There are two outlooks in mobile app development: hiring an in-house team and outsourcing experts. The latter involves working with an established mobile app development partner; the partner takes you through the end-to-end process of mobile app development, deployment, maintenance, and promotion.

When it comes to start-ups or businesses that cannot take their eyes off the bottom line, you should work with an outsourced expert. Outsourcing experts means working with an established team on a project basis. While both approaches have disadvantages and benefits, we recommend working with an established mobile app developer.

But, what do you look out for in a mobile app development partner?

1. Industry experience and expertise

Experience is a critically underpinning factor when looking forward to outsourcing a software development partner. Previous work experience working on multiple mobile apps is an added advantage. The practical experience of designing and handling another app can make a difference. So, strive to identify experienced and seasoned software developers. You can establish experience by looking keenly at customer testimonials and collecting feedback and responses from potential digital market sources.

2. Development costs

It’s important to inquire about the cost of a mobile app development project. The mobile app development cost is the prime factor determining the selection of a mobile app development partner.

However, cheapest isn’t always the best, quality matters too. One way to reconcile cost and quality is to collect a few proposals. Then, examine the work breakdowns alongside the project deadlines and time estimates.

The emergence of a mobile app calculator has proven important in estimating app development costs. So, when working with professional mobile app development experts, you can obtain accurate project estimates using a calculator. Alternatively, you can only pay for the minimum viable product MVP to get a feel of how your project will be.

3. On-point communication

App development is a strenuous and time-consuming task. This project demands active collaboration and communication between the client and the app developers. Transparent and clear communication is the only way to build rapport with your project players. That’s because building an app is not a one-time project. It demands the input of programmers, UX/UI developers, data scientists, graphic designers, and project managers.

So, before you invest your money, ensure you understand your partner’s communication frequencies. The app development process entails different phrases. Therefore, strive to hire an app development partner who meets before the commencement of any phase. This selection will enable you to make inquiries, suggest changes, and build trust with project players through continued engagements.

4. Standard development process

The mobile app development process is strategic and systematic. App development follows specific technical specifications and meets minimum app requirements, including the requirements of safety and protection of user information.

Most professional mobile app developers follow a straightforward process, making it easy for clients and app users. So, inquire about their app development process before investing your money in a developer. This way, you can rest assured of all the deadlines and when the project will be completed.

Essentially, a standard development process will include the following steps:

The meeting, interaction, and association with the clients and project players (designers, programmers, data architects, graphic designers, UX/UI programmers).
Examine and carefully look at the client’s requirements to establish a wireframe.
Obtain the client’s approval and start creating a minimum viable product.
Thoroughly test the mobile app to ensure it conforms to the client’s requirements.
Approach app development and further maintenance
Test the app and promote it to the relevant audiences

Selecting partners who don’t follow established processes and procedures would cause problems later on.

5. Vision and clarity

You cannot develop a superior mobile application without a clear vision of what you want. It’s by first defining a need that you can establish a clear-cut solution. The same principle applies to mobile app development. It’s advisable to go for a developer who keenly listens to your requirements if you want to build an app that resonates with your vision. While some developers keep their opinions above their clients’, as experts, we carefully guide our clients but do not demoralize them.

6. On-going maintenance

It’s advisable to inquire about the possibility of maintenance after the app launch. That’s because after an app launch, most apps still experience hiccups. Professional app development wouldn’t be reluctant to offer maintenance. Therefore, when hiring a mobile app developer, it’s advisable to hire the one that offers maintenance. And in most projects, the free maintenance timeline would range from 6-to 12 months.

7. Market and competitor analysis

According to documented statistics by Statista, 81,300 Android and 26,000 iOS apps are released so far in 2022. It’s evident that with each passing day, a new mobile app is released, but only a few survive the turbulent market competition. The reason is because only a few mobile apps have detailed market and competitor research behind them.

Therefore, if you want to succeed in your mobile app development project, you should invest exhaustively in market and competitor research. Try to search for a mobile app development company that helps you zero down on your goals and target market. In addition, look for an app development partner that assists you to obtain the latest market trends in your niche.

8. Diversity of app development services

A professional and competent mobile app development partner must offer a diverse suite of development services. Creating a custom mobile app is more than programming or coding. Instead, app development is an end-to-end process that demands you validate the ideas, clarify needs, priorities, and concerns, and convert needs into useful designs.

Therefore, always opt for a mobile app development partner who offers a complete app services package. You should only hire an app development partner who offers extensive services tailored to your business needs. For instance, NS804 offers multiple mobile app development services: iOS app development, Android app development, UI/UX app design, app store optimization, and minimum viable product.

9. Commitment to meeting deadlines

Meeting project deliverables in a timely manner is a critical variable in any project. Failure to meet the project deliverables may lead to costly failures or breaches. So, if you hire a partner with many experienced developers, you’re unlikely to miss critical project deadlines.

10. Security measures

App development captures critical business information and sensitive data. So, it’s crucial to verify the app security measures the developer follows. It’s advisable to contract or hire an app development partner who signs non-disclosure agreements and adheres to security guidelines and protocols.

In addition, it’s crucial to ask whether the business policy covers any cyber liabilities. Clarifying whether the business policy covers cyber liabilities is critical in ensuring the development partner follows all the relevant security protocols in case of breaches, compromise, or data theft.

11. Design aspects

Intuitive design is the cornerstone of any successful app development project. Robust mobile apps meet evolving needs through their intuitive, easy-to-use designs. So, user design should be an underpinning factor when developing an app.

The design takes a prime spot in achieving a superior mobile app project. Indeed, most development partners offer a design mock-up to act as a sample of the project during the proposal stage. So, it’s advisable to examine and evaluate different design elements when selecting a mobile app development partner.

You can contact NS804 for custom mobile app development solutions.