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October 25, 2023

How to Find an App Developer

Yevhen Piotrovskyi
Yevhen Piotrovskyi
CTO and Founder

Every successful business was once just an idea in someone’s head. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a brilliant idea of an app for your business, would you? Yet, the ideas are just the beginning points. It takes plenty of time, money, and effort as well as external help to bring them to life. Let’s assume that you know how to deal with the first three aspects. What about the latter? If you want to turn your idea into a top-notch application, you will need to find a qualified app developer. At this point, it seems that it is easier said than done. However, things aren’t that scary and difficult. If the questions regarding where and how to find an app developer occupy all of your thoughts, this article is a must-read.

How to find a good app developer quickly and easily

As the statistical data shows, there are more than 2.5 million applications available in Google Play and nearly 2 million apps can be found in Apple’s App Store. Not to mention web apps which are simply impossible to count since there are quite a few ways to build and get them. article illustration The numbers we have just presented here mean one thing – people actively use apps.

Here’s another impressive statistic, the number of software app developers in the world reached 23 million people in 2018. There are lots of fish in the sea, as you can see. Nevertheless, since the choice is big, it can be a real headache to make the right one. After all, no one says that all these 23 million app programmers are qualified and experienced enough to meet your business needs. So, before you jump into the search process, look through the steps that need to be taken first.

Understand the basics of app development

While it may seem like a too obvious thing to be mentioned, believe it or not, people often skip this step. It is crucial to conduct thorough research and learn the basics of what an app developer job is. Who are app developers? What do they do? What programming languages do they use? What are the average labor costs? The answers to these questions will give you a better understanding of the profession. You will also know what to look for in a good app developer when hiring.

Decide on your business objectives and needs

Having a clear picture of what resources you already have and what goals have to be reached is the first step of a long journey to success. Before looking for an app developer, it is highly recommended to write a detailed business plan, build the concept of a future app, and study the target market. This will help you to make sure whether or not the application you want to build is relevant. The thing is, no matter how skillful an app programmer is, he/she won’t be able to create a good application from nothing. Besides, a clear vision of what the application should be like, what features it needs to have, etc. makes the development process faster and more productive. The planning stage isn’t the place to lag behind.

Decide what solution you need in the first place.

Let’s say you already have an in-house IT team, but your project requires more specialists and/or the knowledge of specific technology. You have to hire someone to build an app and help your employees, right? Or you need to automate business processes and build an app from scratch. Either way, you won’t do without external help and this can be a freelancer, a full-time employee, or a team of developers hired by the means of outsourcing.

Now that we cleared things up a bit, we can move on to the question of how to find a developer for an app.

Outsourced development team, in-house employees, or freelance app developers?

First things first, before you dig deeper into where to find the perfect match for your project, decide whether you want to hire a freelancer, delegate work to an outsourcing development company or augment your in-house team by hiring local employees.

Today’s world offers no limits. Time-zone difference, distance, schedules are no longer an issue. You can live in the US and hire an app developer from Ukraine or India. That being said, location seems to be one of the most important filters when it comes to finding app developers for your project. Without a doubt, finding a suitable candidate locally is a great solution that offers tons of advantages such as personal interaction, the same or similar culture and language, the same time-zone, etc. However, more often than not, when you hire someone to make an app for you based on the search of the local area, you face a few problems such as high labor costs and a limited choice of skills. Although the process of hiring specialists from abroad seems to be quite complicated and frightening, it has some pros. To begin with, you can find experts who have unique skills and can work with narrowly targeted technologies. Another advantage which can’t be ignored is the price. While you pay about $100 per hour for the services in the US, the price tag in Eastern European countries ranges between $30 and $50 per hour. It is a substantial difference. Not only will you be able to hire highly-skilled professionals at an affordable price, but you also don’t have to worry about the language barrier since most developers from those regions know English well.

Now that we have dealt with whether hiring app developers locally is worth it, let’s move to another important dilemma. You need to choose between a development company and a freelancer . And here’s the thing, freelance web and mobile app developers are individuals who make their own decisions regarding the ways of work organization and time management. As well as that, you are highly depending on them in terms of the quality of the final product. Needless to say that there are risks of receiving poor results, shifting deadlines and so on. Besides, a freelancer rarely takes responsibility for the end product.

When you choose to hire app developers who work for one development company, you receive a big number of advantages which is impossible to get in a freelancer scenario. The best thing is, all the developers, designers and managers work in a team which means each person contributes to the development process and the outcome by doing what they do best. The workflow is well-organized and so each member of a team knows his/her tasks and performs them on the highest level. On top of that, these people are used to working with each other. You don’t have to worry about the issues of communication or deadlines since they are taken care of by a company’s project manager. Last but not least, a development company takes responsibility for the end product and can provide support and additional services. With a team of web and mobile app developers, you don’t have to look for a new specialist for every time you need to implement some aspects of your product. By hiring development companies, like Yojji, you receive the whole package of services all at once.

Where to find professional app developers

Where to find professional app developers People who want to find top app developers start their searing path by visiting freelance platforms that allow them to check profiles of potential candidates, reviews, examples of projects, etc. Take a look at where the best app developers in the world can be found:

B2B directory listings. These are the platforms that provide users with lists of development companies that are divided into different categories and groups based on their specialization focus, location, the number of reviews and the level of ratings. Chances are you have stumbled upon such websites as Clutch.co. This is a popular platform which offers convenient search tools and can boast of an advanced ratings and reviews system.

Freelance platforms. As the name suggests, these are websites that have been made specifically for freelance job seekers as well as business owners and employers who want to find freelance developers for a project. With such services, both parties have certain guarantees since a platform takes care of the payment, time tracking, and quality assurance aspects. The most recognizable websites of such kind are Upwork, People Per Hour, and Fiverr. They all offer fixed-price and hourly jobs.

Social media. Twitter and LinkedIn are the two most prominent candidates in this category. However, it is possible to find a good app developer on other platforms like Facebook or even Instagram.

Design and tech communities. The Internet is filled with different topic-related platforms for tech communities. These are the places where developers, designers, engineers can search for assistance, share their knowledge and skills, and interact with other members. Of course, you have heard of such giants as GitHub, Behance or StackOverflow.

Blogs. Just like the one you are reading at the moment 🙂

Of course, you can do it the old-fashioned way and ask your friends, family, and acquaintances for recommendations. Believe it or not, this approach is still working. Also, it is a good idea to search for young app developers in local universities especially if your project isn’t too complex. Students are usually super motivated and enthusiastic about starting their own careers.

Criteria to look upon when choosing an IT services vendor

Criteria to look upon when choosing an IT services vendor How are you supposed to find suitable app developers if you don’t have a well-defined set of criteria they need to respond to? The question is rhetorical, of course. To conduct productive job interviews, you will need a list of certain criteria. You may use the following:

  • Reviews and recommendations
  • Programming languages, tools, and frameworks used
  • Development process
  • Workflow nuances
  • The level of experience and skills
  • Specialty (university degree, certifications, etc.)
  • Communication
  • Payment models, legal contracts

Sure thing, these discussion areas are just the tip of an iceberg, but they are the most important ones. During your first meetings with potential app developers, you can also ask a few topic-related questions, like the ones below:

  1. Are there any recommendations from your current or past customers to whom I could reach out?
  2. What is your tech background?
  3. Do you have any examples of your apps?
  4. What is your hourly rate?
  5. What are the possible ways of communication during the development process?
  6. What kind of tools/frameworks/programming languages do you use for your projects?
  7. Can you describe your workflow?
  8. Do you mind doing a test task if needed?
  9. Is it possible for us to sign a contract?

The bottom line

So, as you can see, those who need an app developer can find one quite fast with the help of the right search tools and knowledge. The Internet has made a lot of things more accessible, staff recruitment is no exception. However, it doesn’t mean that finding the right app programmers will be a piece of cake. You will still have to be ready to do some good thinking, planning, and researching. We hope that the information in this article has been helpful. If you have an interesting idea, feel free to reach out to our team.

Have an idea?

01

Fill out our contact form for a free consultation, or book an online meeting directly via the Calendly link.

02

We discuss your project even if you have just an raw idea.

03

We choose a model and approach that are suitable for your case and budget.

Let’s work together

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Ildar Kulmuhametov
Ildar Kulmuhametov
CEO, Co-Founder

USA, Austin TX

Yevhen Piotrovskyi
Yevhen Piotrovskyi
CTO, Co-Founder

Spain, Madrid

Timofey Lebedev
Timofey Lebedev
COO, Co-Founder
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Let’s talk about your project
Meet up in person

NL, Amsterdam

Ildar Kulmuhametov
Ildar Kulmuhametov
CEO, Co-Founder

USA, Austin

Yevhen Piotrovskyi
Yevhen Piotrovskyi
CTO, Co-Founder
Clients say about us
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Yojji successfully delivered the project within schedule. They demonstrated excellent project management via weekly sprint demos and promptly made adjustments based on the client's feedback. Their responsiveness and collaborative attitude were key elements of their work.
Julian Leung
Product Manager - A Matter Of Design | Property Tech & Artificial Intelligence

5.0

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Yojji was an instrumental part of the client’s team, working closely with them to achieve the product’s success. The team was very collaborative and timely, and their performance was amazing. Additionally, their resources were experienced, professional, and enjoyable to work with.
Alon Zion
Alon Zion
Former Co-Founder, Vala

5.0

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Yojii is impressive both in quality of development work as well as their commitment. Strong focus on delivery, highly technical personnel, flexible approach that allows for rapid development. Strong processes that allow for solid controls.
Rohit Mahajan
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Executive, Performlive Inc

5.0

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We’re very happy with the way that Yojji works, which is why we’ve spent so much money and engaged them for such a long time. We treat them as employees in regard to responsibilities and expectations, and they haven’t disappointed us.
Noam Nevo
Noam Nevo
Co-founder of OSU

5.0

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As a company, we find Yojji to be excellent development partners - we cannot recommend them more highly and will be very happy to continue working with them in the future.
Gareth Reese
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Marketing Manager

5.0

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They are really nice people with excellent technical backgrounds.
Bjorn Beyersdorff
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CEO, Founder

5.0

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We used Agile project management methodology and were in contact with the team and project manager daily.
Arvind Sedha
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Software Development Director

5.0

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They all had a super positive outlook and were dedicated to getting the work completed to a high standard.
Philip Black
Philip Black
CEO

5.0

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Yojji has delivered an accessible product with thorough consideration for the client's requirements. Users have commented on the platform's user-friendliness and speed. Moreover, the team is easy to communicate with and provides frequent updates. Their development and design skills are impressive.
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VP of Experience & Tech, Avenue

5.0

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