When an entrepreneur starts a new business, they face different challenges, and creating a business app is one of them. Fortunately, with the help of Bubble, you can create robust, functional, and scalable applications within days.
From our experience in making no-code apps for many businesses, we have gathered the top reasons and situations that lead businesses to choose custom Bubble apps. We have also made a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) for business users to help you figure out if this is the right choice for you.
Five Reasons Businesses Choose Bubble for App Development
Companies seek our expertise in custom application development, particularly in the following situations:
- To Substitute Traditional Code:
For many business users, hiring a development team or allocating their own resources from existing internal resources is often not feasible. Both options are costly and involve long wait times, either due to a slow hiring process or getting onto a development roadmap is tough when your internal developers are busy.
Moreover, most enterprise IT teams follow time-consuming internal processes for developing, testing and releasing apps. This makes the traditional way of coding apps extremely time-consuming and can be challenging to secure budget allocations.
For instance, the typical cost of creating customized enterprise software for small-to-midsize businesses is between $75,000 to $750,000. For large enterprises, it can go up to $1 million.
It is clear that revenue-generating, public-facing applications, there are other app development requirements specifically designed for internal business use. Why do these apps have to be both, time-consuming and costly to build?
Bubble is making a difference here. They assist business users to bypass their IT teams by providing a platform that allows individuals without coding expertise to build applications.
Since it’s open-ended and operates like a traditional programming language, you can create (and manage) nearly any type of web app much quicker and at a lower cost than partnering with internal coders. For instance, we have successfully developed web apps that support thousands of users for large businesses in just a few weeks.
- To Replace Excel Spreadsheets:
It is challenging to find a tool as accessible and cost-effective as MS Excel for data analysis. If you’re one of the 54% of businesses using Excel, you have noticed that its spreadsheets are the fastest, most convenient, and affordable tools for all business tasks that need data and information management.
Although Excel offers useful features like time-saving formulas and the capability to create professional charts and graphs, it does have certain business limitations, such as:
Version Control: When multiple people share and edit spreadsheets for their own needs, it becomes difficult to determine who has the most recent or correct version.
Connection to External Data Sources: Excel cannot connect to other business systems like your ERP or CRM. It means data sets don’t sync and can’t be shared right away, which can be a big problem.
Unrestricted Access: You cannot restrict user access after sharing the file.
Not Mobile-friendly: They are less accessible on mobile phones.
Bubble makes it easy to transfer their spreadsheet data into a Bubble web app, allowing access anytime, anywhere. This approach allows them to eliminate numerous Excel documents circulating within the organization. Instead, everyone can interact with data through a user-friendly interface that syncs automatically.
- To upgrade software from other no-code tools
With the increasing popularity of no-code due to its rapid development and cost-effectiveness, more businesses are embracing point-solution no-code tools that are designed to focus on specific aspects of a software’s function. Some examples of these tools are:
- Airtable
- Zapier
- Webflow
As needs evolve, enterprises frequently realize that they need a more comprehensive software solution that can connect with other tools and automate processes into a single user interface. Point-solution no-code tools are designed for specific tasks or components within the system. Consequently, when businesses want to expand or modify their solutions, they may encounter challenges, leading to the following scenarios for the above-mentioned tools:
- When designing front-end interfaces to integrate with data stored in Airtable.
- When storing and retrieving larger data values in Zapier is not efficient.
- When users need highly customizable functionality within the Webflow framework.
Businesses that want to boost the functionality of their no-code tools are recognizing that solutions created with Bubble can effectively address these issues. With Bubble, you can create an all-encompassing software solution by connecting with existing tools such as Airtable and Zapier.
4. To Augment and Substitute SaaS Solutions:
The majority of large enterprises now rely on Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for essential core functions, including standardized backend processes like HR, finance, accounting, project management, CRMs, ERPs, and many more.
As a business expands, it may encounter challenges with SaaS solutions:
• Flexibility Limitations: The business might need to adjust its processes to fit what the SaaS tool offers.
• Expensive Per-User Pricing: The SaaS becomes costly to grow and maintain.
• Unnecessary Features/Loss of Control: The SaaS tool might include too many features that aren’t needed.
Companies facing challenges with SaaS solutions find it a more cost-effective and quick solution to build vs. buy custom web apps on Bubble. They do this by creating a completely personalized platform or using a hybrid approach to develop micro-apps that connect easily with their SaaS tools.
5. To Replace Traditional Pen-and-Paper Processes:
Frequently, business users create written workflows based on their understanding or procedures as there isn’t an app or software for everyday tasks. It might include basic tasks like collecting information in the field on a clipboard and then manually transferring it to a database system or it could involve printing and signing documents physically, scanning them, and emailing them to the next person in the workflow.
The repetitive and time-consuming daily workflows and processes could become more efficient with the development of a web app. However, they often don’t improve due to the limited budgets and resources.
Due to the efficient infrastructure and cost-effectiveness of no-code tools like Bubble, businesses can now simplify smaller processes for their teams. It may include creating minor apps that integrate easily with existing tools, eliminating the need for paper shuffling. Thanks to no-code solutions, building web apps is no longer an overwhelming task.
When Bubble May Not Be the Ideal Choice for App Development
While Bubble is well-suited for building various web applications, there are specific categories where it might not be the ideal choice:
• Applications requiring offline functionality.
• Applications with complex regulatory requirements.
• Fully native mobile app (like WhatsApp)
• Applications with innovative technology and custom visual interface.
Bubble Software Development FAQs
What is the initial cost of implementing Bubble for my business?
Fortunately, the upfront cost is very minimal. In contrast to major SaaS platforms that often require significant investment, often hundreds of thousands of dollars to integrate into your enterprise, Bubble’s implementation cost is nearly zero, as it operates on an AWS server.
Should someone at my business learn Bubble?
Yes, individuals within your business can learn and work with Bubble. However, it has a steeper learning curve as compared to some other no-code tools. Mastering the basics will require a few weeks, and becoming a proficient Bubble developer may take several years.
Is Bubble Secure?
Bubble is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is compliant with certifications like SOC 2, CSA, ISO 27001, and others. The data supporting Bubble apps is stored securely in the cloud using AWS, typically located in AWS West Region (Oregon, US), which has top-notch security measures infrastructure. This ensures that Bubble’s collaboration with Amazon manages numerous security aspects so you can focus on your work without worries.
Is Bubble Scalable?
Yes. Bubble apps can easily scale up to accommodate 100,000 daily users, which is sufficient for most platforms. For more extensive user bases and higher application activity, additional optimization efforts within the Bubble structure may be necessary.
For applications with over 1 million daily users, your team will probably need to add Bubble with custom code for specific components for more control. Despite this, Bubble remains a good choice for quickly launching your app and planning a transition to a traditionally coded tech stack. This transition allows you to optimize and configure every aspect of your app for optimal performance at such a large scale.
Discover if no-code is a good fit for your project.
Explore the concept of no-code further by reading our blog, “What is No-Code and How Does It Revolutionize Development?”
