Definitive Guide to Hiring a Mobile App Developer

You want to build a mobile application.

Where do you start?

If you don’t know how to code, you’re going to need to hire someone to do it for you.

So the search begins to find an app developer.

Even if you built an app in the past, you may not have had the best experience with your developer.

This guide is perfect for you as well.

I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do to find a developer that’s going to give you the app that you’re looking for.

But let me perfectly honest with you, it’s not easy.

There are lots of factors that go into hiring a developer.

So just make sure that you don’t skip any of the steps, and you’re very thorough.

You’re going to be working with this person for a long time and giving them lots of money.

The last thing you want to happen is to get halfway through the development process and realize you chose the wrong person.

Or even worse, they develop a final product that you’re not happy with.

Believe me, I’ve seen this happen countless times.

All of this can be avoided if you hire the right person.

Here’s what you need to know.

What type of app are you trying to develop?

Before you do anything, you need to have a firm grasp of what you want to build.

How can you expect someone to develop something for you if you don’t even know what you want? It’s not possible.

I’d say there are two main categories here to start with first.

You’re either developing an app for your existing business or launching an app as a new startup company.

If this app is going to be an extension of your current business, it needs to fit within your brand’s image.

For those of you launching a startup company, this app will be the first association that customers have with the company.

It’s absolutely essential that you make the right impression.

You’ve also got to determine if your app is simple or complex.

As you can see, the complexity of your app will also determine how long it will take to develop and how much it’s going to cost you.

But we’ll go into greater detail about those aspects later.

If you only need basic features like a calculator that can operate without being connected to a network, you probably don’t need the world’s best developer to build this for you.

But if your app needs complex functions like unique user logins, GPS tracking, lots of screens, storage for payment information, and connecting users with each other, you’ll need a real pro.

Here’s a scenario where you need to find someone who can do more than just code.

For a complex development process, you want this developer to be part of your team.

Look for someone who can design an app as well.

They should be able to do wireframing, custom animations, icons, and prototypes.

Ideally, your developer will also have experience with marketing and product management.

As you probably know by now, building an app isn’t cheap.

You may need to raise money from outside investors, especially if you’re building a complex mobile app.

So if the developer you hire becomes part of your team, find out if they have any experience with raising money.

It’s possible they may have worked with investors in the past and still have good relationships with those people.

Overall, you just want to make sure that your developer is well rounded.

So let’s get back to the type of app you need to get developed.

What category does it fall under?

Here’s a look at some of the most popular app categories that are available.

Does the prospective developer have any experience building apps in this category?

If they don’t, you may want to consider finding someone else.

But if they’re able to build complex apps like games or social apps, they should be able to handle your needs.

Make sure the developer fits within your budget

As we saw earlier, the complex features and functions required to build your app will impact the price.

Typically, the longer it takes to build an app the more money it will cost you.

But there’s not one price across the board for each developer.

Think about all types of consumer goods and services available on the market.

How much does a large pizza cost?

How much does a pair of jeans cost?

How much is a car wash?

The answer is the same for all three of these – it depends.

Well, the same concept applies to app developers.

Different developers have different prices.

That’s why you need to have a budget in mind before you hire someone.

I’m assuming you don’t have unlimited funds, so you’ve got to take the time to figure out what you can realistically afford.

You can’t expect to be the next Snapchat if you’ve only got $10,000 to spend on development.

Plus, think about all the money you’re going to spend outside of your development costs.

Before you can hire anyone you’ll need to conduct market research to determine if it’s even worth building your app.

If you need to find investors, you should probably create a prototype as well.

That’s not free either.

Do you need to hire a designer?

That’s why earlier I recommended that you find a developer who also has design skills.

It’s also going to cost you money to test and deploy your app.

Don’t forget about maintenance fees for after the app gets launched.

Is your developer going to handle the updates and bug fixes as well?

That’s something you need to discuss ahead of time and make sure all of it fits within your budget.

So just because you or your company has $50,000 in the bank, it doesn’t mean that you can afford to pay a developer $50,000.

You’re going to run out of money if you do this.

That’s why finding a well-rounded developer that can help you with other aspects like designing and testing would be ideal.

You’ll also want to consider the type of developer.

Do you want to work with a freelancer who is just one person?

Would you prefer a small app agency with a team of a few developers?

What about a large company with potentially hundreds of developers on their payroll?

Each one of those options will come at a different price point. So make sure you can afford what you want before you approach one of these options.

You’ll also want to consider the physical location of your developer.

Take a look at how much it costs to hire a developer in different regions of the world.

If you’re planning to hire one locally, in North America, you can expect to pay premium prices.

At first glance, you may think that hiring a developer in Eastern Europe, India, or Indonesia would be your best options because of the price.

While they efficient cost is definitely appealing, you get what you pay for.

I would not recommend outsourcing development overseas just to save some money.

The quality of your app will likely suffer as a result.

In a little bit I’ll go over some of the other benefits of hiring a local developer, such as the face to face contact you’ll get with them.

Look at their portfolio

Earlier I mentioned that your developer should have experience building apps that are similar to the one you’re trying to launch.

To find out what they’ve done, you need to look at their portfolio of work.

Look at specific apps that they’ve built.

Download those apps on your phone and see how they are performing.

Do they run smoothly?

Are you familiar with any of these apps?

Were they successful?

If the developer in question has a long history of building apps that failed, it’s probably in your best interest to find someone else.

Spend lots of time navigating through apps in the developer’s portfolio.

You can find out if there are bugs and unexpected crashes.

Read through user reviews and comments about the app’s performance as well.

If people had a negative experience, take those notes into consideration before you move forward with that developer.

Ask for references

Nothing is more powerful than someone else vouching for you.

So what do this developer’s previous clients have to say about their work?

Here’s an example of a <a href="https:

The developer has to provide a reasonable timeline

Unless you’re building an app that will somehow take users to the moon, your developer shouldn’t tell you that it’s going to take three years to build.

You also can’t expect a quality app to get built in a month.

So have them outline how long they expect each phase of the process to take.

Phase	Expected Duration	Acceptable Variation
Testing	8 weeks	Up to 10 weeks
Planning and Design	6 weeks	Not acceptable if it turns into 20 weeks

With that said, the timeline should be somewhat flexible.

Just understand that you’re going to come across some speed bumps along the way that will impact your timeline.

Ask the developer how they plan to handle those situations as they arise, so the timeframe stays reasonable.