Are you a startup or manager of an advertising agency? Are you looking for how to outsource web development or just want to turn in a site that would start the development of your business? Want to start small and grow with your IT partner? If so, then this article will help you find an outsourcing company that is right for you.
More and more companies outsource their IT tasks. And it is justified:
professionals who are versed in modern technologies will work on your product;
You and your company will be able to focus on core business;
you will save time and money (we, however, do not recommend treating outsourcing as a means of saving – it’s more about quality that you will find difficult to achieve in the state).
There are many more reasons why large companies and startups outsource development. In this article we will tell you how to look for a service provider and how not to regret your choice. First of all, you need to decide what exactly you will give to a third-party company, and what you will cope with in the state.
WHAT ARE OUTSOURCERS?
Freelancers
The most budget option is to contact freelancers. Analyze your needs and the necessary technology to narrow down the search for the right person. The risks when contacting a freelancer are quite high, and we are not only talking about the chance that a person will get sick / disappear / fail. These risks can be partially reduced by asking a specialist to show the portfolio and reviews of other clients.
What is more important is your ability to control a process that takes place remotely, especially if several freelancers are working on one of your projects in parallel. Another important point is communication: you must be able to explain your needs so that you are understood absolutely correctly and unambiguously.
If the scope of the task allows, you can try to find one specialist to develop all the components. For such jacks of all trades are quite rare and cost a lot.
Freelancers can be found at Upwork.com and Freelancer.com.
LARGE OUTSOURCING IT COMPANIES
You have definitely heard about such market giants as Accenture, Luxoft and so on. Their names are well known, but only the same large companies work with them, such monsters can take up a project of a huge scale and with the same budget. However, the implementation of a project in such a company can stretch from several months to … eternity. Like other large corporations, large IT companies are mired in bureaucracy and inefficient use of resources.
3 SMALL OUTSOURCING IT COMPANIES
There is also a third option – small companies providing development and design services. They have all the necessary knowledge and modern technologies that large companies have, but they are much faster and more flexible in terms of managing and managing your project. Such companies most often work with peers – startups and a mid-sized business. And they, of course, are more reliable than freelancers, and also have more expertise.
HOW TO SEARCH AN OUTSOURCING COMPANY?
So, you want to hire a company and close development issues. First of all, decide which technologies you want to use. For example, not every company makes websites on Drupal, Magento, and WordPress right away, so you have to choose one thing. Outline your project in general terms and show the specialist to a friend, he will tell you why it is better to do it. Another option is to ask a few outsourcing companies that you consider to be potential partners, compare the results, ask all the questions.
The second question is the region / country where the company is located: economic level, taxes, average salary, level of English proficiency. Somewhere it can be very cheap, but also very risky, somewhere it is expensive and not very high quality. Recently we analyzed the pros and cons of outsourcing to Ukraine, this information can also be useful.
You also need to pay attention to their experience: how many years on the market, whether there are customer reviews. An excellent solution is to write to several of their clients, for example, on Facebook, and ask about their impressions. Satisfied customers will gladly share their positive experiences.
WHERE TO FIND AN OUTSOURCING COMPANY?
Unfortunately, there is no such heavenly place where all the coolest outsourcing companies would be gathered (here’s an idea for a startup!). So you have to combine several ways to find your second business half.
ASK FRIENDS
Despite the many advisory services, a simple word of mouth still works great. Ask your friends, partners, and Facebook followers if they can recommend a company they once contacted. Compare all the companies from the list, write to several, and very soon you will determine exactly who you can entrust your project with.
2. POLL
In case you do not have friends or just to make up the general impression of the offer in the market, google. There will be many unnecessary results, so narrow down the search as soon as you can:
3. USE LINKEDIN
On LinkedIn, you can check companies found elsewhere. If the outsourcing company has a profile there – already good! Look at who the leader is, what contacts he has, and whether there are any feedback on cooperation. Check if they post articles of their own authorship, this is a good sign – it means that the company cares about its reputation in the industry and has the expertise.
4. SEARCH UPWORK AND DRIBBLE
Upwork is a resource for finding freelancers and small outsourcing companies. The profiles show the history of cooperation of each with previous customers, there are reviews and a portfolio – all in one place. There are tools for collaboration and tracking, which allows you to pay for the work only after you accept it.
It sounds good, but there are some nuances. Most of the contractors from there believe that in order to be successful with customers, you need to offer the lowest prices, and this often leads to poor quality work. There are, of course, exceptions – companies with exceptionally good reviews and trustworthy.
Another feature of Upwork is that the creators of the platform charge about 20% of the project cost for their services, so freelancers and companies increase the cost of their services by the same amount. You can, of course, take a chance and write companies directly, without creating a task on Upwork. But in this case, the platform will not protect you from the risk of running into an unscrupulous contractor.
REDUCE THE LIST OF APPLICANTS
Once you have selected several companies that meet your requirements and are trustworthy, start talking to them. It is important here not to rush, talk with managers, discuss the conditions for possible cooperation, and also get more information to make an informed decision:
Check their accounts on Dribbble, GitHub, Facebook, look at their website.
Ask for a video call and a tour of the office.
Chat with key people who will be involved in your project.
If you have technical expertise, ask them to show their code.
Invite them to complete a small task in the form of a test.
These simple steps will reduce the chance of getting an unpleasant surprise in the future. Feel free to ask questions and discuss things that bother you. If something causes concern, thank the company and say goodbye – the choice is really wide, you will definitely find the outsourcing company you are looking for.
Bio
Babych Maksym, SaaS product expert, CEO at SpdLoad
