HOUSTON WEB APPLICATIONS
Custom web application development in Houston, built around your business
- Home
- Web Development
- Web Application Development Services in Houston
Web application development services in Houston from DESSS cover the full life of a business application: discovery, UI/UX design, development, integration, testing, launch and ongoing support. Our custom web application development in Houston serves operations, finance, sales and customer service teams that have outgrown spreadsheets and packaged software.
A good web application removes manual work. It puts the right data in front of the right people, connects to the ERP, CRM and other systems you already run, and works in any modern browser without installing anything. Because it is built for your process, it can change when your process changes.
We build new applications and rescue existing ones. If you have an older system that still runs the business, our application modernization work updates it without losing what it does well. For a product you plan to sell by subscription, see our SaaS application development services.
When to call us
When a process lives in spreadsheets, an old system blocks change, or customers need self-service access.
What you receive
A working application, source code you own, documentation and a support plan.
Who it is for
Business owners, operations and IT leaders, and product teams building software to sell.
Where we work
From our Houston headquarters, with an office in Austin, for clients across Texas.
OUR SERVICES
Web application development services in Houston
Thirteen services cover the full life of a web application. You can engage us for one of them or for the whole project.
Custom Web Application Development
Custom business web applications designed around your workflows, users and data, from internal tools to customer-facing systems.
Enterprise Web Portal Development
Secure customer, vendor, partner and employee portals with role-based access, self-service and single sign-on.
SaaS Application Development
Multi-tenant SaaS products with subscriptions, user management, tenant isolation and usage reporting.
Web Application Modernization
Updating older web applications with current frameworks, better performance, responsive design and cloud hosting.
Legacy Application Modernization
Legacy application modernization for desktop, client-server and older web systems, moved in planned stages to a modern web platform.
Cloud-Native Web Application Development
Cloud-native web application development with containers, managed services and automated deployment on Azure or AWS.
API Development and System Integration
REST APIs and integrations that connect your application to internal systems, partners and third-party services.
ERP and CRM Integration
Two-way data flows with ERP and CRM platforms so orders, customers, inventory and pricing stay consistent.
Workflow Automation Applications
Approvals, requests, scheduling and document workflows that replace email chains, paper forms and spreadsheets.
Web Application Security and Compliance
Web application security and compliance built in: secure coding, access control, encryption, audit logs and support for HIPAA, SOC 2 or PCI DSS requirements.
UI/UX Design for Web Applications
User research, wireframes, prototypes and accessible interface design that make applications easy to learn and use.
Web Application Testing and Quality Assurance
Functional, regression, performance, security and user acceptance testing, with automated tests where they pay off.
Web Application Maintenance and Support
Bug fixes, updates, monitoring, performance tuning and new features after launch, under an agreed support plan.
COMMON PROJECTS
Enterprise web portal development in Houston and other common projects
The projects Houston companies bring to us most often, and how we approach each one.
Custom web application development in Houston
Where do we start? Every custom application starts with how the work is done today. We interview the people who will use the system, map the process and agree which features matter most for a first release. Then we design the screens, build in short sprints and show working software every two weeks, so you can steer the project as it grows.
–Process mapping and requirements
–Clickable prototypes
–Two-week sprints with demos
–A focused first release
Enterprise web portal development in Houston
What should a portal do? Our enterprise web portal development in Houston covers customer, supplier, dealer and employee portals. A portal gives each user a secure view of their own orders, documents, invoices, tickets or tasks, with role-based permissions and single sign-on through providers such as Microsoft Entra ID or Okta. Data comes live from your back-office systems, so staff answer fewer status calls.
See also our web portal development page.
–Role-based access and SSO
–Self-service for users
–Live data from back-office systems
–Document and request handling
SaaS application development in Houston
How is SaaS different? SaaS application development in Houston adds requirements a single-company application does not have: tenant isolation, subscription billing, user onboarding, usage tracking and the ability to release updates to every customer without downtime. We design the multi-tenant architecture early, because it is expensive to change later.
–Multi-tenant architecture
–Subscription and billing integration
–Tenant-level security
–Zero-downtime releases
Web application modernization in Houston
Should we rebuild or modernize? Web application modernization in Houston often begins with an older ASP.NET Web Forms, classic ASP, PHP, Visual FoxPro or desktop system that still runs important work. We review the code, data and users, then recommend whether to refactor, replatform or rebuild. Most legacy application modernization runs in stages, so the old and new systems can work side by side until the switch is safe.
For desktop systems, see our FoxPro to .NET migration services.
–Code and data assessment
–Refactor, replatform or rebuild
–Staged migration
–Data migration and validation
Cloud-native web application development
How do we keep it secure and scalable? Cloud-native web application development uses containers, managed databases and automated deployment pipelines on Microsoft Azure or AWS, so the application scales with demand and updates go out safely. Security is part of the design: we follow OWASP guidance, protect data in transit and at rest, log access for audits and test for common vulnerabilities before each major release.
–Containers and managed services
–CI/CD pipelines
–OWASP-based secure coding
–Encryption and audit logging
API development and ERP and CRM integration
Can it connect to our other systems? Most business applications need data from other systems. We build REST APIs and integrations with ERP and CRM platforms, accounting software, payment gateways, shipping services and partner systems, using vendor APIs or middleware where it fits. Each integration has error handling, retry logic and monitoring, so failed transfers are caught early.
Learn more about our API development and integration services.
–REST API design and build
–ERP and CRM data sync
–Error handling and retries
–Integration monitoring
HOW WE WORK
How a web application project runs
Our web application development services follow six steps, whether we are building a new application or modernizing an existing one.
STEP 01
Discover
We meet users and stakeholders, map the current process and review existing systems and data.
STEP 02
Design
UI/UX design, clickable prototypes and the technical architecture, including integrations and security.
STEP 03
Build
Development in two-week sprints, with a working demo at the end of each one.
STEP 04
Test
Functional, integration, performance, security and user acceptance testing before release.
STEP 05
Launch
Deployment, data migration where needed, user training and close support in the first weeks.
STEP 06
Support and improve
Maintenance, monitoring and new features under a support plan that fits your needs.
TECHNOLOGIES
Technologies and related services
We build on widely used platforms. These pages cover each one in more detail.
WHY DESSS
Why choose DESSS as your web application development company in Houston, TX
A good development partner delivers working software, explains trade-offs clearly and leaves you in control of what was built.
Clear communication
Regular demos, written status and plain-language explanations of technical choices.
Integration experience
We also work with ERP, CRM and databases, so your application fits the systems around it.
You own the code
Source code, documentation and deployment details are handed over, with no lock-in.
Local to Houston
Workshops, user testing and launch support can happen in person at your office or ours.
DESSS web application development services include custom web application development, enterprise portals, SaaS development, web and legacy application modernization, cloud-native development, API and ERP and CRM integration, workflow automation, security and compliance, UI/UX design, testing and maintenance and support.
A website mainly presents information. A web application lets users do work: log in, enter and update data, run workflows, view reports and interact with other systems. Web applications need more design, security, testing and support than a typical website.
Cost depends on the number of features, users and integrations, security requirements and whether you are building new or modernizing. A short discovery phase produces a clear scope and estimate, and we can deliver in phases so useful features arrive first.
It depends on the condition of the code, how well the system fits the business and how much it needs to change. We assess the application and recommend refactoring, replatforming or rebuilding, usually in stages so daily work is not disrupted.
Yes. We build integrations with ERP and CRM platforms, accounting systems and other business software using APIs or middleware, with error handling and monitoring so data stays in sync.
Yes. You own the source code and documentation for applications we build for you, and we can hand over to your team or continue supporting the application under a support plan.
HOUSTON WEB APPLICATIONS
Talk to us about web application development services in Houston
Book a short call about web application development services in Houston. Tell us what you want to build or modernize, which systems it needs to connect to and who will use it, and we will outline a practical first phase.
RELATED
Related Development Pages
DESSS services and technology pages that sit alongside web application development.