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Tips to Hire the Perfect Mobile App Developer
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Tips to Hire the Perfect Mobile App Developer

By Syed Zainul Haque July 31, 2017 - 3,911 views

What’s the first thing you do the moment you get your hands on a new mobile device? You start downloading all the apps you use in your daily life.  

From a Fortune 500 company to a local food delivery chain in your city, today we have an app for almost anything and everything.

And let’s face it. Mobile apps are no longer a luxury. They have become an absolute necessity. It won’t be an exaggeration if we say mobile apps almost dictate our lives.

Today, you will find innumerable mobile app development services near you. You can go for in-house resources, opt for outsourcing partner or hire a freelancer.

But how can you be sure you are recruiting a good company or freelancers and that they will deliver the product you need? You are investing money into the project and have a business objective too. So, you need to be extremely cautious before you hire an app developer.

And it’s not an easy task. One wrong step and your dream app will go down the drain.

We have listed a few factors you should keep in mind before you hire a mobile app developer. If you are careful during the selection process, then you will have to worry less about the app’s future.

Points to consider:

  1. Experience of the mobile app developer
  2. Samples of their earlier works
  3. Long-term commitment for maintenance
  4. Ease of communication
  5. Ownership of the app
  6. Plans for testing the app
  7. Submitting the app to the App Store
  8. Payment procedure

Experience of the mobile app developer

Frankly speaking, today there is no storage of mobile app developers in the market. But you need to look out for a developer, who has years of experience and also a proven track record of delivering amazing apps within the deadline. In simple words, do thorough research before hiring.

    • Do they have an experienced team of developers, designers, and testers to complete your project?
    • Check how long they have been developing apps
    • Check their app development lifecycle. Ask for a blueprint of the development process they generally follow
    • Download the apps they have developed and use them personally to know about the function and features
    • Look out for developers who want to help you innovate and smarten up your business models. Merely developing an app shouldn’t be the priority of a good developer. The developer should also take a keen interest in your business and suggest innovative solutions on how the app can scale up the business.
    • You also need to be sure that the developer has enough knowledge about any changes taking place in mobile apps development
    • Know the platforms (Android, iOS, Windows, Hybrid, Android+iOS) and device types (phone, tab/iPad, or both) they work on
    • Learn about the latest development languages they use to develop an app (Objective C, Swift, JavaScript, C++, Java, C# or JavaScript)
    • Know the design style (Bare-Bone, Basic, Beautiful) they follow
  • Samples of their earlier works

The only source of knowledge is experience. – Albert Einstein

 Experience matters and it matters the most.

So, it’s better if you go for app developers who have years of experience behind them. Assess a developer’s prior work before signing the deal. Interact with the company’s mobile app development team and review their work. Discuss your requirements with them and watch out if they are able to come up with innovative solutions or not. Unless you are satisfied with the answers, don’t make your choice.

  • Ask if they have worked on similar mobile apps or used similar technologies?
  • Look out for an app developer, who has experience in developing various categories of apps such as game, event, catalogue, dating, chatting and etc. In this way, you will be sure about their expertise on various platforms.
  • An experienced mobile app developer will present you with relevant case studies, whitepapers and e-books of their earlier projects.
  • Ask them for the list of apps they have developed for their clients. Ask them to share their links at App Stores.
  • Ask for references (previous and current client list). In fact, a good app developer shares the testimonials of the clients and if the clients are happy with the developer, then you too are in safe hands

Long-term commitment for maintenance and future support

As mentioned already, a number of app developers are readily available in the market but not everyone is willing to take part in this long journey with you. Here you need to remember that mobile app development is not a one-time job. Making and delivering a product is easy, but maintaining and updating it constantly is difficult. App changes constantly, mostly depending on the feedback of the users. A good app developer will look for long-term commitment and also provide you with future support. But it’s advisable you coordinate with your app developer and know whether they will charge for the maintenance and future support? An experienced mobile app developer also keeps the client updated about the daily development process of the app. This keeps the relationship buoyant and transparent.

  • Ease of communication

Developing an app is a collaboration of two or more parties. Hence, if you want a good and healthy relationship with your developer, then you need to communicate with a free mind. Communication is a two-way process and it increases transparency and strengthens the bond.

– Before hiring the developer, check with them if their developer or project manager is able to communicate in your language or not. So, if you are Hispanic, hire a developer who knows the language so that there is no miscommunication between the two parties. Indus Net Technologies’ team can speak in 17 languages.

–  If the developer is available on different time zone, you should talk it out.  

– A good app developer maintains a constant follow-up with the client through Basecamp, instant message, FaceTime, Skype or emails.

– Also, check how often the app developer will update you about the development process

  •   Ownership of the app

Who will take the ownership of the app, the content, design and source code? To avoid confusion in the future, make sure you and your app developer sign an agreement before beginning work on the project.

  • An experienced app developer always signs a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the client to avoid any kind of legal hassle.
  • The agreement ensures that the intellectual property rights are protected.
  • In this way, communication of confidential information is also protected.
  • It’s not advisable to go for developers who don’t sign a contract. You don’t know who might just get away with your idea.
  • Plans for testing the app

As already mentioned, developing an app is not a one-time activity. Your app developer needs to test the app across various platforms, operating system and screen sizes to check whether there are any errors in consistency, functionality, and usability. One should go for an app developer who can satisfy you with their app testing methods. The developer should be able to explain you about their beta-testing process and bug fixing solutions.

 

  • Submitting your app to the App Store

After the app is tested, you need to submit the app to the app store. The store will then give approval to the app to sell there. It’s important to review the human interface and store guidelines before submitting the app to the App Store. It’s a time-taking process which comprises multiple steps, and only a seasoned app developer will be able to complete the process efficiently. So, make sure your developer has previous experiences of uploading an app to the App store competently.

  • Payment procedure

If you don’t sort out your payment procedure before the beginning of the project, it can lead to confusion and bad blood. Guess, nobody wants that. So, be transparent about the payment process and enquire about the rates of the developers before you assign them the project. The rates would be different for outsource developers, agencies, and freelancers. Ask the app developer to provide you with a breakdown of the estimated cost. This will ensure transparency between you and the developer. Enquire if any hidden cost is involved too.

Conclusion

Finding the ideal app developer is a crucial process. Don’t be in a hurry and avoid not relying on your gut feeling too. Do proper market research before hiring an app developer. Take into account the experience and professionalism of a mobile app developer before hiring them. Don’t stop yourself from asking questions to the app developer. Don’t settle for anything less. At the end of the day, you are investing YOUR MONEY. Go for an app developer who will help you to save smarter and grow faster.

And as Matt Galligan, co-founder of Circa, said, “In my opinion, the future of mobile is the future of everything.”

So, if you haven’t developed an app for your business, well, don’t wait. Just keep in mind the above-mentioned points before hiring your kind of mobile app developer.

Still, have queries related to mobile app development? We are all ears.

 

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