Why Should Your Hire Freelance Web Developer: The Top Benefits
May 17, 2022 When developing a website or an app, there are two major ways to do it - outsource the job to a web development company or hire a freelancer to get it done. Unfortunately, there has been a fairly wide debate over which is better in every sense, be it quality turn-around-time, flexibility, transparency, etc. While most medium and large-scale companies hire an entire in-house team or outsource to another trusted development company, smaller enterprises and startups prefer
freelance web developers. But the real question is, does hiring a
freelance web developer offer many notable advantages to a business? We are here to find that out, of course with some valid points for one over the other. Let’s get going!
1. Cost Factor
A majority of
freelance web developers work from home at all times. This saves them the huge cost of either transportation or running an entire office setup. These cost-saving aspects show up its effects on the clients they work for as well. In most cases, freelancers charge a fraction of the cost that web development companies may charge. This makes hiring a
freelance web developer the obvious choice, especially for startups that don’t want to spend a lot on their development projects or have a tight budget.
2. Speed of Deliverables
Freelancers are known to complete their deliverables in a short turn-around time. The reason behind this is the core operations. There is a huge team in a large web development firm and a process the project goes through. So the time consumption for the final deliverable is higher. However, in the case of a
freelance web developer, the process is simple and does not have any other heads involved in the process. Moreover, freelancers have fewer meetings with others of their clientele, which they can postpone easier (compared to companies) to meet a specific deadline.
3. Quality Concerns
One of the common misconceptions is that large web development companies deliver better quality than freelance developers. However, the fact is that the size of a company has little bearing on the quality of work it does. Since a single developer at an agency handles most projects, you effectively put one developer against another. Therefore, make your final decision only after reviewing the pros and cons of both an agency and a freelancer.
4. Communication & Transparency
Working with a freelancer means interacting with a single person rather than many departments. So, there is an ease of communication and transparency. However, the freelancer is the sole point of contact, while the point of contact is not the developer but a project manager in an organization. So the transparency is a bit weak here.
5. Consistency Throughout
Most
freelance web developers have worn various job hats throughout their careers. For example, graphic designer, UX designer, photography, and many other capabilities are combined in the past job roles for a web developer. Having a single person responsible for your website's visual and graphics parts can ensure a consistent design and tone. Moreover, there is no guarantee that an agency would provide consistent work with a single developer throughout the project. And once there is a break in the person making your development, there might be a visible change in website tone and layout.
6. Versatility of Projects
Good freelancers have experience working with a wide range of clients and different sectors. These challenges make them more capable of pulling out an excellent product every time. This means that they offer more experience, knowledge, and ideas to a project than an agency could. Normally, agencies prefer working on the same type of projects to build up their experience in the niche.
Final Thoughts
Freelance web developers can add a lot of value to your project, be it with experience, communication, or just the quality of work. Plus, the biggest advantage of choosing a freelancer over an agency is the fact that the cost of hiring the former is a lot less while maintaining consistent quality. However, you may feel that the choice between a freelancer web developer and an agency is subjective and based on the type of requirement. So, be sure that weigh your project requirements before outsourcing the same.
