In the world of web development, companies struggle with the eternal question of outsourcing or not outsourcing their web development project. From startups with fresh ideas to large enterprises listed in Forbes 100 all over the world, they all suffer through this dilemma and are sometimes unsure of what to do. To help you out, we’ll teach you and give advice on how to outsource your web design projects.
Hiring an in-house web developer can have its own benefits. You can work with them every day and it’s easier to reach and communicate with them. However, you may run into problems for ongoing commitment and development. Depending on your type of business, you won’t need a dedicated web developer all the time.
With that in mind, a web development company or a freelancer might be a more prudent and cost-effective option. Hiring a freelancer is often the more cost-effection choice but it may also introduce new issues along the way, such as miscommunications, late deadlines, and subpar outputs.
If you ever choose to outsource a web development company for the first time, it’s possible that you don’t know the benefits and process yet. You don’t want to be caught off guard with things you don’t expect. Read this article and we’ll offer a few reasons for outsourcing and advice on how you can successfully outsource your website development project.
ADVANTAGES OF OUTSOURCING YOUR WEB DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Compared to hiring a freelancer or an in-house web developer, there are various benefits of hiring a web development company. Before you learn how to outsource your web design projects, let me tell you about its benefits first. In here, I’ll share with you the biggest and most important ones:
- You’ll save time, effort, and money. In business, everything should be fast. Especially online, the best time to have completed everything you need was yesterday. A freelancer might make you wait especially if they’re working alone or have other clients. On long delays, you’ll still have to wait for their update.
To save your nerves, time, and money, you can hire an experienced web design agency. It may seem more expensive, but in the long run, it is worth it since risk, mistakes, and extra charges will be decreased significantly. With their skill and experience, you’re more likely to get your product in the agreed-upon deadline. Agencies are more dependable and reliable and there will be fewer errors. - Focus on your business. Outsourcing enables you to do what you do best and focus on your core business. While you do this you can trust the web design company to do their own. This way you are free to manage your business without worrying if the platform and technology are updated and how it’ll affect your project. Leave your worries to the company you hired.
- You can have more trust. In business, just like in web development, the entire project needs to revolve around trust. It’s impossible to work with anyone without trusting them and having faith that they’ll complete the job successfully.
When you have trust, even if a problem occurs and a developer is unable to work — crippling the project — the agency makes sure that there is minimal disruption in the work and the team member is replaced. If you hire a lone freelancer and they get sick, there would be no replacement and the work will be inevitably postponed which causes you to lose time and money.
HOW TO OUTSOURCE YOUR WEB DESIGN PROJECTS
Now that you have chosen to get a professional web development agency, the following are a few tips and tricks on what you can do to have a smooth experience and receive an excellent website. These pieces of advice will greatly help you in your journey on how to outsource your web design projects.
1. BE CLEAR WITH YOUR PROJECT DETAILS
Before starting the outsourcing project, you need to make sure you already know what you want and can communicate it clearly. Web development is not one size fits all. There are many different kinds that various agencies specialize in. Creating a full website is different from change or redesigning or developing website assets, such as images, web applications, or any custom feature.
Depending on what you need — from simple to complex — you might want different kinds of companies that focus on web development, web design, mobile development, graphic design, or search engine optimization. After you figure out which is right for your case, you should then explain in comprehensive and clear detail what you need and what you expect from the outsourcing company.
2. SPEAK UP AND ASK QUESTIONS
If you’re not into web design and development, you may have never heard of wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and test servers before. That is fine since it’s not your specialty or forte. If there are concepts that you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions.
For concerns like that, you can always contact and ask the project manager who’ll answer you as best as they could with brief explanations that even people without technical experience can get. It’s your project too and its vital and important parts need to be properly explained to you. Learning the proper terms and jargon is absolutely required if you want to know how to outsource your web design projects.
3. COMMUNICATION IS CRUCIAL
One of the biggest hurdles in outsourcing is communication. Since the firm may be far away and you may only communicate through email or phone calls, there may be more chances for miscommunication. Effective communication and getting your ideas through is important for a successful project.
Find a good way to communicate with your developers at the moment you first contact them. If you are living in a separate country and time zone or speaking a different language, you don’t need to worry since there are multiple ways you can easily resolve these problems.
The first obstacle you need to overcome is the language used in speaking with your contractors. English would be the default and most used language for this. However, any other language, such as Chinese or German, would do as long as you agree with them and can communicate freely with it.
Most business communication is made through email which may have some subtleties hard to get across or complex concepts hard to explain. That’s why you can also organize online conference meetings through Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack, GoToMeeting, or other communication platforms. This will let you know and talk to your team better.
When they’re working in a different time zone, it is best to reach a compromise and determine the best time that is suitable for all involved. You can even use project management tools, such as ClickUp or Asana if you want better control for the project and process.
4. DIVIDE TASKS AND SET MILESTONES
Nowadays, most web developers utilize Agile methodology in their development process. So if you want to hire and collaborate with an outsourcing agency, you have to be accustomed to working in sprints. This is just a term describing how you should split big projects into smaller phases and parts which the developers can work on easier. This is a crucial piece of advice if you want to properly know how to outsource your web design projects.
At first, splitting the tasks was made so you can control the payment. When a task or a milestone is finished, it proves good faith that they can deliver as promised so you will now pay the agreed-upon money. You can more effectively do this by preparing a solid plan of when you want certain parts to be completed. Just communicate this with your project manager and discuss a realistic deal.
Additional Reading on How To Outsource Your Web Design Projects:
How to Outsource/Hire a Web Developer – The Ultimate Guide 2020
Outsourcing Graphic Design: Your Massive Guide this 2020
BONUS ADVICE: GET IT IN CONTRACT
Now that you learned how to outsource your web design projects, you may realize that offshoring your work may be too troubling. To ease your worries and get a deeper sense of commitment, you can draw up a contract with the firm. It’s not ethical but some freelancers hire someone else beneath them who can have different skills and expertise as they advertised.
A professional web design agency rarely does this since they value the trust and relationship with their clients. In fact, respectable web design agencies would even suggest this themselves. Getting it in writing and legal certainty is the best for companies. This way, you have more assurance when you start to outsource web design projects.
If you’re interested in outsourcing your web design, Qadra Studio can help you make that step. As a full-service digital agency, we specialize in web design, web development, graphic design, and digital marketing. Contact us now and get your free consultation.