How to Successfully Build a Flutter Web App?

According to Statista, Flutter is the most popular cross-platform mobile framework used by global developers, based on a 2022 developer survey. As per the latest Flutter survey, more than 100,000 apps have been launched since Flutter was introduced.

But, now Flutter can also be used to develop web apps. Flutter was initially used for developing mobile applications, but now it is making waves on the web, presenting a seamless transition from mobile to desktop.

With Flutter web app development, businesses can create impressive and complex UIs with ease without impacting performance. Also, web apps built with Flutter are much faster and more cost-effective. Flutter also has a hot reload feature that updates UI content automatically when code changes. This makes it easier for developers to code.

This article will explain what is Flutter, its characteristics, how it works, how to build a Flutter web app, and a few essential tips to keep in mind.  Additionally, we will be discussing the benefits of Flutter for your business.

So, Let’s get started!

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source framework developed by Google. It enables the development of cross-platform mobile applications and web applications. There are multiple brands such as  Alibaba, Baidu, and Google Pay are leveraging the power of this technology.

When Flutter was launched in 2018, it primarily supported mobile app development. But today Flutter supports application development on six platforms: Android, iOS, The Web, Windows, MacOS, and Linux.

Google introduced Flutter as a response to the melting budgets of mobile applications and the growing popularity of React Native, becoming its main competitor. Further, Flutter uses the open-source programming language Dart, developed by Google. Dart is optimized for building UIs, and many of Dart’s strengths are utilized in Flutter.

For instance, one feature of Dart used in Flutter is sound null safety. It makes it easier to detect common bugs called null errors. Dart’s sound null safety reduces the time developers spend on code maintenance and gives them more time to focus on building their applications.

How does Flutter work?

In other terms, we can also say that Flutter is Google's portable UI toolkit for creating beautiful, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase.

From social media websites to online payment apps, Flutter mobile app development has transformed multiple app ideas into reality and profitable businesses. Following are a few of the best app ideas to develop using Flutter:

» Banking apps

» Games apps

» Journaling apps

» Mobile wallets

» Music streaming apps

» Project management software

What are the Characteristics of Flutter?

Flutter has these below-given characteristics to enable your business through the medium of the web platform to reach out to more users and boost visibility.

1. Easy Learning Curve

It is pretty easy to learn the Dart programming language that Flutter uses. Even developers who have minimal coding knowledge can easily develop apps with Flutter. There are numerous video lessons, Flutter web tutorials, and practical step-by-step guides readily available. Additionally, the Flutter community is growing constantly where you can discuss and solve any coding complexions.

2. Hot Reload

Hot Reload is one of the primary features of Flutter and that makes it stand apart from others. The developers can do a lot of experiments easily and rapidly using this feature. With Hot Reload, tasks such as crafting interactive and captivating UIs, incorporating great in-app features, and debugging becomes a cakewalk.

Further, updates related to the ongoing development stage of the application are also shown which assist developers to accomplish a project on time.

3. Single Code Base

Flutter requires a single codebase to be written by the developers to render native performance on both Android & iOS. The SDK (Software Development Kit) is platform-independent as it comes with its own set of designs & widgets. As a result, whether it is iOS app development using Flutter or Android app development, a single Flutter app can run seamlessly on both platforms.

4. Google Firebase Support

When it comes to backend support, the Flutter developers are backed by Google’s Firebase. By leveraging this, the developers can develop a highly scalable Flutter web app.

5. Minimum Testing

The testing step for developers becomes easy and fast when you have the same applications running equally well on two platforms.

The developers all have to do is to test a single codebase and the Hot Reload feature helps to root out bugs in the development stage itself. Also, the time-to-market is reduced significantly as testing is faster.

Why Should Businesses Choose Flutter Web App Development?

Flutter’s unique approach to using a single codebase for mobile and web platforms removes the need to spend on separate development.

So Flutter not only saves your time, money, and resources but also ensures consistency across multiple devices, offering a seamless user experience.

On that note, let’s dive into a few main benefits of choosing Flutter web app development:

1. Flutter Web App Reduces Development Costs

With Flutter web app development, three apps are developed using one codebase, within one technologically connected team, at one pace.

Businesses that create their apps with Flutter don’t have to look for developers or providers of three different technologies and then synchronize their work.

As a result, when the complexity of web app development is reduced, Flutter automatically cuts the cost down. So if you have a tight budget with a scalable amount to be spent on app development, Flutter could be an enormous choice.

2. Offers Top-Notch User Experience

Another benefit of the Flutter web app is its customizable widgets and rich libraries. These resources provide endless possibilities for creating unique and engaging user experiences.

App developers can easily customize the look and feel of their apps, ensuring an intuitive and seamless user interface.

3. Flutter Web App Requires Less Coding

Flutter web app requires less coding which directly affects the cost of web app development. That is the reason why Flutter is considered a simple and convenient platform.

As previously mentioned, it uses Dart programming language, which increases overall performance because it is an object-oriented and client-optimized development language.

Flutter provides the same level of performance to the applications with the lesser codes that the native app does.

4. Ideal for MVP

Using Flutter web app development can help showcase your MVP (Model View Presenter)  to investors. In simple terms, MVPs are the first versions of the app that have the most fundamental features.

They are ideal for testing the concept and collecting the first feedback from investors to make a better app in the next iteration.

Due to Flutter’s compatibility with Firebase, developers also don’t require separate backends for building simple MVPs. Hence, Flutter for MVP development is the perfect solution if you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

5. Google Guaranteed

Web apps created using Flutter, get long-term support from Google because they use this technology themselves.

You can be guaranteed that Google will release new versions, fix any bugs, and also they will contribute as much as possible to Flutter technology.

Additionally, Google already uses Flutter in new projects such as Google Fuschia. This clearly suggests that Flutter will continue to be used for many years.

After we’ve discussed the above-given main benefits of Flutter web app development, let’s now look at how to build a Flutter web app successfully.

How to Build a Flutter Web App for Your Business?

Now let’s jump to our main topic of how you can build a Flutter web app for your business. To make you understand in an easier way, we will be going through the entire process in 7 steps.

So let’s start with the first step:

Step 1: Do Your Market Research

It is nearly impossible for you to do any kind of business without conducting market research. Therefore, before you start with the development phase, you need to carry out extensive market research to check the feasibility and practicality of your web app.

This process also involves analyzing current trends and your competitors. With that, you can implement the strategies that have worked well for others before you and learn from their challenges and mistakes.

Because the end result should be a refined idea and a well-thought-out strategy.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience

Once you are done with the market research and checking the feasibility of your idea, the next step in developing a Flutter web app is to identify your target audience.

This is an essential factor in developing the various aspects of your app, especially when it comes to UI and UX.

Knowing your target audience will help you decide the features that you want to add to the MVP of your web app. Also, identifying what your target audience wants makes it much easier to focus on features and functionality that are required or that need to be removed.

Step 3: Select intuitive UI/UX Design

When they say the first impression is the last impression, well it is not only applicable to human beings but also to web applications. The user who is using web apps made with Flutter for the first time will be carefully observing its look and feel. And as a result, It can make or break the deal.

Therefore, you need to ensure that your Flutter web app has a captivating UI and UX. You can leverage Flutter’s color palette options and animation features to deliver a superb visual experience. The overall desirability of your app is the sum of its attractiveness and functionality, and Flutter can help you with both.

Additionally, your web app must be engaging, intuitive, and simple. But you need to be careful while designing your web app. Making it rely too much on only appearance might be not a good idea. As such, you must strike a balance between usability and attractiveness.

Step 4: Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Before you launch your Flutter web app on the market, it is important to test it on target platforms. A minimum viable product (MVP)  is a good solution for this disposition. MVP is a rendition of your web app that contains only the most important features. It will provide you with a good idea of how well your product will be received once it makes its way to the market.

Once you are satisfied with the outcomes of your MVP, you can work on adding other features to it and develop the final product.

Step 5: Test Your App

The testing process is the most important part of app development that can decide the ultimate outcome of your project. Further, a rigorous testing regime ensures that your Flutter web app has:

» Minimum bugs and defects

» Optimized development time and cost, and

» Superior quality assurance

However, the testing methods chosen are specific to the project, usually, UI/UX, regression, and functionality forms of testing are performed. In UI/UX testing, various elements that the user uses to interact with the Flutter web app are tested for stability and proper functioning.

Regression testing ensures that the web app under development doesn’t break by implementing changes in the code. Functionality testing is a form of black box testing that makes sure that the web app delivers all the desired functionality.

Step 6: Choose a Server to Host Your Web App

Choosing a server to host your web app is the sixth step in developing a Flutter web app. Moreover, you will need to purchase a domain to host your web application. Be sure to add an SSL certificate to the domain before hosting your app.

There are multiple types of server providers available depending on your location. These range from global and regional solutions to local alternatives. The advantage of going with a global server like Apache is that you will get everything you need.

Although, there is no solution that does not have its drawbacks. Therefore, you should conduct some research and then choose according to what you need and what you can manage.

Step 7: Deploy Your Flutter Web App

So now you are done with everything from coming up with an idea to hosting it, the next and final step is to deploy the web app. For that, you need to upload the final version of your web app to the hosting option you have chosen. Now, your your audience can use it.

Additionally, it is essential to provide regular updates to your app to fix the issues and also focus on gradually improving your product to make it more and more enticing to users. In order to analyze the performance of your Flutter web app, you can also use Flutter’s in-app tools.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Flutter Web App?

The cost of building a Flutter web app can vary depending on several factors. Let’s have a look at some estimates.

Average Flutter App Development Cost in India

With an hourly rate of $200, developing cross-platform programs costs vary widely, ranging from $50,0000 to $500.000.

However, in India, you can save a lot of money on developing a Flutter web app, with hourly rates of low as $25 to $35. This can give you an estimated Flutter app development cost of $5,000 to $12,000 in India, making it an affordable option for budget-conscious businesses.

Further, the cost mainly depends on factors such as the complexity of the app, the number of features, design needs, backend development requirements, testing and quality assurance, and maintenance and support. It is important to keep in mind that these estimates are rough figures and can vary based on the specific needs of your project.

But, working closely with a development team or agency can help you get a more accurate cost breakdown for your Flutter app development. At Arramton, we provide customized flutter app development services at reasonable costs. Get in touch with us today.

Tips to Remember while Using a Flutter Web App

Here are a few points to keep in mind when developing a Flutter web app so you can build a solution that drives success for you in the long run.

» Document the requirements related to plug-ins you would need for your app to work flawlessly.

» You can face some problems such as some text disappearing from your app. This makes it recommendable to test it across different platforms and browsers.

» Set up a framework so the web app has a responsive layout and maintains a uniform routing logic.

» Use the Flutter-Starter boilerplate code to perform routing so that the users get an intuitive experience when interacting with your Flutter web app. It will also make sure that the feel of the app is like that of a single-page one.

Conclusion

In short, Flutter is a powerful platform for building a web app. It allows you to develop interactive and user-friendly apps across several platforms at a low cost. Today, Flutter is growing at a rapid and steady pace. Most developers are moving from single-platform to cross-platform app development frameworks because of their ability to speed up the process and allow for customization.

A Flutter web app also helps businesses add value to their operations and services. Hence, if you are a business owner waiting to leverage its benefits for web app development, do it now. You should hire Flutter developers from a reliable Flutter app development company to gain access to a responsive app that aids you in obtaining maximum ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why Businesses should choose the Flutter web app?

Ans. Businesses should choose Flutter because it provides cost-effective app development, as it requires a single codebase for both iOS and Android platforms. This significantly reduces the development costs and makes the development process cost-effective for businesses.

Q2. What is the cost of developing a Flutter web app?

Ans. The cost of Flutter web app development can range from $30,000 to $200,000, depending on the complexity, features, resources, and other considerations of the app.

Q3. How long does it take to build a Flutter web app?

Ans. Depending on the complexity and features of your web app, the Flutter web app development timeline can range from 4-18. If you want to have a small size app with some basic features then it will take around 4-6 months while for a more complex and feature-rich app will take 6-18 months to get completed.