An application is extremely important for businesses to survive and grow in today’s technology driven world. Most consumers today prefer to purchase a product or acquire a service online. At the very least, every consumer first performs online research before purchasing a product (even if it is at a store) or engaging a service (even if it is in person).
What does this mean for every business in the world today? A digital presence is extremely important. It can be a simple website to fortify presence, or a complete web and/or mobile application that provides all end-to-end products and services digitally, but some form of digital presence is a must.
That brings us to the topic of the day, choosing an app development company. Unless you are app developers yourselves, chances are you are looking to partner with a development company to get your business application built. The application is going to be an extremely important milestone in your business history, and will eventually lead to growth. This is why the application that is released should be the best version it can be, which will ultimately depend on the app developers you choose. Hence, the article.
The 3 Things to Keep in Mind When Selecting an App Development Company
1. Check the company portfolio
It’s important to check previous work the app development company has done, in order to judge their technical prowess and domain expertise. It’s a good idea to use the apps they have previously developed. Along with the names of the apps, look for the technologies that have been implemented (have they developed apps with AI? Have they developed apps with payment gateways? etc) and the domains they have worked in (have they built apps for fintech companies, ecommerce platforms, etc). Based on your business you will have a basic idea of what features your app will need and you definitely know the domain you work in. Hiring a company that has experience in both is a great plus, and you can learn this and a lot more from their product portfolio.
2. Understand the team’s working & communication style
You need to first understand that an app’s lifecycle does not end with release, it needs continued support, tweaking, and upgrades. This also means that your collaboration with the app development company does not end once the product is developed. The relationship between your business and the chosen app developer is going to be long term, probably for as long as the app is live (can be an ad hoc collaboration and not necessarily a continued one). In order to ensure a positive collaboration, it’s important that the development team and the stakeholders of your business are able to sync working and communication styles. This is something you will understand through meetings and by meeting members of the team.
3. Ask questions- the more the better
- Do you follow a development methodology? (here’s the ideal methodology top companies follow – Developing a Web/Mobile Application – The Best Approach & Methodology)
- What is the development process you follow?
- What will you require from our team?
- Do you provide post release support?
- Is there a limit to the number of iterations?
- Will future modification be considered a new project or continued activity?
You get the idea. Do not hesitate to ask about topics you are not familiar with. If you’re not tech savvy, ask the developers to explain in layman’s terms.
Finding the Right App Development Partner
Summing up the discussion:
- Check their past work with scrutiny.
- Ensure compatibility.
- Ask questions.
Only when you’re completely satisfied should you select an app dev company. Remember what we said earlier, this is going to be a long term commitment, and it’s important you start the relationship with the right partner (pun intended).