Don’t Sign That Contract Until You Read This: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide for Web & App Development

In this day and age, if you are planning on running a business, then having a website or an app is not just a luxury or novelty because it is a necessity.

It is not even a simple tool for you to run your business because having a website or app is equivalent to your digital storefront, while also functioning as your brand ambassador and sales engine combined into the most efficient package you can think of.

However, just like getting your physical storefront, doing it in a rush without proper research and proper understanding of website and app development services can be the difference between a successful business and an online business that fails to deliver.

That is why, in order for you to get yourself the most perfectly suitable website or app, you need to look for the right website and app development company ready to create your website or app.

Once you find that company, you will need to ask them some pretty important questions.

You need to ask questions regarding business goals and the scope of the project and you need to ask them questions related to team and company vetting, along with questions related to the development process and much more.

If this is your first time getting a website or app, then you might not know which questions to ask.

This is where we come in with our ultimate buyer’s guide for web & app development.

This Ultimate guide will contain every possible question you can think of before getting yourself a website or app.

We understand that this might be quite a lengthy read and that is why we have categorised this ultimate guide into convenient sections, which you can simply click and browse and find the question you are looking for and the answers regarding it.

The answers are not going to be generalised answers, but they will be specifically answered by us (each individual department, based on the question type) on behalf of Think To Share, so that you already have all your answers before you reach out to us.

However, the answers will also serve a dual purpose of helping you find out what kind of answers you should expect from a reputable web and app development company that has been doing this for over a decade with clients on all continents except Antarctica (hopefully soon, once the penguins get the hang of the internet).

So, without any delay, let’s dive right into the questions and answers.

Business Goals and Scoping

· Will you conduct discovery or research to understand my business and goals before starting development?

Yes, we will conduct discovery and research about your business in order to completely understand your business needs and goals before we start the development.

This is something we never skip on because this helps us understand not only your company but also the market and your competitors and this kind of understanding is very important when it comes to web and app development.

We always aim to create something that not only solves all your issues but is also unique to the point that it itself becomes a customer driver.

In order to conduct discovery, we will ask you deep questions and also do a thorough assessment of your analytics (if it’s available) and we might even request you to talk to your consumer base if that’s possible.

· Will you review my existing website or app (if I have one) before planning the new project?

This goes without saying that we do not want you to spend a dime extra if there is no need for it and that is why if you already have an existing website or app, we will assign one of our development teams to review it.

This will give us the opportunity to find out what’s working and what’s outdated and it will also help us to repurpose code and elements.

We do this with the primary purpose of saving you money but of course, if you request a fresh development start, then we can also ditch all previous code and start fresh.

· How will you help define and document the project requirements and scope?

When it comes to defining and documenting project requirements, we will take everything into consideration, from the goal of the project to the budget and, most importantly, your requirements and needs that you have specified.

Upon doing so, we will also put analytics into play and find out if the goals and requirements are attainable and what kind of action plan is required.

This usually happens through team lead meetings but we can, of course, bring you into the conversation because we value transparency a lot.

· How do you decide which features are essential for the first version (MVP) of the product?

When it comes to deciding which features are essential for the MVP, we usually affix it as a point of reference and requirement, which in most cases is the impact the features will have on your target audience in the shortest time possible.

We can then play out each and every feature and compare it with this fixed requirement and if the feature satisfies the projection of being impactful to your target audience, we then add that feature to the list for the MVP.

Additionally, we will also take your goals and budget into consideration.

The MVP development also depends on the kind of project methodology the client wants and although we always recommend Agile to them but we can also accommodate others if the client specifically requests it.

· What information or materials do you need from me before the project begins?

The answer to this is as much as you can supply. We have the habit of getting to know everything about your brand, from your brand guidelines to existing content you might have.

We also like to conduct meetings with your PR team in order to make sure the brand image is always maintained.

Additionally, we also require a strong commitment from you that you will always be present to assist us with your valuable vision and direction regarding project specifics.

Apart from that, there are always the technical data sheets and analytics data and any other kind of data that we might need at different stages of the project. But we always appreciate more materials rather than fewer because it helps us understand your vision better with more accuracy.

· How will you ensure the project stays aligned with my business objectives and target audience needs?

We do this by always having you in the conversation during the development process and by involving you throughout different stages of the development process.

We not only prefer transparency; we aim for it and this means that we are also going to treat you as a crucial member of the development team and ask you for feedback and opinions.

This not only helps you stay assured that the project is developing in the right direction but it also does the bonus job of helping the project stay aligned with business objectives and target audience needs.

· Can you assist in creating a detailed project plan or specification if I don’t have one prepared?

Absolutely, and we actually do this by default.  Of course, we also accommodate a scenario where the client brings in their own detailed project plan or specification charts.

However, we don’t take it for granted that our clients must have a technical background because all you need to do is have a vision for your project and we will turn it into a professional plan with timelines and deliverables.

· If my project idea isn’t fully defined yet, will you work with me to refine the requirements and features?

We would love to and like we said, we are going to treat you like a member of our team and it is better that way because we will be able to refine the requirements and features much better when the person requisitioning the project gets to have most of the say.

This way, the best ideas can come to the limelight.

· Will you provide a detailed proposal or scope document outlining the project (features, timeline, costs) for us to agree on before signing the contract?

We will provide you with a detailed proposal or scope document, which is going to outline every specific detail of the project, from the features to the timeline and all the individual cost breakdowns of the project.

We will specify different timeline breakdowns and present you with ballpark development timelines regarding the development of each individual feature of the project.

In fact, we will also go to the length of asking you to share your inputs regarding the detailed proposal so that we can include it in the scope document.

And we would always recommend that you never sign any contract without reading this and agreeing to what is being said in the proposal document.

With Think To Share, you can forget hidden fees and moving deadlines.

Team and Company Vetting

· How many years of experience does your company have in web/app development, and how many projects have you completed successfully?

We are glad to tell you that we have 10 + years of experience in the industry when it comes to web/app development.

Within this period, we have completed over 300 projects, ranging from such as simple website upgrades to complex AI-based fintech applications that incorporate the latest and greatest protocols imaginable at the time.

We have been doing all that while keeping market trends and industry regulations as a priority.

· What kind of experience do you have in this industry or solving problems similar to mine?

We can tell you with confidence that, no matter the industry, we will be able to help you solve all your problems.

And this is simply because we have one of the most diverse portfolios of experience in the industry, as we have worked with clients across industries and markets.

This ensures our capability to be ready to handle every kind of problem from any industry you can think of.

When we set out to create Think To Share, we always had the goal of being the only solution clients might ever need for any and every tech need and that is one of the reasons why we have managed to accumulate such a diverse set of project experiences.

· Have you developed similar websites or applications before, and can you show examples of those projects?

We would be delighted to show you examples of our past projects, provided the clients of those projects provide us with explicit consent to show off that work.

This is because sometimes the clients might not prefer us utilising their website or app to advertise our capabilities and we completely understand that, but if it is within our power to show off past projects as examples for similar website or application development, then we would love to do it.

We actually have a good number of consented websites that we can actually show off as examples to our new clients with consent from our clients.

· Do you have a portfolio or case studies of previous work that I can review?

 

We do have portfolio documents as well as a dedicated case study page on our website that showcases some of our most celebrated projects.

This is our case study page: https://thinktoshare.com/case-studies

And we welcome you to have a visit and you will actually find it a nice read. There are some quite fascinating case studies on our case study page.

We always love adding projects to this page upon consent from our clients and we would love to add our project to this page upon your permission as well.

· Can you provide references or testimonials from past clients?

We definitely can do that and we would actually love to connect you with our past clients and you can speak to them directly or read their testimonials regarding our projects.

This is actually a very healthy practice and we would encourage you to always opt for references and testimonials from past clients.

· Will the work be done entirely in-house, or do you outsource parts of the project?

Any and every bit of development done at Think To Share is completely in-house and we do not believe in outsourcing.

Outsourcing is bad for quality control and it is also bad in terms of security and these are some things we take very seriously at Think To Share.

Everything from design to development, as well as the content for the app or website pages, is done in-house with the help of our handpicked professionals.

· Who will be the members of the team working on my project, and what are their roles and expertise?

It basically depends on the kind of project because you can have everyone from developers to designers and project managers, and QA testers involved in the project.

A usual website or app development project can involve everyone from the designer and developers and everyone else, to even the content team responsible for adding handwritten high-quality content within the pages.

And as we have mentioned earlier, we value the decisions, which is why you can also request the addition of additional members to the project development team based on your needs and we will do our best to re-allocate members upon request as well.

· Are you familiar with the specific type of website/app I need (for example, e-commerce sites, marketplaces, etc.)?

Specialised experience is quite important and we are glad to say that since we have accumulated a very diverse set of experiences when it comes to website and app development, we can confidently help you out with all your website and have development needs, no matter its type.

We have developed websites and apps for every popular industry out there, from e-commerce to education and healthcare, as well as hospitality and much more.

· Do you offer any additional services beyond development, such as design, SEO, or digital marketing, if needed?

Yes, we offer every additional service beyond development, from design to SEO, as well as digital marketing and content writing.

Apart from that, we also offer additional services in the form of social media management and PR, as well as consulting regarding all your tech needs.

· Is your team located locally or globally distributed, and will any time zone differences affect our communication?

Our team is located locally and every member of our team works under a single roof in a single time zone.

However, we offer services for every time zone in the world because we are able to accommodate development around the clock due to the fact that our team schedules are distributed evenly around the clock.

Providing 24/7 support becomes quite important in an industry such as web development and app development and we understand that and have provisioned company operations in such a way so as to accommodate our clients 24/7.

· Will my project be a priority for your team, or are you handling many projects simultaneously that might impact focus?

We do not take on any surplus projects and if we have taken on your project, you can be assured that it will be a priority for our team.

In addition to that, we will assign you a project liaison manager to handle all your requests and along with that, you will have access to the personal contact details of the team lead who will be heading the project.

This will ensure all your needs are addressed as promptly as possible and ensure there is never a compromise in project delivery quality.

Development Process and Communication

· What is your design and development process, and which project management methodology do you follow (Agile, Waterfall, etc.)?

We primarily utilise the agile methodology of development when it comes to all our projects and we also recommend it to all our clients.

It is one of the most practical development structures out there that allows for iterative development as well as regular feedback and even quick adaptation to changes.

When it comes to our projects, we usually start with the discovery phase, which leads to the prototyping stage of the process and the wireframing.

That is usually followed by the UI/UX design, followed by the actual development and then QA testing and deployment.

· Will I have a dedicated project manager or a single point of contact throughout the project?

Yes, you will definitely be appointed a dedicated project manager who will act as a single point of contact with you throughout the entire project.

Along with that, you will also be put in touch with other important members of the project if you wish for more points of contact.

Basically, our method of working is to involve you within the project just as a team member as you get acquainted with our team.

· How will we communicate during the project, and how often will I receive progress updates or reports?

We believe in the utmost level of transparency when it comes to communication during the project and that is why you will have multiple channels of communication with us.

Of course, there is going to be the official email channel as well as Slack, where you will receive development updates.

Then there are going to be multiple other channel options, which can be anything from simple texts to WhatsApp messages and even FaceTime meetings and whatever else you wish to include for communication.

· What tools or project management software do you use for collaboration, and will I have access to them?

When it comes to project management software for collaboration, we prefer and quite commonly utilise ClickUp and Jira.

Apart from that, we can accommodate any other project management tool you might prefer and of course, you are going to have access to them in the form of full client access.

This will help you stay up to date with the project progress anytime you want.

· Will you provide prototypes, wireframes, or design mockups for my review and approval before development begins?

Yes, we are going to provide prototypes and design mockups as well as wireframes for review and approval before even writing a single line of code.

It is very important to us that your vision is passed down and understood perfectly by our team so that we can all be on the same page before we start the development.

· How do you incorporate client feedback and handle revisions during the development process?

The first stage of the development process is usually the user story, which will be generated specifically for your project. Once you provide your valuable feedback on it, we will then move on to the next stages of development.

If the client recommends any changes after the final submission of the user stories, we can incorporate a new change log based on them.

· How many rounds of revisions (for designs or features) are included in the project scope before additional charges apply?

This basically depends on the kind of changes you are looking at, because if we are not talking about major changes, such as a change in the business logic and instead if we are talking about textual changes or UI changes, then we can very well accommodate them multiple times as reasonably possible.

However, if you are looking for a major kind of change, then it is going to be chargeable. We are pretty transparent about the entire development process, so you do not have to worry about that.

· How involved will I (as the client) need to be in the project on a regular basis? (e.g. time for meetings, feedback cycles)

This totally depends on how involved you want to be with the project, because we are ready to accommodate deep involvement with the clients and the project and we actually recommend it.

This is because the more we have access to your valuable inputs and feedback during the development process, the more we will be able to produce an outcome that will be satisfactory to you.

If you wish to get involved in the process deeply, then we are going to need your input during the kick-off stage as well as during the discovery sessions. We would also love to have your feedback during the design feedback cycles and also the sprint reviews or demos and much more.

· If I request changes or new features in the middle of development, how will those change requests be managed?

The answer to this is dependent on the complexity of the change you are looking at. Of course, we are going to try our level best in order to accommodate everything that you need so that the end outcome is satisfactory to you.

This includes accommodating changes and new feature requests mid-development and there is a Change Request Process we utilise when it comes to processing new requests.

· Will you handle migrating content or data from my old website/application to the new one if needed?

We are among the most trusted names in the industry when it comes to content and data migration and we can quite easily accommodate all your content and data migration needs.

We have extensive experience in secure content and data migration from on-site servers to the cloud and vice versa.

Technology and Architecture

· What technology stack or programming languages do you plan to use for this project, and why are those choices best for my needs?

We are not limited or tied to a single technology stack or programming language, as we have individual development teams when it comes to some of the most prevalent tech stacks in the industry.

It all boils down to your preference because if you request the development in a specific language or stack, then we would do our very best to accommodate it and we would also recommend and suggest even more suitable and better options if that is the case in this situation.

· Do you have experience with the specific technologies or platforms that my project will require (e.g. WordPress, React, etc.)?

We can assure you that if we agree to take in your project, we are only going to do so if we have acquired the best level of expertise required to conclude the project successfully.

We deeply care about our reputation and the kind of experience our client has with our services and in order to obey that commitment, we only accept a project when we are 100% sure we will be able to do justice with the project.

This is only when we have deep expertise with the specific technology and platforms required for the project.

We mostly prefer Laravel and Node and others when it comes to backend and regarding frontend, we prefer and have expertise in React Native, React, and Vue.js. In addition to that, we also have a good level of expertise in Python and AI development.

It ultimately depends on your needs and we would love to accommodate them.

· Do you build custom solutions from scratch, or do you use existing frameworks and templates when developing projects?

We, in fact, do build custom solutions from scratch and we actually prefer our clients choose this option as it allows for a more minute degree of control in quality.

However, we can also utilise existing frameworks and templates when developing projects.

This choice between custom and existing frameworks and templates is ultimately subject to the kind of budget you are allocating for the project, as well as the timeline requirements you set for the project, with a custom solution always being more intensive on the budget and timelines.

· Will the website or app be mobile-friendly and fully responsive on all devices (phones, tablets, desktops)?

Mobile-friendliness is not just a cool gimmick in this day and age but an actual necessity for website or app development and we can assure you with a lot of confidence that your website or app developed by us will be mobile-friendly and very responsive on all sizes and resolutions of devices.

· How will you ensure the website/app is optimized for speed and performance (fast load times and quick responses)?

We can ensure that your website and app are optimised for speed and performance by testing them in various network environments and various other performance-based environments.

In fact, every website and app goes through our predetermined testing checklists that run the website or app through multiple environments in order to test out its capabilities.

· What security measures will you take during development to protect the application and user data from threats?

We take security measures very seriously, and in order to determine the prevention of vulnerabilities and security risks, we implement some of the best industry practices that are internationally accepted and recommended for website and app security.

This means an SSL certificate for secure communication and HTTPS. Along with that, we are also going to implement role-based access controls, which goes a long way for security and many other best practices.

However, if the project is very highly sensitive in nature, in that case we are going to rely on AWS GovCloud, as it is the industry-best solution when it comes to managing sensitive data and providing a secure environment for handling data of high sensitivity.

· How will you ensure the system can scale to handle growth if my user base or data volume increases significantly?

We have extensive experience in concluding projects that deal with millions of points of traffic and this puts us in a unique position of being able to handle all your future needs and accommodate scaling at any level.

We do that with the help of modular architecture that allows for easy expansion as well as well as scalable hosting solutions and database optimisation, along with a whole host of other methods to always ensure your future needs are handled properly.

We understand the importance of space for growth for a business and that is why we are very careful of scale-accommodating development.

· Do you set up regular data backups and a recovery plan for the website/app in case something goes wrong?

We implement several cloud backup service providers when it comes to setting up automated regular data backups and we make sure to always keep redundancy in mind when it comes to backups.

We can also accommodate several types of custom data backup services for you upon request as well although it is not really something we would recommend.

· Which content management system (CMS) or platform will you use, and will I be able to easily manage or edit the content myself?

When it comes to Content Management Systems (CMS) or platforms, we can create completely custom CMS solutions for you or even help you utilise existing CMS platforms like WordPress or Shopify or headless CMS solutions.

We will make sure that you are able to easily manage and update your content without any issues, no matter the kind of solution you opt for, whether it is a custom solution or a platform.

· Can the new website/app integrate with my existing software or third-party services (for example, my CRM, payment gateways, or other APIs)?

Yes, we can integrate your new app or website with your existing software or third-party service integrations.

We can help integrate your new website or app with your existing CRM systems, as well as third-party payment gateways and even other third-party tools such as marketing tools and APIs.

We can guarantee business operations continuity as we integrate your new systems with existing ones while maintaining steady business up times.

· Do you follow SEO best practices during development to ensure the site/app is search-engine friendly from the start?

We meticulously follow SEO best practices when it comes to development so that we can ensure your website or app is friendly for all the most popular search engines in the industry.

We ensure SEO best practices with the help of clean semantic code as well as fast loading times and mobile optimisation, along with other best practices such as proper heading structures and meta tags and much more.

· If my project involves a mobile app, do you develop for both iOS and Android? If so, do you build native apps or use cross-platform frameworks?

Yes, we develop mobile apps for both iOS and Android platforms and we make sure the responsive design element of the app is maintained for all kinds of devices in both platforms.

We take special care to optimise the app for nearly all popular sizes of Android devices as well as Apple devices and we do cross-platform mobile app development.

· Will you test the website/app on all major browsers and devices to ensure full compatibility and a smooth user experience for everyone?

We take testing very seriously at Think To Share and that is why we maintain individual checklists for all major browsers and most popular devices and we keep adding names to the list.

We are going to test your app or your website on these major browsers and devices in order to ensure that the user experience stays the best, no matter the size or resolution of the device and no matter the browser.

Budget and Pricing Models

· Do you offer fixed-price contracts, time-and-materials (hourly) billing, or other pricing models for projects?

We do not offer fixed price contracts because every development project at Think To Share is a custom endeavour for our clients in order to handle very specific custom needs.

That is why our contracts are also custom and the pricing models are also custom and completely depend on all your needs.

What we can ensure is that our pricing model is completely transparent so that whenever we present you with our pricing, it will have a comprehensive breakdown of all billing elements.

· How do you calculate or price your services for a project of my size and requirements?

The very first thing we do is break down the project into its size and requirements and then break them down into milestones. We basically follow the milestone approach of a project breakdown in order to determine and price our services.

This is not only convenient for the clients to understand but it is also a very practical approach because we base our prices on tangible results and milestones are a great way to determine that.

· What is included in the quoted project cost, and are things like testing, deployment, or support also covered in that price?

When we provide you with a quotation for the project, it is very comprehensive, with detailed project documentation as well as a comprehensive user epic. The project cost that we quote includes everything from designing to development, as well as testing and the deployment of your website or application.

The thing is, we do not like to nickel-and-dime our clients for standard activities and we can assure you the pricing quotation considers every standard requirement that is needed for the successful launch of your app or website, including all development work.

In addition to this, we also cover a post-launch FREE support for 3 months at no extra charge within all our packages, so as to fix any bugs or any issues that might still arise after project launch.

· What are your payment terms and schedule? (e.g. deposit upfront, milestone payments, and final payment)

We opt for a milestone-based payment system for all our projects and a milestone-based payment schedule with an initial deposit during project signing to start things off.

This means that you can expect the next payment to be scheduled when the design phase is completed and another when about half of the deployment or features are done and then a final concluding payment once the project has been concluded and you are satisfied with the results.

This system has been put in place so that we can deliver and you can accept each milestone and only make a payment after that. This is to make sure that you are always satisfied with the results before we can move on to the next stage of development.

· How much of a deposit or upfront payment is required to begin the project?

There is no up-front deposit or advance payment per se in the traditional sense when it comes to our projects because the only metric we utilise to measure projects is milestone-based.

And in accordance with that, we usually request the first milestone payment as an advance before we begin the project and then the project continues with delivery followed by payment, so that you are satisfied with the work before the payment.

This payment basically helps us confirm the engagement and it allows us to allocate our resources for the necessary project so that we can achieve the defined milestones in time.

· Are there any hidden fees or costs that might come up, or is everything clearly outlined in the proposal?

We have made sure that there are ZERO hidden fees or costs as we take special care to include every cost in the contract and proposal.

We value transparency and in accordance with that, we make sure the contract and the project price cover all the work we do and all the features and we make sure everything is listed to the point that if we ever ask for a dime, it will be there in the contract.

In addition to that, we are also going to mention everything that will not be listed in the contract, including things like domain registration fees and hosting charges and stock image licences and other third-party integration fees etc.

· Are there ongoing costs after launch that I should budget for – such as hosting, maintenance, or license fees?

Yes, due to the nature of keeping websites and applications running, there are some miscellaneous ongoing costs that you need to budget for.

These include everything from domain name registration and hosting costs for the website and this is usually paid monthly or even yearly when it comes to hosting.

In addition to that, if the project is utilising any kind of third-party services or APIs (payment gateways, maps etc), then the fees associated with them as well will be a part of the ongoing costs associated.

Apart from that, if you are considering maintenance, then we do offer very reasonable maintenance plans as well that are charged hourly and take care of performance monitoring and backups as well as security updates and minor bug fixes.

· Is the initial consultation or project estimation process free, or do you charge for a discovery/analysis phase before the contract?

We are glad to tell you that the initial consultation or project estimation process is completely free, as we are happy to meet with you and discuss your ideas and requirements and also put together a proposal for you at no charge.

This means that we are going to create a detailed project plan for you, which will include an in-depth scope document in the form of an Annexure and a detailed plan for your project with a user epic and many more supporting documents detailing the project completely for FREE.

Contracts, Ownership, and Legal Terms

· Will I own the source code and all intellectual property for the website/app once the project is completed?

Yes, you are going to have sole ownership of all the source code and all intellectual property (IP) for the website and app once the project is completed because ultimately, it’s your property.

We will explicitly mention this in the contract and we always make sure to mention this in all our contracts that all designs and code, as well as materials that we develop for you for said particular project, become your intellectual property upon full payment.

The only thing we might request is the right to retain the ability to showcase our work on our portfolio or case study pages and that will still be the case upon your consent.

· Will I have control over the website’s domain name and hosting accounts during the project and after launch?

You are going to have complete control over your domain name and hosting accounts, not just after lunch but during the development as well.

In order to maintain this, we even keep domain registration and hosting expenses outside the project fee, and you can make the payments for these important elements yourself. This is so that there is no dispute over ownership.

Of course, during the development, we are going to set them up for you and we are also going to assist you in the configuration of the hosting environment but as far as ownership goes, only you hold the exclusive membership rights.

Likewise, nothing is going to change after the launch as well and you will still have complete ownership of the domain name and hosting accounts.

· Are you willing to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect my idea and any sensitive business information?

We are definitely willing to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) that ensures the protection of your IP and in fact, we always make it a point to ask you to sign an NDA with us.

This is simply because we take your sensitive business details very seriously and will do everything in our power to protect them and an NDA binds us by law to protect your information.

However, even if you are not willing to sign an NDA, we are still going to treat your information with the utmost respect and integrity.

· What are your terms for handling change requests or additional work beyond the initial project scope?

We have a predetermined change control process in place for the times when you might have newer ideas on the modification of the project upon completion. The entire process consists of very transparent discussions and upon your agreement, we then move forward with the changes.

If the change requests go beyond the initial agreed scope of the project, then the additional newer development work is chargeable under a very reasonable hourly development rate, which, of course, we are only going to go forward with upon your approval.

We can safely assure you that no unexpected development will take place and none will be billed without your explicit approval.

· What acceptance criteria do you use for deliverables, and how long will I have to review and approve the work once it’s delivered?

When it comes to our deliverables, it is basically defined by project requirements and it is based on each milestone and what is mentioned about it in the scope of the project document. For instance, if a feature is described in the backlog and it is fulfilling what it is supposed to do, then it is going to be regarded as a finished milestone.

Of course, even after that, if you do not think we have accomplished the milestone, we are going to take your opinions and feedback quite seriously regarding the deliverable and we will definitely only consider a milestone as finished after your approval.

However, in regard to approvals, we are also going to require your cooperation in that we would encourage you to provide your feedback regarding milestones in a timely manner, let’s say somewhere around 5 business days. This not only helps us stay on schedule but it also lets our developers focus on the next milestones without any worry about the previous ones. We are going to fix the issue and make things to your liking at no extra charge.

When the final milestone is delivered to you, we are going to wait for your user acceptance testing (UAT) where you will have the time to run it through and confirm everything. We will provide you with ample opportunity to see that the milestones are up to your expectations before you approve each deliverable, with a reasonable time to review all of them.

· Which country’s laws will govern the contract, especially if we are in different locations, and how will any disputes be resolved?

Our contracts will be governed by and bound by central laws pertaining to the Republic of India, along with some laws falling under the jurisdiction of the State of West Bengal, India. These laws will control the interpretation and enforcement of the contract.

However, we are also going to consider the laws of your geographical location as best practices any time we develop something for you and we are going to adhere to the laws of your country as well in terms of regulations. For instance, if you belong to the EU, then we are going to adhere to EU regulations.

When it comes to laws that will govern and protect the contract, it will be the laws of India and West Bengal because it is the geographical location of our operations and in case of disputes or disagreements, they will be handled through the courts in West Bengal.

This is just the legal framework of our contract and of course, we would hope and always aim to make sure we never have to get into a legal dispute and we would go out of our way to make sure the client always gets the last say and is always satisfied with our services.

· If either party needs to terminate the contract early, what is the process and are there any cancellation fees or refund policies?

If you need to terminate your contract and the project before its final conclusion, then you reserve every right to do so. We completely understand that sometimes plans might change and that is why we have kept the provision for project termination quite transparent.

All you have to do is to simply notify us that you want to terminate the contract and we will stop work; it is that simple.

We do not have the mention of any formal cancellation penalties or fees for ending the contract early and nor would we ever charge a penny from you for cancelling the contract earlier.

The only thing we would request you to respect in terms of the financial aspect of the contract is your obligation of payment for the work that has already been completed. If you have ended the contract earlier, then we are not going to charge you for milestones we have not completed and in addition to that, we are also going to hand over all IP and documentation to you.

If we ever have to terminate the contract from our side (which is something that is extremely rare and something that has never happened in our 10+ years of being in the industry), we are not going to charge you for work that has not been delivered by us and we are definitely going to refund you any payments for work that has not been performed but paid for.

We have intentionally kept the early project termination process very simple and straightforward as well as transparent.

· Will you want to showcase my project in your portfolio or case studies, and if so, can we establish terms for how my project can be used publicly?

We are incredibly proud of the work we do for our esteemed clients and we love to showcase our projects on our portfolio or on our case study page after it has been completed.

We mention this aspect of showcasing your project in our contracts quite explicitly and this is usually the case with almost all our clients, after verbal agreement, of course, before a written contract has been drawn up.

However, we completely understand the fact that you might not want your project to be publicly showcased as marketing material for our work, and in that case, we are definitely going to honour your request to not have it publicly featured anywhere.

We also understand that some projects of a sensitive nature are simply not meant for showcasing as marketing material and in that case, we are going to mention that we will not showcase your project publicly when we draw up the contract. This is so that you can have a contractual guarantee from us that we are not going to showcase your project.

We are only going to showcase your project if you have agreed to it and if it has been explicitly mentioned in the contract, which has been signed and approved by you.

Under no circumstances are we going to utilise your project for showcasing purposes without your consent or permission.

Delivery Timelines and Milestones

· What is the estimated timeline to design and develop my project from start to finish?

This completely depends on the project because when we produce a timeline for you, we take everything into consideration from the design stage to the development and testing stage as well as the deployment stage of the project.

In addition to that, we also include the time it will take for your feedback and revisions and then we come up with a timeline for the project, which is actually quite realistic in nature and we have been very consistent when it comes to achieving timelines as well.

· Can you break the project into phases or milestones, and provide an expected timeline for each stage?

Yes, we basically split the projects into clear milestones and deliverables based on the kind of project we are dealing with. For instance, every project is broken into the contract sign-off phase, followed by the design phase and the development and remaining features and UAT.

We are quite punctual with our timelines and we also take into consideration the time it will take you to review the development and approve it or provide your feedback regarding changes.

We would love to get in touch with you to understand the specifics of your project in order to provide you with a ballpark timeline regarding its completion time.

· How do you ensure the project stays on schedule and meets the agreed deadlines?

We can definitely ensure the project stays on schedule and meets the agreed deadlines by being transparent with our clients and we do this with the help of weekly updates.

We do this in the form of a detailed project plan upfront, along with the utilisation of GitHub for version control. This enables us to provide you with regular weekly progress updates and since we follow a milestone model of development, it helps us stay accountable and avoid delays as they can be flagged early on in the development process.

Along with that, we also encourage timely feedback from you to help us stay on track and risk exceeding deadlines.

· How realistic is your proposed timeline, and what factors could potentially cause delays or affect the schedule?

Our timelines are very realistic in nature and this is a result of our vast industry experience of having worked on over 300 diverse projects across industries and markets. This provides us with the unique vantage point to create highly realistic and achievable timelines.

However, the only factor that could potentially cause delays might be late feedback and we completely understand that sometimes our clients might be busy but we always make sure to encourage them to provide timely feedback so that we can stay on track and provide you with deployments before deadlines are up.

Along with that, in very rare instances, there might be major changes proposed by the client mid-project that can extend the timelines of the deliverables.

· How often will I see progress (for example, demos or interim builds) and have the opportunity to review work during development?

We will provide you with regular weekly updates along with milestone demos on our staging environment so that you can have ample opportunity to review the development and provide your important feedback on it.

For instance, we usually present Figma mockups in order to showcase designs before the commencement of the coding stage of the project and for development, we also share partial builds so that you can test functionality as it is completed.

We have intentionally kept our development phases interlinked with feedback loops so that you are always updated regarding the phase of development and it is in line with our philosophy of absolute transparency.

· I have a specific launch date or event that I need this project ready for – can you accommodate that deadline without compromising quality?

Yes, we can very well accomplish timelines and meet deadlines without compromising quality and this is partly due to the fact of our extensive experience in the industry and partly due to the level of professionalism and skillsets we have managed to accumulate within our team.

Our team is very adequately equipped to accommodate very tight deadlines without compromising quality and if we have agreed to a deadline for you during the signing of the contract, then you can be assured that the deadline will be met with precision and definitely quality.

· Does the timeline you provide include buffers for my feedback, revisions, and any unforeseen setbacks?

Yes, when we create estimates for timelines and deadlines, we factor in time for review and revision cycles and along with that, we also take into consideration a small contingency for when unexpected issues might arise. We have managed to predict timelines quite accurately, even after including buffers for client feedback and revisions and unless there are major changes mid-project, we can achieve deadlines quite accurately.

Post-Launch Support and Maintenance

· Do you offer ongoing support or maintenance services after the website/app is launched?

Yes, we do offer ongoing support and maintenance services after the website or app is launched in the form of 3 months of free support post launch and this is usually done so as to fix any minor bugs that might arise after the development.

Apart from that, we also offer very reasonable maintenance packages that are billed hourly and that is usually enough to help keep the website or app updated without any issues.

· What does your post-launch support include, and for how long do you provide maintenance or warranty support after go-live?

The post-launch maintenance support we provide is in the form of free 3 months of maintenance and is primarily for bug fixes as well as minor corrections, so as to ensure that everything you need from the website or app is working according to your vision.

This amount of time is usually enough to fine-tune the application or website according to your vision but this free maintenance support is only for bug fixes and if you want to include new features or major changes into the build, then that will be billed separately.

· Will you provide training or documentation to help us manage and update the website/app on our own after launch?

Yes, we are going to provide you with admin training sessions as well as hand over all documentation to you so that you can manage the website or application on your own after launch.

Along with that, since you have established a relationship with us, we will always be a phone call away from you regarding all your queries and we will make sure to provide quite adequate training sessions so that your team can manage the content and settings confidently.

· If bugs or issues are discovered after launch, how will those be handled? Is there a warranty period for free bug fixes?

Yes, the warranty period we offer is a complementary 3-month warranty for free for all our clients and this is usually very adequate when it comes to solving all kinds of issues and all kinds of bug discovery and fixing.

After this period is over, you can definitely opt for our maintenance packages that are very reasonably priced and adequate when it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of the website or application.

· Will you assist with deploying the website/app and setting up the hosting/server environment for launch?

Yes, absolutely, because deployment is a part of the services we offer, as we will help configure your hosting or server for you and ensure everything is in order before the website or application launch.

This is something that comes standard with all our contracts unless you opt out of it.

· Do you provide web hosting services or guidance in choosing a hosting provider, or will I need to set up hosting myself?

Yes, we are very glad to tell you that we can provide you with web hosting services that you can opt for or we can even assist you in choosing a hosting provider of your own and we can definitely set it up for you.

We are comprehensive in our services and this means that you do not need to do anything by yourself when we are around to help you out with all your development needs.

· Do you offer maintenance plans or retainer options for regular updates and improvements after the project is live?

Yes, we do offer very reasonable and adequate maintenance plans and retainer options for website as well as app development projects and this is usually billed hourly.

When you opt for our maintenance plans, it covers everything from updates to performance checks as well as backups and security and it is quite adequate for the maintenance and upkeep of a website or application.

Along with that, we can also create custom-tailored maintenance plans for you that are going to be even more comprehensive and can even include feature development options as well and we offer this simply because we believe in options and versatility and you get to pick and choose whatever you need with us.

· If my project is a mobile app, will you handle submitting it to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store when it’s ready to launch?

Yes, when you have Think To Share as your app development partner, you can be assured that we will handle everything for you and that definitely includes handling app submissions to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

We will help you throughout the process, from guiding you through the developer account setup to ensuring that the application stays compliant with store guidelines, so that the submission is not rejected and that you have a very smooth experience with app submission.

· If I want to add new features or make improvements after the initial launch, can your team assist with those future updates?

Yes, we can definitely do that for you because once the initial project has been concluded, you will get an additional three months of complementary maintenance that will help us sort out any bug fixes or other minor issues.

After this, you can opt for a maintenance package that will help with updates and security, as well as backup and that is usually adequate.

However, after that, if you wish to extend the project under a new scope after the initial launch, then we can definitely assist you with future updates, or we can even provide you with the option of creating an entirely new project with the new scope so that we can help you evolve the platform according to your new vision.

So yes, after the initial development is over, you can either opt for a new scope in order to further scale the application or website, or you can choose a maintenance package that will take care of all update needs.

Portfolio, Reviews, and Reputation

· Where can I see examples of your previous work? (Do you have an online portfolio or links to live projects you’ve developed?)

Yes, we definitely showcase our work and you can find it on our case study page on our website, where we primarily showcase all our most recent projects and also some of the projects that are unique in nature.

It is a good directory to look at when it comes to information regarding all our interesting projects, as you not only get to see the projects but you also get to look at the planning that went behind the projects and the details regarding the projects.

· Do you have any case studies or success stories of past projects, especially ones similar to mine?

Yes, we indeed have a dedicated case study page where we like to showcase our past projects and especially unique projects from diverse industries. That is why you can definitely expect a project similar to yours on that page, showcasing our journey from planning to development and results in a very elaborate presentation.

· What do previous clients say about working with you? Can I read client reviews or testimonials about your services?

Well, our previous clients praise our transparency and they especially have loved the milestone-based process that has enabled them ample time for review and feedback. In addition to that, our clients also praise our responsiveness and our ability to accommodate change.

We are humbled by the highly encouraging response our previous clients have left for us on some of the best platforms out there, from Clutch to DESIGNRUSH, as well as GoodFirms and we encourage you to have a look at those reviews, which represent our quality of work quite well.

· Have you worked with businesses similar to mine, and what were the outcomes of those projects?

Since we have been able to successfully complete and deliver over 300 projects for clients ranging from almost all industries and markets, from legacy brands to startups and individual entrepreneurs, we can assure you that we have definitely worked with businesses similar to yours, no matter what it might be.

The outcomes of these projects have always been positive, with clients experiencing a data-based improvement in productivity and efficiency.

· Have any of your projects or clients achieved notable success (e.g. significant growth or awards) after launch?

Yes, many of our clients have achieved notable success after launch and in some instances, we have managed to establish a very robust online presence for their businesses, converting their traditional business into some of the most proactive online storefronts.

We have managed to deliver success in the form of improved online bookings and lead generation, as well as better customer retention machines for our clients and our developments resulted in them dramatically improving their digital strategy and experience in better numbers in terms of engagement and performance.

· Have you worked with any well-known clients or brands, and can you show me those projects?

Yes, we have worked with emerging as well as well-known clients who happen to be leaders in their respective fields.

We would love for you to check out these projects presented in comprehensive detail on our case study page.

· Are there independent reviews or ratings for your company on third-party sites (such as Clutch or Google) that I can check?

Yes, you can definitely find us on Google as well as LinkedIn and apart from that, we also have a good presence on Clutch and DESIGNRUSH and GoodFirms.

We welcome you to visit all these pages and check out independent, unbiased reviews from our esteemed clients regarding their experience with us.

· How do you measure the success or ROI of the projects you deliver for clients?

Yes, we do measure the success or the ROI of the projects and it varies from the type of project, like for instance if we have delivered a web design and development solution for our clients then we are going to look at the stability of the website as well as the speed and other website related metrics in order to judge the success of the website. Along with that, we are also going to look at other factors, such as better sales and engagement and how the website is able to assist the client.

Similarly, when it comes to apps, we also look at other technical metrics ranging from performance to engagement, etc, to determine the success rate of our solution, and we are glad to tell you that we have always managed to find a tangible difference when it comes to an improvement in engagement and performance and an overall net positive in business from our solutions.

Red Flags and Risk Management

· What are the warning signs or red flags I should watch out for when selecting a web or app development agency?

There are a lot of warning signs to look out for and one of them is that you should be cautious of agencies that do not want to get into a written contract with you and you must also avoid agencies that do not like sharing portfolios or customer reviews with you.

In addition to that, you must also stay cautious of agencies and companies that demand full upfront payments, which is a red flag as well. Along with that, you must also trust your instincts as someone involved in business and you will make the right choice.

· How can I verify that a development agency is legitimate, trustworthy, and has a solid track record?

The very first thing you need to do this to simply speak with them, because if there is something wrong with the agency, then this will be the very first indication of it.

After that, you must also check out their portfolio and having a case study page with projects explained in detail is always a good indication that this is a legitimate company with a legitimate track record.

Along with that, if the company follows a milestone-based payment schedule, then it is always a good sign because you are not paying everything up front and you are only paying for something that you have received.

· What common mistakes do small business owners make when hiring a development company, and how can I avoid them?

Small businesses make the mistake of rushing into the deal if they find good service rates. The thing is, if the service charges sound too good to be true, then there is something wrong with them.

Small businesses also make the mistake of simply hiring without a lot of background checks or going through testimonials and reviews on different third-party rating websites, as well as reading the contract page carefully.

Yes, as a small business, you might come across companies that are offering excellent deals on services but there is always a catch written in * in the contract page, such as no full ownership of code or IP rights etc.

We would recommend you to simply be careful and take your time before jumping into a contract with someone.

· Is it a red flag if a developer or agency asks for most or all of the payment upfront (instead of a deposit/milestones)?

It is definitely a red flag and it is one of the simplest red flags you can spot without a lot of investigation work.

Most reputable companies are never going to ask for the complete payment up front; perhaps they might ask for an advance payment on the first milestone, which is very common.

This is because reputed companies operate on trust and mutual respect and asking a front payment is like saying that they do not trust the client.

For instance, we at Think To Share operate on a milestone-based model where you only pay after a milestone is completed and you’re satisfied with the deliverables.

· Should I purchase and own my project’s domain name and hosting myself instead of letting the agency handle it?

Well, it completely depends on your preference and in most cases, we would suggest that you purchase and own your project’s domain name and hosting yourself in order to retain control in case you want to switch vendors in the future.

However, if your digital partner is a reputable agency and you have everything written in a contract regarding the ownership of the domain name and everything else, then you do not need to really worry about it and you can trust the agency to handle domain purchasing and maintenance for you.

With us, you have the choice of either handling domain-related tasks yourself or even asking us to sort out your domain and hosting-related tasks as well.

· Are extremely low-price quotes (e.g. a $500 website or app) a warning sign of poor quality or a potential scam?

Yes, very low prices are usually a warning sign simply because you need to understand that a reputable agency needs to pay salaries and they need to quote a price that lets them stay afloat in the industry while also satisfying the client.

The thing is, there are expenditures and expenses related to every project and there is a bare minimum that every agency and development team needs in order to function well and provide you with a service.

That is why if an agency quotes you an unbelievably low price, a price so low that it will simply not make any business sense to operate with and provide a service at that cost, then you need to double-check the company before providing them a contract or even sending them anything.

· Is it cause for concern if a developer is reluctant to sign an NDA or provide a detailed written contract?

It is something of great concern and a major red flag if a developer or a development agency is reluctant to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). You must understand that an NDA is your ultimate guarantor and shield against being exploited by a fraudulent company.

An NDA ensures that your IP is not mishandled and that you get your money’s worth when you are working with a development agency or company and a legitimate professional developer or development agency will always be very willing to sign detailed legally binding contracts.

Freelancer vs Agency Comparison

· Should I hire an independent freelance developer or a development agency for my project?

While it is a good thing to provide an opportunity to a freelance developer but if you want professional results and a structured process and everything in order, from the legal contract to a milestone-based model, along with redundancy in skillsets and professionals, then a professional development agency would be the best choice for your project.

This is also the better option when it comes to reliability, as an agency can assure you long-term support even after the project is over, with the help of convenient maintenance packages and much more.

· What are the pros and cons of working with a freelance developer versus an agency team?

Working with a freelancer might be cheaper in the short term but you are not going to get a lot of depth as structure, or professionalism with a freelancer. However, when you are working with a professional development agency, you are not only getting a professional team but along with that, you are also getting access to the support structure in the form of quality assurance testers and designers and etc as well as project managers handling everything.

When it comes to a smaller hobby project or a project that’s not critical or of a serious business nature, it might be alright to go with a freelancer and you might even have a good experience if you are lucky, but when it’s a business project with real business on the line, it is always a good idea to go with professionals.

· Is it more cost-effective to go with a freelancer, or will an agency provide better value for the price?

A freelancer might offer a much more lucrative value proposition with very affordable quotations but when it comes to accountability and warranty support, as well as legally binding contracts and a complete team that is ready 24/7 to handle your project, you might be missing out on a lot with marginally affordable prices with a freelancer.

That being said, oftentimes reputable agencies will even provide you with great value options that might be much less intensive on the budgets compared to even a freelancer.

· Who is more likely to deliver the project on time – a single freelancer or an agency with a full team?

A single freelancer does not have the same level of reputation or industry credit to maintain and on the other hand, a professional agency has to be professional by default. That is the reason why a professional agency is very much more likely to deliver the project on time because their reputation is at stake.

Practically speaking, a professional agency is more likely to deliver results simply because they have the team to support timely delivery and deployments, which might not be the case with a single freelancer.

· Which option tends to be more reliable in terms of accountability and support, a freelancer or an established agency?

An established professional agency is the obvious better choice when it comes to quality and accountability.

Agencies have much more at stake and they have to think about long-term relationships and reputation in the industry and that is why agencies will be quite willing to offer contracts and milestone tracking as well as ongoing support in order to stay in the good books of the client and maintain industry reputation.

You might not even have the option of a contract signing with a freelancer most of the time and it all depends on your luck with the kind of freelancer you are getting and this might sometimes be a risky proposition.

· Can a single freelancer handle all aspects of my project (design, development, QA, etc.), or would an agency be more suitable for a comprehensive solution?

You must understand that a freelancer is a single person and this means that they might be an expert at everything, but they will only be able to do one thing at a time and it is usually quite difficult to find someone best at every aspect of providing a service, from design to development and QA, etc.

On the other hand, when you are dealing with an agency, you are not dealing with a single skilled professional but a team of skilled professionals, with each one of them being an expert at what they do.  You are also getting synergy between them so that they can work together towards a comprehensive solution.

While that’s not saying that a freelancer might not be able to do the job for but the likelihood of a professional job execution becomes quite high when it comes to a professional agency.

· For a larger or more complex project, is it safer to choose an agency over a freelancer to ensure sufficient resources?

If it is a larger, complicated project, then agencies are hands down the better option all the time because a freelancer will be no match against a well-calibrated team of professionals working together to create comprehensive solutions.

When it comes to resource allocation and calculation, a freelancer will simply not have access to the same level of resources as a professional agency comprising at least a dozen industry-seasoned professionals.

· If I need ongoing enhancements or scaling in the future, am I better off with an agency or sticking with a freelancer long-term?

If you are looking for ongoing enhancements, then you are always better off with an agency because there is no telling if a freelancer is going to provide services in the future or if they even will have the time to provide you with scaling services in the future.

But you do not need to worry about that with a professional agency because an agency will always have professionals allocated to ongoing enhancement and maintenance, and support roles so that they are able to provide services after the initial project is over.

· How will communication and project management differ when working with a solo freelancer compared to an agency team?

When it comes to freelancers, you are only going to communicate with a single person, and that person might be involved in multiple projects, which will hinder their ability to respond to you as promptly as possible.

However, with a professional app or website development agency, you will be assigned someone specifically as a liaison between you and the team working on your project and along with that, you are also going to be allocated the contact information of other important members involved in your project.

At Think To Share, we believe in communication and transparency and that is why you are not only going to be allocated dedicated project managers to communicate at all hours but you are also going to be provided with the contact details of other important members on the team so that you can also contact them regarding important project specifics.

· Who typically owns the source code and IP in a project – would I as the client own it when working with a freelancer, and is it any different with an agency?

When it comes to a typical project at Think To Share, you are going to be the only owner of the source code and IP in a project as the client.

Yes, we might have temporary ownership of the source code or IP during the development phase of the project, but when the project is over and paid for, everything regarding the project, from the source code to the intellectual property (IP), will be handed over to you.

We make it a point to hand over everything related to the project to our clients simply because we do not wish them to have any difficulties if they want to change vendors in the future.

So, this was the ultimate buyer’s guide for web and app development from the Think To Share perspective and we hope this answers all your questions regarding everything from questions related to contracts and questions related to development and much more if you are looking to hire our services.

If you are someone looking for one of the most reputed names in the web design and development industry globally, with over 300 successfully concluded projects under the belt and with an industry experience of over a decade of handling some of the most unique and complex design and development challenges for clients of all industries, then we are the right answer for you.

We are Think To Share IT Solutions and we present you one of the most comprehensive web design and development as well as app development solutions in the industry.

We welcome you to visit our website and check out everything else we do.