What Are the Top Mobile App Development Companies in Los Angeles?

If you’re looking for the top mobile app development companies in Los Angeles, you want the very best.

With that said, when you’re expecting the best, there are a few qualities that you should expect in their work.

Unfortunately, when you’re unfamiliar with an industry—only knowing the services you want—it’s easy to pick one of the first options that come up (quicker too!)

However, as we’ve said before, mobile app development can be an expensive and lengthy process spanning months—if not, years. So, before settling on a prospective company, you’ll want to put them through the proper paces in the vetting process.

Although we recommend taking your time when finding the right company, we understand when you’ve got a deadline to meet, you won’t always have the time to do your research.

Thankfully, we’re here to help.

Here are what we believe to be the top mobile app development companies in Los Angeles based on reasonable expectations…

The Top Software Development Companies in Los Angeles

Based on your project, there are a few considerations to think about when picking the right team. Some companies offer visually-appealing web design but no custom software. Other companies might offer packaged services across different platforms but the cost is too high.

Whether you’re a small or medium-sized business, having a plan for the future is essential. For example, building a website that’s primed to scale to a mobile app when your business is ready.

Also, let’s say your company uses proprietary software, you’ll want to ensure your website or mobile app can communicate with it.

A Quick Word on Clutch.co

When vetting the top mobile app development companies in Los Angeles, it’s important to remember that their metrics for the top companies is equal parts customer reviews as it is a company’s desire to be verified—which may mean paying a fee.

However, Clutch.co is a great resource for vetting companies and their competitors so we recommend it as a resource during your research phase.

Clearly Define Your Budget

The development cost of a mobile app or custom software will cost at least a few thousand dollars. However, the top mobile app development companies in Los Angeles are unlikely to even touch your project unless it’s at least $10,000 to start.

The reason being is that mobile app development can be a deeply involved process requiring time, collaboration, expertise, and back-and-forth feedback.

This investment takes time to ensure you’re getting the best possible product.

For example, a well-known LA software studio is Vrbb. They specialize in highly-interactive content. Though striking and engaging, highly-interactive projects are labor-intensive and can be very costly due to the required processing speeds (modern computers and smartphones).

A high-end website or app may not fit your budget, so it’s important to know what you want before you begin your search. This will save you time and headaches trying to get on a developer’s schedule that may not want you as a client (or vice versa).

Another LA-based software company, Weberous, provides web design and marketing services that look fantastic. However, added web elements can cause your page to load slower hurting your overall SEO.

But Will It Scale?

Depending on your company or organization, you may be interested in scaling later on. However, this is tantamount to saying that you’re not interested in growing when you think about it.

As a result, if you’re looking to grow, you should also be looking to scale your digital presence over time.

With that said, not all software companies are created equal in their offerings. While some offer comprehensives solutions, others are more generalist in their services. For example, companies like Clap Creative focus on web design and app development.

Admittedly this is great for businesses with a marketing budget. However, the potential for custom app development is left out.

For example, let’s say you’re a nonprofit organization that’s looking to launch your online presence with a website and accompanying mobile app. Great. However, there’s a missed opportunity here.

If your mobile app is just an extension of your website and isn’t built with a particular purpose in mind—for example, gathering user data and key behavior metrics—you could be missing out.

This kind of information can have a serious effect on your strategy and growth, so it’s always important to keep scalability in mind as the flexibility, later on, may be paramount to your growth.

Pay to Play?

Here’s one factor that can have a serious impact on perceived quality in your search for the top mobile app development company in Los Angeles:

Visibility.

With a wide swath of software developers in the Los Angeles area, gaining visibility online can be a challenge. And in an overcrowded marketplace, sometimes the one’s who pay for priority visibility are seen as the leaders in the market.

However, a company with money pouring into online advertising doesn’t always mean it’s a good company.

At times two things can be true at once: a top company can also be one that promotes itself online (heck, we do as well). However, it’s important to recognize that there are many quality software development companies in Los Angeles that are too small or too disinterested to advertise online.

The result?

Poor visibility in search.

Although the prospect of finding hard-to-find companies in your search can be a problem when you’re doing your research keep an eye out for the more obscure agencies.

Even if it means scratching them off the list anyway, it may be worth a quick review of their website to be sure.

Find an Easy Button

We’ve written about this before and can’t stress it enough:

Web and mobile app development is an involved process. 

As a result, you want to look for a company that isn’t simply good at what they do, but you actually like working with them, too. A part of that experience is that they make your product and their process easy.

When you’re looking for a mobile app development company, it’s tempting to seek out the companies pushing sexy, sleek, and highly creative designs. However, you should ask yourself one question first:

“Sure I like it, but will my web visitors?”

That’s an important distinction because if your prospective visitors desire simple forms, an easy-to-follow user interface, and a clear design, finding a developer that pushes bells and whistles may not be right for your brand.

For example, the LA-based company, Naked Development, has a homepage that launches into an embedded YouTube video. While certainly attractive, the rapidly changing images can simultaneously feel jarring, disorienting your visitors and making them bounce.

Sometimes, “too much” really is too much.

A better approach is to seek out a developer that focuses on clean, elegant, and functional design. Everything should have a purpose—even the aesthetic choices—beyond looking cool.

Is There a Top Mobile App Development Company That Really Does It All?

In our opinion, no.

The top mobile app development companies have reached their height specifically due to their expertise in one or a few areas. This means that everyone mentioned is good at something and less experienced in others.

So, when you’re looking for a new company you should always opt to find one that matches your needs.

This means in their prior experience, clientele, expertise, rates, etc.

Take this level of specificity into account and you’re sure to find a winner.

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