The mobile app development industry has been growing at a rapid pace for the last decade. With the ever-increasing number of people using smartphones and relying on different apps for various things in their daily lives, the mobile app industry has grown multifold. The rising trend has continued steadily even during the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
Considering the growth of the mobile app industry during and post-COVID lockdowns, some tech experts argue that the pandemic might be the “pinnacle of digitization”. Now mobile usage is not just limited to utility, entertainment, and business marketing. In fact, now mobile apps are a survival tool for people and businesses; they are the only way forward.
Realizing the steadily growing market trends, many business organizations have considered developing custom mobile applications to be a part of their strategy moving forward. As a consequence, the demand for Android and iOS app development has increased globally. Like others, you might be a business owner considering developing your custom mobile app. If you are, this guide is specifically for you. Find out the most important factors you must consider before outsourcing the development of your mobile app to a software company.
Why Choose iOS App Development Over Android and Other Platforms?
When it comes to developing mobile apps, the first choice faced by business owners is to decide the platform for development. iOS and Android are the two biggest mobile app platforms and the most common choice when it comes to app development. Both Android and iOS app development have their pros and cons, but there are some important reasons why businesses should choose iOS over Android.
Firstly, as of 2021, the Apple app store is the second-largest app marketplace with over 2 million available iOS apps. Secondly, from a technical point of view, the iOS ecosystem is cohesive, and the development tools and guidelines provided by Apple for iOS app developers make the final product reliable, fast, and of the highest quality. Moreover, iOS apps are also comparatively less expensive and less time-consuming to develop.
Another major reason to choose iOS over Android is app monetization. Research shows that spending on in-app purchases by users has increased by over 40% since the pandemic. This means that users are not only using more apps but are also spending more money on in-app purchases. However, there are clear differences when the spending on iOS and Android apps are compared. According to recent statistics, iOS users are twice more likely to spend money on apps than Android users. Therefore, even though the number of available Android apps and Google Play store downloads are higher, the actual financial data suggests that the total user spending on Android only amounts to half of the accumulated spending on iOS apps. If your business aims to earn money through the app then you should only consider developing an iOS app.
Important Things to Consider Before Outsourcing iOS App Development
Now that you have understood the benefits of choosing iOS development over other platforms, the next step is to decide your options for outsourcing. To create your iOS app, you need the expertise of an iOS app development company that can understand your requirements and bring your vision to life in the form of a high-quality mobile application.
The success of your iOS app depends heavily on your choice of an iPhone app development company. Therefore, it is crucially important to make the right outsourcing choices. Here’s the rundown of important factors to consider when outsourcing your iOS development project to a software company.
1. Trusted Resources to Look for Companies
When it comes to finding the right outsourcing company for your app development project, it is important to begin your search with trusted resources. You are going to find many companies that offer iOS app development services and make big claims but it can be a daunting task to vet the service providers and find the right one for you. Clutch, Manifest, and GoodFirms are trusted review and rating platforms that can help you along with your search. You can use such resources to not only limit your search to a particular location but you can also filter them on the basis of pricing, client reviews, and years of service.
2. Reputation of the iOS App Development Company in the Marketplace
It is important to ensure the company you are looking for has a strong reputation in the market. As mentioned before, review and rating platforms are a good way to judge the market standing of a company but you can also ask companies the following questions to get an idea about their reputation.
- When was the company founded?
- Where is the company located?
- What is the total size of the employees?
- How many apps they have developed?
- What are some of their biggest clients?
3. Technical Skills and Knowledge of the iOS App Developers
Apart from the reputation of the iPhone application development company, the skills and expertise of the developers that will be working on your app development project are also important. The development team should have excellent domain knowledge and command over the iOS development tools and technologies such as Swift, Objective-C, XCode, and Cocoa framework. Developers that have the skillset to understand your application requirements and a passion for their work will be able to ensure the successful execution of your app idea.
4. Agile Development Process
Different development companies follow different software development methodologies. For better collaboration and optimal final results, it is important to outsource to a company that follows the agile development process. Agile is a customer-centric approach that will allow you the flexibility to see your product take shape at every step of the development process and change your requirements if needed. It will allow you the chance to collaborate and introduce changes even in the later stages of development, ensuring that the final product turns out exactly the way you want.
5. A Dedicated Specialized Team for iOS Development
When you are on the hunt for the perfect iOS app development partner, you should ask whether the company has a dedicated team of developers that are specialized in iOS development. A dedicated development team will mean that the developers will exclusively work on your project to ensure a high-quality final product. This way you can choose your own terms and collaborate with your team as you want throughout the project life cycle.