In-House vs. Agency for Designing Your Website
In today’s modern age, owning a business without having a website to market products and services is becoming more and more unheard of. Whether you are a new business looking to launch your first website, or an established business that needs to update your current site. You may have asked yourself who should design your website, in-house or agency.
The question of in-house vs. agency is a common one and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. There are advantages and disadvantages to both in-house design, or outsourcing design to an agency and you as a business owner will need to weigh the differences of both.Here are some advantages and disadvantages of in-house vs. agency:
In-House Advantages:
· In-house staff may have a vested interest in the success of the website project
· You have complete control over the design and maintenance of your website
· In-house staffare familiar with the ins and outs of your company, so this can prove advantageous when there is a project that needs to be completed on the fly
· Company trade secrets are kept confidential in-house
In-House Disadvantages:
· You may not have in-house staff with all the skills needed in order to effectively complete projects
· Utilizing in-house staff to design and maintain your website means less staff available to work on daily business operations
· Meeting design deadlines can be more challenging, as in-house staff are needed to address any upcoming issues/tasks that may need to be done immediately
Agency Advantages:
· Access to a broad range of skills from agency staff, all under one roof
· Can be more cost efficient, as an agency has the skills and expertise to get the job done quickly and completed the right way, the first time around
· Can provide a fresh new perspective on the latest website design trends
· Can provide continuous ongoing website maintenance and updates, when needed
Agency Disadvantages:
· Business trade secrets would need to be revealed to agency staff, though a reputable company will have NDAs in place and be committed to protecting client information
· It takes time to research a suitable agency
· Reputable agencies may not be able to accommodate your project immediately, due to number of other clients they are working with.
Whether you choose to go in-house vs. agency for website design and development depends on what your website needs are, what skills your current in-house staff possess, what your budget is and a number of other factors. A careful analysis of what your needs and resources are will help you determine whether to choose in-house, or agency for your website project.
