The benefits of custom web applications over the use of SaaS apps are clear. You have 24/7 access to your data, total control over who else has access, and, most importantly, the apps are designed specifically for your needs.
That’s all well and good, but the real trick is picking the right developers to create your custom web applications. Most companies simply don’t have the personnel on staff to handle all the developing in-house, and there is a whole digital sea filled with developers who will leave you treading water with a bad product and a large development bill.
So how exactly do you ensure that you’re picking the best custom web application development company for your company’s needs? Below are some tips that will help you find the right fit.
1. Define Your Project before Hiring the Developer
Let’s say your company wants to engage your customers through a mobile app that offers easier accessibility to your product. You look for a custom application development company to make it happen, and you find one that boasts an impressive track record for IOS development. Bingo!
Hundreds of billable hours later, you’ve got the perfect application. You launch it on the App Store, and immediately you start getting questions from half your customer base about an Android version. You contact the developers, and they respond that, while their expertise is in IOS, they can figure out how to port your application to Android platforms, sticking you with an even larger bill and a resulting lackluster Android app.
How could you have avoided this? Well, at the very beginning when you decided to launch a mobile app, you could have fleshed the project out to include both platforms instead of just the most popular. From there, the search for a custom application development company would have included Android expertise alongside IOS expertise, and you could have hired a company that boasted both of these things.
The more defined a project is, the more visible its needs become. When you’re more aware of what you need your application to do, you’re better able to find a suitable development company to handle those needs. Finding the right company for your particular job not only saves time and money, but it also leads to a better product.
There are companies like Asahi Technologies who have the expertise and know-how to handle bespoke web application projects for any platform, but there are a lot of smaller companies out there who are more specialized and less versatile.
2. Look for Testimonials
Just as it’s always better to read reviews before buying something from an online retailer, it’s a good idea to look for testimonials before hiring a custom web application development company to handle your project.
If a company doesn’t have good things being said by previous customers, then they’re either a new company or maybe not so great at what they do. Either way, you’d be taking a risk to hire them.
Always take a look at the company’s website or do a quick google search for their name. If you find a lot of happy customers leaving glowing testimonials, then you know you’re probably on the right track.
3. Look through Their Portfolio
Any established application development company is going to have a section on their website that features some of their past work. If there isn’t any work present on their site, that’s probably a red flag.
Looking at a developer’s past projects serves several purposes. You can browse their work to see if anything aligns with your project as you’ve imagined it. You might even pick up some ideas for ways to expand upon or improve your project, and that’s without actually consulting with any contractors.
Perhaps even more importantly, browsing a potential developer’s work will give you an indication of their level of expertise. If you don’t like what you see in their portfolio, then chances are you won’t like what they produce for you either.
A great portfolio says a lot about a web application development company before you even have to talk to them.
While there are countless factors to choosing the right custom web application company for your needs, the tips above should help you a lot in your search for the perfect fit.
To find more information on how your business can hire our enterprise custom web application development services, contact us today.
