The fast-paced technological landscape has changed everything today. The traveling, healthcare, supply chain, real estate, music, lifestyle, and literally every industry you can think of has been revolutionized, courtesy of technology.
And one specific and pretty interesting domain in which breakthrough technologies have given rise to countless opportunities and possibilities is the smartphone domain.
From the first smartphone of the world, ‘Simon,’ which was designed by IBM, to when Apple reinvented the phone in 2007 and introduced iPhone to the world, the technological advancements in the smartphone domain were drastic.
Fast forward, the continuous ideations, iterations, and developments resulted in the creation of today’s most applauded and in-demand aspect of the smartphone, the stores in which you can find apps!
Within the Google Play Store or App Store, you’ll find millions of apps designed by app development companies. These apps come in different categories and niches, and you can seamlessly find the perfect one for you according to your preference.
And there are literally countless businesses that have made a fortune out of app development and launching. However, we’re talking about the time when the stores were in their infancy.
Today, there’s high competition, and to thrive in the digital stores, you need to come up with a revolutionary app idea, let alone work with an experienced app development industry, to ensure success.
Furthermore, due to the abundance of app development companies, finding the perfect one for your app has become difficult, but there are some ways through which you can find the best app development company for your business.
This article details the 7 ways through which you can select the appropriate app development company for your project. But before getting directly into that, let’s explore more about why it is difficult to find an app development company.
We’re living in the era of technology, and due to the availability of information on-demand, countless entrepreneurs have learned how to develop mobile applications.
From app development to web development, companies are eager to work with startups, SMBs, and enterprise-grade organizations to develop their digital products.
Where this aspect favors customers all over the world in terms of enabling them to seamlessly find any app development company that’s willing to help them with their project, it also tightens the screws on people who have very specific requirements.
Additionally, the experience, expertise, cost, and portfolio also matter as building sophisticated apps are difficult, and randomly selecting an app development company from the internet can cost you much more than just your project.
Hence, the app development company that you’re willing to go with regarding your app development should have a proven portfolio. They must have the required workforce.
Their experience and expertise should be highlighted by not only them but other sources as well, and they should operate as an extension of your brand rather than acting like a company you outsourced your project to.
Also, some of the best app development companies ideate, iterate, incubate, make sure that your idea is bulletproof before initiating the developmental phase. They also tend to give their input in a critical situation while ensuring the creation of an impactful app that derives much more than just results.
Although It sounds like finding a company that contributes, dedicatedly works, and is hyper-focused on your project is a myth, and there’s nothing like this in the real world but hear me out, there are companies that are ready to give you the best solution for your business most professionally and efficiently.
You may have to go through a lot of hassle or research to find the best app development company for your business, but once you’ve hired one, it’ll be a smooth ride, and you can rest assured about the success of your business.
What you need for your project is a UI/UX expert, project manager, app developer, app designers, quality assurance specialists, and some other critical staff and luckily, the app development company you’ll select after going through this article will have much more than just the above-mentioned resources to get the job done.
So, let’s get started on the steps that you need to go through to select the best app development company for your business.
Let’s start by giving you an instant solution to this; you can search for app development companies on the internet.
Well, that was implied; I mean, the best way to search for a business or get reviews about a business is through the internet or through Google!
Now, the important question is where to actually start, right? I mean, you’ve got social media, search engines, references, or business listing sites like Clutch or GoodFirms.
The question now is that where should you get started from? And the answer is, ‘everywhere.’
The best approach would be to set a deadline for yourself in which you have to search and streamline the best app development company in Chicago or anywhere else by leveraging all of the relevant digital channels you can find.
Adding the geographic location in which you’re searching for an app development company would prove to be extremely helpful as you’ll get the names of the companies operating within your reach.
Furthermore, you’re planning to outsource your app development project, so the best approach here is to find a company that you can easily visit whenever you want to or communicate with seamlessly.
Also, go through the costing of different projects to find out which company operating within your reach is offering the most cost-effective yet quality-oriented app development services.
Like for example, if you search for ‘app developer Miami,’ you’ll see the companies operating in Miami. So, go for this approach when you’re streamlining app development companies.
Once you’ve made the list of the companies nearby, it’s time to evaluate their work/portfolio. Let’s start by discussing which portfolio you should consider the best because a lot of companies have already showcased their portfolio in a spectacular fashion over the internet.
So, after making a list of companies, go through their portfolio in terms of technical expertise, experience, and the size of companies that they’ve worked within the past.
Understanding this, you’ll be able to identify their core expertise or specialty, which would enable you to determine which type of project they will be able to handle easily.
You can also ask app development companies about the project that they’ve built similar to your project. And with the portfolio, as mentioned earlier, you can determine their skills, creativity, and other critical aspects that you think are necessary for your business.
This may be the most helpful part of your quest for the best app development journey – you can get in touch with the company’s list of clients to see what their experience has been working with the app development company.
By experience, I mean how their project went in terms of development, designing, feature and experience integration, Q/A phase, and other integral stages that are involved in app development.
Furthermore, you can also ask these clients about the technologies that their specific app development company leveraged to power their projects. Also, communication is perhaps the most important aspect here so, ask about it!
After going through all of the aforementioned questions in detail, you’ll have a clear vision of what you need to do. Remember that a happy clientele of a company is a positive sign, and you can surely go to the next step with this company.
How many times have you tested a bike or a car before buying it? And by test, I mean the test drive you took to determine the performance of the vehicle.
You do it always right!
Similarly, when you’re going through the portfolio of the company, see the apps that have been published on Google Play or App Store.
Download these apps and test them for performance, navigation, responsiveness, features, functionality, and whatever you deem necessary.
You can also ask the app development company about their best work and test those applications in the same way you would test your own app.
Lastly, you can also give access to other end-users and wait for their feedback on the app to further solidify your opinion about the same app.
Transparency is yet another factor that plays an integral role in the selection of an app development company.
Now that you already know that there are hundreds of app development companies operating out there, transparent processes and credibility are two main traits that are setting them apart from each other besides other factors listed in the article above.
So, what’s transparency all about?
Well, transparency here mainly relates to the feedback and evaluation policy of the app development company. It’s the part where you, being a client, are allowed to see your project’s development, what has been done, what’s remaining, and the projected timeline when the app will be fully functional and delivered.
Keeping yourself in the feedback loop will also allow you to determine the methodology that the app development company is following to develop your mobile application as well as Mobile app testing program.
In fact, faster app development and transparent communication can be considered signs that your app project will go great because the company is super-confident that they’re allowing you to get feedback in real-time.
Furthermore, in terms of transparency, there are some digital assets of the company that matter or allow you to get a better idea of the strength of the company’s communication aspect.
For example, the company’s website must have chatbots that are programmed to initiate a good conversation with the customers.
Also, social media of the company should also provide valuable feedback to the customers in case they’re trying to get in touch with the company through them.
The revolutionary aspect that would totally get you inspired here would be that the company is super-available any time for you.
They’re using Facebook messenger or WhatsApp to promote natural conversation and make you feel like they’re operating as an in-house department of your business.
Another factor that needs to be considered while selecting an app development company is the budget.
Usually, the budget required for app development is higher as compared to the development of other digital products.
According to research, an app development project can cost you somewhere between $25,000 to $50,000, and depending on the complexity of the project, the quotation given to you by the app development company can increase.
However, there are times when businesses or entrepreneurs don’t have the required budget to develop high-end mobile applications. In this situation, people are generally looking for cost-effective app development services providers to get their projects developed.
Therefore, it’s always recommended to ask the company or get a quotation for your project before getting started on developing an app. After determining the portfolio, processes, expertise, and other critical aspects, getting a quotation of your app project from different companies would help you make a better decision in selecting the best company, keeping the cost in check.
So, after all the hassle of going through literally comprehensively evaluating several app development companies while validating some of them, you’re down to the part where you need to know what additional service these companies can offer you after your project has been designed, developed, tested, delivered and published.
Moreover, once your app is live and it starts getting traction, you’ll build a user base.
These users will start giving their feedback to you after using your app, and you will have to act on it quickly to ensure a seamless and robust experience of your app.
In this scenario, you would need the app development company that is working on your project to act on the feedback received quickly.
Hence, ensuring this maintenance and support aspect is just as important as any other aspect mentioned in this article.
In the end, all I want to say is that you should find a company that is actually interested in your business and not just an app development company that’s there to drain you out of your budget.
The company’s interest in your business would determine the quality of your digital product and how much effort they’ll put in to get the job done most efficiently and innovatively.
Finally, this article details all the necessary elements that you need to focus on while selecting an app development company and following the process will totally give you the advantage of ensuring a hassle-free process while building a strong relationship with the business that you’re working with.
