App developers are a dime a dozen and pretty much anyone can pass themselves off as a developer nowadays. But finding a developer who’s actually skilled and knows what they’re doing is much more difficult. A great developer will not only be able to deliver a great project but will also be able to see possible issues other developers won’t – and ultimately save you time and money in the process. Fortunately, there are some signs that should indicate right away that you shouldn’t work with a developer. In this article, we’re going to give you some of the most telling signs of a bad developer, so you’ll know how to avoid them.
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Watch Out If They’re Too Flexible:
A lot of companies might think that working with a developer who’s as flexible as possible and will bend to your every whim without saying a word is actually a good thing. But that could actually be the sign of an inexperienced developer who hasn’t realised their value yet.
Experienced developers will know their worth and won’t hesitate to push back on your demands from time to time. New developers will tend to be more lenient not to anger clients. They’re also more likely to agree to unrealistic deadlines, which might force them to cut corners and deliver a premature project full of potential issues. Issues you’ll eventually have to fix on your own dime later on.
They Only Deal With One Specific Industry:
Big app development firms will usually work in a wide variety of industries. Mobile app development firms like Appetiser, for instance, have worked with everyone from non-profit organisations to toy manufacturers, all the way up to telecommunication companies and major banks. You want to work with a developer that can show this kind of versatility. You should be able to find this information on their website – for example Appetiser have a portfolio section where some of their previous work is listed.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a developer who focuses on one particular sector is automatically inexperienced. In some cases, they simply chose to go with this particular industry out of choice and might actually be experts in this niche. So, they might actually be more qualified if you happen to be in that niche as well.
If you want to find out if you’re dealing with a specialist or a rookie, ask if you can see some examples of their previous work in this industry. And ask for referrals as well. If they can’t come up with either, then chances are you’re dealing with an inexperienced team or developer.
You Aren’t Their Priority:
You should always check if the company you decide to work with already has a product they’re trying to sell. If they do, you might not be their priority and might have to fight for attention with their product. They might also be outsourcing too much or all of their work to third-parties and maintaining their app development service as a veneer to advertise their product and keep the lights on. And if there are issues or outages with their product or service, guess what? Your project might be on the back burner for a while, so they can work on their real priority, which is their product. Only work with companies who are solely concerned about creating awesome apps, not peddling their own product.
They’re A Jack-Of-All-Trades Freelancer:
If you’re looking to develop an app and you’re on a tight budget, the first idea is often to work with a freelancer. However, you may have to pay more down the line due to the freelancer’s lack of expertise.
Developing apps is very complex, and to be a complete developer, you need to have extensive knowledge and expertise in things like design, UI, analytics, project management, and development, just to name a few. If you’re dealing with a freelancer, chances are they won’t have in-depth expertise in all of these areas. They’ll usually be great in one specific area and will only have mildly satisfactory or no expertise at all in other ones.
For instance, if you work with a designer who’s great with UI’s and design, but has poor analytical skills, you’ll end up with an app that looks great and provides a great user experience, but you won’t be able to track your results accurately and won’t be able to tell exactly where you’re going wrong and what to do to fix it. This is why it’s usually better to work with a team with lots of expertise in every sector who will be able to deliver a more complete app that offers a great experience on both ends.
Conclusion
Not all developers are equal and ignoring the signs of a bad developer could end up costing you in the long run. Keep an eye out for these red flags if you want to avoid working with inexperienced and unqualified developers and deliver a great app you’ll be proud of.
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