Today, building a mobile application isn’t just an extra option for businesses – it’s becoming more and more of an essential requirement for brands that want to keep up with their competition and create a loyal customer base. With most of the big brands, today now offering mobile apps alongside responsive websites, being mobile-friendly often isn’t enough on its own. A mobile application can be a significant investment for your company, however, it can bring with it a host of benefits which will ensure that your investment pays off. For example, mobile apps tend to boost sales, encourage customer loyalty, make it easier to build your brand by encouraging visibility, and simply ensure that your reputation as a forward-thinking, modern brand stays intact.
However, to get it right with your mobile application and reap the benefits of developing one, it’s vital to make sure that you are partnered with the right mobile app developer. Read on for our top tips on finding and choosing the best app developer to work with.
Tip #1. Look for a Developer Who’s Interested in Your Industry
Whilst many developers are happy to work with companies from any industry in business, it’s always better to go with the one who displays a keen interest in your industry, rather than one who’s simply interested only in developing apps. A good app developer or development company will not only be able to guide you through the entire process of developing an app for your brand, but also provide you with creative input that is based on similar experiences with brands like yours. Your ideal developer will have extensive knowledge of what works and what does not, since they’ve worked with many similar clients and helped them reach success.
Tip #2. Check Out their Portfolio
An app developer who is reluctant to show you their portfolio should be one that you approach with caution. In general, any good app developer will have their portfolio made easily accessible so that potential customers are able to check out what they are working with and what they can expect for their investment. Even better if you can find a developer who’s worked on apps that you’ve heard of or even have downloaded to your smartphone – popular apps are always a good sign that a developer knows what they are talking about! One of the main things to look out for in a portfolio is excellent U/UX skills – the best developers know the importance of creating a stunning, interactive user interface.
Tip #3. Choose Somebody You Can Work with Long-Term
Working with app development experts isn’t just a one-off thing. Chances are, you’ll need to make updates and changes to your app over time to ensure that it remains relevant in the market and keeps up with changing customer requirements and expectations. Because of this, it’s vital to choose an app developer that you feel comfortable working with and will be able to partner with for a long period of time. Since apps must go through several cycles and evolutions based on customer feedback and changing trends, it’s important to find an app developer who can commit to sticking with you throughout the lifecycle of the product, not just during the initial development and release.
Tip #4. Don’t Focus Solely on Price:
One of the biggest objectives for businesses today is cutting costs, which is why many business owners and marketing managers make the mistake of focusing solely on the price when it comes to choosing the right development expert for their mobile application. However, it’s important to bear in mind that when it comes to app development, you will get what you pay for. If a developer is offering prices that appear to be too good to be true, then chances are, they’re probably not worth wasting your money on. It’s important to consider your mobile application to be a long-term investment – spending more money upfront on an experienced and proven development company. It’s best to really get to know your team beforehand. Companies like The App Developers pride themselves in ensuring they discover, design and deliver. You can find more information about who the App Developers are to help you make your choice. It’s important that you allow yourself a budget to work with a reliable company as opposed to cutting costs which could lead to a loss of revenue down the line.
Tip #5. Consider the Whole Package
It’s easy to focus solely on the coding when it comes to developing an app for your business, however, a developer who is great with code but knows nothing about the overall customer experience is probably not going to get you the results that you are hoping for. Bear in mind that your customers are the people who are going to determine whether your app is a success or a flop, and they don’t care about the coding – they care about having a convenient and pleasurable experience from start to finish when using your app. Partner up with an app developer who understands the importance of creating a functional design, an easy-to-use user interface, and adding features that create a memorable and enjoyable customer experience, rather than simply focusing on code.
Tip #6. Know the Importance of Design
When using an app, aesthetics is hugely important to users. Nobody wants to use an app that’s too cluttered, is difficult to navigate, or has too many bright colors that hurt the eyes. Because of this, your app’s design should be a key priority when choosing a developer to put it all together. Ideally, you should opt for a development expert who has some experience in web or graphic design or works closely with a designer to put together the best app layouts. Bear in mind that the appearance of an app is just as important as it’s functionality; your app can work well, but if it looks terrible, it’s going to quickly be deleted or forgotten about.
Tip #7. Ask for Recommendations
Anybody can learn how to develop an app, so sifting through your options and choosing the companies and individuals that are worth giving a chance to can be a long and arduous process. As a business owner, there’s never been a better time than now to take advantage of your network of contacts. Chances are, you know somebody who has had a mobile app developed, or somebody who can put you in touch with people that are able to give you more information. Asking for recommendations is one of the best ways to get in touch with some of the best app developers out there – many survive mainly on word-of-mouth marketing. In general, you can expect recommendations to be trustworthy, as people don’t tend to pass the details on of a tradesperson that they weren’t satisfied with. So, if you’re feeling stuck, ask around and see which names come up the most.
Tip #8. Ask Questions:
Lastly, don’t be afraid of asking your potential app developers as many questions as possible so that you can use the information that they provide to determine which would be the best for your brand. Every app developer is different, so bear in mind that simply because one has good reviews or an excellent standard of work, it won’t always mean that they are the perfect choice for your app idea. Spending some time with developers to discuss your project and ask questions about their work can make it easier for you to make the right selection.
If these tips were useful for you, let us know in the comments!
