How To Outsource Mobile App Development in 2024

Did you know that the number of available apps for download has increased by 82% since 2016? Mobile apps have generated more than $900 billion in revenue, which is why we can expect even more of them to pop up in the future. If you’re looking to add more revenue to your business, you’re probably considering building a mobile app.

However, building one on your own can be complicated and expensive and you may end up spending months building something that just won’t work. There’s a simple solution - outsourcing your mobile app development.

Today, we’re going to show you why it’s a good idea and how you can do it, step by step.

Why should you outsource mobile app development?

If you want to build a mobile app, there are two ways to go about it: hiring a team and building it in-house or outsourcing it to a team of specialized developers. Here are some of the reasons why the second option might be better for your business.

Cost-effectiveness

Rounding up a team of developers specializing in mobile app development can be very costly. Your average mobile app dev is going to charge you anywhere from $44 to $57 for an hour of work. And you’re not looking to hire one - you want to build a team.

Hiring full-time is not an option because you only need the dev team for one project. So, the most cost-effective solution is to hire a specialized team to come in, wrap up a project, and pay them for the completed work.

Access to specialized skill sets

You can pick and choose dev teams not only specializing in mobile apps, but also different types of mobile apps. Do you want a team that specializes in building cookbook apps? Productivity apps and time trackers? News apps or catalogs? You name it, there is someone who does it.

Focusing on core competencies

Perhaps you have dev talent at hand, but their expertise is better spent elsewhere. When you outsource developing a mobile app, it wins back free time for your team to focus on more important matters. For example, working on your SaaS product, website, marketplace or something else.

Faster time to market

A team that’s built 50 apps will likely build their 51st much faster than you would finish your first mobile app project. If time is of the essence and you want to go to production quickly, a team of outsourced developers is going to do the job more quickly compared to anyone who is already working in-house or a potential new hire.

Scalability

Need an additional set of hands on deck? Just ask your outsourced development company to give you more developers. As your projects scale up or down, you can add or remove people as needed without the significant impact that you would have if you were dealing with in-house developers.

Reduced risk

Established mobile developers teams have processes in place to prevent potential issues, such as compliance problems, data leaks, security concerns, having someone steal your code and similar. When working with a reputable mobile app developer, most of that risk is on them.

How to outsource mobile app development in 9 easy steps

If you’ve made the decision to outsource the development work to a partner, worry not - we’ll help you along the way. All it takes is nine simple steps.

But before we get to that, did you know that you don't have to hire a company to build an app from scratch? With MobiLoud, you can convert your website into a mobile app in under two weeks. You can click here to find out what your app would look like.

Define your project requirements

This is the most important step of the way and this is where you need to spend most of your time. It impacts choosing the right outsourcing partner, as well as the final product you end up getting.

Some of the main requirements for your project could be:

• Your target audience
• The features and functionalities you want in the app
• Platform preferences (iOS vs Android, cross-platform)
• Your budget
• Your timeline (goal and milestones you want to hit)

It’s best to round up all of your requirements before setting out to find an outsourcing partner. With all of these in one place, you’re going to have an easier time finding someone with the right skills who can do the work within your budget. If you don’t have any coding experience, you’re going to have to do some additional research first.

Research potential outsourcing partners

There are countless agencies and teams out there offering outsourced mobile app development. Do you want to work with someone based locally, or off-shore, or perhaps, the location doesn’t play a key part at all?

Some of the things you want to pay attention to are:

• Their portfolio of previous work
• Client testimonials
• Certifications
• Technical skills in the team
• Specialization in a specific type of app
• Culture fit

Even if all of the main requirements are there but the culture fit is lacking, you’re not going to have a good time working with an outsourced partner. Take some time to meet with the team and see if you’re aligned on how to work and communicate with each other.

Request proposals and evaluate them

This is where proper preparation pays off. Take all of the information from the first step and send it off to a shortlist of your potential partners. Ask them for a proposal for a completed mobile app and wait for the responses to come in.

If you’ve done your job well, you can expect responses to start coming in so you can choose the best candidate for the job. And while the price is often the deciding factor, you should also consider other critical points such as their portfolio and experience with similar types of apps and audiences.

Conduct interviews and due diligence

At this point, you should have a list of a handful of serious contenders for the job, so book a call with them to assess their communication style and ask additional questions. If you end up hiring them, you’re going to have many calls similar to your introduction one, so this is a pretty good way to determine if you’re a good fit in terms of culture and communication.

If someone seems like right fit for developing your mobile app, do some additional research and background checks. Verify that the portfolio is accurate, that the apps they’ve built are up on online stores, that their client testimonials are legit and that the company is in good standing.

Define a project plan and contract

You’ve selected your mobile app outsourcing partner and it’s time to seal the deal and put everything on paper. At this point, determine how your potential collaboration is going to play out. Some key details include:

• Milestones (when each portion of the project will be finished and sent to you for sign-off)
• Deliverables (main parts of the projects that will be delivered for each milestone)
• Project management methods and tools (how the team will work with you and which tool you can use to check up on their progress)
• The scope of work (what constitutes as a finished project)
• Payment terms (based on milestones, paid upon completion, etc.)
• Intellectual property rights (who owns the code)
• Confidentiality clauses (so that your code remains your own)

The partner may already have drafted contracts with the main details prepared, so go through them and consult with a legal professional before signing anything.

Define the communication methods and tools

You’re going to be in touch with your partner pretty often, so you might want to establish how and when you’re going to communicate ahead of time. Some may disagree, but excellent developers who communicate poorly are going to create a headache for your team before the work is completed.

Determine:

• How you can contact the outsourced partner (email, Slack, calls, in-person meetings, etc.)
• When you will communicate (daily standups, weekly calls, monthly overviews)
• How and where you can share feedback
• When you can expect responses to come in

Monitor progress and provide feedback

As your partner is working on your app, be a fly on the wall and keep up with their work - not just for milestones. Check in on the completion of their daily tasks and the overall progress of the app - the back end, the user experience, connectivity with data sources and databases, and more.

Provide feedback early to prevent problems and fix bugs before they turn into costly errors.

Test and deploy the app

Before you go live, your partner and you should do comprehensive testing:

• Functionality testing
• Usability testing
• Performance testing
• Security testing

These are all necessary steps to make sure that when you go into production, you don’t get bug reports from day one. If you’re happy with the work and there are no errors in any of the testing, you can go live.

Support and maintenance

Make an agreement with your outsourced partner to offer support and maintenance post-launch. Some issues might slip through and they should be on standby to fix them. Also, determine how and when updates will be done on the app.

And voila, you’re good to go!

Wrapping up

Choosing a partner to outsource your mobile app development too requires a huge leap of faith, especially if you don’t have a technical background. There are many options out there to choose from, but don’t let that scare you away - the framework above is an excellent starting point to help you find the right team for the job.

And if you have a website that you want to turn into a mobile app - you don’t have to search far and wide. At MobiLoud, we can convert your website into a beautiful, functional mobile app you will love in just a few weeks.

Get a free preview of your app or book your free demo to learn more!