Time and money are major parts of the outsourcing equation, but there are variables that have significant overall benefits for your business as well
Key Takeaways:
- App development is a specialty, and most in-house teams have a skills gap
- Hiring an in-house team consumes both time and money – hiring takes about 100 days, and you can count on paying a six-figure salary
- You need a team of four-to-10 specialists in various technologies to build a mobile app
- Outsourced talent saves you time and money – you get a better product and the support you need after launch
- When you outsource talent, you get access to the very best
If you think your business can’t benefit from a mobile app, think again. Mobile apps are a great adjunct to your desktop site that can improve brand loyalty, increase employee productivity, and help streamline your business. They also boost your marketing efforts, facilitate online shopping, fill the gaps in your customer analytics, and create greater brand awareness. More than 294 million people in the U.S. have smartphones, and businesses are increasingly targeting those users.
Once you’ve decided your business could benefit from a mobile app, there comes the question of mobile app development. Who is going to do it – your in-house team, or will you outsource talent? In an era of increasing technology specialization, does your current team have the chops to build a glitch-free, user-friendly app, or will they require additional training?
You likely hired your IT team not only to keep your infrastructure running smoothly but also to work on mission-critical projects. Developing an app takes experience, constant trend spotting, and a great deal of focus. The right talent can make your app a success, and any skill gaps are likely to crater it. It’s also about time and money. Yet the question remains: Should you build your mobile app with an in-house team or outsource talent? Here are some tips to make the decision easy.
What it takes to build an app with an in-house team
Most IT teams are made up of generalists with a variety of skills. While that can be a good thing in some cases, they may lack the credentials to build an app. Mobile app development isn’t just about coding. It involves creating a strategy with an understanding of your app requirements, goals, and which features are a priority.
Building a mobile app development team these days takes a lot of time and increasing amounts of money. Today, developers can write their own ticket:
- Adding a developer to your team takes about 100 days; there just aren’t enough to go around
- There could be a gap in your knowledge about who and what you need
- The average developer salary in the U.S. is $98,255, and most are getting six figures
- You need 4 to 10 people for your mobile app development team
Your team will need to be comprised of specialists in many areas, including designers, developers, an analyst, and QA, and if you plan to take online payments, you’ll need a specialist for that, too. It’s not all bad news if you want to create an in-house team, but the very things that may seem like advantages – you’ll have more control, and you might feel you have better communication with your team because they “know” your company – present downsides as well. The amount of research and knowledge required can be overwhelming, and keeping your team motivated can be a real problem. Outsourcing development can save you time and money and get you a far better result. Here’s why.
Outsource talent for your mobile app development
When you outsource talent, you hire an established team of experts for your mobile app development project. It’s a smart leadership move for many reasons:
1. Outsourced talent saves you time and money
As we mentioned, just filling a development position takes about 100 days. That’s more than three months, after which is the process of familiarization with the company. Then there are the salaries that add up fast. Even a four-member team is likely to cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then there’s the office space and technology needs of your new employees.
When you outsource talent, you get the team you need at a much better price, and because they are already up-to-speed with the latest trends and technology, they can jump right in. This better meets your objective of getting a great app and increasing profits. The money you save by not building your own team can be spent more effectively on other areas of your business.
2. An outside team increases operational efficiency
Overall operational efficiency can be increased with outsourced talent. Your core IT team can work on their own tasks that help streamline processes and make your business more agile in preparation for your app, so business continues to flow smoothly. Outsourced projects also happen faster because their only focus is building your app.
3. You have access to the very best talent
Let’s face it. You can hire someone and think they have everything you need, only to be proven wrong. Outsourcing talent allows you to choose from the best of the best with a proven track record. Their skills are razor-sharp, and they work quickly and efficiently.
As a bonus, the company you hire likely has multiple projects happening at once, which means continuous exposure to new ideas and emerging technologies that can bring even more value to your project.
4. Your app users get the optimum experience
The future is immersive, predictive, and connected. It’s happening now, and the right digital experience is the key. Your outsourced team will bring experts in product strategy, design, development, growth planning, brand identity, and innovations beyond what any in-house team could achieve.
5. Support and scalability
Building the app is just the start. There will always be bugs to work out after launch, and your outsourced team is ready to jump on any issues. And if more team members are needed for your project, the firm can enlarge it.
6. Better security
Cybercriminals are everywhere, just waiting to pounce and invent new ways to infiltrate every day. Cybersecurity is a specialty in and of itself, and it can be hard to keep up. It’s the job of outsourced talent to stay on top of the latest.
The Right Partner Can Get You There
The advantages of outsourced talent for mobile app development are obvious, but it’s also essential to pick the right team. At Shockoe, we partner with you to build tech today for an immersive, predictive, and connected future. We’re a custom mobile software development agency that creates innovative solutions for high customer engagement and anywhere/anytime content delivery.
Mobile is in our DNA, and our team uses collaboration and clear communication to create an impactful, measurable digital experience with a solid eye on ROI. Let’s build something amazing together. Start the conversation today.