Outsourcing your web design services means assigning a part of your business process, in this case, the web development process to external contractors. You can outsource any of your business operations from accounting, sales, and marketing, to building the system architecture.
There are two ways to outsource your web design process – offshore development and onshore development. In the first, you outsource your project to the company headquartered in another country and working in another time zone whereas, in the later model, you pick the company that works and is headquartered in the same country where your business is headquartered too.
Most of the companies around the world don’t need full-time web designers and programmers so they don’t hire them in the first place but they need a website for their business so they need offshore development companies to provide them with web design and development services.
As per the survey by Outsource Insight, almost 71% of businesses around the world choose to outsource their web design projects.
This also includes some of the top Fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Microsoft, Apple, and more because these top companies like to collaborate with the experts offshore and trust the remote team to meet their business requirements.
Overview
- Cost-Efficiency: Research conducted by Glassdoor states that a company on average pays approximately $90000 to web developers per year. Now we all know that in-house web development would cost a lot and would need more resources than in comparison to web design outsourcing. You can have access to the top talent and latest technology resources at half the price of in-house web development if you employ offshore developers for your project.
- Global Talent Access: You don’t have to search for the top-tier talent available in the industry, the outsourcing company will take care of it for you. With the elimination of the whole hiring process, you would save a lot of money which can be used in core business KPIs.
What's the Right Time for Outsourcing Web Development?
The need of outsourcing your web design and development project will only arise if:
- The rate of the services provided in your area is higher than the rates of the offshore team.
- If you want the service only once then you don’t need to hire an in-house team of developers.
- You want to get maximum results from your investment (which might be the case when you are just a startup).
- You need an expert level of work to be done which can only be accomplished by the outsourcing team.
- Your business needs an external view that could help with your existing projects and business goals.
- The terms of employment suit both you as a client and a team as a contractor.
- Being a startup, you are in quick need of a cheaper MVP.
- You want to make changes or create new functionalities gradually in the existing projects.
- You need guarantees from the contractor.
If you are in the search of an outsourcing partner then allow me to help you understand why taking such a step might not only fulfill your needs but also solve your project management-related problems.
Limited Budget
Outsourcing web design is cheaper than insourcing. When you want to complete certain tasks on a limited budget then delegate the work to the web development company that would use necessary technology and other resources for your project.
When the Number of Tasks is More than the Given Timeframe
When you are faced with a time constraint, the quality of the work might suffer. So it would be wise to outsource web design and other tasks of a project to the expert development team who are both skilled and experienced enough to complete your project within the given time frame without having any negative impact on the quality of the web development services.
When You Don’t Have Access to the Top Talent
The more the expertise of the web development team, the more milestones they can achieve. The use of the technologies in the web development project should never be limited just because of the skills of a web developer. It is the job of the outsourcing agencies to make sure that you find the right talent required to complete your project. And the added benefit is that training your employees is much more expensive than outsourcing web design.
When You Want Quick Results
The IT industry is constantly changing with various trends that come by now and then. Your in-house design team might not be able to cope up with all the digital innovations happening in the field. So you must consider outsourcing web design. Outsourcing services are capable of delivering expected results in a short term.
How to Make the Most Out of Web Development Outsourcing?
If you wish to make the most out of the collaboration with web development companies then I have a few tips for you.
List Your Requirements to Find the Right Match
Eventually, you are going to run into some setbacks and other problems even if you have hired the topmost company for website development if you haven’t communicated your requirements with all the details. Web projects are a bunch of tasks supervised by a project manager where you need different solutions and approaches for the different tasks if you want your project to be successful.
Once you have prepared a list of project requirements then you should look into the background of the company you want to outsource web design to. Look for whether or not the company has completed any similar project in the past. But before you select one to be your outsourcing partner, make sure you have looked into and talked with several outsourcing companies to make sure that you are picking the best available option.
Be honest and Direct
Whether it is a freelance web developer or an outsourcing company, they work on web projects based on customer input. If you clarify what your needs are and provide honest feedback then only they will be able to help you build a website or a web application you need. The work is not done once the companies outsource their projects to the vendors. You also have to make them understand your point of view, how your business works and what are expecting from the digital product you want your technology partner to build. If you want your project to be successful then you must be direct with details on what you want.
Ask All Doubts and Inquiries
You should be able to predict the path of the web app project from its start to end. It makes you aware of the possible challenges or problems you might face while building websites. This is one of the important aspects when you outsource web design and development projects. A small business owner must address all the concerns and queries before the project starts. This will help them revert or minimize the risks otherwise the consequences will follow with the massive loss which might be able to close their business for good.
Define the Expectations of Your Project
You must also clearly convey what your expectations are from the outsourcing company and the product they are building for you. Even if the planning is done very well, there are full chances that the web design project can go awry. So it is better to discuss your expectations with the design team and offer them more details.
How to Outsource Web Design?
Full Project from scratch
Here, you have to find a vendor that could provide you with the best solution you need and would also fit the criteria including the experience and price. You give them a project for evaluation and they would give you an estimate in return. And if all seems well, you can start working with them on the project. You can hold meetings, and workshops and agree on receiving progress reports on the project at a regular interval determined before the starting of the project.
When the clients and the vendor meet, they usually discuss the details of the project, the features of the product, and more. In the workshops, the UI/UX solutions are discussed along with the way to implement them.
Also, never forget to secure your confidential business data by making them sign a non-disclosure agreement or NDA which prevents them from sharing your business data with any third party which you would share with them during your commute.
Startup
Every startup faces uncertainty so they have to consider it whenever they choose to outsource web design projects. The web developers from the outsourcing team have to do a business analysis and a product discovery when they are working with a startup. For delivering a better user experience, they also need to identify the users as well.
Therefore, it becomes important for the startups to keep in constant touch with the development team. This would allow you to help them develop the product exactly the way you want it. Whenever you pick a vendor, make sure that they are backed with a long experience. To ensure success, it is critical for startups and small businesses to work with a partner that has experience. You might be tempted to pick a company from your neighborhood but the expertise is always measured at a global scale.
Existing Project
It might happen that you have already started your project either with the in-house team or an outsourcing team but due to some complications, you now have to seek another outsourcing partner to complete your project. Or you simply want to upgrade your existing product. So the chances are that your existing model might differ from that of the outsourcing company.
You might also have web designers in your team but what you need is an expert that can refine and update your existing product. When you outsource web design, the irregularities will be high in this case and the management will be completely under the control of the clients. There will be fewer tasks in this case than in the one where the product will be built right from scratch.
But under any conditions, what you need is a company with an ability to deliver long-term co-operation. A good working relationship between clients and vendor is crucial for the success of your project. The average cost will also be low in an existing project.
Outsource Web design: Models
When you outsource the web design process, selecting a suitable pricing model would be very challenging. You must maintain a balance between risk and reward while making sure that your engineering partner delivers solutions with the best quality assurance so that you can get the best ROI. In total, there are three types of pricing models in practice from which clients can choose to gain maximum value.
Fixed-price model
Within the predetermined scope, the prices on the projects are fixed in this model. The set of business requirements will be also fixed which couldn’t be changed with the advent of the web design project. This is a budget-friendly pricing model. And the payment is done only when the finished product is delivered to the clients. This model is also appropriate for long-term projects.
Because once the project starts, the market might change, priorities and needs might change which would lead to the change in the scope of the project. Hence, the longer the project is continued, the more costly it becomes. However, some outsourcing companies take the payments in certain installments. They charge the clients for reaching certain milestones in the project like finalizing the design of the web or mobile application.
Time and Material Model
In this pricing model, your web design outsourcing partner will charge you based on the specifications of your project and the scope of work. They will work for you under billable hours or will charge you for the materials and resources used in the project. If your requirements are clear then this price model works perfectly well.
When you outsource the web design process with this price model, you have to pick the team of developers that can finish the project in a predetermined timeline effectively and within the bounds of the budget. However, you need to keep an eye on the progress of the project to prevent costly delays. It is also recommended that you keep a buffer just in case the project goes over budget or on a predetermined timeline.
The time and Material model is used mostly with agile development processes. Startups and businesses with innovative ideas use this pricing model more frequently.
Dedicated Team Model
This is one of the most engaging models for business. Here, you can hire an entire development team including a project manager, QA analysts, developer, designer, etc, and pay them a salary and a little fee to their provider. The team will work as your team and work on your web design project as their own. The biggest benefit of choosing this pricing model is that you have complete control over your project.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Outsource Web Design
When you are outsourcing web design, you can not afford to make any hasty decisions. You must know how you can outsource web design services. It is more than posting job offers on job portals and other websites. One of the most challenging things you will face is picking a suitable development partner. So follow the steps below for better results.
Step #1 Analyzing Problems
Before you start your web design project, you must establish the needs, end goals, objectives, and possible risks of it. If you have been a little imprecise in determining the expectations of your project then also you might end up wasting a lot of time, money, and other resources. You must start by putting the description of your web product in writing by answering the following questions:
- What is your project’s ultimate goal?
- What are your project’s requirements?
- What issues would you like to solve?
- What request do you have?
Step #2 Choose the Most Suitable Model to Outsource Web Design
To choose the finest outsource web development service providers, you must first identify the type of outsourcing you require. There are three forms of outsourcing:
Onshore Outsourcing
When the clients outsource their web design process to other regions in their country it is called onshore outsourcing. In this type of development, you don’t have to face any language barriers or cultural differences while creating a web product.
Nearshore Outsourcing
When you outsource the project to the company in the same time zone, it is known as nearshore outsourcing. The main benefit of this model is that the culture and the language of the vendor and the client are comparable.
Offshore Outsourcing
When the customer hires a team from a foreign location then it is called Offshore outsourcing. For example, your business is based in eastern Europe and you hire an IT company from India to meet your requirements. When you hire an offshore company to outsource the development of digital products, you can tap into the panel of experts without spending a lot of money.
You must weigh your situation and requirements against all these models and then determine which one will be more suitable for your project. Do research, read reviews, ask others about their experiences to know what will be the pros and cons of these models with their practical implementation for your own business. Once you choose the right model for your project, now it’s time to pick an outsourcing agency.
Step #3 Select Agency or Freelancer (Tips & Tricks for Hiring)
Platforms like Clutch even the search engine results would show you the best web development vendor available for the job. You can also ask around in your professional network to see if anyone has any kind of experience in outsourcing their IT services.
After that, you need to create a list of companies that matches your criteria and with whom you might like to collaborate. Never go with the first outsourcing company you find. List the top companies that can fulfill your requirements and have a reputation for successfully delivering similar products as you want.
There are some important aspects that you should look into while researching a potential partner. Ask relevant questions to the vendors for crucial pieces of the project and hearing their answers, you would know who you should partner with.
- Experience. Whether the company has worked on any similar projects and how they have done it.
- Portfolio. Analyze all the projects that the company has worked on.it will help you understand how they work.
- Tech Stack. Analyze the technology stack used by the possible vendors and what kind of skills do their team possesses.
- Feedback. Check the feedback from previous customers. What do they say about the team and the outcomes of the collaboration?
- Team. Review the prominent team members’ skill sets and experience.
Step #4 Write Product Specification (Requirements & Contract)
A design specification of your web product is normally a list of all your product requirements. They are considered as a starting point of the project upon which research and development are conducted. But it is not just that you can specify whatever you wish for. You must prepare design specifications after a thorough study of your business needs and goals. Because you won’t be creating a web product just to register an online presence right?
Step #5 Start your Hiring process
While hiring a vendor for your project, here are a few aspects that a client expects from them.
Estimation and Evaluation – The outsourcing team must provide a detailed document on the competitive market analysis. It must also include a comprehensive overview of the website development project.
Staffing flexibility – Though the outsourcing company selects a team, the client also has the freedom to pick the member of the team after analyzing their skills and expertise. With the growth of the project, you can also add some new designers and developers to the team or minimize the workforce if you want.
Honest pricing – A vendor must offer a price that comes within the range of 20-30% of the average market rates.
Clear timelines – Whether or not, the project is moving forward as per the predetermined timeline, it is the duty of the vendor to keep their clients updated on the progress of the project.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – The potential partners must know and understand the MVP development model for it enables you to test your ideas while saving a lot of time and money.
Project management – An outsourcing agency must work professionally and efficiently to achieve its goals within the bounds of a predetermined timeline without any need for supervision. The project manager or a team leader must be able to explain your concept, ideas, or requirements to the team under the scope of the project.
It doesn’t matter if you are hiring a company or a freelancer for your project, you must not deviate from your requirements and have to keep it at the center of your hiring process. Here I have provided some unsaid rules that would help you act systematically while hiring a potential partner for your firm.
- Stability and consistency. Never leave anything to chance, you won’t get better results.
- Consultation with partners. Communication is the key. While communicating with your potential partner, talk with them about the projects they have delivered over time and ask them all the queries you have in your mind. Without communicating well, you won’t be able to know whether the vendor is suitable for your project or not.
- Data collection. Research, study and analyze. Gather all the information you need. Make a spreadsheet even if you need to, to avert any confusion. Compare your options, teams, their terms, prices, and all.
Step #6 Set KPI and Analyze Cooperation
If you want your outsourcing team and the product they are developing to be successful then it is highly recommended that you establish some KPIs. Key performance indicators or KPIs are the most important features that you should consider while building a product.
- Indicating the key performing factors is very important from the perspective of both the outsourcing process and the business as well.
- The KPIs can be measured objectively in numeric terms like percentage, share, time, volume, quantity, and more.
- Calculation of the current value of the indicator should not require additional severe work on the part of the contractor or its own personnel.
- Indicators should reflect the contractor’s performance and not depend to a large extent on other factors.
- When you are using more than one KPI, you should also mention the weightage of each KPI and the gradation of the level of their achievement.
Additionally, you have to analyze your cooperation too. You have to be attentive to how often your outsourcing company gets in touch with you to show the results of their work. You must also check whether the team is doing their job well and on time or not.
Typical Mistakes and Risks in Web Design Outsourcing
Even after the detailed planning and risk mitigation strategies, some mistakes are bound to happen. But you can avoid them if you know them beforehand.
Mistake #1 Starting with a Blurry Vision
Once you have picked your team, you need to discuss your idea with them. So if you didn’t have a clear understanding of what type of web product you need, explaining them would be very challenging. You wouldn’t even know where to begin with. And when you don’t convey your idea properly, your development team too will struggle to start your project let alone successfully end it in time.
Your team will only be able to give you the best solution when they will know what you are looking for. If you don’t clearly explain to them what you want, what your problems are, and how you would like things to be. Their outcomes won’t impress you and you have to ask them to modify them for you. Result? – total loss of time, money, and other resources. The more you get ahead with your project and seek a modification, the more expensive it is going to be. So set your expectations clear before the project starts.
Mistake #2 Undervaluing Project Management
While looking for the outsourcing team, you will come to know that some companies provide a team with a project manager whereas others do not. You may think that by hiring a team without the project manager I can save a lot of money while controlling the entire project. However, you are just going to suffer if you do that.
If you don’t hire a project manager then you have to assign the team their work daily, keep a record of their work, set the timetables for their work, and make sure that they work according to it. Scheduling the calls to convey updates on the project. And you have to manage to do all these tasks along with your existing responsibilities. And the most challenging task? You have to do it across different time zones.
Mistake #3 Short-term Relationship
Nowadays, outsourcing companies are willing to build long-term relationships with their clients. And you too will need them for everything from design and development to ongoing support, frequent maintenance, and updates. Building a long-term relationship with your team can be helpful to you in getting better results and the best experience.
Web Design Outsourcing: Best Regions
Software development has now become easy because many companies around the world offer top services. These companies may come from either Asia or Europe. There was a time when you would find the best outsourcing services from India only but now many other countries in the world have started developing facilities to offer better services.
Asia
Some of the top and booming hubs for IT outsourcing are in Asia. you will find the best services here at affordable prices, especially in India. Of course, there are some cultural differences but the teams here won’t allow it to prevent them from serving you with the best services there is. Almost 84% of the European and US companies are outsourcing their IT requirements to India. They leverage the difference of time zone as an advantage to serve you 24*7.
Eastern Europe
In Eastern Europe, you can find that countries like Ukraine, Romania, and Poland have some talented developers and IT experts that can fulfill the need of projects of any size. Here you won’t be facing any language or cultural barriers too.
Among the other countries, Ukraine specifically holds a huge untapped pool of skilled IT professionals. They have over 170,000 active IT professionals working in the country and hire more than 23000 annually. This country is also mentioned in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index. Almost 50% of the income of Ukrainian outsourcing companies comes from the US market.
As per the study conducted by Gartner, Ukraine is the most cost-effective location among post-Soviet countries for outsourcing web development services.
Western Europe
You might think that the average working rate per hour in this region then you are right. The countries of western Europe have large economies and heavy taxation. But here lies some of the top IT companies in the world that can get you the experts on the team that you need for your project and they always live up to your expectations.
South America
It is one of the regions that has just started providing development services. You won’t find highly skilled professionals here but they can provide you with a good working web product. You can choose the developers from this region if your product isn’t too big and complicated. They are still training their workforce to be tech-savvy and are in the early stage of developing business processes. And such people only can understand the significance of accomplishing objectives within the budget just like the startups need them to do.
Every region here has its pros and cons. Now, it is up to you to weigh them, compare them with your requirements, and go to the country where your expectations can be met effectively.
How Much Does Outsourcing Web Design Cost?
| Region | Project Manager | Designer | Frontend Developer | Backend Developer |
| Asia | >$15/hr | >$30/hr | >$35/hr | >40/hr |
| Eastern Europe | $10-25/hr | $25-40/hr | $25-50/hr | $30-60/hr |
| Western Europe | $15-40/hr | $40-80/hr | $35-100/hr | $40-120/hr |
| South America | $8-20/hr | $15-30/hr | $15-40/hr | $20-50/hr |
Summary
There are tons of benefits of outsourcing your web services to a web development company for your business. When the scope of a project goes beyond your capabilities, it would be wise to collaborate with a third party that can guide you through your project to help you gain a competitive advantage as well as streamline your business processes. I hope this guide has been of help to you.
