In 2019, global mobile app revenues totaled $461.7 billion. This is expected to double by 2023. The world of mobile apps is vast and diverse with only growth on the horizon. having more than 200 billion mobile app downloads in 2019 (estimated to reach 300 billion downloads by 2023).

With so much competition, finding the correct Mobile App Development Company to invest in is important to your mobile app’s initial launch and long-term success. You must select a business with the skills, talent, and desire to take your app idea to the next level.

How to Select the Best Mobile App Development Firm: 8 Tips

1. Establish Your Project Criteria

You’re looking for the “best” mobile app development company, but what does “best” mean in your case?

Do you need something quick and cheap? High-end and bug-free? Are high-security levels required for your app? Do you only require a working MVP by a specific date? Should it be quick but not very functional? Your responses to each of those questions result in a different outcome.

Before looking for possible mobile app development candidates, define your project goals clearly to avoid future disappointments.

2. Find a Relevant Niche

To find the best app development company for your project, you must first determine which category it falls under. Are you developing an eCommerce marketplace, an eLearning product, a subscription-based app, or a game?

Suppose you are developing an app for a certain industry. In that case, you should look for a company with a solid foundation in that industry, i.e., if you are creating a storefront, you should look for an eCommerce company for the best results. It’s the same for other industries – a new, very sophisticated system with many integrations requires an enterprise integration provider, and a game studio should make a game. It makes no difference how many web or mobile apps a company has developed if they do not work in the industry you’re working with. Find a mobile app development company with extensive experience in your industry.

3. Examine Their Approach

What is the initial pitch of the candidate? What is their strategy? Do they intend to incorporate every feature from the start? 

App development companies that encourage you to construct a feature-complete app from the beginning (with full upfront payment) are not interested in your company’s growth. A “take your money and build it” approach eliminates the opportunity to evaluate and iterate on your product idea as it is built.

A primary criterion for determining whether or not a company cares about the success of your product is to ask their team questions such as: Do you have any plans for post-launch support and/or maintenance of the app? It’s extremely important today to have your app continuously supported by the development team. If the developers cannot commit to your app from the get-go, it’s time to find someone who can.

Suppose the development company gives you a complete mobile app strategy, from ideation to launch. In that case, there are good chances they’ve done it before, and they expect your project to be sustainable and successful!

It’s a good idea to inquire about who will be in charge of the app’s introduction into application marketplaces. Is this your company’s problem? Will you be given documents and training? Or will their staff be in charge of the launch?

Avoid mobile app development companies that do not consider post-launch support and maintenance; they are not looking out for your best interests.

4. Portfolio and Reviews

To pick the best app development company, you should thoroughly research their previous projects and clients. For example, if intelligent user experience design is an important component of your mobile app, scouring agencies’ portfolios for examples of previous UI/UX works will be incredibly beneficial to you. 

You should at the least look into these aspects of a partner company:

• How long has the company been in operation? Are they well-known in the industry?
• How many projects has the organization successfully completed?
• Is it more common for them to take on large or small projects?
• Who are their previous clients? Do they have the trust of giant corporations, or do they generally work with startups?
• Are they featured on reputable review websites?
• Do they have detailed client reviews with candid feedback?

5. Budget

The “value triangle” in software development refers to price, quality, and time. Generally, you can only select two of the three options. Some organizations have well-defined processes and strict testing requirements; they can get started on your project quickly and deliver a high-quality end product, but it will not be inexpensive. Other agencies may be more affordable, compromising quality for speed and cost.

You must ask yourself:

• Are you aiming to get your app out as soon as possible, or is it more important that it is well received when it is introduced?
• Are you merely attempting to release an MVP to evaluate the principle of your idea, service, or product?

It is also recommendable to acquire as many cost estimates on a project as possible. You might be able to find an outlier (extremely cheap or extremely costly). Learn more about it to comprehend why it is an oddity. Do not disregard it. Talk to the provider about that oddity, they might see something others do not.

6. Responsibilities and expectations

What are the expected roles on the team? What part of the project do you want to play? Is that consistent with the contractor’s expectations? Including the client in the project acting as Product Owner helps the software developer company better grasp the business needs/goals rather than just the technological requirements and budget.

Be aware of any development firm that displays malicious obedience (prolonging the problem as long as they are part of the solution). A good development business will investigate precisely what the client wants to achieve with the product and determine the most effective approach to solve their client’s problems.

Seek out an agency that has an opinion and is willing to examine business demands and is invested in the outcome of the business.

7. Technology

Consideration of the technology with which a company works can be relevant for selection criteria. Inquire whether they specialize in a certain market. Do they work more with Android or iOS? Can they quickly adapt their code base for either app market?

8. Testing and Evaluation

It is critical to analyze a company’s testing procedure. Get to know your partner company’s quality assurance system. Do they make use of physical devices? How about virtual machines? How extensive is their cross-device testing?

Testing is crucial to your mobile application and having an extensive testing procedure proves that the developers care about creating the best product for your company.

Wrapping Up

Choosing the best mobile app development company can be difficult; we recommend you utilize the above criteria to compare various companies before making your final decision.