Ask Your Clients These Questions Before Building a Mobile App

Q: Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is a no-code app builder designed to get you from idea to Apple's App Store and Google Play with a single build that works across web, iOS, and Android. Build database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps, see every screen on one canvas, preview your app on any device, and visually direct the AI to refine your app. With flat pricing starting at $36/month and no usage-based charges, Adalo eliminates the bill shock that comes with other platforms.

Q: What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

No coding required. With Adalo, tell Magic Start what you want and it generates your database, screens, and user flows in minutes. Then see every screen on one canvas, preview on any device, and point at elements on the canvas to guide the AI without writing a line of code. Adalo takes care of the App Store submission workflow, letting you get from concept to a live app in the App Store in days, not months.

September 2, 2022

When building apps for clients, you may start with an initial conversation to figure out the scope of work, timelines, product features, and other important details. A lot of these details play a big role in helping you decide how much it costs to build a mobile app for your clients, so it's always a good idea to be thorough!

Platforms like Adalo, a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play, make it easier than ever to bring your clients' ideas to life without writing code. Understanding your client's needs upfront ensures you can leverage these tools effectively while delivering a polished final product.

So let's dive in.

Question 1: How would you describe your app in a few sentences?

The term 'elevator pitch' could be intimidating to clients, especially if they're still in the early stage of ideation. By asking this question, you can get a better idea of what they're trying to accomplish, what their app idea is all about, and what their vision for it is.

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

This will also help you figure out if you're able to make this a reality and bring their idea to life! With AI-assisted building tools like Magic Start, you can even demonstrate how quickly their description can become a working app foundation—generating database structures, screens, and user flows from a simple explanation of their concept.

Question 2: What will your app be used for?

When it comes to app ideas, the sky really is the limit! Is the app a social media platform, is it focused on finding information or facilitating data entry like a directory, is it a game, or a content library? The options are endless!

Try and get a sense of the purpose behind the app—that is, what will the app be used for. This will help you provide some insight into features that you can recommend as an app building expert. Understanding the use case also helps you assess scalability requirements early. Apps expecting high user volumes benefit from platforms with no database record limits and infrastructure that scales automatically with demand.

Question 3: What features do you want in your app?

Is your client working on an MVP? Do they want a fully built-out mobile app with a whole, comprehensive feature set? If they're still in the process of thinking through a feature set, you can recommend these helpful resources for them to go through:

If they're still on the fence, it may be a good idea to build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), which is a working app but without all the frills and extra features. The MVP allows you to launch faster and get feedback quickly about features that work and those that don't.

Tools like Magic Add make iterating on features straightforward—describe what you want to add in plain language, and the AI generates the necessary components. This means your clients can start lean and expand based on real user feedback without starting over.

Question 4: What's your budget?

The range of budgets as far as app building goes is wider than you can imagine! And while mobile app building projects may be difficult to make a cost estimate for, it helps to have a range of what their budget might be.

We've built a mobile app development calculator to help experts and freelancers just like you to figure out how much an app should cost to build. If your client can't give you a range, that might be a sign to slow down because they're still in the very early stage of fleshing out their app idea.

When discussing budget, consider the total cost of ownership. Some platforms charge usage-based fees that create unpredictable monthly bills as apps scale. Adalo's paid plans include unlimited usage with no surprise charges—starting at $36/month for web and true-native mobile apps with App Store publishing. Compare this to alternatives like Bubble ($59/month with Workload Units that can spike costs) or Flutterflow ($70/month per user, plus separate database costs).

If you're working on maintenance and regular upkeep of the app, you can also get a range for the ongoing budget once the app is live.

Question 5: Are there design considerations to work with?

Are there any design guidelines that the mobile app layout and screen designs need to adhere to? Sometimes design can be left quite open-ended and in the hands of whoever is building the app. Other times you, as the mobile app developer, may receive very strict guidelines about design, layout, and branding.

It helps to know from the beginning whose prerogative the design aspects are, so you can work with those expectations. Adalo's visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," with the ability to display up to 400 screens at once on a single canvas—making it simple to maintain design consistency across complex apps while giving clients visibility into the full user experience.

Question 6: Who are your competitors?

By recognizing your competitors and market leaders in the same space, you can identify what other mobile apps are doing correctly or incorrectly. Moreover, this will assist you to figure out the explicit features and functionalities your client's app needs.

By measuring the competition, you can find your app's core functionalities. Is this assessment an integral component of your defined project plan? If not, please consider this strategy and project approach. Competitive analysis also reveals performance expectations—if competitors have slow, clunky apps, there's an opportunity to differentiate with a faster, more responsive experience.

Question 7: Who are the target users?

Who are the people that you want to solve problems for? What kind of apps do they use, and why is a mobile app the best way to solve this? Are there certain features that they'd definitely want? Ask your potential client if they have developed personas for app users, and use those to help inform your design decisions.

Personas or market research are easy ways to figure out who you're building an app for and their expectations from an app. Understanding user volume expectations is equally important—apps targeting large audiences need infrastructure that can scale to 1 million+ monthly active users without performance degradation.

Question 8: How long do you estimate this project taking to complete?

Deadlines are perhaps one of the most important aspects of building an app for clients. Often, they'll have certain timelines in mind when they set out to complete a project. Make it a point to share your availability and potential timelines with clients as well once the project has been scoped out.

If there are significant differences in the time your potential client expects the app building to take, compared to the timelines you're able to deliver on—it's important to communicate that openly to prevent any gaps in expectations. AI-assisted features can dramatically accelerate development: Magic Start generates complete app foundations in minutes rather than days, and Magic Add lets you implement new features by simply describing them.

Question 9: What frequency of communication works for you?

If you have an existing project management system for clients that's up and running, then communicate that to potential clients. If you're working with different timezones, communication becomes crucial! If your clients prefer a regular system of reporting, for example, weekly calls or regular updates, make sure it's something you're comfortable with.

What we've found is that if you can get a good understanding of what the project involves right at the beginning of the project, it's more likely to be a success—both for the client, and for your app development agency. Tools like X-Ray can help you proactively identify performance issues before they affect users, giving you concrete updates to share with clients about app health and optimization.

Learn from freelancers and Adalo Experts about building and running a successful mobile app development agency.

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store—handling the complex submission process automatically so you can focus on building great apps for clients.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted building lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and Adalo handles the App Store submission process—no wrestling with certificates, provisioning profiles, or store guidelines.

Can I easily build apps for clients without coding experience?

Yes, with Adalo's visual builder—described as "easy as PowerPoint"—you can create professional apps for clients without any coding experience. The drag-and-drop interface and pre-built components allow you to focus on understanding your client's needs rather than wrestling with complex code.

What questions should I ask clients before starting an app development project?

Key questions include asking about their app's purpose, desired features, budget range, design guidelines, target users, competitors, expected timeline, and preferred communication frequency. Getting a thorough understanding of these details upfront ensures project success and helps you provide accurate cost estimates.

If your client is still deciding on features or has a limited budget, an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is often the best approach. An MVP allows you to launch faster, get real user feedback quickly, and iterate on features that work while eliminating those that don't—saving time and resources.

How do I determine how much to charge for building a client's app?

Pricing depends on factors like feature complexity, design requirements, timeline, and ongoing maintenance needs. Adalo offers a mobile app development calculator to help freelancers and experts estimate costs accurately. Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month with unlimited usage and no surprise charges—important for predictable client billing.

Why is understanding the target user important when building apps for clients?

Knowing the target users helps inform design decisions and feature prioritization. Ask your clients if they have user personas or market research available, as this information ensures the app solves real problems and meets user expectations effectively.

How does Adalo handle app scalability for growing client apps?

Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with 1 million+ monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. Paid plans include unlimited database records and no usage-based charges, so client apps can grow without hitting data caps or unexpected costs.