Going online will be a necessary part of doing business in 2024. Even if you already have a concept for a website that can help your business grow, there are still a lot of questions to be answered about its development.
Is it better to hire an in-house team or hire a third-party firm to develop your website? Where can you find the right partner if it's the latter?
Collective Ray has worked with business owners from all over the world as an outsourcing company with over 9 years of experience. As a result, we've compiled a list of hacks that speed up the web development process while also protecting both parties from shady deals.
We've compiled answers to the most common questions you might have about outsourcing website development in 2022, as well as its benefits and drawbacks.
We also provide some web development project estimates as well as tips and tricks that will help you achieve the desired results at the end of your collaboration with the hired team.
5 reasons to outsource web development services
Many web apps started out as small businesses that grew into large corporations. Delegating an increasing number of technical and other tasks to outsourcing teams, particularly web development outsourcing companies, is one of the main reasons for their success.
The following are five compelling reasons to outsource web development:
1. Wise resource management
One of the primary reasons why companies choose to outsource website development is to save money. You can hire a fully staffed outsourcing company to implement your project instead of hiring and training an entire team of designers, developers, project managers, and so on. Naturally, this saves you months of time and effort in assembling a top-notch in-house team. And, if you conduct thorough research, you will most likely find a dependable outsourcing partner who will provide excellent service at a reasonable cost. Furthermore, you are not responsible for the team's taxes, insurance, office space, or other social benefits in this scenario. Overall, outsourcing web development saves you two key resources.
2. Access to top-notch web developers
Outsourcing web development firms focus on assembling a team of talented and experienced specialists who deliver outstanding results in order to stay competitive.
If you conduct a thorough background check of the company's reviews, letters of recommendation, and case studies, you are likely to hire a group of true professionals.
We'll go over how to find the right team for your project in more detail later.
3. Hassle-free scaling
Scaling your web project is an excellent motivator for outsourced web development companies to meet your requirements and an indicator of business growth.
Most firms have multiple ongoing projects and, as a result, employ more people than your project requires. If your idea requires more specialists at any point, the agency can usually provide them.
4. Meeting your business priorities
Outsourcing website development allows you to concentrate on your core business while delegating development to those who are best at it.
In most cases, the client is most involved in outsourcing at the start, when there are numerous issues to discuss, such as the website's main idea, design, included features, requirements and deadlines, and so on.
After you've agreed on these points, all you have to do now is check the results from time to time.
If you don't want to be involved in the entire development process, you can save time and focus on your core business objectives.
5. Lightspeed launch
Outsourcing software development allows you to get a project up and running quickly, especially if you find developers who are highly skilled and experienced in building websites in your industry.
You can quickly test your business idea, fix bugs, and improve your website this way.
Outsourcing vs outstaffing vs in-house team
When it comes to developing web products, there are a few different work models to consider. We'll look at outstaffing and hiring your own team of in-house developers in addition to outsourcing.
Let's go over the advantages and disadvantages of each model.
The project owner, the project itself, and the team executing the project are all essential participants in the web development process.
The project owner builds their own web development team in the in-house team model. They collaborate on the project as part of a single company, working under one roof.
When an in-house team isn't enough to complete a web project, the project manager must seek out additional outside help.
In this case, the product owner can use the platform to hire remote IT professionals from other businesses.
Outstaffing model
The project owner entrusts the entire web development process to an outsourced company when he or she outsources website development.
Web developers, designers, and other specialists are provided by the hired company, which is overseen by a project manager who also reports to the project owner on the status of the website development
The table below compares these three models so you can make an educated decision based on your needs:
|
Model |
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|---|
|
Outsourcing |
|
|
|
Outstaffing |
|
|
|
In-house team |
|
|
Because each project is unique in terms of size, data sensitivity, and other factors, there is no universal answer as to which model is best.
How to outsource web development: a step-by-step guide
Now it's time to break down the steps you'll need to take to find the best web development outsourcing partner into three main categories:
1. Establish your primary business objectives and requirements.
Every detail matters in this situation. What type of website do you want to create? What do you hope to accomplish with your web project? Who is your target audience, and how will your website benefit them?
Make a list of everything that comes to mind about this project. It will also improve the efficiency and productivity of your communication with outsourcing companies.
2. Plan out your project's timeline and budget.
The amount of money you have to spend on this project, as well as the website development outsourcing company you choose, has a direct impact on its complexity.
We'll get into the specifics of web development costs later in this article.
When it comes to the timeline, you'll only be able to determine an exact release date once you've found the development team.
However, a rough time estimate based on the project's technical requirements may influence your outsourcing company selection.
Those with more experience and access to top-tier specialists are more likely to stick to tight deadlines and deliver on time.
3. Establish your outsourcing company's requirements.
Before you look for the ideal partner to help you put your idea into action, you must first determine what this partnership is like. Make a list of the qualities that are most important to you.
Previous work experience, location, hourly rate, as well as the company's reputation and core values, are all possible factors.
Finally, you'll have a list of key requirements to help you narrow down a short list of the best candidates for the job.
For example, this could be an offshore web development firm with experience developing educational platforms and a commitment to being both economically and environmentally sustainable.
4. Select a reputable website development outsourcing firm.
Make a list of 10 to 15 outsourcing web development companies that meet all of the established criteria. They should be able to meet your needs in terms of budget, location, and experience, as well as have real reviews and case studies that you can examine.
After you've compiled this list, contact them to make a final decision or, at the very least, to compile a short list of the most suitable agencies.
5. Sign a contract and an NDA agreement
Making the collaboration official is always recommended by reputable outsourcing web development agencies.
Typically, a contract will cover:
- The conditions of website creation
- The preliminary software development budget
- Both participants' rights and obligations
- Warranties
- The most important definitions for the development process
A non-disclosure agreement(NDA) is also required to ensure confidentiality.
An outsourced development company promises to keep the information you share with the team safe by signing this document.
How to choose the best outsourced development agency
Web development outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular among business owners. Outsourcing can help you save money, gain access to the best web developers in the world, and get your product to market faster if you work with a trustworthy team.
We've compiled a list of tips for selecting an outsourced development agency to assist you in making the best decision possible:
Check out the reputation of the company you're going to outsource your web development work to. Naturally, few agencies are as eager to share their failure stories as they are to share their successes. You'll need to dig deeper than the company's website for reviews and case studies.
Background checks can be aided by platforms such as Clutch, GoodFirms, and Upwork. There, you can read real customer reviews and even contact the company's previous customers for candid feedback.
We also recommend looking at social media, corporate blogs, and the news. Then, based on personal communication, you can make your final decision.
Choose outsourcing companies that have completed successful web projects in your field. A web outsourcing agency with a well-implemented health care app, for example, is more likely to meet your needs if you need to develop an online medical assistant app.
Create a strong line of communication. It is easier to form effective partnerships when everyone is on the same page.
You must be at ease throughout the entire negotiation process with a web development outsourcing company.
Ask yourself the following questions to make sure you are:
- Is the team aware of all of my requests and requirements?
- Is there any annoyance caused by cultural or linguistic differences?
- Is communication with the third party properly managed, taking into account the time zone difference?
- How long must I wait for a response?
The more both parties work toward mutual understanding, the more fruitful the collaboration will be.
Where to find a web development outsourcing company
You can search for outsourcing development agencies on a variety of platforms.
We've compiled a list of the most useful and informative websites that clients use.
Each of these platforms takes a different approach to classification.
Some people are concerned about web development outsourcing companies' reputations, as well as their clients' ratings, reviews, and expertise.
Others show portfolios of web design and development teams, as well as individual freelancers. You can look through these platforms and pick the one that best suits your needs.
- Clutch is a website that allows users to rate and review IT and other businesses. It has developed its own classification system, which is based on five main criteria:
- Proficiency level
- Client loyalty based on reviews
- Awards and length of time on the market are two factors to consider.
- A variety of services
- Rates
Clutch offers a Matchmaking Program, which is a free service. You can use this program to share details about your web project, post tech tasks, and receive offers from outsourcing companies ready to take on the project.
- GoodFirms is a platform for IT company and software research and reviews. What distinguishes this service from other platforms is:
- The best service providers are chosen using a sophisticated algorithm.
- Customer-centric criteria are used to assign ratings.
- Updates on a regular basis
GoodFirms is an excellent resource for locating real-world examples of competitive projects that a potential partner has already completed. There are a number of filters available to help you find the right specialist.
Dribbble is a self-promotion and social networking platform for digital designers and creatives, whether they work for a company or are self-employed. Shots — small parts of projects — in the form of illustrations, micro-interactions, UI/UX designs, animations, and web designs are showcased on Dribbble by experts.
You can assess designers' abilities here, pick the one you like best, and contact them right away.
- Upwork is one of the most popular freelancing platforms, connecting businesses with freelancers and agencies, including those in the IT field. Upwork's approach is distinguished by the following characteristics:
- Only invitees will be admitted, with a focus on social interactions.
- Filters are based on an action or a time frame.
- Tags are used to narrow down the results.
Only registered users have access to parts of projects and the option to contact Dribble users.
- Behance is a website that allows you to share and discover creative work. This website serves as a showcase for photographers, web developers, and designers to show off their work and be inspired by the work of others.
Behance is notable for the following features:
- Anyone can join without an invitation.
- Filter by date, action, and location to find what you're looking for.
- Members have access to the completed works, collections, and detailed creation process of other members.
- Messages can be sent without registering.
How much does it cost to outsource web development?
It's difficult to accurately calculate the overall cost of your project when outsourcing website development because it's influenced by a variety of factors.
Among them are the following:
- The size of the web products you're planning to build
- The process of web development's complexity
- The number of experts who are involved
- The amount of time needed for development
- Hourly rate of the firm you select
This last factor may differ depending on where a web development outsourcing company is located. Let's look at the hourly rates in three of the most popular outsourcing locations.
The stereotype of top-tier IT specialists hailing primarily from the United States is rapidly dissipating.
Today, web developers from Eastern Europe and Asia are gaining traction and attracting clients from all over the world. Furthermore, when compared to average hourly rates in North America, these regions offer IT, engineers a 30% discount.
Similarly, according to HackerRank research, less expensive IT engineers from Asia and Eastern Europe do not provide lower quality.
Conclusion
Finding a trustworthy partner to whom you can outsource web design and development is no easy task. However, we hope that this article will assist you in avoiding risks, signing a contract with a reputable outsourcing firm, and working together to turn your concept into a flawlessly implemented web project.
Toptal (linked below) will gladly create a custom web solution for you, whether it's for a business, a non-profit project, or a startup. Contact them, and they'll set up a free consultation to talk about your concept and how to make it a reality.
Outsource your development to Toptal
Outsourced Website Development FAQs
Is outsourcing website development the best option for my company?
Outsourcing web development isn't a viable option for everyone. Outsourcing may be the best option for you if you're not building a massive long-term innovative product, but rather a web platform to enhance an existing business. It can save you time and money while still delivering high-quality results. Furthermore, even if you require additional assistance after the project is completed, many development agencies, including Mind Studios, will eagerly keep in touch with you to make any necessary changes to the website.
What should I look for when interviewing outsourcing companies?
You can discuss the details of your project and determine whether the outsourcing company can implement it based on their previous experience during your first meeting with your prospective partner.
Furthermore, we recommend that you inquire about those aspects of the job that are important to you personally. What are the company's guiding principles? What is the team's strategy for dealing with problems? How do they ensure that their work is of high quality?
In the technical interview, you can inquire about the outsourced web development company's technology focus and coding practices, as well as ask for references from previous clients. It's also common to have the team complete a small technical task to see if they're up to the task of taking on your project and developing an effective custom solution. You can also request the CVs of the company's team members who will be working on your website.
Should I outsource website development to an onshore or an offshore company?
The scale of the project and your involvement in it will determine the answer to this question.
An onshore team would be a better choice if you want to be in control of each stage of the development process and be in constant contact. In this case, however, you may want to reconsider outsourcing development and instead try to build your own in-house team.
If, on the other hand, you simply would like to receive regular updates on the project’s progress, there is no significant difference between onshore and offshore companies. Fortunately, despite the time zone differences, there are numerous digital tools available to assist you in managing communication.
What is the best way to locate a reputable web development firm?
Clutch is one of our personal favorites among rating and review sites. Client feedback is verified by the website's managers by contacting them directly, so there's almost no chance of encountering fake reviews.
Clutch lets you sort businesses by budget, price, location, and other factors, as well as read reviews. It can also provide you with a custom shortlist of web design and development firms based on your specifications.
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Disclosure: This page may contain links to external sites for products which we love and wholeheartedly recommend. If you buy products we suggest, we may earn a referral fee. Such fees do not influence our recommendations and we do not accept payments for positive reviews.
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