Worldwide, more and more organisations are turning to third-party vendors to handle the coding and design for their websites.
There has been a general acceptance of outsourcing as a standard operating procedure in many businesses looking to cut costs and streamline operations. More than 300,000 jobs are sent overseas every year.
Questions to ask before outsourcing web design and development:
- Should I outsource my web project to a third-party vendor?
- How would it benefit my organization?
- What can I do to make sure I outsource my project to the best agency?
All of these concerns are addressed in this comprehensive guide to outsourcing a web design or web development project, along with an outline of the outsourcing cost and a rundown of the best ROI outsourcing regions.
Table of Contents
- What Are The Benefits Of Web Development Outsourcing?
- Who Should Outsource Website Design And Development?
- How To Outsource Web Design & Development In 5 Easy Steps
- How Much Does Outsourcing Web Design And Development Cost?
- What Are The Most Affordable Regions To Outsource Web Design Too?
- Takeaways On Outsourcing Website Design And Development
What Are The Benefits Of Web Development Outsourcing?
As a result of the following advantages, the global IT outsourcing market is expected to reach a value of $397.6 billion by 2025.
Cost Efficiency
When compared to in-house services, outsourcing web design and development can save you money. Long-term savings can be achieved by teaming up with a website developer or an agency in, say, Eastern Europe or Asia.
Companies pay their in-house web developers an average of $90,000 per year, but can get the same quality from developers working in other countries for half that.
Global Talent Pool
When you outsource web design work, you gain access to designers all over the world. If you need help with your website, you don’t have to limit yourself to web design firms in your area. With today’s advanced methods of communication and data transfer, the entire globe is potentially your customer base.
Time Efficiency
Time is a major factor in the hiring and onboarding of a full-time employee inside the company.
An outsourced web designer or web developer can jump from one project to the next without feeling like a cog in the machine. They can be integrated into the process as needed, such as when more code is needed or when a design flaw needs to be fixed.
Fresh Perspective
When you hire a third party to handle your web design, you gain access to their expertise as well as their unique perspective on your business and the project as a whole.
The outside perspective and ideas that a hired expert brings to a project can be invaluable. Experts you bring in from the outside may have perspectives and understanding that your current staff lacks.
An outsourced web developer, for instance, could provide advice on how to construct certain aspects of the design more quickly, as well as share experiences from working on similar projects.
High-Quality Website
There is a higher chance of a successful project outcome when web development tasks are outsourced to experts.
If you were to outsource your UX design, the company you hired would likely charge you by the day for their services.
Although the UX specialist’s rate may be higher than what you’re currently paying your in-house designer, they should be able to provide a more expert evaluation and enhancements of your current website.
Who Should Outsource Website Design And Development?
No matter what kind of business you run, there are plenty of good reasons to consider outsourcing your next web project.
Possible motivations for outsourcing include:
- Goods and labour are more expensive in your region than they are in places where they can be outsourced.
- As a young business with limited resources, your focus should be on maximising return on investment.
- Instead of investing in a permanent in-house staff, a temporary service will do.
- New perspectives on the business and its projects are required.
- Despite your best efforts, you are not achieving the hoped-for results in conversion rates or elsewhere.
- Working with a contracted group better fits your budget and schedule.
- You need modifications or additional features for your website, but your current team is unable to provide them.
- Your company is expanding beyond the capabilities of your in-house staff.
If you’re having trouble with managing your project, consider hiring a website design team to help you out.
- If you’re strapped for cash but still want to get your project done, consider hiring specialists in the field.
- Having too much to do and not enough time: One of the most common reasons businesses turn to outsourcing is an overload of work. Outsourcing can help you avoid setbacks if you have more work than time to complete it.
- Due to a lack of web expertise, You can get the expertise you need to finish your web project on time and with success if you hire a team of web designers and developers to do it for you.
- You need the results quickly, but your in-house team can’t deliver them if they can’t keep up with the rapid evolution of the IT sector. Working with an external organisation produces visible outcomes in a shorter amount of time.
How To Outsource Web Design & Development In 5 Easy Steps
It’s understandable to be wary of handing off your web design project to an outside firm without first formulating a solid strategy.
Step #1: Identify Your Goals And Requirements
When looking for a web design and development partner, the first step is to define the scope of the project in detail.
To avoid wasting time and energy, it’s important to have a clear picture of both your intended outcomes and the obstacles standing in your way.
In order to analyse your current situation objectively and define the needs you will communicate to your outsourced agency, consider the following questions:
What is my website project’s ultimate goal?
The specifics of this strategy should be tailored to the specifics of your business, but could include anything from lead capture and brand awareness building to product advertising and mailing list expansion.
What is my budget?
If you want to keep your project within reasonable bounds, you need to know and set your budget as precisely as possible.
What are my website’s requirements?
Consider the features you’d like your website to have. Will you require a contact form for new leads, an online store, a virtual reality (VR) tour, or a sizable image gallery? The development process can benefit greatly from the creation of a product specification document.
What pain points do you need to solve?
Have you noticed a decline in the quality of visitors to your site, a short average time spent per visit, or all three? If you explain the problems you’re having with your website, the outsourcing company will be able to help you fix them.
Step #2: Choose Your Outsourcing Model
Finding the best onshore, nearshore, or offshore service provider for your website’s development outsourcing needs begins with identifying your preferred method of outsourcing.
Onshore Outsourcing
When you outsource web development to a company in your own country or region, this is called “onshore.”
The time and money spent on in-house training can be saved by using an onshore outsourcing service, and cultural and linguistic barriers can be avoided by working with a team located closer to the customer. Pricing for onshore outsourcing in the United States is higher than that of offshore and nearshore alternatives.
Nearshore Outsourcing
Nearshore outsourcing refers to sending work to a company that operates in the same or a nearby time zone.
One major perk of this form of outsourcing is that cultural differences between a client and a vendor are minimal.
When compared to outsourcing overseas, nearshore operations save money.
Offshore Outsourcing
Offshore outsourcing, also known as international outsourcing, refers to the practise of contracting with a company located outside of a country.
This method of outsourcing is the most economical and provides access to the largest pool of qualified specialists.
Step #3: Pick Your Outsourced Agency
If you’re looking to outsource your website’s design and development, you can start your search once you’ve settled on a method of outsourcing.
There are a few key factors you should consider:
- Ask each prospective company about their previous experience developing web projects for clients in the same or a similar field, niche, or industry as yours.
- Examine the company’s portfolio and make an unbiased assessment of the quality of the projects it has completed in the past.
- Technology: Learn as much as you can about the vendor’s preferred tools and technology stack, as well as their level of expertise.
- Team Evaluate the knowledge and experience of the agency’s employees.
- Customer feedback: read what former customers have to say about the company’s services in unbiased, third-party reviews and how the collaboration turned out.
To help you in your search, DesignRush provides a global directory of web design and web development agencies. You can narrow down your search by selecting specific criteria like rates, location, team size, and cost.
Step #4: Begin The Hiring Process
The hiring process with your preferred agency is the next-to-last step in launching your outsourced website project.
Demand that they give you details and instructions on the following so that you can accomplish this:
The evaluation and estimation process for a project requires the outsourced agency to present exhaustive market and competitive research in addition to a thorough overview of the project.
- You should have some leeway in selecting, expanding, or contracting the web design and development team members based on their individual strengths and expertise.
- Get an accurate estimate by asking your agency to lay out a detailed budget for the project, including any hidden fees that could pop up later.
- When it comes to timelines and due dates, they should keep you regularly apprised of the project’s development and confirm that things are moving in the right direction.
- Management of the project: Your contracted web design agency should be able to carry out and deliver your web design project without constant supervision from you. They should have managers who can keep you updated and ensure that the designers and developers stay on track.
Step #5: Set Your KPIs
Finally, make sure that you and your partners set attainable, measurable key performance indicators for your collaboration (KPIs).
Your website project’s key performance indicators should take the following into account:
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should be quantified in order to be objectively measured (quantity, percentage, time, volume, etc.)
- Your website’s short- and long-term goals, such as increasing conversion rates, decreasing bounce rates, increasing organic traffic, generating more leads, etc., should inform these choices.
- Determine the “importance” of each key performance indicator and the range of possible outcomes for reaching each one.
This is something you must arrange with your outsourcing partner. Pay close attention to how they intend to track and accomplish these KPIs.
How Much Does Outsourcing Web Design And Development Cost?
Website prices are affected by a number of factors.
- Web page design using a template vs. a unique layout
- Price per hour at the agency
- Features and integrations of the website
- How many pages a website has in total
- Expressly tailored communication
It’s important to understand the four pricing models used by US web development firms if you’re a US-based business looking to outsource web design work:
- The hourly rate ranges from $100 to $175.
- Payment requirements per project should be at least $1,000.
- Payment to the agency will be made based on the achievement of the predetermined key performance indicators (KPIs) set by the client.
- Companies that need an agency on retainer for recurring tasks like consulting or website management often pay a flat rate for these services.
Hourly rates for web design work can be reduced when projects are outsourced to a company in another country.
What Are The Most Affordable Regions To Outsource Web Design Too?
Most businesses consider outsourcing in the first place to cut costs, and this is often the case.
Offshore outsourcing to these regions may be your best bet if you’re looking to save money without sacrificing quality.
Eastern Europe
Businesses of all sizes and profiles can benefit from the expert services of website designers and developers located in countries like Ukraine, Romania, and Poland.
Many Western European and American companies send their work to Eastern Europe for the following reasons:
- Cost-effective access to the best experts
- Numerous potential employees
- A command of the English language and close cultural ties
South And South East Asia
Outsourcing web development services to countries like India and the Philippines can save you a lot of money while getting access to some of the best web development talent in the world.
However, for smaller US-based firms, the challenges posed by cultural differences may be insurmountable.
South America
One of the newest outsourcing hotspots, this continent is home to professionals who can build quality websites for affordable prices. South American nations are making progress toward establishing business practises and educating professionals on par with their counterparts in Asia and Eastern Europe.
Takeaways On Outsourcing Website Design And Development
There are three things to keep in mind to make the most of your outsourced web development project:
- For each task to be completed successfully, it is essential that you have a well-defined understanding of your website’s needs before you begin the process of outsourcing.
- To the point: To an outsourcing firm, customer feedback is priceless. Giving them timely feedback and being transparent about your worries, wants, and directives will help them comprehend your perspective and the needs of the project.
- Most problems start when the agency either does not understand what you want from the project or your expectations are too high for what they can deliver. It’s important to go into the interview process with a clear idea of what you want from your potential agency partner.
