Choosing a suitable web development company can be hard for any business, and is a very important decision. Whether your website intends to build a gentle ‘presence’, or acts as a highly efficient and functional service provider, it will require higher levels of expertise to become effective, and of course, investments.

Resources are scarce — demand for app developers and development firms exceeds their supply, and the best-of-the-lot are hardly ever available to most employers. Teaming up with an inept and inefficient web development agency can be heavy on your pocket, and waste a lot of your precious time.

It’s easy to fall prey to an agency’s sweet talk. Be clear on getting the best value for what you pay, and don’t overlook the critical factors at any point.

If you’re just starting out and look to outsource web development, here are top ten things you can do to minimize risks and avoid disappointment.

1. Understand your requirements — “Web Application” or “Conventional Website”

Most businesses require regular websites containing static pages with information, or their needs are fulfilled by shopping carts or blogs, which can easily be set up through readily available software.

Others can be more demanding, looking for customized codes, especially if they need to do the following:

· simplify organizational coordination

· make data sharing and systematic logs highly customized

· create a unique and exclusive online service or product

· incorporate a back-end system, like a finance, ERP or payment system

If you require a custom-coded website, beware! Know that most web development companies will only claim to be capable of handling such requests, but when it comes to creating customized systems from scratch, they fail to show the required prowess. A majority of development firms out there have a lot of expertise in developing typical websites, because customers usually demand conventional features. This is why you have to be very, very chose about which firm to hand over the project to. Hire a firm with a complete range of relevant expertise — from traditional designing to interface optimization, and more.

It is crucial to know the scope of your project when looking for a firm that can actualize your concept.

2. Demand references

Flashy portfolios can blind your instincts. Although asking for references seems obvious, it is more likely to be skipped by many.

Companies that boast stellar results, and showcase several successful websites and applications, can actually be concealing the hassle that went into the development process. By merely looking at the projects, you can’t tell whether they were accomplished on time and within the set budget. So, it is always better to demand references from satisfied clients, to make sure you are dealing with the right people. Ideally, qualified companies will provide two or three references up-front to appease you.

3. Demand to know the actual people who will work

It is important to know that who will be doing the work for you because the designs presented to you can be the efforts of another development team, and the people working for you might not be as proficient as you would expect.

Requesting at least one reference from a client who has worked with the same team as yours can prove really helpful, and there’s no harm in it.

Also, make sure you get a chance to talk personally to the primary members of the team, to guarantee they understand your requirements well, and that they are somewhat excited towards the project. This personal conversation will also help you guess their expertise.

4. Quality has a cost

When hiring web developers, remember the old adage — “you get what you pay for”, which implies that if you look for value to be delivered at cheaper rates, you are risking the quality, timeliness and quantity of the product.

“It is unwise to pay too much, but it‘s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money; that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. “ — John Ruskin (1819–1900), English social reformer

Real quality counts. If you want your project to be customized to your requirements, and that too completed on time, you shouldn’t really be surprised when costs are estimated higher than you had expected. This holds true for web app development, especially when it goes beyond ready-made components, and developers are required to think out of the box to find solutions to problems they have never come across before. This means that your hired agency should be experienced, adaptive, and creative. Well experienced development companies are expensive, but they also increase the probability that you will have a desirable product the very first time.

5. Ask for source files

One common problem faced by many companies is that they are literally unable to make necessary changes to their websites, because their development agency did not hand over the source files at the end of the project. Be sure to get all the source files. They can be Photoshop files, access codes to repositories, or login credentials for site hosting, etc. This is important when at some later point, you intend to hire an in-house development team, or manage the site yourself. Any new development firms you hire would also require these source files to work on your project.

Handing over of the source files should be a part of your contract so that there’s no fuss afterwards.

6. Ensure an open communication channel

It is important to discuss the style and channel of communication with your team, to ensure that there are no communication barriers between you and the team. If you prefer frequent detailing and updates, make sure the project manager is aware of it and allocates sufficient time to these interactions. For occasional interactions, project management tools are preferred, and you need to let your team know of when and how you’ll be interacting with them. Similarly, if your team thinks that real-time brainstorming sessions with clients are more helpful, make sure they are allowed sufficient opportunities.

You must be very careful regarding these aspects, especially when you have an offshore development team working for you, or if it is based in a different time zone.

A lot more benefits are to be reaped when there’s a strong communication between all parties.

7. Respect how developers work

Everybody works in ways that suit them the most, and teams especially follow a group code which evolved over a significant time period. You should allow web development companies to brief you on what process they use, and must not compel them to follow your practices if they are any different.

You are supposed to provide them delivery dates, set milestones, and make a list of requirements, both yours and the team’s. The schedule and the list will ensure that all the requirements are met on time, and everybody gets what they need and when they need it.

8. Have your content ready beforehand

If you are to provide the content for your site or app, make sure that the content is ready well before the developers begin working on your project. Though content creation seems a simple enough task, it takes longer than you think. Content creation takes a lot into consideration, and requires proficiency in every detail. If you reckon you can write down a website’s content in a week, we suggest you take a couple more weeks — say, five weeks. There’s a lot of time required to put together FAQs, Terms of Service agreements, legal disclaimers, etc. You can always hire professional writers if you think this process requires too much time, or you could buy the “Self-Writing Quill” from the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes to help you with content creation.

9. Remember to update search engine indices

There are two major problems created by restructuring an existing website; firstly, there’s the risk of losing customers that end being redirected to a 404 (file not found) error, secondly, you could lose all the search engine optimization that was set up around your previous domain and subdomain. This happens when companies try to tread in a new direction, or add some new service to a web app, and when the content is shifted to a new location.

Value the immense amount of efforts you have put into establishing your business, don’t just let it go to waste. Ask your development team to deploy 301 redirects, which request search engines to update their indices.

10. Consider seeking professional help

It always helps to have a trusted advisor at hand. Hire the services of an acquaintance, or friend who is well-versed in technical strategies, understands the clever jargon that might catch you off guard, and knows what to say and when. This will help you ensure that the work is being properly done, and that value is being delivered.

Hiring an expert advisor can save you major costs and time — an hour a week would make sure you are not wasting your resources on a firm which is incompetent to handle your project

Many companies have amazing app ideas but they lack the skillset and resources to develop applications in-house.

So, as they say, “When in doubt…outsource”!

Outsourcing is popular for being convenient, reducing costs and providing flexibility to companies. It injects your app in the market fluently, without wasting much time, effort and money.

Outsourcing mobile app development for many companies will produce cost effective results most of the time, but having a dispersed team can result in several issues which can potentially affect the quality of the end product. This is because someone else is controlling and having a greater command on the development process.

Be sure to spend a lot of time researching and contemplating before outsourcing. It is very important for companies to reach an early consensus on whether outsourcing is right for them or not and to understand the pros and cons of outsourcing.

Here’s a list of things to consider before outsourcing mobile application development to help avoid trouble. These practices will save your energy and time, and protect your efforts from being undone.

i- Make sure your requirements are understood

Project requirements and expectations should be clearly stated at the very beginning. It is very important as it allows contractors to stay in accordance and keep track of time. The development process should not be rushed into initiation. There is ample time available for any company to understand your requirements before they begin on the project. Break it down into details and specifications, document the process into targets-to-be-achieved and goals so that it becomes clear and easier for the hired team to function.

The developers need to understand everything about your app. When laying out objectives, consider specifying and prioritizing the features that you want the most. Optional features can wait.

The contractors must be aware of your main goals and have a clear image of what is it that you actually want.

ii- Technological Differences — Staying Up-to-Date

The resources and technological capabilities of an outsourcing company might not be as advanced as of application developers in the more advanced countries, or they may not have similar means to creating apps. Trends in app designs are dynamic and always changing with newer styles emerging. Not adapting to the changing times and failing to adopt the latest gadgetry will push you behind the times and put your development at risk.

iii- Have Centralized, Focused Teams

Clearly demand a centralized and focused team which is dedicated to providing the most appropriate solutions because a group working on multiple assignments might imperil your app’s direction and detract it. Individual expertise levels on the team can vary and have no significance as long as they are working as a dedicated team, headed by a supervisor or manager. The manager is responsible for acting as a spokesperson for the team and relaying its performance.

Having a dedicated team will also help you determine the levels of support you need when you look to create unique cases, integrate applications to deliver cloud-to-cloud services and shorten application development cycle.

iv- Communication Barriers

Communication barriers are one of the biggest hindrances in outsourcing. Being unable to see in person the amount of work being done is upsetting. Language barriers and time differences can also disrupt the process of communication between companies and teams. To keep companies coming back for more products, there should be a sense of personal trust between the outsourcer and outsourced.

The contractor should also feel a sense of independence, especially when asking for questions. An open communication channel ensures that all miscommunications and failures are minimized or eradicated all together, especially if the contractor is offshore.

Expect punctuality; clearly convey your deadlines to the contractors. If they’re offshore, review everything at a later time and leave notes for them to check afterwards. Tender reminders will also help. For local developers, regular meetings can be held to facilitate the feedback process and assist in a speedy development of the app.

Different time zones can also become a major communication barrier when you require timely updates or feedback to complete a work cycle. Having domestic workers or people within the same time zone helps a lot and keeps the communication cycle flowing. This way, providing ease of access becomes convenient for your development team.

v- Design and Test Issues

Knowledge sharing between you and the development team is very important to the designing, developing and testing process. This is important because it caters to customer specific needs but when you’re outsourcing to teams outside your region, you’re prone to receive functionality which is local to that region. Many times, these ‘odd’ functionalities can disinterest the customers and lower their expectations.

Also, the design is crucial to how the end product appeals to the customer. Most companies want to supervise the design/style process themselves but when depending on external developers, this process can be a complete fiasco.

Apps also require extensive testing at all phases of development. Demand prototypes from contractors before the product is finished, to test-drive yourself. Rigorous in-house testing ensures that there are no bugs when the final product is launched. Also, the code should be designed as such to facilitate future requirements and updates.

Expect impactful user experiences and interfaces to drive higher adoption rates. Insist upon having responsive designs, high end performance and glaring features.