Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Before You Hire Mobile App Developers, Consider This
- Types of Mobile App Developers for Hire
- The Process of Outsourcing Mobile App Development
- How Much Outsourced Mobile App Development Will Cost
- Conclusion
Introduction
These days, more and more businesses across the globe are interested in mobile app development. It shouldn’t come as a surprise – the industry of Android and iOS-based apps has been steadily growing for the past ten years. Considering that the trend isn’t showing any signs of stopping, developing a mobile app seems like a promising investment for all kinds of brands.
Still, as more and more companies tap into the expanding market, it quickly becomes oversaturated with subpar developers and low-quality products. What’s more, the vast number of apps available lowers user retention: a quarter of apps are abandoned after just one use, according to a 2019 Statista report.
Creating a mobile application that audiences want to come back to requires a software vendor that really knows the ins and outs of the trade. But how exactly do you find one?
This article will give you some tips on where and how to scout industry-proven software specialists, as well as what specific aspects to look out for when you hire mobile app developers.
Before You Hire Mobile App Developers, Consider This
There are a lot of reasons as to why some applications fail. Sometimes, the app itself is poorly put together; sometimes, the company is out of luck, and a good product simply doesn’t catch on with the target audience. That said, one of the most reliable ways to prevent such blunders is by fully thinking your idea through. So, before you hire mobile app developers, try to answer the three following questions.
Why would people want to use your app?
First, you have to establish what the target audience for your application will be.
How old is your demographic? Is their gender important? What is their level of education? Level of income? Occupation? – all these are just the beginning of the brainstorm. A more in-depth analysis includes defining your target audience’s general values, lifestyle, personality, etc. While figuring all of this out may take a while, having a profound knowledge of their userbase is one of the most valuable advantages a mobile app developer can have.
Next, you can use the information you’ve collected to determine the problems your audience may face on a regular basis. It’s best to gather this data first-hand: interview a multitude of potential users to learn what really matters to them. Once you have a clear idea of what this specific demographic struggles with the most, you’re ready to move onto the next step: providing a solution to their problem.
You have to understand one thing: most likely, you’re not the first person to target this particular issue. With how massive the mobile market is, there are bound to be several competitors within even the smallest niche. So don’t ignore them! Look at what they’re offering and think of what your company can do to make its product stand out from the rest.
What should the app look like at launch?
Not all apps launch with their entire set of planned features intact. Sometimes the deadline is just too strict to have every detail implemented from the start. It’s not a crime by any means, but it should help you understand why it’s important to set project priorities as early as possible.
Define your application’s most essential features. A well-rounded MVP will help make the app’s development cycle far more efficient. If you have the resources, consider making a rough prototype. This way you’ll have a tangible representation of what your mobile app will bring to the table. What’s more, this kind of draft is guaranteed to be extremely helpful when describing your project to the professionals whom you decided to hire or outsource mobile app development to.
Another good move would be to set measurable goals to track your app’s success at launch (number of downloads, interactions, payments, etc.). This will also prepare you for what sorts of professionals your project will need: for example, if the app’s main appeal lies in the ease of use, you will most definitely require a strong UI designer.
If figuring all of this out sounds overwhelming, you might want to hire a business analyst – many outsourcing companies offer consulting services, which help customers define their project idea, its target audience and core functionality. What’s more, you may need the services of a Product Owner, in case you’re not very familiar with the app’s target industry.
What is the plan?
Poorly organized development is one of the worst things that can happen to a potential product. When a development plan is either too thoughtless or needlessly convoluted, everything can fall apart long before the application’s release. So how does one avoid that?
We’ve already mentioned that defining your priorities helps make the development process more productive. Try to sort through all of the application’s features to figure out how essential each of them is; decide the order in which certain functions have to be implemented. This way, you’ll be able to construct a comprehensive development roadmap.
Of course, the process can be very time-consuming, which is why many mobile app development companies offer consultations to help clients through with it. The business analysts of Bamboo Agile, for example, apply the latest industry data to determine the best course of action for any type of app development project as part of such consultations.
Types of Mobile App Developers for Hire
Now that you have everything about your idea properly laid out, you can finally hire mobile app developers. But there is one very important nuance to consider: which type of developer will work best for your project? Let’s look at the options.
Freelancers
Freelance developers are extremely accessible and are usually the most effective option for small, undemanding projects (creating a basic website, for example). They can be easily found on platforms like Upwork and Freelancer, as well as by scouting local job sites. If you feel like your project can do without a well-thought-out custom interface design, solid performance, and industry-standard security measures, then this is a safe bet. At least, relatively speaking.
The thing is, checking the level of competence a freelance developer possesses can be very difficult. The least you can do to prevent pouring your money down the drain is taking the time to check the freelancer’s customer reviews. Sometimes a software developer is extremely skilled on paper but has a lackluster work ethic in practice. So, if you have a substantial amount of cash on stake, either consult an IT specialist you personally know, or look for the opportunity to hire mobile app developers elsewhere.
Remote employees
While the concept of remote employees may sound somewhat similar to freelancers, they come with their fair share of differences. The workforce is supplied by specialised companies, who connect you with reliable specialists based on your project’s technical requirements. Instead of working as a semi-independent party, remote employees temporarily become part of the team. This greatly boosts communication and allows you to monitor the employee’s progress a lot more efficiently. If you’re working on a medium-sized project, this is a solid choice.
The most popular place to find remote employees is Remote.com. Alternatively, Hired is a platform that puts emphasis on the quality of their professionals, featuring developers with proven track records and leading university degrees. You can also hire mobile app developers through Gun.io, which is a network of software industry experts that allows you to book specialists for a set number of hours.
Keep in mind that in most cases you’ll have to be the one to provide all the necessary tools for the remote employee. If you don’t want to spend extra money on workspace maintenance and various developer toolkits, the next segment may be a smarter choice.
Outsourced developers
Outsourced mobile app development stands as the most dependable and cost-effective option for complex and long-term software projects. Since outsourcing companies rely on their level of expertise and service to compete, they strive to always provide the most experienced and skilled development teams on the market. And this doesn’t just include software engineers: QA experts, business analysts, UX/UI designers, etc. – in general, every specialist is at least middle-level, and the majority of programmers are senior-level.
One of the greatest benefits of outsourced mobile app development (aside from the high developer skill and end product quality) is how the burden of managing it falls on the shoulders of the outsourcing company, not the customer. After you reach a mutual understanding on what the mobile application is all about, what your exact requirements are, and when you want to have them fulfilled, you’re free to go! Regular calls and meetings with the development team will keep you engaged through updates and demos, while simultaneously making the whole process more stress-free and time-efficient.
If you do want to outsource mobile app development, it’s good to get a clear idea of what the company you’ll be working with is like. Check their corporate resume, look at their development team’s qualifications, read some of the company’s case studies, study the customer reviews. While it may sound a little strange at first, personally acquainting yourself with the team members can help you decide whether you want to work with a particular vendor or not.
You can hire mobile app developers directly via their website (Bamboo Agile, for one, offers a convenient form clients can fill to book a free consultation with its specialists); alternatively, you can look for outsourced development teams on platforms such as Clutch or GoodFirms.
The Process of Outsourcing Mobile App Development
Let’s go a bit more in-depth and see what makes outsourced mobile app development such a trusted tactic. We’ll use the standard development process at Bamboo Agile as an example.
It all begins with a requirement analysis. After a client contacts us, we set up a free meeting with several of our experts to discuss your idea in detail. With the help of a business analyst, we’ll construct an efficient roadmap based on your project requirements, as well as decide on which payment model will be most convenient to you.
Next, we hand-pick the most suitable developers for your project. Since our team is already ripe with certified professionals, the problem of needing to scout numerous websites to hire mobile app developers solves itself. What’s more, the people we select all come from the same company, so they have a far easier time working as a group and coordinating tasks.
Now, the development itself. As you can probably infer from the company name, our primary methodology of choice is Agile. This means splitting the whole development cycle into these so-called sprints, or short time periods over which we strive to complete various smaller tasks laid out beforehand. The end of each sprint is marked with a review, where we present the client with the fruit of our labour, reflect on what we have achieved so far, and what tasks to prioritise in the next sprint.
Of course, these sprint-end meetings aren’t the only times we contact our clients. Transparency is crucial to ensuring that the product meets the customer’s best expectations, so we keep you engaged and informed about everything going on during the development. Nothing is done without your full consent. Be it through regular email reports, calls, meetings or notifications, you’re always kept in the know about the current project status.
As we’ve mentioned before, here lies the major appeal of outsourced mobile app development as a whole – the lack of management-related stress on your part. While you still have total control over the direction the project should take, such responsibilities as assigning tasks to employees, organizing their workspace, providing the necessary development tools, etc. are the duty of the outsourcing company.
Finally, outsourced mobile app development teams help you handle the project’s release on multiple platforms and provide maintenance and support services long after the launch, thus increasing your application’s lifespan.
How Much Outsourced Mobile App Development Will Cost
When it comes to software development, money can be a game-changer: budget is one of the topmost deciding factors in what your application will look like upon release.
Such aspects as the number of functional features and integrations in your mobile app, its complexity, the number of devices it’s optimized for, the level of security it requires, and so on, are all very important in deciding what the price of its development will be. The above-mentioned factors, however, apply to all software development projects regardless of whether you choose to refer to an outsourced mobile app developer or not.
The feature aspect ties into the next cost factor, which is the number of different specialist types your project will require. While programmers are widely understood to be a must, UI designers, analysts, and QA engineers are oftentimes integral to ensuring the quality of the product.
One significant aspect unique to outsourcing is how the price varies depending on where the company is located. Outsourced mobile app development is at its most expensive in the US and Australia, followed shortly by the UK and Western Europe. By far, the cheapest options are Eastern Europe and India, being almost ten times as affordable as their Western counterparts.
Here, it’s crucial to note that these regional differences in pricing do not reflect the level of the IT specialists involved. The main reason for these huge cost disparities is the difference between the countries’ tax rates and cost of living. So, in essence, mobile app development companies from Eastern Europe provide the same high level of services as those from the US for a fraction of the price.
Another factor that can influence the cost of outsourced mobile app development is the payment model you choose.
In general, when you decide to hire mobile app developers, they give you the choice between Fixed Price and Time and Material (T&M). The first one is decided beforehand and accounts for all possible production risks and extra costs, which often results in it being the far more expensive option. The T&M approach calculates the end cost based on how many hours and resources were spent over the course of the app’s development. If you don’t plan on taking major tech risks with your solution, then T&M is likely to be the choice for you.
Your target platform also plays a part in what the price tag will amount to. iOS development is significantly more expensive than creating an application for Android. Of course, a multi-platform app will be even more costly. But don’t get discouraged – after all, more platforms increase the potential for greater returns.
Finally, if you want to get more detailed info on how much Android app development will cost, check out this article on our website.
Conclusion
When you have an idea for an application, it may be tempting to dive into the development process right then and there. However, if you want to guarantee that the project will look its best upon release, it’s better to give extra thought to a couple of crucial aspects before deciding to hire mobile app developers.
Flesh out your core idea: what do you want your app to be, exactly? Who is it for? What is the minimum functionality its launch version should have? Which features are essential and which ones are secondary?
Think of a strategy. What should be prioritised during development? How will you market the application to potential users and investors? How will your product make a profit?
If you take your time and carefully consider the questions above, you’ll not only streamline the work of your future development team, but also ensure the quality of your solution. Based on the project requirements you’ve established, as well as on your overall budget, you can hire mobile app developers that perfectly match your needs. As a rule, Eastern European-based outsourcing stands as the most practical and reliable option in terms of affordability and service quality.
Bamboo Agile is an acclaimed software development team from Estonia. If you don’t feel like scouring multiple platforms in search of some worthwhile candidates, consider signing up for a free consultation with our industry experts.
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