Outsourcing Website Development: 15 Freelancer Challenges

The demand for custom website development has been steadily climbing with the increasing numbers of new start-ups and established companies looking to take their services online. Because of this, it is becoming quite an ordeal to find high-quality web-developing talents.

Thus, business owners, from large corporations to start-ups, seek alternative web development solutions by hiring freelancers.

Depending on the complexities involved, web development takes quite a bit of work and often takes quite a bit of time to complete. Because it also requires a different skill set, it may not be easily available within one local setting. As a result, many start-ups and big corporations are starting to outsource their work to other continents.

As you already know, outsourcing comes with its challenges. Nevertheless, we will thus devote this post to helping you decide between hiring independent contractors—freelancers.

1. Common Challenges Associated with Outsourcing Website Development Projects

A freelancer is a self-employed worker with specialised skills—in this context, web development—in high demand by companies. Reportedly, the US has over 57 million freelancers, and over the next five years, it is predicted that more than half of America’s working population will start working as freelancers. There are advantages and challenges to choosing to delegate your project needs to a freelancer, and we will explore those challenges in the subsequent paragraphs.

1.1. Scalability or customisation of the code

Business rivalry is increasing, which forces enterprises to launch their goods and services more quickly. Web developers must also operate under tight deadlines at the same time. And naturally, they create online solutions that are only adequate for a particular period and are not resilient to change.

Web development solutions that are not flexible or adaptable frequently fall short when an organisation expands, the number of users increases and more storage space or customisation is required.

1.2. Incompatibility of the website with some devices

50-60% would prefer to browse the internet on their phone, which brings a higher probability of mobile visitors to your website. As a result, web developers must test the compatibility and responsiveness of their websites across several devices from the get-go. This is why you need to ensure the web development project is handled by someone who understands this.

1.3. Unorganised website backend

An attractive website is necessary, but it also has to be fully functional. Organisations that outsource web development have little influence over the project, frequently resulting in a messy backend. Whereas managing a website from the backend might be challenging for the end-user.

1.4. Lower bandwidth and website load time

We are sure you have visited some websites and have almost started to think your internet is down. This happens when a website’s loading time is slow. And just as you would have reacted to a slow website, other visitors will. You could lose out to your competitors if your website is slow. Visitors will exit a slow-loading website faster than the speed of light. A loading time that’s higher than 3 seconds is not ideal.

A freelancer will often not concern themselves with hosting images on an external server and increasing the website loading speed through server optimisation, which is why it is the most common challenge with outsourcing a web development project. 

1.5. Bad web optimisation for SEO

Most professionals believe that on-page SEO should begin before any new web development. Failing to implement this is why many websites take a long time to rank in search engines. When a website development project is outsourced, there is a higher chance that developers will pay less attention to the SEO optimisation of the website.

The website’s design, the postponed loading function, and performance optimisation are all crucial factors. Websites must thus contain alt messages, the proper header tag design, and meta tags.

2. Other Challenges that you may encounter when Outsourcing a Web Development Project

2.1. Quality:

Let’s say you are outsourcing the development of an e-commerce website. You should do your research. The freelancer you selected may not have the same experience, resources, and infrastructure as a well-established development company. 

This could lead to lower-quality work which could impact your business. The freelancer might use old coding techniques or not optimise the website for search engines. This could lead to a slow, unresponsive website that is difficult to attract customers.

2.2. Communication:

Working with freelancers can prove difficult, especially if they speak a different language or work in a different time zone. Let’s say you are based in the United States, and your website development project is outsourced to an Indian freelancer. 

It can be difficult to communicate with freelancers in India because of the time difference. The freelancer might not speak English fluently, which can lead to delays and miscommunications.

2.3. Availability:

Let’s say you are outsourcing your website development project. Their availability and ability to meet deadlines could be affected. If the freelancer has multiple projects at once, they might not be able to prioritise your project and deliver it on schedule. This could lead to delays that can negatively impact your business.

2.4. Security:

Sensitive data, such as customer or business information, could be compromised when you outsource your website development project to a freelancer. If the freelancer does not follow security protocols, they might use insecure communication channels, which could lead to data breaches. This could lead to legal liability, customer loss, and reputational damage.

2.5. Accountability:

A freelancer may not feel the same accountability to you as a well-established development company. Let’s say you are outsourcing your website development project and the freelancer is already working on other projects. 

They may not prioritise your project and cause delays or poor-quality work. This could have a negative impact on your business and cause problems with your freelancer.

2.6. Management of projects:

It can be difficult to manage a website project with a freelancer if you are not experienced in the development process. It can be difficult to communicate with the freelancer and track progress if you don’t know how project management tools work. This can lead to miscommunications, delays and poor-quality work.

2.7. Long-term maintenance:

After the website has been developed, freelancers might not be available to support or offer ongoing maintenance. Let’s say, for example, that the freelancer is only available for a limited time. This could mean that they are not available for ongoing support. If this happens, it could have a negative impact on your business.

2.8. Cultural differences:

There may be misunderstandings between you and your freelancer due to cultural differences. If you outsource your website development project, for example, to someone based in another country, they might have different cultural norms or customs. This could cause miscommunications or misunderstandings which can negatively impact the project.

2.9. Expertise in technical matters:

A freelancer may not be as skilled in technical development as a company. Let’s say you are outsourcing the development of complex websites that require advanced technical skills. The freelancer might not have the experience or skills to complete the project to your satisfaction.

2.10. Cost:

Although outsourcing website development to a freelancer is cheaper than working with a development company, there are additional costs you should consider. You may have to pay for ongoing support, maintenance, and project management. These costs can quickly add up and affect your budget, so make sure you factor them in.

2. Conclusion

Despite having some of the most prolific and competent developers, outsourcing your web development project will cost you a lot of money. However, with EMB Global, we are single-handedly taking over these misconceptions and challenges. By helping you find the services of competent companies and agencies, we are helping you tackle the challenges of working with freelancers. 

With a network of over 750+ verified partner agencies and vendors across the country, we have solutions for any range and scope of digital needs. Visit our homepage to know how. 

FAQs

Team EMB

Our team of expert writers is committed to bringing insights on topics ranging in the fields of technology, marketing, and business. With a wide-reaching range of services on our platform, we help businesses achieve digital transformation end-to-end.