The 10 Best Practices for Custom Software Development

Developing software that fits your exact needs isn't an easy task.

When done poorly, issues like miscommunication often arise, leading to missed deadlines for your project.

Hiring the wrong development team can also be fatal.

Instead of getting a software solution that matches your vision, you'll deal with incompetent developers who deliver subpar work.

To help you avoid these mistakes, we'll talk about seven software development best practices to ensure a smooth process from start to finish.

But before we dive deeper, let's understand what custom software development actually is?

What is Custom Software Development?

Custom software development refers to the process of designing, developing, and maintaining a mobile application or computer program for specific needs.

Unlike mass-produced software, which usually comes with pre-made templates, you'll have more freedom in customising the visual elements and functionality of your software.

Bespoke Software Development Best Practices

From preparing the needed documents to hiring the right custom software development company, this section will reveal everything you need to know to build a successful digital project.

1. Prepare the Required Documents

First things first, make sure to create a detailed plan for your software.

Clear documentation bridges the understanding gap between technical and non-technical parties, keeping everyone involved moving in the same direction.

As a result, any confusion can be solved before the development phase begins, minimising misinterpretations and ensuring accurate end products.

Here are some of the must-have documents you should prepare:

• Project requirements: Clearly outline the project's objectives and features, so the development team and stakeholders can understand what to expect from the final software.
• Technical specifications: Explain what type of software you will build, along with the required frameworks, programming languages, tools, and any other technical considerations.
• Project milestones: Lay out a clear timeline for each development stage, including coding, designing, deployment, and quality assurance. This will help the development team stay on schedule, and make it easier for you to track their progress.
• Legal and compliance: Ensure all legal and compliance requirements are documented, especially if the software deals with sensitive data or industry-specific regulations.
• Communication plan: Outline how the development team and stakeholders should communicate. For instance, you can host weekly calls to identify bottlenecks and find solutions together.

2. Choose a Suitable Development Methodology

A development methodology will determine how your project is planned, executed, and monitored.

Among various methodologies available, Agile stands out for several reasons:

• Adaptability to changes: In custom software development, changes in requirements are almost inevitable. Agile is known for its flexibility and adaptability, allowing developers to quickly adjust to evolving project needs.
• Continuous collaboration: Thanks to its collaborative approach, Agile keeps you and other stakeholders in the loop throughout the development process. It ensures that the final product aligns closely with your vision and business goals.
• Faster time-to-market: Agile divides your project into short cycles known as sprints, allowing for faster releases. You can launch a minimum viable product (MVP) to market sooner and gather valuable user feedback, helping you improve the product as you go.

3. Select the Right Frameworks

Frameworks are pre-built tools, libraries, and code designed to streamline the development process.

But before choosing your frameworks, clearly define your development goals first. Are you building a web application, a mobile app, or working on data analysis?

This is because different projects require a different set of frameworks.

When weighing your options, remember these best practices:

• Consider your project size and complexity. Lightweight frameworks may be suitable for small projects, while complex applications may require feature-rich frameworks.
• Opt for frameworks with an active community. This will give you access to a wealth of resources and a collaborative environment where developers can share insights and solutions.
• Ensure that the chosen framework integrates seamlessly with other tools and technologies in your tech stack. Compatibility reduces development friction and allows for a smooth workflow across your entire project.
• Choose frameworks that can scale with the growth of your project, especially if you expect increased user traffic or data volume in the near future.
• Prioritise frameworks with robust security features. Your chosen framework should provide mechanisms to protect against common vulnerabilities and ensure the safety of user data.
• Select frameworks that receive regular updates and maintenance. They're more likely to support the latest technologies.
• Make sure your chosen framework has all the features your project needs.

4. Hire a Development Team

Once you've prepared all the necessary documents, as well as selected a development methodology and frameworks, it's time to develop your software.

If you have no prior experience in software building, hiring a custom software development company is the right move.

By doing so, you gain access to developers and designers who can turn your concept into full-fledged software.

When weighing your options, think about the following factors:

• Track record: Rather than blind picking, you should do some research beforehand. Find out how many projects the agency has completed, and whether their clients are satisfied with the results.
• Technical proficiency: Make sure that the agency is well-versed in the latest technologies, programming languages, and development frameworks relevant to your project.
• Effective communication: Find an agency that prioritises transparent communication, provides regular updates, and involves you in every decision-making process.
• Flexibility: The chosen company should be flexible enough in adapting to new project requirements, responding to any challenges that arise, and scaling the software as it grows bigger.

5. Decide on the Pricing Model

Picking the right pricing model for your software development project is a crucial decision that impacts budgeting. Failing to do so, and you may spend more money that you need to.

Depending on the software type, here are several partnership models that you can consider:

• Fixed price: The total cost of the project is agreed upon before the development begins. This model is suitable for projects with well-defined requirements and minimal expected changes, such as basic websites.
• Hourly rate: Clients are billed based on the actual hours worked and resources used. Hourly billing is perfect for projects with evolving requirements and frequent updates like e-commerce stores.
• Fixed price with scope change: This model combines elements of both fixed price and hourly rate. You'll get a fixed price for the initial scope, while still maintaining the flexibility to make changes or add new features for additional costs.

It's also possible to hire a dedicated team of developers, designers, and project managers.

This is particularly beneficial if you plan to build a project that requires continuous collaboration like an ERP system.

Simply reach out to any development agency, and ask them to provide a custom quote based on your specific needs.

Since it involves a long-term partnership, the agency will be more likely to give you a special price.

6. Look Out for Any Security Vulnerabilities

Security vulnerabilities provide entry points for hackers to gain unauthorised access into your system, potentially leading to data breaches.

To safeguard the confidentiality and privacy of user information, it's important for your development team to perform these security measures:

• Conduct scheduled security audits, including code reviews, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning, to keep potential threats at bay.
• Maintain secure coding practices throughout the development process, and use tools that can identify and rectify security-related issues in the codebase.
• Regularly scan and update third-party dependencies and libraries. Security vulnerabilities often arise from these outdated software components.
• Secure data both in transit and at rest with end-to-end encryption. It prevents sensitive information from being intercepted by malicious actors.
• Implement strong authentication mechanisms, so that only authorised users have access to your software.
• Create and maintain a comprehensive incident response plan. In the event of a security incident, this document helps you minimise the impact on user data and system integrity.
• Educate users about security best practices, including creating strong passwords and recognising phishing attempts.

7. Use an Issue Tracker to Identify Errors

In software development, an issue tracker is a powerful tool that serves as a central hub for managing, tracking, and resolving various bugs.

Issue tracking software like Zendesk, Jira, and GitLab helps developers report and track issues early, preventing them from becoming even bigger problems.

Beyond errors, engineers can also manage all tasks related to the software development lifecycle in a single dashboard.

Those include bug reports, feature requests, and general to-do items.

Team members can easily collaborate on problem-solving, share insights, and provide status updates, creating a more transparent and collaborative work environment.

8. Make the Most of Version Control

Version control allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously.

Each developer can have their own branch to make changes independently.

When changes are complete, version control tools provide seamless ways to merge these changes back into the main codebase.

This helps avoid conflicts and ensure each team member's contributions are integrated.

In case disaster strikes or when developers make mistakes, they can easily revert to a previous state of the codebase.

Some of the most popular version control tools include Git and Bitbucket.

9. Create a Sandbox Environment

Sandboxing is a method for isolating code.

It provides a safe and controlled space for trying out new features, debugging, and testing security measures without breaking the main codebase.

Here are the main use cases of a sandbox environment:

• Feature development and testing: A sandbox environment lets you develop and test new features in isolation, ensuring they work perfectly before integrating them into the main codebase.
• Debugging: When bugs pop up, developers can test potential fixes without affecting the live application.
• Security and risk mitigation: Since each code is hosted in a separate environment, hackers will have a harder time penetrating your system.
• Integration testing: Before releasing new changes on the main codebase, a sandbox environment enables thorough integration testing. Developers can ensure that their changes are compatible with the existing code and other features.
• Parallel development: Multiple developers can have their own sandboxes, allowing them to work on different features simultaneously without conflicts.
• Rollback and recovery: In case an experiment goes wrong or a bug is discovered in the sandbox, it's easy to roll back changes without affecting the live application. This ensures that the main codebase remains stable and reliable.
• Training ground: New team members can use sandboxing to familiarise themselves with the codebase, test their changes, and get hands-on experience without the fear of accidentally causing disruptions.

10. Perform Unit Testing

Unit testing breaks down your code into its smallest functional units. These can be individual functions, methods, or procedures - the building blocks of your software.

By doing so, developers can assess individual components, verify the functionality of each unit, and catch issues early.

Moreover, unit testing contributes to overall code quality.

Validating each piece of code independently, developers can build the foundation for a reliable software system.

But remember, testing is not just about ensuring everything works smoothly.

It's also about exploring how your code behaves in less-than-ideal situations.

Let's say you're developing a payment processing feature for an e-commerce website.

Normally, users would go through the checkout process, enter their payment details, and complete the purchase.

However, to ensure user-friendliness, intentionally create a test where users attempt to make payments with an expired credit card.

See how your application handles this situation. Does it provide a clear and user-friendly error message explaining the issue? Does it guide the user on how to update their payment information?

This test helps you prepare for every possible scenario, so you can fix any known issues quickly and deliver a flawless user experience.