Finding a great app developer in Canberra

Tips for finding an app developer in Canberra

Here’s some hints on how you can go about finding app developers in Canberra that will give you peace of mind that you’ve done your due diligence.

Do your research

There’s plenty of ways to find app development partners. Google is always a good place to start, but we’d suggest a few other diversifying your approach to get a full picture of what’s available. These following suggestions are places to look when you’re researching. Keep in mind that all of these listing services offer advertising, and some less qualified agencies may buy their way to the top.

Google. Application developers will have a website or they are not worth working with. Their websites should be set up so you (and Google) can find them. Start your hunt by search for terms related to your project like “Canberra developers” or “App development Canberra”.
Clutch. Clutch.co is a kind of professional services directory that app developers, graphic designers, website developers, search engine optimisers and a whole bunch of other professionals list their businesses on to build credibility. Clutch even does some ranking based on how many positive reviews an app developer is receiving.
I should note that Clean Commit are usually ranked #1 in the Canberra App Developers category on Clutch!
Good Firms and other business listing sites. There’s a bunch of sites that do the work for you and list the “best developers in your area”. These sites are good for identifying agencies you may not have found otherwise.
Word of mouth. Nothing beats asking around and getting reviews from your network. These reviews are usually the most honest.
Yellow pages. Right down the bottom is the Yellow Pages and for good reason. Google has really knocked Yellow Pages back into the dark ages. Their listings are not backed by reviews and don’t offer any interactivity like a website does. If you’re really struggling to find an app developer, you could try the Yellow Pages… although we probably wouldn’t strongly recommend it.

Reviews. Reviews. Reviews.

That’s probably clear enough, but in case you didn’t get what I was trying to say, you should read any potential app developer’s reviews.

This method isn’t infallible. There are ways dodgy companies can buy reviews, or get their friends to add fake reviews. So make sure you look around and don’t just focus on one Review source.

These are the common places customers will leave reviews:

Google reviews - most businesses, whether they’re a cafe, a mechanic or an app developer will have Google reviews. While they’re simple and often don’t contain much detail about the project, they’re the best place to start.
Clutch reviews - Clutch is unique in that they have staff based in the U.S. that verify any reviews If your company is getting good reviews on Clutch, it’s a sure bet they’re a legitimate and a good choice!
OneFlare - OneFlare is an Australian job board. It’s not as reputable as Clutch and there are more contractors than agencies, but it’s another platform that can add to your research.
Facebook - Facebook has a similar review system like Google, but it’s a bit more hidden and modern app development agencies don’t tend to push their customers towards it. However, it’s worth checking out before you make a decision.

Check out their portfolio

App developers in Canberra will tend to have a kind of work they gravitate towards. Sometimes this will become the only job that they take on.

If you want a new eCommerce platform built using a particular kind of technology, make sure you have a look through your potential app developer’s portfolio to see if they’ve worked on similar projects in the past. Having completed a similar project doesn’t mean they’ll be a perfect choice, but it usually means they have the experience to spot issues before they impact the timelines or budgets.

Reviewing a portfolio can also give you feel for the design and development style of the app developer. If you’re shopping around, you’ll want to pick a tech partner that suits your style.

We won’t bore you by selling you on our portfolio in this article, but feel free to check it out on your own time!

Find their prices

This step can be trickier. Not every app developer in Canberra will publish their prices even though it’s important for you to know.

At Clean Commit we get this question all the time. And it seems unfair to withhold this information. That’s why we created this handy app pricing guide that breaks down popular applications and how much they would cost us to build. The idea is to give you a ballpark figure on your project cost without spending the time detailing all the requirements and building a quote.

The reason agencies usually don’t advertise their prices is that each project is unique and until it’s been fully analysed, they just don’t know how much it will cost to build.

This isn’t an excuse though. See if you can find their prices. As a last resort, send them an email or reach out through their contact form.

The next step

By this point you should have found a handful of app developers in Canberra that make up your shortlist. The next step is reaching out to them with the details of your project.

This part of the process will tell you a lot about the quality of the agency. Your mission during this discovery process is to get as much inferred detail from the app developers as possible. These are the things to look out for:

Punctuality

If they take a few days to get back to you it probably means they’re too busy to prioritise your project or they’re understaffed. It’s a red flag and gives some indication of how your project would run with that company.

The best case is you receive a response in a few hours. This is something Clean Commit knocks out of the park. We rarely let an inquiry go more than two hours before getting back with questions or suggestions.

Insightful questions

Software projects are rarely straight forward. There’s always “gotchas” hiding in the wings. The best outcome for any project is to get all the details and requirements straight at the start. This is why you should expect at least a few questions when you reach out to an app development company.

Eventually you’ll need to work with them to build a full set of requirements so it’s a good sign if the questions and communication are flowing freely from the beginning.

Flexibility

You should expect the agencies you’re reaching out to be flexible in what they agree to do. If you’re feeling any push back from the beginning it may be a sign that they’re not equipped to achieve your goals. Proceed cautiously.

Conclusion

You have all the tools and information you need to pick a winner now! It doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing. App development is a tricky art and there are always hiccups. The most you can do is find the best possible technology partner to work with.

Good luck with your new project!