50% of companies around the world use ChatGPT one way or another, don’t be left behind with the ones that don’t!
AI-powered chatbots like BARD and ChatGPT have become popular consumer products with millions of daily users. Popular and age-old search engines are reinventing themselves, and the masses at large have come to expect a ‘Powered by AI’ label slapped on everything they touch and see.
Naturally, businesses are being opportunistic, trying to find creative ways of integrating AI models like ChatGPT into their service and product offerings. The race to find leading ChatGPT development companies is on as businesses try to turn AI-first overnight.
This post is designed as a guide to help businesses find, shortlist, collaborate, and hire ChatGPT developers to build AI-driven products. We’ll be discussing the best way of finding and hiring ChatGPT developers as well as offering great tools and tips to assist you with the entire process.
Key Takeaways:
- Businesses need a tech stack of three to build a basic ChatGPT application: A front-end framework, A database management system, and the ChatGPT API.
- API cost of running a ChatGPT application with an Average traffic of 500000 visitors per month comes down to around $2750/month. (Detailed Calculation Below)
- The best way to hire ChatGPT developers is by leveraging review platforms like GoodfIrms that offer all the necessary hiring information under a single hub. Read along for a detailed step by step guide.
How can ChatGPT be Relevant for Your Business?
The ChatGPT API has been out for a while, and businesses are coming up with innovative ways of integrating the latest GPT models into their offerings.
Apps like Duolingo and Snapchat are using ChatGPT to enhance their existing products, while Tech Giants like Microsoft are creating entirely new AI-based product lines using GPT. CRMs like Salesforce and Hubspot are offering never seen before AI-powered services and productivity, and project management apps like Notion and Taskade are offering in-app, general-purpose ChatGPT powered assistants.
We are witnessing an explosion of AI-powered apps, and if experts are to be believed, then this is just the beginning of what is yet to come.
It seems as if every product, business, and service is trying to get ‘AI-powered’ overnight, and I wouldn’t blame you if you feel left behind.
How can businesses integrate ChatGPT into their Business?
- Automating customer support
- Improving User Engagement
- Improving Existing product lines
- Creating brand new products and services.
- Offering better in-app personalization
Are some of the many ways brands can integrate ChatGPT in their business.
Top considerations before hiring ChatGPT developers
But before you rush to push your next big AI product to the market, take note of the following considerations. These can inform you on the technical aspects of building a ChatGPT app so you are better equipped with judging your development prospects.
Choosing the right Tech Stack
What tools, technologies, frameworks, etc, should you be using to build your ChatGPT application? That’s an important question to consider because it’ll define what your app can do and who can use it. You’ll then need to hunt for devs particularly good at these technologies and frameworks to get the best results. Here is a quick breakdown of what you need to know:
As far as frameworks are concerned you need not look any further than your usual web or app framework. All you’ll need to integrate ChatGPT in your app is the ChatGPT API and a custom interface that collects input and displays the output.
If you are building the application from scratch as opposed to integrating AI in your app, you need:
- A web or mobile app frontend framework like React, Angular, Flutter or more.
- For server-side data communications, use systems like MongoDB or MySQL.
- Obtaining output and training the model are both possible with the ChatGPT API, so no additional framework or tool is needed here.
Identify what AI model you need
OpenAI offers a wide range of different models, while some of these are geared towards efficiency and keeping computing costs low, others are cranked up to give the best quality answers possible. The best model for you to use obviously depends on the depth you need in your answers and your API budget, but the general rule to remember is the better, more complex the answers the longer and more expensive the model will be. Here are three of the most popular API models for ChatGPT:
GPT - 4
GPT - 3.5
Build a custom model by fine tuning an existing one
1k token amounts to around 750 words in input or output. Context here means the length of input allowed per prompt.
How much will it cost to build a ChatGPT application?
There are two major expenses to building a ChatGPT application: The one time cost of building an app and the recurring API charges and maintenance expenses.
If you want to build an application from scratch. Here is an estimated price range based on GoodFirms research and recent market trends:
Building a mobile app can cost you anywhere between $5000 to $300,000. That's a very wide range because mobile apps can include unique features and functionalities and the cost of your specific project depends on the level of complexity you are aiming for.
Building a website is slightly cheaper with costs ranging from $300 to $30,000.
If you already have an existing product/app/website that you would like to add ChatGPT to, development expenses will be significantly lower for you.
ChatGPT API costs
Now let's try to calculate the specific, recurrent cost of running an Open AI model on your website.
Let us assume you are running the GPT 3.5 base model on your website. Assuming you enjoy a traffic of 500,000 unique visitors per month, and 50% of which like your new ChatGPT service, that amounts to 250,000 unique API calls per month.
Assuming you allow for 250 words/prompt, your token budget will be around 83,333K tokens. The GPT 3.5 model with 16k context costs $0.003/1k tokens for input and $0.004/1k tokens for output. Lets say your output is twice as long as your input (500 words) and each conversation goes back and forth for maximum three responses, then here are your expenses:
Input charges: $750
Output charges: $2000
Total API charges for your ChatGPT application come down to $2750/month.
What features should You Prioritize When Building a ChatGPT Application?
ChatGPT-powered apps come in all shapes and forms. However, the most prominent feature within these, and consequently the one you should prioritize building, is the tailored chat or 'generative text' ability itself.
How you use ChatGPT to improve or create new products depends on your business, the type of use case you want to develop, your existing product ecosystem, etc. However, trying to build a polished product from the beginning can be expensive and time-consuming, draining you of your resources as well as any time-to-market advantages you may be standing to enjoy.
Instead, it would be wise to only focus on your product's core functionality first, in this case, personalized generative text. Create an MVP-like product equipped with your core features first and focus on things like polished UX design, optimization, and integrations later. This allows you to ensure that there is enough demand for your product before fully committing to it and also helps generate data that can be used to optimize your product mid-development.
How to Hire ChatGPT Developers for Your Business?
Now that we know what to look for in ChatGPT developers, its time to find them:
There are many ways to go about this. You could tap into your network on LinkedIn or start with a simple Google Search, only this time, it's AI-powered!
Whatever your preferred method may be, you'll undergo four separate stages before hiring ChatGPT developers. These are:
- Figuring out your development requirements
- Browsing top leading ChatGPT development firms
- Shortlisting the best Companies based on portfolios, reviews, and other factors
- Reaching out to the best developer + Hiring
Let's break these down one at a time.
Figure Out How to Integrate ChatGPT in Your Product (4 tips below)
Before you begin developing your ChatGPT-driven product development process, you need to know what you want to build. This won't just help you find the right development partner but also help you streamline the development process beforehand.
How do you find out what specific application to build?
Well, chances are you already know! Most business owners we interact with know exactly what they want to do with their business and AI. But in case you don't, don't panic. Here are a few tips to help you figure this out:
- Look for inspiration around you: Your competitors and major brands around the globe are looking to hop on the AI bandwagon just like you. Look into these use cases to see if you could do something similar for your product.
- Get your team involved: Rope in the junior sales reps, the marketing interns, department managers, and developers alike. These folks may not fully understand your company's entire operations, but they know the specific areas they work with very well. Getting your team to brainstorm novel ChatGPT applications can yield surprisingly great results.
- Ask ChatGPT itself!: When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to take some machine advice, does it? We did the same for our platform GoodFirms, and the results speak for themselves.
- Don't build a feature just for the heck of it: AI may seem like a very tempting opportunity, especially with every company trying to build products using these models. But if you can't find a legit use case for AI that genuinely improves your product and/or adds value to your end user, then don't bother with AI. You'll simply blow your cash reserves by building a generic product that no one wants to use.
Now that you know what you want to build, it's time to hire ChatGPT developers that can make it happen.
Find Leading ChatGPT Development Firms
As mentioned above, this can start with a simple Google search. But as you advance your search, it is important to refer to credible sources when picking the right companies.
Google SERP results are riddles with ads and sponsored results. And even if you were to opt for the partner that ranks #1 In SERPs, there is no way to tell if they are good developers. Their ranking simply indicates their expertise in SEO, not development!
So how do we get around this issue?
I recommend using B2B directories like Clutch and GoodFirms. Although Clutch doesn't have a dedicated list of ChatGPT developers, we certainly do!
Simply head over to our directory page, adjust the filters as per your needs, and pick the companies that you may find relevant.
Since we only list top-performing firms with high-quality, verified portfolios, you can be sure of finding good firms at GoodFirms!
But on a serious note, You'll need to pick around 10-20 companies that best fit your needs. The selection criteria for this can be based on factors like:
- The company's authority/ranking on Google
- Quality of their website/landing page
- Ratings on GoodFirms and similar platforms
- Other specific criteria like location or pricing
Shortlist the Best Partners based on Portfolios, Reviews, and Experience
The next step is to take a deep dive into the portfolios and experiences of these companies to better gauge if they are a good fit for your particular project. Where do you find their portfolios? There are two options here: you can either refer to their websites or once again check B2B platforms like GoodFirms.
I recommend you do both.
Although, keep in mind that companies are likely to exaggerate their expertise on their websites. Whereas on third-party platforms like GoodFirms, the projects, and experience mentioned on a company profile typically undergo verification before going live.
To check a company's portfolio on GoodFirms, Simply head over to a company's profile and scroll down to the portfolio section.
Comapny Portfolio example from GoodFirms
Besides just a list of projects or portfolios, GoodFirms provides a lot more information on a company profile. There are reviews and ratings from a company's past clients that can help you evaluate the quality of their service. There is also a focus area that highlights the strengths of the company in question. Some companies even have a CEO interview tab that lets you have some inside information about the company's culture, staff, and work style.
Focus Areas Example from GoodFirms
My recommendation is to take into account all of this information to shortlist a handful of partners (3-4 at most) that you are interested in working with.
What to do if you can't find your desired company on GoodFirms?
While we have an extensive list of the best ChatGPT application development companies out there, it is possible that you are interested in working with a company that either isn't listed on our platform or doesn't feature extensive information on their profile. Gathering reliable company information, in that case, is up to you and can be a bit challenging, but here are a few tips to go about it:
Check Google Reviews:
Google Reviews are a great way to get the ball rolling when it comes to identifying a company's expertise. They'll help you figure out a company's market presence as well as their client satisfaction rates.
Check Their Website and Portfolio:
If a development firm brands itself as a chatGPT development company, it'll surely have a landing page exploring its services in depth. Explore their website to understand their skill set better and assess their portfolio in depth. Watch out for the type of products they've built in the past; it's always a plus if they have served your industry and niche before. Look for applications of skills and technologies like machine learning, NLP frameworks, and UI development in previous projects that the company delivered.
Use Platforms like Linkedin and Glassdoor:
Finally, check out the team members on platforms like Linkedin. This can give you a better idea of the team's skill level and expertise. Furthermore, platforms like Glassdoor can assess a company's work culture and environment.
It is hard to tell to what extent these observations correlate with the quality of services these companies can provide, but given the lack of information, that's the best we can do here.
Reach out to your shortlisted companies (prepare to hire ChatGPT developers!)
Once you've narrowed down your list to 3-4 potential partners, it's time to reach out to them. Here are a few pointers you'll need to discuss with these companies before getting them onboard.
Discuss the specifics of your Project / Get a Roadmap
Once you've picked a few good partners, it's time to discuss the details of your project with them. Let them know what you need them to build and ensure they understand your project requirements. Depending upon what stage your project is at, as well as the type of development you need them to pursue, you may need to get these companies to sign an NDA contract.
At this stage, it helps to ask the development company to get you a project roadmap. This will require their sales rep to involve the developers and project managers. It'll also help you gauge if your development partners have a realistic and functional understanding of your requirements.
Ask for a roadmap and see if it fits your timeline and requirements.
Figure out what OpenAI models to use (API + Tech Stack)
This may seem obvious, but trust me when I say this can be easy to overlook — when hiring a ChatGPT development firm, it is important to find developers experienced with the necessary technologies and frameworks needed for your project.
The most important aspect to consider here, as mentioned above, is the OpenAI API. OpenAI offers numerous models, with different context and answer capabilities, via their API. What model to use depends on the traffic you are expecting on your application as well as the level of depth and detail you need in your answers.
API costs can mount up really quickly, even with a modest amount of API calls, so appropriate model selection is crucial. You also need to ensure that your development partners have experience working with these models and are comfortable with managing API - database interaction.
Discuss Pricing
Another major aspect to consider is the overall cost of developing the project. If you've used GoodFirms to find companies, you would have noticed that we provide pricing-related information for every listed company. That's a good enough estimation of a company's hourly rate, which, when combined with the expected development time, can give us a reasonable estimate of the project's cost.
Bear in mind this is simply the development cost. API and operational costs will be separate and recurring expenses.
Make sure to thoroughly discuss the development cost of your project before hiring a partner. While costs may vary depending on the size and scope of the project, it is crucial to get a reasonable quote from developers before hiring them.
Ensure Efficient Communication
Outsourcing is less about delegating and all about collaborating. Before committing to any AI development company, you'll need to ensure a good communication channel is in place.
Communicating can be especially difficult when outsourcing from another part of the world.
To overcome these challenges, ensure you agree on a common time set aside for communication that works for both parties.
Discuss Future Maintenance and support and ensure a level of transparency in terms of payment methods, ability to deliver, and limitations.
Parting Thoughts
We've noticed a drastic rise in the number and quality of ChatGPT applications in recent months, indicative of the fact that AI is here to stay. As businesses scramble to integrate generative AI within existing product offerings, finding competent AI developers that can do the same for you remains paramount.
This piece was intended to serve as a hiring guide to help you find the best ChatGPT development companies. At GoodFirms, we are committed to bridging the gap between service providers and service seekers by making it easier to find the best business partners for all your outsourcing needs.
Finding and hiring ChatGPT developers may be challenging, but it doesn't need to be, not at least with GoodFirms.
