Mobile applications are playing a crucial role in people’s life. Whether people feel like eating or they are looking for a drive to a hotel or they want to find the best travelling agency, the mobile app has you covered. Even those planning to move to new places have their lives made much easier and convenient. With a simple touch of a button, they have access to crucial information about wherever they want to move to.
Small businesses are joining the bandwagon too. This digital generation has made the mobile app the de facto way through which businesses are able to stay in touch with their customers. It’s usually the most effective and efficient mode of communication between companies and their clients. And there is a good reason too. With the enormous growth in the number of smartphone users (by 2020, the number of smartphone owners is expected to hit 6.1 billion1) no company worth
For any business wishing to have a mobile app developed for its operations, several questions immediately come to mind. What kind of app do we need? What is the purpose for which the mobile app is to be created? And should it be on single or multiple platforms? These and many other concerns have to be addressed before you can successfully launch the mobile app development process. It doesn’t matter if your business is doing this for the first time or you have considerable experience in the field. The initial stages of app development involve a comprehensive analysis of the situation to know what the requirements are.
Among the major decisions to make in the process of
Comprehensive app development capabilities
Whether yours is a start-up business, a medium sized brand or a large corporation, working with a mobile app development company definitely has numerous benefits for you. These come in the form of capacity for a comprehensive add development process. The mobile app development is like a shopping mall where you get everything done under one roof. The company comes equipped with all the skills set you will need for the entire project. These include business acumen tested across the industry as well as technology and other associated verticals.
Services like business idea evaluation analysis and consultancy services, development and testing as well as support and maintenance are included in the package provided by the development company. These services come from a single professional provider, therefore, you create a contractual relationship. This approach makes the work easier for you because you don’t have to look for several contractors to handle different aspects of the same project. Such benefits as these surely set the app development company apart from the independent contractors who may not have the capacity to offer such services.
Saves on cost and time
According to Andrew Jones’ article, it is estimated that building a mobile app from scratch can cost from $50k to upwards of $1 million on average. A medium sized app can set you back a cool $270k to create, design and launch. And an app like Instagram costs between $100k and $300k to build in a period of six months.
These statistics underscore the costly nature of app development. If your company is planning to develop and launch a mobile app, chances are that you would want to find options that will save you money by hiring a mobile app development company. When you hire a freelancer as your app developer, you may not understand how much and for how long you will have to foot the bills. Engaging the in-house team is equally expensive because of the training and infrastructure needs even before the project kicks off.
Outsourcing your needs to a company that strictly deals with app development will guarantee that you are only charged for the actual service rendered. The ability to choose from various forms of payment such as the fixed project cost or the hourly billing makes this an attractive option too. And, in case there is need to increase the charges, there has to be a negotiation and an agreement drawn up. This will ensure that you can keep tabs with your budget so that it doesn’t balloon out of control.
There is also the benefit of a seamless workflow when working with a development company. Because all the aspects of the project are handled under one room, communication flows easily at each stage, reports are generated faster and issues are addressed quickly before they are pushed to production. This saves on time and ensures that the timeline flows as expected.
A focused and dedicated team to work with
If your in-house development team does not work on a single project at a time, relying on them for a specific project may not be a very wise decision to make. Juggling between different projects may turn out to be very inefficient, especially with such a specialized project as app development. Independent developers may also have the same challenges when approached for such a project.
App development companies, on the other hand, do not suffer such a handicap. They have a fully dedicated workforce that does nothing but work on apps. Their personnel are highly trained and have the ability to deliver high-quality work. When they are offered a job to do, you can bet on the fact that they will remain dedicated and focused on the task until it’s completed. You can, therefore, focus your attention and resources elsewhere, knowing that your job is in good hands. ands.
The benefit of a fixed contract
Have you ever worked with someone who keeps changing goalposts in terms of their expectations on the project? Such people are simply a pain in the neck. They say one thing today and change their story tomorrow. The end result is a poorly executed project and a possible increase in the cost of the entire undertaking.
This is sometimes the case when working with a freelance mobile app developer. Their prices hardly remain constant since they normally charge an hourly rate. Consequently, you may end up paying more as compared with the development company. Additionally, the flexible contract makes it harder to nail down the exact cost during planning, and this uncertainty is usually bad for business.
But reliable mobile app development companies are clean in their dealings with clients. Their prices for development projects are fixed, which means that the contract is fixed unless you request some extra work as the client. You will thus have a good grasp on the project budget even before you begin, which is crucial for managing your expenses.
The team is available round the clock
There is a stark contrast in the working of an individual app developer as compared to companies. When you hire a freelance mobile app developer to work on your project, there is always the risk of the project getting stalled in case the freelancer is sick or becomes unavailable. There may be no alternative but to wait until they are available again to work on your job.
But this is not the case with app development companies. When you engage such a business for your project, you can be sure that your project will always be taken care of regardless of what takes place. The company usually assigns the project to a team that ensures continuity even when one member is unavailable. Deadlines will, therefore, be adhered to and disappointments avoided.
Long-term relationship
Mobile app development is a long process that may take several months, and sometimes years, to be complete. And even after the app has been built and launched, the story doesn’t just end there. There are improvements on functionality, updates, tuning and refining of aesthetics to think about. This means that you need a long term development partner by your side to take you all the way. This is where companies are best suited to serve you better than individual developers. You will be able to build a long term relationship with the company that will guarantee the success of your product. And the fact that they have the capacity for a comprehensive service package makes it all the more logical to stick with them. You may not enjoy such a privilege with a freelance developer, who may choose to move to another industry or change their area of specialisation, thus depriving you of crucial service.
Security and reliability are guaranteed
One of the major considerations to take seriously when developing apps is security. Because of the increase in cybersecurity attacks, developers are keen on ensuring that their apps are secure. There is nothing as devastating to a business as the realisation that their app cannot keep cybercriminals at bay. It is critical to guarantee the security of the app you are developing to prevent your clients migrating to competing businesses.
Mobile app development companies are mindful of their security because they have experience working on various projects within multiple industries. And since they have the resources to do it, they will get the latest technology trends and hire experts to handle their security needs. Therefore, any business that engages them in mobile app development projects can be assured of security for their data and systems.
There is also a certain level of establishment and permanence that comes with large corporations. After all, they are not like the freelancers who may decide at a moment’s notice to pack up and move. It can be quite discouraging if your developer relocated to another town or country without completing your project. Companies can be relied upon because of their stability and experience in the field.
In conclusion
All the benefits outlined above clearly spell out why you should consider hiring a mobile app development company as compared to the other options. But you still have the final say over what you ultimately select as the developer of your choice. There are still instances where in-house developers or freelancers may come in handy. It all depends on your unique needs.
When working with companies, is to do your due diligence before selecting a partner to work with. There is no excuse for cutting corners when hiring an app developer. Just as you are investing money and effort in the entire project, take the time to find the very best development company available out there, the results will be satisfying.
Get in touch with us to learn how Vivim can help your business to create competitive apps that will grow your company. Let us help you learn how to build the application you’ve always dreamed of.
