Creation of a smartphone app may seem complicated, but there are easy and even free options available to build a mobile application for your business. Sure, if you plan to build a custom application yourself you need to know code and you should be tech savvy, but if you are a novice, what do you do? A reader recently contacted me about options to develop a mobile application, and it got me thinking. How exactly does one get an app onto a smartphone?

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You can create a simple mobile app for free, without extensive knowledge of coding

There are several options, and many people do not realize that there are web-based applications that will allow them to create a simple mobile app on their own—even as a beginner. I tried a couple out to give you an idea of what it takes.

Best tools for building your own smartphone app
Appsbar is a free application that allows you to build applications for your smartphone devices on your own. Appsbar allows you to create an application with easy step-by-step process and provides instructions to add your app to social media and your website.

I like that Appsbar is thorough, but if you plan on using your own artwork, it is important to pay attention to the dimensions that the app requires.

Appy Pie is another application that provides a limited free application builder, but also has a paid service and custom development options. In addition to the services that Appsbar provides, Appy Pie has an added bonus is that Appy Pie also publishes to the App Store, Google Play and the Windows Store. I also felt that the user interface was cleaner and easier to use.

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Both of these websites provide a very simple solution, but if you are looking for something more robust, you want to seek out a developer. Development of a custom mobile application can cost up to $50,000 or more, and there are often maintenance costs to take into consideration.

Make sure you do your homework, so you do not get misled. If you need a simple mobile app, you can probably do it yourself and save a lot of money.

Did you build a mobile application for your business?  Tell me about it in the comments below, on Twitter @nerdsquawk or via email at [email protected].