Do you need an app developer? Do you have an idea for an app? Do you believe it will be a hit? Are you looking to hire a developer to bring your imagination to life? If you are here, reading this, it means you are in dire need of a comprehensive guide. Luckily, you are at the right place, at the right time!

There are more than several things that you must take into account before hiring a developer. From the reason for app development to its scope and monetization, you must consider everything.

Imagine you hire a full-fledged app development company to develop an app that can calculate mathematical equations. Or, you hire a freelancer to develop an AI-powered app. None of those is a good fit for the app development project.

Besides a good fit, you should also consider your budget, the platforms for app deployment, the complexity of the app, and the timeline for the project. Below you will find everything in great detail to hire the perfect developer for a project, including the mistakes that you must avoid at all costs.

Ways to Hire a Developer to Make an App

There are three ways in which you can hire a mobile app developer. The scope of your project and your budget will determine the kind of app developer you need. All three of these have various expertise, pros, and cons. Let us look at each of them and discuss what they are good for.
 

Freelance App Developers for Hire

Freelancers are more like a one-man army. They are the individuals who provide their services at relatively cheaper costs than the other two types. There are various websites where you can find app programmers for hire. Be sure to ask them for their previous work experience and projects. It will help you in analyzing the type of work they will deliver.

Since you are looking for a freelancer, make sure that this person is more of a jack-of-all-trades. You need the developer to work on the app designs, mockups, and wireframes as well. They are the initial tasks that determine the scope of the project. After finalizing these, the developer can start working on the actual development of your app.
 

Outsource a Team

You can find app builders for hire on many online platforms. Outsourcing a team of app developers has its advantages. For one, you hire a complete team with experts for designing the screens, mockups, wireframes, and the developers for the project. Ask the team to share their previous projects and apps that are available on the app stores. Check them out to determine if they can do the type of work you want. If everything checks out fine, you can go ahead and give them your project.
 

In-house Development Team

Alternatively, you can also hire a complete in-house team of app developers if you run your business and need them to build apps in the future as well. The advantage of hiring a team is that they can more easily collaborate with the whole team involved in the project. They can communicate with each other and discuss all the problems, come up with solutions quickly. You have the team right with you, so you can check on their work every hour to see the project's progress.

Important Things to Consider Before Hiring

Consider the following things before you move ahead and hire a freelancer, outsource a team, or get an in-house team. They are all important because they will help you determine the complexity of the project and the right match of developers.
 

Types of Apps

There are lots of different categories of apps on the app stores. If you are developing an app to monetize, you should first see which type of apps are most popular. For example, statistics from Statista show that games are the most popular category by share of available apps on the Apple App Store. Next in line are business, education, and lifestyle. Depending on your need, you should do thorough research before delving into the project.
 

Which Type of App do You Need?

Do you have a creative idea for a new type of app? Or are you looking for an app to run your business? You must answer such questions to determine the type of app you need. Developing an app without a purpose will never lead to the success of the project. Sit down, take your time, and then decide the reason for developing the app.
 

What Are Your Goals?

Are you having trouble deciding the type of app you need? Try defining the goals for the project. Do you want to earn from your app? Do you want it to be entertaining for the users? Do you want it to sell products or services online? Are you trying to solve a problem that no one else has identified yet? Try answering such questions, and you will find the reason for your project.
 

Choose the Right Platform

Choosing the right platform for your app development project is vital to your success. You should know who your target audience is by now. Try to find the platform your audience uses the most. Go for Android if the majority uses that, or iOS if the majority prefers Apple. If you have a low budget, decide on one of these platforms and deploy your app to see the users' reactions. Developing a cross-platform app will cost significantly more. So, only go for cross-platform if you have a big budget.
 

How Complex is Your App Project?

The complexity of your app project is crucial to the hiring process. A freelancer might not be a good match to develop a very complex app. Determine the features you want in your app. The more features you want, the more complex and costly the app development will be. For a highly complex app, outsource a reputable company to work on your project.
 

Cost of the Project

Before you look for app developers for hire, consider the cost of the project. It will vary depending on the type, complexity, and features of the app. As you begin adding more features, the app becomes more complex, and its cost starts rising. An app development project can range anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 or even more. Look at your budget, then list the most important features that your app requires to function properly. If it is feasible, you can add more features for user engagement.
 

What is Your Budget?

That is a crucial question that you must answer before hiring an app developer. It has been mentioned quite a few times in the blog already, which shows how important this decision is. Everything depends on the budget. Without a budget in mind, it is like trying to hit the bullseye while riding a horse blindfolded. You will never reach where you want to be if you do not decide on a budget before starting the project.
 

Get a Timeline

With a timeline, you can see the progress of your app development project. It does not matter if you hire a freelance developer, outsource a company, or hire an in-house team of developers. You must ask them to give you a timeline for the completion of the project. If you have experience in such projects, you can decide the timeline yourself and give it to them. You have to plan for the deployment of the app, and for that, you need the timeline.
 

Design & Mockup

Design and mockups are the first steps in app development. They should be appealing to the users to get their attention. Design is important because, without a good design, users will not be interested in your app. The design will determine if the app will be user-friendly and easy to navigate. Depending on the type of app, you should consider using vibrant colors in images and buttons to give them more focus.
 

App Development

The app development phase is what makes the most of the time. Do not be stressed if it takes longer than it was supposed to. Just make sure that the final app has flawless functionality and a user-friendly layout. Make sure the users can find all the necessary tools and options right on the home screen. Let the developers deal with all the bugs and fix functionality issues.
 

Testing

The testing phase is not as long as the development phase, but it takes its time. Let the developers work to find and remove each and every bug in the codes behind the app. Be sure to test the app thoroughly and make sure that end-users will not run into any bugs in the beginning. Keep on releasing new builds with bug fixes and better functionalities.
 

Deployment

Deployment is the time when you need to hold your breath and wait for the users' response. If your app is for employees, you can ask them to use it and give their feedback. If you have developed a game, wait for the users to leave their feedback on the app stores. Make sure that you deploy the app on all the platforms to reach the maximum number of users.
 

Mistakes to Avoid

Following is a list of all the mistakes that you must avoid at all costs. Missing even one of these things can lead to a myriad of problems in the future. Write them down somewhere you will see every day so that you can imprint them on your brain. That is how crucial these mistakes are. They will not do anything to your app, but they will pose serious issues.
 

Not signing an NDA

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a document that makes sure that the developers will not disclose the work they have done for you. It means that they cannot copy the same code or give it to someone else to make an app similar to the one you have. It will protect your app and make your app unique.
 

Not Negotiating a Favorable Payment Structure

Always negotiate with the team if you hire a freelance developer or outsource from an app development company. If the payment structure is not in your favor, you might not earn enough money from the app to pay off the team. Try to make the structure such that you can pay them off once you start earning from the app.
 

Hiring Someone with Least Experience

Do not hire someone who does not have good experience in app development simply because you do not have enough budget. Developers are the backbone of the project, and they can give better suggestions based on their previous experience. Do not settle for less when you can get the best.
 

Not Establishing a Clear Scope

Establish a clear scope for the project. It can go in any direction, and you can get anything in an app. Decide on the features and functionalities that you need in the app first. Then move on to the things that will engage the users. If you have the capacity, add more features to help the users, but do not add unnecessary features that have no use or are unrelated to your app.
 

Not Accounting for App Maintenance Services

App development and its maintenance are different. A developer or company usually does not include the cost of maintenance in the development project. They do this because maintaining the app is a continuous process and does not stop as long as it is relevant to the users. Additionally, new OS versions offer better functionality, and you need to update the app with new builds to include these new functions.

What Next?

Now that you have read all the information above, you are ready to start working on your app development project. You must have realized that you need to do a lot of homework before going into the market looking for an app developer. List down all the things you need in the app and make a checklist. It will make sure that you do not miss anything.