Last week, Business Insider ran an article featuring five questions to ask your app developer before you take them on. So, here at Tradebox Media, we thought we’d answer those questions right now, so that if you do come in for a chat about a project, all of the basic questions are out of the way and we can get straight to talking about what you’re here for , your app idea.
We sat down with our founder Stephen Milburn to get him to answer the questions directly.
1) Where are your developers and engineers located?
We like to keep everything as local as possible, because it means projects get done quicker and with everyone pitching in. We have a fully based in the UK app development team, partially in Cardiff, with part of the team based in London, meaning we can communicate easily with each other. All of the content is written here in Cardiff too, so we get a consistent product.
2) What are the costs of the project, and of future updates?
Obviously, costs are project specific. It is very difficult to give you a quote without knowing what we will be delivering. It does depend on the scale of the project and how much content is required, but costs can be reduced if the client is open to certain methods of development.
The project price also depends on how many platforms you are looking to roll out to and how quickly you want that roll out to happen.
We offer a 12 month bug fix window, though we work hard to make sure there are no bugs at all before we hand the app over to your servers. Updates other than bug fixes are done on an ad hoc basis at developers standard hourly rates.
3) On which platforms will the app be available and which platforms do you have experience with?
We specialise in Android and iOS , we are members of the Apple developers program and our work with Android SDKs and UI is some of the UK’s most innovative. We can also develop for Windows and legacy platforms such as BlackBerry.
The costs of producing apps for multiple platforms are, again, project specific. It depends on how much content needs to be ported over, which is different in every case. If you’d like the apps written in each platform’s native language, your costs will be much higher than if it is to be written in a portable language. Having said that, in certain cases, there are no cross-platform costs whatsoever.
4) How will users be able to download the app?
Users will be able to find the app in the App Store for iOS downloads, and in whichever 3rd party app store the client requests on Android. The links are always available to post on the client’s websites, which will take users to the relevant app store.
Apple are more protective of how users can download apps for iOS, which led to them removing AppGratis (the app discovery app) from their store.
We always offer a guarantee of publication , we don’t get paid until the app is published, so it’s obviously in our interests to ensure that it is. We don’t take on projects which will be refused publication in any app store.
5) Of the projects which your company has completed previously, which ones are you the most proud of and why?
For pure simplicity and clean functionality I have to say Mr Moving. It’s telling that this simple app is also the most profitable one we’ve ever made. The app uses one simple to use form to contact local removal companies and request a quote, and up to six firms will then get back to you, taking all of the stress out of moving house. It was built for a large client in the Netherlands who demanded a swift ROI.
My other pride and joy has to be our upcoming release, Trippa Reykjavik. It’s one of our Trippa travel guide apps helping you find your way around some of the world’s most amazing cities. It is jam-packed full of amazing content, has a clean, simple and attractive UI, and an intuitive UX , small features which really make the experience greater than the sum of its parts.
Image credit: viskas