Outsourced web development may be the one thing your business is missing. Having a team that specializes in web development allows you to optimize how you run your business, giving you time to run other operations. At the same time, the professionals take care of web development. If you think this is right for your business, you might wonder how to outsource web development.
Letting go of control can be frustrating, so deciding on a web development team that you’re confident in is crucial. You can do a few things to avoid common mistakes when hiring an outsourced web development team. Avoiding these mistakes can lead to the best results for your business.
Make Sure Your Web Developers Are Experts
Don't be afraid to be detailed when interviewing potential outsourced web development teams. It’s important that they have the necessary skills to build a website that meets your and your customers' needs.
Is there a certified HubSpot developer on their team? HubSpot is a leader in helping clients with their design and build needs, providing them with the proper tools to become successful developers. If your web development team works with HubSpot, it is likely that they meet industry standards and can create an effective, responsive website.
Check That They Use SEO Best Practices
You want your website to appear in search engines. When outsourcing web development, it’s important that your developer uses SEO best practices. They need to set up the website so that anyone who contributes to it can easily implement these techniques as well. Take some time to let your web developer explain to you how SEO on your website works. Not only will you learn about optimizing your website, but it will give you confidence in knowing that your outsourced web developer uses all of the necessary SEO best practices.
Look at Previous Work Samples
If the web team you’re looking into has clients similar to your business, check out what they’ve done for them. Ask yourself, is this what I want for my website? Make notes on things you like and don’t like and communicate these with your outsourced web development team.
If your web developer has references, make sure to contact them. Testimonials from previous clients are great secondary resources. They will also give you insight on how the developer communicates with their clients and how they solve problems.
Have Your Project Manager
Although there is likely a manager on their web team, it’s still important to have someone within your own business to lead the project. They will actively communicate with your web developer, answer questions and voice concerns. Remember, you are the expert in your field so you will need to work with your web development team to produce the best outcome.
Outline Clear Goals
The best outcome comes from clear communication. You and your web development team need to have a mutual understanding of your goals and objectives. The deliverables that you expect must line up with what they can provide. Decide with your outsourced website development team how you will measure success. Monitoring progress with goals and objectives in place will help define areas of improvement and areas of success.
Know What Kind of Support Your Web Developer Provides
Websites need upkeep and won’t always run flawlessly after they’re launched. You want to ensure that the web development team you’re working with actively communicates with you about your website’s performance. After the launch, you’ll likely have questions or concerns, so you should know how your web developer handles support requests. A company committed to your website’s success will likely keep up-to-date with your site post-launch.
Don’t Let the Lowest Cost Define Your Decision
It’s nice to cut costs wherever you can. However, an effective, fully functioning website is a great tool for your business to have. If you have to spend a little extra money to meet your needs, it may be necessary. You want your website to stand out among the rest and your customers to respond to it. A lot of work goes into website development, so cutting corners may ultimately cost you.
Picking an outsourced web development team that suits your company’s needs is not always easy. For more information on outsourcing web development, download our guide that explains what to expect from your web development team and how they can meet your needs.
