If you are based in Australia and have come up with a brilliant idea to develop a Mobile Phone App, the first question that will cross your mind is, ‘How much will it cost to develop the App?’ In fact, this will be the first question which most people will encounter.
Development costs will be based mainly on the following features:
- Business Model
- Platform
- Functionality
- Design
There is one more point which is very important in determining the cost of development, that is the choice of Developer. Execution of the App concept and the idea will totally depend on its developer. There have been many instances where people with innovative App ideas have sought the services of Companies based overseas or have sought the services of freelance workers due to relatively lower costs. However, the end results have been appalling due to the factors mentioned below.
Scams
We at Elegant Media have come across many instances where owners of innovative App ideas have initially decided to go ahead with overseas companies due to lower costs but later they have not been able to even contact or locate that particular company after making the upfront payment.
That is mainly due to several scams which are in existence around the world. This could happen when clients take quotations from Australian based (local) companies and handover the quotation to companies based overseas or freelancers to compete on the locally quoted price.
If it is a scam, the person behind the scam will only be interested in getting the initial payment from the client and once the payment is done, the client will not be able to even locate them. Thus, in order to get the project or at least the initial payment, the Company will even provide a quote 50% – 70% less than what is quoted here locally in Australia, however, the end result is dreadful.
Ultimately, we have had clients who returned to us, after starting the projects with overseas companies and then losing many thousands of dollars. In many cases, we have had to redo those projects again, because of the poor documentation as well as the poor quality of work. In the event that the client has a limited budget, the risk is high that the project will not be completed at all.
Technology Trends
This would be a major factor in completing your project on time and efficiently. If you are thinking of launching this App in Australia, you need to select a developer who has a similar background in terms of work processes, knowledge in technology trends and culture. For example, if you want to develop your App idea on iOS (Apple’s Platform) and if the outsourced company or freelancer does not possess the required interfaces and the technology to develop same, you will get an App which will not function efficiently and might result in a crash. Therefore, it is recommended that you select a locally based company with a relevant ISO accreditation so that they are well suited with the latest technology and you are ensured that the selected Company will follow the correct protocol and will develop the App to the highest quality. Furthermore, the other advantage of selecting a locally based Company with the correct accreditation is that you could have constant meetings (face to face) at any stage of the development process (Wire-Framing, Designs, Development and Quality Testing) with the Technical Account Manager which eliminates any communication barriers which you might encounter in the event you decide to pursue the project with an overseas based Company.
Failure to Check the Functional Requirements
It is not just sufficient to develop the functional requirements based on the scope of the project but as the Developer it is essential that all the features on the App are tested by at least two or three separate personnel before the App is submitted to App Store and Google Play for approval. Testing of the features could be done by the developer itself along with a Quality Assurance Technician and the Project Manager or the Technical Account Manager. In the event the features are not tested accurately, once the App is submitted to App Store and/or Google Play, the App might crash or certain features might not function properly which will result in the App being rejected. Therefore, it will result in additional cost since the App needs to be resubmitted to App Store and/or Google Play after fixing the necessary bugs or the crashes.
Source Codes
Most of the outsourced Companies which undertake App development work, do not release the source codes to their clients. What does that mean? Even though the client has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the respective outsourced Company, without having access to the source codes, the client will not be the rightful owner of the App. For example, if the client wants to enhance the features of the App in the next stage of development, the client will have to contact the same developer irrespective of the cost they quote for the new features since without having access to the source codes, no one can add any new features (based on the assumption that the App is developed using ‘Agile’ platform instead of ‘Waterfall’ since new features cannot be added if the App is created using the ‘Waterfall’ platform). For instance, the Australian IP and Trademark laws may not apply in overseas countries. Thus, even though the client has obtained a patent law for the idea, the client will not be able to protect same when it is developed over in a foreign country since anyone including the developer could replicate the client’s idea and launch the App even before the client’s App is launched.
Summary
Looking back at all the points highlighted above, it is safe to mention that if you are looking to build an App, you should contact a reliable Company based locally which has the necessary accreditation (ISO) and knowledge about the latest technology advancements. Furthermore, once you develop the App to the highest quality and with an effective Marketing strategy, you will have the opportunity to grow your app to become a profitable company. Thus, it is pointless to waste your time, money and effort by selecting a company based overseas or a freelancer simply due to the fact that you could save a few thousand dollars at the development stage of the App.
Contact us at Elegant Media (ISO Certified Company), to schedule a free consultation to discuss your innovative App idea.
