Developing a successful iOS app takes more than just a great idea. You need a skilled and experienced development team to bring your vision to life. With over 1.8 million apps in the App Store, standing out requires top-notch design, seamless user experience, and robust functionality. That’s why hiring the right iOS app developer is critical for the success of your next mobile project.
But with so many developers out there, how do you find the perfect match? Here are some tips for hiring the best iOS app developers for your next app.
Define Your Project Goals and Requirements
Before starting your search, clearly define what you want to achieve with your iOS app. Consider the purpose, target audience, must-have features, timeline, and budget. This will help communicate expectations and guide you in finding developers suited for the project.
For instance, is your goal to create an enterprise app with complex workflows? Or is it a simple lifestyle app? Details like these will determine the ideal skills and experience level of developers you should look for.
Vet Developer Skills and Expertise
An impressive portfolio is a good starting point, but you need to dig deeper into specific skills. Make sure to ask about their experience with:
- Swift and Objective-C: These are the main programming languages for iOS. Swift is newer and used more widely today.
- iOS frameworks: Knowledge of frameworks like UIKit, Core Data, SpriteKit, ARKit etc. is vital.
- iOS versions: Ask which iOS versions they have worked on. You want someone familiar with the latest iOS features and protocols.
- Testing: App testing expertise, like Unit Testing and UI Testing, is a must to deliver high-quality apps.
- Tools: Proficiency in XCode IDE, Git, Fastlane, and design tools is essential.
- Methodologies: Look for Agile process experience for better collaboration.
- APIs: Knowledge of consuming and integrating third-party APIs is important for many apps.
Take some time to thoroughly interview potential developers on these technical skills. Having niche expertise relevant to your app, like augmented reality or Core ML, can also be favorable.
Verify Portfolio and Read Reviews
Don’t just take their word when it comes to skills and experience. Vet their portfolio of apps they have built and published. Download some of their apps, test them out, and check user reviews. This will give you a better sense of the quality they deliver.
Ask for their contribution to the apps. Did they lead the entire product development or just perform a specific role? Big platforms like Clutch also have verified reviews of iOS developers. Checking their rating and reviews can be worthwhile.
Gauge Cultural Fit and Communication
You want to hire someone you can trust and work smoothly with on an ongoing basis. Make sure your values, work styles, and communication align well. You may have the most skilled developer, but if your working relationship is rocky, the project will suffer.
During the interview, present hypothetical situations that can arise during development. Then see how they would communicate and collaborate to find solutions. Their responsiveness and clarity when communicating complex issues also tell you a lot about the working relationship.
Opt for Specialized iOS Talent
When it comes to iOS app development, specialized talent gives you an edge. Look for developers who solely focus on iOS versus generalists who work on multiple platforms. Check their App Store profile for apps solely built for iOS rather than cross-platform apps.
Why go specialized? iOS developers with deep platform expertise deliver higher-quality iOS apps using the latest technologies. They also have a faster output which is crucial when trying to beat the competition. Generalists may know several languages and platforms but rarely have deep iOS mastery.
Assess Cost Effectively
App development costs can quickly spiral out of control without proper planning. Especially when hiring freelancers, look out for extremely low rates as quality may be compromised. On the other end, large firms may be unaffordable.
Look for developers who balance quality work with cost-effectiveness. Get project estimates upfront and agree on monthly payments based on milestones. Be wary of proposals charging you per hour – this can encourage unnecessary delays. Assess project size and complexity, then match it to a developer with fair and reasonable rates.
Pay Attention to Design Skills
Even with robust functionality, apps fail to impress without visual polish and intuitive UX. For iOS apps, look for developers with solid design skills or experience collaborating with designers. Review their portfolio for apps with simple, elegant designs, transitions, and effects tailored for iOS.
If hiring a solo developer, provide upfront mockups and prototypes to follow. For a development team, inquire about their design workflow and validation process. Getting the design right from the start avoids costly rework down the line.
Prioritize Security Best Practices
With growing cyber threats, security should be the top priority for any app dealing with sensitive user data and privacy. Unfortunately, many developers today cut corners on security, leaving apps vulnerable.
Ask developers about their approach to security during development. Do they follow Apple’s latest secure coding guidelines? What techniques, tools, and automated processes do they use to build in security? How do they keep their skills updated as threats evolve? Make security a key criteria when evaluating iOS developers.
Choose Specialists for Advanced Features
Advanced iOS features like augmented reality, machine learning, facial recognition etc. require niche expertise. If your app relies heavily on these, look for developers who specialize in them. For example, for an AR app, choose a developer well-versed in SceneKit, ARKit, RealityKit and other Apple frameworks.
Having an expert on the team ensures complex features are implemented smoothly and safely. On the other hand, inexperienced developers can end up delivering low-quality experiences that frustrate users. Do your research to find the right fit.
Verify Attention to Detail
Cutting corners and ignoring edge cases is common among sub-par developers racing to finish apps. This leads to bugs that ruin the user experience. Carefully assess how much attention to detail a developer gives based on their communication, code quality, and past app feedback.
For instance, do they think through all possible scenarios your app needs to handle gracefully? Do they raise good questions and recommendations during requirements review? Reviews mentioning buggy or poorly tested apps are red flags. Look for developers who won’t overlook crucial details.
Conduct Technical Screening
Expert interviews and portfolio reviews form a great starting point. But you need an additional layer of technical screening to thoroughly assess your abilities.
Opt for written tests on iOS development and Swift programming skills. Also, incorporate a code review component by providing sample code snippets to evaluate and optimize. Finally, assign a mini-project relevant to your app functionality, so they can demonstrate proficiency.
This provides tangible insight versus just claims of expertise during interviews. Review their code quality, approach, project delivery, communication etc. Technical screening protects you from hiring developers who lack the claimed skills.
Assess Team Composition and Specialists
For larger apps, working with a complete development team is beneficial compared to freelancers. Look for teams with specialists covering the full mobile development lifecycle – designers, developers, QA experts, project managers etc.
For example, does the team have a dedicated UI/UX designer? This ensures your app has an appealing and intuitive interface optimized for iOS platforms. Similarly, quality assurance skills are crucial for ensuring bugs don’t slip through to users.
Make sure the team has all the key roles covered to avoid skill gaps that can slow down development. Also, inquire about their collaboration process to ensure smooth coordination between specialists.
Check Reviews and Recommendations
Any developer can talk up their skills during the interview process. But what do their past clients and coworkers have to say? Check reviews and recommendations on their LinkedIn, website, or community forums. Reach out to past clients if possible to hear direct feedback.
This helps reveal strengths and weaknesses you may not uncover during brief interactions. It also highlights professionalism, communication, integrity, and other intangibles critical for successful partnerships. Make sure no glaring red flags surface from their experiences with previous clients.
Compare Options But Avoid Compromising
With so many iOS developers in the market, take the time to thoroughly evaluate multiple options before deciding. Interact with shortlisted developers and compare based on project fit, technical expertise, design skills, quality focus, iOS developer cost, and reviews.
Avoid the temptation to compromise on skills or security just to save on costs. This almost always backfires once the app is launched. Be ready to pay a fair price for developers who can deliver on priorities like quality, security, and user experience – it is well worth it.
The Takeaway
Finding developers with the right blend of technical excellence, design skills, quality focus, communication, and cost-effectiveness is key to iOS app success. Avoid rushing the hiring process.
Leverage interviews, portfolios, technical screens, team composition analysis, past work, and reviews to make the right choice. This lays the groundwork for a successful long-term partnership as you scale your mobile presence.
With robust planning and vetting, you can build your dream iOS app by hiring iOS developers that exceed expectations. Just remember – compromise on developer quality and you compromise the success of your app.