So, you've got this innovative app idea that you want to bring into reality. But developing mobile apps is not exactly an easy feat. That's why you need the best mobile app developers out there to pull it off. However, choosing the right tech partner 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.
Tip 1. Opt for a professional mobile app development company
First, you need to look for companies whose mobile app development expertise is a specialty rather than a side branch. This approach will increase the odds of landing an experienced tech partner with deep knowledge of mobile app development services.
Generalist companies may lack the professional experience to develop a product that meets your requirements. For example, if your goal is to create a native mobile application for Android, you should contact companies that specialize in Android 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 work with to draw in as many clients as possible.
You can also check the vendor's portfolio and the amount of iOS or Android developers on the team. 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 long-term success. Your product should also align with 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. Moreover, this means that the company is well aware of the 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 vendor's domain expertise, check out their portfolio or request specific projects similar to yours.
Tip 3. Check references and reviews
When you look for a hotel, you probably read reviews on Booking.com or TripAdvisor to make an informed choice based on feedback and ratings. This logic also applies to the software development world.
For app development reviews, you can use B2B directories such as Clutch or GoodFirms to read other clients' opinions about your potential vendor. Clutch reviews are rigorously tested, and submitting fake reviews is almost impossible. Using Clutch, you can select a project from a developer's portfolio and request the representative's contact information for that customer's company.
A reliable app development company will provide you with all the information you need to feel confident in their abilities. Also, sharing their references with you allows the potential vendor to share their past success. It makes references are a win-win for both parties.
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, testing, post-launch support, and a whole lot of other expertise required to bring your product to the market.
Look for partners offering a comprehensive suite 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
Outsourcing these services to a single vendor will help you minimize the time and effort spent on mobile app development, ensure fast issue resolution, and help with product consistency.
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 RFP to potential tech partners, make sure to outline the project's objectives, requirements, and scope thoroughly. An RFP should also include your goals, expectations, needs, and evaluation criteria to make sure your company and potential vendors are aligned.
A detailed and straightforward RFP is easier for bidders to understand and scope. You can also 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 the 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 if the developer's work style aligns with your team and evaluate their communication style.
Tip 7. Start a trial contract
Even if you conduct several hours of interviews with a potential candidate, this doesn't guarantee that they are the right fit for your project. When hiring a custom software development company, the only way to determine if you and a contractor are a good match is to start working with them.
A trial period is a great opportunity to verify that your expectations and the contractor's promises coincide with the reality. A trial period will also help you assess the real-world performance of the team without committing to long-term collaboration. All you need to do is define the scope of work for the first one to two months in a trial contract.
At this stage, changing your contractor is much easier, as a trial contract can traditionally terminate employment immediately. By the end of the trial, you'll know whether you're comfortable working with the vendor long-term because you know how they work.
Tip 8. Split the contract into segments
To expedite the evaluation process, consider splitting the tasks in the trial contract into separate deliverables. We recommend making project discovery and UX/UI design individual contracts and using them to test your potential vendor.
At the output, you will receive specifications for the requirements and layouts for your app's screens. With these materials, you can easily contact several mobile app development companies with your RFP, which is fully detailed by this stage. As we already know, an RFP allows you to choose the right mobile app development company based on its proposal.
Tip 9. Match vendor size to project scope
Let's assume you are looking for a team of four to six app developers for your startup. When you reach out to a company with a staff of 1,000+ people, you are placed last in their customer queue and sorted by turnover. In this scenario, it is easy to guess which custom app development solutions get assigned to the best app developers and C-level managers.
At the same time, if your next round of investments is close, and your plans include scaling up your team, a small studio with 20 employees is not what you are looking for. While such studios are known for their high-touch services, they are limited in their capacity and often struggle to accommodate rapid growth. Most likely, small studios will have to staff your team with everyone they currently have, 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 company's capacity will allow you to scale your project as needed.
Tip 10. Keep your data confidential, secure and compliant
Whenever you decide to outsource your projects to a mobile app development company, you must ensure the vendor pays due diligence to secure data management and has all the measures in place to safeguard your sensitive data. The right app development company should have data security certifications, breach prevention measures, and robust data protection policies on site.
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.
You may have specific data requirements to comply with regulations such as HIPAA or PCI DSS. If so, ensure your vendor has hands-on experience in developing compliant mobile and web apps.
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 hiding the full product vision 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 appreciate customers who make it clear that they would like to assemble an in-house team for further work on the project. This way, we can assist our clients in interviewing and hiring an app development team.
For example, if you tell your vendor that you plan for your wellness application to grow into a full-fledged application, then with that knowledge, they can choose the right approach for development and architecture, saving you time and money.
How to choose a mobile app development company: Final thoughts
To sum up, a good mobile application development company has the following differentiators:
- An end-to-end app development process with post-delivery support and maintenance;
- Years of experience in Android and iOS app development and a diverse range of projects;
- 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 teams can take over the entire process of app development, working hand-in-hand with your team. With over 13 years of experience, we know how to solve complex business tasks with the right technology and make sure your investment pays off. Contact us and share your app ideas to get started.