You are a client of a mobile development studio, and you need to choose a contractor who a) can listen to your requirements and b) will make a competitive product for the market.
Choosing at random is a wrong decision. You will need to go through several stages of selection and evaluate more complex parameters. We will tell you about them next.
How to choose a contractor to develop your app?
Here is a simple procedure that any client goes through when looking for developers.
- You make a long list of developers.
Objective: make a selection of companies that you will contact for the first conversation about app development.
What happens: You list software development partners you could commission to work on the project. Do this based on sources you trust, such as recommendations from colleagues and partners and mobile developer ratings.
- You get to know companies.
Objective: reduce the long list to a shortlist.
What happens: you contact the shortlisted studios by phone or e-mail. If you call, they either talk to you right away about the project or offer to choose a convenient time for a dialog. If you write to the mail, you’ll have to wait for a letter back.
The first time you talk to the studio, you tell them what kind of app you need, who will use it, and in what numbers you want to see the benefit the app will bring to the business. Developers explain how they will be able to close your need, and you weed out the studios that don’t fit your terms. You wait for commercial proposals from the shortlisted teams, which usually take 1-3 days to complete.
- You review proposals.
Objective: review all proposals.
What happens: you call the various shortlisted studios so that the developers, within an hour and a half hours, make a presentation of the proposal – i.e., tell them how they can solve your problem, for how long and what the budget they need for this.
- You choose your contractor.
Objective: to start developing an application.
What happens: you choose a contractor, talk to him again about all the terms, draw up a software development services contract, and start making a mobile app for your business.
Alarm bells to help you know something has gone wrong
It usually takes 1-3 months from contacting the studio to signing the contract. It means that you, as a client, don’t have much time to see their pros and cons. So it’s better to hear the “bells” that tell you that you and your developers are not on the right track.
- Caller #1. Developers respond longer than two days
If they call you back only two or three days after the request, the studio cannot handle customer requests promptly. You’ll encounter the same difficulties while creating your app, and your tasks will take longer than they require.
- Caller #2. Asking about the budget, not the tasks
If the first question developers ask is about the budget and not your business needs, it shows that the studio isn’t looking to satisfy your interests. After all, without a clear vision of the goals and objectives of the client, it is impossible to allocate resources correctly for the project. Even if the company’s commercial offer seems profitable to you, and you are willing to accept it, be prepared that the developers are unlikely to change their approach to working with customers in the near future.
- Caller #3. No questions asked
For many customers, developing an app happens for the first time. They can’t think through the app’s functionality independently, from the onboarding screen to the “Buy” button. Suppose the studio doesn’t ask leading questions while you’re describing the app’s features, doesn’t explain some of the app’s mechanisms, and listens indifferently. In that case, it can indicate two things: either you’ve thought through the functionality with meticulous precision, or the developers aren’t eager to find out the details of the project. The second option can lead to a wrong evaluation.
- Caller #4. They are rushing things
If a studio insistently dissuades you from exploring other contractors and says, “Well, why do you need to look at something else? Let’s just sign a contract,” then most likely, the developers do not have enough experience. They want to “hook” you emotionally but are not ready to offer something that will make them stand out from the competition.
How to choose the best development company?
The most effective way to choose a mobile developer with whom you will go all the way to creating a mobile app is to make a list of essential criteria. The requirements should be formulated clearly, for example:
- I want the team to be able to work with augmented reality technology;
- I want to be able to communicate with the team to understand that we will work together;
- the team has to meet the deadlines that they promise to deliver a response;
- I want to know why development costs or timelines change, so all processes need to be transparent and clear;
- backend development on the company side is a must.
- In general, list everything important to you when working with developers. It will help you to focus not on proposals but on your own needs.