Service / Engineering
Mobile apps, starting with a prototype that tests the idea cheaply.
We build cross-platform mobile applications for iOS and Android from one codebase, and we usually start with a clickable prototype — because the cheapest app is the one you decide not to build.
01 / What this is
Prototype first, almost always
A clickable prototype is a fraction of the cost of an app and answers the questions that matter: does the flow make sense to someone who has never seen it, will your users actually open this, and is a mobile app even the right form — because a good mobile website frequently is.
When an app is right, we build cross-platform: one codebase producing both iOS and Android, which roughly halves cost and keeps the two versions from drifting apart. Native development is justified for heavy graphics or deep device integration, and we will tell you when that applies.
Store submission is part of the work and it has rules. Apps get rejected for missing privacy disclosures, thin functionality or unclear account deletion. We prepare for review rather than discovering those requirements after the build.
Good signs this service fits
- Your users need something on a phone, repeatedly
- You need notifications, offline use or camera access
- You are about to commission an app and want validation first
- A mobile site is being used in ways it cannot support
- You need a prototype to show investors or test with users
02 / Problems it solves
What Mobile App Development usually fixes
Test the idea before the budget
A clickable prototype real users can try, before committing to months of development.
One codebase, both platforms
Cross-platform development covering iOS and Android together instead of paying twice.
Through store review without surprises
Privacy disclosures, account deletion and store listings prepared before submission, not after rejection.
03 / Deliverables
What you actually receive
Deliverables depend on whether you are at prototype or full build. We are explicit about which stage a proposal covers and what the next stage would cost.
Apps need ongoing maintenance that websites do not — operating systems update twice a year and stores enforce new requirements. We make that cost visible before you start.
Included in a standard engagement
- Clickable prototype covering the core user flows
- Cross-platform application for iOS and Android from one codebase
- Designed screens and reusable interface components
- Backend and data integration where the app requires it
- Push notification setup where it is genuinely useful
- App store listing assets and privacy disclosures prepared
- Submission to both stores and support through review
- Source code and store accounts in your name
- Documentation and a handover walkthrough
04 / How it works
From first call to finished work
The ASOLZ six-phase process, applied to this service. Each stage ends with something you can review.
- STEP 01
Scope and platform check
What the app must do, who for, and an honest answer on whether a mobile website would serve better.
- STEP 02
Prototype
Clickable screens covering the core flows, tested with real users before any code is written.
- STEP 03
Design system
Screens and components designed once and reused, so the app stays consistent as it grows.
- STEP 04
Build and test
Cross-platform development with test builds you can install on your own device throughout.
- STEP 05
Store submission
Listings, assets, privacy disclosures, submission to both stores, and support through the review process.
05 / Use cases
Typical Mobile App Development projects
Booking and scheduling
Customers book, reschedule and get reminders without calling anyone.
Loyalty and ordering
Repeat ordering and a loyalty scheme that lives on the phone instead of a paper card.
Offline job capture
Staff record work, photos and signatures on site and sync when back in signal.
Investor-ready prototype
A realistic clickable app to demonstrate the concept before raising or committing to build.
06 / FAQ
Questions about Mobile App Development
What does a mobile app cost to build?
Far more than most people expect, which is why we push for a prototype first. Cost scales with the number of distinct screens and whether it needs its own backend, so we scope before quoting.
Do we actually need an app, or would a website do?
A mobile website is usually enough unless you need notifications, offline use, camera or sensor access, or genuinely frequent repeat use. We give you that answer honestly in discovery, even when it means a smaller project.
Cross-platform or native?
Cross-platform for most business apps: one codebase, both stores, roughly half the cost, and no drift between versions. Native is worth it for heavy graphics or deep device integration, and we will say when that is you.
Will it be approved by the app stores?
We prepare for review requirements during the build — privacy disclosures, account deletion, meaningful functionality. No one can promise approval, but most rejections are for predictable, avoidable reasons.
What ongoing cost should we expect?
Apps need maintenance websites do not: operating system updates, store policy changes, developer account fees. We estimate annual upkeep in the proposal so it is not a surprise in year two.
07 / Related services
Often built alongside Mobile App Development
Custom Software Development
Internal tools, portals and web applications built around how your business actually runs, not how a template assumes it does.
View Custom Software DevelopmentWebsite Design & Development
Fast, accessible, search-ready business websites and landing pages — designed for enquiries, not just for looks.
View Website Design & DevelopmentAI Dashboards & Data Visualization
Business dashboards and automated reporting that replace the weekly spreadsheet rebuild — on one screen, refreshed on its own.
View AI Dashboards & Data VisualizationAI Image Generation & Creative Design
Product shots, campaign visuals and brand imagery produced with AI tools and art-directed by hand — not prompt-and-ship.
View AI Image Generation & Creative DesignDescribe the app you are considering.
We will tell you whether to prototype it, build it, or build a mobile website instead.