Do you have a million-dollar idea for a new web phone app? Will it make it easier for customers to buy your company’s products? Or help your team get more work done. Either way, an app could be a big deal for your small business.
There’s just one catch – you and your crew need to gain the skills to code one from scratch. And hiring a bunch of Developers is too expensive right now.
That’s why many companies your size hand apps build off to outside Developers for hire instead. Going this route can save time and money versus doing it in-house. However, finding the right coding partners can be complicated.
To make sure your app gets built right, follow this advice on what to do and skip from others who’ve been down this road. It’ll help set your app project – and your company – up to succeed.
Five must-dos to Outsource Your App Right
Explain Your App Vision Fully Upfront
You and your chosen Dev team need to start on the same page. Before they write a single line of code, share detailed docs explaining:
- Why do you want this app built, and how will it help grow your business?
- What main features should it have so customers/employees get value from it?
- How long do you expect Development to take until the app launches?
- How much budget is available to spend?
- What tech should power it (like React Native, Node.js, etc.)?
- How reliable and secure do you expect the app to be for users?
Covering these basics upfront aligns everyone on expectations from the get-go. That prevents surprises or confusion later that can stall progress.
Vet A Few Developer Options Before Committing
You wouldn’t buy a car without kicking the tires first. Research and meet with app Development firms or freelancers before making any deals.
Ask to see work they’ve shipped for past clients similar to your web or mobile app idea. Dig into their backgrounds, skills, and experience in building your desired product type.
If anything seems off or they need help to showcase relevant work samples, consider that a red flag. Keep looking until you find someone who demonstrates they can deliver what you have in mind.
Have Them Walk You Through Their Technical Plan
You might not know the code, but you can still sniff out if an app Dev shop knows their stuff.
- Ask them to explain how they’ll securely store sensitive user information through your app. See if they discuss encryption, access controls, and other best practices.
- Have them map out how many customers could use your app once before performance decreases. Do they plan ways to scale compute power when needed to maintain speed?
Suppose they rattle off technical terms over your head. There’s no problem! The key is they have sensible solutions for non-functional elements critical to a quality user experience.
Review App Prototypes Early and Often
Please don’t wait until your app is complete before seeing how it shapes up. Have your Dev team show you demo versions every couple of weeks as they make progress building features. Provide feedback on design, flow, and functions that can still be tweaked.
Getting eyes on iterations while under construction prevents late-stage surprises. Test it yourself and pull in target users early to catch mismatches from customer expectations.
Ask How They’ll Check App Quality Before Launch
Apps should work right and feel right when customers first use them. Before launching, your Dev partners should check:
- Do all design features work without bugs or errors?
- Can the app withstand real-world user traffic and data loads?
- Is it easy and obvious for new users to flow through the app?
- Is customer data protected from leaks or outside attacks?
- Solid quality practices give you confidence that the app is dialed in for shoppers or personnel who rely on it.
5 Don’t-Do’s to Avoid Outsourcing Pitfalls
Don’t Sign Any Work Agreements Too Quickly
Taking your time to pick app partners pays off. But it’s tempting to rush into contracts once you find coders who get your vision.
Fight that urge! Slow down and properly vet options before legally locking in an outfit you’ll rely on for months to manifest your idea.
You owe it to your dream app, customers, and startup to land the right builders for the job.
Don’t Just Eyeball The Development Cost
Comparing project price quotes is reasonable but should be one of many factors. A barely qualified team that bids super low may either miss critical app elements or code them so poorly that you must fix bug after bug post-launch.
Focus first on a group’s competency, communication skills, and past delivery of similar web/mobile apps. Then, look at their overall budget fit. Think long-term value over short-term savings.
Don’t Assume Devs Get Your Whole Business Context
Your app team knows how to craft great user experiences on screens. However, they need to be more familiar with your startup’s goals, audience, competition, and other business basics that should influence technical decisions.
Schedule kickoff sessions for you to brief Devs on priorities or positioning that will shape what you build. Maintain open dialogue as challenges or new directions emerge that may impact product features.
Blending your market insights with their technical mastery breeds web/mobile apps finely tuned for commercial success. Leave your team entirely out of context because they’re external hires.
Don’t Neglect Consistent Check-Ins
Outsourcing doesn’t equate to forgetting your app exists outside occasional status emails. Maintain involvement through regular sync-ups to monitor progress milestones and discuss obstacles on either end.
Be proactive vs. passive in posing questions around resourcing needs, feature priority calls, or getting hands-on app iterations for periodic input.
Don’t Hyper Focus On Cost Savings
Tapping offshore talent can reduce hourly pay rates compared to local Dev teams. But money saved isn’t helpful if you must sink extra time reworking sloppy code post-launch or continually navigating language barriers.
Seek balanced tradeoffs between budget and other critical criteria: quality app performance, smooth collaboration, and knowledge of your problem space. Judge outsourcing fits holistically versus obsessing solely on hourly fees.
Bringing Your App Idea To Life
This gives you a helpful starter checklist before handing your big idea to an outside Dev team. Outsourcing app building takes thoughtful planning but pays dividends for startups needing technical firepower they lack internally today.
Remember, dream apps solve real problems for real people. So keep the humans who’ll use it front and center as you transform plans into pixels and code. Their lasting delight in delivering simple solutions is the ultimate measure of app success.
Remember that some fantastic apps, such as Quantum AI and Robinhood, were once only ideas, waiting to be brought to life by a team of skilled developers. The team behind the inception of real-world, problem solving apps like Trade Urex must have kept these important points in mind to make sure their product stands out.
We wish your web or mobile app brings the value you envision to every customer who discovers it! Feel free to use this advice to find and guide partners to manifest that app vision responsibly for your customers.
