If you’re thinking of throwing eggs towards me, please get in the line. My brother is a freelance web developer so he gets first dips to hit me on my head. I know what I am about to say will be indigestible for a lot of people. But, I strongly believe it has to be told.
I will start with a short story about Harry.
One typical night, Harry woke up at 4:00 am. His mind was racing. He just had a million-dollar business idea. The next day, he hired a freelancer to build a remarkable website for his business. When the day of the promised deadline approached, the freelancer just vanished from the face of the earth.
Sadly, many entrepreneurs had the same experience with a freelance website and mobile app developers.
If this story isn’t convincing enough to keep you away with the idea of hiring freelance web and mobile app developers. Then, dive into these 10 reasons.
Multiple Options
Let’s assume, you just posted your website requirement on a freelancing website. You are most likely to be bombarded with tons of bids. Why? Well, many freelancers install automated bots into their accounts. These bot bid on every project, on their behalf, without overseeing the requirements. As a result, you may end up with a developer who has expertise in another technology. This means you might hire a blockchain developer for building your website.
Lack of Problem Solving Skills
The truth is, tons of freelancers don’t even know the meaning of problem-solving.. They cannot tweak front-end code that seamlessly integrates with back end code. The problem-solving process involves four simple steps: analyze an issue, compose a plan, implement a solution, and validate results. Usually, freelancers skip the first two steps and move directly towards the third one. This helps them to write code that might work while unit testing but fail under load.
Also Read: Principle of Creating a Great Website
Quality Is Not Up to the Mark
Freelancers try to attract clients with appealing lower charges. They drop prices out of sheer devotion to the idea that low rates = more customers. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t love a $1000 website made for just $200. However, this comes hand in hand with outrageously low quality. To cut on a budget is equal to cutting on quality, you may end up with a website that will ultimately fail.
Freelancers are self-employed. No company or employer verifies their talent and competencies. Moreover, they have no recommendations from trusted companies or agencies. Contrarily, when you hire developers via a web development firm, their skills and expertise are proven.
That being said, this doesn’t mean you cannot always find a competent developer on freelancing websites. It’s just that, you will have to spend a lavish time filtering out the ones who are there to make a quick buck. The good news is, you can always proceed towards an established web development company.
Language Barriers
Freelancing websites are overflowing with service providers from diverse cultures and languages. You will quickly realize that English is not their native language. You will often wonder if they understood your requirements or not. Many clients complain that they get opposite to what they ask for. Good understanding of a common language, on both sides, is vital for achieving the desired outcome.
Slow Services
As discussed above, freelancers charge very less money. So, to accomplish more, they take lots of work, at a time. They don’t have even the slightest clue about how to sell at a higher point. That is why they are mostly busy. They’re often juggling three or four clients, at one time. And, if God forbid another client is paying more, then you come last at their priority list. When your business is at stake, I don’t recommend taking this huge risk.
There’s Always an Excuse For Missing Deadlines
A freelancer never apologizes for missing a deadline. They always have an excuse. Be ready for fake justification like I had to attend a wedding, my grandmother passed away, and all such similar excuses. Along with managing a business, you have to deal with this hassle.
Also, if another client’s website is more exhilarating, they will devote all their time and energy to that one. Your website will keep lingering away, till the time a freelancer has spare time to develop it. As a consequence, expect a delay of two to three months , after the deadline.
9 to 5 Jobs
Many freelancers are full-time employees. They use freelancing platforms as a side income. While many freelancers might manage multiple tasks, they lack time management to deliver work at a proposed deadline. The result? Your website whose launch date gets postponed, every week.
An average website takes three to four months to complete. If a freelance web developer tells you that it will be completed in a year. Don’t walk away, Run! unless your website offers complicated, massive functionalities. Thus, requires a lot of time.
Marketing – A Missing Skill
All that remarkable code will be pointless until a web developer understands the traits of a successful website. It requires content marketing, copywriting, search engine optimization, speed and performance optimization, and much more. Freelance developers may not be the ideal candidates to guide you about building your business online. Go with a web development company, they have an entire marketing team to set your website for success. If you hire a freelance developer, you will have to hire another freelancer to revamp your website with effective marketing strategies.
NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement)
NDA is an official agreement between two parties, where one signs a contract to keep all information private or confidential. Mostly, freelancers are reluctant to sign this agreement. Since, they need an impressive portfolio to lure clients in their direction. An NDA prevents them from showcasing the project online.
Hourly Rate
Freelancers charge per hour. This might result in paying them more than a task’s worth. For websites that are less complex and require little skill set, you might have to pay $30- $40. This seems quite expensive when compared with a salaried employee, who makes approximately $26.30 an hour.
Fake Reviews and Portfolio
There is no guarantee that a freelancer actually worked on the projects, in his/her portfolio. They usually claim someone else works to be their own. Just the other day, I came across a fake freelancer who claimed to be a website developer. How did I know?
Well, after doing some research, I found out that the project does not belong to him. Many freelancers forge information to boost the chances of getting appointed. Some might be easy to recognize, others are professionals. They blindfold themselves and display astonishing feats. Will it be wise to trust such folks when your business is on line?
Reliability
Let’s shed light on a hard to swallow truth. Your project is not a freelancer web and mobile developer’s priority. Some freelancers are just into earning some additional money. Project is a come and go thing for them.
Specific Skill Set
Freelancers claim to be a complete package. But, in reality, their area of expertise is in one specific field. Just like owning a camera doesn’t make one a photographer. Similarly, knowing website development doesn’t make someone a website designer. You need to know the difference between a website developer and a website designer before you hire a website and mobile developer.
Why Is A Web Development Company The Right Choice?
Web development offers a group of experts, with diverse skills. They collaborate to work on your project. Each of them brings out creative ideas to the table, to make sure you get exactly what you expected. They strive to make your project successful. A web development company also eliminates many drawbacks that come with hiring freelancer web developer like responsive issues, branding, etc. Moreover, such firms never hire people with unverifiable skills and expertise. So, you always know your website or mobile application is in good hands.
The only issue is they are a bit expensive, as compared to freelancers. However, small scale firms are a better fit, since they charge reasonably. Contact Viz Web Solutions for building a premium website and mobile app development, at a very affordable price. Besides, you will get an NDA signed and a project manager to look after all hassle of the project. Their employees have up to date about trending technologies, which help them to provide quality.
Wrap Up
We strongly believe that every successful business has a great team. However, in today’s economy, this team doesn’t supposedly consist of full-time, on-premises employees. An alternative solution to reap the benefits of full-time employees is to hire a competent web development agency. They offer a pool of professional and competent employees, running from requirement analysts, designers, developers, quality assurance managers, and seo specialists, under one roof.
All you have to do is discuss your idea with them, and a project manager will take care of all the hassles.
