How to Choose the Right Agency for App Development

You have a brilliant idea for an app, only to realise you’ll need someone to make it for you. Searching for the right app developer can be an overwhelming task, especially the first time or two. While it may be an overwhelming task, it is doable. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you find the best app development agency to build your brilliant app!

Look for a Partner with Excellent Communication

Before hiring an app development agency, remember that you’re looking for a partner. The agency will be your partner in the build process. You and the agency will need to have comfortable, excellent communication and a similar work ethic in order to move forward. This will mean cooperating on the project with the aim of bringing your app from dream to reality.

Look for an agency that quickly responds to messages and is polite and respectful when reaching out. If you’re not comfortable with an agency or they are slow to respond, then it’s a good idea to move on.

It’s well worth the time and effort to find an agency that’s eager to communicate and comfortable to work with. They will, after all, be your partner throughout this entire process.

Determine Your Budget Before Hiring an Agency

Once you find the right app development agency, they’ll first ask you about your budget. They’ll want to have a general idea of how much you’d like to spend.

Be prepared and have your budget for the project calculated before you reach this discussion. Make sure your numbers are calculated correctly and have an honest discussion with the app developer.

Where to Find an Agency

Now you’re ready to begin the search for the right app developer—where do you look? There are literally thousands of app development companies all around the world. Finding one isn’t a problem, but find the right company takes some work. The first place to start your search is on Clutch.co, which is a referral site.

Clutch.co offers some nice tools for the search including past client reviews (always check these out!), budget listings, contact information. They even make it easy to find companies in a location near you. Start your search on this site—you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your network to find a great agency. You can check with colleagues, friends and even family to see if they have a helpful referral.

Find the Right Type of App Development Agency

App development companies mainly come different types—you’ll need to determine which type of company is best for your app. You’ll generally find these four types of agencies:

End-to-end app creation: these agencies generally offer assistance with strategy, design, development and may also offer post-launch marketing and maintenance of the app. This is a great option if you have no idea how to proceed and would like assistance with all aspects of the app.
Design & development: look for agencies that offer both design and development services. This is critical. The UI (User Interface), which is the graphical layout of an app, includes all the visual aspects of the app—including buttons, screen layout and more. UI designers use specialised tools to decide what the app will look like, so they’re taking care of the aesthetics of the app and want it to look attractive.

On the other hand, UX (User Experience) designers are concerned with the user’s interaction with the app. They want they user experience to be smooth and intuitive, not confusing or difficult.

Look for an app agency that offers both UI/UX developers that work as a team. This way, you’ll be assured that your ideas will be carried through, and the design will work well for the end user.

Design only: if you only need a redesign or you’ve already got a working prototype, then you may only need design services. Then look for agencies that offer this service, but make sure they have both UI/UX services to ensure your app comes out looking and working perfectly.

Development only: you may already have a great design for your app; if so, then it will be necessary to find a company that only provides development services. This can also be an option if you’re working with a tight budget.

In most instances, it’s a good idea to look for an app development agency that supplies end-to-end services. Look for agencies that offer a dedicated process for creating your app from beginning to end.

Openly Discuss Your Project

When you finally find some great prospects, don’t hesitate to openly discuss your project with them. You might think of this as the “dating” step. Begin with open discussions about the app’s concepts and more. If things feel comfortable and right, then move on to the next level.

This is where talks will revolve around your business idea, which is intellectual property. Here, you’ll want to have the agency sign an NDA (Non-disclosure Agreement) before any detailed discussions take place. Once this has been executed, you can freely talk about your plans.

At this point, it is critical to share all aspects of your plans; otherwise you may face delayed deadlines and higher costs later in the project. Disclose everything now in order to get the most accurate quote for the work. Remember, you and the agency are partners working together. Your partner needs an accurate SoW (Scope of Work) to assess the project timeline and to give you an accurate quote.

Review Offers

After you have estimates from several agencies, you’ll be ready to review all the offers. When considering offers, don’t just take the lowest price. Instead, also look at the timeline—does it fit in with your needs?

Next, consider fit—does the agency seem to be a good partner? Does the company understand exactly what you need, and do they have the right tools and people to get the job done?

Don’t forget to ask about who will be working on your project. Are they in-house or overseas? How long have they worked with the agency? What tools do they use during app creation? And ask any other questions you have.