When you are starting to think about developing an app for your business, one of the first considerations should be who you are going to work with. A good software development company can take all of the hard work of the project into their hands, leaving you with fewer concerns. However, when comparing software development companies to work with, there are certain things we always recommend keeping in mind. Following are some of the best ways to find a software development company that will be a good match for your business.
1. Similar communication expectations
Without good communication, a software development project can easily go downhill very quickly. When considering who you will work with for your next project, consider their communication style from the very first interaction. Finding a company that meets your communication expectations is key for a good partnership. If a company you are enquiring about working with takes forever to get back to you and seems disinterested in a potential partnership, it’s a good sign that you should steer clear of them. Ask straight away what you can expect from them in terms of communication to ensure you are on the same page from day one.
2. Review their portfolio
Before selecting a software development company to work with, we always encourage you to review their past work and learn about their previous clients. If you are working within a certain industry, such as healthcare or finance, try to find a software development company that has some experience in this industry. However, this it is not an essential requirement of connecting with the right developer for your business.
3. Don’t just choose the cheapest option
As with anything in life, it can be so tempting just to choose the cheapest quote that’s offered to you for your project. This is one tactic we highly recommend avoiding, as it often doesn’t end up being the best fit for your company. Oftentimes, you’ll find that when you choose a company with a cheap upfront cost, you end up paying far more by the end of the project.
This is especially true if you are considering using an offshore development company. While you may find their prices are extremely competitive, check that their communication and time zone will work for your company. Try to find the most cost-effective option that’s within your expected budget and can deliver all that you require. Ask questions during the initial discussion to ensure that everything you expect to be included is added to the project’s overall quote.
4. Ask about their way of working
During your initial inquiries, we encourage you to ask about the methodology used by the companies you are considering working with. If they are using Agile, ask them how regularly you can expect the sprints to take place and what you can expect the process to look like. This can help to avoid any communication issues further down the line, and you can decide whether you think their way of working will be a good fit for your business. Try to ask as many questions as possible before you get started, which any good software development company will be happy to answer. There’s nothing worse than starting a project only to realise that you never discussed a certain feature or working process.
5. Ask for recommendations
If you have contacts within your industry who’ve recently launched a successful piece of software, ask them who they used. When you see an app you like, try and follow up with the company that created it. There are many ways today to look for recommendations online, including via reviews on sites such as Google and Facebook.
Before signing up to work with any company, we highly recommend you do a thorough online search to see how previous customers felt about their services. People are brutally honest in online reviews today. While some reviews should be taken with a ‘pinch of salt’, if you see a pattern repeating itself, there’s likely an issue somewhere with that developer. LinkedIn is another great tool for gathering resources and information before choosing a software development company.
6. Technology
Even if you aren’t particularly tech-savvy yourself, we encourage you to ask your potential software development company about the technology they use. Look at how this technology will benefit your company and how it will help you to stay ahead of the curve in the future.
Your partnership may be one that continues for many years, so you’ll want to ensure the company you work with are aware of changing needs and requirements within the tech world. You need to know that they have the capability to keep up with changing expectations in the future and that they’ll be able to update your software as needed to keep it functioning for many years.
Work with us!
BSPOKE Software is one of the top software development companies you can work with today. We work with your company to establish your needs and create a roadmap for your software development project. With many years of experience to draw upon, we have a great understanding of the communication expectations of businesses today.
We encourage any company who is looking to build a new app or piece of software to get in touch with our team, who will be happy to share with you what we offer as a software development company and how we can assist your business. We’ll be here to support you every step of the way during the development of your software system and we’ll take the stress and hassle out of developing your application.
