Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Mobile App Development to an Agency

Mobile apps are becoming increasingly critical to businesses for one simple reason: customers are spending more each year on mobile apps. iPhone users in the U.S. spent an average of 36% more on apps in 2018 than they did in 2017¹, and overall, global revenue from iOS and Android apps increased 23% last year to over $71 Billion². Mobile apps need to provide users the best experience possible, or the user will quickly abandon the app; therefore, cutting corners on the architecture, design, and development of your mobile app could cost you in the long run.

The question arises: Is it better to develop the mobile app in-house or outsource it to a mobile app agency? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of working with an outside firm:

Pro: Outsourcing Saves Money

How many employees does your business have? How many can you afford? According to Business of Apps, the average cost of hiring an app developer is $107k/year³. Not every business needs or wants to hire a full-time app developer when they may only need that skill set for limited projects. A small business may only have the need for one mobile app, meaning that hiring a mobile app development agency may be the best option.

Con: Slow or Fragmented Communication

When an app is developed in-house, company executives can physically walk up to the developers to check on the status of the mobile app. They can ask questions in real time and see the progress as it’s being made. Outsourcing means communication happens, but depending on the agency, it may happen at a slower and more fragmented pace.

Pro: Agencies Work Fast

A mobile app development agency has the human capital and specialized experience to get the job done quickly. An in-house developer may be pulled in to work on many different development tasks, where your dedicated agency can focus solely on delivering quality work within the promised timeframe.

Pro: Mobile App Agencies are Experts

Sports fans wanted to watch Michael Jordan play basketball, not baseball. That’s because he was an expert on the court (even though he played professional baseball for one season). The same goes for developers: Hiring an experienced mobile app agency will garner better results than relying on a general software development agency or an in-house developer with other specialties.

Con: Loss of Complete Control

Because hiring a mobile app development agency means working with someone outside of your organization, you won’t have the same ability to monitor and control the project as it progresses. Working with an off-site development team can be a big shift for some organizations, but an experienced agency can help make the transition seamless.  

Pro: Keep Your Focus on Company Goals

Creating a mobile app uses valuable time and resources that could be better spent on your primary business goals. Hiring a mobile app development agency allows you to remain focused on your core business offering while leaving the app development up to the experts.

Hiring Studiolabs for your mobile app development brings all of the benefits listed above. In addition, we excel at providing thorough communication and control over the end product. During development, you’re free to check in to determine how the project is moving along. Contact us today to learn how hiring Studiolabs can help transform your business or download our Mobile App Development Trends Report for 2019.

Sources:
¹ https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/11/us-iphone-users-spent-79-last-year-up-36-from-2017/
² https://sensortower.com/blog/app-revenue-and-downloads-2018
³ http://www.businessofapps.com/app-developers/research/app-development-cost/