Modern technological advancements have made a massive impact across the globe. Technology is constantly changing the way people live their lives and they adjust to those changes and make the best use of them. Portable devices like mobile phones have certainly made our lives a lot easier. Presently, almost 6 billion of the estimated 7 billion people in our world have access to mobiles. Our mobiles are composed of apps that provide us with all the functions that we need. Developing effective mobile apps which will suit the customer’s requirements is essential to keep them satisfied. But is designing a mobile app really an easy task?
The two core programming languages that are necessary for designing mobile apps- Objective-C for Apple and Java for Android are extremely difficult to learn. For a person with no prior exposure to coding, it may take an awfully long time to learn these languages as they are extremely diverse and their syntax is not the easiest to learn for a beginner. If a person has the prior coding knowledge, the task may be relatively easier but it would still take a pretty long time to learn all the tricks of the trade of the language. Hence it would be more suitable to hire specialized mobile app developers. However, we need to consider a lot of factors when we hire an app developer and we give you a detailed analysis.
The primary step is to shortlist potential mobile developers. It’s always better to select the best from a pool of options rather than having to pick one from just a few. Now we move on to the assessment phase, where we review all the candidates to select the most suitable one. There are certain things that we must look for in an app developer to select him for developing the app.
1. Enthusiasm and dedication from the developer
The developer must inspire confidence in us that he is the one for the job. He must be enthusiastic about the project that he will be working on and the team he will be working with. If the developer is looking to join just because he has certain goals set for himself, he may not be the most dedicated person to work with. The fire and willingness that says he is genuinely interested must be visible in him.
2. Find a mobile app developers that are interested in the business too and not just the development
A good mobile app developers should be able to guide you not only through the development phase, but should also be able to give creative inputs on the dos and don’ts based on their knowledge with similar apps. They must be able to tell what would work and what wouldn’t be much of a success, based on their previous expertise in working on similar scenarios.
3. Assess his portfolio
The developer must have excellent UI/UX skills. While you take a look at his portfolio, keep an eye out for the other apps that he has developed and how well they have fared, and how well it was received by the end users. A good UI is essential for the success of your app, so a developer who can develop apps with a beautiful UI will inevitably know what the end users will want and will work on the develop accordingly.
4. Check references
References may reveal more about your shortlisted developer than an actual interview would. Just like there’s a common saying that goes by- ‘Tell me who your friends are, that in itself will tell me who you are’, the references would give us a better idea of the developer. Also look for legitimate sources.
5. Choose an amicable person to work with
Mobile app development is a lengthy process characterized by plenty of ups and downs. The apps and the mobile app developers may have to go through many evolutions based on the end user’s feedback. Hence it is necessary that the relationship and understanding between the developer and you must be smooth. He must be a friendly person, only then will you feel free to approach him. The developer must be someone who will stick with you through all the difficult and challenging phases, and won’t abandon his ship when faced with a reality check.
6. Development is not all about coding
Building an app has to undergo numerous steps right from the communication and requirements gathering phase till the testing and deployment phase. So contrary to common assumptions, the best coder doesn’t necessarily become the best developer. A developer needs to have expertise in many skills other than coding. There’s a lot more beyond coding, and don’t fall for this trap and select the best coder.
7. Make designing a top priority
Like we have already said, an effective User Interface is very essential to make it popular amongst customers. The designing phase, therefore, is extremely crucial. How attractive the app looks, the features it provides, how interactive it is with the user are all crucial components that will determine the success of the app. Hence it is crucial to look for developers who can add value to the designing of the app.
8. Don’t let price drive you towards your decision
The need of the hour will be to develop a great product and not just the cheapest product. Hence it is essential that we make our decisions keeping this in mind. The cost simply shouldn’t be an issue. If the developer charges exorbitantly but guarantees a good app, we wouldn’t’ have to look anywhere else. Similarly, you shouldn’t select someone just because he’s charging less. He might end up ending up messing the whole project, which would mean that you’ll have to start all over again.
If these factors are considered while hiring a mobile app developers, we can assure you that you would have selected the right candidate for designing your mobile app.
