15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring SaaS Development Agency.
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Every mobile app development company claims to be unique, flexible and committed. So how will you choose your next mobile app developer?
What you need is an excellent way to judge their capabilities by analyzing multiple factors related to the firm’s skill set.
This article will look at some top tips on choosing your next mobile app developer from various business perspectives.
Here are a few things to look out for in a great technology partner:
1. Do they have a great portfolio of mobile applications?
Please do not make a hasty decision of hiring a SaaS development partner without checking their portfolio or past works.
A developer with a great applications portfolio will naturally create better results for you too!
This way, you will be able to see what kind of apps they have created before and whether they can build your specific application or not.
Ask them to walk you through their portfolios to make it easier for you to judge and make the best decision for your startup.
Also, ask them what percentage of the apps they have developed are still being used after six months or longer.
2. Do they have prebuilt Solutions for your requirements?
Many of these app development agencies have already worked in the past with many clients and some of these agencies create what we call “app solutions,” which is a prebuilt app with many of the features pre-created and configured.
Working with prebuilt app solutions and customizing them based on your own needs will save you both time and money, so do check out these options.
3. Peep Into Client Testimonials Reviews
When you hire an app developer, you must peep into their website and 3rd party review sites.
Check the Client Testimonials page and find out the reviews posted by the client company.
The best place to look for reviews and testimonials are :
- Clutch
- Good firms
- Google reviews
- Glassdoor (for employee reviews, trust me, don’t miss this step!)
4. Do you want to develop a quick prototype or MVP?
App developers’ skills in creating prototypes are sometimes underestimated — if your budget is limited, make sure their prototyping services are included in the price!
It’s much easier to get user feedback on paper mockups or even clickable wireframes than it is with real live code, so it’s good to be able to test designs early on.
5. Do mobile app developers have “Growth marketing experience?”
Once you create the app, you got to promote it, and typically the app owner first makes the entire app (which costs huge bucks) and then starts finding a digital marketing agency to enable it.
This approach is wrong!!!
The goal should be to create a tech business and not just a working app.
What is the point of having a great working app with no takers?
So start the “marketing” of the app at the early stages; once you have the MVP or even the initial prototype, your marketing activities should ideally start to do product validation and find the product-market fit.
Many Mobile advertising agencies are now moving into app development, taking their mobile marketing knowledge.
Maybe you want to develop a mobile application that can be marketed using mobile ads. Still, if the mobile developer you choose has no direct mobile marketing experience, they will not know how to design your mobile application for maximum exposure.
But if they don’t have any direct app marketing background, then maybe look into hiring a specialized agency simultaneously or even later after you gain more application traction.
6. What kind of apps have they developed before?
After mastering the mobile platforms and the software aspects, the next thing you should consider is previous mobile projects.
You can also ask the developer what mobile apps they have developed before. This gives you an idea of their development skills, whether they use app prototyping tools, which kind of mobile applications they worked on, and for whom.
7. Take Note Of Their Costs
The app development cost will depend on the complexity, features, and resources required for your project.
The proposal you sign should have provisions ranging from IP ownership, payment breakups, and the ways your confidential information will get handled.
8. How much time can it take from the moment I send requirements until delivery?
This mobile outsourcing factor is significant because the mobile application development process can take time.
Usually, development companies that develop applications know the importance of deadlines, and they do their best to reach it.
However, some apps (e.g., mobile games) still require more time for development than simple mobile websites, so some mobile companies decide to offer fixed deadlines or even milestones instead of open-ended project development!
Also, make sure your chosen mobile developer will follow agile methodologies while developing your original idea into a real mobile app.
9. What frameworks and technologies do they use?
Suppose you know precisely what kind of mobile product you want to develop. In that case, it’s often helpful first to look at different mobile development platforms and technologies: native development (Objective C, Swift for iOS and Java / Android), cross-platform mobile development, or hybrid technology (PhoneGap, Ionic …). If you ask the provider what platform he prefers to work with, this will tell a lot about future collaboration.
10. What app development processes do they use?
This is the essential part of any research towards finding the right tech partner, yet this is the most ignored one.
Ask for the processes and best practices for design, development, and deployment and teams in charge of each stage.
How mobile apps are actually developed is as important as the mobile platforms and programming languages.
Mobile developers typically use different mobile application development processes: Agile Scrum process, Waterfall model, mobile project management tools … For example, mobile product owners know well that mobile app prototyping is essential in mobile software development.
11. Which programming languages do they use for software development?
Mobile apps are usually created with one or more programming languages. Besides Java / Android and Objective C / iOS, mobile applications are often built using C# — MonoGame, Unity 3D…
If you prefer a specific programming language for mobile app development, please check if the mobile developers you consider have enough knowledge in this area before moving forward.
And don’t forget to ask about their experience with custom mobile technologies too!
12. Are the developers skilled?
If you are thinking, “why is it so important to check mobile app developers’ skills?”, the answer lies in one term: Certification.
App development is a fast-changing industry, and developers need to learn how mobile market trends evolve to become successful.
Also, mobile app development is a branch of the IT industry that requires a particular set of skills, and mobile developers who have the proper certification can prove their mobile application development knowledge with certificates.
Certification may give you a good idea of a mobile developer’s expertise, but it’s not meant to substitute for clients’ mobile app reviews!
13. Can they provide mobile app testing?
Many people think that mobile application testing should be done by the mobile developers themselves or other software testers. But, in fact, it’s not so!
Mobile app companies typically have their own QA teams with very strict quality assurance standards.
In addition, specialist testers usually test mobile applications on different devices using multiple test scenarios before the launch.
Also, remember to ask about their defect tracking system, which will help you track bugs faster and more effectively.
14. Are application developers willing to sign NDA?
At this stage, the mobile developer is very likely to agree to a non-disclosure agreement if your mobile application project sounds interesting.
After all, the apps they are creating will contain sensitive business information that can’t be shared with everyone.
So please make sure you want to hire a mobile outsourcing company before moving forward with any written agreements because once signed, they are legally binding agreements that cannot be changed later on.
15. Do they offer training or support after delivery?
This is another plus that can save you from unnecessary expenses! Unfortunately, many companies fail to organize their employees’ training courses or support sessions.
Mobile outsourcing companies should be able to offer you at least one type of educational program that will teach your employees how to use this or that tool.
Conclusion
A great tech partner can help you make your tech startup success, whereas a lousy development agency will only bother about their billing rate and invoices.
P.S.
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Thanks,
Ritesh Osta
I Help Tech & Online Businesses Scale Fast using Sales Funnel Strategies.
