Where to Find a Reputable Software Development Partner in 2024

Introduction

Currently, there is a massive selection of software development houses and IT companies creating web and mobile applications on the market. Each of these companies is actively looking for customers, presenting various creative offers and extending portfolios. Still, in this abundance, many business people have difficulty finding and choosing a reliable company with whom to establish cooperation.

It is said that, in business, trust is one of the most frequently mentioned indicators when starting a professional partnership. This article will show you a way to reach out to a partner who can be trusted and at the same time delivers high-quality services. Scroll down and learn how to find a trustworthy software development partner.

#1 Ask your connections

Software development, like many other industries, is still strongly tied to the word of mouth and choices made upon referrals. So if you are looking for a development partner, start with asking your network of mates and co-workers first.

Also, like most business people, you most likely have other leaders and directors in your network that hired a software development company before. They can recommend some proven suppliers, say what they paid attention to, or warn you by saying who is not worth working with. The easiest way is to contact such people, go with them for coffee or a drink and learn about their experiences.

#2 Post a question on LinkedIn groups for executives or on your own wall

Can’t think of any people to talk to in person? Go ahead and post a question asking for development companies on groups or your own LinkedIn board.

LinkedIn (or Quora) groups and users forums are also quite popular ways to find out about potential partners on the market. You can learn what others think of a given software development partner, who they recommend and who wasn’t all they were cracked up to be. Spend some time digging around. Look for topics and threads concerning a similar product that you want to create with a software development partner – there you can find a perfect match.

By posting a question on a group, you will receive answers from unknown people in similar positions. If someone’s comment proves to be extremely interesting, you can invite them to a network of friends and arrange a networking meeting during which you can ask more detailed questions.

You can also post a question regarding software developer partner recommendations on your feed. People you already know can answer, which will greatly help you get extra information from them.

In both situations, however, it may happen that the software development companies will be advertising their services in the comments. On the one hand, it can be useful, as you get some “specific” suggestions. On the other hand, it should be remembered that each company considers itself to be the most innovative and reliable on the market. You should look for more information about them and/or ask your contacts if they have heard about such a company.

#3 Look up “The Manifest”

“The Manifest” is a platform providing three types of valuable content:

• Benchmarks with original survey data
• Guidelines full of expertise
• Shortlists with top business service providers

The listed TOP software companies have multiple categories. The ranking is based largely on customer reviews as the platform is a sister website of Clutch.co (a site allowing companies to set profiles, where verified client’s reviews can be published).

The companies listed on The Manifest with client references have space to: establish reliability online, highlight verified reviews, and attract potential clients looking for a partner.

Also, the companies can be sorted by a special Clutch score called “Ability to Deliver score”. It is set by some elements such as:

• number and quality of reviews of a given company published on Clutch,
• types of clients the company worked for,
• the services offered by a software development company
• experience in providing the services
• brand reputation and its presence on the market.

To get more information visit: themanifest.com

You can also look at other sites that gather reviews (like Clutch, Goodfirms or Design Rush) or create top-lists of the best software development companies (like TechReviewer).

#4 Google your software development partner

Sometimes the simplest ways are the best. And the fastest way is to find companies that create applications in the search engine. In most cases, the question people tap into search engines sounds like: “how to find the best software developer”, “how to choose and rate software development companies”.

You can also search for some relevant keywords and phrases, such as:

• Software development company
• Software development partner
• Software development outsourcing
• Software development offshoring
• Software development onshoring
• Software development nearshoring
• Software development company near me
• Search for the specific technology, e.g. = electron development company
• Web app development company
• Mobile app development company
• Hybrid app development company
• Software house
• Etc.

The possibilities are endless. Of course, it’s worth visiting the websites of companies found with Google’s support. Remember to check their portfolio and search for reviews on the web.

#5 See who built your competitor’s app

Usually, a given idea for an application is not one-of-a-kind or unique. In most cases, there are many similar products already on the market. You can use them as a point of reference when looking for a software development partner.

To find a trusted partner in software development, try analyzing your competitors’ applications. See whose applications work as you would expect and find out which company built this product. In many cases, this is the easiest way because usually development companies describe their projects in a portfolio on their websites.

Consider following the companies you’ve found. This method will show you not just a comparable product – you can also get familiar with the company’s know-how. That will give a clearer vision of the partner’s attitude towards designing and developing products. The easiest way will be to set up Google alerts for the chosen companies, keeping tabs on their recent products. It is a good way of keeping up to date with the frequency of their innovative, creative output and learning about the recent trends on the IT industry.

To stay up to date with the trends from trusted sources you can:

• use Alltop – a portal where all the top news from a given industry is aggregated and presented in real time,
• find industry blogs and websites via Google and then add them to your subscription lists. Or you can use a tool that helps with organizing information and staying on track with the news, eg. Feedly. If the partner-to-be has a company blog, you can create a special category on Feedly and add the blog to it.

Choosing a potential software development partner – summary

To be able to pick the right software house, you have to understand two groups of factors: yours and theirs.

YOURS: idea and vision, business needs and the final goal;

THEIRS: offer, and approach as it comes to product’s execution, communication, and cooperation with clients.

You need all the information to determine whether the company is reliable enough to give them your money and valuable time. Remember: the hard prep-work you do in advance can save you from many disappointments.

We hope you will use our insights in your “hunt”! Did you like this post? Share it with your network – maybe someone is looking for a reliable software development partner right now? It’s the first step in networking – start now.