By 2025, there will be 7.4 billion mobile users globally.
The average user spends 4.8 hours every day on their smartphone – 92.5% of that time is spent using mobile apps.
Just from these figures, it is evident that the mobile app market is potentially very lucrative – but also highly competitive. This is why it is vital to understand how to find an app developer to set you on the right path toward mobile app success.
In this article, we will go through all the necessary steps to find a freelancer or agency to help you build a successful mobile app.
Table of Contents
4 Things You Should Know Before Finding App Developers
An app's user flow may completely alter over time. As a result, your business will spend more time defining those flows than it will examine general requirements. It's crucial to clarify your project's concept before working with an app developer.
- Define Your Target Audience and Their Pain Points
- Validate the Problem and the Solution
- Make Your Requirements Clear
- Determine Your KPIs
1. Define Your Target Audience and Their Pain Points
Without knowing who you are making the app for, there is no point in building it.
To determine your target audience and what app features would solve their pain points, you should identify a group of people with comparable interests and issues. The first basic details to cover are age, gender, location, languages, income, education, and occupation before delving into the specifics (behavior, values, habits and so on).
When defining your target app user, it's essential to consider the function of your mobile app and the issues it will address.
2. Validate the Problem and the Solution
You are only speculating before you put an idea to the test in your market. You should conduct in-depth research to determine whether there is a problem that you want to solve with your app to build a successful one.
Make sure the people who experience a specific pain point need an app solution by asking your potential customers rather than making assumptions.
To determine how distinctive your app will be, compare your concept to existing ones. If there is already a successful project, creating another one might not make sense.
Build a Minimum Valuable Product to see if your concept satisfies customer demand. Completing this step, as well as the previous one in which you define your target audience and their pain points, is also the stepping stone to ensuring a solid mobile app monetization when the time comes.
3. Make Your Requirements Clear
You must be completely aware of your app product’s requirements before looking for app developers. Making a features list and starting to track and measure KPIs is an excellent way to go about this.
Many business owners ignore MVP (Minimum Viable Product) solutions. They get a solid idea and immediately begin to build their app, but when it comes time to launch, they are at a loss for what to do.
Without specific requirements, developers won't be able to estimate how much time and money will be required to develop your app. For this reason, it's good practice to create a list of essential features that ought to be completed first. It will assist developers in selecting the appropriate tech stack and understand your demands.
4. Determine Your KPIs
Every business depends on well-thought-out KPIs, so choosing which ones to track for your project should be one of your first steps.
KPI tracking and measurement are crucial for business because they demonstrate whether your current strategy is effective or not. They are employed to gauge development and identify your product's weak points. It will help you promote user growth and raise sales.
Your decisions will be based more on assumptions and personal preference than on data if you don't track KPIs. KPIs help your business move in the right direction by guiding strategic, data-driven decisions.
Knowing the importance of KPIs, you're probably considering which ones you should concentrate on and build your strategic planning around. The most significant KPIs that every app-based business should monitor are:
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
- Monthly Active Users (MAU)
- Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)
- Revenue Growth Rate
- Revenue Churn Rate (RCR)
- Customer Churn Rate (CCR)
- Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
What To Look For in an App Developer
The following are three qualities an ideal app developer should have:
- Creativity: While solid foundational skills shouldn't be looked down upon, ensure your app developer doesn't get restricted or adhere too strictly to the rules. To develop apps, you must be flexible and willing to try new things.
- Multi-faceted programmer team: There is no point hiring an app developer who only "speaks" one programming language. Developers typically need to be familiar with the syntax of several frameworks used for app development in addition to those for web technologies.
- Good communication skills: To ensure that everyone is on the same page and that your vision is quickly realized, clear communication is essential.
How To Find a Developer for an App in 5 Steps
- Evaluate Their Portfolio
- Check Their Clients’ Testimonials
- Look into Their Development Approach and Technologies They Use
- Get Informed About Their Company Culture
- Talk with Their Team and Assess the Openness of Communication
Step 1. Evaluate Their Portfolio
Avoid using app developers who have just graduated from college. Of course, there are some exceptional circumstances in which novices can demonstrate exceptional skill. Still, you should be looking for a solid track record with developing products within your industry.
Examine the app developers’ past work history and portfolio before hiring them to see how well they performed on other projects. Simply skimming through their prior job cases can teach you a lot about whether they can tackle your specific project.
You can learn a lot on app developers’ capabilities by looking at their DesignRush company pages.
Step 2. Check Their Clients’ Testimonials
When choosing an app developer, the experience of previous clients is a crucial consideration, provided that their reviews are reliable. While customer testimonials may be significant, they should be taken into account along with the other factors on this list because it is easy to fall into the trap of fake or ill-intended reviews.
Step 3. Look into Their Development Approach and Technologies They Use
Finding an app developer who can work on your project requires your development methodologies to be compatible. App developers divide and organize their work according to the software development life cycle to ensure a smooth process. Different development teams use various strategies and approaches.
You should check to see if the app developer you want to hire is qualified for your project. Is your application a web-based one? Which programming language are you going to need? Do you need a complex or straightforward graphical user interface? Do you require cloud application development because your app will be stored in the cloud?
The search for candidates will be shortened based on the responses to these questions. Keep in mind that you want to hire an app developer knowledgeable about your project's specific technologies.
Step 4. Get Informed About Their Company Culture
Although many decision-makers tend to ignore it, this factor is crucial when hiring an app developer.
There are various working environments for different app developers. For instance, some businesses employ a top-down management style, where managers at the top give orders to their staff members at the bottom.
A few businesses also allow their staff members to exercise their creativity to a great extentgreatly with little to no oversight. Others operate on a team basis, where everyone, regardless of rank, is encouraged to speak up and contribute. As a result, even if a company has exceptional talent, you might not be a good fit for their culture.
Determine your values, ethics, expectations, goals, and personality to find a good match and confirm that the developers you hire share those same values. Being on the same wavelength in this regard will ensure a better understanding and cooperation.
Step 5. Talk with Their Team and Assess the Openness of Communication
You should still conduct team member interviews, whether hiring an app development team remotely or not. Testimonials and portfolio case studies are useless if the app developer is challenging to work with on a personal level. Be aware of any potential issues or character flaws because they could lead to unanticipated conflicts in the future.
The issue with hiring independent contractors or full-time employees who develop apps is that they frequently only have access to email and teleconferences because they work remotely. If they are in various time zones, this challenge is exacerbated.
Make sure that these logistics do not hamper communication. It's best to find someone local to you and schedule updates at times that both parties can be reached.
Last but not least, always make sure that your communication is open and transparent. App development agencies should be honest about their capabilities, restrictions, and payment terms. Don’t work with someone who seems to be keeping something from you.
Expert Insights on How To Find an App Developer
We asked agency experts: “What is, in your opinion, the defining criteria for choosing an app developer?”
Karan Mehta, Co-Founder and CEO at Squillion Technology
“A crucial standard for selecting an app developer is their proven ability to understand and translate your vision into a functional app, evidenced by a diverse portfolio and positive client testimonials. Look for a partner who values clear communication, demonstrates flexibility in their approach, and shares your commitment to quality and ethical practices.”
Slam Sarymamedov, Co-Founder of Ubunzo
“The most crucial criterion for selecting an app developer is their demonstrated ability to craft apps that are not only innovative and user-centric but also align perfectly with the client’s unique requirements and vision. A developer’s portfolio that showcases a history of successful projects is a testament to their expertise and reliability, making it a key factor in the decision-making process.”
Natalia Sokolova, Business Development Manager of dev.family
“The defining criteria for choosing an app developer are:
- Actual stack: React Native and Flutter for cross-platform development; Swift and Kotlin for native.
- Portfolio: Are there good animations? Does the app state when something is wrong? Onboarding? Screen transitions?
- Experience in the right niche: When you need an app for a restaurant, it’s better to go for food tech developers, not fashion.
- The design of apps pages in the stores: It affects the conversion rate on install.”
Hari Om Tiwari, Project Manager at Promatics Technologies
“Finding the right app developer is like picking a co-pilot: expertise and communication are key.
Look for developers with experience in your industry and similar app types — their understanding of your unique challenges matters. Don’t underestimate the power of clear communication; choose someone who actively listens, clarifies your vision, and provides regular updates. Dive into their portfolio: assess past projects for quality design, successful launches, and focus on user experience.
While competitive rates are attractive, remember [that] the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Prioritize value, proven expertise, and a team that feels like an extension of your own.”
Viktor Osadchii, Marketing Manager at Yalantis
“Begin by identifying your project requirements, then decide if you need an in-house team or outsourcing. Determine whether a freelancer or an agency is right for you. Search worldwide, scrutinize potential developers, and pick the one that aligns with your project goals.”
Lucky Lance Gobindram, General Manager at CXR.Agency
“A defining criterion for choosing an app developer is their proficiency in blending user-centric design with robust backend engineering. This ensures a seamless, intuitive user experience backed by scalable, reliable technology.
Prioritize developers who demonstrate a deep understanding of your target audience and industry-specific challenges, as their insights can transform a functional app into a market-leading solution.”
