So you want to get in on this whole “app” thing, but there’s a few factors holding you back. First of all, you are reluctant to invest any major resources or money in the endeavor. Next, you don’t have the luxury of lots of time to test out the app. And finally, oh yeah; you don’t know how to program an app. That last point just may be the deal-breaker.

But what if you could create apps without having to be some kind of programing genius? What if all you needed was the right tools and you could develop your own apps, your way? Wonder no more, for here are four options for getting an app to market quickly, so that you can test out that idea with minimal risk.

You can have a wealth of apps within easy reach, and you can make them yourself!

Zapporoo

Let’s start with an option that comes with some costs, but delivers some real bang for the buck. Zapporoo is an app designing site that teams you up with their in-house development people in order to make your app vision a reality. You collaborate with the team, telling them what you want and how you want it, and they get to work, developing an app that’s in synch with your ideas and expectations.

And if you want to keep track of the app’s development, you can follow its progress online, 24 hours a day, within the site. That way, you have an up to the minute idea of how things are coming along.

BiznessApps

Are you a small business that wants to create your own apps for greater e-commerce returns? Look no further! BiznessApps offers plans that range from $29 to $59 per month, the former for mobile websites, and the latter for mobile apps. You can create a beautiful custom app in minutes, either using your own creation or one of the pre-made app designs. BiznessApps tools gives you access to shopping carts, loyalty programs, analytics, and much more. It also appears to be useful for religious groups and non-profit organizations.

AppsBuilder

You want low-risk? Here is low-risk. You can give AppsBuilder a shot for 14 days, absolutely free. You don’t have to provide credit card information or sign up on their site. It doesn’t get any more low-risk than this. No money, all the privacy. For those who do wish to flash some cash, there’s three different plans, Starter, Pro, and Premium, each offering increasing benefits along with a correspondingly increasing monthly fee.

AppsBuilder stores its settings in the cloud, so you can make changes even when the app has already gone live. You work with an easy to use drag and drop interface, so basically the entire process revolves around the ideas of simplicity and easy accessibility.

Mobile Roadie

Counting among its users such giants as Verizon, the NBA, the NFL, and Random House, Mobile Roadie is another strong entry in the self-service app creation field. It offers location maps, a fan wall, news updates, and much more. You can do QR codes, photo uploads, and video integration. This tool is powerful, and the price tag matches it: it’s $125 a month with restricted features, and $667 a month for unrestricted features.

So there you go; a quartet of options for designing apps even if you don’t know anything about programming. If you want to hedge your bets, you could improve your odds of success by choosing the smartphone OS that allows easy development of mobile apps. But in any case, the lack of technical expertise should never be an obstacle to a good idea!