Hiring The Best App Developers: Dos And Don’ts

In today’s fast-moving era of technology, we are all surrounded by apps and technical advancements. Today, we are all guarded heavily with app developers and it is proven that an average internet user uses at least 4 apps in a day.

As a business, the making or usage of apps is even more mandate, as the end users are becoming technologically smart and everybody wants all features on the go. There are some businesses who have their in-house apps, while a lot of them hire app developer and then go for external or third-party apps. Whatever, it may be, the fact is that all businesses today – old or new cannot miss the aspect of virtual presence. Today, they are bringing in all their transactions in the form of apps – be it online booking, payments or just viewing the services.

That is why an app has become imperative for obvious reasons. In order to sustain in the market today, you have to get a hang of good apps and that is when the whole role of app developers come into place. While you hire an app developer, here are some dos and don’ts that will help you to identify the best one in the market –

Dos:

Here are some points that you must add to your checklist of choosing the right app developer –

• Previous experiences matters
Experience in this field is very important. The developer that you hire, must have a lot of previous experience in the domain that you want the app to be developed. This is because, for an amateur, it may become tough to live by the mandate requirements of the market and company.

• In-depth knowledge of your domain
Say, you belong from the hospitality sector and wish to get an app developed in this sector only. For this, would you prefer somebody who doesn’t have any knowledge in your domain, and you have to explain everything? Or would you want somebody who knows your domain well, and has relevant experience? So that you don’t have to explain anything and they know how the industry works already?

• The app developer shall be able to build apps on various platforms
Ask yourself the question, “which platform you want the app to be developed?” you may have A as your answer, and when you ask your partner the same question, they may have B as an answer. Well, ask the same to your employees, they may suggest C. Now what do you do? In such scenarios, wouldn’t you prefer to hire an app developer, that can build you an app on various platforms? Well, this being one reason and also – the market is so volatile that you might not want to keep investing, again and again, to rebuild the same app in different versions.

• Technology is the key
Oh yes! Actually, this point should have topped the chart, but we did not want to freak your out, quite honestly! While you hire a team of app developers, it is quite a basic task that you ensure they are always high on technology. There will be a lot of technical aspects to this, which you may not be aware of, but they should know it. Thus, when you are on the lookout for hiring a team, try to have a look at their previous experiences, and have a chat with their app developers.

• Strong app portfolio
You may need just a basic app, but it is actually the duty of the app development team to suggest you better versions and portfolios of applications and mobile apps. The team of app developers shall also be in a position to use different technological stacks for various app platforms. One size fits all, may not work when you have a varied type of requirement, and the team that you hire shall be able to understand that requirement.

• Have a look at their experience portfolio
This will help you to judge their words and their actions. Not that the company and the team will lie, but it will help you to match your preferences with the kind of work they have done before. This will also help you analyze which technology have they worked on before and does it sync with what you are looking at! This will also help you to keep an eye on the capability and professionalism of the company. Having a look at their portfolio will give you a close watch on the projects that have worked on before and you will know, in a vague manner if they will be able to work on your project or not. Also, you will know if the team is giving you new ideas and concepts, to make your app unique.

• Settle in for a team that is more creative and innovative
Well, we know you will not be able to gauge a developer on this basis on one go, and that is why we highly recommend that you have long chats and conversations with the team, have a look at their previous experience and portfolios. Also, when you talk to them, ask them how to go about, and give them hints about what you are looking at. Ask them to come up with a rough draft of your app and see how creative it is. Tell them you don’t like and then see, how innovative they can be, in order to modify it as per your preferences. Also, they should not only be creative with ideas, but they should also be more innovative when it comes to usage of open source platforms. Check their creativity in terms of the persona of users as well, as that is an important factor of your app.

• Communication is the key
Wondering how this will affect? Well, do you want your app design to be great, but the content to be average? No, right? That is why it is highly important that you choose someone who has great communication skills – both spoken and written. This will also help them to communicate their ideas and designs in a more appealing manner.

• Quality cannot be ignored
Once you are on the process of getting your app developed, do not let the app developer do it at their own sweet time. Always, keep asking for updates and give your suggestions immediately. This will help you keep a quality check in control and will save your time of getting the whole app changed at the last moment.

Don’ts

Having these points in your mind will help you to eliminate teams and developers who are not qualified enough to help you develop an app –

• Pricing shall not be the judging criteria
Make this very clear in your mind, and also talk about the same thing to your team. When you are at a point of choosing one app development team for your company, do not take a hasty decision based on pricing. If pricing is a concern, then we would suggest – you just YouTube app development skills and do it on your own. There will be tons of app developers who will offer the low quality of services ate lower price. Hence, always do a thorough check of the portfolio of the app developer, and let price be the final checkpoint when you are hiring app developer. It is a smart choice to have your one-time investment worth so that you do not have to keep investing in the same arena. If you are doing this for the first time, you may not have an idea of the actual costs – for this, do extensive research, ask your colleagues who have gone through this process.

• Do not calculate your long terms returns on Simple Return on Investment
If you are not from a financial background, you may not be aware that there are actually three different types of Return on investments – simple return on investment, risk-return on investment and efficiency return on investment. When you are calculating if the process to hire an app developer, is actually worth or not, do not settle in just for the most simple one. Your product shall not just be able to reap your financials profits, but it should also be able to help you improve your efficiency and reduce all the risks associated with it.  Risks like malware or data protection shall also be eliminated.

• Do not opt for no documentation rules
Be it a substitute for an existing app or an altogether new venture into the virtual world, an app is an important aspect of your business. Do not settle in for any less than the best, and when you hire an app developer, always insist on documentation of everything. From the basics of what you agreed upon to, the pricing, timelines and the after-sales services that you have agreed upon. Either you document everything and ask the team to always give their confirmation on it, or go vice -versa. If you think emails and such communication modes are good enough, that may be it, or else, you can have proper physical documents made and signed by both parties.

This has two reasons – having everything documented, will help you to keep good terms in relation to business, as no party will be able to take undue advantage. Secondly, these documentations will come handy when you want to go for improvements, or upgradation of your app either through the same company or another app development team.

• Do not go for offshore companies who do not have a lot of resources
Now, here resources could be manpower, or it could be technological ones as well. This is one major thing that you must have a look at. Do not select any company that does not have the expertise or does not have the manpower to provide you with all that you are looking for.

Secondly, always refrain from hiring offshore app developers, as distance can play a crucial role in the best outcome. If the company is located in the same city as your, it becomes easy for you to communicate and check on progress. Also, having to hire app developer from another geographical location may have you end up paying increased costs based on that location and the company. Different country will bring in the time zone factor as well.

• Do not pick a company that does not offer any services after delivery
An app may require a lot of bug fixes and maintenance once the product is released in the market. You may also want the company to keep on updating their privacy terms, and update policies. Thus, it is very important that you negotiate on these terms beforehand and do not settle in for any company that does not offer you these maintenance related services for your app.

• App certificate and non-disclosure agreement shall not be ignored
Your app must be certified in order to be released into the market for usage. Do not go for app developers who do not have certified resources and app development tools. It is important that the app developer knows the legal requirements of the app, and abides by them strictly. A non-disclosure agreement is also important wherein, it states that the USPs of your app will not be disclosed by any other company.

• Do not choose a team that is not aware of the security and privacy aspects of an app
Last but not least, it is imperative that the app developer brings to your notice all those security and privacy aspects related to your company and app. Do your research and homework in such a way, that you do not regret later. There are tons of Government regulations that need to be followed in terms of security and privacy. When you hire an app developer, they should incorporate all those terms and shall also mention them in your privacy statement. You may want to check on this aspect much before you take the app developer on board for you.