There is no denying that every modern company needs a website. The dilemma, however, comes when it’s time to decide whether it is best to hire an in-house development team or outsource to a third-party development company. There are both pros and cons for both alternatives. The pros of outsourcing, though, are simply too beneficial for companies of all sizes to pass up.
Let’s review some of the most notable ones.
Outsourcing to Save Money and Time
Whether your company decides to work with Laravel, WordPress, or .Net developers, outsourcing can save your business time and money in the long run. It doesn’t matter if your company is a startup, an established large enterprise, or revamping things, outsourcing your website development needs is incredibly beneficial for a number of reasons.
- Building a website takes valuable time away from actually running a business. As a CEO, project manager, or employee of the sort, trying to lead a team of in-house developers may consume more of your valuable time than you may be expecting – or even take you away from your primary role completely. By working with a third-party development company, you can focus on your core tasks and actually conducting business after the initial first steps of the process.
- Whether the company is in the same country as your own or on a different continent, the cost will be considerably lower than those associated with the cost of retaining an employee of your own business. It’s important to also factor in other fees associated with hiring a new employee, such as necessary infrastructure or recruitment expenses. Additionally, your employee may decide to quit, which means your company would need to rehire all over again. This is not a problem with an outsourced company.
- When building an in-house team, what you see is what you get when it comes to manpower. The hiring of an outsourcing company allows for scalability as the need arises to help take care of tasks, move at a faster pace, and accomplish more goals. This also translates to additional time saved, as you wouldn’t have to go through the exhausting hiring process over and over again as your company’s needs grow. The third-party company can take care of everything for you.
- Typically, website development companies feature employees with a wide variety of skillsets and niches within the tech industry. From .Net development and Linux experts to user experience professionals and quality assurance testers, third-party companies offer a multitude of professionals to meet your needs. When your company requires a unique addition or change to your website project, chances are that your outsourcing company has someone on-staff already with the skills required to complete the task. Besides, that new addition will almost surely come with the most updated knowledge of the latest technologies and trends.
- Outsourcing companies face a much higher liability than in-house staff members, which makes them less of a risk for your own company. If a third-party does not follow through on an agreement or makes mistakes, they are responsible versus your own team members on your own dime.
Tips for the Web Development Process With an Outsourcing Company
- Know what your company needs. – In order to find the best, most effective outsourcing company for your business, you should know what you are looking for in terms of technology and overall design. Whether you’re looking to revamp an existing site, design a totally new one, or venture into the world of mobile applications, having even a basic plan outlined will save your company additional time and money.
- Ask questions when needed. – Chances are that if you’re hiring a website development company, you are not a developer yourself and have probably not heard of the technical jargon that comes along with these projects. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when interviewing companies to save headaches later on.
- Make sure a clear communication plan is in place. – After you hire a development company, make sure that a communication plan is fully defined and understood by all parties involved. Since it’s very common to hire companies in other countries and time zones, make sure that everyone involved understands the preferred language of communication and general time zones for operation. Be sure to choose the communication channels, such as email, Slack, and Skype, for simplified coordination.
- Prepare to work in sprints. – Most development companies follow an “agile” development process, which means they split large projects into smaller phases called sprints. This makes the quality assurance process easier and can break up the payment process. After hiring a company, work with their project managers to create a realistic timeline and project milestones.
Outsourcing your company’s development needs can save time, money, and headaches in the long run. By choosing the right company to meet your needs and establishing a solid working timeline from the start, a third-party company is an ideal solution for all of your website needs.