How to find an app developer for your startup can be an exciting and difficult prospect at the same time. You have a great app idea, but rather unsure on how to find the right resource that understands your business needs and meet your digital ends.
In this guide, we’ll be exploring how to find an app developer for your business and cater your digital needs in the best manner possible.
Is there a need to find an app developer?
We come across several popular names in the entertainment, project management, finance, corporate, and numerous other businesses, and often wonder how these apps are made.
For instance, you might play myVEGAS app and acquire free spins and redeem rewards in the form of free hotel rooms and buffets in Las Vegas. But the curiosity revolves around the concept of incorporating a huge system within a mobile tool.
Apparently, you need to come up with a great concept, conduct market research, develop wireframing and design, and launch the product at the right time to call it a success.
While the entire cycle consists of a number of technical and marketing personnel playing their part, app developers are easily one of the most important assets for any app development project.
In 2018, Tim Cook reported that there are around 20 million unregistered iOS developers attending over 500 million weekly visitors in the App Store.
While currently 2.2 million apps in the App Store and 2.6 million in Google Play alone indicates the need for quality, professional developers to cater the rising demand for powerful apps for businesses worldwide.
How to find an app developer for your startup
Yes, it’s easy to name the basics like browse online, shortlist according to experience and portfolio, and negotiate the price when hiring a developer. But what exactly are the steps to help you make a professional developer a part of your startup?
Define your business needs
This is more of a preliminary step you need to do before the actual research for a developer. Ask yourself the following questions:
What challenges is my app going to solve? (Normally, you’ll be facing one of the three situations)
First, you might already have an in-house development team, but still short of specialists. Second, you aim to execute a new technology or process never used before. Third, you want to develop a project from scratch.
In all three cases, your project scope will decide whether hiring an in-house developer, freelancer, or outsourcing the work to an agency would be the right option (make sure to weigh the pros and cons coming with each option).
Related content: A Guide to Outsource App Development vs. In-House Development
Building a project from scratch is often the most common scenario for both startups and established businesses. The available budget could be the decisive factor in your preferred approach.
For example, startups are mostly tight on budget, and will look to outsource their project in order to enter the market quick and safe. While existing companies could have both the funds and experience, hence, will be more comfortable in hiring an in-house team on either full-time or part-time basis.
Create a list of candidates
After you’ve concluded that a professional developer, either in-house or outsourcing the project, is a requirement for your development project, make a list of top IT vendors and perform critical analysis for each.
Here is a list of questions you need to ask before making the final decision. Conducting an in-depth information check is crucial, the better you know about the company or the developer, the better your chances of acquiring a top product and doing a lucrative business in the long run.
What do clients say about them?
Go through B2B directories to acquire detailed insights on what clients say about your chosen developers or companies. Remember, relying on simple ratings and one-liner reviews isn’t enough, rather detailed, project specific reviews can prove beneficial for your selection.
Detailed reviews will tell you more about the team’s professionalism, attention to detail, experience, and overall output for their clientele.
What fields do they work in?
Instead of opting a “jack of all, master of none” approach, some development companies prefer to focus on specific niches as their area of expertise. Go through the services pages of the companies’ websites and see what market segments they primarily emphasize their work on.
Do they possess the required experience?
It’s quite simple to inquire about a company’s experience without contacting them in the first place—consult the portfolio or case studies page on their website. This should give you an idea on how and what type of experience they have obtained over the course in the industry.
If not, you may ask the developers to showcase their portfolio had it not been publicly pasted on their page initially. Keep in mind that not all companies are comfortable sharing all of their completed projects due to non-disclosure agreements and other legal obligations.
The portfolio tells us about the experience of the company, the design methodology they follow, and the developmental challenges they face in their projects.
Beside the actual development experience, also pay close attention to the company’s official website. In other words, self-proclaimed professional app developers with plain, old-school, and dull UI and aesthetics aren’t qualified enough to create competitive applications. If they aren’t concerned about their own brand’s visual appeal, why would they care about yours?
What technologies do they use?
Inquire what programming tools they use for development and acknowledging subsequent challenges. Normally, companies are explicit is stating the tools and technologies they use for their clients, if not, you can always ask them.
Will they nick my app idea?
Easily one of the biggest threats that every new app idea may face after getting unveiled in the market—especially when clients tend to work with freelance developers.
Therefore, hiring an outsourced app development company is a better prospect in this regard. On top of that, a comprehensive step-by-step guide to ensure your app idea safety is always recommended.
Related content: How to Protect Your App Idea—Part 1
Will a quality output be guaranteed?
Top, experienced developers follow a certain set of quality guidelines to ensure the project meets its scope, milestones, and most importantly, quality.
These set of tools, processes, and techniques are used to create a consistent, stable architecture, reusable code, and a superior user experience without compromising the client’s budget and core features of the tool.
How will the development process run?
Hiring a solo developer doesn’t require you to ask that, but hiring an entire team goes a long way in understanding if a streamlined development process is in place.
Consider the company’s SDLC, project management frameworks, and transparent communication to acquire an understanding on the company’s development process.
Final thoughts!
It doesn’t matter if you’re residing in UAE or anywhere in the world, wanting to hire a developer for a business application is the real deal.
Do realize that developing a mobile or web app is different to developing any other kind of software, same as working with a solo or freelance developer is different than working with an outsourced development agency.
Eventually, how to hire an app developer is a matter of answering all the questions above and narrowing down to the final name best fitting your business needs.
Imran Abdul Rauf is a Digital Marketing Strategist, employed at CMOLDS, and specializes in content marketing, email marketing campaigns, lead generation, and other aspects of digital marketing. A content enthusiast by the day, and hardcore gamer by night, Imran is also a regular guest contributor at some of the top tech and digital marketing platforms.
