The 4 Biggest App Outsourcing Mistakes And How to Fix Them The right partnership can help you build a successful app

Rome was built, even though not in a day, because a lot of resources were used in that process. You need resources if you want to scale your startup or accelerate the growth of your company. Resources are not always hired in-house; you sometimes outsource the work as per the expertise of the resources. For instance, if technology is not your forte, it is a good idea to outsource it. You will save money, time and effort by outsourcing what is not your expertise, and can get enough time to concentrate on your core.

Heard of outsourcing gone bad? Yes, it can happen, if you don't choose well or make mistakes when choosing your outsourcing partner. Of course, you can overcome the bad situations if you make the right choices and follow the right tips. The right partnership can help you build a successful app.

So, what are the biggest app outsourcing mistakes, and how can you overcome them?

#1 Low Priority Market Research

Have you ever had people coming to you with a request to build aUber-like app or Whatsapp-like chat app? You tend to get these kind of requests in plenty. People want a clone in a specific industry or close a small gap that exists in the original app with their clone and target a similar audience. What they did? They took an existing and popular product, and tried attempting to create another one like that. Very often, these startups fail, as they don't have a product clarity or the clarity of the market they want to cater. Why would another uber-like app work, if they already have Uber? What is so different about your product? Even if they had a niche settled out for them, and started out on the right foot, sometimes they tend to ignore the competition, which can cause an easy downfall.

So, when you are outsourcing, here is our number one advice, which might save your company from the downfall.

Start with a complete market research right from understanding the idea, to understanding the market and the target audience. You should set some time apart to study your audience as well. If you are creating a clone app, make sure you know what value you will be offering with the app to your audience. You should also have a basic sales and marketing strategy in place for your app.

Without a market research, you will fail even if you have a good idea on-board.

#2 Time-zone Differences Not Accounted For

When you outsource a company, you will need to communicate with them on a regular basis to make sure the whole development process is smooth. The outsourcing company could be in the same city as yours or, could be settled in another city, state or country. When the project starts out, the developer side has questions that need answers for them to get started with the next step. When you outsource a company in a different time zone, you tend to work at different times. You sleep when they work and they sleep when you work, literally. You will face delays and holdups owing to this difference in working time, and it could hamper the progress of your app.

When you hire someone in a different time zone, you will need to hand over the baton while you are working so that they can work while you are sleeping, and there are no delays. It is always good to adjust schedules if you can to match your work hours. You need to understand how best you can work with this time zone difference, and work out your schedule accordingly. You will stay productive despite the differences with this.

#3 Outsourcing a Team

When you are outsourcing your app development, you are actually working towards building a long-lasting relationship. You don't want a one-off app development done from someone; you are looking for someone who can partner with you and support you through the process.

How do you outsource a company for your needs? The basics say, you research for app development companies, check their experience and the reviews before hiring them. What have you missed out on? You did not check if they have adequate experience in providing for your needs. You should ideally not do a rush job here; sit for a while, think through all the options before you finalize upon a company.

Check for their expertise in the niche or industry you are working in. This will help you know if they have experience in building apps for your needs. Check out the team that's going to work with you. You need to know their expertise too. The communication should be smooth, and both parties should be on the same page as far as the work is concerned.

#4 Unclear Requirements and High Expectations

This is one of the biggest app outsourcing mistakes committed by most companies. You will realize that starting out with unclear requirements means you set out with the wrong direction map. If your developer is going to assume what you want, they will develop accordingly, and it will not match your needs. Both sides get disappointed as a result, which is not a good start for your app.

The best way to deal with this would be to set clear expectations and requirements right at the start. The deadlines, the app requirements and the payment should be clear right at the start. You should have the tech and business requirements spelt out perfectly. The design mockups should go back and forth before you finalize the same. The testing should be planned and pre-defined. Have a single point-of-contact for the outsourcing team for the best outcome.