To Create the Right App, You Need the Right App Developer
A great app can take your business to the next level of success. However, getting it right means building a successful partnership with the developer.
It is more than two years since mobile surpassed desktop as the most popular platform for getting online. The mobile revolution has brought more than just convenience and “internet on the go” to our lives. It has changed our surfing habits in more fundamental ways.
A case in point is the world of apps. The fact is that businesses providing mobile app development services have never been in greater demand. Done well, apps provide a more engaging and convenient online user experience for mobile than accessing a site through the browser. You need only look at the popularity and uptake of mobile apps for sites like Facebook, Google Maps or any one of a dozen different mobile banking providers.
An app could be exactly what your business needs to boost online engagement and sales. However, unless you approach it from the right angle, it can also turn into a white elephant that takes up time and money to develop without delivering any tangible benefits.
A key factor for success is to get the right team working on the app from the get go. So how can you make sure you have the right app developer on board? Here are some factors to keep in mind.
1) Know what you want
It is not uncommon for a company to feel it needs an app, but for the thinking to stop there. If you are not clear on your requirements, the developer is unlikely to be able to deliver. Take a first-principles approach to examine your product and service offering from one side, your customer from the other, and how the app will bring them together.
2) Look at the developer’s portfolio
Just the examples mentioned above give an idea of what a varied world app development is. The needs behind a banking app are, for example, vastly different to those behind a social media or photo sharing app. Any good developer will be pleased to share its portfolio with examples of the types of projects they have worked on, so you can get an idea of whether they have experience in delivering what you have in mind.
3) Remember the project management triangle
There is a well-worn rule in project management that you might want high quality, low price and fast delivery, but realistically, you will have to compromise on one to get the other two. The biggest disaster is if you compromise on quality, getting a quick, cheap app that is of little or no use. As far as the other parameters are concerned, time to market is important, as too long a delay will see you fall behind the competition, and we are all subject to budgetary constraints. Ultimately, the important thing is to be clear and upfront about your expectations and limitations with regard to quality, time and cost – that way, your app developer can be equally transparent as to whether your goals are realistic.