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Creating software that succeeds in the digital marketplace requires more than good development. You want to launch a new cloud-based suite of services for human resource professionals.

Maybe you have Android and iOS apps that badly need updating. Maybe you’ve designed a killer new cloud-based service that requires deep programming expertise. Your company doesn’t have the in-house talent needed to take on that design work, coding, and testing. These two scenarios make sense when outsourcing the work to a software development company. Launching a new or revamped product is also a marketing challenge, so that part of the work shouldn’t be treated casually.

First, let’s review the business case for outsourcing development work.

The Case for Outsourcing

Software development needs a diverse set of skills, including project management, QA (quality assurance), and coding. While some companies have all the in-house technical talents they need, many do not. Nor does it always make sense to hire full-time programmers when you may only need their skills for a few months.

Outsourcing your development work also allows you to access a broader range of technical skills and training than you could realistically have in-house. Recruiting and hiring technical people takes time away from other business activities and costs money. Outsourcing design and development also takes away the burden of overhead.

You don’t have to rearrange work to cover vacations or adjust your work if someone leaves unexpectedly. The outsourcing firm handles those things. Outsourcing, in short, allows you unequaled flexibility to bring in specialists for only as long as you need them.

All those benefits apply equally to software development and digital marketing. This is one argument in favor of hiring a development firm that also provides digital marketing services.

Development is Half the Challenge

Assuming you have a professional design that’s been approved, coding and testing that app or cloud-based service platform will be the major part of your project in terms of labor hours and cost. However, finishing a good product is only half the job. You want to make sure your target audience knows about the new product.

The online world is crowded. Making sure your new software offering stands out is a challenge that should not be underestimated. If you have a huge built-in user base and a big social media following, the marketing aspect of your product launch still requires some expert attention. The less known you are, the more important it is to have an expertly designed and managed online marketing effort. This is, once again, where outsourcing can be valuable.

Why Outsource Your Digital Marketing?

Reaching prospects and turning them into customers takes some sustained effort, from market research to messaging, to testing and adjusting. These truisms apply just as much in the digital world, where businesses face additional marketing challenges:

• Helping prospects find your product or service.
• Knowing how people find information that is relevant to your business model.
• Keeping your product or service on people’s minds as they search the Web.
• Creating content that raises your reputation and provides credibility.

Digital marketing specialists help with all four tasks. They conduct keyword research, do search engine optimization (SEO) work on websites, and write content that drives traffic to a site. Knowing what keywords to target takes some specialized knowledge of keyword research tools and website analytics.

Writing content that builds authority and appeals to Google at the same time is not easy. Researching and writing this content is something that many businesses outsource because writing can be tough. A software development firm with a digital marketing arm will have people skilled in keyword research, search engine optimization, app store search optimization, writing, and content marketing.

The Advantage of Combining Development and Marketing

You ideally would start promoting your new site, service, or app well before they launch. If you only want to reach existing customers now to tell them a new version of the app is about to go live, it may seem like a digital marketing strategy is overkill. However, it might not be. Firstly, you may regret not having an SEO strategy that helps you attract new prospects to your site.

A development firm that creates your software also has people who necessarily learned about you and your business. This is valuable in at least three ways. First, having an established relationship with the company’s staff can streamline communication. Second, they know where you are in the development lifecycle and can take whatever lead time they have to begin an SEO campaign. Third, the marketing team will know how to write for your audience. Moving to a third firm for digital marketing support will create extra work on your end and take extra time and money.

Combine Development and Marketing for Maximum Advantage

Briefly, hiring a company that does software development and digital marketing makes your development and launch more efficient and effective. If you have a mission-critical software project, why not trust the design, coding, and testing of a development firm with over 14 years of completing projects in web development, apps, custom software, and learning management systems for a wide range of business and nonprofit clients. Contact DevDigital to set up a short discovery call.