One of the first questions we are often asked is, “How much does it cost to make an app?” and if only it was that simple. There are a lot of factors that influence app development costs and this should be reflected in your quote to allow you to better understand what you are getting for your money.
So after you have asked “How much does it cost to develop an app” and got your quote, consider asking these questions next:
If you are a first-time founder or in the pre-seed funding stage, money will be tight and getting a big quote can feel intimidating. You have to know what you are looking for as the end product so you can ask the right questions and there may be some industry terms that you aren’t familiar with yet.
Here are a few so you know what you are getting when they appear in your quote:
If you have already spent some time in your industry and are looking to develop further, you probably already have some familiarity with receiving quotes and what to ask to ensure they cover everything you need. But, if you already have resources on hand that can support your app build then surely the app development cost should be cheaper, right?
Unfortunately, that is a bit of a yes and no answer. For Example:
Can I use my own network of people for user research?
Sourcing participants for user research can be expensive work. Great user research depends on the right cohort of users to speak to; users who match your target audience to a tee and can provide detailed info on their thoughts and feelings about your product. And so paying for both the sourcing of these people and for the incentives to get them to take part can seriously increase the cost of developing an app.
But if you’re developing an app for a certain target audience, there’s a good chance you may already have some of that audience's attention or know people who fit the bill. So if you’re looking to keep costs low, you can try reaching out to them to see if they can help you out by taking part in some user research (just make sure if you are using friends and family to take their responses with a pinch of salt, as they are more likely to answer positively towards you).
Does this quote include content migration?
Many apps and websites can have a huge amount of content that needs to be on the platform before launch. This can be things like blog articles, FAQs or product page details.
The process of adding all this content into the product can often take a significant amount of time, and unless it’s outlined in the proposal or quote, will be your responsibility. It’s worth making a plan for content migration early, as throwing a plan together a month before the product launch will almost certainly raise the app development costs.
And one final thing to always ask, “Is the quote guaranteed?”
Too many times we hear of companies undercutting the competition in order to grab a client or remain competitive, only to add the extra cost back on tenfold in hidden or additional costs.
If a company guarantees their quote, it shows you that they have confidence you will love the end result, as any re-dos will cost them money, not you. They also can’t bump up the costs, giving you an extra layer of security.
Ask us about our Price Guarantee
Overall, having a well-thought-through end goal, along with any resources and validating research you already have available, will put you in a positive position for receiving your quote.
Take your time to go over the quote thoroughly and having more than one for comparison is never a bad thing. If you would like a helping hand from Fortnight to bring your app idea to life, we’d love to hear from you. Then once you have asked all your questions and are happy with your quote, you can get on the road to building your app.
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