Back in the 1990s, the term “outsourcing” was one that gave a lot of people the heebie-jeebies. The truth is that it became synonymous with people who hired people outside of their house team at a cheaper rate, often to disastrous results. People all assume they know the pros and cons of web development. However, things have changed drastically since then.

Today, outsourcing is a deeply multifaceted issue in the business world. At times, outsourcing makes a project that would be otherwise impossible doable. Other times, it’s still not the smartest idea. With website development, weighing the perks and drawbacks of outsourcing is a must.

Outsourcing gives you a more affordable way to get your website development done, offers fast development times, and gives you amazing access to a thriving talent pool. However, there is no control over how your developers work and you may find yourself in the middle of a lot of communication problems. 

If you are considering outsourcing your web development team, then you may need to take a closer look at the perks and pitfalls of outsourcing. It could save your bottom line. 

What Are The Benefits Of Outsourcing Website Development?

One of the reasons why website development is so frequently outsourced is because it usually makes sense. There are plenty of perks to outsourcing that make it work.

Easier Focusing

Most people who are ready to outsource are looking to return their focus to the actual sales or business development portion of their company. Outsourcing it makes it happen by removing the worries you have over your tech portion. 

When you outsource your web dev, you don’t have to worry about managing the project as much. There’s no need to worry about updating widgets or having to log extra hours for site maintenance. Your internal team can focus on the bigger picture when you don’t have those chores at hand.

Cost Efficiency

We can’t have an article on the pros and cons of outsourcing web development without talking about all the time and money that you can save. For this point, let’s talk about money since it’s a major focus of all companies.

Having a house team is pricey. You have to pay for their health insurance, their taxes, as well as the standard rates for your country’s web development industry. This can lead to hourly rates well over $70 to $100 in some cases.

Studies show that outsourcing web development can lead to savings of as much as 60 to 70 percent off that typical price range. This can make a massive, night-and-day type of difference for a company’s budget.

Faster Results

The other major part of getting an outsourced team is time. While this is not always the case, many people find that they are able to get the project done faster via outsourcing. This is because outsourcing often means you have a team that’s used to working with each other. 

Since outsourcing firms already work with one another and often have a project manager in place, they know how to schedule things and get stuff done faster. Even on an individual level, hiring an outsource developer can be faster simply because many get paid per project.

Better Access To More Talent

Let’s just face it: hiring a web developer can be rough, even in Australia. This is true, even if you’re trying to put together a web application that’s relatively simple in style. Trying to find people who are willing to make a commute these days is tough, especially after COVID-19 made people cozy up to working from home.

Outsourcing offers a lot of flexibility and also opens up the candidate pool to a global level. This means that you can find the perfect web developer for your team, even if you need them to have extremely niche skills. If you are in an area where STEM isn’t a common skill arena, then outsourcing might be the only way to hire the right person.

What Are The Drawbacks Of Outsourcing Web Development?

While many companies find their saving grace in outsourcing, it’s definitely not for everyone. The pitfalls that come with outsourcing can be enough to make anyone think twice about it. Here’s why many companies don’t work well with it. 

No Control Over Outsourced Employees

The problem with outsourcing that most employers have is that they don’t have much control over how their employees work. Certain contractors may or may not be willing to show up on site. They also may not do work at the same time that your company is open. 

While this is rough, most outsourcing companies will give you enough leeway to make ti possible to plan ahead and collaborate. This was a much bigger issue in the past, but now, there are a lot more systems and practices to make this easier. 

Even so, some companies need a lot more control over their work. If this sounds like you, outsourcing may not be for you. 

No Dedication To Your Company

Before you jump down my throat, hear me out. Most people who do outsourcing (as well as outsource companies) will never agree to have you be their sole client. It’s a dangerous, risky endeavor. Some won’t even sign a noncompete. 

This can be okay if you just need to get an app pushed out. But, if you need regular updates and want to make sure you’re the only one they’re working for, it’s not a good fit. Many people often say, “Loyalty costs extra,” just for this reason. 

They Won’t Be In Your Office

This can be both a good and bad thing depending on the type of business you run as well as how you run your business. Regardless, it’s still an important thing to consider either way. In fact, it can be a major deciding factor. 

For people who want a “set it and forget it, just gimme the product” result, this is a great thing. Many business owners do not want to have a programming team under their roof, simply because getting extra rooms in an office is so darn pricey. 

On the other hand, people who are used to walking into a person’s room and asking for tweaks will find this to be incredibly frustrating. I mean, you will have to get used to using emails or Zoom to make those changes. This can be difficult. 

Communication Issues/Culture Clash

This is an issue for both in-country outsourcing and international outsourcing. Every company has its own culture. If your employees aren’t fully immersed in it, they may have a hard time dealing with changes or certain communication styles. This is particularly true if English is not their first language.

Part of learning how to responsibly outsource your website development is learning how to be very specific about what you want done. If you’re used to being vague or using quirky turns of phrase, you’re going to have a bad time. 

More Vetting Required

There is outsourcing, and then there is outsourcing. If you hire the cheapest web developer out of a random country without looking at their portfolio, you’re going to have subpar results. Even if you hire decent developers abroad, you still may not get the full scope of the project you want for one reason or another.

Vetting outsourcing companies is a must, plain and simple. Since you may be working on an international level, it’s very hard to enforce contracts. Moreover, the reviews that you get are not always going to be reliable. In some extremely rare cases, you might end up dealing with a scam artist who will just take the money and run. 

Heavy vetting is a must, and at times, you may actually prefer to go through word of mouth. Using the right platform (like SavvySME) can help drastically reduce the chances of a bad pairing, too. 

Is Outsourcing A Web Developer Right For You?

Outsourcing isn’t for everyone, but it absolutely can be a good move for you. If you are looking to cut costs, get an efficient way to have your web application or product online, and also expand your access to quality talent, it could be the right solution for you. If you've been having trouble hiring a developer, it may be worth a shot.

Regardless of whether you choose to outsource your work or not, it’s a good idea to reach out to the right talent pool. SavvySME has a slew of different groups and individuals offering web development services near you. Don’t you think it’s time you give them a look?