The Right Way to Outsource App Development

Any kind of organization, in order to achieve more public connectivity, relies on a relevant app. If you too are thinking of launching your own business and eventually building your very own mobile app, then outsourcing the development can actually be a much more affordable and efficient option.

A huge number of businesses have started outsourcing aspects of their jobs to save on resources and time and to get service on a more professional level. In 2016, nearly 72% of all businesses worldwide have outsourced their information technology-related needs. And the number continues to grow very fast.

The best thing about outsourcing is that it can considerably reduce your costs, cutting down the quantity of risk which is involved and create outstanding results.

But running your cell phone app from all over the world surely can be very intimidating.

Before you embark on this app development journey, it is best to get acquainted with some useful tricks and tips which are very relevant and effective for handling your mobile app’s development and achieving the best possible outcome.

Before you kick start the process you have to know and understand your requirements. You will have to look for a pertinent experience. You are going to have to ask a lot of questions. Also setting clear expectations and requesting a project brief after collaborating with a partner is a great plan. You will have to always remember that the key is always communication.

Let’s have a look at some of the key points you should keep in mind before starting to outsource your app development.

Know and Understand Your Requirements

Before you begin searching for app development choices, you should know precisely what you wish to get out of the app. Knowing what you want will assist you to communicate your needs clearly to the developer.

If you don’t know, it is quite possible for you to end up with an app that does not mix well with your expectations and/or does not work that efficiently. Moreover, the more changes you want, the more you are going to waste your money and your time. This brings you to some very important questions that you must consider before deciding what your requirements will be.

• Who is your customer?
• What is the need for the app you want?
• What will be the defining characteristic of the app?
• What other characteristics are you going to need?
• Is the app better paid or for free?
• What is the monetization strategy for your app?
• What is better suited for you, a hybrid app or a native app?

Pick the Perfect Development Option

You have to remember that there’s not one option which is going to be perfect for all of the businesses and apps out there. It will all depend on what you require and obviously, how much you can afford. So, before you decide who you want to outsource the app development to, you need to weigh up the pros and cons for all the options.

You can decide to farm out the app development to specialized firms and agencies which generally have expert teams who will present you with good results and an approach which is strategy-focused.

Comparatively, this option may be costlier and is most probably not suitable for medium or small scale businesses, which are generally performing or running operations on very tight budgets. Outsourcing the app development to an independent or freelance developer may be a much more economical alternative for small or medium businesses.

Furthermore, even if somehow you do succeed in finding a technically enhanced developer, there will be very little chance for you to have any luck with the strategy aspect and market research aspects of the process of app development.

Still, it would be right to say that independent or freelance developers are great only if you do not require a very complex, high-end app, or that all you want is decent and usable customization with a technically and visually sound and good product.

Some other options generally include the app being outsourced to foreign developers and firms who uses drop-and-drag building technique to develop mobile apps. Some foreign developers can actually offer you the most effective solution for your pocket but they may not turn out to be a good mix for your needs and culture.

Without first-hand experience, they might not target the market needs of your society quite rightly, maintaining the quality standards that you aim to achieve.

Look for Relevant Experience

Whenever you hire someone for a particular job, the first thing you look at is their ability to do the work. That aspect is best analyzed by finding out more about their experience.

The same thing happens when you outsource a job to a particular developer. The first thing you look at when you hire them is their portfolio.

You will have to remember though that just seeing their usual experience isn’t enough. You need to search for the experience which is actually relevant to the app development process if you want to have a genuinely great product in your hand at the end of the process.

Check whether the developer that you want to outsource the job to have created any apps which are similar to your requirements. If they don’t have the exact experience as per your required field then find out if they have experience in a similar field or not. It will help you understand if they can manage it or not.

Communication Is Key

You shouldn’t underestimate the power of communication. Remember that whenever you are searching for the perfect developer to hire, you have to search for outstanding communication skills plus the responsiveness of the person who is going to do the job.

You can go through the development process to make sure that you and the developer are not frightened to question anything, to address any confusion and also respond to each other in a timely manner. If you do not communicate very often then it might happen that you are not always in the same chapter as the developer is. That can lead to very messy situations, cost problems and conflicts.

It’s also very important for you to clarify and establish the mediums using which you are planning to communicate in the future with your partner or developer. For instance, if you are planning on using various mediums, for a collaborative team effort, then you should clarify with your developer which channel you are going to use.

Another common issue between clients and developers is a lack of proactive communication. You should never wait for your partner to ask questions. If you think you need to ask any question or something is not right, then you must address and clarify the before it becomes a mess. This will reduce the amount of time wasted, so instead of waiting for the topic to come up and the ‘right time’ to mention it, you address it straight away.

You should also never forget about interactive communication. You should listen carefully about what your partner or developer wants to say and never just boss them around. You have to make sure that the communication process is a two-way conversation, and behave with the developer like you would a colleague, not a subordinate.

Never Be Afraid to Ask a Question

You should never be frightened of asking relevant questions. Not just in this case but in any case, asking questions is always the right thing.

This is more important in the case of foreign app outsource cases or development relationships where communication is not able to flow as it does in proximate cases. Just remember that if you want to employ someone you should always choose also a responsive person who is always open to having meaningful communication.

When you are interviewing a developer, you should not hire anyone who does not answer the questions you are asking properly.

Set out Your Expectations Clearly

This is a very important point especially in the case of outsourcing to an offshore development project.

You need to set out the expectations as clearly as possible in order to make yourself and your partner both understand what you are supposed to do and what you are expected be doing, why, how, and when you are supposed to be doing it.

Always Request a Plan

You should always ask your development partner about a project plan before outsourcing the app project.

It is crucial because it gives you a sense of how much serious your partner is about your app development. The process becomes crystal clear to you, and you shouldn’t encounter any surprises as the project progresses.

Conclusion

If you are serious about outsourcing a job to a developer be it a freelancer or an agency, you first need to believe in his or her skills and achievements.

You have to remember that you both have different mindsets, so have trust in them and they will provide you products accordingly.

Whatever route that you choose to adopt in order to develop your app, at the end of the day, you have to ensure that it is a valuable addition to your overall business goals.