My first forray into the world of mobile app development was
around 2010. A friend of mine had been in this business sector for
several years and thought it might be a new possibility, as I looked to
switch up my skillset from music.
Right off the bat, let me tell you that I am a pseudo-gamer. I enjoy my fair share of Facebook, online browser-based and iOS apps. As I learned how to apply my love of writing into the world of Google, I have had the privilege of seeing how an app is developed from the idea stage to completion.
The economy is starting to bounce back. Smartphones and tablets are in an "arms race" to create the lightest, most pixel-rich and longest lasting devices for retail consumption. As a large or small business owner, plotting the growth of your organization is the difference between record profits or laying off staff.
Going mobile is a strategy that can produce additional revenue, reduce down time, enhance employee productivity and work as a way of communicating new sales or events happening at your location.
Once you've decided to explore having a mobile app created for your business, you'll need to have some criterion for the firm you choose to hire. On the small business level, budgets are always a concern.
How Badly Does Your Business Need To Be On The Mobile Frontier?
There are lots of different ways to position your business in the mobile/online sphere. The more bells and whistles you want the smartphone app to offer, the more time it will take to create, as well as money needed to ensure everything is working correctly. If you feel that it is important for your company to take the next step, you'll need to set aside a decent budget to make it a reality. After all, this app will be promoting your brand and you definitely want to launch with the best foot forward.
How Many Developers Live In Your Area?
It's not necessarily a slam dunk that you should hire a local developer. However, it is a nice option to consider because you can meet them face-to-face and get familiar with their mannerisms.
The benefits of hiring a local mobile app developer include:
Looking at a development firm's client list can help you form an opinion about their track record and if they can handle your needs. Sure, you might be able to find that diamond-in-the-rough developer that will work on a small budget for the opportunity to showcase what he can do, but do you really want to risk your brand in that way? There's no wrong answer to this question, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.
How Long Will The App Take To Develop?
If time is of the essence, your best bet is going to be hiring a firm that has enough employees that can handle the load. If it's a rush job, it will cost you a lot more to complete. You will also run the risk of having unforeseen technical glitches (aka "bugs") occur, due to the lack of proper time to test. It's been said before that you can't rush greatness and if you can give the developers a long amount of time, they can produce an amazing product and meet your deadlines.
If you are meeting with a developer that doesn't have a formulated template for how they will complete each task, consider not using them for this project. This is extremely important and needs structure.
Innovation Workshops, Brainstorming and Ideation Sessions, Process Flow Development, Joint Design Sessions, Task Optimization, Concept Sketches, Iterative Modeling, Low/High Fidelity Prototypes and Test Design are just some of the terminology that you should be hearing, when discussing details of your app.
How Many Developers Are Employed At This Firm?
Knowing if there will be a team of developers working on your app will give you the peace of mind that you need, in order to feel confident about your first foray into the mobile universe. If there is one developer working on the app, it should not be a deal-breaker, necessarily, but it will give you an idea of the timeframe and what you can expect. Having multiple developers working on different elements of the framework lets you know that the firm you hired is eager to accommodate your requests. In my opinion, it's always good to have more than one set of eyes on the product. Debating can only make the app look and function better. Dissenting viewpoints breeds creativity and sparks new approaches to problem solving. One developer creates a dictatorship climate and could prove to be more challenging in communicating what your needs are for the app.
I feel that after your initial meetings with the prospective firm, you should have a great sense of ease and eagerness to hire them. Investing anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 on a mobile app is an important decision. You need to feel good about the decision and have sound logic behind the next step.
Obviously, there are dozens of other questions that you can ask the prospective mobile app development firm. This is just a tip of the iceberg. If you are considering having a mobile app created for your organization, I hope you will find this article helpful and a nice primer to get your creative juices flowing.
Right off the bat, let me tell you that I am a pseudo-gamer. I enjoy my fair share of Facebook, online browser-based and iOS apps. As I learned how to apply my love of writing into the world of Google, I have had the privilege of seeing how an app is developed from the idea stage to completion.
The economy is starting to bounce back. Smartphones and tablets are in an "arms race" to create the lightest, most pixel-rich and longest lasting devices for retail consumption. As a large or small business owner, plotting the growth of your organization is the difference between record profits or laying off staff.
Going mobile is a strategy that can produce additional revenue, reduce down time, enhance employee productivity and work as a way of communicating new sales or events happening at your location.
Once you've decided to explore having a mobile app created for your business, you'll need to have some criterion for the firm you choose to hire. On the small business level, budgets are always a concern.
How Badly Does Your Business Need To Be On The Mobile Frontier?
There are lots of different ways to position your business in the mobile/online sphere. The more bells and whistles you want the smartphone app to offer, the more time it will take to create, as well as money needed to ensure everything is working correctly. If you feel that it is important for your company to take the next step, you'll need to set aside a decent budget to make it a reality. After all, this app will be promoting your brand and you definitely want to launch with the best foot forward.
How Many Developers Live In Your Area?
It's not necessarily a slam dunk that you should hire a local developer. However, it is a nice option to consider because you can meet them face-to-face and get familiar with their mannerisms.
The benefits of hiring a local mobile app developer include:
- Keeps your investment dollars in the local economy
- You can meet them in person and ask lots of questions
- If there is an emergency or major problem, you can go to their office
Looking at a development firm's client list can help you form an opinion about their track record and if they can handle your needs. Sure, you might be able to find that diamond-in-the-rough developer that will work on a small budget for the opportunity to showcase what he can do, but do you really want to risk your brand in that way? There's no wrong answer to this question, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.
How Long Will The App Take To Develop?
If time is of the essence, your best bet is going to be hiring a firm that has enough employees that can handle the load. If it's a rush job, it will cost you a lot more to complete. You will also run the risk of having unforeseen technical glitches (aka "bugs") occur, due to the lack of proper time to test. It's been said before that you can't rush greatness and if you can give the developers a long amount of time, they can produce an amazing product and meet your deadlines.
If you are meeting with a developer that doesn't have a formulated template for how they will complete each task, consider not using them for this project. This is extremely important and needs structure.
Innovation Workshops, Brainstorming and Ideation Sessions, Process Flow Development, Joint Design Sessions, Task Optimization, Concept Sketches, Iterative Modeling, Low/High Fidelity Prototypes and Test Design are just some of the terminology that you should be hearing, when discussing details of your app.
How Many Developers Are Employed At This Firm?
Knowing if there will be a team of developers working on your app will give you the peace of mind that you need, in order to feel confident about your first foray into the mobile universe. If there is one developer working on the app, it should not be a deal-breaker, necessarily, but it will give you an idea of the timeframe and what you can expect. Having multiple developers working on different elements of the framework lets you know that the firm you hired is eager to accommodate your requests. In my opinion, it's always good to have more than one set of eyes on the product. Debating can only make the app look and function better. Dissenting viewpoints breeds creativity and sparks new approaches to problem solving. One developer creates a dictatorship climate and could prove to be more challenging in communicating what your needs are for the app.
I feel that after your initial meetings with the prospective firm, you should have a great sense of ease and eagerness to hire them. Investing anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 on a mobile app is an important decision. You need to feel good about the decision and have sound logic behind the next step.
Obviously, there are dozens of other questions that you can ask the prospective mobile app development firm. This is just a tip of the iceberg. If you are considering having a mobile app created for your organization, I hope you will find this article helpful and a nice primer to get your creative juices flowing.
Information on this article is based on my experience at: The Younity Group
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