Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
App development in Sault Ste. Marie
Web and phone apps that take the busywork off your plate — designed and built by me, Jay McBride, here in the Sault.
Free 30-minute call Price agreed up front Reply within 1 business day
Apps for the way your business already works
If part of your day runs on spreadsheets, paper forms, or copying the same details from one system into another, an app can take that over. Bookings, stock counts, quotes, job tracking, a portal for your customers: the right app depends on how your business works, so that’s where I start.
I’m Jay McBride, a designer and developer in Sault Ste. Marie. I build:
- Web apps that run in any browser with nothing to install — good for staff at a desk, and for portals your customers log in to.
- iPhone and iPad apps, built natively, that can keep working offline and use the camera, like a barcode scanner on the shop floor.
- Android apps, built natively, when your team or your customers use Android.
Proof: Magpie Inventory
Magpie Inventory is my own app, live on the App Store. It helps independent shops count their stock: scan a barcode, adjust the count, see what’s running low. It keeps working when the Wi-Fi drops at the back of the stockroom, syncs across a shop’s devices through iCloud, and needs no account. I designed it and built it, along with the website and App Store listing that sell it.
I’m also building Drift, an iPhone and Android app backed by a Ruby on Rails API. And for ANP Office Furniture I built the service that quotes live parcel and freight shipping inside their Shopify checkout.
Planned first, so the price is fixed
Apps start with a paid planning phase. Together we work out exactly what the app needs to do, and I write a detailed plan, a technical specification and a fixed-price build quote. You keep those documents. If you go ahead with the build, the planning fee is credited against it.
Built to last, explained in plain English
I use proven tools — Ruby on Rails on the server, and native code for iPhone, iPad and Android — and I explain every choice in terms of what it means for your business: cost, speed, and what happens if you ever want someone else to take it over. You receive the code at handover, and custom app builds include 60 days of support after launch.
Not in the Sault?
I build apps for businesses anywhere in Canada. Calls, email and screen sharing work just as well across the country as across town.
Questions
Questions about building an app
If yours isn’t here, just ask. There are no silly questions on the free call.
Ask me anythingHow much does it cost to build an app?
It depends on what the app needs to do, who uses it, and what it connects to. That’s why apps start with a paid planning phase ($4,200 plus applicable taxes): it ends with a fixed-price quote for the build, and the planning fee is credited against the build if you go ahead. The first 30-minute call, to find out whether an app is the right answer at all, is free.
Should we build a web app or a phone app?
It depends on who will use it and where. If people are at a desk, a web app works everywhere with nothing to install. If they are on the shop floor or out on jobs, a phone app can work offline and use the camera. Some businesses need both; we work that out during planning.
Can an app connect to our existing tools?
Often. Booking, stock, shipping and accounting systems may offer ways to share information. I check what your tools support before promising an integration, then explain the options and any limitations.
How long does it take to build an app?
It depends on the scope. The planning phase produces a written schedule before the build starts. If the app goes on the App Store or Google Play, their review can add time outside the build schedule.
Do you only build apps for businesses in Sault Ste. Marie?
No. I’m based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and build apps for businesses anywhere in Canada, working through calls, email and screen sharing.
Got a project in mind?
Tell me what you’d like to improve. The first call is free, and you’ll know the price before any work starts.