Web developer

Web Development: How Can Outsourcing Help Your Business?

3/02/ 2023   |   USource Team  |   Outsourcing

Web development is an essential aspect of any business today. It’s not the core aspect of most businesses, but it should be done right and done well. Even if you don’t sell online, your website should be the central pillar of your online presence.

People working

The goal of web development is to create a user-friendly and visually appealing website that meets the needs of the business, organization or person.

Having a professional and user-friendly website allows businesses to easily showcase their products and services, provide information, and engage with customers.

Web development also enables businesses to gather valuable data on customer behavior and preferences, which can be used to improve their marketing and sales strategies.

Outsourcing web development can help your business in several ways, including cost-effectiveness, access to skilled professionals, and increased efficiency.

Gears and money

Cost Savings

Outsourcing as a cost-effective solution for web development projects.

When you outsource web development, you skip the costly hiring process and all the overhead costs. You can have a by project contract with agency developers, getting the expertise you need when you need it.

You access specialized skills and expertise that’s too expensive to hire in-house.

For example, a business may need a developer with specific experience in a particular programming language or framework, and outsourcing allows them to find someone with that specific skill set.

When you outsource web development, you can also scale up or down depending on the demand. For example, hiring a team for migration or a security upgrade, and scaling down to one developer for routine maintenance and updates.

Access to Expertise

By outsourcing certain tasks or projects, companies can tap into the expertise of individuals or organizations that have specialized knowledge or experience in a specific field or industry.

For example, a company may choose to outsource its IT support and maintenance to specialists instead of DIY-ing it.

The web developers’ wide range of technical skills and knowledge can help the company improve the performance and security of its IT systems.

Outsourcing web development also has the advantage of bringing your website the latest advancements and best practices for user experience. Your customers would choose you when your website has no friction points for any of its navigation and transactions.

How outsourcing help businesses stay up-to-date

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33% of small businesses outsource to have flexible resources. And it is no wonder they do because of the updating technologies and applications in web development/design. If you can’t dedicate a time for your in-house workers to learn the new trends, expect you’ll be left behind.

Outsourced service providers like USource fill what you lack. They have a talent pool, upskilled and experienced to help you stay up-to-date on best practices when it comes to web development and technology support.

  • Navigation: 73.1% of web designers believe that a non-responsive design is the top reason why visitors leave the website. Make your responsive navigation clear and concise- consistent across all pages. User friendly labels are also important to provide a clear understanding on what each section of the website contains.
  • Interaction: A simple and intuitive user interface can make navigating your website easier. Optimize your loading speed, accessibility, and device compatibility through outsourcing.
  • Security and Compliance: Protect your website against potential security threats and adhere to industry regulations and standards. Ensure you have data protection and privacy measures on your payment processing systems and user data.
  • SEO and On-Page Marketing: Maintaining an up-to-date website includes keyword research and optimization to optimize your website for relevant keywords and phrases. Service providers like USource can integrate your website with Google Analytics and other tracking tools to monitor website performance and user behavior.
  • Content: Upload and update your content library. At USource, your web dev can partner with copywriters and SEO specialists for consistently posting relevant, high-quality, and engaging content that keeps users interested and engaged with your website.
  • Design: Users care about the visual appearance of your website. Pair user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing design with an attention to details and appearance.
    Performance: Optimize your website for quick and efficient website operation. Service providers like USource have the resources to run with high-quality images at fast loading speed.

Adapting to the ever-changing landscape of emerging technology and consumer preferences can sound impossible for startups with no or limited access to website developers. Their options for breakthrough? Hire more in-house employees or outsource to a web development team or staff.

Web Development: In-house VS Outsourced

A poorly designed and optimized website drives over 50% of your potential customers to your competitors. Whether you’re on the stage of building, maintaining, updating, or optimizing your website, you have to choose between an in-house team or an outsourced staff to take on this responsibility for you.

To choose the best option, consider the differences of having an in-house or outsourced team.

In-House

Outsourced

Cost

Higher upfront costs due to salaries, benefits, and overhead expenses.

Cost effective with reduced overhead costs and ability to choose pricing models.

Adaptability

Quick response to changing needs and direction of the company.

Flexible and responsive, and communicates through tools.

Skills and Expertise

Limited to the skills and expertise of the in-house team.

Have a wider pool of skills and expertise through outsourcing specialized teams or individual contractors.

Process

Direct control and management.

Efficient development processes with clear communication and defined project management systems.

Quality

Ensure quality control through close supervision and integration with company processes.

Varies depending on the quality of the outsourcing partner, but can still maintain high quality through clear communication and project management.

Recruitment Time

Can take longer due to internal processes, resource allocation, and other priorities.

Faster with dedicated resources and streamlined processes.

How to get started with outsourcing web development

59% of businesses outsource a dedicated web developer to control costs and increase their work efficiency. One of your biggest advantages of outsourcing to service providers like USource is the team or staff of experienced web developers ready to upgrade your website.

But you should avoid making hasty decisions when choosing a person or a team to handle a crucial business asset. Below are the following steps to help you get started with outsourcing web development.

1. Define your needs

Person holding a long list and giant pen

Before you start looking for a web developer, it’s important to define exactly what you need from your website. This will include the number of pages, the type of content, and any specific features that you need from format to style. Draw a prototype, sample, or specific preferences.

Having a clear understanding of your project scope will make it easier for you to set expectations. And it will also help the developer build the website based on your needs.

2. Research developers

Person with glasses coming through a book or record

Once you know what you need, you can start researching agencies who offer web design. You can start selecting them based on their company websites. See if it aligns with your preferences. You can also ask them for reviews, samples, and portfolios of previous projects.

Contact their previous clients. If you know businesses who outsource, ask for references because experience is a trustworthy source. When researching, consider their price package, timeline, process, and their work culture- select what suits your needs.

3. Communicate clearly

Person holding an envelope and notification bell

Once you’ve chosen a developer, it’s important to communicate clearly with them to ensure that they understand your needs and can deliver the website under your expectations.

Overcommunicate on messaging tools like Slack and email. You can also talk to them face to face using video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet. And set milestones, provide detailed instructions, and stay in touch throughout the development process using project management tools.

4. Share your access

Person knocking on a door

Your web devs should be able to come in and do the necessary updates and fixes as needed. Your website is the extension of your business, and you should take admin privileges seriously. You can use password management tools or manually keep track of who has access to what.

Outsource to service providers like USource who have compliance protocols to keep your logins safe.

Where to outsource staff for web development

There are several options for outsourcing staff in web development, including:

1. Freelance marketplaces such as Upwork, Freelancer, and Guru, where you can hire individual web developers or teams on a project basis.

2. Staffing agencies that specialize in web development, such as USource, Hired and Toptal.

3. Offshore development centers in countries such as India, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe, where you can hire web developers at lower rates than in developed countries.

4. Platforms like Fiverr, which focuses on small jobs and projects, and 99designs, which focuses on design and creative work.

5. Social media platforms like LinkedIn where you can find web developers that are looking for freelance or remote work.

The right fit for your business

There are several advantages to outsourcing web development for organizations, including cost savings, access to skilled individuals with specialized expertise and experience, enhanced efficiency and production, and the opportunity to concentrate on core business activities.

The capacity to rapidly expand a company’s online presence, respond to shifting market conditions, and leapfrog the competition are all advantages that can be gained by outsourcing web development.

With the right approach, outsourcing web development can help firms increase their online visibility and progress toward their objectives.