How do you know that you are not missing out on important points while selecting the right development partner? Here are reasons and tips to select.
There are around 26.4 million registered mobile app development companies in world-wild including experienced developers and new entrants. Millions of developers work for companies or as freelancers. While Android is the most popular operating system for app development, iOS apps generate more revenue. The entertainment sector has the highest revenue share, but other industries that use mobile apps include e-commerce, banking, Healthcare, IT, Finance, Hospitality, Education, Entertainment, Retail, and Games.
Introspecting for the Right Creator
Finding the right development partner requires considering experience, checking the portfolio, reading reviews, researching their knowledge, the ease of requesting a consultation, and long-term partnerships.
Beyond the commonly known aspects of AI, IoT, AR/VR, and 5G in mobile app development, a lesser-known but rapidly growing field is Cross-Platform Development with Flutter which allows developers to create high-performance native-like apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase, significantly reducing development time and cost while maintaining a great user experience.
Businesses need to (1) define app needs, (2) research potential companies by reviewing their portfolios, (3) assess their design process, (4) evaluate their technical expertise, (5) analyze their pricing structure, (6) check for post-launch support, and (7) read customer reviews to ensure they align with your project goals and budget, while selecting top app development companies in India.
Firm Selection for Developing Your App
- Define Your App’s Features
- Identify Your Users
- Select the Platform
- Decide on Aesthetic
- Align some Budget
- Research about mobile app development companies: Use platforms like Clutch, Upwork, and GoodFirms to find potential partners.
- Request Referrals from colleagues or industry contacts.
- Review Project Portfolios
- Evaluate Previous Work
- Inquire About Impact of their apps
- Understand Their Approach
- Request Prototypes
- Testing to include
- Technical Expertise of developers
- Knowledge of Frameworks and libraries
- Cloud Experience with cloud services like AWS or Azure
- Pricing Structure—fixed, hourly, or milestone-based?
Additional Considerations
A business needs to check their budget and the project features and scope before hiring a mobile app development company. They need to check their designing, development and testing process. Also will they be available for upgrades and maintenance? Check reviews on Google and Trustpilot before giving in. An app development company needs to communicate with the business on a day to day basis. They need to clarify the tools and cost they are choosing.
They need to be clear with their idea – what they will be creating and which developers will be working on the project. Consider what practices they apply for data security. Project timelines always differ with business requirements. Can the app grow with your user base? Do they offer ongoing support post-launch? How do they ensure thorough testing before launch? Can they work with external services your app may need? How do they handle design revisions?
What’s their track record for App Store submissions? Can they implement tools for tracking user engagement? Do they follow best practices for users with disabilities? How do they handle project scope changes? Do they provide training for your team post-launch?
Let’s consider two examples here: (1) Food Delivery App, (2) Hotel Management System.
Illustration 1
Identify your app requirements and select the features you wish to put in the app, based on the roles of users:
| Customer App | Delivery App | Vendor App | Admin App |
| Signup/Sign In Homepage OTP Verification Map Set delivery Location Manage Location Create User Profile Past Orders Favorite Orders Address Book Payments Referrals and offers Help Search filters Cart Bookmark Offers Coupons and discounts Payment methods Ratings and Reviews Order details Delivery details Order tracking Systems Push Notifications Text Notifications Table Reservation Chat Bots | Sign-in Profile and profile picture Geo-location Order status management Communication management Restaurants Customers Route information Rewards package Review Management Tips and Earnings
| Sign In Management Menu Categories Items Modifiers Restaurant Details Update store hours Payment Management Update availability Order History Deposit History Review and ratings Feedbacks and Queries
| Managing Dashboard Managing restaurants Managing communications systems Managing delivery partners Managing customers Managing invoices Payments and financial systems Managing orders Managing feedbacks and reviews Managing Analytics
|
Compare Mobile App Development Companies by researching online directories.
- Look at online trends and statistics from reputed firms to identify companies with relevant experience in food delivery apps.
- Shortlist them and check their project portfolio.
- Apprehend how they design, and which technologies they use for development.
- Analyze their pricing models – fixed price, hourly rate, or a combination.
- Inquire about their post-launch maintenance plans, including bug fixes, updates, and feature enhancements.
- Apprehend their process for handling critical issues after app launch. Read testimonials, reviews.
These steps will be helpful in identifying the best fit for your food delivery app project, ensuring you choose a partner with the necessary expertise to bring your vision to life.
Illustration 2
When you decide to make a hotel management software, decide about the type: Hotel property management system, Online hotel booking engine, hotel customer relationship management system, revenue management system, hotel inventory management software, hotel staff management system, central reservation system, housekeeping management software, hotel tour assistance software. This will be similar to the example discussed above.
Following the software development lifecycle will ease the process. Identify their niche. Check which technologies they use. There are a series of questions to follow in this process: Check if they have some similar projects in their portfolio? Check how they design and on which platforms they develop apps. Do they have post maintenance support? How do they charge? Is there transparency in the process? Are their rates optimal?
Features (tentative) that define the functionality of the app: (1) Room booking, (2) access to guest profiles, (3) mobile check-in/out, (4) room service ordering, (5) hotel map navigation, personalized recommendations for local attractions, (6) loyalty program integration, (7) concierge chat functionality, (8) guest feedback system, (9) Online Booking Management, (10) maximize occupancy rates and charge optimal rates, (11) manage on-premise transactions, (12) tracking inventory levels and sales data, (13) streamline workflows and improve operations via Channel Management, (14) Payment Processing, (15) Housekeeping Software.
By evaluating potential app development companies based on their hospitality experience, design process, technical capabilities, and customer reviews, a hotel chain selects the best partner to create a user-friendly mobile app that aligns with their brand and guest needs.
Disclaimer: This was just a rough idea about the process and steps to follow while developing a mobile app. No part of the illustrations discussed so far is fictional, or comprehensive. It is illustrative and many more intricacies are involved to accomplish a fully functional app.
