Do’s and Don’ts of Outsourcing Android App Development

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CodeX

13 min readOct 22, 2021

Android app development is big business these days. If you’re looking to jump into this space, it might be tempting to outsource your app development to an overseas developer or provider. However, if you do this without knowing what you’re doing, your project can turn into a nightmare pretty quickly.

Outsourcing, or finding someone else to do work you could otherwise be doing, is a legitimate way to save time and cut costs — you’ve got other things to do besides editing or developing an app. However, there are some vital do’s and don’ts to consider when selecting a developer for your project.

Many small enterprises take their first steps into outsourcing with an attempt at building an app. It can seem like an excellent opportunity for cash-flow relief from hiring developers, but it can also be a precarious business.

You might be asking yourself:

Why would I outsource rather than hire?
Wouldn’t it be easier to hire someone in-house?

Well, in some cases, yes. In most cases, no.

Here’s Why

Hiring a full-time employee involves various expenses, including benefits, taxes, and equipment, but they’re still going to demand a raise every once in a while too!

That means that if you’re looking for more control over what you spend on development projects — but still need help coding apps — outsourcing may be right for you.

Moreover, the following stats by Deloitte will give you more insights into why Outsourcing is ideal for your business enterprise:

59% of enterprises use outsourcing as a cost-cutting tool.
87% of enterprises share a healthy bond with their outsourcing partners.
57% of enterprises cite outsourcing as a tool to enhance focus on the critical business objectives.
47% of business enterprises resolve capacity-related issues with outsourcing.
31% of enterprises boost service quality via outsourcing.

We can go on and on, but what’s the point when you have already decided to Outsource your Android App development project. Let’s rather discuss the vital facts related to it.

The most important thing about outsourcing anything is knowing what tasks you will outsource & which tasks you won’t. If your organization hires another team to develop an app without clearly defining expectations upfront, then both parties can suffer from misunderstandings or disappointment later on.

As you are considering outsourcing your app development, here are some things you should know to make sure it goes smoothly. Let’s get started!

How Do You Choose Your Ideal Team of Developers?

It is elementary to find a team of developers nowadays. However, how do you choose the right team for yourself?

There are four R’s you should consider when deciding which team to use:

Reputation,
Rates,
Right Location, &
Right Technology Stack.

It is imperative to communicate with your hired team via Skype or any other video conference sources as it will be much easier to understand their tech stack etc.

Similarly, rates vary from country to country. For example, the average hourly rate in India is $15-$30/hour, which is much lower than in the US ($30–60/hour).

The average rate will also depend on your budget as well as the scale of your project. You should always ask about experience, portfolio and take a look at examples they have done earlier.

Finding the Right Mobile App Development Companies

To find a great Android app development company, start by searching for reputable companies with experience in your industry. While looking at their past work is essential, you want to hire them based on your project.

Make sure you choose a team with good communication skills (the most common problem people face is poor communication). Finally, before signing any agreement, make sure you feel comfortable working with them.

If possible, speak directly with at least one developer on their team to ensure that you get along well before agreeing to work together. These three tips will help get you started on hiring great developers for your next project!

Managing a remote team comes with multiple challenges. So let’s look at the top do’s and don’ts of outsourcing mobile app development.

Do’s of Android App Development, with Real-life Examples

DO: Analyze your mobile app requirements

Consider every nook and cranny of your project before you begin to find a freelancer or agency that can best help you. You will need to determine if your app needs any databases, Web service integration, video chat features, photo storage capabilities, etc.

Next, put together a clear project scope, including any potential design assets (i.e., mockups). Having all these details will give you an idea of what you’re proposing is possible or not, so you can prevent wasting time or get stuck in development cycles with an Android developer.

The process might seem burdensome at first, but it’ll be worth it in the end when your app meets all your requirements correctly.

For example, if you’re planning on storing photos in your app, be sure to hire android app developers who have experience integrating Google Play Services or other photo-storing solutions.

If you hire someone without that experience, you could find yourself having to rework portions of your code later on. Using design assets will also save time since you’ll already have all your views drawn out for an Android developer, making it faster for them to start working on your project.

Getting everything drawn out beforehand will also help prevent time delays if adjustments arise.

Do: Research the Target audience of your app

Since different demographics are looking for different services in an app, it is crucial to research well to choose a suitable developer.

Also, when you have chosen a target audience, be sure to mention them in your project brief/ideation stage. This way, the development team will prepare better by searching for resources that cater to your intended customers.

For example, If your app is for women in their late 30’s, you need to search specifically for developers who have experience catering apps to that demographic. The idea is to take care of critical things like color theme, UI design, user-friendliness, etc., to enhance the UX of the app.

Do: Look for experience & skillset in the developers

There is a shortage of qualified, experienced developers for outsourced projects. Look for experience in your pool. A good developer will tell you right away if they cannot build what you want or if they can, but it will take longer or cost more than you want to spend.

Ask specifically about their experience with Android development, whether it be for mobile devices, watches, TVs, or whatever direction you are looking to take. Make sure they have completed projects in that area before trusting them with your valuable work.

The biggest problem with outsourcing android app development is finding someone who knows how to use all its features effectively, so focus on having an expert handle your project if at all possible.

For example, If you are creating a messaging app, make sure they have built apps with chat rooms or at least been involved in one before. Look for experience in areas relevant to your project.

Look for experience in areas relevant to your project.

They don’t need to be experts in every area, but they should demonstrate their expertise in some aspect of android development if you want a quality product worth what you pay for it.

Do: Consult Project Warranty & NDA

When you’re thinking about hiring an outsourced app development company, you should always look for an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) clause in their agreement. It will protect your intellectual property.

You also want to find out if there is a Warranty period attached to your project. If so, how long is it? What happens if they don’t meet certain milestones within that time frame? Is there compensation for extending the warranty period? These two things save you from headaches at the later stages of outsourcing.

For example, an NDA clause can help prevent a developer from sharing your ideas without permission. If you’re planning on building a social networking app for nurses, for instance, an NDA could keep a developer from releasing their app without consent.

It also helps protect your business if things go awry. Suppose they don’t complete the development of your app. This clause is crucial because it gives you leverage in both cases. It’s not that uncommon for developers to take several months or even years to complete projects.

You need a system in place so that if they drag out development or give excuses as to why they can’t finish it, you have recourse to either fire them or receive compensation for staying within their warranty period.

Don’t of Android App Development, with Real-life Examples

Don’t: Choose price over quality developers

Low price quotes can easily seduce you, but you’ll pay for it in more ways than one. It’s better to hire someone with a higher cost per hour but provides you with advanced services than someone with a low hourly rate and fails to provide elementary development services.

Remember that outsourcing software development is not like buying furniture from Craigslist — quality comes at a cost.

For example, if you hire two developers at $10/hour and $20/hour, respectively, that $10 developer will work about 50% longer to earn their daily wage while coding on your project than if he got hired at $20/hour. If you value your time and peace of mind, you should spend more upfront and find a quality developer who will deliver great code that is also maintainable.

Don’t: Neglect the Technology Stack of the Android App

Not all tech stacks are equal, which is why it’s important to know what you’re getting into. You can pay a lot for a tech stack that does one thing very well or for a tech stack that does many things adequately. What it comes down to is searching for the optimum balance between functionality and cost.

But make sure you choose because if you don’t go in with your eyes open, you could end up paying too much or settling for something less than optimal.

The Android technology stack consists of many different things, but many businesses prefer developing apps with Java. Java is a programming language that’s been around for decades now, and Sun Microsystems created it in 1996.

On the other hand, you have access to Kotlin, a relatively new open source programming language created by JetBrains for Android.

Here’s an infographic depicting Kotlin v/s Java

Both are similar but different enough that one might be a better fit for your project than another. Both have pros and cons, so deciding which one would be best will depend on your team’s needs.

For example, If you are in haste and looking for a language that offers you a faster time to market your app, then Kotlin Outweighs Java. In contrast, if you are developing a simple app, then Java is a proven excellent choice.

Remember, deciding the tech stack of your Android App will also help you choose the right set of developers & skill set. On the downside, you need advanced technical skills to select the ideal tech stack — leverage free consultation with an Android app development company to choose the best technology stack for your app.

Don’t: Have a Communication Gap with the Development team

The last thing you want is not to be in sync with your development team. The communication gap between your product manager and developers can result in delayed releases, unmet expectations, and customer complaints.

The way to avoid a communication gap is to talk constantly throughout development. If things don’t work out as expected, keep lines of communication open so you can find solutions together.

For example, hire app developers that offer you formal & informal modes of communication via calls, live chats, video conferences, virtual meetings, etc., for seamless integration in your business.

Don’t: Fail to discuss the time-zone with the developer’s team

Depending on your location, it may not be easy to schedule calls or have in-person meetings. Please make sure you’re clear with your outsourcing company about time zones so they can plan their team accordingly.

Also, be mindful of differences between Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Pacific Standard Time (PST). The most convenient time for most people is EST or PST. If you choose, try to use EST because there are fewer distractions during work hours in that time zone compared to PST.

For example, if you’re in San Francisco, Pacific Standard Time (PST), it would be difficult to schedule calls or have in-person meetings with a development team from India because they’re five hours ahead.

To schedule calls around your work schedule, you’ll have to wait until 10:00 am at their time, which means you won’t start working until 5:00 pm. You can continue working through lunch, but you’ll lose out on a lot of productivity as a result.

It also means if there are any issues with bugs or documentation that need clarification at 8:00 pm your time on a Friday evening — you will have to wait until Monday afternoon to resolve them.

Thus, it’s better to ask the outsourced team to have regular meetings at a time zone comfortable with you.

Wrapping Up

First impressions are essential, so make sure you get off on a good foot with your developer. Be clear about your goals for your project but open to suggestions.

And if you’re working with an individual developer, take time to form a relationship — it’ll pay off down the road. If you’re having trouble communicating or understanding technical terms, feel free to ask!

Android app development companies in India want their clients to be happy in their work & both of you win when it happens.

FAQs

Question: What services should I expect from a professional Android developer?

Answer: You must know what kind of services your android developer provides and when. Be wary of developers who give blanket answers like We can do anything! or Whatever you need. Good android development firms will give a solid response that will somewhat look like in these three categories:

Design: Our design team specializes in Material Design for apps running on all devices with screen sizes between 5–6 inches and 10–12 inches. Our designers are highly skilled at creating beautiful UI/UX flows while being sensitive to Android conventions for app navigation.
Development: Once a design gets decided, our developers review each UI element individually then utilize lean design principles to implement it into code. It safeguards our client’s time without sacrificing usability or features they desire most in their app. While any software development is rarely bug-free, we pride ourselves on testing every single line of code that we produce.
Testing/QA: We run automated tests to catch bugs that escape unit testing and spot-check some manual QA checks where necessary. Upon completion, all test results are available to our client, so if there is ever an issue, you can verify what went wrong yourself instead of relying on someone else’s word. This value package is available with every project we undertake, whether large or small, so you always have insight into how things progress over time.

Note: The above answers are not exhaustive but mainly give you an idea of what professional communication from passionate development companies or developers should appear.

Question: Do you have any other piece of advice on outsourcing android apps?

Answer: Other than asking questions, it’s a good idea to have a detailed spec of what you want. List out exactly what you need and give examples. If specific features are part of your app that aren’t common among similar apps, make sure you communicate these clearly from the start.

Before engaging in any project, make sure you ask other people about their experience with similar projects.

Question: Do I need an attorney or legal representative to draft contracts for me?

Answer: No, you do not need an attorney or legal representative. It may appear like a scary thing to contemplate, but if both parties (client & developer) agree on and sign a contract and keep true to its terms, everything should be fine.

Question: How much does it cost to get an android app developed?

Answer: The cost of building an app will vary greatly depending on what is required. There are many factors such as how complex your idea is, how many screens and features you need, etc.

Typically a simple app can be developed for $16000 or less, whereas something more complex could cost $50,000 or more. Shop around & get around 3 quotes from different companies and compare prices and services offered.

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