Having someone develop an app for you can be a bit nerve-wracking. First, you have to make sure you hire the right person. Then, you need to follow-up and make sure the development is going as planned. Finally, you have to test the final product before finishing up the business relationship. Fortunately, if you handle each area carefully, your relationship with an app developer can be very profitable for everyone involved.
Choosing the Developer
The hiring stage of an app developer is one of the most important. If you don’t hire the right person and lay a good foundation from the start, your project won’t succeed.
- Know What You Want. To get accurate bids, be sure you know exactly what idea you are looking to develop. Have a document ready to give each bidder, outlining functionality needs and any other specs you have. Know your budget and be available to answer questions. This will keep everyone on the same page from the beginning.
- Review the Bidders’ Resumes. Not all developers have done the same kind of work, and some may have simply been junior on a project with other programmers. Make sure to review the resume of each bidder and ensure that they have the experience and skills you are looking for. Check out their previous work. You also want to look for references you can contact.
- Prepare an NDA. If you app is a new idea, you want to make sure your chosen developer signs a non-disclosure agreement. This will protect your ideas from being made public too soon.
Working with the Developer
Once you’ve made the selection of developers, it’s important to work closely with them so that you know your ideas are being appropriately developed. The last thing you want to do is have no contact until a week before launch.
- Create and Agree to a Timeline. The most important step to keeping your app on track is to have a timeline created and agreed to by your developer. Know when you want the mockup, the initial implementation, the final implementation, and the release. An app can take from three to six months to produce and release.
- Have Them Send a Wireframe or Mockup. Before the developer puts serious hours – and money – into developing the app, make sure they send you a wireframe or mock-up of how it will look. This will allow you to tackle issues early, before they become a programming nightmare.
- Stay Available for Questions and Check in Often. Just because a deadline is a week or two away doesn’t mean you can’t check in to see how things are going. In addition, be available for questions from your developer throughout the process.
Wrapping up the Project
After the previous two phases, you should be ready to wrap up the project. This stage does have some important points, though – you can’t simply release the app and consider things done.
- Don’t Rush an App to Market. Even if you want to hurry to take advantage of a gap in the app marketplace, don’t rush the project or quality will suffer. You’ve taken the time to find a great developer and put a plan in place, so take advantage of it. You’ll save time and money not having to re-vamp the app later on.
- Make Sure the Developer Provides Support. The developer should be available for anywhere from 3 – 8 weeks after launch. This allows for bug fixes and feature changes if they are needed.
Choosing and working with an app developer doesn’t have to be scary or difficult. When you follow these steps, your app will be ready to take the world by storm.