How to Outsource Website Development in 2024

Going online is an integral part of doing business in 2024. But even if you already have an idea for a website that can help boost your company’s growth, there are still numerous questions left regarding its development.

Is it better to choose an in-house team or outsource web development to another company? And if it’s the latter one, where can you find the right partner?

As an outsourcing company with 9+ years of experience, Mind Studios have worked with business owners from all over the world. As a result, we’ve gathered a list of hacks that make the web development process efficient, as well as protect both parties from questionable deals.

Here, we’ve collected answers to the most probable questions you have regarding outsourcing website development in 2023, its advantages and drawbacks. We also share tips and tricks that will help you receive desirable results at the end of your collaboration with the hired team, as well as some web development project estimations.

Read more: Educational App Development

5 reasons to outsource web development services

Many web apps have begun as small startups, and later on transformed into large companies. One of the top reasons for their success is delegating their increasing number of technical and other tasks to outsourced teams, and web development outsourcing companies in particular.

Here are 5 core reasons to outsource web development:

  1. Wise resource management
    One of the major reasons why business owners choose to outsource website development is because it reduces costs. Instead of hiring and training an entire team of designers, developers, project managers, and so on, you can just hire a fully staffed outsourcing company to implement your project. Naturally, this saves you months of building up a perfect in-house team. And if you conduct an all-encompassing research, you will likely pick a reliable outsourcing partner who will deliver impeccable quality for a reasonable price. Besides, in this scenario you are not the one responsible for the team’s taxes coverage, insurance, office space, and other social benefits. All in all, by outsourcing web development, you save two core resources: time and money.

  2. Access to top-notch web developers
    To be competitive, outsourcing web development agencies focus on assembling a team of talented and experienced specialists who deliver outstanding results. If you do a thorough background check of the company’s reviews, letters of recommendation, and case studies, chances are, you will manage to hire a team of true professionals. Later on, we will share more details on how to find the right team for your project.

  3. Hassle-free scaling
    Scaling your web project is an indicator of business growth and an excellent motivator for outsourced web development companies to meet your requirements. Most of such agencies have numerous ongoing projects, and therefore, have more employees than your project requires. If at any point your idea would require more specialists, the agency can usually allocate them without delay. Scaling up your web project with a web development outsourcing partner is much easier than with an in-house team.

  4. Meeting your business priorities
    Website development outsourcing allows you to effectively focus on your business and delegate development to those who can do it best. As a rule, the client is most involved in IT outsourcing at the very beginning, when there are many questions to discuss: the main idea of the website, the design, included features, requirements and deadlines, etc. After agreeing on these issues, you can just check on the results from time to time.

    There is no need to be involved in the whole development process if you don’t want to, which allows you to save time and focus on core business goals.

  5. Rocket speed launch
    Outsourcing software development gives you the opportunity to implement a project quickly, especially if you find developers who are highly skilled and experienced in creating websites in your niche. This way, you can validate your business idea, fix bugs, and improve your website fast.

Read also: Latest Web App Development Trends

Outsourcing vs outstaffing vs in-house team

 Outsourcing vs outstaffing vs in-house team

There are several work models for developing web products. Besides outsourcing, we’ll analyze outstaffing and hiring your own team of in-house developers. Let’s review the pros and cons of each model.

In every web development process, there are three integral participants: the project owner, the project itself, and the team executing the project.

The in-house team model is the one where the project owner builds their own web development team. They work on the project together, under one roof, as part of one company.

Occasionally, an in-house team isn’t enough to implement a web project, and the project owner needs to find additional outside specialists. In this case, the product owner can hire remote IT professionals from other companies using the outstaffing model.

Outsourcing website development implies that the project owner entrusts the whole web development process with an outsourced company. The hired company provides web developers, designers, and other specialists managed by a project manager who also reports to the project owner about website development progress.

The following table compares these three models so that you can make an informed decision based on your requirements:

Model Pros Cons
Outsourcing
  • Cheaper than in-house development

  • Fully staffed team

  • Savvy experts

  • Well-organized development process

  • Quick start

  • Ideal for project development from scratch

  • Less control over the development process

  • Lack of transparency

  • Remote collaboration challenges

  • Risk of revealing confidential information

Outstaffing
  • The cheapest model

  • Full-time access to the team

  • Flexible recruiting

  • Quick start

  • Communication issues

  • Requires additional management

  • Risk of revealing confidential information

In-house team
  • High security for confidential information

  • Smooth communication

  • Full control over the development process

  • Ideal for long-term projects

  • High costs

  • Laborious hiring process

  • Slow start

  • Ineffective and resource-consuming for short-term projects

Each project is different in terms of scale, data sensitivity, and other aspects, so there is no universal answer regarding which model is the right choice.

Weigh in all the factors and pick the solution that works best for you. And if the pros of outsourcing website development are enough for your requirements, feel free to contact Mind Studios and book a free consultation to discuss your project.

How to outsource web development: a step-by-step guide

how to successfully outsource web development

Now, it’s time to combine the actions you need to go through to find the best web development outsourcing partner into three main steps:

1. Define your core business goals and requirements

Every detail here is important. What kind of website exactly do you want to build? What do you want to achieve by developing your web project? Who is your target audience, and how will they benefit from your website? Write down everything you can think about regarding this project. Further on, it will make your communication with outsourcing companies more efficient and productive.

Read also: How to Develop an Internal Communication Platform

2. Outline the timeframe and budget for your project

The budget you can allocate to this project directly influences its complexity, as well as the choice of a website development outsourcing company. Further on in this article, we will get into details of web development costs.

As for the timeline, you will be able to establish an exact release date only after finding the development team. However, an approximate time estimate based on the technical requirements of the project might also influence your choice of an outsourcing web development company. Those with more experience and top-notch specialists are more likely to meet tight deadlines and deliver desired results fast.

3. Establish your requirements for an outsourcing company

Before seeking the perfect web development partner to implement your idea, you need to figure out what this partnership. Make a list of characteristics that are crucial to you. Those might include previous work experience, location, hourly rate, as well as reputation and core values of the company.

In the end, you will have key requirements to help you make a short list of most suitable candidates to take the job on. For instance, this might be an offshore web development agency with experience in developing educational platforms, which is also striving to be economically sustainable and environmentally friendly.

4. Choose a trustworthy website development outsourcing company

With all established criteria in mind, make a list of 10 to 15 outsourcing web development companies. They should match your requirements in terms of budget, location and experience, and also have real reviews and case studies you can actually check. After making this list, get in touch with them to make a final decision or at least make a short list of most suitable agencies.

5. Sign a contract and an NDA agreement

Trustworthy outsourcing web development agencies always suggest making the cooperation official. A contract usually covers:

  • the terms of website development
  • the preliminary budget for software development
  • rights and obligations of both participants
  • warranties
  • main definitions relating to the development process

It’s also necessary to secure confidentiality with a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). By this document, an outsourced development company promises to safeguard the information you share with the team.

6. Agree upon the ways to control the web development process remotely

Before your collaboration begins, you need to establish terms of communication with the project manager. This will help you monitor the web development outsourcing process. You’ll need to discuss:

  • a convenient remote meetings schedule and tools to manage time zone differences in case the outsourcing company is offshore
  • deadlines for checking intermediate results
  • the preliminary design of your website
  • the approximate budget for website development and strategic items

Successful collaboration with a trustworthy outsourcing company will enable you to develop your project in the best possible way using cutting-edge technologies.

Read also: Reasons to Update Your Website

How to choose the best outsourced development agency

picking the best outsourced development company

Web development outsourcing services are becoming more and more popular among entrepreneurs. Outsourcing can reduce costs, give you access to the world’s best web developers, and allow you to bring your product to market quickly, provided that you collaborate with a reliable team. To help you make the right choice, we’ve made a list of tips on choosing an outsourced development agency:

  • Verify the reputation of the company you outsource web development projects to. Naturally, few agencies share their failure stories as eagerly as they share successful cases. Reviews and case studies on the company’s website are not enough, so you’ll need to dig deeper. Platforms like Clutch, GoodFirms, and Upwork can help you with the background check. There you can read real reviews and even get in touch with the company’s previous clients and ask for an honest feedback. We also suggest checking social resources, corporate blogs, and news. Then you can make the final decision based on personal communication.
  • Pick outsourcing companies who’ve successfully completed web projects in your field. For example, if you need to develop an online medical assistant app, a web outsourcing agency with a well-implemented health care app is more likely to meet your requirements.
  • Build solid communication. Being on the same page is what helps establish effective partnerships. You have to feel comfortable during all stages of negotiation with a web development outsourcing agency, To make sure you are, ask yourself the following questions:
    • Are all my requests and requirements clear to the team?
    • Is there any discomfort caused by cultural or language barriers
    • Is the communication with the third party managed properly, with consideration of time zone difference?
    • How long do I have to wait for feedback?
    The more both parties work on reaching mutual understanding, the more effective the collaboration will be.
Read also: Choosing Web Development Agency for a Startup

Where to find a web development outsourcing company

finding a web development outsourcing company

There are numerous platforms that allow you to look for outsourcing development agencies. Here, we’ve selected the most informative and handy websites that our clients use to outsource website development.

Each of these platforms has different classification approaches. Some focus on the reputation of web development outsourcing companies, their clients’ ratings, reviews, and expertise. Others demonstrate portfolios of web design and development teams or separate freelancers. You can browse these platforms and choose the approach that suits you best.

  1. Clutch, a platform for rating and reviewing IT and other companies.It uses its own classification system based on five main criteria:

    • Level of expertise
    • Loyalty of clients based on reviews
    • Awards and length of time on the market
    • Range of services
    • Rates

    Clutch offers a free-of-charge service called the Matchmaking Program. Using this program, you can share details of your web project, post tech tasks, and receive offers from outsourcing companies that are ready to take on the job.

  2. GoodFirms, a platform for research and reviews of IT companies and software. What makes this service stand out from other platforms is:

    • Advanced algorithm to select the best service providers
    • Ratings are based on a customer-centric approach
    • Regular updates

    GoodFirms is a top tool to find real examples of competitive projects that a prospective partner has already implemented.

  3. Upwork, one of the biggest freelancing platforms that connects businesses with independent specialists and agencies, including those in IT field. Distinctive features of the Upwork approach are:

    • A variety of filters that help you find exactly the right specialist
    • A focus on client ratings

    Moreover, Upwork managers can select a specialist for you in accordance with your requirements without your involvement.

  4. Dribbble, self-promotion and social networking platform for digital designers and creatives, whether they are employees of IT companies or freelancers. Specialists use Dribbble to showcase shots — small parts of projects — in the form of illustrations, micro-interactions, UI/UX designs, animations, and web designs. Here you can evaluate designers’ skills, choose the one you like best, and get in touch with them at once. The main features of Dribbble are:

    • Invitation-only with a focus on social interactions
    • Filters by action or time frame
    • Search by tags
    • Ability to view parts of projects
    • Option to contact Dribble users available only to registered users
  5. Behance, a network for showcasing and discovering creative work. This website is a showroom where photographers, web developers, and designers present their masterpieces and get inspired by others’ work. Behance is noteworthy for these features:

    • Free to join without an invitation
    • Filter by time frame, action, and location
    • Access to viewing members’ completed works, collections, and detailed creation process
    • Option to send messages without registering

How much it costs to outsource web development

costs to outsource web development

When planning to outsource website development, it’s often difficult to accurately calculate the overall cost of your project, as it’s influenced by numerous factors. Among them are:

  • the scale of the web products you plan to develop
  • the complexity of the web development process
  • the number of specialists involved
  • the time required for development
  • hourly rate of the company you choose

This last factor may vary depending on the location of a web development outsourcing company. Let’s take a look at the hourly rates in the three most popular outsourcing regions.

North America Eastern Europe Asia
Hourly rates $100–$150 $25–$70 $20–$40

The stereotype of first-rate IT specialists being mostly from the US is rapidly dying out. As of today, web developers from Eastern Europe and Asia are coming to the fore and winning over business owners from all over the world. Moreover, these regions offer IT engineers at 30% of the cost compared to average hourly rates in North America. At the same time, according to HackerRank research, more affordable IT engineers from Asia and Eastern Europe don’t offer lower quality.

To give you a better understanding of what it may cost you to outsource web development projects, we have gathered real examples with approximate costs for web projects for various business niches. Our calculations here are based on a $45 hourly rate.

How to outsource website development with Mind Studios

The average number of years our developers have been in the field is 8+. So, naturally, our teammates have worked with businesses and startups in all kinds of niches. Our portfolio includes websites and applications for:

  • a real estate platform
  • a social network
  • a booking service
  • an eBook reader
  • a music platform for DJs
  • a tracking service
  • and many more

It just so happened that a number of businesses and startups we’ve worked with are connected to sports, and fitness in particular. One of our biggest projects in this niche is Fitr. Training, a fitness platform for coaches and athletes, for which we created both an app version and a website.

Initially, Fitr. Training was supposed to be only a mobile app. However, our in-depth research showed that a web version is crucial for coaches, as they needed a platform to create, edit, and customize their training plans, and manage business. At the same time, a mobile application was more convenient for the athletes, so in the end we created both. This discovery led to our client launching a product adjusted to the needs of both user categories.

During discovery, design, and development stages we closely collaborated with the client, conducted inspiring brainstorming sessions, constantly discussed our ideas through Slack and online calls. All this helped us create the perfect digital solutions that resulted in creating a successful product.

Even though we launched Fitr. Training years ago, Mind Studios is still in touch with its owner, Leon Cassidy. We continue making necessary updates, providing maintenance, and simply following the platform’s success that is constantly growing.

Every project we take on is special to us, and we sincerely believe that even once our job is done, the connections we build with our clients remain forever.

Conclusion

Finding a reliable partner you can outsource web design and development to is definitely not an easy task. However, we hope this article will help you avoid risks, sign a contract with a decent outsourcing company, and together transform your idea into an impeccably implemented web project.

Whether you need a custom web solution for a business, a non-profit project, or for a startup, Mind Studios will gladly create it for you. Contact us, and our team will arrange a free consultation to discuss your idea and ways to make it a reality.