From Concept to Creation: How Memo Marketing Utilizes Adalo Experts for Innovative Tech

Matt is a strong believer in the power of ideas, and he brings this passion to his work with clients. He's always on the lookout for new and creative solutions to problems, ways to automate processes, and opportunities to improve communication.

Platforms like Adalo, a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play, are changing the conversation around app development costs. For marketing professionals like Matt, these tools open up possibilities that were previously out of reach for most clients.

"How about an app for that? That's my default question when I'm speaking to clients! And interestingly, I usually get the same answer – there's no way I could afford an app. Now I have the opportunity to tell people, 'Hey, no, you might be wrong about that. Let's dig in and let's start looking at this differently!'"

Matt has extensive experience working with companies that face a common challenge: communicating effectively with their internal and external audiences. He noticed that different roles within the same company often require different communication tools. That's where mobile apps came in handy as a versatile and effective marketing tool that can serve multiple purposes.

"Your website can't live in someone's pocket the way that a mobile app can," he says. "And unlike websites, mobile apps can provide a unique, personalized experience for each user without the hassle of logging in every time they visit."

According to Matt, there's usually a good amount of education and vision-casting that goes into the process. It's important to help clients see what you see when it comes to the many ways that mobile apps could solve their problems. But once the vision is cast, it's like a whole new world opens up before them.

Connecting a school community through a mobile app

Memo Marketing's main project, Covenant Connect, is a powerful app designed for Covenant Christian High School, and it has had an enormous impact on the school community. With nearly a thousand installations, it's clear that the app's usefulness and user-friendliness have made it an indispensable part of daily life at the school.

When Matt began this project, the school had several crucial needs. They wanted a platform that could keep everyone up-to-date on events like sports games and concerts, and they wanted to sell tickets directly from the app. In the midst of a pandemic, with all its challenges and restrictions, the task of creating such a platform was far from straightforward.

"If you could imagine a school in the midst of COVID, there were a lot of challenges that they were trying to deal with. We had to completely rethink how they did events – no more cash, no more paper tickets. That's where Adalo came in," says Matt. "We created a digital ticketing system that was totally touchless and cashless. All you had to do was buy a ticket through the app and then show the QR code at the event."

Adalo, an AI-powered app builder, enabled Matt to create native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase—publishing to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store without managing separate development tracks. This meant the school community could access Covenant Connect on any device, with the same seamless experience.

There were many roles involved: students, ticket scanners, the athletics director. Matt needed to make sure that everyone had the right permissions and access levels. That way, it would be possible to track helpful backend information like ticket sales and game results, and report back to the community. Despite these challenges, Covenant Connect has emerged as a shining example of how technology can transform even the most complex of problems.

Launching the 'One Card' system

A significant upgrade for the Covenant Connect app was the 'One Card'—a cashless payment system for students that made lunch money go digital. This feature quickly became a staple of the app.

"Parents can use the app to load money onto their kids' One Card, and then students just have to show a QR code at the lunch line to pay. Parents loved it! They could sit at their place of work or at home, log into their Covenant Connect app to fund their kids' cards, and then not have to worry about it."

For the past six years, Matt and his team have been working closely with the school to help them better communicate their achievements to the wider community. He quickly realized that some of the most inspiring stories from the classrooms and sports fields were going untold, and that needed to change.

To address this issue, they turned to the Covenant Connect app and developed a powerful new feature that allows faculty and staff to capture these moments and share them instantly with the community. With just a few taps on the app, users can snap a photo, write a story, and share it with the world. This feature has been a game-changer for the school, helping them to showcase their many achievements and bring their community closer together.

Why Adalo works for school community apps

Building an app like Covenant Connect requires handling multiple user roles, payment processing, QR code generation, and content management—all while maintaining performance as the user base grows. Adalo's platform made this possible without traditional development costs.

With Adalo 3.0's infrastructure overhaul in late 2025, the platform now runs 3-4x faster than before, with modular infrastructure that scales alongside app needs. Paid plans include unlimited database records, meaning schools don't have to worry about hitting data caps as their community grows. This is particularly important for apps like Covenant Connect that accumulate transaction records, event data, and user activity over time.

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

The platform's AI-assisted features also streamline development. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions—tell it you need a school communication app with ticketing, and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. Magic Add lets builders add features by describing what they want in natural language, while X-Ray identifies performance issues before they affect users.

"Adalo has been a really good platform for us to direct all of these communication, automation and management efforts for the school on a single platform. Now that the administration has seen how the app is used, it's exciting to hear how often it comes up as an opportunity, or a solution to a problem. All this to say, if you have an idea for an app that can help solve a problem, don't be afraid to pitch it to a potential customer—with commitment and a clear vision, anything is possible."

The power of community support

"The support I've found within the Adalo community has been extremely helpful. The Adalo forum, the videos and tutorials on YouTube, and the many resources available online have been an amazing source of troubleshooting support. What's truly remarkable is that many of these Adalo users aren't even experts—they're just passionate about what they do."

This community-driven approach to learning reflects the platform's accessibility. With over 3 million apps created on Adalo, the visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," making it approachable for non-technical users while still powerful enough for complex applications like Covenant Connect.

We always need Adalo experts!

When talking about the Adalo Experts, Matt says, "While I am never short of ideas, I don't always have the ability to turn them into a reality. If there's an idea that I want to execute that I can't build out on my own, I turn to the Adalo experts for help. There's an amazing, diverse set of makers from around the world that have been nothing short of incredible with helping me build out my ideas."

"What gives me confidence about using Adalo even in the future is how broad and diverse the use cases are. It's reassuring to see all the incredible stuff that can be done on Adalo, that others have done already."

Making mobile apps accessible

Matt's experience with Covenant Connect demonstrates how AI-assisted app building has changed the economics of mobile development. Schools and small businesses that once assumed custom apps were out of reach can now build sophisticated solutions at a fraction of traditional costs.

Starting at $36/month, Adalo offers web and true-native mobile app building with unlimited usage and app store publishing—including unlimited updates to apps once published. This contrasts with platforms like Bubble, which starts at $59/month with usage-based charges and record limits, or Glide, which doesn't support App Store or Play Store publishing at all.

For organizations like Covenant Christian High School, this accessibility has been transformative. What started as a digital ticketing solution has evolved into a comprehensive community platform handling payments, content sharing, and communication—all built and maintained without a traditional development team.

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you won't face unexpected costs as your app grows.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface and AI-assisted building let you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and Adalo handles the complex App Store submission process—so you can focus on features instead of certificates and provisioning profiles.

Can mobile apps really be affordable for small businesses and schools?

Yes. Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and app store publishing. As Matt from Memo Marketing discovered, many clients assume apps are out of reach financially, but AI-assisted building has changed that equation entirely—allowing schools and small businesses to build powerful, custom apps without traditional development costs.

Can I manage different user roles and permissions in my Adalo app?

Yes, Adalo allows you to create apps with multiple user roles and access levels. The Covenant Connect app successfully manages different permissions for students, parents, ticket scanners, and athletics directors—each with appropriate access to features like ticket sales tracking and game results reporting.

How can a mobile app improve communication compared to a website?

Mobile apps live in your users' pockets and provide personalized experiences without requiring login each time. Unlike websites, apps enable instant push notifications, offline access, and deeper engagement—making them ideal for communities like schools that need real-time updates about events and announcements.

What kind of support is available for building apps on Adalo?

Adalo offers extensive community support including an active forum, YouTube tutorials, and online resources. The Adalo Experts program connects you with makers from around the world who can help bring your ideas to life when you need professional assistance.

Can I build a school communication app with ticketing and payment features?

Yes. Adalo enables you to build digital ticketing systems with QR codes, cashless payment solutions like the 'One Card' system, and content sharing features for faculty and staff—all without writing code. The Covenant Connect app demonstrates exactly this type of comprehensive school community platform.

How does Adalo handle app scalability as my user base grows?

Adalo 3.0's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with over 1 million monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. Paid plans include unlimited database records, so you won't hit data caps as your community grows. The platform runs 3-4x faster than before the 2026 infrastructure overhaul.