There are over 4 million software developers in the US, all with different expertise and specialties. With so much choice, it isn’t easy to select the right developer for your business without becoming overwhelmed. Thankfully, this Idea Maker guide is here to help, making hiring the perfect mobile app developer simple.
Understanding The App Development Process
Before you hire a mobile app developer, it’s essential to understand the process behind application development. Understanding the app development process allows you to know exactly what you’re paying for and hold developers accountable for their services.
Like Idea Maker, any reputable app development company will have a clearly defined development procedure, ensuring complete transparency throughout your project. Taking Idea Maker’s process as an example, the following is how a development procedure should look.
Discuss Your Needs
Before anything else, you and your developer will need to outline the project’s requirements. At Idea Maker, we work hard to recognize your application’s needs from functionality to design. This reduces development time, lowers overall costs, and a greater chance of mobile app success.
Wireframe & Prototyping
A wireframe is like a blueprint to a house; it gives you an idea as to where everything is supposed to be and how it looks. Prototyping using wireframes is an excellent way to help you test your app’s functionality before adding an intuitive design.This part of the process allows you to ensure that your requirements have been understood and to make any additional suggestions.
Develop Design Style
Once you’re happy with the functionality of your app’s wireframe, the next stage of development is adding style. At Idea Maker, we create several fully customizable app concept designs from which to choose. From there, we can make alterations as you see fit, helping to make your vision a reality.
Program Your App
After liaising with your app developer on design and functionality requirements, it’s time for the app to be programmed. At this point, Idea Maker will deploy the application code to your own server, giving you complete access to its source materials. If a development company is reluctant to do this, you may have trouble retaining your IP.
Send Your App To Stores
Now that your app is programmed, the development process is complete. All that’s left is to test the app for errors and deploy it to mobile stores. However, this shouldn’t be the end of the road for you and your development team; the best developers will provide post-release support.
What Do You Want From an App Developer?
With 8.9 million mobile apps available worldwide, your app must stand out from the rest. The best way to do this is by developing a high-quality app. This means choosing the right mobile app developer is key to success, but what should a first-rate developer offer?
Cost-Effectiveness
Reputable developers will have tried and tested ways to ensure their services are cost-effective. For example, at Idea Maker, we offer iOS and Android cross-platform development, meaning you get two apps for the price of one. What’s more, we backload our contracts, motivating us to streamline our process, saving you time and money spent on additional hours.
Regular Communication
Did you know 67.5% of failed marriages end due to lack of communication? The relationship between your ideas and your apps development team is no different. To ensure your app is built correctly and to your satisfaction, you must work with people who are enthusiastic about communication and offer regular project updates.
Full-Cycle Development
When you hire an app developer, it’s best to employ developers who provide full-cycle development, i.e., everything from design to code. This will save you time and money on outsourcing additional development tasks, and will also lead to a more cohesive app. This is because one consistent development team will fully understand how all the application’s components interact.
Additional Features
A first-rate development company, or individual, will provide additional app features to improve app functionality and user experience. For example, at Idea Maker, we integrate useful third-party APIs such as Google Maps and payment processing portals. This enables your app to live up to its full potential, using the latest third-party technologies.
Should You Hire A Freelance App Developer or An Agency?
Now you know what services to look for when hiring a mobile app developer, you’ll need to decide whether you want to hire a freelancer or a development agency.
Freelance App Developer
Jack of All Trades
When you hire a freelance app developer, you hire a jack of all trades, master of none. Although this comes with the benefit of low-cost development, it leads to a substandard application. That isn’t to say independent developers can’t build excellent apps, but without expertise in all the required fields – DevOps, frontend, backend, etc. – it’s likely your app’s quality will suffer.
Low-Cost
Hiring an individual freelance developer is cheaper than a development company, as you are only paying for one person’s time. However, independent developers often take an hourly rate, and as they are working alone, it can take a long time to complete a project. This results in you spending unnecessary money and is less cost-effective than hiring a development company.
Software Development Company
Greater Talent Pool
When you hire an app development company, like Idea Maker, you get access to a specialized pool of talented developers. From DevOps to designers, a development agency collaboratively brings different expertise together, ensuring your app is both high-quality and fully functional.
Efficient
Having a team of expert developers means your app will be built efficiently.This is not only because there will be more people working on your project, but because development tasks can be specialized. This means each team member can focus on one, or two, aspects of a project, completing them more rapidly and to a higher degree.
More Development Options
When working with a development agency, you’ll have access to many development options. For instance, at Idea Maker, we offer third-party API integration and Python-based frameworks. As a result, you can be confident of your app’s functionality and broader integration capabilities.
Consistent Support
You will likely have questions, concerns, and new ideas throughout your app’s development. When working with an app development company, there will always be someone there to hear your thoughts. This may not be the case with an independent developer, as all their time must be spent on development.
Where Do I Hire A Mobile App Developer?
By this point in the article, you’ll hopefully have a good idea as to what you want out of a mobile app developer. So, where exactly do you find a first-rate developer?
Toptal
Toptal provides some of the most technically advanced mobile app developers working in the industry. Occasionally, however, these developers have been known to abandon projects due to poor customer service etiquette. Fortunately, to the client’s relief, Idea Maker saved one such project and brought it to a high-quality completion.
Fiverr
It may be no surprise to learn that many inexperienced independent developers list their services on Fiverr at a low price. Unfortunately, using the platform for app development leaves you with few support options, as all transactions have to be conducted through the platform. Using Fiverr means you’ll likely end up with an inferior product, and with the limited support options, your project is doomed to fail.
Upwork
Using Upwork’s robust review system allows you to easily distinguish between high and low-quality developers, making it one of the best recruitment platforms available. However, much of Upworks’ talent is located offshore, causing several major development issues. And without any additional people management tools, organizing your developers can be a challenge.
‘Mobile App Developers Near Me’
The best option is to search Google for ‘mobile app developers near me’ to find an excellent developer. This will show you the highest-rated software developers in your local area, along with their contact details and web links. If you live in Orange County, California, Idea Maker will likely be a top result.
How To Spot A First-Rate App Developer
The final thing to understand before you hire a mobile app developer is how to spot the signs of first-rate quality and service. For a more in-depth breakdown of identifying an excellent mobile app developer, check out Idea Makers’ extensive guide.
Portfolio
Inspecting a developer’s portfolio is key to determining the quality of their work and whether their expertise suits your requirements. A developer’s portfolio will present leads to their recent projects, allowing you to download their apps and try them out for yourself. If you like what you see, you’ve likely found the right developer.
Customer Testimonials
Examining customer testimonials can determine the quality of a developer’s work and customer service. Most development companies will have client testimonials listed somewhere on their website. If a developer has no testimonials listed, they can be found on websites such as Clutch, which provides verified and trusted reviews.
Superior Tech Stack
Reliable app developers will use proven industry technology, meaning an up-to-date and widely compatible tech stack. A tech stack is the combined technology used to develop one single application, a list of which can be ascertained through developer’s websites or via contacting them directly. Inexperienced developers may opt for cutting-edge, untested technologies that can result in unstable software.
Post-Release Support Options
There’s no such thing as a bug-free app, so working with developers who offer post-release support options is essential. Hiring a developer who doesn’t provide post-release support is a mistake that can have fatal consequences. If your app faces inconvenient bugs without maintenance, you risk losing your user base.
Summary
After reading this article, you should understand several components of finding the right mobile app developer. This includes:
- The app development process
- What a mobile app developer should offer
- The difference between interdependent developers and agencies
- Where to find a mobile app developer
- How to spot a first-rate app developer
Now you are ready to hire the perfect mobile app developers.
High-Quality Mobile App Development with Idea Maker
Need high-quality software and mobile app development? Consider Idea Maker. We boast all the requirements outlined in this article and more.
Our team of experienced developers is ready to develop a first-rate, high-functioning app that suits your needs. So, schedule a free consultation with us today to learn more.
