When you’re nursing a startup idea, you’re at the same time growing a desire to find a group of like-minded people who are ready to support your plan of creating something significant. That would be great if they can transfer the things that live in your imagination into a tangible product without the loss of any meaning or details. But the task of tuning on the actual route and sieving through the definite criteria of all excessive candidates and invite to cooperate with an appropriate one is tricky. When you’re focusing on looking for an ideal helper for your startup’s birth, examine the considered app development partner as if you were a scientist. The all-around approach will be a rewarding practice, but it undoubtedly requires specific knowledge about the issue.
Here we’ve prepared a contracted guide that can serve you like a compass on the path of searching for an application development partner. Take onboard our experience and useful tips from the Purrweb experts, and select the agency that feels like hand and glove.
Which kind of collaboration fits you better: freelancer, in-house team, or agency?
- Think of the ideal contractor you need in light of the product requirements and scope of investment.
Assess the scale of your project and the limits of budgeting. One story is if you want a simple landing page honed for advertising your goods or services, and the other if you have a rather ambitious project idea that can be turned into a thriving business. If the task you want to be resolved requires a minimum of skills, you can try to find a Jack-of-all-trades on the freelance marketplace. But if there’s a set of features that require deep knowledge of technologies and unparalleled design and other specific skills, turn your head towards the full cycle agencies.
Your mind can be tempted by the idea to hire a group of freelancers to be your app development partner. What’s wrong with this intention? Where’s the trap? Imagine there’s the task to play a polyphonic composition. Who will be more skilled in facing this challenge: a group of musicians who don’t know each other or a professional orchestra with a qualified conductor? The answer seems obvious.
In-house team or outsourcing?
To hire your own team in order to perform the project is a great idea, but if you’re not a serial digital entrepreneur whether it makes sense to overpay in order to turn a group of specialists into a close-knit team? Recruitment, vacations, sick leaves, dismissals…Are you ready to spend a lion’s share of your time on the organization’s issues? For that matter, outsourcing an app development partner is a rewarding choice: focused on the most interesting and significant tasks, you don’t waste a day with something that doesn’t play on that score.
Where to search for an adequate app development partner?
- Define the source of information about IT magicians for the project
If you have a lot of acquaintances in the field of digital entrepreneurship who deserve your trust, ask directly for recommendations. But what’s the way to discover a cute “digital orchestra” if you are mingling in a society that is far from your interests?
There are two ways to “get on track” with talented specialists: surf the internet and meet the company’s blog or point your feet directly to the IT companies’ marketplaces like Clutch or GoodFirms. Let’s talk about which way is better and why you can combine them both.
Web design company’s website as a showcase of competencies
- Check if the company’s values and communication manner coincide with yours.
When you discover an agency’s blog, read it and check whether the company’s style and values coincide with your own. If there’s comprehension, the possibility you’ll establish a constructive relationship is higher. Check their ideas, tone of voice, illustrations, and other things in order to make sure you’re on the same vibe. This is the foundation for a lasting connection.
Let’s imagine: you value a positive mindset and sense of humor, but there’s no one joke in the blog of the team, just very long texts written by tedious nerds. Isn’t it a sign that cooperation with such an app development partner will be paired with hardship and misconception? But if you meet a team that promotes your values and reflects your style of thinking, it’s cute. Get in touch to confirm your expectations from communication. As a rule, you can get the first consultation for free as well as a preliminary estimation of your project. The Purrweb team tries to share their expertise at the first meeting for free, for example.
How to examine a company on the IT services providers’ marketplace
- Clear up the domain of expertise and feedback from customers: check reviews and portfolio
If your potential app development partner is represented on GoodFirms, Clutch, Behance, and others, it’s evidence of professional recognition. You can see how the agency is ranked in accordance with customers’ satisfaction. The better the company performs, the higher the score they have. Explore independent reviews left by previous clients in order to get a presentation about the strong and weak abilities of the team. Additionally, ask yourself how critical or meaningful they are in your case.
Regardless of where you’re searching for, pay close attention to the portfolio. As a proven track of experience, it can demonstrate to you the key competencies of your future app development partner. These include their achievements in UI and UX design, technologies, quality assurance, etc. To translate it in common words:
- Does the app look eye-catching? Do you enjoy the aesthetic side of the app?
- Is it easy to find any feature in the app or there’s a desire to get any hints during navigation?
- How fast does the app work? Is it safe and reliable? Are there any drawbacks in its work?
Analyzing the completed products, you can assess whether the agency corresponds to your requirements. If you see the coinciding work in the portfolio of a potential app development partner, it testifies to their experience in the field. But even if you can’t discover the matching product, it doesn’t mean the team has the lack of competence to perform it. So, focus on the qualifications and experience, but don’t look for the exact coincidence of products in the portfolio.
The choice of technology: “underwater” secrets
- Learn how you can benefit from their tech stack.
Every agency prefers a narrow technology stack where they polish their skills to perform projects well. When it comes to fulfilling a mobile app, make sure the tools your app development partner offers, suit your goals. Some technologies enable experts to build apps for various devices simultaneously. To illustrate this, Purrweb likes React Native – technology that helps entrepreneurs cut costs of product development by up to 30%.
Outsourcing app development company: hire in the country or abroad?
- Expand your search area to optimize the cost of the project or to hire high-skilled programmers.
If you’re ready to search for an app development partner abroad, there’s an opportunity to get a wide range of commercial offers. Thanks to differences in hourly rates in various countries, it’s possible to essentially decrease the project’s initial cost or access high-qualified experts. Be aware: check if there’s an opportunity to communicate in mutually convenient time slots.
Equipped with this guide, you can start searching for a matching contractor. When you meet a team that inspires you with their communication skills, performed work, pricing, and expertise in technology, congratulations: you’re lucky to get support driving you up to your goals!
