would develop a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform. I can understand your confusion given that the word "Software" is used in SaaS which, in fact, involved "Web" technologies.

Whether you should be speaking with the software or web developers is largely a question on technology choice that you make to develop your platform. For example, if you choose to develop the platform using java then the java developers could write a web app, mobile app or a desktop based app. But, if you choose to develop the platform using php or ruby then you'll need to look for a web developer.

Happy to help you further if you pm me the general context of what you're trying to achieve.

 

[makeusvisible]

Yes this certainly sounds like Web Development rather than offline software. If you would care to pm me with your specification, I'd be happy to take a look and put a proposal together for you.

 

[QuoteSift]

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