Outsourcing your web design and development can be a great way to get the results you want at a price you can afford. But it’s not as simple as just picking up the phone and hiring the first firm you find. It’s important to understand what to look for in a web development partner, how to choose the right one for your project and how to set them up for success. Here are seven steps to creating an effective working relationship with your outsource web designer:
Hire For Personality
This is probably the most important thing you can do when hiring any employee or contractor. You should be looking for people who share your values and work ethic, not just those who can do the job well. Look at their portfolio, but don’t just look at the work itself — look at how it was done and what kind of style they have established. If there’s anything that jumps out at you as being particularly impressive or annoying, ask them about it in an interview so they can explain their process and show where they drew inspiration from.
Know What You Need Before You Start Looking For A Designer
If you don’t know what you need, how can they? You should have a clear vision of what you want in the end product and some basic ideas on how to get there. You should also know what your budget is or at least have an idea of where you would like it to be.
Set Clear Expectations
You should always know exactly what your outsourced web designer is going to deliver at each milestone along the way — whether it’s wireframes or site mockups, development or maintenance work — so there are no surprises down the road. Also, make sure your expectations are reasonable; if you’re expecting them to work for free for two weeks before starting paid work, it’s unlikely that anyone will want to take on your project!
Ensure Good Communication Between The Two Of You
When working with an outsourced web designer, it’s important that both parties communicate well with one another throughout the project so that they can work together towards a common goal. Communication doesn’t just mean talking over Skype or email either—it means making sure that everyone is on board with what needs to happen next in order for things to stay on track and not get off track along the way because no one knows what else was happening at any given time.
Agree On Deliverables & Timelines Before Starting Work
Once you’ve decided on an outline for the project, make sure that both sides agree on what will be delivered and when — including any revisions or changes along the way. It may sound obvious, but it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks when there’s no written record of what both parties expect from each other! This is especially important if there are multiple people involved in making decisions (such as clients and their marketing teams).
Take Control Of The Project
Don’t hand over all the reins to the freelancer. Instead, be involved in every step of the process. Ask questions and give feedback on everything from initial sketches to final revisions. The more involved you are in the outsource web design process, the better informed you’ll be about what’s happening with your website design and why certain changes are being made to it. You’ll also ensure that your ideas aren’t being overlooked or ignored by the designer — which could become problematic later on in the process when it comes time for coding or development.
Be Patient During The Design Process
Be prepared for some back-and-forth communication as you work through different iterations of the design concept or layout options. It’s natural for clients to get attached to certain ideas or layouts they see in mockups — especially if they’ve spent time creating them — but it’s important to remember that these are just drafts and may need further refinement before being implemented into your site’s final design.
Conclusion:
Finding a web design partner requires a lot of time and attention to detail. The more time you spend in the upfront preparation, the better your chances of finding a great partner. And if you’re ready to outsource web design project, but aren’t sure how to do so, check out our guide above. It’s filled with tips and steps to help you find a great partner for your next project.
