Every business, big or small is centralized
to their consumers. And what is every consumer centered to? A mobile phone. In
this modern age of social networking, our mobiles are like an extension our own
self. This very reason has made marketers realize that it is essential to be
present absolutely anywhere to their consumers, even in a washroom.
A ABI research conducted in 2011 showed
that a mobile app can boost a business up to 80%, which is largely more than
what a website or advertisements, alone can accomplish. So if your start-up is
yet to launch its mobile app, you just might be missing out on the golden
opportunity to tap into new revenue streams.
Hiring an app developer is gaining a huge
hype in recent times, since many organizations wish to tap into the app market
but do not possess adequate knowledge for developing one. So if you are
planning to get an app developer for your startup, here’s what you need to know
before hiring one.
Ø Make it a point to hire somebody with prior experience, access their
portfolio extensively and ask for the name of the apps they have developed, so
you can get an understanding of their work performance from app reviews and
ensure, that your app is not just a copy of some previous work.
Ø Ask them what kind of
smartphone they use. If you require an app which can only be accessed on an
iPhone, your developer has to be well-versed with using one. Because you need
to play around with your app as well as that of competitor’s to understand what
you are missing out on and what more you can offer.
Ø It is essential for you to get a grasp of how much knowledge your
developer has about their field of work. Google questions related to app
developing, like, how long does it take to integrate a monetization platform
like Chartboost into an app. It takes around 15 minutes on an average to
integrate, so feel free to omit anyone who precedes that time limit. Also, the
moment you hire somebody, make it a point to make then sign a Non disclosure to
protect your idea.
Ø Remember that you are not building an app, but an app-based
business. So it is crucial for your developer to understand how to promote your
business with the app. Some developers are programmers, whereas some are
designers. Try to get hold of one who possesses some idea about marketing, so
that they can build your app in such a manner that would indeed generate
business for you.
Ø Ask your developer if they will submit your tested app to the app
store. This is a multi-step process, which any developer has to be accustomed
to.
Ø Try to hire a developing company rather than a single developer, as
app developing is not just programming but delivering the whole developing
package on which your business will stand, from coding, designing to creating a
compatible user interface.
Ø Cost is a crucial factor while employing, but remember that your app
is your business model. So don’t opt for anyone offering to do the work cheap,
because if the app developed does not work out, you need to hire another
developer to sort out the problems.
Ø Upon completion of developing the app, the ownership of the IP
should be transferred to your name.
A well build app can lead to immediate
success whereas a flawed one can easily put you out of business. Understand
what you want out of your app and make it a point that your developer can
deliver the same at the end. It has been estimated that by 2016, there will be
more than 2.5 billion smartphone users in the world. So if you have the next
big business idea, hire a developer and shape your dreams to reality.