How to outsource mobile app development

Outsourcing means delegating certain aspects of your business’s work to a third party, like a mobile app outsourcing company or freelancer. A large number of varied tasks and processes can be outsourced, from basic design and website development to complex b2b projects with millions of customers, to support and accounting. Why outsource software development? Because it is more affordable to outsource the development of a mobile app or website to other companies than provide in-house development or offshore the work to other countries. In addition to saving on overheads and labor costs, outsourcing offers improved productivity and greater efficiency, and lets you focus on the core products and functions of your business. Almost all the world’s largest businesses outsource some aspects of their operations. According to recent surveys held by Statista, outsourced services have risen sharply in the IT market. Here is what the statistics are saying:

So you want to develop a custom mobile app or website for your business, but don’t have the required skill set to pull it off in-house? In this case, outsourcing the mobile development of the required product to another professional agency is the perfect way to realize your idea.

Product requirements and budget

Firstly, you should have a clear understanding of your product. It is a really important step to visualize your idea, so sketch it out on a piece of paper. This should give the basic idea of your project so others can also see the basic requirements and features which should be included in the mobile app or website.

When this is finalized, you face another significant step: choosing the right mobile app outsourcing company. One major benefit of outsourcing mobile development to professional agencies is that they have dedicated teams which provide full in-house app development. For example, if you want to have a project that includes a server backend with iOS and Android mobile applications, members of a dedicated team can easily cooperate and save you a lot of time and cost. Also, outsourcing companies give a warranty period on their work and provide further support for your project with OS upgrades, and as new technologies emerge. Furthermore, they will be able to start your project straight after finalizing the agreement, offering a faster and more predictable speed of development. You should bear in mind that it’s better to specify the budget for your project first, as you will face different hourly rates in different locations (you can find the difference between an hourly rate basis and fixed pricing here). For example, it costs less to outsource app development to Ukrainian companies than to Top United States software developers, so in doing so you can save on your budget and get more features. However, if you have specific requirements related to the Australian region, then, of course, it’s better to hire developers from this country. Here are some basic statistics for the iOS mobile app developers price range:

To compare outsourcing the pricing of iOS development with that of Android, average rates for Android development in different locations are shown below:

Questions to ask mobile app developers

When you have specified the budget, you can start the conversation with potential candidates to outsource mobile app development. When hiring a mobile app outsource company, learn as much as possible about your potential service provider. Check the official outsource company’s website and portfolio reviews by other customers, see if the team members are real existing people, and set up an audio or video call with the company contractor. You should clearly understand how the development process goes, sign an NDA (you can download the template of this document here) before sharing your project idea, and check agreement samples so as not to face any possible confusion in future. The most popular questions to ask a mobile app developer are:

• Where is your office located? Can you provide the shipping address of your office?
• Do you have any representation outside your country?
•  May I come and visit your office?
• Can you provide links to existing projects that you have developed?
• How many developers do you have on board?
• What is your hourly rate?
• Will I have access to your management system?
• What is your approach for initializing new projects?
• How will you charge me during project development?
• Will there be a project manager who can provide me with daily updates and clarify unclear points? Check here the simple explanation of project management process in Appus.
• Do you have a QA team on-board? The importance of QA in app development
• Will you upload my app on iTunes and Google Play?
• Do you provide a warranty for your work if there are any issues after the app has been released?

When interviewing, you should select potential provider very thoroughly and of course, it’s better to choose from two or three top companies rather than moving forward with the first candidate you interview. Communication is the really important thing during the development process - that’s why you should make sure that the language skills of the agency representative are good enough; moreover, you can also ask to involve a business analyst, project manager, or CTO in the technical video call. Make sure that the development process will be absolutely open and clear for you - there should be a project manager who you can contact if there are any questions. Also, you should receive daily or weekly reports and be able to check internal mobile app builds or website links to see progress. Try to agree with the company contractor that payments will be released after reaching milestones and reviewing internal app builds so you can feel safe around costs.

Signing an agreement

After the candidate has passed the interview, you can sign an agreement with the mobile app outsourcing company. The agreement should include a fixed price quote, milestones, technical expertise, project specification, and description of services related to your project. If the agreement looks great and you are fine with all described points, sign it and then the developers will start work on your project according to the milestone dates. Be fully involved in the development process to stay updated and feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with the project manager who leads the project, as perfect communication is the basis of successful management. Try to build a great long-term partnership with the outsourcing company, as in this case, you will have a reliable partner who can assist you with future projects and provide you with free consultations, bonuses, and further project support.

Conclusion

To summarize why outsourcing software development is a good idea, it provides you with access to new additional services and solutions, helps to make your business more flexible and increases its productivity, saves significantly on costs, and gives you more time to focus on your own business. Building an effective outsource strategy requires hiring an experienced and reliable professional agency, so specify your budget first and then think about the hourly rate which you can afford. The final major thing in mobile app development outsourcing is that you should know how to manage successful working relationships with your IT service providers to achieve perfect results and build a successful stable product with great user experience.