10 Things to Consider While Hiring Mobile App Developers

Mobile apps have become an essential part of business in the world of today. With mobile apps, you have the ability to increase the productivity of your business in the most exponential way. If you are wanting to increase business sales, one of the best ways to do so is by launching a user-friendly mobile app. Most companies hire mobile app developers to build the best app possible for their company, although not all of them are able to find a trustworthy one. If this happens, it could result in a very expensive and useless app which can't engage and convert users to the company. With this in mind, it's very important to make plans for what you want and keep them in mind when hiring the mobile app developers.
Here are ten of the most important factors to consider.

i.) Cost Factors
There will be a huge difference in costs from developer to developer. "You tend to get what you pay for. Try to find a company that has worked on a project in a similar field as your own, especially if domain expertise is critical to the success of your app," says Arthur Iinuma, Co-Founder of ISBX, an app development company.
It's your job as the customer to be able to choose effectively between them. A good practice is to shortlist the ones you think are valid, and ask them to bid on the project. When you have their bids, go and have a look at their work history, the reviews previous clients have left, and make your decision based on that. Do not automatically go for the cheapest price, but instead focus on security, the expertise they can offer, and the support they give.

ii.) Timeline for the Development
The time factor in developing an app is largely dependent on the complexity of the app, as well as the type of application you want. On average, the development cycle for an app is 4-6 weeks, but if you need the app urgently, make sure to hire developers from a company which advertised the ability to work fast. It might be slightly more expensive than a non-urgent developer, but hiring someone with the proven ability to work fast is highly effective in the long run. Don't forget to have a look at their previous work experience and ability to meet deadlines.

iii.) Location of the Developers
With increased globalization, it is now very easy to get in touch with developers from around the whole world - you might find that you want to hire some of them from another region or country. If you do, make sure that the chosen area has sufficient resources – there should be lots of choice in talented developers. For example, many people prefer to hire app developers in Los Angeles, since they are considered to have sufficient resources and developer talents in comparison to other cities. Arthur mentions, "Keep in mind that while outsourcing to an overseas market may be irresistible in cost alone, there is no legal recourse for U.S. companies doing business abroad if things go south."


iv.) Developers' Background
"Developer experience is critical. Building a startup? Does the developer have any successful case studies of startups that have become successful companies from their work?" says Iinuma.
It's a good idea to research the previous working experiences of a developer before you hire them. Ask them for work samples and previous projects, if you can, and, if possible, speak to some of their previous clients for references. The developer you hire should have good enough skills and experiences to give you a well-functioning app. If your app uses sensitive information, or needs to be finished in a strict deadline, it's best if you make sure that you don't hire an amateur developer. Hiring a developer from freelancing sites like freelancer.com, upwork.com is useful because then you can easily see their profile, previous histories, and reputations, even before making initial contact with them.

v.) Non-Disclosure
The app you and your company have come up might contain sensitive information which should not be made available to the general public, hence the need for confidentiality between you and your chosen developers. The best way to ensure privacy is to legalize it – ask developers to sign a legally binding non-disclosure agreement before they begin work, in order to ensure privacy.

vi.) Easy Communication
Make sure your developers are able to communicate in a simple and yet professional manner. They should understand your requirements, and should have the ability to talk to you convincingly about the work they have done, and any changes they have made. There shouldn't be any misunderstanding between you and the developers working for you.

vii.) Additional Feature Suggestions
Ideally the developer you choose should have enough skill that they are able to make suggestions for the improvement of your app. Developers should be attuned to the latest trends in app design, and so should know what would work best for your needs.

viii.) Interest of the Developers
Your mobile app developers should be interested not just in the task, but in your business in general. They must have the ability to see and analyze the big picture, and see what will work best for your business. The best developers will ask for as many details about the job, your expectations and your business goals as possible – this is how you know they are interested in the job.

ix.) Monetization Skill
Your mobile app developers should know the business model that you have planned for your application, and they should know how you plan to monetize it. If they don't, then they should be prepared to at least ask these questions. An ordinary mobile app developer will simply build the app and hand it to you; a great one will think about how the app will affect your business, and do their best work possible in order to give you a highly profitable solution.

x.) Long-Term Relationship
You will most likely find yourself needing frequent updates for your app. If this is the case (or you think it will be the case), it is preferable to hire a developer with whom you can form a working relationship. You should also bear in mind that you may need your developer at extremely short-notice, so hire a developer with this potential need in mind.