With growing trends in the consumer market, the businesses of today are looking towards software integration to improve their marketing, customer service, and day to day operations. As a result, web design and development now play a critical role in modern business. It should come as no surprise then that just about every company is looking for software developers to help them create effective platforms. 

However, the task of finding a suitable developer isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds. If you’re trying to find a reliable team to create your software, there are a few things you should keep in mind. 

Determine Your Project’s Needs

The amount of developer assistance you need depends on multiple factors. The most important one is the complexity of your project. Are you looking to churn out a few cheap and simple apps? If so, you might not need a developer to help you out. You can use templates and existing designs to speed up the process and get a basic app running. 

If, on the other hand, you need to create a more advanced application or develop software, you’ll need help from professionals. However, there’s a spectrum involved here as well. Mobile apps are rarely as advanced as enterprise-level software. You should figure out what kinds of resources you need to divert to the project and choose a developer accordingly. 

Request References

When hiring a developer or team, you want to get a good idea of their capabilities and qualifications. The most obvious way to do this is to check their portfolio or case studies of their previous work. What kinds of apps or websites did they create in the past? Would they be a good fit for your project? By doing your research, taking a look at their testimonials page, and asking the right questions, you can gauge their capabilities pretty quickly. 

Don’t forget to check their references. Some companies and freelancers might be difficult to work with. If they argue about development or don’t manage strict deadlines, this is information you should know in advance. Find out whether the developer was able to produce expected results while working on a project. You might get some useful information about how they handle projects and whether or not they bring something extra to the table.

Schedule a Needs Assessment

Needs assessments are absolutely crucial. They let you get to know your potential team and learn about their process and how they complete tasks. Once you’ve got a good idea of a developer’s qualifications, it’s time to talk to them face-to-face, whether that be in person or virtually.

Here’s what you will get from a needs assessment with Lform:

• Learn the keys to your project’s success. Tell us about your project—what kind of website or app do you want to build? What kind of functionality does your project need? Get key takeaways from a team with decades of experience making our clients’ projects sing.
• A one-hour, face-to-face discussion. Have an actual talk with Lform’s experts. Tell us about your company and determine the best ways to implement your project successfully.
• No obligation: All the info is yours to do what you want. End up not working with Lform? That’s fine! Take our findings wherever you want with no restrictions.

Communication plays a key part in your project’s success as well, which is why it helps to establish communication channels early. Software development is no simple task, and your developer will need to consult you before making any major changes or adjustments to the software. This can lead to a more streamlined developer experience and provide you with a better product by the time the process is complete.

Schedule a needs assessment with Lform to get started!

Deliver a Detailed Project Brief 

Before you can solve a problem, you have to define it. If you want a developer to create an app or platform that suits your business, they need to have some guidelines. What are your goals with the app and how should it function? These are significant data points that you have to give to the developer before they begin the project. Brief them thoroughly on your mission with the project and let them do the rest.

The developer needs to have a good idea of your project’s needs to be able to give you an accurate quote. Without enough data, an agency can only roughly estimate the cost of a project. You can be sure that this estimate won’t lean towards the lower end of things if there’s not enough information available. As such, you should give the developer a full brief and explain your goals in detail.

Avoid Individual Freelancers

Depending on your goals, you might not want to enlist the help of freelance developers. While freelancing is helpful in other spheres, creating software that will benefit a business in the long term might not be one of them. There are a few downsides to using freelancers for these types of projects. 

Nowadays, when a business wants to utilize software, they want the full package. Everything from functionality to customer services has to be provided through a particular project. A one-person developer agency won’t be able to provide everything you need to utilize an app or platform. 

One developer can rarely master every aspect of the software they create. Even if a developer is good at coding, they might not be equally as good at UX and UI skills such as web design, wireframing, or user research. It’s also unlikely that they’ll also have a good grasp of security on top of their talents, which means that they won’t be able to provide a secure development environment. Not to mention, they might have multiple projects that they’re working on concurrently, and this could affect the quality of their work for your company. A dedicated and well-managed freelance or remote team would be more reliable and trustworthy for a high-calibre project. 

Choose the Most Qualified Team

As you might expect, the most difficult part of the process is actually choosing a team to enlist for your project. You’re not just picking someone to complete a simple task. As web and app development are continuous processes, you’re effectively expanding your team. This is why plenty of large companies create in-house teams to complete their projects. However, this isn’t a feasible solution for most businesses.

If you’re looking for reliable developers, finding offshore or nearshore teams might be the most effective solution. They can work on your projects from time to time while providing you with quality results and continuous support for your software. For many businesses, effectively choosing a nearshoring location team can be difficult. Where do you find a team that suits your business’s needs? The good news is that there are plenty of nearshore and offshore teams available all around the world. Many of them offer high-quality service for a lower cost than local agencies. Use online resources to locate a team that can provide you with software development and continuous support needed for your projects. 

Prepare to Pay Top Dollar

There’s a reason why software development is in high demand. It’s not a simple process in any sense of the word. Countless businesses are vying for the attention of software developers to create the most effective apps and platforms. In this hectic and high-demand environment, many agencies take advantage of businesses that don’t do their research. 

If a particular freelancer or agency sounds too good to be true, this just might be the case. If you get offers that are unusually affordable and claim to provide quick results, they might be over-promising to secure your business. In these scenarios, it’s not uncommon for agencies to rely on templates while saying that they’ll create customized apps from scratch. In essence, you get what you pay for.

However, the most expensive option isn’t always the best one, either. It’s important to find a golden middle ground. This is why many businesses turn to offshore and nearshore teams that encompass the best of both worlds. You can count on their reputation in a particular area while taking advantage of slightly lower prices. It’s a surefire way to get good results for numerous projects while not spending more than you have to. 

Conclusion

There’s no shortage of software development teams out there, but they’re not all good fits for your company. It’s important that you have a good grasp of the needs of your business and how you can realize them with the right team. By following the above pointers, you can avoid making mistakes during the selection process and enlist the help of software developers—like Lform—that will help your company prosper.