Mobile devices have become the largest source of information and service dissemination in the world. With more than half of the world’s internet usage coming from mobile devices now, they are clearly the largest market to work in. As a business, you need to be able to tap this unlimited potential and for that, the first thing you need is an app – and that’s only doable with a development team or a full-stack mobile app development company by your side.
A good mobile app can provide a wide range of benefits from dedicated customers and audience to increased reach in ways that a website or social media handle alone might not be able to manage. But to yield all the benefits that you expect after investing in the development process, your app has to have a robust user experience.
While this is doable for startups and appreneurs with a technical background in development, non-techies need an informative and effective decision-making guide for hiring.
1. Identify Your Needs
This is the very first thing you need to do when you decide to get an app built from a vendor. An app development company will do exactly what you tell them to, nothing more, and nothing less. To avoid any situation where you end up with an incomplete application, you need to draft a thorough specification document. This would include all the features that you need for your app and connect them to each other in as much detail as possible.
Do not worry about the technical side though as you can discuss that with the vendor you choose and ask them for a proposal that explains their process. However, that will also depend on your own document and scope of work so take as much time as you need on this step.
2. Cross-check Multiple Options
Before you can get down to the business of shortlisting, you need a comprehensive list of options to choose from. Research your local and international markets thoroughly and find as many options as you can to choose from. You can also utilize freelancing platforms as there are countless organizations operating through those as well. Create a pool of potentials from multiple sources and then start shortlisting them thoroughly while keeping your needs in mind. The process would be different for every type of application so make sure you cover all your specific bases.
As for hiring the development team, as we mentioned earlier, you can hire freelancers, but an agency is recommended. That’s because a single freelancer can only handle one specific task in the development process, and hiring an app development company might need a strong budget. Therefore, hiring an agency and that too from your own time zone is highly recommended. For example, if you are based in Dubai, it would be ideal to seal the deal with a mobile app development company in Dubai. That’s because such a team will operate in the same business hours making project management easier.
3. Explore Each Organization’s Portfolio
They say practice makes perfect and that is exactly what a portfolio shows: how much practice has an organization had. Most companies will openly advertise the companies that they have worked for, especially if they are well-known organizations. Find out what they did for each company and take some time to explore apps that you may find published by them online as well. This will also give you a firsthand experience of the type of product they are capable of building. You may not always find apps so do not stop your review at this point.
4. Read Online Reviews
Not only should a good app development company be transparent about its work history, but you can also find information in reviews present online on different platforms. Research both the developer’s website and other platforms to find as many client reviews as you can. However, do keep in mind that there are chances of this data being biased in some cases so take this information with a grain of salt. Regardless, you should still be able to get a general idea about the image that a company has created online. Check their Google Business listings, Clutch profile, and social proof on LinkedIn endorsements and Quora spaces.
5. Check Your Budget, But Not Too Closely
Of course, every development-related hiring decision would require you to strike the right balance between design quality, backend strength, and the flexibility of payment structures.
Here, we are certainly asking you to lean more towards quality as compared to price. Investing a little more can result in some incredibly fruitful results that completely pay the initial investment back to you.
To stay under the strict budget, you can choose to develop an MVP rather than a fully-functional, over-featured application that works on Android, iOS, Desktop, Mac, and all. Also, if you want to go ahead with the company but have budget constraints for the short-term, you can choose to make a down payment and pay the residual amount in equal installments spanning across 6-8 months.
6. Assess Technical Expertise and Platforms
If you want to gain maximum users for your mobile app then you must have apps for both: Android and iOS, at the very least.
Windows is also important, but it is not a priority if you are limited on budget. In some cases, your choice of platform may also be dependent on the type of app you are developing so look for a development company that has experience with the specific platform(s) that you are targeting. You can also take it slow and do one platform at a time if you do not have a large enough budget. Just keep in mind that quality comes before quantity.
7. Discuss the contract terms
The app development company that you choose should be one that you can work with long term. Find an organization that has sufficient experience and examples of clients who they have served for a long time. This can be for anything from app support and maintenance, future projects, or any other requirement that you may have along the way.
Having the same company working for you makes it easier to expand your apps, add new features and updates, and even scale and initiate new projects when needed.
Wrapping Up…
The tips shared here are key in making sure that you hire the best mobile app development company for your next big project. The best company will not only have these qualities, but they will also facilitate you in any way they can. An organization that meets these requirements and shows eagerness to work on your vision is definitely the one to go with!