Should You Hire an Agency or a Freelancer
When you need a new website, you have three choices: do it yourself, hire a freelancer, or hire an agency. For most people, the first option isn’t really a wise one. Without the know-how, you could seriously damage the way your website looks, feels, and functions. Plus, it takes plenty of time to put together a website, and as a businessperson, you want to maximize your efficiency by spending time on what you do best.
This leaves the choice of partnering with a freelance web designer or working with a web design agency.
Although it can be tempting to hire a freelance web designer, there are some basic problems that may not arise immediately, but are likely to come to the forefront eventually:
• The freelancer is doing all the work him- or herself. This leaves you at their mercy in terms of timeframe completion.
• The freelancer may not have current, insider information on web design and development. In fact, many freelancers were trained years ago.
• The freelancer may know a little about web design and SEO, but is unlikely to have a wealth of knowledge or education on the topic.
• The freelancer may send your web design project to a “ghost” freelancer to complete.
• The freelancer may not be equipped to fully help you with your design project.
For these and other reasons, it’s recommended that companies seek out design agencies over single-person freelancers.
The Agency Advantage
The advantages of having a web design agency on your side are tremendous:
• Expertise. An agency is made up of multiple designers and other colleagues. They work as a team, and when one has a question, he or she can simply ask a coworker for advice. This collective understanding of the industry gives them impressive levels of expertise.
• Portfolio. A vast portfolio can show you a sampling of all that the agency is able to do. Freelancers often have very limited portfolios, or may only know how to program in a certain language. It’s more likely that an agency will be able to give you variety and make suggestions.
• Insider Info. The top web design agencies have the benefit of insider information. This type of insider info can help you get the jump on your competition. Your agency of choice may even have a recognized thought leader at the helm, which puts you in a great position.
• Comprehensive Services. Working with freelancers involves trying to get them all on the same page. You may have to find one freelancer to do design work, another to conduct SEO and yet another to write your blog posts. Agencies employ numerous people and provide comprehensive solutions that freelancers cannot.
• Proven Results. Outstanding web-based design agencies will be able to give you tons of results to prove how they have helped other clients. This proof can give you peace of mind about using the agency for your most important design and development projects.
• Long-Term Relationship. It’s nice to work with businesses that you know will be around tomorrow. Freelancers may have to take other jobs to make ends meet. A design agency is more likely to be around for years, allowing you to form deeper relationships.
It’s understandable that some businesses see only the low prices of a freelance designer, but so much more needs to be taken into consideration. Instead of going for the lowest bidder, always go for the best designer that you can possibly hire. Yes, you will likely pay more for the services of an agency, but an award-winning agency that’s focused on customer satisfaction will more than pay for itself.
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