Web app development in Switzerland: portals and tools

A web app is an application in the browser that users get things done with, whereas a website mainly informs. Typical web apps are customer portals, configurators, booking tools or internal dashboards: they store data, run calculations, generate documents and know user roles. One example by Fox Computers is the Tiba Energie Konfigurator, which turns a few details into a ballpark quote for heating and solar as a PDF. A web app runs without installation on computers, tablets and smartphones, and updates are instantly available to everyone. It is often embedded in an existing website.

At Fox Computers, a web app costs from CHF 10,000, and considerably more depending on features, interfaces and the number of user roles. The starting price includes requirements and concept, UX/UI design, development, testing, and data protection and security. Extra effort comes from connections to ERP or CRM, complex calculations, multiple languages or many roles with different permissions. We often recommend starting with a lean first version and expanding it based on real usage. Extensions are billed by time at CHF 130 per hour or quoted as a separate phase.

At Fox Computers, developing a web app takes from 8 weeks, and three to four months for extensive projects with several interfaces. The first weeks are for the concept: we clarify processes, sketch the key screens and define what the first version must be able to do. Then we develop in phases, each of which you can test and sign off. Time is often taken up not by the programming but by coordinating with third-party systems and their providers. That’s why we clarify interfaces and access as early as possible, so the planned go-live holds.

For most businesses, a web app makes more sense than a native app, because it costs less and runs on every device without an app store. A native app has to be developed, reviewed and updated separately for iOS and Android, and not all users install updates. A web app, by contrast, is updated centrally on the server and is instantly up to date for everyone. As a Progressive Web App, it can even be added to the home screen like an app. A native app is mainly worth it if you need deep device features such as Bluetooth or have to be present in the app store.

Yes, Fox Computers connects web apps through interfaces (APIs) to ERP, CRM, accounting, calendars or payment providers, so data flows automatically. The prerequisite is that your system offers an interface, usually a REST API, or can exchange data via export and import. One example is Rhy Personal: for its job board, we developed a custom plugin that pulls the open positions from the recruitment software zvoove. This eliminates duplicate data entry, and typing errors disappear. Before we quote, we review the interface documentation so the effort is estimated realistically.

Fox Computers mostly develops web apps with PHP and the Laravel framework, and for content-focused applications directly in WordPress. Laravel is a widely used open-source framework with a large community, a clear structure and good tools for user management, databases and interfaces. This keeps the code understandable for other developers too, and you aren’t dependent on exotic technology. On the front end, we rely on lean JavaScript so the interface responds quickly even on older smartphones. We choose the technology based on your requirements, not on preferences.

An online configurator guides prospects step by step through an offer and produces a ballpark quote or a qualified enquiry at the end. It is worth it if you regularly put together quotes from similar building blocks. The Tiba Energie Konfigurator by Fox Computers, for example, asks for details about the building and delivers a ballpark quote for heating and solar as a PDF; it handles up to 300 enquiries per month. Customers see straight away what to expect, and you receive an enquiry with all the necessary details instead of having to chase them up.

If you wish, your web app’s data is stored with a hosting provider in Switzerland or on your own server, compliant with the revFADP and GDPR. Fox Computers builds security in from the start: encrypted connections, roles and permissions per user, protection against common attacks and regular backups. We only collect personal data when it is needed for the purpose. We document external services such as payment or e-mail providers, so you can clearly state in your privacy policy which data goes where.

The source code of your web app belongs to you, and Fox Computers hands it over in full and documented on request. This means other developers can also continue working on the application. So you aren’t tied to us, even though we’re happy to look after the app long term. Open-source building blocks such as Laravel are under their own free licences and incur no licence fees. For you, this means planning certainty: the application remains your property, regardless of who develops it further in five years, and you can choose hosting and support yourself at any time.

After go-live, Fox Computers continues to look after your web app, with updates, security patches, backups and further development as you need it. Web apps need regular maintenance, because PHP, Laravel and connected interfaces keep evolving. Smaller jobs are billed by time at CHF 130 per hour; larger extensions are planned as a separate phase with their own quote. A dedicated point of contact knows your application and is available Monday to Thursday. This keeps the app secure and growing with your processes, instead of becoming outdated after two years.