With more organizations relying on advanced tech solutions, app development services are in high demand. In Canada, forecasters expect labor shortage conditions in the software development industry from 2022 to 2031. This information highlights the increasing importance of developers for modern businesses today.

Unfortunately for entrepreneurs, finding the right developers can be a challenge on its own. This article highlights practical tips to help startups find the right mobile app development company. After reading, business owners will know how to find the perfect mobile application development team for their projects.

Key Takeaways

• In Canada, businesses rely on developers for new solutions to address unique business needs.
• Before even considering creating an app, you must evaluate your business needs, competitors, and target users.
• When looking for an app development team to partner with, entrepreneurs must consider experience, credentials, and availability

App Development in Canada

Ontario has the highest demand for programmers on Canada’s Job Bank website. As of February 2023, the province accounts for 439 of the country's 777 job posts for software developers.

Most of the job posts in the province come from Toronto, where organizations are looking for 400 software developers.

These workers are in high demand in various industries, especially computer systems design. Finance and insurance firms are also looking to hire developers.

Public administration offices, including federal government departments, also search for programming services. Other organizations hiring programmers include software publishers and video game designers.

Canada’s Job Bank website and mobile app provide job seekers access to crucial job opportunities nationwide. The site aims to help job seekers find suitable work and employers find appropriate employees.

The Job Bank program also provides information about the labor market that helps users make informed career decisions. Launched as a part of Canada’s National Employment Service, the program aims to support the following:

• Canadian employers
• Members of underrepresented groups
• Students
• Job seekers
• Newcomers to Canada
• Education or employment service providers
• Researchers

Things You Need to Know Before Developing an App

Before looking for a development team to work with, there are several things you must first consider. This section outlines crucial factors that can impact the success of your project.

Competitors

Before making your app, you must conduct thorough market research. Doing so can help you determine who else is out there and how customers use their mobile solutions.

Check online reviews of your rivals and see what users are saying. Take note of what you must add or what disappoints people about existing solutions. These pointers can help you create a better app without the errors that users spotted from your rivals’ applications.

Platform

One of the most crucial factors you must consider is the platform where you want to deploy your new app. It is wise for startups to start with a single platform. Once they master one platform, entrepreneurs can move on to other platforms.

Today, there are two popular mobile app platforms: iOS and Android. To know which platform is best for your app, keep the following elements in mind:

• App brand
• App features
• Target audience
• Pricing strategy

If you choose Android, you will have a broader client reach. Recent data shows that Android has a 71.8 percent share of the mobile operating system (OS) market. Meanwhile, iOS only accounts for roughly 27.6 percent of the mobile OS market.

Android app development is also a popular choice among low-cost brands. It is also the first choice of developers who are not looking to sell but want a high download count from the app store.

Meanwhile, iOS app development is the perfect choice for developers who want to sell paid apps. The platform’s brand power has placed it in the hands of expensive brands who do not mind paying for applications. Moreover, developers roll out app updates on Apple first before Android.

Once you determine where to offer your application, you must decide whether the app will be native or hybrid. Here’s a closer look at the two options to help you decide.

• Native app

Native apps are applications that developers specifically designed to work on one mobile operating system. A native app cannot work across every device.

For example, developers use either JAVA or Kotlin to build Android apps. They use Objective C or Swift for building applications for iPhones and iPad.

Remember that this will not only affect developers but also impact your product's scope and flexibility. The adaptability and utility of your app’s features will depend on the required coding for the development process.

• Hybrid app

Hybrid applications work on multiple platforms. They can be easy to build and more accessible to many users.

You can offer hybrid applications using multi-platform web technologies like CSS, HTML5, and Javascript. A hybrid app is perfect for regular usage, interactivity, and offline compatibility.

Selecting the right platform for mobile application development is crucial for your company's success. If you want to match the pace of the current app development market growth, you will need the right platform for your app.

Target audience

Researching your competitors is insufficient to have the perfect app for your business. It would be best if you also studied your target audience.

Determining the right audience for your application is very crucial since the future of your app depends on your target users. Ask yourself who you think will need your app and how your offering can add value to their lives.

If your application meets the expectations of your users, then your app can get more attention and help you generate more profit.

When researching, define your target audience and outline their needs and preferences. This way, you can build something that resonates with the right people and meets their unique needs.

Defining your target audience starts by identifying the following factors:

• Age
• Gender
• Interest
• Behavior
• Location

After this step, take the time to understand what your target audience needs. Closely monitor how customer needs, and preferences change over time. Doing so ensures that your app will remain valuable and relevant to your users.

Budget

Creating a mobile app requires a hefty financial investment, solid strategy, and knowledge. Having a budget and correctly allocating it is crucial for project success.

Remember that various stages of the development process require you to invest money. App development, maintenance, updates, marketing, and other project phases can be costly.

Several factors can affect the cost of mobile app development. To have the proper budget, you must analyze these factors thoroughly before setting up monetary boundaries. These factors include the following:

• Development team
• Type of business model
• Platform
• App functionality
• App design
• Product security
• App maintenance

Technically, the rates of the development team determine the app development rate. These rates can vary from company to company. Sometimes, even geographical location can affect the cost of developing a mobile app.

User Experience

Remember that user experience (UX) is the backbone of any website or application. If developers fail to create a product that provides an excellent experience, people will have no reason to keep using your app.

When building a user-friendly app, developers must create something easy to use, valuable, and effective for the target audience. Avoid confusing or complicated features that could turn off potential users from the application.

What To Look for in an App Development Company in Toronto

More and more companies offer mobile app development services to address increasing demand. Forecasters expect the global revenue in the app development software segment to reach $166 billion in 2023. Canada’s contribution to this revenue could reach roughly $4.88 billion.

Entrepreneurs seeking app development services must know the factors to consider when looking for app developers. If you want to end up with the right app development company, consider the factors below.

Experience and credentials

An app development company must have proper credentials. One way to do this step is to list probable companies and conduct online research.

One effective way to gauge a company's track record is to look for reviews or ratings from past clients. Check how many years of experience the developers have. Make sure to check details like product portfolios and the specific services that they offer.

Entrepreneurs must remember to only work with companies that are not too big or too small for their requirements.

Working with a too-big company could lead to delays in project development since the developers could be working with other clients simultaneously. Meanwhile, you might not get what your money’s worth if you work with a too-small agency.

The best trick is finding a software development company that is not too big or too small. An app development company the same size as your business can be the best choice.

Portfolio

One way to get an accurate picture of a company’s experience is by checking its product portfolio. This document can tell you all about the last couple of projects the mobile app development agency has completed.

When meeting with a potential partner, ask them the following questions:

• Can you review the development team’s portfolio?
• Do they have any apps that you can download and use?
• How long did it take the company to complete the projects?
• What challenges did they face in previous projects, and how did they solve them?
• Are they actively involved in the discussion and ready to offer valuable input?
• Are there any public reviews of their projects?

Avoid companies that do not have their portfolio or claim to have one but cannot show them to you.

A portfolio can help you determine whether a company is reliable and if it can address any challenges during the custom software development process.

Remember that an excellent development team can guide you through the development process while providing valuable input based on their past experiences.

Availability

You want to work with a team that works and communicates well with your organization. When looking for an app development company, ask two crucial questions about availability.

• How often does your team need to communicate with me?
• What are the communication methods your team uses?

You want to work with top app developers that provide a project update at least every week. This way, you can effectively monitor the progress of the process. Remember that communication between project managers and developers plays a significant role in project success.

Monitor how frequently developers are replying to your inquiries and phone calls while you are hiring. This tactic lets you see if they are genuinely interested and invested in your project. If they are not interested, it may be an indication of their performance during the development.

Choose a firm you can build a relationship with and are consistent from the start. A strong working relationship means both sides can share ideas freely, which is crucial for success.

Reliable pricing

When choosing a development team, do not get baited into working with developers at an “affordable” price. Remember that you want to end up with an excellent application with features that can meet customer needs. It would be best not to settle for the cheapest product you could afford.

Keep in mind that making an app requires a hefty budget. If you do not want to pay expensive salaries, you might end up with an app your customers won’t enjoy. You might need to start over again, which will be costly.

You must be smart about spending your money and staying within your budget. Work with developers who can prove that they can provide quality services. This way, you can get your money’s worth.

Before agreeing on any pricing deal, you must have a flexible budget for your new project. Discuss payment methods and terms when bringing up the functionalities you want to see on your application.

To stay on budget, ask developers the following questions:

• How do you calculate pricing?
• Do you accept a one-time payment, or do you accept incremental payments?
• Do you require fees for achieving milestones within the project?
• What are the extra costs that may occur during the app development process?

Tips for Finding the Best App Development Companies

Now that you know the things to look for, you are one step closer to having the developers you need who can build the app you want. To help in this effort, below are tips and tricks to help you end up with the development team that can deliver.

Work with specialists

Work with companies specializing in mobile app development and avoid those offering software engineering services as a side brand.

This tip can help you find an experienced developer with deep knowledge and expertise in mobile app development. It also saves you from developers who need more experience to specialize in a particular field.

For example, if you want a native application for your business, you must contact companies that offer specialized native app development services. If you want a web app, work with developers who are experts in web design, web development, and web applications.

It can be easy to spot an agency that only offers mobile development services as a side branch. These all-purpose companies boast a long list of services to attract as many clients as possible.

Look for full development services

Remember that app development goes beyond coding and design. Creating a unique product requires a lot of research and testing.

Working with an app development company that can handle the end-to-end full-service process is wise. Consider working with a development team that can conduct the following services:

• Initial market research
• Prototyping
• UI/UX design
• Minimum viable product (MVP) development
• Application programming interface (API) development and integration
• Testing
• Post-launch tech support

Getting all these services can help you maximize the time and effort allocated to the development process. It also ensures fast problem resolution and promotes product consistency.

Choose a company with trusted testing processes

Your applications could have bugs or technical errors. Users might lose interest in it if developers keep requesting regular maintenance interruptions.

Impressive app design and effective development methodologies are not enough. You must work with a company with trusted testing processes for a solid software solution.

Look for companies that follow updated manual and automation Quality Assurance (QA) and testing measures. This way, you can ensure the application has no technical errors or bugs by the deployment stage.

Seek transparency

It would be best if you also wanted transparency from the app development company you chose. Check the agency’s website development cycle and transparency regulations. Determine the team's methodology and see if it fits your business needs.

These simple steps help create a transparent process, which helps streamline communication between you and the developers.

Meet the development team

Checking the development team’s portfolio can be a cost-effective way to grasp the type of apps a company can create. However, remember that the company will not work on your project; the developers will.

Talking to each employee and determining their skills and experience is wise. Most teams will have engineers with different backgrounds and experiences.

Talking to app developers before starting a new project can be good practice. These interviews can be crucial for establishing a rapport with potential hires. They also allow you to connect with the people who will personally work on your app at a cultural and personal level.

Discuss privacy policies

Before hiring developers or signing deals, you must discuss and clarify significant matters like confidentiality, privacy, security, and ownership.

Talk to the top mobile app development companies about how they create a strategy. It would be best to ask representatives how they handle the sensitive customer data your application will require.

Before hiring, ask them if the development team will be willing to sign a privacy or confidentiality agreement. This step can guarantee that your data will remain secure and protected.

You must also consider the intellectual property and ownership rights involving your application. This way, you can protect your company’s rights before the app's development.

Foster recurring relationships

It would help if you fostered recurring relationships with graphic designers, advertising agencies, and digital marketing consultancies who provide high-quality web development services.

This strategy can be cost-effective since developers frequently update apps in response to user requests. It can also be helpful if you ever decide to change your business or expand into different markets, in which case you must update your app.

Look for flawless delivery management

Today, many brands complain that the team they hired did not provide any updates on the progress of the product development process. Sometimes, clients received a mobile application that was hardly relevant to their business because of a significant communication gap between them and their developers.

For effective mobile app development, the best developers keep their clients updated with every possible detail related to the progress of app creation.

Regular conversations about the process also ensure the timely delivery of the app. Choosing a development company that follows practical delivery management service guidelines is crucial.

Pro Tip

Before looking for developers, you must clearly understand your objectives. Specific goals can help you identify your business needs and determine how the app you want to make can address these needs.

Make the Best App for Your Business With Brain Box Labs

Several app developers in Canada promise clients the best services to their clients. However, if you do not know what to look for in a company, you might end up with developers who cannot deliver.

If you want to end up with the best application, contact Brain Box Labs today. Our Toronto-based website and app designers understand our client’s needs and create the best solutions that can help their customers.

App development can be overwhelming without the right developers on your team. Contact Brain Box Labs and discover how our expert app developers are helping Toronto businesses stay competitive.