Most businesses, no matter the size, outsource software development because it’s cheaper, the quality is better, and you get a whole team of developers dedicated to creating the best software possible for you. Many development agencies, target small to medium sized businesses and startups offering cost-effective solutions to help solve major business problems.
You use software for all business procedures like tracking sales, setting meetings, administrative tasks, marketing, and much more. So this solution needs to suit your business needs and target your employees or clients. In-house development is also an option however, it’ll require you to bring a development team on board and this can cost you more than outsourcing services. Finding the right hire alone will give you a hard time; this is besides equipping your office for development and putting into consideration development time. And so, outsourcing software development seems to be the obvious and easy choice.
How to outsource software development?
There are two ways to go about this; you can hire a freelancer (or multiple freelancers) through freelance platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Guru. The second option is to hire a development agency to develop what you need. Let’s go through both options and make choosing easier for you.
Hiring Freelancers?
The good thing about hiring freelancers for the job is that you get to choose from multiple developers all over the world and you can verify their credibility by checking out previous projects they’ve worked on.
Freelancers come in different rates, usually, those abroad charge less while local freelancers or those based in Europe charge higher rates, which could reach up to $200 an hour. The difference between both is pretty distinctive when it comes to the quality of work. This is something you can pick up by looking at their history.However, there are a few points to keep in mind when searching for freelancers and they are:
Cheaper doesn’t mean better. I understand needing to save money and not wanting to go overboard with spending but unfortunately, freelancers with low rates usually mean low quality. This doesn’t apply to all of them of course but it is difficult to find someone to deliver grade-A quality within your budget. This is why many companies steer clear from freelance when it comes to software development, with development time that can last for a few months, the cost will be too high.
Beware of the time difference. Another common problem you’ll face with foreign freelancers is a lack of communication. So you must always remember what time zone they’re in and when’s the best time to reach them so you can clearly deliver your needs.
Finding a jack of all trades is nearly impossible.Developing software doesn’t just require hiring a developer; you’ll need designing, testing, and engineering services too. So put that into your calculations when coming up with your budget for development.
Overspending! One thing can lead to another and before you know it, you’ve surpassed your budget. Freelancers can easily drag more hours since you don’t really understand what they’re doing so be sure to ask for an estimated delivery date and frequent updates so you’ll be able to define your total cost.
Hiring a development agency?
This is the option most businesses go by to save themselves the trouble of searching for the right hires and overspending. A development agency offers you a well-skilled team of experts for the job that have years of experience developing multiple projects.
With a software development agency, you get a polished product that fits your business just right. Once they have an idea of what you need, you’ll be presented with design ideas, innovative features, and creative solutions. And most importantly, you get a customized solution so with your requests and comments and their development skills, you’ll get a product that belongs to your business only. The best part about these agencies is that they’re up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends so you can rest assured knowing you’ll get the best possible outcome.
As for technical support, if you face any problems or something goes wrong with the software, you can quickly contact the support dept. to work their magic and get it fixed. You can even request updates for your software, so you don’t need to pay extra for maintenance in the long run.
In regards to watch out for, be sure to get a clear development outline so you can track work progress from the start and you can also request a free quote and get an estimate directly from the agency of the overall cost.
