Outsourcing Web Design in 2024: Tips, Pros & Cons

A company website is one of the first things you must create when setting up shop. A well-designed website brings in sales and increases traffic, which helps bring your brand exposure. However, making your website’s design isn’t an easy task. It involves marketing psychology and web design techniques to ensure your site is navigable and user-friendly. So many entrepreneurs and marketers may ask, “Does outsourcing web design work?” Read until the end to gauge the pros and cons of outsourcing website design. 

What Is Web Design Outsourcing?

Web design outsourcing refers to brands working with third-party or external design services. These services create any web design needs. These third-party design companies handle everything from the website’s layout to the hero images, as discussed in the creative brief. 

Web design services comprise talented and professional UX designers, graphic designers, and marketing experts to craft a user-friendly website. Design companies sometimes have in-house copywriters to write the website’s headings, subheadings, and calls to action.

Overall, web design outsourcing helps brands create a website that improves the UX or user experience. This way, brands can maximize every website visit and achieve their sales funnel targets. 

Benefits of Outsourcing Web Design

While hiring an in-house web designer is a common alternative, outsourcing web design has multiple benefits. Here are some of them:

1. Time-efficient

Creating website design takes time, especially if you’re learning the ropes in this field. An experienced professional web designer will cut the DIY time in half. Working with third-party designers involves a team of creatives collaborating on a project. 

2. Global talent access

A web design company will likely hire different designers from various backgrounds. Through digitization, it’s easy to collaborate on web designs online using multiple state-of-the-art tools and applications. This gives brands a pool of global experts working on projects. 

3. Cost-efficient

Entrusting all your web design projects to freelancers, on-demand designers, or design agencies is more budget-friendly. Although you may be shelling out a one-time fee, there will be no additional fees. Hiring in-house web designers means you’ll shoulder training fees, tools, employee benefits, etc. 

4. High-quality designs

Working with in-house web designers doesn’t mean not getting high-quality designs. As recruiters, you must do due diligence before onboarding employees, which means hiring the most reliable. When outsourcing web design work, you’re sure to get vetted designers who work within a team. Projects undergo a series of quality checks from different team members, ensuring quality design.

5. Latest tools and technology

Outsourcing website design work means you no longer have to pay for the most cutting-edge tools and applications. Most third-party web designers will already have the latest software to create the graphics. 

6. Ongoing support

Most web design agencies and unlimited design companies have reputable customer support. Because these companies rely on clients for business, they mainly offer ticketing systems for when issues arise. 

7. Focus on core business aspects

When you outsource website design, you can focus on other aspects of the business. You won’t have to monitor the designer compared to hiring an in-house web designer. You only have to submit the creative brief, communicate with creatives occasionally, and wait for the output. 

How Much Does Outsourcing Website Design Cost

The cost of outsourcing website design will depend on several factors, which are:

• Project scope/size
• Project complexity
• Type of project
• Web design company’s reputation
• Web designer’s expertise level (Considering you’re hiring freelancers)
• Customization and revisions

1. Freelancers (At least $25 per hour, depending on expertise level)

2. US-based design agency (At least $40 to $50 per hour, around $6,400 for 160 design hours)

3. On-demand web design services (starting at $499 per month for unlimited designs and revisions)

The cost of web design will also depend on the project type. For instance, a UX/UI design project can cost between $5,000 and $10,000. Meanwhile, brand identity designs can cost between $1,000 and $8,000, including market research, logos, etc. 

Factors to Consider When Outsourcing Website Design

Consider these factors when you outsource web design work:

• Project scope: Make sure you assess the size of the project. Does it require a team of creatives, or would one web designer suffice? 
• Budget: Set a budget so you know which web design service to choose. 
• Setup: Gauge whether you want to be fully involved with the design process or leave everything in the experts’ hands. 
• Timeline: Do you have a deadline for the web design project? Are you opening your store soon? Check with the web design service when they can finish the project to ensure everything is completed on time.

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Web Design

Now that you know what web design outsourcing is, the costs, and the considerations, it’s time to weigh the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Flexibility to stop working with third-party companies or pause subscription
• Hassle-free setup without onboarding employees 
• New perspectives, concepts, and ideas from different skilled designers
• No long-term financial responsibilities 
• Learn from multiple web designers from various backgrounds 

Cons:

• No direct control over designers and team
• May have communication difficulty due to timezone differences or language barriers
• Less brand familiarity compared to hiring in-house designers 

How to Find Outsourcing Partners

Searching for the best outsourcing partner requires careful deliberation and process. Here’s how to find the best web design partners:

• Google: The easiest way to find web design outsourcing partners is through Google. Type “best web design companies” on Google and compare the first few rankings. 
• Forums: Go to forums like Reddit or Quora and see which website design service is mainly discussed. 
• Listings: Visit top listing sites to find the best web design service. Yelp, Foursquare, Clutch, and YellowPages are a few examples. 
• Social media: Most website design companies have social media profiles with regular posts. Once you’ve found potential design partners, you can check out their social media channels and see if they’re credible. 
• Referrals: One of the most reliable and old-fashioned ways to find the top website design companies is through referrals. Ask your business owner friends where they get their website designs. Double-check by visiting each company’s portfolio.

Tips to Outsource Web Design Effectively

Outsourcing web design works if clear and honest communication is present. On top of that, here are some tips on how to make UX/UI design outsourcing work:

• Clearly state your goals from the start.
• Outline clear project scope and web design requirements.
• Specify the functionalities and features you want on your website.
• Interview the chosen design partner about their experience, clients they’ve worked with, style, work ethics, etc., to see if they match your needs and preferences. 
• Set expectations from the beginning to avoid misunderstandings down the road.
• Always compare proposals regarding budget, timeline, inclusions, scope, and quality to make the best decision.

Looking for an Affordable Web Design Partner?

Penji is one of the most affordable solutions if you’re looking for the best web design outsourcing partner. 

Penji consists of vetted professional web designers who will go above and beyond to ensure you get precise design outcomes. This on-demand design service offers unlimited designs and revisions at flat monthly rates. 

Check out a quick demo to see how you can use Penji to get all your design requests handled.