Having a meaningful, well-designed mobile app is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital age. They can make a big impact on a business and with company/ customer relations.

The trick is to design an application that is easy to use and instantly connects the customer to relevant, up-to-date information. An app is like a present that unwraps itself, requiring no second-party host connection or serving mechanism to deliver the goods.

Most companies do not have the expertise to design a workable app for today’s smartphones. Outside help is needed to construct a program that handshakes perfectly with the client’s website. When talking to an app designer, remember to ask the following questions:

• Your Experience In The Industry
• Your Resume And Portfolio
• Your Product Results
• Your Rates For The Service
• Your Design Process

Mobile app design is rather complex, and much of the construction of the actual program depends on what the app will be used for. The type of business, how the company connects with clients, and how the customer can take advantage of the app to locate a specific product or service must be taken into consideration by the design personnel.

1. Industry Expertise

Most of the popular mobile apps are for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and other communications devices, the majority of which have only been on the market for several years. This does not mean that the designer is inexperienced in the field of programming, however.

Avoid those companies that have only been designing applications for a short time. Ask about what types of programs the company designed in the past, and note exactly what kinds of software development the experts performed in previous years.

2. The Designer’s Portfolio

There is a big difference between a simple coder and a professional app designer. Since the app is going to be unique to the client’s type of business as well as the online website, constructing a code string may not be sufficient to result in an app that will show the particulars of the service offered by the client. Always ask to see samples of apps designed by the software developer, and look carefully to see if any of them closely match what is required.

3. The Product Results

Successful app designers keep very good records of the designs that are picked up by iPhone and other communications device providers. A poorly designed app will not become a licensed product, will never be used by anyone, and will have made no money for the client. A professional app design consultant will show the past results of his/her efforts including statistics on how many customers use it on a regular basis.

4. Rates For The Service

The charge for designing a custom mobile app vary according to the amount of time needed to gather information, the complexity of the program, and the amount of unique coding that needs to be constructed.

Companies are encouraged to do some comparison-shopping before contracting a design consultant. The app designer should also offer a warranty because even the most creative apps often have a few bugs that need to be worked out.

5. Design Process

If a software developer promises to begin coding the app right away and offers a short time frame of one or two weeks, chances are the app will not be of high quality. The process involves research into the client’s business, an inspection of the company website, and the producing of a process plan that is outlined step-by-step and shared with the client before any work begins.

Although a mobile app can be quite a profitable business project once it has been designed, generated and implemented, the up-front cost remains the biggest gamble on the part of the client. Payment for the development of a workable business app should only be made after comparing services and looking deeply into the resume of the preferred iPad app development company. And don’t forget to have a marketing plan for your app.

John Russell authored this post on behalf of Blue Whale apps, a leading iPhone app development company providing mobile solutions for businesses.