The world has changed. In 2020, the tech giants of the early 2000s are scrambling to make end meets. There is a reason behind this trend, i.e transformed customer journeys. Today, customers make buying decisions in a totally different way than they used to.
According to a recent study by Hubspot, more than 64% of customers prefer to do their research online before making the final buying decision.
Not only this, the dynamics of how the evergreen “word-of-mouth” spreads have changed too. Customers believe in testimonials more than they used to. There’s a catch, however, these testimonials have to be shared by people online to be believable now.
Considering all this, having a well-planned mobile strategy is not an option anymore. It is a necessity.
So, if you have decided to build an app for your business - that’s the right thing to do!
To create a mobile, you will need a full-fledged team that breathes life into your mobile app. From creating the perfect UI to putting it all together in the back-end, this team will do each and everything for you.
In this post, we are going to discuss the various steps and important considerations for hiring a mobile app development team.
Know the Factors
The first thing to do before you start hiring a mobile app development team is to know everything you need. Because of multiple stages in mobile app development, there are a lot of moving parts. You may not need help from the team in some of the aspects.
Let’s take an example. If you have an in-house design team that can create the UI, then you do not need to include UI design in your retainer with the mobile app development team.
So, make sure that you know everything you need before you start looking for the right team to hire. Let’s look at the various aspects of mobile app development. This can also serve as a checklist for you while discussing with potential hires.
Business Requirements: This includes the RFP document for your project. There should be a definite business case that mentions all the key stakeholders involved along with the allocated budget for mobile app development. Following this, it should mention the amount that can be dedicated to each segment of the mobile app development process.
Technology Requirements: Once all the business requirements are finalized, you can start the assessment for technology requirements for your project. The first question you gotta ask is which OS you wish to build the app for. Following this, you will have to choose between native and hybrid app development.
Following this, you can consider the integration requirements of the app with hardware. Finally, you will have to think about app distribution, deployment, and optimization.
UI Requirements: In the UI requirements for your mobile app, you need to finalize the kind of app skins and workflows you need to use. Following this, you need to work on a style guide/theme for your app. Following this, you need to decide if your app is going to be multilingual or any gestures that might be needed.
Development Methodology: In this segment, you will have to choose the development process and methodology for your mobile app. It is advisable to involve the potential mobile app development team while choosing the right methodology. The various options include Agile, Iterative, Waterfall, and some others.
Following this, you will need the right project management tools in place. These tools will assist you with project monitoring and tracking, quality control, and even testing.
Security Requirements: In this segment, you will have to finalize the level of security and privacy protection with your app. This includes the security of your users as well as your own infrastructure. In case you are going to build an app for healthcare, you need to be in compliance with HIPAA.
Now that we have discussed the various factors you should know before starting to hire a mobile app development team, the next step is starting the search. Let’s look at the various factors that can streamline this step for you:
Get references from credible sources: This is the first step when you start your search for the perfect mobile app development team. The whole process of creating a mobile app is cumbersome and long. You need to find the right team that has shown commendable experience and expertise in the past. To do this, you should check with people in your network if they have worked with such a team in the past.
Getting referrals from the smartest folks in your circle can go a long way in building the right team for your app. When you ask your friends and acquaintances about the perfect mobile app development team, they give you honest feedback. Because of this, your search can be narrowed down. The only concern with this is that some people may have a bias for some companies. Be sure to check for such cases and drop it right there.
Using social media to find the right one: Social media is not just about catching up with friends and political debates, you can find some really great teams and individuals over there. As a matter of fact, a number of founders and project managers have found that they find the best developers on social media.
The first step to use social media for finding a mobile app development team would be to finding the right platform. Twitter and LinkedIn, quite obviously, are the best platforms if you are looking to find quality developers to hire. When you find a potential team or candidate, the first thing you should check is their track record.
Another useful factor that you can consider is checking out their clients. If you can see that their clients interact with them in a positive way on a regular basis, especially after the project is over, it is a very positive sign.
Use directories to narrow your search: There are various sites that you can use for finding good mobile and web developers. Some of these include Goodfirms, Clutch, and even Upwork.
These websites serve as directories for people who are looking for mobile app development teams. From the level of experience to the location of these teams, you can check everything out on these websites.
Say you are based out of Sydney and looking for a mobile app development team. But you are looking for teams that have a lot of experience and expertise without spending an insane amount of money. So, you are looking to find the right company in Bangalore, India. At Goodfirms and Clutch, you can check out a list of all the companies in that city.
Not only this, but you can also check out the reviews from their previous clients along with the portfolio. Another great way of assessing a mobile app development company is to check their GitHub profile.
Interview the developers, not just the sales guy: When you are in the process of finalizing a mobile app development team, be sure you interact with the various team members as well. Normally, founders and project managers just interact with the sales team and finalize it right there.
This should not be the case, however. Once you have shortlisted a couple of companies, be sure to schedule a meeting or conference call with their development team. These are the people who will actually work on your app, so it makes sense to interact with them before making the final decision.
Wrapping it Up!
Hiring the perfect mobile app development team for your app is not a cakewalk. A lot of people can underestimate the time and effort it takes to find the right one. However, the same goes for the benefits of actually having one. The value of a great team is infinite. And nothing should stop you from getting one.
