Nigeria’s digital sphere is largely mobile dominated as majority of internet users in the country access the internet via mobile devices. Statista revealed that over 79 per cent of internet traffic in Nigeria is generated by mobile devices. Google’s West Africa Director, Mr Olumide Balogun, disclosed that “Nigerians spend over four hours daily on mobile, with 80 per cent of that time in apps.” These insights indicate that mobile — particularly apps — is the path to tread for final product deployment.

Having a great idea and product amounts to nothing if you choose the wrong development company as a partner. This can lead to drained funds, wasted resources, unrecoverable man hours, and a product that falls short of expectations.

To avoid such pitfalls and regrets, you need to ask the right questions. Here are five important things to consider before deciding:

1. Portfolio of Similar Projects

Working with a company that has embarked on similar projects should form the foundation of your decision. You need to look beyond the fancy pictures and well-designed portfolio page and focus on seeing live demo examples of apps similar to yours in terms of industry fit, project scope, technicalities or features.

A company that has already developed projects in your industry would be able to hit the ground running because they have a deep understanding of its intricacies and know the likely knotty areas to untangle when challenges arise. It’s also important you ask that they walk you through a specific case study: what was the client’s problem, and how did they solve it? This will reveal not only their problem-solving skills but their technical expertise.

2. Project Handling, Communication and Feedback

One of the most frustrating things is experiencing radio silence when working with a tech team. So, in order to mitigate against this, before you commit, discuss in details the frequency of when reports will be communicated. Will it be weekly or fortnightly? Who will be the main point of contact? Also, do they use tools like Slack, Trello or Jira for effective project management tracking and collaboration. Leave nothing to chance!

3. Project Team and Roles

It’s important to know the project team and their roles as you are not just hiring a company but the individuals who will be designing, coding and managing your project. This will help you understand the team’s experience and expertise. A solid team should at the barest minimum have a project manager, a UI/UX designer, a frontend developer, a backend developer and a Quality Assurance member. Find out their skillset and experience based on what you are building. The knowledge of the team structure and their capabilities builds trust and confidence in their ability to deliver a high-quality product.

4. Development Process

Every good company should have a clear direction, as good products don’t appear by magic but through a well-thought-out process from idea to final product. This process needs to be clear and transparent. A proper breakdown of what the project will entail from strategy, to design, to development, and finally to deployment must be documented. This transparency is key to avoid any misunderstandings and misalignment and to ensure that the project stays within its scope and expected completion timeframe.

5. Post-launch Support and Maintenance

What’s the use of launching a product without adequate support and maintenance? There will be need for new features to enhance user experience as well as product updates. Also, bugs need to be fixed, hence the need for post-launch support. You should find out if they offer warranty periods for bugs? Do they offer maintenance service and what’s the cost? Can you team be trained to manage to platform? Clarity in these areas will gauge if this is a one-off project or a long-term relationship.

Hiring an app development is not just about design and coding but making an informed decision in choosing a development partner that is aligned with your vision, transparent in their process, and dedicated to your success.

Are you building a product and need the right development partner? Contact us via email at dev@revocube.com or via phone on 08121236904.