1. Use the live product
Screenshots and videos are easy to make. A live product is proof. Ask for links to apps you can download, websites you can visit, and if possible a demo login so you can try the parts customers never see. Then actually use it: sign up, go through the main flow, try it on a slow connection.2. Match the complexity, not the industry
A team that built a beautiful brochure website in your industry may never have built what you need. Look for work with similar moving parts:- Several user types with different permissions
- Payments, subscriptions or invoicing
- An admin panel your staff run the business from
- Connections to other systems
- Offline use, live tracking or notifications
- Personal or sensitive data
3. Read store listings the right way
On the App Store and Google Play, a listing shows the account that published the app. If the agency did its job properly, that's usually the client's company, not the agency, because the client should own the developer account. So a portfolio app listed under another company's name isn't a warning sign on its own. Ask the agency what part of that app it built and whether the client will confirm it. The opposite can be a warning sign: if every app in a portfolio is published under the agency's own account, ask how ownership works for clients. Our guide to who owns the code explains why it matters.4. Ask what they built, and what they didn't
Many products are built by several teams. Ask: did you design it, build all of it, or one part? Are you still working on it? If not, why did it end? A straight answer here is a good sign.5. Run a reference call that tells you something
Ask the agency for one or two past clients with projects like yours, and keep the call to fifteen minutes. Useful questions:- What did they build for you, and is it still running?
- What went wrong during the project, and how did they handle it?
- How did they handle changes you asked for halfway through?
- Did you always know where the project stood?
- How was the support after launch?
- Would you hire them again for your next project?
6. Read reviews for the pattern, not the score
Public reviews help, but look at the detail: what kind of projects were reviewed, how recent they are, and how the agency replied to any complaint. A calm, specific reply to a bad review can be more reassuring than ten five-star ones.7. Meet the people who'll build it
Ask to speak to the developer or lead who'd work on your project. Ask them to walk you through a decision they made on a past project and why. You don't need to follow the technical detail; you're checking that they can explain it clearly. For the full set of questions to ask on the first call, see 12 questions to ask before hiring an agency. When proposals arrive, use our proposal scorecard.See our work
Our projects include live apps, admin panels and platforms across logistics, property, manufacturing and healthcare, and our testimonials are from real clients. On a scoping call we'll walk you through the projects closest to yours.FAQ
How many references should I ask a software agency for?
One or two, ideally from projects similar to yours in size and complexity.Why isn't the agency's name on the apps in its portfolio?
Because apps are usually published under the client's own developer account, which is how it should be. Ask the agency which parts it built and whether the client will confirm.What if an agency won't share references?
Some clients ask for confidentiality, which is fair. But an agency should be able to offer at least one reference or a live product you can use.Want to see work similar to your project? Book a free scoping call.
