Is it really better to hire a Web Design Firm over a Freelancer? 4 deciding factors, and how to choose.

Article Published: Saturday, June 11th, 2011 at 2:54 pm | Subscribe

Having many years of experience in building online marketing solutions, I have had the pleasure of working on projects for myself, IT staffing companies and certainly in the office setting of the online web design/marketing firm. There are many presuppositions in defense of the firm, but is it always as cut and dry as presented to you? Well, I am prepared to present you with 4 deciding factors for choosing a Web Design firm over a Freelancer.

Working with a Team

One of the most common arguments presented to a prospect or client for choosing a firm is that they will be given access to a “team of professionals” which will help excel their projects to success. Though this is probably accurate for large firms in large cities like New York or San Francisco, it doesn’t even brush on the “standard”, especially in your local town’s boutique or Web Design firm. The truth is, if you find a freelancer that has an extensive portfolio and references you will most likely get more value out of them than you would going with your local firm. This is because a local firm typically has a single person managing, designing and developing your project anyway, except there’s a lot more overhead so less time is allocated for your project and your designer/developer will most likely be rushed. Some things to consider before you choose:
1. Be sure to ask your sales person exactly who you will be working with during the execution of your project, get names. If you get multiple services like web design, email marketing, seo and content writing (just to name a few) you shouldn’t be working with a single person.
2. Read your contract thoroughly! If there is anything that doesn’t make sense to you, or seems contradictory, make sure you ask for complete clarity before you sign. The firm will hold you to the contract even if they verbally agree to certain project needs/requirements. I see it all the time, so get it in writing, your projects success relies on it.
We have a system and process

This happens all the time. You’re on the phone with a representative and they’re promising you that their “proven system” for developing projects will bring your online venture much success. Without any proof, it’s just words, just another sales tactic. Be sure to ask for the white paper, for documentation that will provide you with an outline describing exactly what you can expect if you decide to sign on with the firm. It shouldn’t be a problem at all, I mean if they have a system in place then they surely have a system for documenting it. In most cases it should be on their website. If we as clients don’t care enough to make sure that our project is cared for with a system and a plan, then surely the firm won’t care. You might be surprised how much organization and planning your project actually gets.
Accountability

Often times firms will claim that if you hire a freelancer there will be no “accountability”, in other words you might never even receive your deliverables, or might have a hard time getting in touch with them. Well as this might be true with some freelancers, it is also true of many firms. Often times, at a firm you work with someone during the sales process, soon as the project starts you fail at being able to contact that person ever again, they don’t return phone calls and continue to direct you to your “web designer” if you can catch them in an email. Now you’re stuck working with a single person on your project and the person whom you made the “plan” with has moved on to bigger fish. The bottom line is, your project is only as good as what is in a contract. If you decide to go with either a freelancer or a firm, make sure you have a contract, and make sure you understand it and agree to the terms. If you’re going to be directed to a “web designer” after the sale, you might as well work with a freelancer that can provide you more value and requires the project completion and your satisfaction for their livelihood. In my experience good freelancers are very accountable, and tend to make the best websites on the internet.
The Portfolio

While portfolio’s are important, they’re not always what you might think. If you view a firm’s portfolio , there might be many sites you are in love with and others you might not care for at all. How can you know what you will get if you decide to go with the firm? How can you know if the person that designed the examples you like even works for the firm anymore? Another thing that might surprise you is, many firms put examples in their portfolio they didn’t even design! If you do decided to go with a firm based on their portfolio, make sure you have language in the contract that protects you from receiving deliverables that are not of the caliber you agreed to or were presented in the portfolio. The good thing about choosing a freelancer based of their portfolio? They designed them, no one else, they can guarantee the quality you see is the quality you will get.

My goal as a professional is to first and foremost find joy and satisfaction in knowing that I am helping an individual or company reach their goals online. If you’re looking for an online marketing solution I would be happy to consult with you, no strings attached, no hidden fees.

Another article that might help you was written by Jason Fried from 37 Signals, an online service provider for client and project management software, Read: Don’t exaggerate your size

Contact Me if you would like to talk about your project!

Toledo Web Design

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