Importance and usage of apps (mobile applications) have increased many folds because of the ever increased use of smartphones in the past couple of years. Now there is an app for almost everything. Be it to connect with your friends, control your finances, or look for directions, applications have made achieving these regular day-to-day tasks much easier.
These smartphone applications are designed in such a way that they are interactive and easy for the user to understand and use. For the benefit of users, these apps are continually evolved according to the changing needs and demands of its consumers. This has further increased the desire for more apps. Studies have shown that there will be 6.1 billion smartphone users by 2020 – nearly 70 percent of the world’s population.
With this increase, users want applications that are simple yet efficient. The process of designing and developing an app requires a well-thought-out plan and effort. For companies that have a functioning IT department, it looks tempting to rely on in-house developers to develop the app but is it really beneficial?
Here are some of the reasons why hiring an app development agency can really pay off and maybe your best strategy when it comes to the development of the app.
Dedicated Resources
An app development company is solely responsible for developing apps and directs all its resources to this purpose. Rather than asking your in-house IT team to spread their focus and work on both the development of the app and running the IT operations of the company it is better to hand over to an external company that is reliable and is focused on building the mobile application.
Even after the development of the app, which in itself is a complex process and takes months to complete, there are other steps like planning and post-launch testing that are also required to be run in parallel while you are still making changes in the app. Hiring an external partner for this would help take some extra work off your own IT personnel and help them focus on work of your company while the partners provide you with the consistent maintenance that is required in your business app even after its launch.
Specialized Knowledge
Tech people are known to have knowledge of everything when it comes to IT related issues or maintaining databases and code languages to keep the companies running. They can bring back the network systems up, they can set up email on your smartphones, and can help you solve related issues within a blink of an eye but what they lack is the specific expertise that is required for app development.
To build an app that functions well and looks good you need to know the programming languages, the software, and technicalities of the devices for which it is being built for and would be used. The members of your IT team might be tech savvy but it is better to rely on experts who have years of professional experience on their hands when it comes to the development of applications.
Fixed Price Contracts
Unlike freelance app developers, app development companies charge you a fixed price for the whole project and not by the work they do per hour. This shows that you can not only save money by laying down the terms of the contract but also get a better understanding of your finances, budget and the capacity you really have for spending, through the app.
Project Managers
If you are a small or a rising company you have a lot of other things to take care of. One of the benefits of hiring a company for app development is that they provide you with a dedicated team of professionals along with project managers who manage the whole project for you during every step of development.
They not only keep track of everything that is happening but also communicates effectively with their own team and your company regarding what steps need to be taken in the future. It reduces the stress and helps keep everyone on the same page.
Growing Use of Apps
According to a recent study in this field, it has been observed that 89 percent of smartphone usage is based on mobile apps. This shows that this trend is not going anywhere and will continue to grow in the future with the rapid increase in the usage of smartphones in our daily lives for each and every activity. Therefore it is necessary that you build an app that is functional, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing which would continue to operate smoothly even if its usage expands.
Expansion Opportunities
Initially, you might want to focus on making your app available to certain audiences and on a particular device like Android, iOS, Windows, or others. But as time passes by and your app becomes successful you would want it to be available to a larger audience.
If you had an app development company to develop the app for you then you would be fortunate enough as you can ask them to develop your app for further use on different devices. These companies are well-versed in all major app platforms and would have the expertise required how to tailor your app for different versions of other platforms while maintaining consistency.
Long-Term Relationship
Because of the apps future demands and expansion opportunities, hiring an app development company during the initial stages would help you build long-term relationships which would prove to be beneficial for your app as it continues to grow.
They will have know-how about your app since they have been working with it and would be more dedicated to taking it to the next level. This would result in a long-standing partnership ensuring that your app always remains up-to-date.