How To Find The Ideal Mobile App Development Company

Mobile apps have become a significant tool for companies as they present a convenient means to attract the attention of the consumer. According to a Clutch survey in 2017, around 42% of small businesses had an app, and another 30% of them had plans to build one in the future.

Every small business dream of having one, but it’s essential to ensure that one does enough research before picking the right app development company to design and develop the app. Finding the right company isn’t easy, but these are some of the significant points to consider before choosing a development company:

Evaluate the Project Scope

Not every business wants end-to-end development services, which include app strategy, development, design and post-launch support for marketing and maintenance. By assessing the scope of the services your company needs to outsource, you will get a better idea of the right development partner. For instance, for end-to-end development, using an off-shore development company comes with the risk of the app falling below expectations as it’s difficult to determine whether the development company has dedicated specialists for each service.

Similarly, for app design and development, it makes sense to hire a company that gives equal importance to both aspects. Otherwise, you may end up with an app that meets all the specifications but doesn’t deliver in terms of UI/UX. In some cases, your company may have the capability to handle the development but not the UI/UX design; in which case, it’s essential to hire a company that offers specialist services for the app design.

Review the Work of Mobile App Development Company

Get details from the company about the latest projects they completed and undertake due diligence by checking whether these apps are on the app store. Download them to review their design and ease of use. Look at the app store ratings and reviews for the app. If a company doesn’t share its portfolio, it’s an indication that it doesn’t have enough experience in app development and design.

Besides reviewing the portfolio, ask the company about its average delivery timelines and processes. Usually, a company that uses Agile development has a more systematic approach to problem-solving the challenges faced during the app development process.

Assess the Development Company’s Expertise

The initial discussions can also allow you to assess the skills and creativity of the company as they will present examples of similar app development they completed, and the challenges faced – an indication that they have the expertise to guide you through the development process without significant setbacks.

If you are developing the app for more than one platform, the mobile app development company should have the skills to undertake the build on all the platforms. In most cases, a company that develops cross-platform apps has experience in working with several platforms. In the case of development for iOS or Android, choose a company that is well-versed with the guidelines laid out by each platform.

In case the company is helping with the app release, find out how they handle it. Get details of the number of apps submitted on behalf of clients and ask about the steps in the submission process. A reliable mobile app development company will share these details or even guide you through the process.

Get An Estimate of Mobile App Development Cost

The focus is on a well-designed app that performs. Therefore, the price shouldn’t be the most significant factor in choosing the right app development company. The cheapest quote may not deliver the best results. While keeping the budget constraints in mind, evaluate the portfolios of each company to determine which of them offers the right balance between price and expertise. App development costs can vary from $30,000 to $700,000 depending on whether it’s a platform build or a custom one. The former route is the better option for companies with a limited budget. Find out the payment schedule and terms such as whether the company requires a one-time payment in advance or whether payment will be in stages after completion of certain milestones.

Assess the Level of Communication and Involvement

Once the project is outsourced, regular contact and updates are crucial for ensuring that the development is on track and meets expectations at each stage. Enquire about the process of communication and the app development company’s expectations regarding your involvement at each step so that the project doesn’t get held up. A company that follows a systematic method of sending out weekly progress reports will be easy to work with as successful completion of the project is dependent on effective communication between the client and the development company.

Find Out About the Maintenance Services

If you are using the services of the development company for post-launch support and maintenance, it’s advisable to ask about the fees for the services (whether they are hourly or monthly). Additionally, ask for the cost of each new version release and the price per bug fix. Find out about the range of support and maintenance services they offer.

Conclusion

By reviewing these points, you can shortlist the proposals to two or three. Next, compare the bids based on price as well as expertise and services. Be selective and choose mobile app development companies that are featured on reputed referral websites such as Clutch and AppFutura to be sure that you will get an app that looks good and performs well.