Custom web software · Quebec

The way you work, turned into software.

J3B Web designs custom web apps and PWAs for desktop, tablet and phone. From the first sketch to launch, you always know where your project stands.

  • Programmer analyst since 1997
  • Company founded in 2003
  • French and English
A quote management app on desktop and phone, shown as a technical drawing on the left and finished on the right.

Drag to go from blueprint to product

Platforms built for
  • Raise Next
01 · The process

How custom software is made

Six steps, always in this order. At each one, you know what is expected of you, what J3B Web does on its side and what you get.

Step 1 of 61 to 2 weeks

Discovery

J3B Web looks at how you work today, before any talk of technology.

Good to knowIf existing software already meets your needs, you’ll find out at this step.

Your role
Explain how you do things, what frustrates you and what wastes your time.
J3B Web’s role
Observe your processes, ask a lot of questions and spot what can be simplified.
What you get
A summary of your needs, written in plain words.
Typical length
1 to 2 weeks

How your quote is put together

Every project is different, so no prices are shown here. Here is what changes the scope, and with it the budget.

  • The number of screens and roles (employees, managers, clients)
  • Integrations: payments, banks, Google, accounting
  • Bringing over your existing data
  • The number of languages
  • Offline mode, a PWA or a mobile app
  • Security and compliance (Quebec’s Law 25)

Free quote, broken down by module. Remove a module and see the effect on the budget and timeline right away.

02 · Is custom right?

Is custom software right for you?

Custom software isn’t always the right answer. Take the test, then compare the pros and cons.

Check what sounds like your situation

Six common situations. The result updates each time you check a box.

Your result 0 / 6
  • 0–1Existing software
  • 2–3Worth a closer look
  • 4–6Custom software

Check the situations that sound like you.The result appears here.

Talk it over with Bobby

The advantages

  • It follows the way you work

    You no longer bend your processes to fit generic software.

  • You own it

    The code and the data belong to you, with no per-user fees.

  • It talks to your other tools

    Stripe payments, Google Calendar, banks, accounting, your WordPress site.

  • It grows with you

    Modules are added when the need comes up, and not before.

  • Its security is designed for your data

    Two-factor authentication, encryption of sensitive data, Law 25 compliance.

The drawbacks, and how J3B Web reduces them

  • A higher upfront investment

    You pay for the build instead of a subscription.

    The project starts with a focused first version (MVP), then grows based on the results.
  • A wait before you can use it

    It takes a few weeks, sometimes a few months.

    A phased launch lets you use the first modules while the next ones are being built.
  • Upkeep to plan for

    Like a building, software needs regular care.

    A support plan covers hosting, backups and security updates.
  • Relying on one developer

    If only one person knows the code, that’s a risk.

    The code is standard (PHP, CodeIgniter), documented and tested. You have the access and the latest version of the code on request, so another developer can take over.

Three ways to equip your business

On a phone, scroll the table sideways.

Criterion SubscriptionOff-the-shelf software AssemblyNo-code tools J3B WebCustom software
Getting startedImmediateA few daysA few weeks to a few months
Upfront costLowLowHigher
Long-term costGoes up with every userGoes up with usage and connectorsPredictable, with no per-user fees
Fit with your processesPartialUp to a pointComplete
Your dataWith the vendorWith one or more vendorsWith you, hosted wherever you want
IntegrationsThe ones the vendor planned forThrough connectors (Zapier, Make)Every one you need
Best whenYour need is standardVolume is small and the process is simpleYour process is unique, or you want to sell the tool

See the services

03 · Platforms

One app for all your screens

A web app opens in the browser on any device. Depending on your needs, it can also be installed like an app, work without a connection, or power a native mobile app.

Desktop. Large tables, multiple columns and keyboard shortcuts for office work. It’s the same code everywhere. The layout rearranges itself to fit the width of the screen.

Web app

Opens in the browser. Nothing to install.

Advantages

  • Only one version to maintain
  • Instant updates for everyone
  • Works on every device

Limitations

  • Needs an Internet connection
  • No icon on the home screen

Real exampleTrait d’Union Montérégien and Agence Distinction use their management tools at the office every day.

Custom web applications
Often the best compromise

Progressive web app (PWA)

A web app that installs on the home screen, like an app.

Advantages

  • Works offline and syncs when the connection comes back
  • Notifications on the device
  • No App Store, so no commission
  • The same code as the web version

Limitations

  • On iPhone, installing goes through the Share button
  • On iPhone, notifications only work once the app is installed
  • Limited access to some sensors on iPhone (NFC, Bluetooth)
  • Not listed in the app stores

Real exampleIn Grocery Tracker, the grocery list works in the store, even with no signal. Changes are sent once the connection is back.

Progressive web apps (PWA)

Native app and API

An iOS or Android app that talks to your web platform through an API.

Advantages

  • Full access to the device: camera, NFC, RFID readers
  • Listed in the App Store and Google Play

Limitations

  • Two platforms to publish and maintain
  • Store approval for every update
  • 15 to 30% commission on in-app purchases

Real examplesBizTrack Suite has an Android app for Zebra RFID readers that counts inventory offline. Clexif has an API with more than 190 endpoints that serves an iOS and Android app.

APIs for mobile apps
04 · WordPress

WordPress, connected to your systems

Is your site already on WordPress, and does your team know how to use it? There’s no need to start over. J3B Web builds custom plugins that connect your site to your systems, such as a box office, an inventory or a CRM, and give your editors simple tools, with no code to touch.

  1. 01Your systems

    A box office, an inventory, a CRM or any software that offers an API.

  2. 02The custom plugin

    It imports the data on a schedule, stores it in WordPress and respects your team’s edits.

  3. 03Your site

    Your editors work in WordPress and Elementor, as before. The pages update themselves.

Try it: your edits stay put

The box office sends its data as is, often in capitals and abbreviated. Lock a field and the plugin keeps your version, even when the box office changes its own. The other fields, like dates and statuses, update themselves.

This is how it works for a performing arts venue in Quebec: the box office stays the source for dates and statuses, and the team stays in charge of the text.

Show recordLast sync: 6:00 a.m.
  • Title

    The Great Winter Circus

    Box office: WINTER CIRCUS 2027 - EXTRA

  • Description

    Acrobats, jugglers and live musicians: 90 minutes of wonder for the whole family.

    Box office: Circus show. Running time 90 min.

  • Performances

    2 dates · February 14 and 15

    Box office: 3 dates · February 14, 15 and 16

  • Badge

    On sale

    Box office: Sold out

Change the locks if you like, then sync.

Case study · WordPress plugin

A performing arts venue and its box office

Performing arts venue in Quebec · launching soon

A custom plugin connects the venue’s WordPress site to its Tuxedo box office. The lineup updates itself during the day, the team edits the text without worrying about the next sync, and the designer builds the pages in Elementor with real data.

  • 26data tables managed by the plugin
  • 93versions delivered in under six months
  • 60+dynamic tags for Elementor

Tuxedo box office

  • Sync every hour, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a log of each run
  • Shows, performances, halls and categories imported automatically
  • “Sold out”, “Postponed” or “Cancelled” statuses shown without anyone stepping in
  • Separate buy buttons for the general public, subscribers and school groups

Content management

  • Series, selections and promotions to group the shows, with a display period for promotions
  • Scheduled banners and a carousel
  • Album photos converted to WebP when the show is saved
  • A simplified admin menu for editors

Design in Elementor

  • More than 60 dynamic tags and 5 custom widgets
  • Filters by category and hall with Elementor’s filter widget
  • The designer places real data in the templates, with no code

Search visibility

  • Schema.org structured data for every upcoming performance, following Artsdata and CAPACOA recommendations
  • Title, description and social media preview for each show page
  • A search preview in the editor, with character counters for the title and description

Custom WordPress plugins

Your colors

Choose your software’s colors

For each project, J3B Web offers several palettes designed for your brand and your industry. You compare them on real screens, in light mode and dark mode, then you choose.

Preview mode

Preview: Cyanotype, light mode

Sample palettes
Your palette, created from your logo

This site went through the same process. J3B Web tried three palettes and kept two, Cyanotype and Chantier. The Appearance button at the top of the page switches between them.

How it works

Proposals

Several palettes designed from your logo and your industry. Each one meets the WCAG contrast standards.

A test on your screens

You see each palette on your software’s screens, in light mode and dark mode, before you decide.

Your choice

One palette for everyone, or several that your users pick for themselves in their profile.

Easy to change later

The colors are kept in one place in the code. Adding a palette later doesn’t mean redoing the screens.

05 · Projects

Software that runs every day

SaaS products, custom management tools, mobile platforms and WordPress plugins, designed and programmed by J3B Web.

SaaS product · PWA Desktop, tablet, phone

BizHelperSuite

J3B Web product · Financial management for small businesses and accounting firms

Invoicing, automatic tax calculation (Canada, United States, Latin America), 21 currencies, AI receipt reading and accounting reports. Installs like an app, and expenses can be entered even with no connection.

  • PWA
  • AI
  • Stripe
  • 3 languages
  • Two-factor authentication

≈ 215data tables in a single platform

Event platform Desktop, phone

Raise Next

For Zeltra Group · raisenext.ca

Stripe ticketing with taxes, QR tickets sent by email, check-in at the door, digital membership card and member area.

  • Stripe
  • QR codes
  • CMS

386automated tests

Custom management Desktop, phone

Agence Distinction

Agency for shows and artists

From the quote request to the contract signed online, then to the invoice. Artist availability through Google Calendar, invoice payment by card, newsletters.

  • Online signature
  • Google Calendar
  • Stripe

385releases shipped in just over four months

Platform and mobile API Web and mobile app

Clexif

Social network and monetization for creators · clexif.ca

The API behind the iOS and Android app: subscriptions, shop, real-time virtual gifts, Stripe Connect payouts and push notifications. On the web, creators can also stream live.

  • REST API
  • Push notifications
  • Live video
  • Stripe Connect

190+API endpoints

WordPress plugin Desktop, phone

Show lineup and box office

Performing arts venue · launching soon

The lineup syncs with the Tuxedo box office, the team’s edits are protected and the designer builds the pages in Elementor.

  • WordPress
  • Tuxedo API
  • Elementor
  • Schema.org

60+dynamic tags for building pages in Elementor

SaaS product Web, Android app, offline

BizTrack Suite

RFID inventory for Zebra devices

Portals for administrators, wholesalers, resellers and clients. An Android app that counts inventory offline.

200,000RFID reads synced in 76 seconds in load tests, with no loss or duplicates

All projects

Bobby Bougie, founder of J3B Web
Bobby BougieFounder · J3B Web
06 · About

Talk directly to Bobby

Behind J3B Web is Bobby Bougie, a programmer analyst since 1997. The person who listens to you during discovery is the same person who writes the code and answers your questions.

  1. 1997Programmer analyst diploma, with distinction
  2. 1999–2004Crédit Lyonnais, in Paris and New York
  3. 2003J3B Web is founded
  4. 2009–2021Internal applications at CAE for about 5,000 users
  5. TodaySaaS platforms, management tools, mobile APIs and WordPress plugins for clients in Quebec and across Canada
Transparency

A demo every two weeks. You see where your budget goes.

Ownership

Your data is yours. So are the code and its copyright, from the final payment.

Security

Two-factor authentication, encryption and Law 25 built in from the design stage.

Bilingualism

Your software in French and English from the start.

Book a call with Bobby
Questions

Frequently asked questions

The questions people ask before getting started.

How much does custom software cost?

The price depends mostly on the number of modules, roles and integrations. After discovery, you get a free quote broken down by module. You can remove a module and see the effect on the budget.

Who owns the code?

You do. The code and its copyright are yours from the final payment. You get the documentation, the access and the latest version of the code whenever you ask for it.

What if J3B Web is no longer available one day?

The code follows PHP and CodeIgniter standards, is documented and is covered by automated tests. With the access and the latest version of the code, another developer can take it over.

Can you modernize existing software?

Yes. Agence Distinction was using an aging system. The migration tools carried over more than 4,000 clients and 13,000 invoices, and each import compares the counts and money totals with the old system.

My site runs on WordPress. Do I have to start over?

No. A custom plugin adds what your current site is missing: a connection to your systems, content types of your own and tools for your editors. Your theme, Elementor and your pages stay in place.

A WordPress plugin or a dedicated app?

If the need is mostly about your site’s public content, such as a show lineup, a catalog or news, a WordPress plugin is often the simplest path. If your employees or clients need to log in to manage files, invoices or schedules, a dedicated app will be more robust.

Where will my data be hosted?

With a hosting provider chosen with you, in Canada if you prefer. Sensitive data and backups are encrypted.

Will my software comply with Law 25?

Compliance is planned from the design stage: consent, cookie management, encryption, privacy policy and access log.

A PWA or an app in the App Store?

For most business tools, a PWA is enough and costs less. A native app becomes useful when you need full access to the hardware, such as an RFID reader.

Get started

Tell Bobby about your project

A first 30-minute call, with no commitment. You come away with a clear idea, even if custom software isn’t right for you.

  • You speak directly with Bobby
  • In French or English
  • Free quote, broken down by module
  • Your information stays confidential (Law 25)
  • Prefer email? Write to info@j3bweb.com
Step 1 of 3Your project

What kind of project is it?