Guide to outsourcing mobile app development in 2022

Just in 2021, there have been 230 billion mobile apps downloaded worldwide. It’s up by more than 63% from downloads in 2016. With the constantly increasing mobile market, there comes a question on how to approach the development process of the mobile application. Once you decide to build an app for your company, you may want to explore outsourcing development.

Outsourcing has lately gained a lot of popularity as a tool, and there are several reasons why businesses believe it’s a successful approach. In this article, we’ll go through how to outsource mobile development and how to identify a suitable outsourcing partner.

Everything to know about mobile app development services

Before you explore app development choices, you have to answer what you want from the app. When you know what you need, you can explain your needs to developers more effectively. You’re also more likely to avoid a digital product that won’t meet your requirements or perform poorly.

Mobile development trends this year

Everyone understands that progress is impossible without change. It’s important to keep up with mobile application development trends to keep moving forward and being competitive in the industry.

This year, a lot of trends are expected to emerge. These are some of them:

• 5G Technology,
• Progressive Web Apps,
• Mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Play),
• IoT app integration,
• Augmented Reality,
• Foldable phones support,
• AI and machine learning (face recognition, voice search).

How much does it cost to make an app in 2022?

The cost of developing an app will rise if you want it to be compatible with many platforms. Prices for mobile app development start at 30 000 Euro.

Of course, it depends on your application needs and requirements. Each project is different and many factors have a direct influence on the app’s ultimate cost – target platform, complexity, functionalities. For more details, check out our free ebook on pricing software development.

Offshore outsourcing mobile app development

Outsourcing software development may come in a variety of forms. You might have heard of offshore and nearshore outsourcing. What’s the difference?

Both terms relate to the moving development work to another nation but the closeness to your own is the most important difference. When another development company delivers services from a location that is quite near to your business, it’s nearshoring. Offshoring is known as outsourcing to nations with lower-cost economies. It’s made up of the development team who work from a different country.

Benefits of outsourcing

When you decide to outsource app development, there will be a lot of benefits waiting for you:

• You can get an experienced development team with a larger talent pool. Hiring an in-house team might take a lot of time and money, and it’s even more expensive if you’re working on complicated software. Outsourcing, on the other hand, provides you with a flexible team of top tech experts that are ready to help you. Additionally, location isn’t a problem for outsourcing. You can hire anyone around the world and that means access to a wider pool of app developers.
• You can reduce costs. As said, sourcing and hiring developers on your own is much more expensive than outsourcing. Offshore developers (for example in Eastern Europe) are also much less expensive. If your company operates in high-cost-of-living areas, your business may save money on prices, infrastructure, benefits, and other expenses by working with providers from lower-cost countries.
• You can save a lot of time. You’ll most likely have a dedicated team with experience that will work on your project. A good IT partner knows what tech stack needs to use and how to deliver your mobile app most efficiently. You also don’t have to worry about retaining or training developers.
• You can avoid micromanagement. There will be no management associated with keeping personnel. You may concentrate on company development and operational procedures and the outsourcing development company will take care of its app developers. The outsourcing team should guarantee to keep development pace and quality assurance. You as the client can make decisions based on performance indicators and KPIs. 
• You can easily scale. Last but not least, outsourcing offers flexibility for you. You can at any point swiftly employ specialists with specified knowledge, adjust the structure and simply scale it as you like. You have the freedom to scale up or down the team size as needed.

As with everything, some risks are coming with outsourcing software development. An example could be the risks of cultural differences or time zone issues. However, with the right IT partner, it’s easy to overcome it. You can also read our article on how to avoid the most common pitfalls of the outsourcing process.

How much does it cost to outsource app development in 2022?

The cost of outsourcing app development varies based on the location in which you recruit the team. If you don’t want to pick between price and quality, you should consider hiring expert teams in the CEE region. American developers charge from 110 to 160 Euros per developer’s hour while in Europe the costs are between 30 to 60 Euros per hour.

Steps to outsource mobile app development in 2022

Outsourcing might seem overwhelming. For your success in searching, here are steps for efficiently optimizing and managing the process:

1. Prepare clear requirements
2. Estimate the budget
3. Take time for research
4. Review companies and their portfolio
5. Collaborate with the right agency

Prepare clear requirements

Before you begin exploring development choices, you’ll need a full description of your mobile application idea. In other words, you must first determine what you want from the application. 

Only you know the company’s fundamental values. Having your vision for the product is crucial, even if you look for an outsourcing agency to help you create digital products. Having a clear notion of what you’re going to do also makes it easier to find acceptable partners or cut your options.

Ask yourself what features the app needs, what is the target platform (iOS or Android), and who is your target audience. With this, you can narrow down your requirements to a detailed concept of an app. You’ll know what to expect and will help you answer what’s the objective.

Estimate the budget

Calculating the amount of money you are available to spend on outsourcing might assist you in selecting a good development company. However, keep in mind that a low price usually doesn’t mean a one-of-a-king and high-quality outsourcing company. You can consider alternative possibilities. Budget and time are your most fundamental resources.

Take time for research

When you’re sure of what you want, it’s time to look for the best option available out there. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for any application. It’s entirely dependent on your needs. And as mentioned before, your requirements and budgets are the matter too.

You should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option before making a decision. It’s always most safe to outsource to a specialized agency that often has a team of professionals that can provide you with great results.

What’s important is compatibility. Do the research and make a list of possible software companies. The tech stack has to make sense for you.  you must carefully select one that matches your experience, capabilities, and technological requirements. Furthermore, the importance of culture ineffective communication cannot be overstated.

Review companies and their portfolio

Look through the vendor’s portfolio. But looking at broad experience is insufficient. If you want to end up with a truly amazing product, you should search for relevant experience relevant to your project. Whether app development companies don’t have experience in the same industry as you, ask if they’ve built similar solutions in other sectors.

Another important step is to take a look at their reviews. Instead of relying just on a candidate’s website or portfolio, look them up in industry rankings and on Clutch or Techreviewer.

Collaborate with the right agency

Contact your selected software agency and see their offer. Allow your IT partner to weigh in your approach and needs with their comments, thoughts, and suggestions. Also, they may assist you in eliminating elements that are irrelevant or superfluous. Select a suitable service model as well as a payment model. Sign the contract before development begins. Keep in mind that it’s not a one-sided process and you want to establish a bond with your outsourcing partner.

Why outsource to Applover?

Outsourcing is a more and more chosen form of application development because of lowering the total cost with great programmers. And Poland is one of the most appealing locations for IT outsourcing. The reasons are comparable time zones so that the contact with the western half of Europe is easier. Furthermore, Polish programmers are regarded as among the greatest in the world, and they have no trouble communicating in English. One of our clients is one of the largest digital product agencies in the United Kingdom and thanks to our cooperation, they saved around 20% of their budget. They put their trust in us, and this decision boosted their development!