Insights, Web Development

How to Outsource Website Development? [The Pocket Go-to Guide]

6 Best Practices to Consider When You Hire a Third Party Web Development Provider

Outsourcing your web development services to a third-party provider can be a great way to give your clients high-quality websites without the need to invest in an in-house team. This might sound intimidating, especially since your brand will be on the final product and you need to be sure it comes out as expected. This is why in this article we’ll explain what does outsourcing involve exactly, and how to find the right provider to do the job?

How to Outsource Website Development?

When you’re looking to outsource website development, it’s important to choose an agency that will be a good fit for your business. There are a few key factors to consider when making your decision, such as cost, location, expertise, communication, and white label services. So let’s see the best practices for outsourcing website development.

Step 1: Project Definition

As with everything else, let’s start from the beginning.  When you decide to outsource web development services, start by defining your project. Be clear about what the website needs to achieve and craft a detailed plan of action.

To do so, try answering the following questions:

  • What goals do you wish your website to achieve?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What features do you need on your website?
  • What is your budget for this project?
  • When do you need your website completed?

Once you have answered these questions, you can then start looking for a web development company that can help you turn your vision into reality.

Step 2: Research Potential Providers

With your project defined, start researching potential web development agencies. There are many factors to consider when choosing a provider, such as a cost, quality of work, and turnaround time.

You can ask for recommendations from other businesses that have outsourced website development to start outlining a list of potential providers. Or you can search in popular and reputable platforms such as Awwwards, Clutch, UpworkBehance, and Dribbble, where freelance talents and web development studios showcase their work. Once you have at least a few choices, start your research in order to make an educated decision.

  • Take some time to read online reviews for each web development provider.
  • Check out their portfolios.
  • Get in touch with each provider and ask for quotes based on your requirements and deadline.
  • Put together a brief document outlining your requirements before you start shopping around for providers. This will make it easier for you to explain what you want, and it will also help to ensure that you get proposals that are in line with your needs.

Once you’ve found a few potential providers, take the time to speak with them on the phone or via video call. This will give you a chance to get a feel for their communication style and see if they seem like a good fit for your project.

Step 3: Evaluate the Cost

To evaluate the cost of outsourcing website development, here are a few important factors to consider:

Project Scope: Consider the size and scope of your project. How many unique pages do you need for your website? What features are the must-haves? The more complex the project, the higher will be the cost.Developers’ Expertise: Naturally, developers with more experience and expertise charge more than less experienced ones. However, make sure that you’re really getting quality work responding to the higher price tag by choosing a team with a good track record.

Your Time and Expertise: If you have the time and expertise to manage the project yourself, you may be able to save money by doing so. However, if you’re not confident in your abilities, it’s probably worth paying someone else to do it as mistakes can be costly.

Step 4: Choose Your Provider

Here’s the final step in curating the right web development provider for your project. You’ve done your research and now it’s time to use that data to find the best website development provider for your needs.

Experience and expertise: When you check out the provider’s portfolio to see examples of their work, make sure to see if they have experience with developing the exact type of website you need.

Cost: Don’t forget to factor in the cost of services when choosing a provider.Location: Depending on your project requirements, you may want to consider the pros and cons of working with a local provider or one based in another country. Both alternatives bring a lot of benefits.

Communication: Good communication is essential when working with any outsourcing partner. Once you’ve contacted different providers, you will know which provider you feel most comfortable communicating with and be confident they understand your vision for the project.

White label: Especially when you need white label web development services, make sure the provider does offer them under the guise of being your own in-house service. Such providers will sign the necessary NDAs even before the project starts.

Step 5: The Brief

Not having a creative brief can increase the risk of mixing strategies, and more back-and-forth emails or meetings, information silos, and everything that can occur due to the lack of defining and planning the project from the beginning.

In some cases, the web development provider will prepare a creative brief, however, this doesn’t mean you can’t take the initiative. You, as a client, have the most knowledge of what the end product should be like and what goals it should accomplish, so you can certainly write the creative brief before handing the project to a creative team.

Even so, that role often goes to the manager or leader of the web development team. Their expertise allows them to ask the right questions, and get the crucial information in order to help you outline your vision and requirements. Don’t hesitate to ask the provider to prepare a brief.

Step 6: Test and Launch

Let’s say you’ve already found a reputable website development company to work with. Now it’s time to put them to the test. Before handing over the reins completely, you can do a trial run to make sure they’re up to the task.

Start by giving them a small project, such as developing a single landing page. This will give you a chance to see how they work and how responsive they are to your feedback. Once you’re happy with the results, you can move on to larger projects.

Throughout the process, be sure to keep communication open. Give clear instructions and deadlines, and check in regularly to see how things are going. If there are any problems, address them immediately.

By working together closely, you can ensure a smooth and successful launch of your new website.

Why You Should Outsource Web Development?

There are many reasons to outsource web development services. Here are a few of the most common ones:

Cost savings: Outsourcing web development can be significantly cheaper than hiring in-house staff.Access to experts: When you outsource web development, you have access to a global pool of skilled workers. This means you can find the best talent for your project, regardless of location.

Increasing efficiency: You can often get your project done more quickly and efficiently than if you were to do it in-house. This is because outsourced developers are typically highly specialized and focused on getting the job done quickly.

Flexibility: When you outsource web development, you have the ability to scale up or down as needed. This flexibility can be very helpful when your needs change over time.

Focus on your business: Outsourcing web development frees up time and resources for you to focus on your core business goals and objectives. This allows you to put more energy into growing your business, rather than worrying about the technical details of your website.

Security: You no longer have to worry about the complicated technical details involved in website development and maintenance. The web development service will take care of ongoing website updates and security for you, so you can rest assured that your site is always up-to-date and protected against any potential threats.

Outsourcing vs Outstaffing vs In-House Team

Outsourcing website development can be a great way to get your site up and running quickly and efficiently. However, it’s important to understand the difference between outsourcing, outstaffing, and an in-house team before you make a decision.

Outsourcing refers to hiring a company or individual to complete a specific web development project for you. This is often used for one-time projects or when you don’t have the internal resources to complete the work.

Outstaffing is similar to outsourcing, however, instead of hiring a company, you’re hiring an individual contractor to work as part of your team. This can be a great option if you need someone with specific skills or knowledge for a short-term project.

An in-house team is when you have a dedicated team of web developers who work on your web applications full-time. This option is way more expensive than outsourcing or outstaffing, however, it can also provide more flexibility and control over the development process.

How Much Does it Cost to Outsource Web Development?

Outsourcing can save you money on your next web project. This can be a huge advantage for agencies that don’t have the budget or expertise to develop a complex website internally. But how much does it actually cost?

There are a few factors that will affect the cost, including the scope of the project, its complexity, and the size of the team.

The scope of the project is probably the biggest factor that will affect the cost. If you have a large and complex project, it will likely cost more to outsource than if you have a smaller and simpler project.

The size of the team also affects the cost. If you need a large team of developers, it will obviously cost more than if you only need a small team.

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to pay anywhere from $20-$100 per hour for outsourced web development services.

 

Are you looking for white label web development? Schedule a meeting with our tech-savvy managers to discuss if this approach is right for your business.

 

To Sum Up

Outsourcing web development can be a huge win for agencies to expand their services. When it partners with web development company, especially one that offers white label services, the agency can give its clients full service from design and development to hosting and maintenance. This can bring great value to clients, and it can help the agency differentiate itself from its competitors.

When you’re looking to outsource website development, it’s important to choose a provider that will be a good fit for your project. This includes competitive pricing without compromising on quality; experience in developing websites that are similar to the one you have in mind; as well as excellent communication skills and availability.

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