Questions to Ask a Mobile App Development Company

Everything requires planning, especially if it takes a good chunk of your revenue. Choosing the right mobile development company can be tricky for a business owner. However, you can filter out the wrong ones by asking critical questions. If you are new to hiring a mobile app developer, you might be confused about which questions to ask.

In this article, we have compiled 10 questions to ask a mobile app developer before you hire one.

Question Overview

Here is a glance at the questions to ask a mobile app development company. Feel free to navigate to any parts that interest you.

• How much does it cost to build a mobile app, and what’s your budget?
• What is the time frame to build a mobile app?
• Which is best; the Android mobile app or the iOS app?
• How will the app development project be managed?
• How often will I need to update my app?
• How should my app be tested?
• How will my app launch on app stores?
• How can I measure my app’s success?
• Can I view your previous successful projects?
• Why should I work with you guys?

How much does it cost to build a mobile app?

The first question to ask is the cost of building your desired app since there is no fixed price tag for developing a mobile app. It depends on the complication level and your preferred features. These are the essential aspects:

• What is the complication level of your mobile app?

The features determine the complication level a mobile app will possess. These include the user’s profiles, communication enablement between users, product sales section, payments integration, and many more. These factors determine the complication level:

A. Simple Mobile App cost

B. Data consumption app costs

C. Login & Sign Up apps cost

D. Social Networking apps

E. M-Commerce apps

F. Marketplace apps

• What features does the app development package include; is it simple or expensive?

When it comes to the features, it might be simple or expensive, depending on the complication level. The costly elements of a mobile app include:

A. Social media apps

B. Servers

C. Full-time company support

D. E-Commerce stores; payment gateways

E. Databases: used to store users' data and third-party data

F. Developers;

• Charges; domain hosting, servers updates, and others
• Update methods.
• Project payment milestones.

What is the time frame to build a mobile app?

It usually takes three to nine months to develop a standard and fully functional mobile app. However, several factors might affect the schedule, just as your financial investment can. Nevertheless, the estimated time should not exceed ten months. The most tedious stages of the app development process are:

• Project brief documentation; one or two weeks. A project brief documentation requires:

A. Project goals and success metrics

B. Request for proposals (RFP)

C. The non-disclosure agreement (NDA)

D. Approximate budget range

E. Desired delivery date

• Research; five to six weeks

A. User stories

B. App prototype

C. Developing MVP (Minimum viable product)

• Mockup designs and prototyping: six to twelve weeks
• Coding and development process: six to twelve weeks
• App launch to stores: two weeks

The following are essential details to gather before submitting your app to the Google Play Store or Apple App store.

A. Contact and Fundamental Company information.

B. Screenshots of distinctive app features.

C. A comprehensive description of your app.

D. Icons displaying in-store listings

E. Demonstration of App

• Continuous upgrade: no time-frame
• Continuous support and maintenance: continue until the app ceases to exist.

Which is better for your business, the Android or iOS app?

Choosing the better operating system between iOS and Android is a never-ending debate. A report by Statista shows that 87% of smartphones are run on Android in 2019, while Apple has a share of 13% of the total market. However, the market share is not enough justification when it comes to deciding which operating system to build your device on. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Who are the users of the app?
2. On which devices will they use the app?

A good mobile app development company should be able to decide the best platform for your mobile app from the answer you provide about your business and its objectives. This might be the deciding factor for the success of your mobile app. Here is the report on Android version usage in the US alone from August 2021 - August 2022:

From the report, 30.75% of Android users use Android 11 versions, while 1.31% use the Oreo version. Try to know if there is a need to build an app for different operating system versions. For instance, if you serve a market dominated by the millennials that care so much about using the newest OS versions, it would be a waste of time and resources developing Android apps on version 9.0 (Pie) and older. In contrast, 25.5% of iOS users have versions below iOS 15.2 installed on their Apple devices in the same duration.

How will app development be managed?

There are many phases in a mobile app development project. Each of these phases is important to deliver the final result. They include:

• A. Project brief research and documentation
• B. Designing and developing phase
• C. Staging and deployment
• D. Continuous upgrade plans
• E. Support and Maintenance

Basically, most app developers employ two major approaches in app development management. You must ensure the involved mobile app development company talks about these methodologies.

• Agile project management: It’s a repetitive approach to project management that involves gradual increments in steps. In Agile, changes do not need to be on a fast track, and you can adjust a few components as the development continues.
• Waterfall project management: It involves having a clearly defined process where each team member knows what to do. A project phase needs to get final approval before advancing to the next.

How often will I need to update my app

The frequency of updating an app varies due to factors such as product updates, changes in app usage, and integration of new technologies. Including the updating and maintaining plans in the development plan is essential. The developer should make sure the updated plan differs in complexity depending on the use of the app. However, there should be strategically prioritizing in analyzing distinctive features and user feedback.

The updating possibilities of a mobile application are:

• Bug-fixing updates: A bug is an unforeseen technical issue that often results in an app crash when you take specific actions. Make sure the developer knows how to fix these bugs first.
• Implementing new features: New features not available in the earlier app can be incorporated to keep users engaged and active.
• Continuous improvement plans: You may have some functionality and design ideas you plan on implementing after your app is live in app stores. These improvement plans should stack value to the app and the end users.

How should my app be tested?

App testing is an important stage of app development that helps you achieve the required outcome and insights. However, your mobile app should be tested in different ways and stages – from the initial to the final stage. Here are a few activities your developer should perform in the development process.

• Test your ideas and insights during the first stage of the app development. This stage generally involves the design, sketch, and prototyping.
• Adapt to change based on users' feedback.

How will my app launch on app stores?

Whether you are launching your app on the Android app store or Apple Store, you will need some insights before you get started.

What do you need before launching on the app store?

• Name of app
• Description. This leads potential users to download your app
• App Category
• Keywords. It helps your app to rank well.
• Screenshots. This provides visual feedback to users on what the user interface looks like.
• Icons
• Rating

If you validate all these successfully, you will encounter no problems submitting and launching your app.

How can I measure my app’s success?

Now let’s look into the question many business owners fail to ask developers. How can you prove if your project is successful or not? Many developers fail to define what app success looks like. Some describe it as an app launch, but the definition of success goes beyond having the app up on app stores.

The best way to measure success is to state success metrics to developers beforehand. You should explain your goal and the purpose of developing the app. Therefore, you can now measure your app's success when your app meets up with your stated goal and purpose.

Can I view your previous successful projects?

A mobile app development company's previous successful projects can determine whether you should hire them or not. It tells you more about their level of skills and expertise. The case studies on their websites show the standard of work they deliver. For instance, you can review Boston UniSoft's recently completed app development projects. The other ways you can determine how good a company is through the following:

1. Directories they get
2. Awards they have won
3. Referrals they have.

Why should I work with you guys?

After getting answers to your questions about the mobile app development process, your final questions should be “Why Should I work with you guys?”. A mobile app development company with good reason to work with them will surely motivate you to choose them. However, many mobile app development companies tend to complicate your final decision with different answers. It is left to you to compare and make a final decision.

Get in touch with Boston Unisoft Technologies.

The questions you have gone through are the primary questions you should ask when evaluating a mobile app development company for your mobile application. At Boston Unisoft Technologies, we provide solutions to any questions you might have about the app development process. We specialize in web development, website design, logo design, and CRM system.

We have a team of expert app developers with years of experience building a mobile app that will be a force in the tech world. Are your mobile app ideas ready? Or do you still have a few questions about the development process? We are your best bet for the perfect execution of your ideas. Get in touch with us at Boston Unisoft to bring your ideas to life in a specialized and corporate way.