When you look at it, what a developer needs the most to build apps are just three things – time, skill, insights to avoid mistakes. The first two are generally easy to obtain. The third one, insights, not so much. For this, the developer needs to invest more time learning about the environment the app will be running on, the target market, user personas, user needs, and present UI/UX trends and so on. The mobile app development Dubai sector now has more startups trying to build apps than established businesses, compared to previous years’ stats. 

Finding the right mobile application development company requires a lot of effort, mostly in finding answers to many questions. Here are some of those questions answered just so you can get a head start.

How to protect the app idea

Stealing an app idea from a person least expecting it, and then launching it first is actually quite common in the world of app development. It can happen even when you approach a developer with an idea. The developer might launch it as his own. An NDA or Non-Disclosure Agreement can help you play safe. Make sure the app developer is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement before handing the idea over. 

However, the developer might need some basic information in return before signing an NDA. The approach is to share non-proprietary information with the developer to give them an idea about your business and how the app ties to your business goal, while withholding information about the app itself. You can still tell them which platform you want the app to be deployed, and comparable apps in the market.  

How much the app will cost

App developers are frequently asked this question. The answer varies as an estimate depends on many variables. In a nutshell, the platforms targeted and the features of the app are the two main cost influencers. The bigger the app idea, the higher the cost. The cost may also depend on the developer. A larger, more reputed mobile technologies and services company will charge you more for developing an app compared to smaller developers and freelancers. Offshore application development can also be cheaper. 

How long will the development take?

This depends on a lot of factors too. On average, a decent app takes about 6 months to build. However, there are many ways to speed up the development process. This time not only includes the duration of development but also the time taken for planning, design, QA and testing etc. Expertise and skill of the development team are also important factors. However, capable developers charge more for the service while opting for the cheapest developer would likely end up with a flawed product or costly delays. 

How often the app should be updated

The work of a developer doesn’t end with the deployment of the app. The app owner needs to leverage the app to grow their business. This means the app should always be at its best, engaging, attracting, and converting users into customers. The user should feel satisfied with the app. This is why it’s important to update the app occasionally to fix bugs, add more features, and improve app stability. 

The update frequency should depend on user feedback and budget. If you constantly keep releasing updates, there’s a good chance for the user to get annoyed. It’s also a good idea to release updates along with OS updates.