Website Design & Development: Should You Trust a Freelancer or Hire an Agency?

We live in a digital age where technology holds a supreme position and almost no task can be completed without it. People now head to the internet for any information they need and your business too might be something they are interested in. For your business to achieve this kind of success you need to focus on website design and development.

One of the most crucial factors to consider before you create a website is whether you should do it yourself, find a freelancer with it, or hire an agency. Beginners with limited resources tend to turn towards freelance web developers as it is a more economic option. However, some of you might even feel that the website will get more out of an agency. We will help you make this decision regarding which website design and development service to choose.

What is website design and development?

Website design and development can be divided into three areas of development which are:

• Front-end Development- This is a process by which data is converted to a user-interface with the help of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript so that users can be engaged in the data easily.
• Back-end Development- This is the part of website design and development that deals with the servers and all that communicates between the browser and database.
• Database technology- This is the possession of collecting, analyzing, and storing data in a way that users can find it easily without any hassle.

Your website goals will determine how complex each of these areas of development will turn out to be.

Will building your own website save you money?

Investing in your own business is a big decision, one that takes courage and money. Budget-conscious owners sometimes decide to build the website on their own as they believe it will be less costly. However, ultimately, due to the complete lack of technical skills, owners tend to leave the website design and development midway. They end up seeking help and guidance from either a freelancing portal or an agency.

Web Design and Development: The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Freelancer

There are various freelancing portals available that connect brands with freelancers. These portals are easy to use and cost almost next to nothing. There are website design and development companies that provide the services of trained freelancers. We have a list of pros and cons of hiring a freelancer that will help you choose which way to go.

Pros:

• Low cost- Freelancers ask for a lot less money than an agency or other companies. While this may sound very inviting and appealing while you are looking for website design and development experts, you must not compromise on the work quality. Hire someone who knows what they are doing.
• High flexibility- Freelancers are more flexible in nature than agencies as they do not have fixed hours of work. They are usually available at any time and hour. You can even hire multiple freelancers and once the work is finished, let them go. There is more scope for negotiating work hours and pay scale with freelancers as well.
• Quality and skill- While looking for a website design and development company, make sure you pay close attention to their quality of work and skills. There is a system of grading on the freelance portals where previous employers have rated the freelancers. The ones with maximum ratings are the best ones and you can choose from amongst them.

Cons:

• Lack of continuity- Website design and development is not a project that can be finished in one day. It requires consistent efforts and hard work to create a website that will attract traffic for you. Freelancers tend to have a problem with continuity since they are not bound by a contract. This can cause much harm to your business development.
• Lack of supervisory control- Unlike website design and development companies, freelancers lack supervisory control. There is a high chance of getting duped or not getting the results you expected.
• Breach of secrecy- Since freelancers cannot be controlled or supervised, they might have accounts on multiple portals leading to a breach of your secrecy and confidentiality.

Web Design and Development: The Pros and Cons of Hiring an Agency

These are commonly known as web design and development outsourcing agencies. You can hire a team of web developers from these agencies and they will be solely dedicated to working for your website.

Pros:

• Cultural fit- Agencies are more professional in nature than freelancers in most cases, exceptions barred. When you hire a team, you can rest assured that it will be the perfect cultural fit for your organization. They are trained in a way that you don’t have to train them or provide guidance in any way.
• Long-term approach- There is a scope for building long-term partnerships with an agency, something very difficult with freelancers. The individuals working might change but the quality and skills remain the same. This brings consistency to your business.
• Reliability- Outsourcing agencies have very strict work ethics and quality control procedures which helps build a customer’s trust in them. A freelancer can ditch you and your business at any moment but an agency remains true to its commitment.

Cons:

• Lack of trusted agencies- While we discussed how agencies can be trusted, in reality, there is a lack of trusted agencies. The ones that are good are genuinely good but in a time when people mostly care about personal profits, there are many agencies that are waiting to dupe you. Make sure that you check their portfolio, read the contract, and speak with other customers before choosing an agency.
• More costly- This is a truth that is out there for everyone. Agencies cost a lot more than freelancers due to reasons like better quality, ethical work discipline, etc. They also meticulously train the web developers which requires resources.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that both freelance marketplaces and outsourcing agencies have their fair share of pros and cons which need to be mitigated and checked before making any decision. A web design and development agency offers a more balanced approach to business with lesser risks while freelancers offer a more liberal environment. While website design and development companies or agencies offer more reliability, freelancers can save a lot of money for you. With this clear picture in mind, choose the one that will best meet all your needs.