Introduction
Are you considering whether to hire a freelancer or an agency for your web design project? You have come to the right place. A lot goes into this choice, such as your budget, timeframe, and various other factors. Essentially, having a quality website is vital for the success of any business online in today’s world.
Here we will review the pros and cons of hiring a freelancer or an agency for your web design project.
Pros of hiring a freelancer for your web design project
- They are affordable – Freelancers are usually a lot more affordable than web design agencies. They don’t have any extra fees that they need to think of to run a large business. They don’t need to pay their employees, just themselves. Many freelancers work on mostly small websites, not on huge projects like e-commerce, so generally, their rate will be much lower.
- Can be more involved – With a freelancer, you will be able to have a lot more input in the design process for your website. This can be taken as an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on who you are. Suppose you want to be a lot more involved in the design and development of your website. In that case, this is definitely an advantage for you.
- Specialized – Freelancers, especially ones on Fiverr and Upwork, have high competition. This means to rank higher and get more clients, they need to be very good at one specific thing. So if their skill is web design, they will probably do a great job with that. If you need basic features on your website, nothing super complex, hiring a freelancer for your web design project is probably a good fit for you.
Cons of hiring a freelancer for your web design project
- Limited abilities – Freelancers have great specialized skills, but if you need other things for your website, such as SEO (search engine optimization), branding, marketing, logo design, or social media management, you’re likely going to want to hire a web design agency. Finding a freelancer to do all of this for your business can be pretty challenging. Even small businesses can sometimes need more than just web design services. This is when it’s time to consider a web design agency.
- Limited hours – Often, freelancers have a team of one, which means they will not always be able to answer your calls or emails quickly. So if your business has time-sensitive things, this may not be a good fit for you. Another thing to consider is that some freelancers may not be available on the weekends or around holidays.
- Longer processing times – Freelancers who work independently and have a large workload may take longer to complete their projects. So what makes an agency a few weeks may take a freelancer a month or two. If you are in a hurry to get your website done, ask the freelancer what their schedule is like.
For your business, hiring a freelancer would be a good fit if
- Your web design project is small
- You are on a budget
- Your website won’t need a lot of functions
- You are flexible with your timeframe
Pros of hiring an agency for your web design project
- Diverse experience – With a web design agency, you will get a team with diverse experience developing sites. They will be able to handle anything you need done or any issues that come up along the way. Need some specific complex feature, no problem, they got it handled.
- Get it done right the first time – You may get a freelancer to do your website, and it looks and works great. However, a month later, stuff starts breaking, and everything starts falling apart. On the other hand, with a web design agency you know you will get something that is built right and lasts. Even better, some web design agencies offer monthly maintenance, which means your website will be protected. If anything does go wrong, you won’t have to worry about fixing it.
- Strategy – A web design agency will not just build you a website, they will create a powerful marketing tool that will help you get more leads. This is because they take the time to design a website based on user research and user experience, which is vital for the success of a website.
Cons of hiring an agency for your web design project
- More expensive – Agencies tend to be more expensive because they have more costs. Hiring a freelancer will work much better for you if you are on a budget. However, if you can find an agency within your budget and that fit well with your company, hire them, and in time, it will pay off.
- Offer too many services – Sometimes, agencies spread themselves too thin by offering too many services. They end up outsourcing or not being able to provide a top-tier experience for each of their services. Look for agencies that offer what you need, not ones that provide a large number of services.
- Harder to collaborate – When working with some larger agencies, it may be harder to get your message across, and there may be more mixed signals. This can happen when multiple people work on one project, and you only get to communicate with the project manager.
For your business, hiring a web design agency would be a good fit if:
- You have a bigger budget
- The website is complex with more features
- You want someone else to maintain the website for you
- You want a powerful traffic-converting website
Conclusion
When choosing whether to hire a freelancer or a web design agency, you will want to consider your budget, your timeframe, and what services you will need. A freelancer is an excellent option for small projects and if you are on a budget. If you want a website that will drive traffic and be built for longevity, a web design agency may be a better option.
Please feel free to contact us here at Envision Web Creation if you have any web design-related questions. Check out our web design packages if you are curious about how much it would cost to build your website. We hope that you get a website that best fits your business, whether you go with a freelancer or a web design agency.
