The mobile app ecosystem is ever-growing, and with it comes the question of what type of businesses need branded applications. Say, you’re the owner of a new startup or small business. Do you know whether you need a mobile or web app to engage your customer base?
It is estimated that over 6.6 billion people own smartphones, according to the global figures for 2022. There are few better ways of reaching this burgeoning population of mobile phone users than through applications. A continued uptick in year-on-year app usage is being observed by the industry. Apps account for the vast majority of time users spend on their phones.
So it might make perfect sense to create a mobile app tailored to your brand whether you’re in the B2B or B2C business. It can be for something as basic as allowing customers to place orders in a painless manner. Even if you aren’t selling a product or service, and just have a brilliant idea for an application, how do you hire a mobile application developer suited to your needs?
You can look for freelancers or let companies such as Lemon.io match you with a suitable developer or an entirely remote team, or hire an in-house team. With that in mind, let’s take a look at your best options.
Start by asking these questions
Once you’ve decided that you want an app built for your business, ask yourself how you intend to go about hiring the right developers with the necessary skill sets to develop the software in question.
Can I recruit and manage a group of developers? How much will it cost?
When building an app, you can choose to employ in-house developers or remote developers. The cost of creating a basic native, web or hybrid app varies wildly depending on the complexity. But the general consensus nowadays is that for a new startup or small business, it is cheaper to outsource the work to remote workers than to put a team of developers on the annual payroll.
A very basic app can take up to 3 months to complete and cost upwards of $45,000. A slightly more complex application with in-app purchases, real-time messaging functions and so on, could cost over $90,000, and take half a year to complete. This is assuming you’re paying an hourly average of $50 to the person building it. A much more complex one like a ride-hailing or social media app would require an investment of over $300,000 and close to a year to develop.
The next question is whether you have the required knowledge to go through resumes and select suitable candidates for the project. Do you need a full stack developer? Would you rather split the work between a team of developers? What programming languages do they need to be familiar with? Additionally, how will you keep tabs on the development stages of the project if you don’t know anything about coding?
Where do I look for app developers?
There are several ways you can go about looking for a mobile app developer. You could hire a freelancer locally or from a site like Upworthy, for instance. But then there’s the issue of not knowing what skill set to look for in a possible candidate. Plus, there’s no guarantee of accountability when you recruit developers on a freelance basis.
It might be better to hire an expert from an online or offline resource who can match you with the right team based on your needs and budget. Of course, if you want fair rates and a wider pool of developers to pick from, the Internet is a better bet than going local since you won’t be restricted by geography.
Why a skilled app developer is key to a successful business
If you don’t have hiring experience, you might end up choosing an incompetent or inexperienced software developer. Unqualified developers could cause a number of unwanted issues for your app including:
– Attempting to build a multi-functional suite instead of focusing on creating one for a specific function.
– Inadequate beta testing which results in the app’s or website’s final version not performing as intended and having functional issues, among other problems.
– Prioritizing UI/UX above functionality and vice versa. This is why many businesses forgo full-stack experts for a team of developers with complementary skillsets.
– Simultaneous development of apps for multiple platforms. This results in higher costs to the employer, optimization difficulties, and missed deadlines. It’s OK to build an app just for Android first considering its larger user base, before moving on to iOS.
– Service flaws, messy code, and poor technical execution.
In conclusion
According to report released in early 2022, revenues across the top 100 non-game subscription apps climbed by 41% in 2021, for a year-over-year leap of $13 billion to $18.3 billion worldwide. This should put into perspective just how much the mobile app economy is growing annually.
So whether you want to create a branded mobile app, or you have a great idea for an app and need someone to execute it, check out the available options thoroughly before deciding on in-house or remote app development options. Cheaper is not always better; you get what you pay for.
