Once you have completed a project brief for your app, outlining all of the important details that the developer will need to know, you should be in a position to start speaking to companies and finding out what it will cost to develop an app like you have in mind.
You have a number of objectives when entering into the developer evaluation and selection phase of your project and you want to consider a number of different factors when choosing a developer for your app.
The most important thing you should do is to ensure that you spend enough time in this evaluation process to understand the capabilities and responsiveness of the company you plan to work with to develop your app.
- Learn about the companies you are looking to work with and review their website to get an initial overview of their capabilities.
- Check the developers portfolio and see what other apps they have worked on (and where they are ranked in the App Store).
- Consider the “type” of apps that the developer has worked on. If they have mostly developed business applications then they may not have the creative or technical talent on board to create your app.
- Once you have narrowed down your selection to a couple of options, speak to each developer about their workload. They should be able to talk to you in a generic manner about other projects without revealing specifics that compromise their client’s IP and then tell you how your project fits into this timeline and workload.
- Find out when the developer can start work on your project (it may not be immediately) and also find out what key milestones will be in place for you to monitor the progress.
Ensure you get a warranty for bug fixes and errors in programming that appear after your app goes to market. These should be errors where the app isn’t working as it was outlined in the final design specification, and should be covered by any reasonable developer as unfortunately, despite all the testing that can be done, once an app hits the open market, users can always find a way to bring out even the smallest of problems.
There are always risks associated with engaging any contractor, it doesn’t matter if it is for building apps or building houses – however you can minimise this risk by performing your own research on each prospective developer and then continuing this evaluation up until you make your final decision.
Choosing an app developer shouldn’t come down to price and you shouldn’t be overwhelmed by all of the technical jargon that they will try and throw at you. The reality of the situation is if the company won’t explain things in a way that you can understand right from the start – then it isn’t likely to get any better if you choose to continue working with them to develop your app.
You want a developer that you can communicate with and that can help you by sharing their expert advice in a way that you can understand so you can make the best decisions for your project.
Evaluate intelligently and choose wisely. For all the sharks already circling in the industry there are many reputable companies that have your best interests at heart and want to help you develop a successful app.