Essentially, you look for a reliable tech partner to fill in the gaps in your expert knowledge and skills. To do it right, you need to consider several factors like fields of expertise and a portfolio of successful cases.
The contractor must meet the goals and needs of your business. Before starting your search for a development firm, it's vital to understand what exactly you'll be looking for. Here are six questions that help business owners outline their search criteria.
- Do I fully understand my idea?
- Do I fully understand the competition and the market situation?
- Do I have enough knowledge of the technologies needed for my project?
- What is the main functionality of the future solution? Which features should it have?
- Do I have the time and budget for successful project completion?
- How will my project grow and develop in the future?
Once you answer these questions, you start looking for potential candidates on Google or through friends, family, colleagues, and other connections. In the case of Google search, it's better to narrow down the query by using "CRM software development company" or "streaming media platform development".
Another efficient method is to check the most reputable listings like Clutch, DesignRush, and GoodFirms. There, besides the experience and fields of expertise, you can also find reviews from previous clients and company ratings.
Typically, there are three most vital criteria you should consider while choosing a software development service provider.
#1 Experience
Making cheap and poor-quality products is pointless and risky. To create and launch a high-quality, in-demand solution, you need an experienced tech partner with accumulated practices and employee knowledge gained from thousands of hours of working on previous projects. Ideally, your vendor should have specialists of middle level and higher.
#2 Market expertise
It's expertise in your market or niche. It's essential in the case of narrow or difficult industries like trading, mobile games, data analytics, or AI. It may not be that critical for more common B2C products for renting or deliveries. Yet, you should understand the functionality of the final product.
#3 Technical expertise
It's hands-on experience with particular tech stacks and development instruments. Naturally, if the vendor doesn't have a set-up testing process and QA engineering department, you'll have to delegate this part to another third-party provider. Or, for example, if you need to implement AR/VR technologies, and the candidate doesn't have real cases of these technologies, it makes sense to keep looking.
Always carefully check the candidates' portfolios along with the "About Us" page. It's a priceless source of useful information about the company itself and what they are proud of.