Mobile apps have become an important part of businesses now. The increased use of these mobile apps among users these days has prompted businesses worldwide to invest their time in creating responsive mobile apps suiting their business specifics.
In the year 2018, global mobile app revenues amounted to over 365 billion U.S. dollars. In 2023, it is expected that mobile apps would generate a revenue of more than 935 billion U.S. dollars through paid downloads and in-app advertising, says Statista.
With such a huge rise in the demand for mobile apps in the market these days, mobile app development has become an integral part of businesses now. A responsive mobile app not only helps boost the online presence of your business but also keeps your users hooked to your services.
The applications market is growing. The mobile app revenue estimation is to reach $935 billion by 2023, says Statista.
Hiring in-house developers for making a mobile app can be an expensive task. So, you can outsource your project to an offshore company that provides mobile app development services. Doing this enables you to save time, money, overhead costs, and infrastructure costs. But before you start looking for an app development company, you must ask yourself this question: Does your business need a mobile app?
So, here are 5 things to consider before hiring a mobile app development company. These factors will help you know what to consider while hiring a mobile app development company.
Operating System Platform!
It is important for you to decide the platform you want to build your app for. You can either go for hybrid development or native development that suits your business requirements. Once you have decided to build a mobile app, now it’s time to choose the operating systems you want your app to launch on. You will have to choose in between the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
Making a choice between these two is quite challenging. You need to properly understand the features of these two different platforms. Based on this understanding, choose the platform that works best for your app. You can also ask the app development company you are going to hire for building a cross-platform app.
In the third quarter of 2019, Android users have approximately 2.47 million apps to choose from Google Play store, while Apple App Store is the second-largest app store offering 1.8 million iOS apps, says Statista.
What you need to keep in mind is to choose a mobile app development company that understands your business requirements and possesses good working knowledge and skills of these platforms. Also, it's important they are aware of the app development guidelines and strictly adheres to these while building an app that fits your business specifics.
Company Website!
Carefully going through the company website is one of the most important things to consider before hiring a mobile app development company. Before you choose a mobile app development company to build a mobile app, you should have a look at its website. This helps you to know what kind of services they offer.
Studies show that 70 to 80 percent of consumers research businesses online when deciding whether to buy their goods or services. If they search for your business and can’t find a website, it’s almost as if you don’t exist.
I am sure you certainly don’t want this to happen with your business's website. These days almost all mobile development companies have a business website. A well-designed small business website is the best way of making a long-lasting impression on the target audience. Do an exhaustive research about the company by meticulously going through its website and find out for how many years they have been into the business. Choose the one that has around 3-4 years of experience in the industry.
Past Work!
Next in the list of factors to consider before hiring a company is having a look at the past work done and the stages of mobile app development executed by the company for developing mobile apps. To know about the company’s past work, you just need to land on the portfolio page and see what type of projects they have worked on in the past. Get all the details of the mobile applications the company has made so far. Download the same type of apps from respective app stores to know about all the features of the app in detail.
Let’s say for instance, if you are planning to build a banking app, then before hiring the company for developing the app, it's important to find out whether the company has prior experience in building similar apps in the past. Get detailed information about the app that’s there on the portfolio page and know about its features. You can also download the app and then see how it functions.
[Read: Building A Mobile App For Your Business? Consider These 12 Factors First!]
Client Testimonials!
Here is more on what to consider while hiring a mobile app development company. Let’s read further in detail about the important things to consider before hiring a mobile app development company. Before you hire a mobile app development company, you must read the client testimonials on their website. This helps you to view all the reviews, feedback, and comments provided by the clients who have hired the company in the past.
4% of consumers say that positive reviews help them in making their buying decision and allow them to trust a local business more. For every increase of one-star in a Yelp rating means a 5 to 9% increase in revenue.
You can also ask for some past or current client references to check the reliability of the company. You can also contact these clients via email or phone number to get their feedback on the services offered by the company.
Pricing and Timeline!
The pricing of the app development is one of the most significant factors to consider before hiring a mobile app development company. Before you choose a mobile app development company, it’s important that you do an exhaustive market research to find out the best market prices being quoted by different companies. After analyzing these, you should compare these costs and then choose the one that offers the best services.
Also, before hiring a mobile app development company, make sure that the company delivers the project on time. In order to ensure that this happens, you can create a project timeline that can be shared with the developers you are going to hire.
The Bottomline
By now, I am sure you have got a clear idea of the things that you must consider before hiring a mobile application development company. Keeping a check on these things will help you get the right app that fits your business requirements. A responsive mobile app not only helps boost your online presence but also allures more users towards your business. So, ensuring the right process for your mobile app development is a must.
Ruchita is a voracious reader and loves to write on technology-related articles. She holds a pretty good knowledge of the latest technology trends. She is currently associated with Resourcifi.
