How important do you think communication is to the success of a collaborative project?
Communication is integral to ensure the professional app development company and you, as the client, are aligned with the business objectives while keeping accountable for the deliverables and metrics.
For instance, if you are a small-to-medium business (SMB) or a startup, communicate clearly if you have plans to scale up and that you need expert insights from the agency to achieve this.
From there, it will be easier to identify areas that require optimization and break down the action plans.
So, are you ready to start an effective collaboration with your mobile app development partner and achieve business objectives together? Read on for the tips.
1. Let them Know the Core of Your Business
If you have found a third party that fits your best app development agency criteria, time to get into the work and introduce them to your business.
The easiest method is to send them documents that explain your business profile, such as a website, landing page, proposal, or presentation.
If your business is in a highly niche field or developing a disruptive product, it might be necessary to set up a call to onboard the client for a more detailed introduction.
Here are some questions to get you started:
- What does your business do?
- What are the products and features?
- What real problems do you solve?
- Who is the target audience?
- How is your business different from the competitors?
- Why do you need an agency?
2. Set Up a Benchmark
This step is especially important if you’re working with a development agency to ensure that the technological output is parallel to the cost of building an app you have invested in.
If you are still starting out and in need of a hand for an MVP (minimum viable product) development:
List your competitors and detail their performance, such as what you’d like to replicate and optimize for them as well as not do
Identify the gaps and decide on the USPs (unique selling propositions) the agency will be building
Conduct trends analysis and see the technological development you can tap into your offering that hasn’t yet been addressed in the market
However, if you already have a legacy product, show your product demo. Two different scenarios might occur:
If you know your goals but don’t know the blockers, let the agency conduct a product, market, and competitive analysis to identify opportunities for improvement as well as new ideas.
If you know your goals and the blockers, let the agency evaluate your tech stack, features, and functionality so they can immediately get on with the implementations and advancements.
3. Assign the Team
The role of project management in app development cannot be underestimated. One way to optimize this is by assigning the right people to the right job.
First of all, understand the gaps in your current team. Perhaps your team is missing out on senior expertise or even resources with specific skills – whether it has to do with the tech stack or innovation (AI, CRM, and such).
From there, you can decide the type of team augmentation you need, which agencies usually include in their pricing structures for app development as follows:
Freelance developers. If you already have an in-house team but are missing the specific expertise necessary for your app development, consider this option.
Dedicated team. If you are working on a large-scale or a time-bound project, or perhaps have a limited budget, choose this option as you might not have enough time and capital to hire an entire team.
Full outsourcing. If you lack the human resources and expertise to build an MVP or initiate an innovative project, go with this choice.
4. Roadmap the Actionable
So, you have the team sorted out. As a client, your next step is to strategize the high-level plans.
These include what main features you’d like to develop in terms of the software, UI/UX, as well as business or growth.
Usually, the project management itself will be handled by the agency. As a client, your focus will be keeping track of the output and the deadlines, which will be the key point of the next communication strategy.
5. Ensure the Partnership Maintenance
The maintenance referred to here is staying on top of the tasks and if they’re aligned with the timeline progression.
One method to do this is through weekly or monthly meetings. Usually, the agency will present you with a report of the deliverables, performance, the next steps, and suggestions for improvements.
Partner with a Professional Agency
As we’ve established, communication is the key that will open the path to success for your business.
Partner with a development agency that will not only get you to your destination but actually collaborate with you throughout the journey.
At London App Development (LAD), we are highly responsive to any issue and will put in commitment as high as a business owner or your in-house team would.
