How to Outsource App Development - A Step-by-Step Guide

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By: Sagar Sharma

How to Outsource App Development - A Must Read Guide

You would have seen in several blogs about mobile app development and suggestions to outsource app development, which is very true. In fact, in many of our blogs, we have also suggested app development outsourcing. But this time, we would likely present you with the end-to-end process of how to outsource app development without any interruption.

There are several reasons, such as cost, on-time delivery, and commitment to work that business owners prefer to outsource mobile app development. From this blog, you get the complete guide for outsourcing mobile app development and its benefits, in an explicit manner.

Why should you outsource app development?

The main purpose of developing a mobile app is to reach your target audience across your preferred demography and beat the existing competition. You may or may not have an established business but with a mobile app, you can sell your products online effortlessly and increase revenue generation accordingly. Therefore to develop a mobile app, you require enough talented resources that can complete the app development within the stipulated timeline.

You have two options for developing a mobile app; one is you can hire developer(s) and can bring your app idea into the limelight; the other one is outsourcing app development to a mobile app development company that has all the requirements ready. Sometimes, these companies may have ready-to-use apps as well, which may suit your business type. It makes your job easy and it is very cost-effective when compared to hiring resources.

These are the benefits that you get on outsourcing your app developmentā€”reduced development cost, extreme time-saving, access to multi-skilled and efficient resources, and around-the-clock customer support.

Key factors to remember in app development outsourcing

To make your partnership successful with the app development company, you should consider these following factors before you outsource your app development:

1. App overview

If you are outsourcing your app to a well-established company, apart from the inputs you provide the company, it also performs additional research on your app idea. Therefore, before you approach any such company, have some groundwork details of your app such as purpose, intended audience, project scope, product features, operating platforms, etc.

This application saves time and money for sure. Ask yourself the following questions to have better clarity on your app.

  • What is the motive of developing the app?
  • Does your app provide solutions to any usersā€™ problems?
  • What extreme features does your app provide?
  • On which platform do you wish to operate your app-iOS or Android or both?
  • Do you have any plans for acquiring a cross-platform app?
  • How soon will you need the app?

2. Budget and estimation

Never think about developing your app at the lowest price because you may end up receiving a non-quality app. This will again affect your business down the line. Hence, decide how much money you are going to invest in app development and choose a company that fits your budget constraints.

3. Time zone

This is more important while you decide to outsource app development to an app development partner company. Suppose you have established your company in the USA but wish to outsource to India then the time zone definitely varies among the countries. So you will have only limited time to communicate with your partnering company; hence, if you cannot convey everything over a call, you can send in multiple emails about your requirement. Anyhow balancing and working according to time zones is quite a difficult task but not an impossible one.

4. Exposure

If your app development outsourcing company has enough experience developing multiple apps, it is good to outsource your app development. Even if they are slightly costlier, do not worry about that but think of getting your app with top-notch quality. You need a team that can think out of the box and adds on more spice to your app.

5. Communication

Before you outsource your app development project to a company, first understand the company culture and their mode of communication to clients and internal stakeholders. Just choosing a team that has a great experience is not enough; you should receive proper and timely communication from the team on your app development updates. If they fail to communicate promptly then it becomes difficult for you.

6. Quality against Quantity

You should select a company that has a team with multiple skills, who can provide more than what you expect. Only full-stack developers can really perform better than what you think by handling all those modulations and alternations in perfection.

7. Legal contract

Ensure that you put a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with your app development company for the safer side, about pricing, development, deadline, support, and everything that can be entitled legally and get signatures from both of you.

8. Support after launch

Initially, many companies say that they will provide support post-launch as well, but they end the support after the completion of your app development. But definitely, till your app goes viral among the public, the partnering company should handle bug fixes and other problems that arise with the app.

How To Outsource App Development?

Well, there are a number of ways to outsource app development and let us take a look at what some of the ways have to do with app development.

1. Search for a company

If you have good clarity on your app idea, then the first step would be looking for a well-established company that can satisfy your app development needs. You can start your search from browsing through Clutch, Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Business of Apps, or Good Firms.

2. Perform an intense research

Once you decide which company to go with, do intense research about the companyā€™s culture, accomplished projects, team and skillsets, customer reviews, etc. This will help you tie-up with a company that can fulfill your requirements and keeps you satisfied. While researching, grab details such as niche experience, technical expertise, project management, client management approach, client references, and live samples, IT infrastructure check, workforce skill, etc.

3. Conduct brainstorming

Outsourcing can never be a same-side goal. There must be equal engagement from both the ends. Discuss with the team about the app delivery timeframe, communication frequency, and mode, hidden costs, and clarity of NDA.

4. Select team members

The company by default has packages to offer according to your requirement. Still, you can choose or decide how many developers to work on your app development. Do not forget to ask for a single point of contact through whom you can get the regular updates.

5. Project plan

Along with project requirements, you should also plan for app development milestones. With milestones you can easily track progress and identify the companyā€™s potentiality. In case the company does not meet the deadline in the first phase, you can estimate how fast or slow your work can be done.

6. Agreement

Ensure that you get into a proper legal agreement for your app development outsourcing contract, which should be enlisted with detailed project scope, service level agreement, transfer of assets, project warranty, product ownership, intellectual property cause, payment structure, project completion duration, dispute resolution, subcontracting clause, indemnification clause, and documentation.

Along with the aforementioned factors, you should also include documentation and payment.

Conclusion:

Hoping this blog was informative and now you know how to outsource app development, effortlessly. If you need any help in developing a mobile app, do not hesitate to drop an email to us. Our experts are here to provide you valuable suggestions that help you in mobile app development.

We serve round the clock to address your queries and fulfill your needs. You can reach us by dropping an email to us and get a free one-hour free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Outsource App Development

1. How to outsource app development effectively?

Once you frame your app idea, search for outsourcing companies that stay in line with the trending technology. Keep your project short-term and then extend if you wish. Enable NDA strictly and make sure you check everything once.

Verify the end-product has well-defined documentations. Monitor and manage time zone differences if any and finally, get your app within the agreed time delivery.

2. How much will it cost for me to develop a mobile app?

The cost for developing an app depends on the app complexity, the region you outsource, resources, software and other terms included. Hence, you can discuss the same with your app development outsourcing company.

3. What features should an app contain?

These are certain common features such as User Login, Navigation, Media Content, Push Notifications, Geolocation, Chat/Messaging, Ads, Streaming, Offline Base, Customization, Google Maps Integration, and In-app purchases. You can come up with more features depending on your product or service.

4. What kind of app should I go for?

You can try developing a banking/payment app, e-commerce marketplace app, real estate app, a photo-sharing app, networking app, messaging app, dating app, taxi app, city guide app, networking app, food delivery app, groceries delivery app, etc. These types of apps will benefit you all the time in any situation.



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