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Table of Contents
- What Is a Social Network App Development Company?
- What Do Social Media App Developers Specialize in?
- How Much Does Social Network App Development Cost?
- Why Should You Hire Social App Developers?
- How To Choose the Ridght Social App Developers for Your Business?
- 15 Questions to Ask Social Media App Development Companies
- Takeaways on Social Network App Development
What Is a Social Network App Development Company?
Social media app development companies design, develop and deploy user-friendly and high-performance applications that allow people and organizations to create, exchange and share information with a network of people.
These mobile application platforms are virtual communities where users create their accounts, fill in their personal or business details, and manually or automatically log in.
The team comprises experienced front-end, back-end, and cloud developers to keep up with the technical advances for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems in use. They work with many different frameworks and programming languages and some of them are:
From wireframing to prototyping the MVP, the team works closely with your company to incorporate the key inputs.
The agency teams can provide you with a full-cycle mobile app development process from understanding the business ecosystem in comparison to your needs and requirements to exploring the market, including:
- Expert Business Analysis
- Design and Development
- Testing
- From Idea to Launch
- Integrating the New Product into the Infrastructure
- Scale-up and Optimization on Demand
- Customer Support
What Do Social Media App Developers Specialize in?
There are many types of interactions and social media apps that social network app development firms can work on, and some of them are as follows:
- Social networks: Primary objective of social network applications is connecting people no matter their geolocation. For instance, users can call each other, share text and voice messages, upload images and videos, leave comments, etc.
- Media sharing networks: These applications allow users to share any type of media content online, such as photos, videos, and reels, perform live and connect with other users. These are close to social networks and especially with the latest updates.
- Discussion forums: Here, users can ask questions, comment, answer queries, and share insights and valuable information. These platforms have gained popularity because many Internet users prefer looking for solutions online.
- Consumer review networks: These applications aim to let the digital population share their reviews about products, services, brands, and more. Many users prefer leaving reviews on such networks because of the trust and authenticity of the consumer networks.
- Publishing and blogging networks: Social app developers create solutions such as blogging platforms. Many global businesses rely on publishing niches to communicate their message to the target audience.
Social media app developers can work in multiple industries and niches at the same time, and some of them are as follows:
- Conferencing
- IoT and Wearables
- Gaming
- eCommerce
- Finances
- Telecom
- Educational
- eHealth and Telemedicine
In addition, these teams of professionals can provide you with additional services such as:
Software Product Development
- Quality Assurance (QA)
- Cloud Consulting
- Cloud Migration
- DevOps
- Big Data and Analytics
- UX And UI Design
How Much Does Social Network App Development Cost?
To give you an overall idea, the cost to build a social media app varies from $30,000 to $250,000, depending on various elements such as:
- Features List
- UI/UX Design
- Tech-stack
- Project's Timeline
The costs can increase or decrease based on the overall app complexity, which means that prices can go up to $400,000.
When it comes to hourly rates, they range between $40 to $130, depending on the individual or the whole team's experience.
Why Should You Hire Social App Developers?
Social network app development professionals create custom mobile applications that provide solutions for small, midsize and large firms from many industries.
Take a look at the top five reasons why you should hire a development team to help you on your upcoming project:
Reason #1: Become a Part of a Growing Market
The total revenue of the social networking market is projected to reach $43.39bn in 2022, with an annual growth of 8.57%, resulting in a market volume of $60.29bn by 2026. The talent pool of social media app developers comprises multi-skilled experts covering various technological specialisms that can support you at any stage and meet even the most complex technical challenges.
Reason #2: Speed Up the Delivery Process
When you pick the right business partner, you'll meet your development goals at double the speed of in-house development. Social app developers can translate your requirements and handle even the most complex software development tasks. This provides you with more time to spend on enhancing your core business.
Reason #3: Optimize Development Costs
A trusted social network app development company can help you deliver your vision for less money compared with building your company's in-house team. This is because you can optimize development costs and save time on recruitment and upskilling. The main benefit of it is improving your operational efficiency and therefore boosting your revenue as a result.
Reason #4: Acquire a Full Support System
When you pick the right business partner, you can count on the moderation of massive amounts of content with a sophisticated system and role-based permissions. Most companies handle security and data regulations such as ISO27001 certification and GDPR compliance.
In addition, you can count on several support benefits such as:
- 24/7 monitoring system
- Incident management
- Maintenance
- Bug fixing
Reason #5: Stay up to date with Trends
Numerous trends can impact your project as the IT industry continues to permeate our daily lives. Social media app development companies are always up-to-date with the latest news, information and features that your social network app can benefit from.
Your key point is knowing how to communicate this news and updates. So, take into account the following type of updates you might consider:
- Messaging: Users are turning to social messaging applications that provide instant message features. These apps attract big audiences and offer solutions for individuals and brands, especially when looking at e-commerce and client support.
- Storytelling: Adding context to an event, post, or captured moment allows users to share their stories with friends while receiving immediate feedback that encourages a more genuine connection.
- Commerce: Social mobile app developers are beginning to offer users peer-to-peer or person-to-person (P2P) payments. This allows users to connect their bank cards to the social network application through safe and secure means that adhere to the regulations of the banking system of a given region. After connecting their preferred payment method, users can easily enter an amount to transfer money to other individuals.
- VR and Augmented Reality: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology is entering the social market to enhance how people interact with each other and the world around them. For example, Facebook and YouTube introduced 360-degree videos, and in addition, Facebook launched a VR app called Horizon Worlds, which enables the use of their Oculus VR headset.
How To Choose the Ridght Social App Developers for Your Business?
Finding the right social network app development company for your project is a multi-level process that needs a solid strategy. The agency you hire should be your strategic partner and guide you through development.
To help you with this long-term choice and complex route, here are the six most critical steps to consider:
Step #1: Define Your Goals and Budget
Before you even start thinking about searching for a company, you need to sketch your goals and needs. Be sure to have them laid out before you consult your future development team. It is up to you to translate those needs to them to do their job well.
Step #2: Check Industry Experience
Whether an agency has worked in your niche may be an essential consideration. This means they probably faced the same problems you intend to solve with your app. Or they have dealt with related services.
Step #3: Ask for Client References
Another good idea is to ask for references from the firm's previous clients. Look for social app developers who provide customer contact information. This way, you can get honest feedback about the company and learn more about:
- Brands they served
- Challenges they can overcome
- Technologies they used
- Previous ROI and other KPIs
Step #4: Look at Portfolio
Ask the social network app development professionals to show examples of their work, especially things similar to your project. When looking at the previous customer and project portfolio, check the apps with a well-developed user interface. You should be able to rely on the quality of the way that users interact with resources and features.
Step #5: Talk about Expertise
Understanding the types of applications that social media app developers specialize in is essential. For example, you can have a particular app in mind that should be developed on a specific platform, so you should figure out whether the agency has the necessary expertise. And in the case of a cross-platform requirement, understand whether the team has experienced developers in hybrid app development languages.
Step #6: Discuss the Post-Launch Support
Mobile operating systems are updated a couple of times a year. So, work with an agency that guarantees the proper support when updating the product. Ask them some of the following questions:
- Will you help us after launching the app?
- What is your policy on post-release error fixing?
- Do you offer service and maintenance agreements?
15 Questions to Ask Social Media App Development Companies
When interviewing your potential business partner, ask them the following questions:
- What is the average size of companies you have worked with?
- Which industry is your expertise in?
- How do you handle projects and pipelines?
- What are the geographies you get the most projects from?
- What does your application development process look like?
- Do you follow any specific development methodologies?
- How would you ensure the app is delivered on time?
- Could you show us some client case studies?
- What is your communication process like?
- What amount of experience do you have in particular requirements we desire?
- Which market are you focused on?
- Will you present our social network mobile application to application stores?
- Whose name will the application be under?
- Which one is better, manual or robotized testing?
- What is the link to your agency's GitHub repository? Do you have a developer account?
Takeaways on Social Network App Development
The key benefits of hiring a professional agency are:
- Specialized insights
- Long-term cost reduction and time-saving
- Relevance in the marketplace
To choose the best social media app developers for your business, consider the following points:
- Portfolios and case studies
- Industry experience
- Third-party reviews
Best of luck!
