Should I Design My Own Business iPhone App or Hire Someone?

These days, the majority of people use their smartphones to access the Internet, even more than they use a personal computer. This means that a majority of your customers (and potential customers) can best be reached through their mobile devices. Your business needs a mobile app to cater to this sector of the market, and the iPhone app store is one of the best places your business can be seen. While iPhons apps can be designed by anyone who is willing to put some time and effort into learning, you may also want to turn the job over to a professional. If you find yourself questioning where you should design your own business iPhone app or hiring someone, then you should consider these points:

Your options. When it comes to developing your own iPhone app, you have a couple of options: you can build the app from scratch, or you can use a template. Your choice should come down to other factors, like how much time you have to devote to app development, and how much technical skill and coding knowledge you have.

Time. If you choose to use a template to create your own app, then you can expect to spend about a week filling in the template and tweaking the final product to your specifications. Developing an app from scratch can take much longer, depending on how much knowledge and skill you have. If you opt to hire an app developer, you will find that different developers quote different turnaround times, and your best bet is to shop around.

Money. It goes without saying that you can expect to save money if by designing your business iPhone app yourself. But just how much money? Well, if you choose to build your own app, then you can find some free or low-cost templates and DIY app building platforms on the web, and then you will only have to pay Apple a $99 yearly fee to join the Apple app store as a developer. However, if you choose to hire someone to create your app, then you should know that costs can vary drastically, depending on what, exactly, you need out of your app. Expect to pay at least $1000 for a very basic, table-based app, and upwards of tens of thousands of dollars for apps with added functionalities like GPS, in-app purchasing, sharing (social media sharing, for example), and more.

As you can see, there is a lot to think about when determining whether or not you should hire someone to design your app. If you do choose to go it alone, just keep in mind that in exchange for the money savings, you will have to put in a lot of hard work.

About the Author: Holly Love enjoys technology and has spent a great deal of tmie looking for an iPhone development company to help her design her first business app. She plans on one day going to school to become a better designer on her own.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. I used to live in a world where I thought I could learn anything if I needed to create something. That was a flawed world.

    The learning curve is not something you want to be hit in smack in the face when you want to put your application out there in the next two weeks. For $450 you can get a basic application from an experienced freelancer. Why spend months or years learning the trade to get your small idea out there?

    Honestly I would go with a similar technique of Mark Zuckerburg. He hired a bunch of students to work for him and continue coding Facebook. Same with Steve Jobs, he never actually built anything himself. I would rather go the business route of managing employees rather then going the Bill Gates route and designing things such as QDOS in a few weeks. Not all of us are geniuses and its okay to admit that. Having good ideas and small funding can get you really far really fast.

    • Yeah, makes sense, especially if you are going to produce just a couple of apps or have a small idea.

      I never used anyone’s services on the first apps I made and it was very slow going. When I recently opened up and outsourced work, projects have started to speed up when it comes to production time.

      I think it’s fun working with others, especially if you find a good team to work with. It’s a win/win situation on both sides.

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