A mobile app is a program that runs on a smartphone or other mobile device (like an iPad). It’s designed to work well on a smaller screen, and let users do things that would normally take a computer. Different apps can let users read emails, send messages, purchase items or view information easily. If you own a smartphone or tablet, you’re already using mobile apps, such as iTunees, Gmail, Kindle or Facebook. Here are just some of the things a mobile app can do for your business or organization:

• Send notifications to your customers
• Allow mobile purchases, such as ordering food
• Share information from your website, Facebook page or other customized items
• Accept donations
• Share exclusive coupons or loyalty rewards
• Allow clients or patients to digitally sign applications, or complete other forms
• Share galleries of your work
• Directly message clients

And more! (If you still have questions, we’re available to chat.)

It might be easier to list the few entities that don’t use mobile apps! At Swoop, we’re best designed to create apps for:

• Public and private schools
• Preschool and daycare centers
• Pizza parlors
• Local restaurants
• Bakeries
• Real estate agents
• Salons and barbers
• Non-profits (including religious organizations)
• Medical clinics

It depends partially on the business, but for most of our clients, we can have an app ready for you to preview in under 2 weeks, and have it ready for your customers within 30 days. Some more complex apps may take longer. Staying involved and quickly responding to our emails and phone calls will obviously help speed up the process!

First, we’ll ask you to sign an app form, giving us permission to build an app for your organization. Once signed, we’ll begin preparing the app on our end, and help you with the following steps:

• Completing a payment application (if you’ll be accepting payments or donations through the app). This is similar to what you’d complete to accept credit card payments. We’ll also ask for any supporting documents (for example, a voided check) to help speed up the approval process.
• Setting up an Apple Developer account and a Google developer account. Apple requires a $99 annual enrollment fee (not included in our pricing). We can set up both your Apple and Google developer accounts for you, but Apple will reach out to you to confirm details such as your business name, whether you approved an account, and how long your organization has existed. (As part of this process, we’ll ask you for payment information for the Apple account.)
• Your logo, inventory or menu images, and other pictures or sites you’d like incorporated into the app. Our app build team will need these to ensure your app is YOUR app!
• An app review with our app build team. One of us will sit down with you, either in person or via a phone call or virtual meeting, and ensure your app is meeting your expectations. We’ll review prices, images, colors and any verbiage. When you’ve approved the app, we’ll push it to Apple and Google for publishing on their app platforms!

There are three fees involved with building a mobile app: a one-time build fee, a monthly or annual fee, and an Apple developer account fee ($99/year, not included in our pricing). We service a variety of organizations, so our pricing can vary, but we can give some estimates:

• Eating places (restaurants, pizza shop, food truck, etc.): one-time build fee of under $1,000, monthly fee between $40 and $80
• Small non-profits (charities, local church, etc.): one-time build fee of under $900, monthly fee between $25 and $40
• Schools and other larger organizations: One-time build fee of $4,000, annual fee of $3,000 (starting after first year of service)

Keep in mind that these are estimates, but we do try to make our apps as affordable as possible for our clients. Most of our clients also use in-app payments in some way, whether through selling something or collecting donations. If your organization already accepts credit card payments, we can match your current rate, or offer our cash discount solution. We have clients using both methods with great success.

Swoop is based out of Wilmington, Delaware in the United States. For our mobile apps, we work with partner teams in Coral Springs, Florida and New Delhi, India. All three teams are crucial to building, publishing and maintaining your mobile app.