How many times have you said, “there should be an app for this”? Or wanted to tell someone this great concept for an app you came up with? Or more importantly, felt that your job could be a lot easier with the help of an app? A better question would be how many times is there an app for the issue? Or a similar concept? The good news is that it doesn’t matter whether or not there is an app for your specific issue because you are going to make it unique to you or your vision. 

The advancement of technology in the mobile app development space has made it a multi-billion dollar market. This means there is plenty of opportunity and reward to be found in introducing mobile service to your business. Companies today are increasingly reworking their efforts to take advantage of the demand for mobile accessibility. In addition to the convenience of automation, benefits include ease of communication with customers, customer loyalty, brand value, ability to compete with larger-scale businesses, etc.

To employ the perks that come with access to the mobile market, companies need to find the right developer for their app. This can be difficult, especially considering that this is a complex area which will require experts and is going to be an investment for businesses.

Hiring the right developer is no easy process, but here are some staple characteristics to look out for in your search:

Staff vs Freelance

This is the starting point for locating a developer, if your company has an IT team but maybe you want their attention elsewhere then freelance is your best bet. On the other hand, if you trust your team enough to carry out the task then that’s great, but you should still ensure they have the necessary resources. Now, when it comes to a freelance developer, you are paying solely for the work whereas employees have other components.

Credibility

In the same way, you want a financial advisor with good education and a history of success stories. You want an app developer that has an education from a reputable institution and is confident with programming languages such as Java, C++, and HTML. There’s a plethora of concepts and information that an app developer must be familiar with and ideally have a track record which backs up their claims. Bringing in a good developer is the same as any other investment. Before you even reach for your wallet, you want to find someone that stands out to you because you see the potential for something great. 

Creative Skills

Developers are not IT robots, you need someone who is creative and understands the vision for your organization. They need to be flexible and not confined to a standard process that acts as a copy-paste method for every client of theirs. This leads to the most important characteristic which is making sure they listen to your goals, concerns, and current methods, and come up with a custom plan. A good app developer should be able to assess your situation and immediately begin coming up with an action plan. 

Timeline

A sure tell that a developer is going to give your business the highest ROI is by outlining what they want to achieve and when they want to have achieved it. This should look something like the first 2-3 weeks - planning stage, next 2 weeks - analysis, 6 weeks of designing and pre-development, 4 weeks of UI (User Interface) design, and 9-10 weeks of development. Please note that this timeline is a rough estimate and every project will vary depending on the needs of the organization. Nonetheless, you get the idea, that a good developer will not keep you on your toes waiting for work and will keep you in the loop during the development process. 

Now when it comes to the outcome of the app itself numerous things should be on your checklist. Essentially you want your app to run like a well-oiled machine with everything coordinated to produce the experience you want for your users. Here’s a few key things to look for:

UI (User Interface) /UX (User Experience) 

UI and UX are going to be the bread and butter of your app as this is what is going to deliver the experience to your users. This will of course be dependent on the personality and general theme of your business which you want to be consistent with your app. This is also what is going to allow your app to serve customers with a customized experience. Keep in mind that the average app loses nearly 80% of its users within the first three days of downloading. Why is that? Well, why do you delete an app? Because it’s not satisfying your needs and you rely on apps for their convenience. Companies need both UI and UX design, one without the other is like a car without wheels. 

Compatibility

Of all mobile users in the world, Android users account for 75% and Apple for 25%. So as much as we see others with IOS devices, Android is still the dominant force in the market. The performance of your app should be consistent across all platforms (IOS, Android, and Windows). This is going to require tests and continuing to tweak bugs that the system encounters. Your app should push notifications for updates when necessary as this delivers the customer experience. This will require your team to supervise the response to the app to determine what needs improvement. 

Is It Helpful?

The sure way to tell that your app is something that’s going to benefit the future of your business is by simply understanding its purpose. How does this improve the experience for your users? How does this help your staff? Is it bringing in money? It is these simple questions that are not only going to determine the success of your app but will highlight what works and what doesn’t. 

What’s next? 

App development can make your business excel when done right, today’s market is very mobile-oriented no matter what industry you’re in. Focus on making your services convenient and consistent for every user.

Written By Ben Brown

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