Evaluating developer quality
Hiring an app developer can feel daunting, especially if you don’t have a technical background. Many business owners focus on portfolios, programming languages, and technical jargon, but in our experience, those aren’t always the factors that determine whether a project succeeds.
As a small agency that has been building digital solutions for over a decade, we’ve learned that one of the most overlooked indicators of a good app developer is surprisingly simple: how easy they are to communicate with.
Don’t Just Assess Technical Skills
Most app developers can talk about frameworks, platforms, and coding languages. While technical competence is important, many clients struggle to evaluate those skills properly.
Instead, pay attention to how a developer communicates during the sales process.
- Do they respond to emails promptly?
- Are they available when you need clarification?
- Do they explain things in a way you can understand?
- Do they seem interested in solving your problem, or only in selling their services?
The way a developer communicates before a project starts is often a good indication of how they will communicate once the project is underway.
Responsiveness Matters More Than You Think
Many app projects don’t fail because of poor coding. They fail because of poor communication.
When you’re investing significant time and money into an app, you need confidence that you’ll be able to reach the people building it. If questions go unanswered for days during the sales process, that’s unlikely to improve once contracts have been signed.
A developer doesn’t need to be available every minute of every day, but they should be accessible, responsive, and reliable.
Good communication helps projects move forward. Poor communication creates delays, misunderstandings, and frustration.
Consider this carefully when choosing your developer – check out our article Should I Hire a Freelancer or a Development Agency for My App?
Look Beyond the Portfolio
A polished portfolio can be impressive, but it doesn’t tell you what it was like to work with the developer.
When speaking with potential developers, ask questions such as:
- How do you handle project updates?
- How often will we communicate during development?
- Who will be my main point of contact?
- What happens if I need support after launch?
The answers will often reveal more about the working relationship than screenshots of previous projects.
Pay Attention During the Sales Process
The sales process is effectively an audition.
If a developer takes a week to reply to a simple question, arrives unprepared for meetings, or struggles to explain their recommendations, consider whether you want that experience throughout the entire project.
On the other hand, developers who are organised, responsive, and proactive during early conversations are often demonstrating how they’ll operate once the project begins.
The Best Developer Isn’t Always the Most Technical
Many clients assume they need to find the most technically impressive developer available. In reality, the best developer for your project may be the one who understands your business goals, communicates clearly, and remains accessible throughout the process.
Technical ability is essential, but communication is what turns technical ability into a successful project.
Final Thoughts
When vetting app developers, don’t focus exclusively on technical credentials. Pay close attention to how they communicate, how responsive they are, and whether they make you feel confident that you’ll be supported throughout the project.
In our experience, those qualities are often a better predictor of success than any programming language listed on a website.
