What are the benefits of outsourcing software development?

Do you have an exciting app idea to digitize your business, but don’t know how to execute it?

This is where outsourcing can help. With the rise in outsourcing opportunities, you no longer have to worry about hiring your own mobile app development team. By using a software outsourcing company, you can get access to some of the best experts worldwide and unlock numerous benefits for your business.

Moreover, the talent hired through an outsourcing company can be hired on a need-to-work basis, which is a lot more affordable than paying to retain a team of full-time developers. Depending on the kind of app you’d like for your business, you can outsource everything, from code development to UX/UI design, to top industry professionals with years of development experience.

Why does your business need a mobile app?

Whether your entire business model rests on mobile apps or you’re developing an app for a part of your business function, digitalization has numerous benefits for your business. In 2021, there were 7.1 billion mobile users worldwide, which means that there is a vast consumer market that can be tapped into using competent mobile apps. Mobile applications are convenient and easily accessible versions of your platform that allow your business to reach a wider consumer base. They help your business:

Become more accessible

Most online shopping these days is done on the go. Restricting your platform to a simple web page alienates users because they might not always be up for the tedious task of searching for your business on the web to shop with you. Mobile apps allow them to visit your business at the click of a button.

Get a better UI

Over the last decade, users have become increasingly comfortable with mobile applications. No matter how well-designed, websites feel inherently foreign to mobile users in terms of UI. Having a slick mobile application allows you to provide the best user experience to your customers. They come with easy access buttons, drop-down menus, and several other things that make navigating your platform easier for the users.

Generate valuable customer insight

Mobile apps are an excellent way of collecting valuable user information. Every user that signs up to use your mobile app is required to allow your company access to certain data. Barring sensitive information (like Personally Identifiable Information or PII), you can collect all of this data and analyze it to generate valuable consumer insights. This helps you answer important questions like when most people visit your business and what they buy most often.

Why outsource mobile app development in 2023?

Once you decide on getting a mobile application for your business, the next step is hiring a team to help you with it. Here’s how outsourcing their development can help you make the process quicker and more effective.

Greater efficiency

Firms that offer project-based app development services are usually super specialized. They can leverage their expertise, resources, and experience to develop quality applications in a streamlined and time-effective manner, something that can prove to be very difficult to achieve for in-house development teams.

Wider pool to choose from

When you consider outsourcing, the whole world is your oyster. You can hire specialists from across the world, depending on your specific requirements. When you’re not limited to your local or national geography, there are higher chances of finding vendors who better fit your project requirements. Searching worldwide allows you to strike the right balance between cost-effectiveness and quality service.

Focus on core business functions

If app development is not the primary focus of your company, using in-house resources for development can be a time-consuming and messy affair. When you outsource your work, you free up time for your employees and firm, enabling them to focus on your core business functions and increasing your productivity. External vendors can meanwhile take care of your entire project from start to finish.

Improved scalability

An outsourced team is better equipped to respond to changing business requirements. Given their experience and availability of resources, they can develop scalable apps. For example, external vendors are more flexible as they can quickly scale up their teams, accommodating your changing requirements.

How to outsource app development in three stages

While outsourcing app development has multiple benefits, it is critical to follow the right process when searching for an external partner. The success of outsourcing hinges on finding the right vendor. Consider the following steps before selecting your vendor:

• Understand your requirements, objectives, and budget – before approaching an external firm, it is first crucial to outline your expectations for yourself. Understand the motivation behind your app and highlight its purpose. Most importantly, have a rough idea of its size and core functionality. No one knows your customers better than you; you can predict their behavior best.

Next, figure out which operating system you want to operate on. Whether you choose iOS, Android, or both depends on your target audience. Answering these questions will also enable you to draw a budget. If you choose a closs-platform technology like Flutter, you won't have to debate on whether to stick to one OS or to enlarge your budget to have your application on both of them.

• Select the type of outsourcing – there are different versions of outsourcing that you can consider. Onshore outsourcing involves working with an external software development firm that operates in the same region or country as your company.

On the other hand, near-shoring refers to partnering with a company from a nearby country with a time difference of approximately 2-4 hours. Lastly, offshoring is when you hire an external vendor from anywhere across the world, typically with a time difference of greater than 4 hours.

• Find the right partner – after you have narrowed down your geographical location, depending on your budget and needs, it’s time to find a suitable partner. It is essential to vet your potential partner in detail. Reach out to the company, introduce your idea and vision, and interact with them before committing. The initial interactions can be quite telling. You should judge the company based on its initial attitude, communication skills, and past projects.

Using Flutter to create apps

Multi-platform apps can help you transform your business. These apps (especially mobile applications) can help your business acquire and retain new customers by making your customer experiences more convenient and engaging. But, how can you get your own cross-platform app? Most companies give up on the idea in the early stages because of the hassle of assembling an in-house development team.

One of the most popular multi-platform technologies of the moment is Flutter.
Flutter is an open-source software development kit. Developers can create cross-platform apps with Flutter, considerably easing the process. Perhaps the biggest advantage of Flutter is that you can build high-quality apps across multiple platforms – mobile, web, and desktop, or iOS and Android – with only a single code. You no longer have to write different codes for different platforms. This simplifies app development to a large extent, making it more accessible.

With Somnio, you can stay assured that we'll develop world-class apps that add value to your business. Whether you want to outsource the entire process or your in-house team requires additional help, we’ve got you covered. At Somnio, we leverage Flutter, agile engineering, and design thinking to ensure that your outsourcing is productive. You can check out our past projects to understand how Somnio can add value to your business.