Find an app developer is a tricky task sometimes. Several of you have been planning to build a mobile app, and you will need a good mobile app developer to help you achieve your goal. Finding a good Mobile App Developer can be a tedious job.  This is a very special skill set and you may have to do some homework before you start out to find the right developer for your project. There are several companies and independent developers who have this skill set, but not everyone is the right fit for you.

In addition, if you have not hired an app developer in the past, it might be a very difficult process for you to find the right developer. Here are some most important deciding factors to evaluate a good mobile app developer:

To make it easier for you, I have come up with a checklist that you can follow to hire the best app developer for you:

1. Do you Need an Individual Developer or Company?

In the initial stage, you should identify whether you want to work with an individual developer or mobile app development company? Relying on individual developers can be risky and you should evaluate risk factors before getting started. Ondemand app development companies can take your project from scratch and help you in designing, development, testing, deployment, and app store optimization.

On the other side, if you select to work with an individual developer, you may need to work with different resources like a designer, developers, and CTO. You should also check whether you can work with an onshore or offshore developer because communication is key to developing a successful mobile app.

2. Decide the Location:

Location is a big factor while considering a mobile app developer or company. Communication is key to the success of any project. Whether you want to hire an onshore or offshore development partner, you need to stay on top of the communication. It is recommended to hire a nearby programmer or agency so that you can meet in person and discuss the progress.

It is true that the onshore team can be expensive but project quality and on-time delivery is also an important factor. You should be careful while moving through with offshore developers and making payments to them. For example, if you live in Chicago, you should hire one of the top app developers in Chicago Area.

3. Search Online – Upwork, Freelancer, PayPerHour, AppFutura

Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and AppFutura are such a great platform to find an experienced developer or agency. You can find the developer from all over the world and communicate with them in a moment. You can have exposure to find a developer with a specific skill set. These platforms allow you to communicate and conduct interviews of developers and agencies.

These platforms work as a mediator between you and programmers during the project.  You can access the developer portfolio, resume, and skill set to find out who is the best fit for your project. All you need to just create an account and post a detailed job at free of cost. A good job description attracts developers to place a bid and offer their services. After selecting a developer, you can mutually decide the phases and milestones of the project. It is also recommended to discuss payment conditions in advance and avoid future conflicts.

4. Use Clutch or GoodFirms for Reviews

Clutch and GoodFirms are business to business review websites. They do detailed research and collect reviews from client to identify best app development companies. Their research and listing help startups and businesses to identify reliable and top mobile app development companies worldwide.

These platforms enlist companies in easy to understand manner and you can see company portfolio, detailed reviews given by clients, hourly rates, focused area, and contact details. This valuable information allows you to quickly hire a mobile app development company. With the help of their categorized directories, you can quickly find your desired mobile app programmer.

5. Post a Job on LinkedIn, Developer Job Boards

You should create a job and post it on LinkedIn, Twitter, and developer community like Stack Overflow to find a developer.  On these platforms where you can search a developer with a special skill set. After posting the job you may receive a very good response from developers and directly connect with them.

You can discuss your startup project and get some valuable feedback. If you belong to a nontechnical background, it is recommended to talk to some experienced developers to get some technical inputs for your project.

6. Ask Your Network and Get a Reference

Someone in your community may have a good connection with a developer or company. You might get a valuable reference to work out with him/her. You can ask friends, colleagues or relatives if they have a developer or mobile app developing company to build a mobile app for your startup business. You will definitely find an app developer in your close network.

7. Choose Someone Who Understands Your Needs

You want to ensure that the developer understands your requirements and business objectives. They should be able to listen to your idea, your needs, your business objective, your audience, and your future plan. A good mobile app developer would be able to provide you feedbacks, technical input, and suggestions on your requirements.

If they have had prior experience in the same industry, they should be able to provide you suggestions on the features as well.  By doing this, you will learn the developer’s communication skills, technical knowledge, and more importantly inclination to your project.

8. Ask Them To Brief Your Project

A good developer should be able to understand your project scope, requirements and explain it back to you thoroughly. You want to know if they have analyzed requirements properly and have valuable suggestions and questions for your project.

You should provide them your wishlist of features, any sketch/layout of the design, or a detailed RFP to get maximum feedback from them. You should also ask them if they see any challenge in your project and how they plan to overcome those challenges.

9. Look At Their Technical Capabilities

A technical assessment is much more important than any other criteria. You should understand their app development capabilities and knowledge of tools. App Developers know multiple programming languages, SDKs, app development methodologies, and backend development tools to build native and hybrid apps. Make sure to ask them to provide appropriate solutions for the project. This way you could get a chance to assess their skills and knowledge base.
Some questions you can frankly ask during the interview:

• Are they equally capable of building apps for iOS and Android?? How many years of experience they have in iOS and/or Android development?
• Do they build the apps using native or cross-platform app development approach?
• Are they familiar with app design – UI/UX?
• Do they have knowledge of backend server and REST API integration?
• Knowledge of app store guidelines also helps in submitting apps for approval.

10. Look At Their Previous Work, Reputation and References

You can request the past work they have done on mobile apps. You can ask them to provide the portfolio and CVs of their developers. You can download and test their apps. You want to know if they have built apps with similar functionalities.

You want to look for reviews, awards, and online reputation for the developers. Do they have client testimonial on their website? Are there reviews for them on third party sites like Clutch.co, UpWork, AppFutura or Google Reviews?  Are there negative reviews for them? Make sure to do some due diligence before you decide to hire them.

When you are ready to hire them, you should ask for 2-3 references that you could call to hear from their past customers. This is a very common practice whenever you want to hire a developer or a vendor for your IT Projects, but many times people skip it.

11. What Is Their Pricing Model?

You want to know the pricing model that will be mutually agreed between you and the developer. Mobile app developers are flexible and work according to your budget. You need to decide whether to offer a fixed cost or accept their hourly rates and proposed time to complete the project.

You want to know how they will invoice you and how they will send the time-sheet if it is hourly engagement. If it is a fixed cost, you want to know the milestones and cost associated with each milestone. You should need to draft an agreement that clearly mentions fees and payment terms between you and the developers. Also, you should know about the developer’s strategy and policy for post-production support if you are really impressed by them.

12. Time Availability To Start And Complete The Project

It is very important for you to know if the developer has enough bandwidth to start on your project and complete it in time with full dedication. On-demand app development services have enabled time precise execution and you can publish your app on time.

You don’t want to hire a developer who will make you wait 3-4 weeks to start the project or a developer who will work only a few hours per week on the project. You want someone who can jump on your project quickly and can devout the required time per week to keep the pace and interest in the project. Find an app developer task will over with this factor because of time importance.

Final Points

Simpalm is a top app development company in DC, and has strongly thought that if you follow the above checklist, you will make a good selection. Sometime you might be tempted to skips the checklist and try to make the selection process faster, but that can bite you back later if you ended up making the wrong selection. I strongly recommend following the proper process in selection in order for you to create the right product for you. If you need any further tips, you can contact me directly at [email protected]
Thanks and Regards