So, you need a website: That means you’ll need a team to build it. This brings up the age-old debate of local web design vs outsourcing: Should you hire a local, in-house team? Or outsource development overseas?
Of course, there are pros and cons to both options. Depending on your particular project, however, there may be an option that is better suited to you specifically. Today we’re discussing local web design vs outsourcing your website.
Outsourcing your Website
As much as we’d like to convince you to hire local, we have to admit there is some merit to outsourcing development. The most noteworthy being the reduced price and fast delivery.
For short-term projects, or for international business pursuits, outsourcing may be your best option. Although remote developers are less likely to make changes based on your feedback, if you have a straightforward project that you won’t need to change or update long-term, they can deliver quickly and for a reasonable price. Plus, if you have a super new and innovative format in mind for your project, you’re more likely to find a specialist in a remote developer.
The reason we don’t recommend outsourcing for local businesses is because unlike local development teams, they are ill-informed on the specifics of your area. For example, Method is a Perth based team, so we optimise our websites to appeal to Perth businesses and residents, using research and data for users in the area.
You also lose a lot of the control over the specifics of the final products, and communicating your feedback can be a lot harder with a remote developer. Not to mention, it’s difficult to trust developers that you can’t meet in-person, as there’s always a fraud risk.
In truth, we believe that the money you save in the short term will be lost in the long-term anyway. But hey, maybe we’re just biased.
Local Web Design
According to studies, around 70% of the local business community prefer to employ the services of local web design companies. Why is that?
It could be one of many reasons. Despite the increased price, local teams are more knowledgeable on analytics for your area, provide better ongoing support, and will have greater continuity across all aspects of your website build.
On top of all that, local businesses have a reputation to uphold with the people and businesses in your area, so they will be more committed to delivering a product that you’re happy with, and providing quality service long-term.
Plus, you have the added benefit of fostering a new local business connection, where they may refer their network to your business and vice-versa. For small towns and tight knit communities, this relationship may prove to be invaluable.
So, what are you thoughts on local web design vs outsourcing? We hope we’ve given you enough information to make an informed decision (and to hopefully persuade you to support local!). For a Perth based web development team, with quality service you can trust, call Method today, or drop into our Mount Hawthorn office.
