As an aspiring tech startup founder, the software you plan to introduce into the market will play a major role in determining how long you stay in business. There will be no room for mistakes as your customers can be unforgiving. 

In order to get it right the first time, a lot of thoughts must be running through your head. And one of them should be about choosing the right app developer to bring your idea to life. 

Now, there are thousands of developers worldwide. 

How do you make sure that the agency you eventually choose fully understands you and what you aim to achieve?

 

In this blog post, you are going to learn 7 tips that will help you in the process of choosing the right software developer. 

And also learn 7 red flags to watch out for when picking your software developer.

Let’s dive in.

 

BE CLEAR ON YOUR OBJECTIVES 

Knowing what you want is very important to the success of your product. Before you start deliberating on which particular developer you want to partner with, you have to take time to ensure that you know exactly what you want. 

Talk with your team members, identify your business goals, point out issues and formulate solutions. Most business owners don’t pay attention to this step and they end up losing time and money in the development phase. 

In order to be satisfied with your final product, you have to clearly define what you want.

 

FIGURE OUT YOUR BUDGET

 

Breaking the bank,even if you believe in your idea, is not always the way to go — especially if you are a startup. So you have to be careful with how you spend your money.

 

Being clear on what your budget looks like will help you narrow your search list of software development agencies.

 

However, you should not make the mistake of assuming that cheap service means cost-effective service. In fact, when choosing an agency, making the final decision based on price alone is never a good idea.  Cheap services, more often than not means substandard services. But then, an expensive price doesn’t always translate into a revolutionary product.

CREATE A LIST OF DEVELOPERS 

After stating your business objectives and finalizing on your budget, the next step is to create a list of app development agencies. You will need to perform both online and offline forms of research in order to discover who the best developer for your product is. 

Ideally, you want a developer that will be involved in not just the development of your software, but also the development of your company. Search for companies with solid business background and and proven business skills. 

Check out their websites to see their area of specialization. Also, go through their portfolio to discover past projects they have worked on and determine if they are relevant to what you need. 

From there, you can create a list of prospects to get in touch with.

REACH OUT AND REQUEST A QUOTE 

Now that you have gotten a list of companies to reach out to, it’s time to get a quote from them. Some companies offer free consultation as part of their services. You might want to deliver a brief but all you really need to do is as simple as defining your ideas about how you want your platform to operate. 

In turn, you should request a quote — one that clearly shows a detailed breakdown of prices. While the scope of your work might change and affect prices, having a detailed quote is good because it tells you that the developers have taken the time to consider what you want. 

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE PRICE

 

You should carefully consider the cost associated with each development agency. We all want the best deals while saving money. But it is also important to note that the cheapest isn’t always the best. 

Instead of focusing on price, you should consider other things like scalability of your app, maintenance, testing. You should consider the company’s skills – app development and business – and decide if they align with your needs.

 

Remember that the quality of your software is crucial to the success of your business. So you should always opt for the app developer that is worth the price. 

SPEAK TO REFERENCES

There’s no better person to testify to an app development agency’s expertise than a past client. Make sure you get on the phone (or any other convenient medium) with two or more previous clients of the software agency you’ve chosen to know what their experience was while working with the agency.

It’s best if you can find previous clients without the agency’s knowledge. But if you can’t, make sure to request for at least two references from the developers. 

From the ensuing conversations, you should be able to tell how credible the references are. 

MAKE SURE THERE IS A BUSINESS AND CULTURAL FIT

Before making your partnership with the agency of your choice official, you should make sure that there is a business and cultural fit.

The company you want must have specific values that you can resonate with. Also, your ideal company should be interested in helping you grow as a business. 

RED FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN PICKING YOUR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER 

There are red flags to look out for when choosing your app developer. Presence of one or more of these red flags should have your alarm bells ringing. They are:

  1. No online presence.
  2. Not providing a detailed breakdown of the quote. 
  3. Asking for all or almost all of the fee before beginning the project.
  4. Not having a process based business development model. 

CONCLUSION 

Choosing the right software development agency for your idea is crucial if you want your customers to enjoy a bug-free, functional and efficient technology.

Do not compromise on quality and make sure you choose an agency that can provide you with exactly what you need. 

DO YOU NEED HELP TRANSFORMING YOUR IDEA INTO A SUCCESS STORY? 

Weprototype Technologies is a team of software developers, designers, business analysts, project managers, ex-founders and digital marketing experts with a single objective — to help you build successful startups!

Get in touch with us today, let us build that silicon valley standard app for your startup