Why you should outsource your mobile app development

Six minefields you cannot ignore

Mobile use is on the rise. So is the percentage of people who make purchases using their mobile devices. In fact, a recent survey suggested that 32% of UK smartphone users make monthly purchases on their cell phones. In order to take advantage of this growing market and open up a new revenue stream, businesses need to channel some of their budget and strategy into mobile app development.

There are a few different routes you can choose to go down when it comes to mobile app development:

• in-house development
• freelancers
• local, offshore or nearshore outsourcing

For most businesses, outsourcing the task makes the most sense, and here’s why.

Collecting data

Consumer-related data is a valuable resource for companies, and mobile apps can provide a gold mine of data on your customers. In order to retrieve this data, it is essential to design and develop a mobile app that is capable of capturing data at every stage of the user journey.

App testing

In order to capture as much of the market as possible, a mobile app needs to work fluidly across all platforms, and the UX must be engaging and simple. If the app only runs smoothly on laptops, for example, a business stands to lose out on the entire consumer segment of smartphone users. Thorough testing of the app the developer will ensure that it works well across all devices.

Required knowledge base

The mobile market sees developments in technology on a frequent basis. So, mobile app development requires current knowledge of all of those technologies, as well as the related tools. Some businesses may have an in-house team to perform the basics. However, very few small to medium sized companies have the capital to invest in a development team or the resources to train existing employees.

Money and time

To that end, outsourcing the project also saves in-house resources. The added overhead to hire full-time, in-house mobile app developers is certainly not attractive. Neither is the prospect of lost time and money due to having to remedy issues caused when existing staff with limited experience attempt to develop the app. The time and money saved in those scenarios alone would be significant, but there’s more.

When the job is outsourced to a well-qualified, experienced company, the app can be ready and available sooner than it would be if a business had to take the time to hire and train staff for the project. That means the app can go live that much earlier, and the business will start to see an ROI much faster than it would have otherwise.

Ongoing support

Once a mobile app has been successfully launched, it will require constant maintenance because it will need to be regularly updated. The app’s security, cloud hosting and analytics will also need to be addressed. When a mobile app development project is outsourced, the company that creates the app can continue to provide all of those services on the back end.

Factors to consider

When choosing a company to develop a mobile app, a business owner will need to first determine his budget, after which it is essential to review the experience and check the references of prospective developers. There are other considerations that need to be made as well, including the following:

• Deciding whether to choose local, offshore, or nearshore outsourcing
• You need to also have a full vision for your app, including what it does and what it should look like. It is important that you feel confident that the developer is able to deliver that vision