How to choose the right web development company

5 Oct · 5 min read

The performance of a software product relies solely on the hands of those who build it. So, hiring the right team to build your product is an integral part of software development. While some companies might have an in-house team of developers, it can also be wise to hire a software house or web development company on a short-term basis.

Choosing the right web development company to build your software requires making some critical choices and actions. Here’s our advice on choosing the right web development company for your project needs.

Step 1: Define your project

Before you approach the companies, it is important to define your project. Having a detailed description of the scope of work can help the software house understand your needs better and give relevant quotes based on the effort required.

To create a well-defined requirement document, here are some questions you need to answer:

What does the product aim to accomplish?
Who is the product for?
What are the main functionalities required?
Are there any unknown/varying factors?

Are there any existing solutions that you want to recreate or use as a reference?

You can also include any project mock-ups or technical specifications that you may have.

Step 2: Define what you need from the vendors

Also, have your queries to the vendors ready. What would you like to know from them before you shortlist potential contractors? These might include questions like:

Have they worked on similar projects in the past? If yes, can they show them?

Sometimes, NDAs might require contractors to not disclose such information. In such cases, you can still ask them to describe how they implemented the project, challenges they faced, etc.
How long would they take to implement this project?
You can ask them to include a timeline for different stages of the project.
What is their method of billing? Is it a fixed rate or based on billable hours?
You can ask for a breakdown of the rates based on different stages of software development, or based on different roles involved.

How would they implement this project?
This can include different stages of implementation and testing.
Do they have any feedback, suggestions or queries regarding your requirements?
What kind of resources do they have? Do they have enough employees with the skills required for your project?

Having this list of questions handy before approaching the software houses makes the selection process simpler.

Step 3: Approach multiple vendors

Make a list of prospective software houses that you’d like to work with. These could be from personal recommendations from friends/colleagues or by browsing online and finding ones with positive reviews and notable clients.

To initiate the conversation, begin with a short summary of who you are, the kind of service you’re looking for, your time limitations, etc. These conversations might be via email, phone calls, and even in-person visits. Don’t stop yourself from asking as many questions as possible.

After the initial conversation, present your project requirements and related queries prepared in steps 1 and 2. During the next discussions, ask relevant follow-up questions to gauge their understanding of the project, their promptness and openness during these dialogues, and also how cooperative they are with your doubts and/or queries. Also, have a discussion on the proposed quote for the project and contractual obligations on either party.

Step 4: Shortlist potential software houses

Based on the information received in the initial discussions, create a shortlist of potential contractors. Here are some factors to look into:

Has the company understood your requirements well? If not, have they asked enough questions to clarify their doubts and understand the project better?
Does the company have the right resources to implement your project? These can be with respect to the time required, technological requirements, knowledge-based requirements, etc.
Does the projected quote lie within your budget?
Does the projected timeline of delivering the project work for you?

This is also the time to clarify any doubts you might have regarding the above questions. For example, if the billing is done on an hourly basis, how is it tracked? What are the hourly charges for each type of work? How often will you be updated on the progress of work?

Step 5: Request a sample

If selecting or shortlisting the contractor is becoming tougher than you anticipated, you can request them to deliver a sample of work. Ideally, you would have to pay the contractor for this sample, whether or not you opt to use it. Even though it might seem wasteful to hire multiple contractors for the same work, this eliminates the possibility of choosing the wrong contractor for a long-term contract with higher stakes.

Make the payment terms and deliverables of the sample clear beforehand. If you choose a particular contractor after receiving their sample, you can include this as a part of the overall contract. Select a small section of the requirement and get it implemented by the shortlisted candidates. Based on how well they understand and implement the work, as well as on how they communicate with you during this time, you will be able to get a better idea about choosing the right web development company.

Conclusion

The process of finding a good contractor can be tedious. It requires a lot of patience and maintaining a cool head. Sometimes if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. So be wary of such contractors and don’t make any hasty decisions.

Choosing the right web development company comes with its challenges, but spending some valuable time in finding the best fit can help you for years to come. Building long-term partnerships with such software houses can benefit you in many ways. Nevertheless, if none of the companies you contact suits your needs, don’t feel obliged to choose one. You can restart your hunt to find one that fits your needs perfectly.

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