Want to Hire a Web Development Team? Know This First
Talented developers are in high demand by businesses eager to get an edge on their competition. As a result, few businesses can afford to hire a full-stack development agency and have staff with a team of developers who can create, program, and maintain a website.
Instead, many companies are turning to third-party developers or outsourcing web development to meet their technological needs.
So you might be wondering how to do that yourself. And that’s just what we’re here for. By the end of this article, you’ll have the tools and knowledge on web development tools and technologies you need to hire the right web design team that you’ll need to modernize and turnkey your business solutions.
Why Outsource Web Development?
In this modern era, the customer’s expectation for quality technological capabilities is at an all-time high. Fortunately, companies today can achieve this at a reasonable website cost.
Outsourcing web development enables you to access experienced web professionals, UI/UX design services, and web developers with diverse skills and qualifications, which can be the optimal solution for those who need to develop a custom website or web application on a budget.
Here are a few reasons for outsourcing:
- You can hire a professional web development team with experience who has already completed projects similar to yours.
- No need to waste money on training or office space overheads.
- Customize your team to include skilled and experienced developers.
- Be in control of the scope and work requirements through consistent updates and web project management.
- The dedicated team approach allows changes to the project during the web development timeline.
- You can negotiate monthly payment based on factors like deliverables and the number and skill of developers.
- The web development consultancy or vendor you choose can mitigate risk.
How Does the Dedicated Team Model Work?
The dedicated team model allows for adjustments to scope and web project requirements during any stage of the website coding and programming process. Developers can deliver e-commerce solutions while adjusting to your needs.
Not all web maintenance and development projects benefit from this model, so you should consider the dedicated team model for your project if:
- you want to build a relationship with a software development service provider.
- you need an expert team of web developers who can work by themselves.
- you want to be able to adapt your requirements and goals to meet an ever-changing market.
- your project has the possibility of large changes in scalability. Fixed billings can allow you to keep the same team without paying more.
When deciding to use a dedicated team model, the first step will be identifying the web developer portfolio and requirements of your project.
A Product Requirements Document (PRD) outlines what you want to achieve when you hire a front-end and back-end development team.
Once you choose your team, you can work with them to create a Functional Specification Document, which defines the detailed scope and requirements of the web application development project.
Next, the work on the project will begin and collaboration between you and the team is essential throughout this responsive web design process.
Finally, after development is complete, the product will be ready for presentation.
What is The Team Structure?
Some web design teams differ in their structure. Most will include a Project Manager (PM), an Information Architect (IA), a UX/UI designer, and a Requirement Analyst (RA), as well as a team of developers that may include both front-end and back-end developers.
Naturally, when you’re looking to outsource web development or hire a web development agency, you need to find the right person for each role in your website project’s development.
Here is a short summary of each of these roles:
- Project Manager – Responsible for the delivery of the product in the web development timeline outlined. Manages the team to work towards the completion of the project, ensuring optimal website project management.
- Information Architect – Focuses on organizing website structure and content, ensuring a responsive and mobile-friendly web design. Enables users to find and navigate the custom website or web application with ease.
- UI/UX Designer – Designs the look and feel of the website with the customer in mind, ensuring a cohesive web developer portfolio and optimal user experience. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are similar but distinct concepts. UI deals with specific interactions between the customer and specific assets, whereas UX describes more general interactions with a company’s products and services.
- Requirement Analyst – Takes your outlined ideas and translates them into technical specifications for the web development team. They ensure that your ideas align with the web development tools and technologies used.
After you define the project and approve the prototype, development can begin. The actual programming is done by developers who code and program all the designs into a workable website or application. Of course, not all developers are the same, so it’s essential to understand the different skills and specialties from each part of your web maintenance and development team.
Developers are normally divided into different roles:
- Front-End Developer – Implements the website design into a viewable functioning website. This means turning ideas such as landing pages, author boxes, forms, and so on into reality using web development code and programming.
- Back-End Developer – Responsible for the website’s functions and backend technologies (i.e. when a user registers on a site, a profile for the user is created) and ensuring the site is mobile-responsive.
- Full Stack Developer – Can perform the functions of both a Front-End Developer and a Back-End Developer. These developers are valuable, yet some freelance web developers use this title to falsely describe themselves in an attempt to increase their exposure.
- Quality Assurance Engineer – Reviews the technical specifications and the web development process to ensure that they work as intended.
- User Acceptance Testers – Responsible for implementing quality management, ensuring the final product aligns with the web development contract and performs rigorous testing.
What Should I Look For When Outsourcing to a Development Team?
Web design groups and professionals work in various ways to develop a website or application. Choosing the right web development agency or team is critical for the success of your business venture. Therefore, success hinges on hiring the right people with the appropriate web development skills for the right job. It also means understanding that you will have different expectations for each part of your website project team.
For example, hiring a freelance software developer is very different from looking for a WordPress developer. Despite these differences in web developer roles, some factors do apply to everyone you hire on your web development team.
Below are some key expectations needed when choosing a vendor, irrespective of the role:
- Estimation and Evaluation – They should be able to provide a document that shows an analysis of the current market, web development trends, and your competitors. They should also offer a detailed view of the project with an optimal web development process.
- Flexibility in staffing – You should be able to choose members of the development team based on their web development expertise and abilities. You should also have the freedom to add more developers or reduce the staff as the project’s scope changes and progresses.
- Clear deadlines – The vendor should provide periodic releases or updates to demonstrate that the project is progressing according to an agreed web development timeline.
- Honest pricing – A vendor’s estimation price should be within 20-30% of the average website cost on the market for similar projects.
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – Prospective companies should be well-versed with the MVP web development model. An MVP model allows you to test your idea, ensuring efficient web project management while saving time and money.
- Project management – A professional development company should comprise more than just developers. They need to be self-sufficient, adhering to web development best practices and meeting the agreed timelines without the need for your micro-management. A tech-lead, project manager, or product owner should articulate your idea to their developers and maintain the project scope.
Once you know what to ask for, you’re primed to go into into companies that can offer you the right development team for your endeavor.
Here are some benchmarks to consider in a prospective company:
Experience – Companies without at least 2 or 3 years of web development experience might pose risks. They lack the tenure of seasoned teams and might not be as dependable.
Staff – The minimum size of a team should hover around a dozen members, each with proficient web developer skills. They should have contingency plans to substitute a team member should unforeseen circumstances arise. Vendors boasting a robust staff of 30 or 40 people are even more commendable. Such companies are equipped to ensure that personnel disruptions don’t hinder the project’s fruition.
Customer Review – Solicit feedback from their prior customers about their service quality. This will give you candid insights into their proficiency in areas like project management and web application development.
Product quality – Petition the company for working examples of products, allowing you to gauge the caliber of their end product. If their prior websites resonate with your aesthetic and functional preferences, they could be a befitting choice.
Company website – Rope in someone with a technical acumen to aid in assessing their website. An ill-conceived layout, deficient functionality, or subpar design on their own website might raise red flags.
How Do I Define The Project and Scope of Work?
To streamline the web design process, you need to provide clear guidelines to ensure that your web development team can work to the specifications of a given project. One of the main steps is defining your project’s scope to your developers, especially if you’re starting with a concept like how to create a website from scratch.
The scope is a critical component of every website project that necessitates meticulous definition before any web application development begins. It includes various constraints concerning time, resources, and staff and also necessitates defining particular aspects.
To crystallize the scope, judiciously document the goals and web development requirements of your project. Here are pivotal ways to delineate the scope of your digital project:
- Project constraint – Any stringent limitations on cost, time, or resources within the web development cycle.
- Project stakeholders – Individuals or entities with vested interests in the project.
- Resources allocated – Team members, budgets, hardware, digital tools, etc. crucial for web development tasks.
- Skill requirements – Specific expertise and knowledge indispensable to the website development process.
- Deadlines – Crucial timelines that the web project team must adhere to.
- Project deliverables – The anticipated outcome of the web development process. It signifies the tangible achievements of the development group.
Consider these questions to sculpt your project:
- What’s the intended complexity of your website?
- Is its purpose merely to captivate and shed light on your enterprise?
- Is integrating e-commerce development essential for product sales?
- Should it facilitate user accounts?
- Is there a necessity for live chat support for real-time inquiries?
- What’s the underlying objective behind your site’s creation? How does it bolster your business?
- Aiming to broaden your online marketing to attract more prospects?
- Seeking enhanced exposure for your brand?
- Offering clientele an alternative channel to procure your offerings?
- What’s the envisioned aesthetic and ambiance of your site?
- How recurrently will the website undergo updates?
In the realm of web design and development, understanding the scope in conjunction with the timeline, budget, team capabilities, and project aspirations is instrumental before diving into the development phase.
Questions to Ask
Identifying a proficient web development team and overseeing the smooth progression of tasks entails considering numerous factors. As the project unfolds, it’s paramount to keep a vigilant eye on both your schedule and fiscal allocation.
So, prior to rendezvousing with your web development agency or team, arm yourself with these pivotal inquiries:
Who retains the copyrights to the content?
Digital content, encompassing graphics, imagery, and copy (pivotal text), shapes the essence of a website. Augmenting content might necessitate graphic elements, and numerous platforms, like free graphic elements, can elevate your visual content marketing. Ascertain the content ownership dynamics post-completion.
Is the site designed with cross-platform functionality?
In today’s digital era, myriad avenues facilitate internet access, and it’s imperative your website caters to them all. With smartphones reigning supreme for online connectivity, ensuring mobile responsiveness and browser compatibility becomes non-negotiable.
How do you manage increased web traffic?
If anticipating a surge in online visitors, especially during peak seasons or specific event days, having a robust strategy to handle web traffic is essential. Understanding server scalability and web hosting solutions offered by the development team can provide insights into how well-prepared they are for high traffic situations.
How seamless is the modification process?
Throughout the web design process, it’s natural to have evolving requirements. There could be instances where a previously deemed critical functionality loses its significance, or a newfound feature emerges as beneficial. A competent web development agency should exhibit flexibility, swiftly accommodating these changes during the web application development phase.
Post-launch, as your business evolves, the website might necessitate alterations. It’s prudent to inquire about the ease of customization post-completion, and if the content management system (CMS) allows for user-friendly updates.
Does the package encompass Search Engine Optimization?
SEO is pivotal for enhancing your site’s visibility on search engines, ensuring it surfaces prominently when pertinent terms are queried. This increases the likelihood of attracting the desired audience. It’s essential to understand that SEO techniques vary; for instance, SEO for law contrasts with SEO for marketing, as each domain has unique characteristics.
What potential challenges should I anticipate?
Identifying potential bottlenecks and challenges, both during vendor selection and the website development process, is crucial.
- Work Quality: Settling for subpar product quality squanders resources. It’s imperative to meticulously assess the web project team, drafting an explicit contract detailing expectations.
- Reliability: Freelancers and occasionally fledgling companies might pose reliability concerns. Contrarily, established and seasoned companies have more at stake and are likely to prioritize project success.
- Maintaining Scope: Cementing the project’s scope in written form is paramount. Detailed objectives, unanimously agreed upon by the vendor and your team, ensure project clarity. Fluid changes in scope can skyrocket costs and jeopardize deadlines.
- Budgeting Concerns: Pinpoint budget estimation at a project’s onset can be challenging. Factors like quality, scope, web application scalability, timeline, among others, need crystallization for a comprehensive financial forecast.
FAQs about hiring a web development team
What’s the difference between a web designer and a web developer?
Well, in the simplest terms, a web designer focuses on the look and feel, while a web developer dives deep into the functionality and code. Think of it like this: the designer paints the picture, while the developer builds the canvas.
How do I know if I’m hiring the right team?
Gosh, that’s the million-dollar question, right? Due diligence is your best friend. Check their past work, reviews, and get a feel for their web application development process. Also, always trust your gut. If something feels off, there’s probably a reason for it.
How much does it usually cost?
Haha, that’s kinda like asking, “how long is a piece of string?” Prices vary wildly based on what you need, the complexity, and the web project team’s experience. Always get multiple quotes and make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.
Should I go for a freelancer or an agency?
Alright, this one depends. Freelancers can be more flexible and budget-friendly. But, agencies usually offer a wider range of services and have a team to handle different parts of the web design process. Weigh out your project’s scope and decide accordingly.
Will they maintain my site after it’s built?
Some do, some don’t. It’s essential to discuss post-launch services upfront. Many teams offer website maintenance as a separate service. Remember, it’s not just about building; it’s about keeping things smooth and updated.
What about mobile optimization?
Absolutely vital! With everyone glued to their phones these days, having a mobile-optimized site is non-negotiable. Ensure the team you hire is proficient in responsive web design to make your site look and function great on all devices.
How long will it take to develop my website?
Well, just as with costs, timelines vary. Simple sites might take a few weeks, while more complex web applications could take months. Always set clear deadlines, but remember – good stuff often takes time.
Do they need to know about my industry?
Not always, but it can help. If they have experience in your sector, they’ll better understand the challenges, users, and specifics. But a top-notch team can dive into any industry and get the hang of it. It’s all about their ability to research and adapt.
Is SEO included in the development process?
Ideally, it should be. SEO isn’t just about keywords; it’s also about site structure, speed, and mobile optimization. When hiring, ensure the team understands SEO techniques and integrates them from the start.
Can I see and approve the website before it goes live?
Of course! No reputable team would launch without your green light. You’ll typically be shown a server test version or a prototype to review. Always give it a thorough look and provide feedback.
Ending thoughts on how to hire a web development team
Most business is done online today, shaping the digital landscape. With the internet’s ubiquity, this ever-increasing growth makes it imperative to have products and services available for an online audience.
Outsourcing web development has emerged as a vital strategy, a tool that not only propels startups but also enables many established businesses to solidify their presence in the lucrative online marketplace.
This isn’t just a small-business trend either; tech giants like Samsung and IBM have actively outsourced parts of their web application development.
With the digital revolution in full swing, the availability of talent around the globe and the technology enabling remote work, outsourcing has evolved as the prevailing business paradigm of the digital era.
Cost reduction, tapping into global talent pools, access to a well-rounded professional development team, deep tech expertise, and risk mitigation are just a few of the multifaceted benefits of outsourcing web development.
As you venture into this avenue, it’s crucial to stay laser-focused. Be specific about your goals, and don’t just skim the surface – deeply research your prospective business partner. If you play your cards right, your company can stand to profit immensely from this strategic move of outsourcing your web development process.
If you enjoyed reading this article on how to hire a web development team, you should check out this one about software development budget planning.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like ALM tools, how to hire a web developer, how to write an RFP, application lifecycle management, and web development companies in Serbia.
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