15 Mar 2013

Hiring an iPhone Developer

hiring iPhone App Developer

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Hiring an iPhone developer to build your mobile app is not as daunting a challenge as it might seem … as long as you’re well prepared and knowledgeable about the interview and hiring steps required to succeed.

This is the way it the hiring process unfolds.  What you want from your iPhone app is something that is attractive, engaging, informative, and memorable.  These are the words that describe what advertising executives call “impact” … and “impact” is what engenders a winning project.  So the first thing you need to understand is you cannot give your iPhone Application any of those attributes without hiring the right developer.

Your iPhone Development Requirements

  • Specifics on what you are trying to accomplish with your iPhone App (and why).
  • A list of mobile apps or even websites you might like to emulate.
  • Thoughts on how your ideas might be presented in an iPhone App.
  • A list of what makes your products & services unique.
  • A list of features (or functions) you feel must be incorporated. Are any of these features optional?
  • How can you be flexible with your project (i.e., delivery time, staff involvement, functionality, costs).
  • Be prepared to discuss how you will measure ROI and project success.

Hiring Criteria for iPhone Developers

  • Check with people you know for potential referrals when looking to hire iPhone Developers.
  • Review developer’s websites, resumes, work history, and experience.
  • Review their portfolio in detail and ask if can they provide referrals.
  • Remember, some aspects of their web presence reflect what you might be able to expect from them as developers for your project.
  • Do they quote job prices on a fixed bid or simply time and materials?
  • What guarantees are offered? What are their iPhone Development rates?
  • Do they offer an address and phone number.  No address usually means they are offshore.
  • Select the three strongest iPhone Developers for further hiring consideration.

Which iPhone Developer Should You Hire?

  • Are you very confident that they clearly understand your objectives?
  • Did they offer insights and suggestions that compliment the project?
  • Did they have thoughts on how to achieve your goals economically?
  • Can they define specific deliverables and completion dates?
  • Was there any mention of project risks and/or related costs?
  • Was there a level of enthusiasm for your project?
  • Were you able to speak directly with the individual who would head-up your project … or were you limited to a salesperson?
  • What is their process if you hire them as your iPhone Developer?

Finally! Hiring your iPhone Developer

  • Are you comfortable that you and your Project Manager communicate well and have a solid rapport?
  • Which of the 3 candidates actually convinced you that they can deliver the “impact” that I described earlier?  Remember … only your developer can do this … and only those web projects and/or mobile apps with “impact” will work.
  • Review the contract in detail.  Make sure you understand and are comfortable with the terms.

There … now that wasn’t so difficult, was it?

Four simple steps when hiring an iPhone Developer:

  1. Do your homework (preparation);
  2. Research the field;
  3. Narrow your hiring possiblities to 3 candidates;
  4. Select the candidate you believe will deliver “Impact”!

Stay on top of things throughout the development process.  If you aren’t actively involved in the process, you might be disappointed (or surprised) with the results you get (regardless of who you hire).

I’ve hired many iPhone developers over the years (who have passed above qualifications).  If you’d like me to provide a referral to you, I’d be happy to do that.  Just send me an email at dev@cspreston.com.

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15 Nov 2012

Responsive Web Design Costs

responsive web design costs

The easy answer is you don’t have to worry about Responsive Web Design Costs…. You can go ahead and have your website developed the “Old Fashioned Way” and ignore the user experience on smartphones and tablets everyone is so feverishly leaning over while waiting in line for their morning triple venti mochachino.  The question you have to ask yourself is,  “What is it worth to provide your visitors with the optimal user experience regardless of their chosen device?”; or “Would you rather save some money on web design costs and have your website’s content not look quite right?”

Responsive Web Design vs. Dedicated Website

Dedicated Website:  A dedicated website is the “old fashioned” site we discussed earlier, granted, it is certainly easier and less expensive to develop than a Responsive Web Design Site. The problem is that it is formatted to a standard web browser on a computer and although it may look amazing on a computer, access it from your smartphone and it’s a mess.

Responsive Web Design: Websites that are developed with a responsive theme are specifically created for an optimal user experience.  Reading and navigation should occur with a minimum amount of difficulty.  The user experience is created from the ground up specifically for a small screen size.

Responsive Web Design Cost Breakdown:

To give some generalities about price (since not all websites are created equally):

Using a mid tier development approach, it will cost around $60-$90 per hour to create a nice looking dedicated website…a few bells and whistles…all told this will cost about $1600 – $2500.

Responsive Web Design Costs will lighten your wallet about 40% – 60% more than building a dedicated website  (outlined above).  Now this is where things get interesting… Once you have decided that you want your dedicated website to be seen properly on mobile devices, you are looking at about 10-16 hours of a developer’s time to create the proper mobile experience (and this is for a general brochure type basic website).  So at $60 – $90 an hour you are now looking at an additional expenditure of … call it $600 – $1500.  Only you can decide if a better user experience is worth that much.

So, the not so easy answer is: Although responsive web design may cost 25%-35% more at the inception of your website presence, in the long run it can be more cost efficient (from a marketing perspective) and much more pleasant to view over your morning coffee.

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15 Nov 2012

Android Development Costs

“costs

Article written by Brett Miller

When analyzing Android App Development Projects we are asked many questions, the most popular one and hardest to answer is: “How much does Android Development cost?”  This is akin to asking, how much does a car cost?— It depends on what kind of car you are looking for.  Are  you looking to buy a nifty little Dodge or perhaps a sleek Porsche?  These cars look different; have different functions and definitely different costs.  Android App Development is no different. What functionality are you looking for?  Is your app purely informational?  Is it a game, perhaps even a 3D game? Regardless of the difficulty, here are some general guidelines to access Android development costs.

Android Development Costs…A Rough Estimate

Simple Static Content Apps: $4,000 to $10,000

Data Driven Apps: $6,000 to $40,000

Games: $8,000 to $100,000+

Apps with Device Driven Capabilities: $6,000 to $40,000

Getting Your Development Money’s Worth

Yes, developing an Android App can be expensive, so here are some tips to help you get the most from your money.

Seek References – Speak to business colleagues about referring a developer they have worked with directly.

You Get What You Pay For: Typical App developers in the US charge about $100/hour, you can find a developer offshore with theoretically lower costs, but remember, you get what you pay for.  It’s not always cheaper to hire a developer for $20 per hour than a developer for $100.  Typically the more costly the developer, the faster (in man hours) and more impressive the results will be.  Clear communication is critical as misinterpretations of requirements have caused a significant number of projects to run over budget.

Check Development Portfolios:  Any reputable Android developer should be more than willing to show you their portfolio.  If you like their past work, you will be more likely to be pleased with the product they create for you.

We are always happy to take on new Android development projects.  If you have something in mind, email us with some specifics, including timeframe and budget.  This will allow us to determine the best way to assist you.

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17 May 2012

8 Ways To Make Money On Your iPhone Apps!

make money iphone app

Article written by Brett Miller

There are already hundreds of thousands of iPhone Apps available on the App Store.  This has occurred incredibly quickly due to the pervasiveness of smartphones and the opportunity for entrepreneurs to monetize their usage.  Some Apps have been known to produce revenue in the millions each month, but many struggle just to recoup their initial costs.  Here is a brief overview of the various methods of making money with your Mobile Apps:

1. Charge for App – Directly Makes Money!

Apps usually cost between $0.99 and $9.99, but bear in mind that Apple receives 30% of this revenue.  This is the most direct way of creating income with a mobile app.  Basic economics here: higher the cost, the fewer the downloads.  Make sure your prices are competitive with similar offerings.

2. Sliding Scale Fees

The ratings (and reviews) by Users of your App (and its positioning in the App Store) equates to more downloads. Many Apps are initially sold at a price of $0.99 and then bumped up to $2.99 or 4.99 after a certain number of downloads to improve profitability.  Users rate apps between 1 and 5 stars so you want your first release of your app to be impressive both visually and functionally.  It’s quite difficult to overcome bad ratings once there are a hundred or so … better to create a great app right out of the gate!

3. Apps with Two Versions

Many Apps have two versions: “Paid” and “Lite”. The “Lite” version of the App is free and usually has simplified or restricted features.  The idea is to attract new users and then encourage them to upgrade to the fee based version.  This approach is particularly popular among gaming Apps where a great “Lite” experience leaves the user wanting more … and willing to pay good money for it.  Apple does require all “Lite” Apps to have useful functionality.  The “Paid” version would provide even more capabilities, hence the price.

4. New App Versions

Another great approach, particularly in game applications, is to regularly release new or revised versions of an existing App where the initially released version (which was really popular) is available at one price while the second release, with upgraded features (or adventures) is available for a few dollars more.

5. Advertising – Makes Money Indirectly

The placement of ads within your App is another way to generate revenue.  But there is one thing to consider, many time users expect the App to be free if it includes advertising.  Pay Per Click (paid for each Ad click) and Pay Per Impression (paid for each 1000 display views) are two options of this approach. If you do not charge directly for your app, you will need a lot of users (in the thousands) to make any money.

6. In-App Purchases

Give the user a fully functional App but offer fee-based additional content, add-on features, or upgrades.  Examples: Ten sets of ring tones, each set of ten sells for $6.99;  or in a game setting, an additional level which must be mastered in order to reach the next level of challenge.

7. App Subscriptions to Make Money

Web Apps that are based on a subscriptions like magazines are more effective these days if they also have a Mobile version.  Many users will not consider a Web subscription unless it has a Mobile App available as well.

8. Free Apps Make No Money

Yes, free … the purpose for many Apps is that it serves to improve the branding of your business.  Apps can simply provide information to encourage the traditional purchasing methods and positive word of mouth.

Do you need more advice on building your app or making money with your existing apps?  We are hear to help!  Feel free to shoot us an email at dev@cspreston.com and we’ll do everything we can to get you on the right track.

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