Before you start hiring, there are a few things you must consider to make the process of hiring a web app developer run as smoothly as possible.

Aside from looking into the skills of potential candidates, there are other factors that you must consider to make sure that you’re hiring the right candidate for the job.

Know what type of web app you want to produce

As we become more tech-dependent, having a digital platform is necessary for businesses, big or small. And one of the best platforms to have right now is a web application.

What exactly is a web application? A web app is any computer program that performs a specific function via a web browser. It can be as simple as a contact form on a website or a word processor.

Your business’ web app can be an excellent platform where you can sell your products or offer your services to potential clients online.

But before you go on hiring a web app developer, ask yourself this question: What type of web application does your business need?

With the number of different web applications out there, figuring out the purpose of your web app will help you figure out what sort of skills your potential web app developer ought to have.

To help you out, here are the types of web apps that you could develop:

Web Portals

The most used web portals today include published content, personal profile, and access to email and financial transactions. A vital feature of a web portal is that they work in a self-service manner, which means that they provide an automated function that allows its users to complete tasks independently.

If you’re looking to create an online platform that enables its users to browse through and complete tasks such as book appointments or make online purchases, web portals are the ideal web app for you.

Enterprise web apps

Rather than providing functions for general use, enterprise web apps cater to more specific user groups like departments, project teams, etc. An enterprise web app is ideal for businesses who want to provide a platform for their internal staff to collaborate and manage their tasks.

You might think: why bother developing a web app when a regular desktop app can be used for the same purposes? An enterprise web app makes data sharing a lot easier, and it can also be accessed remotely.

Business automation web solutions

Many businesses also opt for web solutions to rectify a specific service or their company’s entire workflow. Business automation web solutions are perfect for handling business tasks such as documentation flow or for specific-related processes.

Such a web app can provide solutions such as to request acceptance and data coordination functions, freeing employees from tedious work and allowing them to focus on their main responsibilities.

Ecommerce web apps

Ecommerce web apps are web solutions that play a huge role in businesses, big or small. This type of web app is vast and can be used in a wide range of companies from B2B or B2C. With an e-commerce web app, businesses can build booking systems, shopping carts, and e-payment, among many others.

Businesses looking to sell their services or products online can opt for e-commerce web apps for their web app development project.

Microsites

If you’re looking for a way to better promote and market your company, microsites can be the perfect web app for your business. Microsites are web apps with a small number of pages. It is ideal for promoting a business or event.

Despite sounding rather simple, these web apps have a high capacity to be interactive and highly animated, enabling you to make a strong online presence effectively.

Know the skills you should look for in a web app developer

You must have an idea of the specific skill set your potential web app developer needs to have to develop your website application. These skills should cater to what your web app development needs to achieve.

When hiring a web app developer, it can be helpful to look out for these skills:

Ability to conduct a threat model
In a security report, it was found that 40% of all breaches target web apps. With this, hiring a web app developer with security skills is highly integral to sustain and protect your web application.

Knowledgeable in the basics of UX Design
When developing a web app, your dedicated web app developer must know specific functions and designs that make the experience of your web app enjoyable for its users.

Proficiency in front-end languages
When it comes to web application development, the front end is essential. Front-end development requires a specific skill set in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Regardless of the programming language you choose for your web app development, these front-end languages remain static.

Knowledgeable in tech stacks and integration
Having a well-structured web application architecture is important. Hiring a web app developer with a solid understanding of the different frameworks, languages and software will help you build a well-structured and highly functional web app.

Sound understanding API design and integration
With so many web apps out there, a well-designed API (Applications Programming Interface) is necessary to produce a successful web app. APIs are what enable web services to communicate with one another, letting developers build apps with data from other apps and services. Thus, it is crucial to hire a web app developer who understands how to both use and design an API.

Aside from looking into the skills of your potential candidates, here’s another factor that you should consider: what type of working arrangement would you like to have with your dedicated web app developer?

Which is better: working with a freelancer or partnering with an IT service provider?

Remote work has risen over the years and has changed the definition of work and workplace substantially. We now see more professionals working off-site with businesses across the globe.

Would your business’ web app development benefit more from working with a freelancer or a service provider?

These two arrangements have their distinct pros and cons, and deciding which way to go for your web app development can have a huge impact on the outcome of your web app. You must weigh your options carefully before making a decision.

For us to better compare these two different recruitment options, let’s take a look at their definitions.

What is outsourcing? Outsourcing is a practice in which a business hires a third-party team or company that offers a specific service, as defined by Investopedia. From this, it can be understood that an IT outsourcing service provider is a third-party company that provides technical assistance for companies.

IT researching firm Computer Economics states that application development was the #1 most outsourced IT function last year. Overall, the IT outsourcing industry in 2018 amounted to $62 billion in revenue, according to Statista.

Now, what’s a freelancer? According to Investopedia, a freelancer is an independent professional that has been hired by a company paid on a per-project basis.

According to a landmark survey by Freelancers Union and Elance-oDesk, 34% of the entire workforce in the United States are now freelancing—another proof that this working arrangement has now become the new normal amongst businesses today.

To help you determine whether to work with a freelancer or IT service provider, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of hiring outsourced web app developers via an IT service provider versus hiring freelancers.

By weighing out the possible advantages and disadvantages that come with hiring a web app developer with these two options, you can tell whether or not a specific working arrangement can work for you or not.

If you're looking for a simpler means of getting a short-term project done without the fuss of working with a third-party provider, a freelancer might be just ideal for your web app development.

Meanwhile, with outsourcing, you get a dedicated team of tech professionals at a cost-effective rate. Outsourcing can also give you an option between pairing up with a web app developer or hiring a whole team of highly skilled web app developers.

There are so many things to consider when it comes to hiring a web app developer, and hopefully, these few tips gave you an idea on where and how to get started.

Ready to start hiring a web app developer? Get started with us! Learn how Cloud Employee works, see our Developer Pricing Guide, or talk to us. You can hire dedicated offshore developers with us across many technologies.