App Development Q&A

Whether you’re outsourcing overseas, hiring locally or employing an in-house app developer, there are some key traits that all good app developers share. Transparency, good communication skills, teamwork and a strong portfolio are just a few.

Outsourcing is a great option for many business owners as it’s often cheaper, more flexible and gives you access to a wider pool of talent. But of course, it comes with unique risks and considerations. Some key considerations when outsourcing an app developer (either locally or overseas) include:

1. Money-back guarantee - choose a developer that provides a money-back guarantee or revision policy. Make sure this is clearly outlined in the contract before you sign anything.

2. Cost breakdown - a good app developer will provide a breakdown of the project costs including any additional charges like GST. There should be no surprises when you pay your final invoices.

3. Avoid app developers who request you to pay large sums of money upfront - there should be an initial cost to pay, but the rest should be paid in milestones or when the final work is delivered.

4. Adequate experience - your developer should have the skills and experience to deliver your project outline. Have they worked on similar projects or with similar businesses? These are important questions to ask.

5. Time zone differences - outsourcing a developer may mean you are working in different time zones. Decide whether this will be a barrier for you before you begin your search.

6. Great communications skills - a good developer will run you through the project plan and be clear on how they will communicate with you. This is partly your responsibility to set clear expectations on how you want to be involved across the project from the beginning.

7. Cheapest isn't always best - no matter which service you’re looking for, it’s often a case of ‘you get what you pay for’. Don’t be tempted to go for the lowest quote before doing your research and reviewing a developer’s portfolio.

Google is often seen as the "nice, affordable" kid brother to Apple's App Store, but there's only so far that you can push that reputation. Putting an app on Google Play is not free. Google charges $25 for the opportunity. Though that may be disheartening, there's a couple of things that you need to remember:
 

• The cost to publish a single app is still less than what you'd pay at Apple. There, you have to pay $99 per year for the right to keep the app up. 
• It's a flat-rate fee. So, the price doesn't go up or down based on the number of apps that you develop. 
• Google is still pretty chill and is the most widely-used app marketplace on the planet. So, it's money well-spent. 

Australia's app industry is booming, and that's no joke. The prices seem to be booming too. The average cost to develop an iPhone app is actually hard to figure out, especially in Australia. I'll explain why below...

Most price quotes put the average cost between $50,000 to $250,000 AUD. However, this is only half the story. Averages don't always tell the full truth. There are a LOT of startup companies pouring millions into app development for big SaaS firms. This can easily cost $500,000 to $2 million AUD to do. 

However, there's another side of things people often forget. 

On the other end of the spectrum are people who just want to put together small apps that might make some money on the marketplace. It's possible to develop an app using a free app maker and put it on the Apple marketplace for under $100. 

Rather than worry about the average, you should look at the median. This is "smack dab in the middle" price that people pay. In other words, 50 percent will pay more and 50 percent pay less. Median rates are harder to find, but from what I dug up, the median is closer to $50,000 to $100,000.

Apple's App Store does have costs associated with uploading apps to the store. However, the way these costs work might surprise you. There are several costs that you may need to take into consideration, aside from the costs that come with making the app itself:

• You'll need to pay $99/year to join the App Developer group. Apple made this mandatory and actually, it comes with some nice benefits that can help you streamline your iOS app programming. 
• You may have to rework certain parts of your app to keep it in line with Apple's community guidelines. This can cost nothing, or a bunch, depending on the way that you got your app made. 

If you want to develop a travel app, then you're going to have to set aside a pretty nasty budget. Developing a travel app is going to be a bit more involved than most other types of projects. You have to remember that app development agencies tend to charge by the complexity of the app, as well as its features. 

With that said, you should plan to pay a lot and be prepared to answer a ton of questions. Before you even walk in, you have to remember that app development agencies are going to want to know the following: 

• What kind of features do you need? Are you going to need to be able to search up hotels? Book taxis? Find a new adventure group? In a lot of ways, the feature types will determine the price. Multi-platform integrations can cost extra, especially if they go beyond "standards" like Facebook. 
• Are there integrations that you already can add in? If not, you will have to have them developed for the app. Each integration will cost more and if you need to get it custom-made, then you are going to have to pay for that. 
• How many security features do you need? More security additions means you will need to get more price. 
• What is the time frame that you need to have this done in? Speed can cost extra, but for travel apps you might want to simply set aside a time frame of 6 to 9 months as a minimum. 

Travel app development is particularly complex, which means that you may end up having to spend at least $300,000 to $750,000 to get it off the ground. While the average app development price through an app firm is $171,450, travel apps are far more involved than a normal app. 

You have to remember that the average price of an app developer is $150 per hour. You're going to have to parse that out into what equates to a salary over the course of months or even years. So, if you want to hire someone to do it, make sure that they are worth it and that you have the money to avoid a waste. 

Hi Aida,

Thankfully there are loads of app builders on the market today that make building your own app simple and straightforward. It’s important to note that online app builders are suitable for simple apps - more complicated apps may need the expertise of app developers who have extensive coding skills.

That said, if your app idea is relatively simple some of the best online app builders out there today include:

• GoodBarber - an online app builder for shopping apps and content management apps (native and progressive web apps). They offer a free trial, after which prices start at $15 per month.

• AppyPie - an online native app maker for Android and iOS apps. It’s intuitive and easy to use with drag and drop functionality. Appypie offers a free trial, with basic plans prices at $18 per month. 
• Appery.io - Apperry.io is a low-code app building platform that lets you create mobile, web and progressive web apps. Prices start at $25 p/m the beginner package, but definitely take advantage of the 14-day free trial.

• Shoutem - an online native app builder for iOS and Android. It has a large marketplace of extensions available to customise your app. Monthly subscriptions start at $49 p/m, but there is a 14-day free trial.