So you have a fantastic idea for an app, you’re excited and now all you need is someone to build it for you! Here’s a small list of things to know to help you be prepared when you contact your chosen developers.

1) Which phone platforms do you want your app to run on?

There’s iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry. Each platform has its own particular tools and language that a developer needs to use, as well as requirements for the number of different devices you will need to test the app.(If you don’t know how to decide which platforms you should choose then read our blog – “Should I develop an Android, or an iPhone app?”) But as a rule of thumb the more platforms you require the more expensive your development costs will be. (Can be more than double!) and most people choose IOS or Android or both.

2) Know your budget and be aware of costs!

It’s important to recognise that building an app isn’t an easy thing to do. Like building anything, you are paying someone for very specialist skills. Prices for developing mobile apps start in the thousands and that’s an important thing to remember when contacting developers with your idea. Instead of asking a developer for a quote first off, you should have a good idea of what budget you are working with so they can know immediately what is and is not possible. There’s nothing worse for a busy agency than spending hours of valuable time costing out an app to find out there was only ever a budget of £100.

Of course there are other options available if you don’t have the budget. Perhaps taking the DIY route will suit you best? We have developed the incredibly easy to use, DIY app development software AppFurnace. Currently it’s free to use and you can supplement the software with your own code. In some cases, using AppFurnace and hiring a freelance developer to dot the i’s and cross the t’s can be the best way to go. Even if you can’t hire a freelancer we have a huge amount of tutorial videos, live forums and instructional blogs to help you make your app and develop new skills along the way.

If you have no budget but are sure your idea is groundbreaking and set to make you millions, some developers are willing to create the app for free for a cut of the profits but this is quite rare.

3) Your market – have you done your research?

The more you know about what you want to create the better! Developers will take you much more seriously if you contact them with fine details rather than a kind of, sort of, general idea. Things to think about…

• Timescales

• Target Audience

• Content – do you want pictures, video, audio?

• Will you produce the content?

• Design – will you do it yourself or do you want the developers to?

• What are you hoping to achieve by making this?

• What are your expectations?

• Why is this an app, not a website?

The more detailed description you can give the better. If you feel uncomfortable about disclosing the details of your idea you can draw up an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) or ask if the company has an NDA you could both sign.

Note: Many developers offer a consultancy service, so if you’re not quite sure about all the ins and outs of your idea yet and you have some budget then it might be worth booking some time to talk through it and get some opinions from people who have the knowledge best to advise you.

The world of mobile apps is an exciting but busy one and if you have a clear idea of what you want to make before contacting your chosen developers then that should help make you stand out from the crowd and in the end, create a better app.