To stay competitive in today’s market, businesses need to meet consumers where they are–and that’s in the palm of their hands. While mobile technology is transforming the way customers engage with a brand, it’s also helping small businesses operate more efficiently and cost-effectively.
According to a recent Nielsen report, the majority of the 120 million smartphone owners in the United States use a shopping or retail app at least once a month. With an increasing demand for mobile options, companies should let their customers access their products via smartphones, tablets and the newest mobile breed, the phablet. Whether you’re providing a subscription-based service or content, you have to find an experienced developer you trust to code your vision to life.
Here, Entrepreneur outlines 10 important questions to ask mobile app developers to help you choose the right person for the job:
Where can I find examples of mobile apps you’ve developed?
If the candidate doesn’t have examples of the apps he/she is responsible for creating, or at least played a leading role in developing, it’s not a good sign. The applicant should be prepared to show you a list of apps they’ve worked on, as well as links to each in the Apple Store, BlackBerry App World or Google Play.
May I have a list of your current and past clients?
Speaking directly with a candidate’s current and former clients will verify whether or not the candidate actually created the apps they claim to have worked on, says Chad Mureta, CEO of App Empire, a San Francisco-based app development firm.
Checking the candidate’s references allows you to get all of your questions answered, essentially “how reliable, responsive and results-oriented candidates are.â€
What kind of smartphone do you use?
This question can provide information on how passionate and knowledgeable a candidate is about specific mobile platforms, says Farhan Thawar, vice president of engineering at Xtreme Labs, an Ontario, Canada-based mobile strategy and product development firm.