How to Outsource App Development in 2023?

The convenience of mobile apps has revolutionised businesses across the globe. With increased brand recognition and credibility, consumer interaction is heavily dependent on mobile apps.

The mobile app industry continues to flourish with 218 billion new app downloads in 2020 from over 5 billion unique smartphone users worldwide.

Source: Statista

In the fast-paced digital age, businesses don’t have a second to spare. Due to modern business challenges caused by the pandemic, businesses are looking for quick and safe ways to execute mobile app development.

The solution is quite simple: Outsource App Development

The global market revenue of outsourcing mobile app development has already reached $90 billion in 2020, and for good reason.
Organizations can focus on their business operations by outsourcing app development. Outsourcing mobile application development is the all-in-one solution to all your app development challenges. An app development agency can provide you with experienced and skilled software developers, eliminating the hassle of the hiring process.

With this in-depth guide on how to outsource app development in 2021, we’ll answer frequently asked questions like:

• How do you outsource app development?
• Should I outsource app development?
• How to outsource app development in 2021?
• Where to outsource mobile app development?
• What are the options for outsourcing mobile app development?
• What are the benefits of outsourcing app development?

Without further ado, let’s delve deeper and answer these questions.

What is Outsource App Development?

Application development outsourcing is the process where an organization or company decides to hire an external mobile app development agency to plan and execute software development projects, instead of an in-house development team.

A third-party mobile app development agency handles entire software development projects with efficient communication to successfully meet your app development goals.

The significance of software development outsourcing has been on a steady rise in the last decade, and the onset of the pandemic has made it all the more necessary. The global revenue for IT outsourcing is expected to surpass $400 billion in 2021. Amid the risk of Covid-19 exposure, companies are finding it much more convenient and safe to outsource app development than going through an entire hiring process for an in-house development team.

Source: Microsourcing

With adequate knowledge and proper guidance, anyone can tap into the pool of mobile app development outsourcing companies. After all, everything is online in the prevailing digital age, so why not take full advantage of software development talent around the world?

Let’s explore further and understand the importance of outsourcing mobile application development.

What are the Available Options for Outsourcing App Development?

In-house hiring provides you with a fixed team of software developers, contrarily, outsourcing app development offers different options. Let’s have a look:

1. Full-Service App Development Agency:

It may take up to a month to search for the ideal freelancer or off-the-shelf software, but choosing a full-service mobile app development agency eliminates most of the effort needed, saving a lot of time with high-end efficiency and productivity.
A mobile app development agency can create a dedicated team of software developers with diverse specializations and experience, custom-tailored for the complexities of your app development requirements.

Most businesses tend to disregard the perks of a full-service app development agency because it costs more than other options, but they overlook the fact that these agencies deliver the results that matter and guarantees return on investment (ROI) with ease.

Pros of Mobile App Development Agency:

• A dedicated team of developers can integrate with your existing workforce easily
• Completely flexible with your app development needs and work timings
• Focused and streamlined app delivery process
• Rapid app development speed
• Impeccable and immaculate code quality from a team of vetted software developers
• Post-development maintenance and regular updates

Cons of Mobile App Development Agency:

• An app development agency costs more than hiring a freelancer or purchasing ready-made software, but the increase in price is well worth it due to the high quality of coding and the saved time;
• Partnering with a full-service mobile app development agency may not be viable for small-scale and short-term projects.

2. Off-The-Shelf Software:

Off-the-shelf software is ready-made software for mobile applications. It is ideal for budget-strapped scenarios where you need an app for your existing business without complex features. It is the cheapest option for launchingan app instantly.

Even though an off-the-shelf software comes with many predefined features, it has limited flexibility and scalability to match your app development needs. Your app may lack originality and uniqueness because off-the-shelf software comes with a basic UI design. Additionally, customizations and regular updates are impossible if you choose this option to outsource app development.

3. Freelancers:

If you want to outsource for small-scale app development or short projects, freelancers are the best option. However, amid the online clutter and over-abundance of freelancing app developers, searching for talented freelancers is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

This option is much cheaper than partnering with mobile app development outsourcing companies, but freelancers have narrow specializations regarding development platforms and technologies. Additionally, time-sensitive projects are ill-suited for freelancers.

Freelancing software developers can be found on platforms like Upwork, Toptal and Fiverr.

Freelancer Pros:

• Cost-effective for small-scale and short-term app development projects;
• Pocket-friendly because you’ll pay only for the working hours;
• The screening process is simplified with reviews and feedback from previous companies.

Freelancer Cons:

• Time-consuming screening and interview process;
• This option can lead to a lack of communication and versatility.

Communication Crafts: Full-Service Mobile App Development Agency

Communication Crafts is a leading mobile app development agency with 16+ years of hands-on experience. We utilise a potent mix of technology and innovation to provide end-to-end app development solutions under one roof. We leverage state-of-the-art technologies for high-quality app development services that span many industries like banking & finance, food & drink, eCommerce, health & fitness, entertainment, photography, logistics, eLearning and more.

Our app development services help you captivate your current audience, reach out to potential consumers, maximise organic traffic and boost conversion rates.

We actualize your app development dreams in 7 simple steps:

1. Resource Gathering
2. Ideation and Strategy
3. UI/UX Design
4. Application Development
5. Application Testing
6. Application Deployment
7. Management, Maintenance and Promotion

Flexible Hiring Models by Communication Crafts:

	Full-Time	Part-Time	Hourly
Working Hours	8 hours/day & 5 days/week	8 hours/day & 5 days/week	8 hours/day & 5 days/week
Communication	Email, Skype and Phone	Email, Skype and Phone	Email, Skype and Phone
Billing	Monthly	Monthly	Hourly (As per rate)
Hiring Period	Minimum 1 month	Minimum 1 month	Minimum 25 hours

For further assistance or questions regarding mobile app development services, feel free to contact us.

Clutch is the most reliable platform for searching mobile app development outsourcing companies. It provides accurate and honest reviews about the app development agencies and lets you read reviews and feedback from previous clients of the listed companies.

This platform displays many significant characteristics that help you shortlist the best-suited app development agencies- Clutch rating, minimum project size, number of employees, average hourly rate, development focus, industry focus, client focus and more.

Communication Crafts has been rated as one of the most trusted and leading app development agencies by Clutch!

Our team of expert app developers are just one call away!

Outsource App Development VS Hire In-House App Development

Two biggest advantages of hiring an in-house development team:

• The team can blend in with your work culture and become an integral part of your organization
• You gain complete control over the app development process

However, due to the limited scope of experience and knowledge of a fixed app development team, this option is viable only if you already have a full-proof plan to achieve your app development goals. With an arduous process of shortlisting and selection, hiring an in-house app development team is more expensive as compared to when you outsource app development.

Outsourcing app development provides a cost-effective way for businesses to achieve their app development goals. An ideal mobile app development agency unlocks a wide range of perks like scalability, long-term partnership, efficient communication, quick results, and more.

Before we move ahead, we need to discuss the advantages of software development outsourcing.

What are the Benefits of Outsourcing Mobile Application Development?

Our app development experts have explained the following perks of software development outsourcing:

Rapid app development speed: Outsourcing app development can speed up software development projects by eliminating the time-consuming hiring process.

• Up-to-date technology: Digital age is going through continuous technological advancement and you can avail the latest technology stacks by outsourcing app development.
• Maintenance and support: Post-development maintenance isn’t an issue when you choose to outsource app development. You can re-hire from the same mobile app development agency or maintain a long-term partnership for continuous updates and bug fixes.
• A wide scope of experience and knowledge: Outsourcing software development companies exhibit great knowledge and experience as they’ve worked for similar companies and clients.
• Cost-efficient development process: You can select specific countries to outsource app development according to your budget, different countries have different price ranges for software development. Also, mobile app development outsourcing companies provide flexible payment options.
• Get high-quality work: You can shortlist the best outsourcing software development companies to get optimal results. Client testimonials, reviews and company portfoliosmake it easy to identify the most suitable app development agency for you.

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of software development outsourcing, let’s discuss how to successfully outsource app development.

How to Outsource App Development?

Here are the 5 simple steps to efficiently outsource mobile app development:

1. Define your app development needs and goals: Have a clear vision and form a concept of your app along with its main features. This will help you communicate your app development expectations and goals with your outsourcing partners. Outline the following:

• App development goals
• The use-case of the app for your end-users
• App development platform
• Main features

2.Budget estimation: Allocating finances are a significant part of mobile development outsourcing. An estimated budget helps you shortlist the best-suited mobile app development outsourcing companies.

3. Research: Conduct extensive research on app developers and app development agencies. Carefully examine hard (technical) skills, soft (behavioural) skills, company portfolio, client reviews and testimonials to shortlist the best outsourcing software development companies.

4. Contact the finalised app development agency: Get in touch with the chosen app development agency and convey your app development needs and expectations.

5. Choose a service and payment model: Select a model of service like project-based, dedicated team or individual developers and a model of payment like full project payment, hour-based, fixed price or material.