So, you've got this innovative app idea that you want to bring to reality. But developing mobile apps is not exactly an easy feat. And if you are not a tech-savvy person, you're probably going to be taken for a ride.
That's why you need to gather a shortlist of mobile app developers, compare their bids, see how they stack up — and select the best mobile app developers. However, narrowing it down can seem overwhelming, given the countless options. Fear not. We've prepared a comprehensive checklist to help you hire a mobile app development partner that will make a great fit for your project.
Key takeaways
- By partnering with a professional app development vendor, companies can gain a tech edge without investing in an in-house development unit.
- The right mobile app development company takes the uncertainty out of the development process and delivers reliable results on time and within budget.
- Trying out the vendor's capabilities before committing long-term will save your company time, money, and a lot of headaches down the road.
Tip 1. Opt for a professional mobile app development company
First and foremost, prioritize app development companies whose mobile app development expertise is a specialty rather than a side gig. Sealing the deal with the company that lives and breathes mobile tech increases your odds of landing an experienced tech partner with a team that brings deep knowledge and fit-for-purpose solutions to the table.
Generalist companies often stretch themselves too thin and lack the deep expertise needed for high-quality app development. Typically, it's easy to spot a company whose mobile development services are its side branch. In this case, an all-purpose company lists a whole miscellany of technologies and platforms they allegedly work with to reel in as many clients as possible.
You can also check the vendor's portfolio and the number of iOS or Android developers on the team to spot a pure-play vs a wannabe mobile tech vendor. But remember that not all projects make it to the portfolio due to confidentiality agreements.
Tip 2. Make sure the app company has relevant industry expertise
Remember that just building a great solution is not enough to ensure its long-term success. Your product should also fit into the broader industry landscape and solve your industry's particular problems.
Domain experience enables providers to quickly grasp business challenges and develop relevant technical solutions, be it design, architecture, or data security. This also means that the company is well aware of your potential target audience, which reduces the time and effort spent during the discovery stage.
Also, a tech partner that is keenly aware of your industry requirements can provide an additional perspective on your solution. To assess the domain expertise of a given mobile app development firm, check out their portfolio or ask for examples of projects similar to yours.
Tip 3. Check references and reviews
When you look for a hotel, you probably do at least some sleuthing on platforms like Booking.com and TripAdvisor to make an informed choice based on feedback and ratings. Similar logic also applies to the software development world.
For mobile app development business reviews, you can use B2B directories such as Clutch or Business of Apps, where other companies share their experiences of collaborating with tech vendors. Clutch reviews are rigorously tested, and submitting fake reviews is almost impossible.
A reliable app development company will provide you with all the information you need to feel confident in their capabilities. Also, sharing client references is a great way for the vendor to show off past wins, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
Tip 4. Prioritize a partner with full-cycle mobile app development services
Custom mobile app development goes beyond design and coding. Along with design and development, mobile app development involves market research, project management, testing, post-launch support, and a whole lot of other expertise.
Look for partners offering a full set of services, such as:
- Research and market analysis
- Prototyping and wireframing
- UI/UX design
- MVP development
- Native mobile app development
- API development and integration
- Testing
- Post-release support and maintenance
Getting all these services under one roof will help you minimize the time and effort spent on delivering your project and ensure product consistency.
Technology-wise, we recommend going with the vendor that combines iOS, cross-platform, or Android app development expertise with a proven grasp of AI, IoT, AR/VR, and other advanced tech. This combination is vital for creating a successful app with tangible market potential and a competitive moat.
Tip 5. Don't rush the estimate without detailing your RFP
Mobile app development costs differ greatly based on their complexity, scope, and unique requirements. If you don't have a clear idea of your future product, even the best development company won't be able to provide you with an accurate estimate.
So before sending out your Request for Proposal to potential tech partners, establish a clear understanding of the project's goals, requirements, and high-level scope. An RFP should also include your business objectives, expectations, needs, and evaluation criteria to make sure your company and potential vendors are on the same page from the very start.
A detailed and straightforward RFP is easier for bidders to understand and scope. A well-defined RFP also allows you to compare companies without worrying that your newly hired contractor misunderstood your mobile app development project and its scope of work.
Tip 6. Get to know your team before sealing the deal
While a company's portfolio serves as a window into the heart of the company's commercial experience, the success of a particular project hinges on individual developers. That's why it's important to interview app developers before starting a project. Interviews are also important to establish a rapport with the potential app developer and connect with them at a cultural and personal level.
To assess the skills of a mobile app developer in action, you can prepare a coding challenge related to your project and ask the developer to solve the challenge in a live mode. During the interview, you can also see whether the developer's work and communication style align with your team.
Tip 7. Start a trial contract
Even if you spend hours interviewing a potential candidate, there’s no guarantee that you will land the right fit for your project. When hiring an offshore app development company, the best way to determine if you’re truly compatible is to actually start working with them.
A trial period is a great and low-risk opportunity to see if the team walks the talk and meets your expectations. You’ll also get a sneak peek at how the team performs without committing to long-term collaboration right away.
All it takes is defining a clear scope of work for the first month or two in a trial contract. At this stage, switching contractors is much easier, since trial contracts typically allow for quick termination. By the end of the trial, you'll know for sure whether you're comfortable sticking with the vendor for the long haul.
To get even more value from your trial period, you can split it into smaller phases. For example, you can make project discovery and UX/UI design individual contracts to get concrete deliverables like app specs or prototypes that you can assess before you sign on the dotted line.
Tip 8. Bring in a technical advisor or consultant
Judging the book by its cover, i.e., vetting a company just by looking at its portfolio, can leave you with a subpar product that looks flashy on the outside but has severe technical debt under its hood. If you don't have a tech background, you need someone tech-savvy to do handholding on the tech side and to source valuable insights from.
A technical advisor can help you ask the right questions during the interviews with offshore developers, spot red flags in proposals, and audit tech decisions. It doesn't mean you need to hire a full-time CTO — someone with solid tech experience would be enough to pitch in during critical decision points.
Tip 9. Match vendor size to project scope
Let's assume you are looking for a dev team of four to six app developers for your startup. If you reach out to a company with a team of 1,000+ people, chances are high you'll be placed last in their customer priority list. In this scenario, it is easy to guess which custom app development solutions get assigned to the best app developers and C-level managers, and which ones end up with less experienced teams.
On the other hand, a boutique mobile app development company is not always the right partner. If your next round of investments is close, and your plans include scaling up your team, a small studio with 20 employees just doesn't have enough capacity to deliver your project. Most likely, small studios will have to staff your project with whoever they have available, including newly hired developers.
That's why we recommend hiring a mobile app development team according to your needs. By doing so, you will feel heard as a customer, and the size of the vendor's team will allow you to scale your project as needed.
Tip 10. Check the vendor's data security posture
No matter how reliable and trustworthy your potential partner sounds, you must ensure they pay due diligence to secure data management and have all the measures in place to safeguard your sensitive data. The app development company that takes data security seriously should have calibrated app development processes, ideally based on the ISO/IEC 27001 standard. Bonus points if they're also experienced in industry-specific regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and others.
To protect your confidential data from unauthorized access, the vendor should create the legal framework and document it in a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The latter is a binding contract between you and the mobile app development company that prevents sensitive information from being shared with third parties.
Tip 11. Be transparent about your plans
Once you sign the NDA, make sure that you tell the potential vendor about the current scope of work and your expectations. One of the greatest mistakes some startups make is keeping the full product vision under wraps until the agreement is signed. However, as the scope and deliverables are documented in the agreement and taken as a benchmark by the vendor, this discretion can backfire during the development process.
As a mobile app development company, we really appreciate it when customers let us know they would like to build an in-house team down the line. That way, we can fully support clients through the transition — including interviewing and onboarding their in-house team.
For example, if you tell your vendor that you plan for your wellness application to grow into a full-fledged application, they can make more informed and smarter choices in terms of mobile platforms, architecture, and tools.
How to choose a mobile app development company: Final thoughts
Summing up, a good mobile application development company checks the following boxes:
- An end-to-end app development process with post-delivery support and maintenance;
- Proven experience in developing apps for Android and iOS platforms;
- A cross-functional team of professional developers with relevant domain expertise;
- Comprehensive data security measures and a holistic data confidentiality approach, paired with calibrated processes and security policies.
If you're looking for an experienced app development company that can transform your business idea into a great digital product, Orangesoft is always there to help you build a successful mobile app. Our cross-functional team can take over the entire process of app development, working hand-in-hand with your team.
With over 14 years of experience, we know how to approach complex projects with the right technology and make sure your investment pays off. Our team also has a library of reusable components, such as pre-built architectures, data pipelines, and more, to help you cut down on both the development cost and the timeline.
Contact us and share your app ideas to get started.