Hiring Web Development Company vs. Hiring Freelance
With companies downsizing and individuals seeking greater work/life balance, there is an increasing number of skilled freelancers in the Web development market. These individuals have lower overhead costs and can therefore charge less for their services than a full-service Web development company does. Indeed, if hiring decisions were based solely on the bottom line, freelancers would probably always get the contracts, and Web development companies would soon be out of business.
But that isn't the case. Hiring decisions aren't based on actual cost, but on perceived value. That is, most people will pay more to get more they just want to be sure that what they're getting is a good deal.
If you compare the value (i.e., advantages) of a Web development / design company to that of a freelancer, you will soon see that while the company may cost more, the greater value it provides is almost always the better deal.
Advantages of a Web Development Company
More People (= More Experience)
Sometimes, size really does matter. When you hire a freelancer, you get the benefits of one person's experience and expertise; when you hire a company, you get the benefits of several individuals’ experience and expertise, both individually and collectively. What you get is an entire team of people with a broader range of experience, all of whom are dedicated to making your project the best it can be.
A single freelancer may be cheaper, but if you calculate what you'd spend to get an entire team of freelancers, you're sure to find that a Web development company is the better deal.
Specialized Team Members vs. "Jack-of-all-trades"
With a Web development company, you get a designer who’s an expert in design, a developer who's an expert in development, and a project manager who's an expert in writing technical descriptions and understanding client needs. In other words, you get a team of experts, each knowledgeable in and dedicated to his or her particular field.
With a freelancer, you get one person to do it all. No matter how good that person may be, he or she can't be an expert in all things, so on some aspect of your project — maybe even more than one — you're getting less than total expertise.
Quality Assurance Testing
A Web development company has a separate quality assurance team dedicated to testing the functionality of your Web project as its being developed, thereby ensuring that your final product works exactly to your specifications.
While a freelancer can, and probably will, check his or her own work as it progresses, it's a general rule that one cannot catch one’s own errors as easily as another can. And if a freelancer does decide to have someone else check his or her work, he or she is likely to pass that cost onto you, whereas with a Web development company, testing is part of the bargain.
Complete Contracts
Web development companies have contracts that have been honed to ensure that every possible detail is addressed. This in turn helps to ensure that your project runs smoothly, proceeding on time, on budget, and to your exact specifications.
A freelancer can generally provide quotes or proposals more quickly, but he or she may overlook certain details or fail to account for certain setbacks, causing you to renegotiate as your project proceeds. This not only causes stress and confusion but may also end up costing you more money, perhaps even putting you over budget.
Follow-up
The term "freelance" comes from the Middle Ages, when certain knights (or lances) would serve whoever paid rather than pledging allegiance to any one lord or king. Today's freelancers follow the same principle, following the money from one project to the next. This isn't a bad principle, but it does mean that once your project's done, your freelancer will be off to serve a new king, so to speak.
A company, on the other hand, will still be there to serve you. If you have questions or problems once your project's complete, a company will be easier to get hold of and more likely to have the time to address your concerns.
Advantages of a Freelancer
A freelancer may be a better fit for smaller projects that concentrate on a particular area of Web development, need immediate attention and quick turnaround, and require little or no follow-up.
Freelancers also make excellent additions to already-existing teams or projects.
Finding the Right Fit
Choosing between a full-service Web development company and a freelancer ultimately depends on the needs of your project. Budget is an important consideration, but remember to look at value as well as cost. If you need a large pool of expertise, a team of specialized professionals, a contract that fully addresses your needs, and the opportunity to follow-up once your project's been completed, a Web development company will offer far better value for your dollar.