Software · Web apps · Integrations
Custom web app development for Halifax small businesses
Sometimes a template or an off-the-shelf plugin can’t do the job. You need a booking tool that fits how you work, a client portal, a dashboard pulling numbers from three places, or a spreadsheet process turned into a proper system. We design and build custom web apps and integrations, sized for a small business budget.
When custom software makes sense, and when it doesn’t
We’ll tell you honestly if you don’t need us. Custom code costs more up front and needs looking after. If Shopify, a WordPress plugin or a monthly SaaS tool does 90% of what you need, use it.
Custom is worth it when
- Your team re-types the same data into several tools
- A SaaS subscription charges per user and you’ve outgrown it
- Your process is your edge and no product fits it
- You need two systems to talk to each other
Off-the-shelf is better when
- A mainstream tool already does the job
- The process changes every few months
- There’s no one to own the system after launch
- The budget can’t cover upkeep
What we build
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Internal tools and dashboards | Job tracking, quoting, inventory, staff schedules, a single dashboard for sales and ad results |
| Client portals | Logins where customers see their orders, files, invoices or project status |
| Booking and forms | Multi-step quote forms, booking flows with rules your current plugin can’t handle |
| Integrations and APIs | Connecting your website, CRM, email tool, payment processor or Google Sheets so data moves on its own |
| Automation scripts | Scheduled jobs: reports emailed every Monday, stock syncs, image processing, content publishing |
| Interactive web experiences | Calculators, quizzes, product configurators and browser games for marketing |
| Custom WordPress and WooCommerce | Custom themes, plugins and checkout changes when page builders hit their limits. See web design and e-commerce. |
What we’ve built for ourselves
We don’t only talk about software. We run on it.
Our publishing and social media panel
A private web app that manages content across several of our own websites. It queues and tracks publishing jobs, generates and attaches cover images through an AI image API, and includes a social media module. That module handles a media library, Google Drive import, AI-assisted drafts, a human approval step, a content calendar and scheduling. It has two-factor login, its own database and a test suite we run before each change.
It taught us what small-business software actually needs. Clear screens, safe defaults, and nothing that posts or deletes without a human approving it.
How we build
- Proven, boring technology. PHP, JavaScript and React, SQL databases, WordPress where it fits. Plenty of developers know these, so you’re never locked in to us.
- You own the code. On full payment the code and data are yours. Hosting and domains are set up in your name.
- Security from day one. Strong logins, two-factor authentication for admin areas, backups stored off the server and minimal personal data.
- Privacy. If the app stores personal information about customers, Canada’s federal privacy law, PIPEDA, applies. We design for it: collect only what you need and keep it protected.
- Tests and documentation. Automated tests for the parts that matter and a plain-language guide for your team.
Process
- Discovery call. Free. We map the problem, the people involved and what success looks like.
- Written scope. Screens, features, what’s out of scope, a fixed price or a capped estimate, and a timeline.
- Clickable prototype. You try the screens before we write the full code. Changes are cheapest here.
- Build in stages. You see working pieces every week or two, not a big reveal at the end.
- Launch and training. We deploy, move your data and train your team.
- Support. A support plan for fixes, updates and small improvements, or a clean handover to your own developer.
Pricing
Quoted after a free discovery call + HST
Every project is quoted after the discovery call, with a written scope. Small integrations and automation scripts cost far less than a full app. We’ll suggest the smallest version that solves the problem first.
Questions about custom web apps
How long does a custom web app take?
A small integration can take days. A focused internal tool usually takes weeks. Larger apps are built in stages so you can use the first part while the rest is built.
Who owns the code?
You do, once the project is paid. We may reuse general techniques and our own libraries, but your app, data and branding are yours.
Can you work on an app someone else built?
Often, yes. We start with a paid code review to see whether it’s safer to fix or rebuild.
Can you add AI to it?
Yes, where it helps. See AI automation for small business.
Stuck with spreadsheets and copy-paste?
Tell us what your team does by hand today. We’ll tell you if it can be automated and roughly what it would cost.