You have decided to outsource your web development to an external agency. Smart idea! If you don’t have the in-house expertise to build web products, nor the time or resources to train your existing personnel.
Doubtless, you’ve already explored the benefits of outsourcing. This means you already know that it is a time-effective and cost-effective solution in most cases. Outsourcing your web development to a trustworthy partner will also let you access a bigger talent pool without any extra financial commitments to the outsourced team, such as employee benefits and insurances.
You’ll also have an idea about the kind of investments expected from your side to make an outsourced project successful, mentally and financially. Again, check! Now, you need to figure out how to find a reliable partner you can outsource to and get the maximum value for your time and money. We’re here to help you with just that!
You can’t simply dive in headfirst and select the first agency that you come across. You must be very careful while choosing a tech partner to collaborate with on your web development project. You need to find a trustable tech partner to help with your digital transformation, and they should be the right fit for your organisation.
From the countless service providers out there, you will have to sift through the scammers and then shortlist the feasible ones. After another couple of rounds of iteration (if you are lucky), you might be able to hone in on the service provider that you actually want to work with.
Sounds hard? That is because it is. Finding the right tech partner for your business is not a task that should be treated lightly. And since we know that this can be a daunting task, we will break down the headhunting process for you into simple steps.
Just make sure you don’t miss any of these steps while searching for your ideal tech partner.
Understand Your Goal
Understanding your own goals is the first step you need to take to find a reliable web development partner to outsource to. Ask yourself these crucial questions.
- What exactly do you hope to accomplish with your web development project?
- What do you hope to contribute to your marketplace with your final product?
- Are you working to fill any supply gaps in your ecosystem?
You can’t jump right into the outsourcing process without knowing what you need to help your business grow online. It is only after you have clearly outlined your goals that you can start your quest for the best tech partner for your web development project. If you know what you want, you will be able to convey your business needs and your personal expectations in crisp and clear terms.
And if you manage to make your tech partner understand your goals easily, it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. You need to help your tech partner take ownership of your goal and see it as their own. And for that, you need to first know your goal like the back of your hand.
Map Out Your Project Requirements
You need to know your project requirements before opening a dialogue with a web development service provider.
- What kind of a website are you looking for?
- What is the purpose of your website?
- Should your website be static or dynamic in nature?
- What sort of a design angle do you have in mind?
- How should your website reflect your brand values?
- Should your website be more oriented towards form or function or perhaps a combination of the two?
- What about hosting services?
- What are the features that you would require for your website?
- Where should your banners and widgets (if any) be placed in the design layout of your website?
Web development encompasses not only the creation of websites but also their maintenance over the years. Your website will have to be updated regularly to keep up with the changes in user trends. Do you wish to take over your website, or do you expect continuous maintenance and support from your tech partner?
These are only some of the questions you need to find clear answers for before engaging with a website development team. So, be sure to take some time to sit and map out your exact requirements so that the scope of your project is detailed.
Figure Out Your Timelines
You know that you need a website to increase your online presence. You know what kind of a website you require. Now, you need to figure out when you need your website to go live and be accessible to the public. There is a time and place for everything, and there are optimal times when your website can go live.
You need to make sure you have scheduled your project completion dates keeping in mind the best time for your website to go live. A lot goes into developing a website, such as data collection, planning, designing, development, and testing before being rolled out to your users. And all of these stages take time.
You need to account for the approximate time taken for each of these processes (keeping your project requirements in mind). You also need to consider leaving additional time buffers for implementing new innovations as the project progresses. It does not bode well for your business if your project is not completed within the stipulated deadline.
If you already set a deadline, and it is not met, every other minute is a missed opportunity. After all, there is little to no point in serving today’s breakfast meal at tomorrow’s dinner. The food would be cold, and wrong for the mealtime. So, make sure you set flexible timelines that are realistically possible to meet.
Set Your Budget
How much are you willing to spend on your dream website? Are you willing to be flexible with the costs? Ideally, cost should not be a constraint for quality, so you need to budget your project very carefully before you approach a web development service provider.
You should give them an idea of the money you are willing to spend on the services you require. Even if the budget you have does not align with the figure the service provider quotes, you can still find a balanced middle ground that is acceptable to both you and your potential tech partner. But, in order to arrive at that balance, you need a carefully budgeted figure to start with.
Do intensive research before you finalise your budget. You need to have a rough idea of the man-hours required for each stage of the web development process. You also need to be aware of additional charges, such as hosting charges. You must have a clear idea of the amount that needs to be invested in each stage of the development and maintenance for your website. Having a rough estimate will let you circumvent any hidden charges that might pop up to give you a nasty surprise once you have already signed a contract.
Figure Out the Type of Outsourcing for Your Project
If you’re following our step-by-step guide properly (and we’re assuming you haven’t accidentally missed a step), you should have all the essential prerequisites from your end sorted by now. The what (project requirements), the when (delivery dates), and the how much (your budget).
Now, you must figure out the type of outsourcing that would be best suited for your web development process. There are three types of outsourcing you can choose from, namely, onshore, nearshore, and offshore.
Onshore outsourcing means you outsource to an agency in your locality. Nearshore means you outsource to an agency located in the same time zones as you. And offshore outsourcing means you outsource to an agency in a foreign country.
Each one of these types of outsourcing comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, team collaboration might be better in an onshore outsourcing project, as there are no geographical or cultural constraints in this scenario. But, it is cheaper to engage in offshore outsourcing. On the other hand, your core team might find it easier to work with an onshore agency due to cultural and linguistic similarities. You need to utilise your knowledge of your project requirements, deadlines, and budget to analyse which one would help you get the best bang for your buck.
Find Out what is right for your business, Outsourcing Vs Offshoring.
Shortlist Your Potential Candidates
Once you have decided what type of outsourcing works well for your web development project, it is time to find a team that fits the bill. You can sift through the talent pool available at various websites that are created for the sole purpose of matching potential employers to potential recruits. These include websites such as Upwork, Clutch, and GoodFirms, among others, and they ensure you have a wide range of options to choose from. Now, the fun begins!
You need to first make a list of potential candidates from the numerous service providers out there. Try to narrow down the list further by going to the website of each of your potential candidates. You need to evaluate the quality of their website as it would give you an idea about the type of output you can expect from them.
Also, make it a point to pursue their portfolios and go through their references to see if they check out. Based on the previous works of each potential candidate, you can eliminate the ones you think are not the right fit for your development requirements.
Now, Grill Them Hard!
After you shortlist your candidates, it’s time to pick the best of the lot. One way to finalise a tech partner from your list is to assign each of them a small task and set a deadline. This will help you determine who does it best and gives you an idea of the competency of each development team. Assign the same task to all your shortlisted teams to avoid any bias.
This exercise will also help you understand how well you can communicate with your potential tech partner and work together as a team. Make it a point to assign simple tasks which will let the team showcase their prowess in their industry. Don’t make it too hard or too long, however. Remember that you’re trying to test their expertise and not get a bunch of tasks done for free.
Conclusion
It will be a long and arduous journey to find a great tech partner who is just right for your business. Keep in mind that the destination is worth the journey, because the success of your tech partnership will determine the direction in which your business grows over the next few years.
Do you want a partner you can rely on? Someone who will guide you in growing your online presence with their expertise? A partner who will literally work around the clock to ensure that your needs are met, and your final product is a resounding success? A tech partner like NeoITO who will make sure that you get the best results in the shortest possible time frame?
Of course, you do!
Once you follow the above steps and realise that NeoITO is the tech partner you need for your business, don’t waste any more time reaching out to us!
