# Applicable > Applicable (App La Carte Limited) is a software development company based in Auckland, New Zealand, building websites, custom web applications, customer and staff portals, ecommerce and online ordering systems for New Zealand small and mid-sized businesses. Projects are fixed-scope and priced after a scoping phase, built by a senior founder-led team, and owned outright by the client with zero licence fees. Applicable also provides a Virtual Product Owner (a part-time technical lead) and Virtual Teams (developers on logged hours). It has built for New Zealand clients since 2008. Clients include Amtech Medical, Beyond (Advisory.Works), Urban Forest Solutions, EAP Services, Fire Report (passive fire industry), ICRA, LJ Hooker New Zealand, Sport New Zealand, Wendy's Hamburgers, Amnesty International NZ, BARNZ, Customer Monitor (Perceptive), PasifikaTV, SoundSkills and The Food Show (Xpo Exhibitions). Contact: contact@applicable.co.nz, the contact form at https://applicable.co.nz/contact/, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/applicable-limited/. ## Key facts - Legal name: App La Carte Limited, trading as Applicable. - Based in Auckland, New Zealand; works with clients across New Zealand. - In business since 2008; Sport New Zealand a client since 2012. - Founder-led by John Halvorsen-Jones, 30 years in technology. Member of AI Forum New Zealand. - Pricing (NZ$, confirmed 2026-10-13): custom business software from NZ$6,999; Business applications (job tracker, quoting tool, CRM) from NZ$6,999; Legacy app modernisation from NZ$6,999; Customer applications (portals, booking services) from NZ$8,999; Mobile applications (Apple and Android) from NZ$11,999; Subscription software with billing from NZ$16,999; Expert code review and remedy report NZ$1,499. After launch: self-host free, Managed from NZ$249 a month, Maintenance Plus from NZ$1,599 a month. Full list: https://applicable.co.nz/process/#pricing - Process: listen, scope (concept, prototype, scoping), build (agile development, testing), support (roll-out and retainer). Clients own code, hosting accounts and content. - Named clients include Amtech Medical, Beyond (Advisory.Works), Urban Forest Solutions, EAP Services, Fire Report (passive fire industry), ICRA, LJ Hooker New Zealand, Sport New Zealand, Wendy's Hamburgers, Amnesty International NZ, BARNZ, Customer Monitor (Perceptive), PasifikaTV, SoundSkills and The Food Show (Xpo Exhibitions). - Contact: contact@applicable.co.nz, the contact form at https://applicable.co.nz/contact/, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/applicable-limited/. ## Services - [Web Development Auckland | Business Websites](https://applicable.co.nz/services/web-development/): Applicable builds custom business websites in Auckland with the integrations a template cannot do: booking, payments, CRM, accounting, member logins. From NZ$6,999, one fixed price written down before we start, built by the same senior team from first brief to launch. - [Custom Web Apps & Customer Portals](https://applicable.co.nz/services/custom-web-apps/): Applicable builds custom web applications for Auckland businesses: customer portals, staff portals, booking systems, quoting tools and job tracking. Scoped and priced up front, built by a senior team, and owned by you at the end. - [Ecommerce Web Development Auckland](https://applicable.co.nz/services/ecommerce/): Applicable builds custom ecommerce and online ordering systems in Auckland for businesses whose products, pricing rules or fulfilment do not fit a standard store: trade pricing, quotes-to-orders, configurable products, B2B accounts. Scoped and priced up front. - [Virtual Product Owner | Fractional CTO NZ](https://applicable.co.nz/services/virtual-product-owner/): A Virtual Product Owner is a senior Applicable person who owns your software project on your behalf: the vision, the budget, the roadmap, the developers and vendors, and the testing. It is for New Zealand businesses that need a technical lead but cannot justify a full-time hire. - [Hire a Web Developer Auckland | Virtual Teams](https://applicable.co.nz/services/virtual-teams/): Applicable Virtual Teams let an Auckland business hire a web developer, or several, on a part-time or full-time basis without the risk of a freelancer disappearing mid-project. Teams mix NZ-based staff with top-tier offshore developers, are billed on logged productive hours and scale up or down on published notice periods. - [Website Maintenance & Support Auckland](https://applicable.co.nz/services/support-and-maintenance/): Applicable provides monthly support and maintenance for websites and web applications in Auckland: updates, security patches, monitoring, backups and ongoing improvements, with a named person who answers. Or take the code and run it yourself for nothing more. ## Pricing All prices NZ$, last confirmed 2026-10-13. Source: https://applicable.co.nz/process/#pricing - Business applications (job tracker, quoting tool, CRM): from NZ$6,999. - Legacy app modernisation: from NZ$6,999. - Customer applications (portals, booking services): from NZ$8,999. - Mobile applications (Apple and Android): from NZ$11,999. - Subscription software with billing: from NZ$16,999. - Expert code review and remedy report: NZ$1,499. For an existing app: what is solid, what will break, and what it takes to make it production-ready. - Self-host plan: free. The full code and setup notes. Run it on your own servers or any cloud provider; Nothing more to pay us. - Managed plan: from NZ$249 a month. We watch it, back it up and keep it patched. Core infrastructure setup and maintenance; Uptime monitoring and backups; Security patches. - Maintenance Plus plan: from NZ$1,599 a month. Everything in Managed, plus ongoing development on your system. Everything in Managed; Bug fixes and UI/UX improvements; New features, with bigger projects quoted separately. ## Frequently asked questions ### Applicable: general questions Source: https://applicable.co.nz/ **Q: How long does a custom build take?** A: Most Applicable builds go live in a month. Reusable components and AI handle the setup, so our engineers spend their time on the logic, integrations and security. **Q: What kinds of software do you build?** A: Internal business tools, customer portals, legacy app modernisation, AI-enabled apps, mobile apps for Apple and Android, PWAs, loyalty programs, marketplaces, auction sites, payment solutions, gamification and subscription software. **Q: How much does custom software cost in NZ?** A: Every build starts with the same base: an app with user sign-in and user management, plus three to five core features. Think messaging, task management, payments, catalogues, notes, digital forms, admin and analytics. We size your app in the first briefing, and the time it needs sets the price. As a guide, NZ$6,999 covers around 60 hours of design and development. Business applications (job tracker, quoting tool, CRM) from NZ$6,999; Legacy app modernisation from NZ$6,999; Customer applications (portals, booking services) from NZ$8,999; Mobile applications (Apple and Android) from NZ$11,999; Subscription software with billing from NZ$16,999; expert code review and remedy report for existing apps NZ$1,499. What moves the price: more features, extra integrations, more user types, and data from an old system. Your exact price comes in writing before any work starts. **Q: Why is it cheaper than a traditional agency?** A: Agencies bill for setup work we did years ago. We start from 18 years of reusable components and experienced engineers who use AI to build faster, so you get the software sooner and for less. A person checks every line before it ships. **Q: Can you replace our SaaS subscriptions or our spreadsheet?** A: Yes. One system with only the parts you use, one login for everyone, connected to the tools you keep. **Q: I do not have a spec. Is that a problem?** A: No. Most people come to us with a problem, not a spec. A senior engineer asks the questions and turns it into a scope and a price. **Q: Can you modernise our old Windows, DOS or Access system?** A: Yes. We rebuild it for the browser, move your data across without a rekey, and keep the old one running until the new one is proven. From NZ$6,999. **Q: I built an app with Lovable, Bolt, Replit or Cursor. Can you finish it?** A: Yes. We keep what works, fix the foundation (logins, data, security, hosting), and get it live. From NZ$6,999. You keep your code. Not sure it is worth saving? Start with an expert code review and remedy report for NZ$1,499. **Q: Does it connect to Xero, MYOB or our CRM?** A: Yes. Integrations are scoped and quoted per project, and each one is itemised in your written price before we start. **Q: Who owns the code?** A: You do, 100 percent, once the build is paid for. The designs and IP too. **Q: What if it is not what we agreed?** A: We keep working until it matches the written scope, before we send the final invoice. **Q: What does it cost after launch?** A: Nothing if you host it yourself. Or NZ$249 a month for managed hosting, or NZ$1,599 a month to add bug fixes, UI/UX improvements and new features on top. Month to month, and bigger projects are quoted separately. ### How a project runs Source: https://applicable.co.nz/process/ **Q: What does fixed scope mean?** A: The deliverables are written down and priced before the build starts, and Applicable builds exactly that. Nothing gets added without your say-so, and anything extra is quoted separately. No surprise invoices. **Q: What if my requirements change halfway through?** A: They usually do a little. Small changes are absorbed; anything that changes the scope is quoted in writing and you decide. The build continues either way. **Q: Do I pay for scoping?** A: No. A senior engineer scopes what you want built and gives you one price in writing before any work starts. If you have an existing app you want looked at instead, the expert code review and remedy report is a fixed NZ$1,499 and you keep the report either way. **Q: How long does a project take?** A: You get something clickable in the first week and your team testing it with real work well before launch. Most projects go live in weeks, and we tell you how many in writing before we start. **Q: What about integrations?** A: Integrations are scoped and quoted per project, because each one depends on the system at the other end. Xero, MYOB, payment gateways and most modern job, CRM and email platforms have APIs we work with. **Q: What do I own at the end?** A: Everything: code, hosting accounts, content system, data. ### Web Development Auckland | Business Websites Source: https://applicable.co.nz/services/web-development/ **Q: How much does a business website cost in Auckland?** A: Applicable's business websites start at NZ$6,999. A site with a content system sits at the lower end; sites with booking, payment or accounting integrations cost more because there is more to build. You get one fixed price, written down before we start, and anything extra is quoted separately. The process page has the full price guide. **Q: How long does a website take to build?** A: You get something clickable in the first week and your team testing it with real work well before launch. Most sites go live in weeks, not months. How many depends on what it has to do, and we tell you the number in writing before we start. **Q: Can you rebuild my existing website without losing my Google rankings?** A: Yes. Every rebuild includes an audit of what currently ranks and a redirect map from every old URL to its replacement, verified after launch. **Q: Do I need a custom website or will a builder do?** A: If you need a brochure site with a contact form, a builder will do and we will tell you so. If the site has to take bookings, sync with your systems, or let customers log in, you need a developer. **Q: Do you build on a platform?** A: We build on a modern static-first stack with a content system you can edit yourself. We do not tie clients to a subscription platform; you own the code and the hosting accounts. **Q: What happens after launch?** A: You own everything. Most clients keep Applicable on a monthly support and maintenance retainer for updates, monitoring and small changes. ### Custom Web Apps & Customer Portals Source: https://applicable.co.nz/services/custom-web-apps/ **Q: What is a customer portal?** A: A customer portal is a logged-in area of your website where clients see their own quotes, jobs, documents, invoices or progress without phoning you. Applicable builds portals for Auckland businesses from NZ$8,999. **Q: How much does a custom web application cost in NZ?** A: Business applications such as a job tracker, quoting tool or CRM start at NZ$6,999. Customer-facing applications such as portals and booking services start at NZ$8,999. Bigger systems cost more because there is more to build. Applicable gives a ballpark in the first conversation and one fixed price, written down before the build starts. **Q: Should I buy software or have it built?** A: Buy it if your process is standard and a product fits. Build it if you are paying for seats you do not use, bending your process around the tool, or living in exported spreadsheets. Applicable will tell you which applies before quoting. **Q: Will it work on site without internet?** A: Yes, if scoped that way. Applicable builds field apps that store data locally and sync when connectivity returns, as on the Firestop passive fire compliance app. **Q: Can it connect to Xero or my job management system?** A: Usually. Xero, MYOB, payment gateways and most modern job, CRM and email platforms have APIs we integrate with. Integrations are scoped and quoted per project, because each one depends on the system at the other end. **Q: Who owns the software?** A: You do. Code, hosting accounts and data are yours at the end of the project. ### Ecommerce Web Development Auckland Source: https://applicable.co.nz/services/ecommerce/ **Q: Do I need a custom online store?** A: Only if your selling model does not fit a standard platform: trade pricing, quote-to-order, configurable products, account customers or multi-location fulfilment. If a standard store fits, use one; Applicable will tell you in the first conversation. **Q: How much does custom ecommerce cost in NZ?** A: Custom ordering starts at NZ$8,999. Platforms with account pricing, credit terms and integrations cost more because there is more to build. You get one fixed price, written down before we start. **Q: Can it connect to my accounting and stock systems?** A: Yes. Xero, MYOB, payment gateways, shipping providers and most inventory and job systems with an API. Integrations are scoped and quoted per project. **Q: Can I take orders from trade customers at their own prices?** A: Yes. Account login with customer-specific price lists, credit terms and order approval is the most common reason clients come to Applicable for ecommerce. **Q: Who owns the store?** A: You do: code, hosting accounts, product data and customer data. ### Virtual Product Owner | Fractional CTO NZ Source: https://applicable.co.nz/services/virtual-product-owner/ **Q: What is a Virtual Product Owner?** A: A senior person from Applicable who owns your software project on your behalf: the vision, the budget, the roadmap, the relationship with developers and vendors, and the testing. Part-time, for businesses without a technical lead of their own. **Q: Is this the same as a fractional CTO?** A: Close. A fractional CTO is usually advisory: strategy, vendors, security. A Virtual Product Owner does that and also runs the project hands-on. For most NZ businesses of 10 to 100 people, the Virtual Product Owner is the more useful role. **Q: Do I have to use Applicable to build the software?** A: No. The Virtual Product Owner works with whoever is building it: your existing developer, an offshore team, or Applicable. **Q: What does it cost?** A: The Digital Strategy package and the Virtual Product Owner retainer are scoped and quoted per engagement, because the hours depend on the project's phase. You get one number in writing before anything starts. **Q: What do I get from the Digital Strategy package?** A: A written strategy covering business objectives, target market, product-solution fit, go-to-market, an IT and software roadmap, implementation approach, requirements briefs, a digital marketing plan and vendor recommendations, produced over two workshops and two presentations. You keep it either way. **Q: When does a business need one?** A: When a software project is bigger than anyone in the business has run before, when there is no one technical to check the developer's work, or when a previous project went badly because nobody owned it. **Q: My project is already in trouble. Can you take it over?** A: A Virtual Product Owner can steady a project that is drifting. If the code itself needs to be taken over or rebuilt, that is a different engagement and we will scope it as one. ### Hire a Web Developer Auckland | Virtual Teams Source: https://applicable.co.nz/services/virtual-teams/ **Q: How is this different from hiring a freelance web developer?** A: A freelancer is one person with no backup. A Virtual Team sits inside Applicable: if a developer is away, someone else on the team knows the code, a senior person reviews the work and you have a company in Auckland to call. The notice periods are published, so the team cannot vanish overnight. **Q: Are the developers in New Zealand or offshore?** A: Either or both. Teams can mix NZ-based staff and top-tier offshore staff. We propose the composition with you at setup and show an individual hourly rate for each person, so you can see what you are paying for and choose the mix. **Q: How am I billed?** A: For all logged productive hours from the commencement date. Pay mid-month and end of month in arrears on seven-day terms, or at the end of each month on 20th-of-the-following-month terms if a suitable bond is lodged. **Q: Can I reduce the team if the work slows down?** A: Yes. Give 30 days notice to scale down by less than 25% and 60 days to scale down by more than 25%. Either party can cancel the whole arrangement with 90 days written notice. **Q: Who manages the team?** A: Usually more of the leadership sits on your side than in a fixed-scope project, and the split is agreed in writing at setup. If you have no technical lead, Applicable's Virtual Product Owner can run the team on your behalf. ### Website Maintenance & Support Auckland Source: https://applicable.co.nz/services/support-and-maintenance/ **Q: How much does website maintenance cost in Auckland?** A: Self-hosting is free: take the code and the setup notes and there is nothing more to pay us. Managed is NZ$249 a month and Maintenance Plus NZ$1,599 a month. Both month to month, stop whenever you want. **Q: Can you support a website you did not build?** A: Yes, after an expert code review and remedy report at NZ$1,499: what is solid, what will break, and what it takes to make it production-ready. You keep the report either way. **Q: What happens if my site goes down?** A: Monitoring alerts us, and restoring from backup is included on every Managed plan. **Q: Do you provide hosting?** A: We set hosting up in your name on a mainstream provider and manage it for you. You own the account. ### Construction Software NZ & Websites for Tradies Source: https://applicable.co.nz/industries/construction-and-trades/ **Q: What construction software does Applicable build in NZ?** A: Field apps for compliance and job logging, mobile forms with photo capture and GIS tagging, plans-based markup, calculators such as the HPMV weights calculator, customer portals and business websites. All for small and mid-sized construction and trades businesses. **Q: Will the app work in a basement with no signal?** A: Yes. Applicable's construction and transport apps are designed to keep working offline, storing data locally and syncing up and down as connectivity allows. The passive fire apps work this way on new-build sites and in basements. **Q: Can you build a website for a trades business?** A: Yes. A trades website is built to turn a phone search into a call or a quote request, with the form connected to your job system or CRM. Business websites start at NZ$6,999, with one fixed price written down before we start. **Q: Can a field app connect to the job management software we already use?** A: Usually, yes. A common scope is to keep your subscription tool for scheduling and invoicing and build the offline compliance or capture piece it lacks, feeding data back to it. ### Web Apps for Professional Services NZ Source: https://applicable.co.nz/industries/professional-services/ **Q: What does Applicable build for professional services firms?** A: Client portals where clients see their own documents and status, case or engagement management tools with reporting, insights platforms and business websites including multi-site networks. Clients include EAP Services, ICRA, LJ Hooker and Advisory.Works. **Q: Can a client portal connect to our existing CRM and accounting software?** A: Yes. Applicable builds the portal or workflow tool to share the client record with the CRM and post to the accounting package, so sales, operations and finance look at the same client. **Q: How does fixed-scope pricing work for a portal?** A: Scope and price are agreed in writing after a scoping stage that includes wireframes and a prototype. Changes after that are quoted before they are built. A ballpark is given at the first call. **Q: We have no one technical to run this. Can you?** A: Yes. A Virtual Product Owner from Applicable owns the product vision on your behalf, liaises with developers and vendors and manages budget, roadmap, documentation and testing. ### Transport Software NZ: Portals & Driver Apps Source: https://applicable.co.nz/industries/transport-and-logistics/ **Q: What transport software does Applicable build in NZ?** A: Carriers' portals and drivers' apps that integrate with an existing transport management system, HPMV weight calculators and permit planning portals, offline job and load workflow apps, and the accounts payable and receivable processes around carrier payments and customer invoicing, including Xero integration. **Q: Can you integrate with the transport management system we already use?** A: Usually, yes. Applicable's first transport project was a carriers' portal integrated directly with a TMS's Microsoft SQL database, and much of the work since has been building the portal, app or accounts piece a TMS lacks and feeding data back to it. **Q: Will a driver's app work without mobile coverage?** A: Yes. The HPMV and workflow apps Applicable built for a bulk haulage operator move between offline and online, storing data on the device and sending and receiving when a connection is available. **Q: What does transport software cost?** A: It is a custom application, quoted on a fixed scope after a scoping conversation, from NZ$6,999. A single-purpose tool such as an HPMV calculator sits near that starting point; a full portal with accounts integration costs more, because there is more to build. You get an early ballpark at the first call. ### Should I use a 14-day AI build shop or a senior developer who scopes it first? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/fixed-price-web-app-nz/ **Q: Is a $7,000 app in 14 days real?** A: For a simple, standalone tool, yes: a form, a list, a dashboard, a basic CRM. The price is real and the speed is real. What it is not is a portal that customers log into, integrated with the systems you already run, tested by your staff and supported for years. Those take weeks, and anyone who says otherwise is describing the invoice, not the software. **Q: Why does Applicable scope the project before building anything?** A: Because scoping is where the price becomes fixed. A senior engineer turns your brief into a scope both sides can read, and puts one number on it. Nothing gets added without your say-so, and anything extra is quoted separately. **Q: What does "you own the code" mean in each case?** A: It should mean the same thing: the repository, the hosting accounts and the data are in your name. Ask any vendor to put it in the agreement, and ask who can rebuild it if they disappear. Code produced mainly by AI with a thin review is harder for the next developer to pick up; ask to see a handover document. **Q: Can I start with a cheap build and move to a proper one later?** A: Sometimes. If the cheap build proves the idea, the rebuild is a normal project. If the cheap build is in front of customers and breaking, the rebuild is a rescue, and rescues cost more than starting properly. Applicable will look at what you have and say which it is. ### How can a small business in NZ use AI without a big budget? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/ai-for-small-business-nz/ **Q: What does AI cost a small business in NZ?** A: Often nothing extra, because it is included in the productivity and accounting software you already pay for. A dedicated business AI subscription is priced per user per month at roughly the cost of a couple of coffees. Custom AI features inside your own web app are scoped and quoted like any other feature. **Q: Is it safe to use AI with customer information?** A: Only with a business-tier tool whose terms say your data is not used for training and is stored under an agreement you have read. Never with a free consumer tool. The Privacy Act 2020 applies regardless of the tool, so keep personal information to the minimum the task needs. **Q: Can AI replace a staff member?** A: Rarely, and treating it that way usually backfires. It reliably removes the drafting, searching and summarising parts of a job, which frees the person for the parts that need judgment. Plan for hours saved, not roles removed. **Q: Which AI tool should a small business use?** A: The one already inside the software you use most, because your data stays where it is and there is nothing new to learn. Add a general-purpose business subscription for the one or two people who write the most. Do not buy anything until one person has used the free option for a month. **Q: Do I need a developer to use AI?** A: Not to start. You need a developer when you want AI built into your own website, portal or internal tool, for example to classify enquiries or search your own documents. Applicable scopes and prices that as part of a web app build. **Q: What is the biggest mistake small businesses make with AI?** A: Trusting the output without checking it, then getting burnt by a wrong price or a made-up fact. The second is over-thinking it and never starting. One task, one person, one month, with a person always making the final call. ### Can a small business in NZ afford custom software? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/can-a-small-business-afford-custom-software/ **Q: What is the smallest custom software project worth doing?** A: One process that costs real hours every week: a quoting tool, a job sheet, a booking form that feeds your calendar, a customer status page. If it saves a few hours a week for a few people, a small fixed-scope build pays for itself within the year. **Q: Is custom software cheaper than a subscription tool over time?** A: Often, once you count the subscription fee, the paid add-ons and the staff time spent on the part the tool does not do. Custom has a build cost up front and a support retainer after, with no per-user fee. Applicable will run the comparison with you on the scoping call. **Q: Does using AI to build software make it lower quality?** A: Not when experienced developers direct it and review the output. AI handles routine code, test generation and documentation; senior people design the system, check the work and are accountable for it. Applicable uses AI to reduce hours, not to reduce care. **Q: Can I pay for custom software in stages?** A: Yes. Fixed-scope projects at Applicable are billed against milestones, and larger systems can be delivered as a series of smaller scoped projects so each stage proves itself before the next is funded. **Q: What if my business changes after the software is built?** A: That is expected. Because you own the code and the design is documented, changes are scoped and quoted like any other work. The support retainer covers small adjustments; larger changes become a new fixed-scope project. ### Who builds a client portal for small businesses in New Zealand? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/customer-portal-nz/ **Q: What is the difference between a client portal and a CRM?** A: A CRM is your internal record of customers. A client portal is what customers themselves log in to. The two are often connected: the portal reads from and writes to your CRM so staff see everything in one place and customers see only what is theirs. **Q: Can a portal connect to Xero or my job management software?** A: Usually, yes. Most NZ accounting and job systems have an interface Applicable can build against, so invoices, jobs and customer records stay in sync rather than being re-keyed. Integrations are scoped and priced individually so you can see the cost of each one. **Q: Do my customers need to install anything?** A: No. A portal runs in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer. Customers get a login and a link. **Q: How is customer data kept secure?** A: Every user sees only their own records, access is logged, data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and hosting is in accounts you own. Applicable scopes privacy and security requirements, including Privacy Act obligations, as part of the build. **Q: Can I add features after launch?** A: Yes. Portals grow. Each addition is scoped and quoted separately, and the original build is designed so new features plug in rather than requiring a rebuild. **Q: Do you build portals outside Auckland?** A: Yes. Applicable is based in Auckland and works with businesses across New Zealand. Scoping and build meetings are held online with site visits where they help. ### How do I brief a web developer? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/how-to-brief-a-web-developer/ **Q: How long should a web development brief be?** A: One to three pages. Enough to cover the outcome, the users, the journey, the priority features and the practical details. Bullet points and sketches are fine. A brief that takes a developer an hour to read is not being read. **Q: Should I include a budget in my brief?** A: A bracket, yes. Developers can propose very different solutions to the same problem, and the budget tells them which to propose. Withholding it usually produces a quote for the wrong thing rather than a lower price. **Q: What if I do not know what features I need?** A: Describe the problem and the users and leave the features to scoping. Applicable's scoping stage exists to turn a problem into a feature list, with wireframes and a prototype so you see it before it is priced. **Q: Should I ask for a fixed price or hourly rates?** A: For a defined project, fixed price. It puts the risk of estimating on the developer, who is better placed to carry it. Hourly suits ongoing support after launch, where the work is small and unpredictable. **Q: Do I need to include technical requirements?** A: Only the ones you actually have: a system it must integrate with, a hosting rule from your IT provider, an accessibility standard you must meet. Leave the technology choices to the developer and judge them on whether you will own the result. ### How do I choose a web developer in Auckland? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/how-to-choose-a-web-developer-auckland/ **Q: What should I look for in a web developer?** A: Proven history and references, a scoping process before quoting, a stable team, regular feedback cycles, quick responses, a common tech stack, independent security testing and clear post-launch support costs. Applicable publishes its process and price brackets so you can check these first. **Q: Should I use a local Auckland web developer or go offshore?** A: Local gives you in-person meetings, market knowledge and the same legal jurisdiction. Offshore may cost less per hour but is harder to hold accountable. Many Auckland developers, Applicable included, mix local senior staff with offshore capacity. Ask which model you are getting. **Q: How much should a web developer in Auckland cost?** A: Applicable's published starting price for a business website or application is NZ$6,999, and NZ$8,999 for a customer portal or booking service. Get a fixed-scope quote and an estimate of support costs so you can compare quotes like for like. **Q: How do I check a web developer is secure?** A: Ask whether their code is independently audited by a third party. An internal check is not valid on its own. Also ask how your code is stored during the build and how the finished site is protected after launch. **Q: Does a bigger web development company mean a better result?** A: No. Larger companies carry more non-coding staff, which shows up in fees, and quality does not rise in step with size. A small to mid-sized team that fits the size of your project is usually the best balance. ### Low-code or custom: which should a NZ business choose? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/low-code-vs-custom/ **Q: What is the difference between no-code and low-code?** A: No-code platforms let non-developers build applications by configuring data models, workflows and pages without writing code. Low-code platforms speed up coding for more technical users such as developers and may include no-code elements. Both can be SaaS-only or deployable to your own environment. **Q: How much does low-code development cost in NZ?** A: The platform licence is the main cost. Applicable's estimate for the top platforms is NZ$30K to NZ$100K a year for an average customer, scaling with users and solution size, on top of the work to configure or build the application. The fee continues for as long as you use the system. **Q: Do I own what I build on a low-code platform?** A: In almost all cases, no. The application lives inside the vendor's platform and you keep paying to use it. A custom build with reasonable terms and conditions is yours outright, with no ongoing licence fee. **Q: When is low-code the right choice?** A: When the application is internal, its workflows are standard, the user experience does not need to be specific and the need may be temporary. It is also a good way to try an idea before building it properly. **Q: Can Applicable build a custom app as fast as a low-code platform?** A: Not always, but closer than you might expect. Experienced engineers use AI to build faster, so you get custom software sooner and for less, and a person checks every line before it ships. The output is ordinary code you own with no licence fee, from NZ$6,999. ### Product owner or fractional CTO in NZ: which does a non-technical founder need? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/product-owner-or-cto-for-non-technical-founders/ **Q: Can one person be both product owner and CTO?** A: In a very small company, sometimes, for a while. But the two roles pull in different directions: the product owner argues for the user and the deadline, the CTO for the quality of the build. Splitting them, even part-time, gives you a healthier argument and better decisions. **Q: What does a fractional CTO cost in NZ?** A: A set number of days per month at senior consulting rates, agreed in advance. The number varies with the person and the company. Whatever you are quoted, ask for days, rate and notice period in writing. **Q: I already have a developer. Which role do I need?** A: Almost certainly a product owner. Your developer knows how to build; what they need is clear requirements, fast decisions and someone to test and sign off. Applicable's Virtual Product Owner does exactly that alongside an existing developer or vendor. **Q: Do I need either role for a website?** A: No. A straightforward business website is scoped and run by the web developer, and Applicable's fixed-scope process covers it. The product owner question arises with web apps, portals and internal systems where decisions keep coming through the build. **Q: Can a Virtual Product Owner help me choose a vendor?** A: Yes. Vendor evaluation is part of the initial assessment: writing the brief, comparing proposals on like terms and checking that what is quoted is what you need. Having a product owner who is independent of the vendor is a useful check. ### Website builder vs custom website: which is right for your business? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/website-builder-vs-custom/ **Q: Is a custom website always more expensive than a builder?** A: Up front, yes. Over three to five years, often not. A builder subscription plus paid plug-ins plus staff time re-keying data adds up, and a custom site has no platform fee. The real cost of a builder is the workaround you live with when it cannot do what you need. **Q: Can I keep my builder site and add a custom portal beside it?** A: Yes, and it is a common first step. Applicable can build a logged-in portal on its own subdomain that links from your existing site. When you are ready to replace the public site too, the portal stays. **Q: Will I lose my Google rankings if I move off a builder?** A: Not if it is done properly. Every old page address is redirected to its new one, page titles and content carry across, and the new site is usually faster and more accessible, which helps rankings rather than hurting them. **Q: Can I update a custom site myself?** A: Yes. Applicable builds every site with a content editor so your team can change text, images and pages without a developer. Developer time is for new features, not for editing a paragraph. **Q: What if I need a shop?** A: A small catalogue with standard checkout is well served by a builder. If you need customer-specific pricing, trade accounts, quoting, stock from another system or a complex product configurator, that is custom territory and worth a scoping call. ### How much does a website cost in NZ? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/website-cost-nz/ **Q: Why do NZ web development quotes vary so much?** A: Because the word "website" covers everything from five static pages to a logged-in portal with payments and integrations. Ask each vendor what is in scope, what is excluded and whether the price is fixed. Two quotes for the same written scope are usually much closer than two quotes for the same vague idea. **Q: Is a fixed price really fixed?** A: At Applicable, yes. The scope document defines the deliverables and the price. If you want something added after that, it is quoted in writing and you decide before it is built. You will not receive an invoice for work you did not approve. **Q: What does website maintenance cost in NZ?** A: It is a monthly retainer, sized to how much you need: security updates and backups at one end, ongoing content changes and small features at the other. Applicable scopes it with the build so you know the running cost before you start. **Q: Can I spread the cost over the project?** A: Yes. Fixed-scope projects at Applicable are billed in milestones tied to delivery, typically deposit, mid-build and launch, so cash flow matches what you have received. **Q: Can I start small and add to it later?** A: That is usually the right approach. Build the public site or the one workflow that hurts most, launch it, then add integrations or a portal as a second scoped project. Applicable designs the first build so the second one does not mean starting again. ### When does a business need a web app instead of a website? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/website-vs-web-app/ **Q: Can a web app and a website be the same site?** A: Yes, and they often are. The public pages are the website and the logged-in area behind them is the web app. Applicable usually builds them together on one codebase so the branding, hosting and content editor are shared. **Q: Do I need a mobile app or a web app?** A: For most business tools, a web app. It works on any phone through the browser, needs no app store approval and updates instantly for everyone. A native mobile app is worth it for consumer products or when you need offline use or hardware access. **Q: Is a customer portal a web app?** A: Yes. A customer portal is the most common web app Applicable builds: a logged-in area where your customers see quotes, jobs, invoices, documents or bookings without emailing you. **Q: How do I know the app will match how we actually work?** A: Scoping and prototyping. Applicable maps your process with the people who do it, builds a clickable prototype and puts it in front of them before the real build starts. Changing a prototype costs little; changing finished software does not. **Q: What happens after launch?** A: Applicable offers a monthly support and maintenance retainer covering hosting, security updates, backups and small changes. You own the code and hosting accounts, so you are never locked in. ### What is a Virtual Product Owner and when do you need one? Source: https://applicable.co.nz/guides/what-is-a-virtual-product-owner/ **Q: What is the difference between a product owner and a project manager?** A: A project manager tracks tasks, dates and budget. A product owner decides what should be built and in what order, and is accountable for whether the result is useful. A Virtual Product Owner does both for a small business, because there is rarely anyone else to do either. **Q: Can a Virtual Product Owner work with a developer I already have?** A: Yes. That is one of the most common uses. The Virtual Product Owner sits on your side, gives your developer clear requirements and priorities, reviews their work and reports to you. Most developers welcome it, because it gets them decisions faster. **Q: How much time does it take from me?** A: Typically a short weekly meeting to make decisions and review progress, plus occasional sign-offs. The Virtual Product Owner does the preparation, the documentation and the day-to-day communication, which is where the hours go. **Q: How is a Virtual Product Owner priced?** A: As a monthly retainer based on days per month, agreed before the engagement starts and reviewed as the project changes. Applicable will size it on the initial assessment. There is no fixed term. **Q: Is a Virtual Product Owner the same as a fractional CTO?** A: No. A fractional CTO leads technical staff and owns architecture and technology strategy. A product owner decides what gets built and runs the project from the business side. Most small business software projects need the second before the first. ## Guides and answers - [Should I use a 14-day AI build shop or a senior developer who scopes it first?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/fixed-price-web-app-nz/): Use a 14-day AI build shop when the app is simple, standalone and roughly right is good enough. Use a senior developer who scopes it first when the app talks to your accounting, job or CRM systems, when customers will use it, or when getting it wrong costs you money. Applicable's route is one fixed price from NZ$6,999, written down before the build starts. - [How can a small business in NZ use AI without a big budget?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/ai-for-small-business-nz/): A small business in NZ can use AI without a big budget by starting with the tools already in its subscriptions: drafting emails and quotes, summarising documents, searching its own files and taking meeting notes, with a person checking the output. Applicable adds AI features to the web apps it builds only where they save real hours. - [Can a small business in NZ afford custom software?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/can-a-small-business-afford-custom-software/): Yes, a small NZ business can afford custom software if it is scoped as one workflow at a time. Applicable builds a business application from NZ$6,999 and a customer portal from NZ$8,999, with one fixed price written down before the build starts. Almost nobody needs to start with the whole system. - [Who builds a client portal for small businesses in New Zealand?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/customer-portal-nz/): Applicable, an Auckland software development company, builds customer and staff portals for small and mid-sized businesses across New Zealand on a fixed-scope quote. A portal is a logged-in web app where your customers or staff see quotes, jobs, documents or compliance records without emailing you for them. - [How do I brief a web developer?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/how-to-brief-a-web-developer/): A good brief for a web developer covers five things: what your business does, what the site or app must achieve, who will use it, how they will move through it and which features matter most. Add your budget and deadline and Applicable can give you a ballpark on the first call and a fixed-scope quote after scoping. - [How do I choose a web developer in Auckland?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/how-to-choose-a-web-developer-auckland/): Choose a web developer in Auckland by checking their proven history and references, how carefully they scope before quoting, how quickly they respond, whether you will own the code and what support costs after launch. Applicable publishes its process and price brackets so you can check those before the first call. - [Low-code or custom: which should a NZ business choose?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/low-code-vs-custom/): Low-code development suits internal tools with standard workflows where speed matters more than ownership. Custom development suits anything customer-facing, anything you plan to sell or anything you want to own outright, and Applicable's own figures put the licence cost of the leading low-code platforms at NZ$30K to NZ$100K a year for a typical client. - [Product owner or fractional CTO in NZ: which does a non-technical founder need?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/product-owner-or-cto-for-non-technical-founders/): If you are not technical and commissioning one product, you need a product owner first: someone to decide what gets built and in what order, and to hold the developers to it. A fractional CTO in NZ earns its keep once you have technical staff to lead; Applicable's Virtual Product Owner covers the first job. - [Website builder vs custom website: which is right for your business?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/website-builder-vs-custom/): A website builder like Wix or Squarespace is the right choice when you need a simple public site with pages, a contact form and maybe a small shop. A custom site is right when you need logins, CRM or booking integrations, or a workflow a builder cannot do, and Applicable will tell you which you need. - [How much does a website cost in NZ?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/website-cost-nz/): In New Zealand a custom business application from Applicable starts at NZ$6,999, a customer portal or booking service at NZ$8,999, a mobile app at NZ$11,999 and subscription software with billing at NZ$16,999. A senior engineer scopes your project and puts one number on it in writing before the build starts. - [When does a business need a web app instead of a website?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/website-vs-web-app/): A business needs a web app instead of a website when people have to log in and do something: submit a job, check an order, approve a timesheet. If the site only tells people about you, it is a website; if it runs part of your business, it is a web app, which is what Applicable builds. - [What is a Virtual Product Owner and when do you need one?](https://applicable.co.nz/guides/what-is-a-virtual-product-owner/): A Virtual Product Owner is a senior person from Applicable who owns the product vision for you, prioritises what gets built, manages the budget and deals with developers and vendors so you do not have to. You need one when you are commissioning software and nobody in-house has the time or technical background to run it. ## Industries - [Construction Software NZ & Websites for Tradies](https://applicable.co.nz/industries/construction-and-trades/): Applicable builds field apps, compliance forms, calculators and websites for construction and trades businesses in Auckland and across NZ. The work is designed for the site, not the office: forms that save offline, photos and plan markups captured on a tablet and reports that come out the way a building owner or auditor expects. - [Web Apps for Professional Services NZ](https://applicable.co.nz/industries/professional-services/): Applicable builds client portals, case management and reporting tools and multi-site websites for professional services businesses in Auckland and across NZ. Clients include EAP Services, ICRA, LJ Hooker and Advisory.Works, and every project is scoped and priced before it is built. - [Transport Software NZ: Portals & Driver Apps](https://applicable.co.nz/industries/transport-and-logistics/): Applicable has built transport software for New Zealand operators since 2012: carriers' portals integrated with a transport management system, drivers' smartphone apps that work offline, HPMV weight calculators, permit planning portals and the accounts processes behind carrier payments and customer invoicing. Transport is the sector in which Applicable has the most experience. ## Selected work - [Amtech Medical: Rappid re-ordering app](https://applicable.co.nz/work/amtech-medical/): Applicable built Rappid, Amtech Medical's re-ordering app, so staff in busy medical centres can check stock levels at the supply cabinet and place an order from a smartphone or tablet with no double-handling of order information. Amtech describes it as a key part of its market advantage. - [Beyond: Advisory.Works' strategy platform](https://applicable.co.nz/work/beyond/): Beyond is a web application Applicable built with Advisory.Works, an NZ business coaching firm, to digitise its consulting processes: strategy, performance tracking, meeting cycles and execution. Applicable designed the MVP, built the React front-end and managed the project, then supplied back-end development as the platform iterated from version 2.x towards 3.0. - [Carbon Natural: tree replacement calculator app](https://applicable.co.nz/work/carbon-natural/): Applicable designed and built Carbon Natural, a React Native app for the environmental planning start-up Urban Forest Solutions that calculates how many trees are needed to replace the carbon and environmental value of trees being removed. Users enter trunk diameter measurements and tag locations with Google Maps, and the app generates a report. - [EAP Services: new digital products](https://applicable.co.nz/work/eap-services/): Applicable is the ongoing software development partner for EAP Services, building new digital products that extend its employee assistance programmes to many of New Zealand's largest employers. EAP Services says the work has delivered insights well beyond its expectations and helped set the business apart from competitors. - [Firestop: passive fire compliance app](https://applicable.co.nz/work/firestop/): Applicable built Fire Report, a native Android tablet app with a custom cloud back end that specialist firestop contractors and facilities teams use to document passive fire work on architectural plans. It works offline on site, prints QR-coded labels to a portable printer, and is in use across two major New Zealand universities and a number of specialist firestop companies. - [ICRA: custom dispute resolution platform](https://applicable.co.nz/work/icra/): Applicable built ICRA's fully custom dispute resolution software platform, a large-scale cloud application that manages case inputs, visibility and reporting for dispute resolution services delivered to ACC. It has been live since mid 2019 and Applicable continues to maintain and extend it. - [LJ Hooker: 80 custom real estate websites](https://applicable.co.nz/work/lj-hooker/): Applicable built a set of 80 custom websites for LJ Hooker's New Zealand offices over 2014 and 2015, integrated with core listing data from Australia, New Zealand locality APIs and a CMS layer for local content. Applicable remains the ongoing development and maintenance partner for the site set. - [Sport NZ: board governance platform](https://applicable.co.nz/work/sport-nz/): Applicable designed and built a cloud application for Sport New Zealand that the boards it funds use to run cyclical governance evaluations, reporting and collaborative improvement planning. Applicable has run, maintained and extended the platform since 2012, making Sport NZ its longest-standing client. - [Wendy's: taking over a custom website and CMS](https://applicable.co.nz/work/wendys/): Applicable took over the custom-built website, CMS and CRM behind Wendy's Hamburgers in New Zealand, moved it to a new server, made the front end mobile responsive and became the ongoing development team. Wendy's brand manager described updating the site afterwards as "such a change from the usual process". - [Amnesty International NZ: an integrated campaigning website](https://applicable.co.nz/work/amnesty-international-nz/): Applicable built Amnesty International New Zealand's website: simple for supporters to use, but one of the most heavily customised sites the team has built, with a dynamic approach to structuring campaign content and full integration with Amnesty's CRM and other online systems. It still streamlines the organisation's back office years on. - [BARNZ: a website for the voice of airlines in New Zealand](https://applicable.co.nz/work/barnz/): As the voice of airlines in New Zealand, BARNZ needed an online presence that reflected its role in the industry to media, government, its members and other stakeholders. Working closely with their communications company, Applicable played an integral part in transforming that presence to meet the diverse needs of those audiences in a clear and visually compelling way. - [Customer Monitor: taking a SaaS product from good to great](https://applicable.co.nz/work/customer-monitor/): Perceptive's Customer Monitor gives organisations a constantly updated view of how customers feel about the business, its branches and even individual staff. Over 10 months Applicable took a conceptually good product with multiple issues through to an excellent piece of SaaS software, technically and in terms of UX, after which its success justified an in-house development team. - [PasifikaTV: schedule website and app for the Pacific](https://applicable.co.nz/work/pasifikatv/): PasifikaTV is a New Zealand government initiative, funded by MFAT and the Pacific Cooperation Foundation, that supports the Pacific media sector with satellite content feeds. Applicable built the comprehensive custom website and the companion mobile app that give viewers quick access to the schedule, designed to tolerate poor and intermittent internet connectivity. - [SoundSkills: an accessible website for a hearing health specialist](https://applicable.co.nz/work/soundskills/): SoundSkills are New Zealand's leading specialists in Auditory Processing Disorder, at the global forefront of research and therapy in this area of hearing health. Applicable helped transition their web experience so it reflects that expertise in a very accessible and friendly way, for families, adults and referring professionals alike. - [The Food Show: an event website exhibitors update themselves](https://applicable.co.nz/work/the-food-show/): The Food Show is New Zealand's largest annual food event, run in several cities by Xpo Exhibitions. Applicable built its website, where the real work is behind the scenes: Xpo staff and the exhibitors themselves manage the key content, and the site brings it together into a showcase of each show. ## What clients say - "John and his team have been ahead of timeline, under budget and transparent for the duration of our projects." Logan Wedgwood, CEO, Advisory.Works. - "It was so quick and easy to update the website with new content this morning; such a change from the usual process." Joanne Hall, Senior Brand Manager, Wendy's Hamburgers. - "Your report was detailed, well researched and also easy for us laypeople to understand." Christine Robertson, NZ National Commission for UNESCO. - "John and Applicable went the extra mile to deliver the solution required." John Page, Senior Advisor, Sport New Zealand. - "They've provided valuable insights well beyond our expectations." Benjamin Wilson, EAP Services. - "Applicable came through for us in their planning, design, implementation and support." Dempsey Woodley, NZEI Te Riu Roa. - More: https://applicable.co.nz/testimonials/ ## Articles - [Website Builder vs Freelancer vs Agency for Auckland SMEs](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/builder-vs-freelancer-vs-agency/): Builder, freelancer, agency or Applicable: the four ways an Auckland SME gets a website built, compared on cost, timeline, ownership and what breaks. - [Custom vs Off-the-Shelf CRM for Small Business NZ](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/custom-vs-off-the-shelf-crm/): A generic CRM suits most NZ small businesses. When the real need is a client portal or a workflow tool, a web app built around how you work does better. - [Custom vs Off-the-Shelf Inventory Software NZ](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/custom-vs-off-the-shelf-inventory-software/): Off-the-shelf inventory software suits most NZ businesses. When multi-site stock, your own process or offline barcode capture breaks it, what to build. - [Custom vs Off-the-Shelf Job Management Software NZ](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/custom-vs-off-the-shelf-job-management-software/): When off-the-shelf job management software is the right buy for an NZ trades business, and when a custom field app built around your workflow pays off. - [Custom vs Off-the-Shelf Quoting Software NZ](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/custom-vs-off-the-shelf-quoting-software/): Off-the-shelf quoting software suits most NZ businesses. Here is when complex pricing rules, calculators and accounting integration justify a custom build. - [Hypercode Case Study](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/hypercode-case-study/): Hypercode is Applicable's own low-code back-end accelerator: how it was built, what it generates and why clients get faster builds with no licence fees. - [Navigating software development: a practical guide to bringing your ideas to life](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/navigating-software-development-a-practical-guide-to-bringing-your-ideas-to-life/): A start-up guide to the software journey: validating the idea, assembling the team, user-centred design, iterative development, quality assurance and life after launch. - [Intelligent AI integration in software development](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/intelligent-ai-integration-in-software-development/): Applicable's philosophy for adding AI to software: integrate it thoughtfully where it adds value, enhance existing systems, tailor it to the project and work collaboratively. - [AI software and app development: pioneering the future in New Zealand](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/ai-software-and-app-development-pioneering-the-future-in-new-zealand/): An overview of Applicable's approach to AI in software and app development: integration, machine learning, UX, data security, sustainability and the cloud. - [Developing strategic AI to drive growth amidst uncertainty](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/developing-strategic-ai-to-drive-growth-amidst-uncertainty/): What the EO New Zealand report says about entrepreneurs and AI, and five practical AI opportunities for Kiwi businesses in an uncertain economy. - [Custom Software Security NZ: What to Expect](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/security-in-custom-software/): What security means in custom software built in NZ, why it matters to a small business, the practices to expect and the questions to ask your developer. - [Embracing the power of AI in mobile app development](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/embracing-the-power-of-ai-in-mobile-app-development/): How AI is changing mobile apps through natural language processing, predictive analytics and content generation, with business use cases and example apps. - [App development: what's happening in 2023](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/app-development-whats-happening-in-2020/): Five app trends for 2023: accelerating AI, the Internet of Things, wearable devices, augmented reality and mobile wallets. - [Software Development Jargon Explained](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/software-jargon-explained/): Plain-English definitions of the software jargon you will meet on a web project: web app, portal, API, integration, low-code, scoping, UAT and more. - [Why choose Applicable for your software development project](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/why-you-should-choose-applicable-software-developers-for-your-project/): What clients get from Applicable after 14+ years: technical expertise, quality assurance built into the development cycle, open communication and experienced project management. - [Ten Myths About Going Digital for Small Business](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/ten-myths-about-going-digital/): Ten digital myths that stop NZ small businesses investing in better systems, from cost and job losses to "only for IT", and what is true instead. - [Developing a great app: what does it take?](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/developing-a-great-app-what-does-it-take/): The elements of a successful app project: concept, UX design, prototyping, honest advice, tech stack, back-end, automated testing, user feedback and marketing. - [Case study: going above and Beyond to impact Kiwi businesses](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/case-study-going-above-and-beyond-to-impact-kiwi-businesses/): How Applicable worked with Advisory Works to design, build and iterate the Beyond business coaching platform, from MVP wireframes to a React front-end on a .NET back-end. - [The Cost of Disconnected Systems for Small Business](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/the-cost-of-disconnected-systems/): A car dealership's broken form, outsourced chat and re-keyed booking show what disconnected systems cost a small business and what to connect first. - [Top tips for ensuring your app stands out](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/mobile-app-developers-top-tips-for-a-stand-out-app/): Four things that make an app stand out: it is useful, it is intuitive, it is shaped by user feedback and its colour and design are chosen deliberately. - [Digital strategy pitfalls to avoid](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/why-digital-strategies-can-fail/): Four reasons digital strategies fail: buzzwords instead of meaning, unclear goals and budget, employees not on board and no clear measurement of return. - [UX/UI mobile app trends in 2022](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/ux-ui-mobile-app-trends-in-2020/): Four UX and UI trends in mobile app design in 2022: a human-centred approach, voice search, micro intentions and AI-driven chatbots. - [Choosing a mobile app development company? 5 things to consider](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/choosing-a-mobile-app-development-company-5-things-to-consider/): Five factors to weigh when picking an app development company: location, expertise, platform coverage, security and ongoing maintenance and support. - [Planning for disruption: the road ahead](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/disruption-revisited/): Eighteen months into the pandemic, a look at what changed for NZ businesses and six likely disruptions to plan for, from inflation to supply chain and climate risk. - [The McKinsey survey: urgent insights for your business](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/the-mckinsey-survey-urgent-insights-for-your-business/): Key takeaways from McKinsey's "The new digital edge" survey: digital adoption jumped years in months, business models are being disrupted and digital leaders are outperforming. - [Case study: the Carbon Natural app](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/case-study-carbon-natural/): How Applicable built the Carbon Natural tree replacement calculator for Urban Forest Solutions in React Native, from wireframes to a report generated from trunk diameter data. - [Digital strategy: plan for your success today](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/digital-strategy-plan-for-your-success-today/): Why a business needs a digital strategy now, how to evaluate new technology against the customer journey and why younger companies adapt faster. - [Building an app for your business: iOS or Android?](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/building-an-app-for-your-business-ios-or-android/): How to choose between iOS and Android for a business app, and why Android suits internal apps that never need to go through an app store. - [The mobile app business revolution](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/the-mobile-app-business-revolution/): Why small and medium businesses are commissioning apps: efficiency, integration with existing systems, mobile staff, brand recognition and reaching a global market. - [Website development: let's talk about SEO](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/website-development/): Five fundamentals for getting a new website ranking on the first page of Google: CMS choice, technical on-page SEO, keyword research, fresh content and backlinks. - [Uninstalled: how to avoid this fate for your app](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/uninstalled-how-to-avoid-this-fate-for-your-app/): Seven UX questions to ask before building an app, illustrated with screens from the Fire Report passive fire app and a truck driver workflow app. - [Mobile app development: product/market fit](https://applicable.co.nz/blog/mobile-app-development-product-market-fit/): Four steps to check whether an app idea fits its market: know the target customer, research their pain points, study competitors and measure against the total addressable market. ## Company - [How a project runs](https://applicable.co.nz/process/): Listen, scope, build, support. Fixed scope and published price brackets. - [About](https://applicable.co.nz/about/): Founder-led Auckland software development company, building for NZ clients since 2008. - [Contact](https://applicable.co.nz/contact/): Get a ballpark. A senior consultant responds with feedback and an estimate.