Choosing App Development Company [Actionable Guide for a Startup]

There are 1.96 million applications on the App Store and 2.87 million on Google Play Store. Also, mobile applications may generate $935 billion in revenue by 2023.

These statistics describe the usefulness of a mobile app for your business.

You are looking for how to choose a mobile app development company. It shows your determination to create an app. But the question remains. How to choose a mobile application development company?

That is what we will discuss ahead.

Here we are assuming that you have already got the winning idea for your application. Then comes the process of how to choose the top mobile app development company.

Plus, all the companies want to get the most number of clients as they are here to earn and grow.

How to choose a mobile app development company?

A mobile app development agency might act as smartypants. Hence, making the answer to choosing the right vendor is difficult. Ergo, you must learn to separate the chaff from the wheat.

That is what our guide is all about.

We will help you understand how to select a mobile application development agency. Consider them as knockout rounds to create a list of companies. In the end, these are the teams you can outsource the app development process to.

It may seem that finding an app development organization is easy.

One Google search “best mobile application development company” will generate thousands of results. Not to mention you might also see some ads on SERPs and at other places for a few days.

The Knockout Round approach

In this guide, we recommend you stick to a knockout-round approach. Create the criteria in stages, and if the company fits in – keep it for further scrutiny. This process will help you shortlist the best mobile app development partners for you.

The first thing is how to choose a mobile app development company is to usher into a knockout round. Any agency that does not fulfill the criteria gets kicked out.

Simple yet effective!

Knockout 1: Do They Have a Portfolio?

While selecting a mobile app development firm or company, start by looking at their portfolio. Mobile app development companies that have experience in this field will proudly show their portfolio.

Here are a few places to look for the same.

Company’s Website

You will find a dedicated section labeled “Portfolio” or “Case Studies” on the business site. Make sure to check out this section.

This is where you will find the past projects an organization has worked on. From past projects, you will know what kind of applications an agency has built. Whether they have built gaming applications or finance or communication platforms, etc.

A portfolio is a company’s proven track record.

It is an essential step in how to choose the number one mobile app development company.

Mobile app development is a complex process. Ergo, vendors with a proven track record can better serve your interest. A portfolio also means they have the experience to build a successful application.

Experience implies that the companies can understand your audience and requirements. It can create effective solutions without handholding.

A website is not the only place to look for a portfolio.

There are other platforms where companies and teams publish their portfolio. These are Dribbble and Behance. They are also important in how to select the best from the top app development companies.

Dribbble and Behance

If you are aware of building an application, you must know that an application’s UI/UX is pivotal. Ensure that the organization you choose can design an excellent interface. (There is our in-depth guide on how much does it cost to design an app).

Check out their Dribbble or Behance account. These are popular platforms for designers to show off their design skills.

While looking at the UI/UX portfolio, ensure that they follow web and mobile design trends.

GitLab or GitHub

GitLab is a DevOps platform facilitating powerful collaboration for segregated development teams. It gives companies agile application development methods, version control, and code review accessibility.

GitLab offers;

• Multi-Cloud CI/CD: It helping companies deploy their applications anytime, anywhere.
• Real-time built-in security system: It monitors that applications 24*7.

GitLab is relevant in how to choose an ideal mobile application development company. Companies and developers who work with GitLab mean these guys know their game. Moreover, they are using modern tools for app development. Any firm utilizing advanced app development tools will build a great product.

Finding the company’s portfolio on GitLab can be a bit complex. So, a better approach is to look for a portfolio link on the website. Or you can ask for it if you get into a discussion with the selected companies.

Don’t miss out on good companies……..

Also, keep in mind that the companies may not have any presence on such platforms. Therefore, the absence of a Dribble/Behance account or any portfolio section on their website does not necessarily imply that they are not skilled enough.

They might be at their starting stage and have worked on NDAs. It is therefore recommended that to directly ask them about their portfolio and experience. This way, you’ll not pass on the companies that were, otherwise, a good fit.

That was all about the portfolio part in how to choose the best mobile application development company. Moving further, we will talk about how to leverage the testimonials and choose a mobile application development company.

Knockout 2: Look at the Testimonials

In this knockout round for how to choose a mobile app development company, look at;

• References
• Testimonials
• Feedback
• Reviews
• Ratings

These factors will provide you with the social proof you need to hire anyone. This includes their past clients or people they’ve worked with. The more the number of testimonials, the more experienced they are.

There might be intricate differences between these, but we don’t need to go into those details. Instead, the focus should be on the essence. By reading a testimonial, you will understand the company’s efficacy to work on your project.

Reviews and testimonials are user-generated. A vendor’s clientele will share their perspectives about the company’s work.

Labels and Awards

You will find some mobile app development companies showcasing their awards. These labels help to know how to choose the leading mobile app development agency.

But are these labels enough for how to choose the perfect mobile app development company?

Not at all!

The agencies with such tags have the experience and the expertise to build applications. Moreover, organizations receive these awards because of their experience and by diverse selection criteria.

It becomes easier to choose the best one from the top mobile app development companies if they have;

• Good testimonials
• Awards

Other than the testimonials present on the website, we would suggest looking for the same on;

Clutch and Other Listings

Clutch is a one-stop destination to know about companies in every industry.

As a result, the companies you have shortlisted must also be listed on the same and other equally relevant websites. The ratings on Clutch are subject to twelve qualitative and quantitative factors.

These include;

• Client reviews
• Experience
• Client list
• Recognition in the Industry
• Market presence, etc.

Clutch originated to solve two-sided problems faced by organizations.

• How do people find the best companies?
• How do the leading companies in the industry stand out?

So in case you want to know how to choose a mobile app development agency via testimonials, Clutch works perfectly well.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another important chainlink in how to choose the best mobile app development agency. It is one of the largest professional online networks.

LinkedIn allows companies to build dedicated pages. These pages have followers and undergo other sorts of online interactions. Taking an in-depth view of the company pages will help you with how to choose a mobile app development agency. While crawling through them, look at the user’s comments on the company-generated posts.

The thing to keep in mind while checking the feedback on some app development agencies ‘ pages is that you should also check the background of the individual/agency who’s giving the feedback.

Oftentimes, companies that are just starting out, fake their way out from this feedback thing – normally from their friends/colleagues.

Why Social platforms instead of websites?

There is a reason why we want you to look at different platforms.

The reviews and testimonials on the website can be framed or faked. But on LinkedIn, doing such a thing is not possible. Hence, it is essential to consider all three platforms. This will give you the perfect answer for how to choose a reliable app development company.

Until now, you will have shortlisted a few companies.

Moving forward with how to choose the perfect mobile app development agency, we are left with two more things to do. Lest we forget, the companies that did not receive a good review or have fewer ratings, strike them off.

Knockout 3: Transparency-Oriented Organization

For how to choose the best mobile app development agency;

• Gather social proof
• Communicate
• Understand their Workflow

We will discuss the importance of social proof and communication.

Gathering Social Proof

Not being social today is akin to losing market presence.

Hence, companies that want to attract more clients create social media accounts. They nurture the accounts to enhance their visibility.

Social proof is like discovering how other people have engaged with a product or service. As a result, they find authentic and genuine user-generated content that brings out an accurate picture.

You can find out a lot of details about their company by simply stalking their social media accounts. Look for any problem language or the level of engagement on their posts. It is even better to check their GitHub accounts, which is a social network for developers.

This is an important step for how to choose a trustworthy mobile app development agency.

Communication

Communication is the key to establishing a successful business relationship. Ergo, it is integral in how to choose a mobile app development agency. However, do not start communicating with every organization you find. It will only waste your time.

Only start engaging with the ones that are still on your list after all the knockout rounds, or the ones you think look professional.

What happens after you begin the communication is a different story altogether.

But until this point, you have to tread carefully as the risks of choosing the wrong agency are grave.

Things to keep in mind while communicating

Take care of these aspects while communicating with the organization you choose.

• Ask about the design and development team and know how they work with the application development process. Professionals always have dedicated teams.
• Try to understand how they create the workflow for developing an application.
• Talk to the project managers about setting up fixed schedules for communicating with each other.
• Figure out the platforms you will communicate through.
• If not with everybody, try to talk to the lead developers and designers.

All these aspects are crucial in how to choose an app development agency. Focused organizations that are adept in their approach to building a solution will certainly prove their worth.

It’s all about trust

Moreover, building trust between the two partners is essential.

The entire process of how to choose the mobile application development agency we have listed above rests on building trust. All these steps are essential to select a transparent development team.

Also, it helps get accurate information that is decisive for choosing the company.

Final Tips to choose the right company

Choose a business that understands your requirements. The ultimate expression of how to choose an ideal mobile application development company. Yes, they also need to know what the application is about. But, it is equally important to know why you are building the application.

A firm that understands the perspective can easily create a practical application. If they can’t figure out what do you want, how will they be able to solve your problem in the first place?

You are figuring out how to choose a mobile application development company but investing in your future. To get a better ROI, it is imperative to select the perfect company.

To ensure that you select the right company, it would be great to know the application development process. Although different companies adopt several development processes, it is better to know the industry’s best practices.

Summing up

Understanding the mobile app development process can help you with selection. Hence, it is important in how to choose the best mobile app development agency or company. If not for companies, you can also hire developers.

Since we are on this topic (a perfect company), consider working with Spdload.

You won’t have to worry about knowing how to choose the best mobile application development company with us.

SpdLoad is determined to work for your business. We can help you build a performant application. We have a dedicated project management team. It will update you on the aspects of development. Plus, our adept developers and designers have years of experience. They bring into the development process.

We are up for any sort of queries you might have on the development process.