3 Things to Consider When You Hire a Freelancer
Are you feeling a little lost when it comes to building and maintaining your website? You’re not alone; many companies find that creating their websites on their own is too difficult. In that case, where do you go? For some, they look to hire a freelancer, such as designers, to help solve their problems.
What Do Freelancers Do?
Freelancers are web designers that are not associated with a company. That doesn’t mean they don’t have any professional experience. In fact, they might be working on your website in addition to their day job to help expand their portfolio. They work alone, often because it gives them the opportunity to decide what projects they take on.
Freelancing tend to be specialists in a particular part of web building. They are designers, writers, developers, or social media managers. They know one area of the digital space and they know it well. This makes them a great resource if you need specialized help. For example, a freelancer can help you design a logo or create a pamphlet you hand out at trade shows.
What Are the Benefits When You Hire a Freelancer?
Freelance designers tend to be cheaper to hire than larger agencies. They tend to work from home, which means that overheads are low. This leads to less cost for you, which is great if you have a small budget.
According to Upwork’s own internal data, the median hourly rate for a freelance graphic designer on their platform falls between $15 – $35 per hour, with an average of $25 per hour. Within that, there’s a wide range of anywhere from $15–$150 per hour.
Additionally, freelancers know that the only person accountable for their work is themselves. If you are not happy, there is no one else to blame. You’ll find that freelancers are likely to communicate with you every step of the way. They want you to be happy with the end result, because they want to do business with you again.
It’s also important to note that many graphic designers shift toward project pricing as their rates and experience go up. That means the rates of more seasoned graphic designers aren’t as well represented in these numbers—so these rates are the floor, not the ceiling.
What Problems Might Come Up?
Freelancers tend to work on a project basis. This is fine if all you want to do is create or update a website, but this is usually not the case. Think about it: how successful is the website that never undergoes an update? The internet is always changing, and if your website is stagnant it will get left behind. The project model then becomes a problem; do you want to have to pay a fee for a large update every few months? It’s easier to purchase your website on a retainer model, paying a smaller monthly fee so it’s never outdated.
As mentioned earlier, these designers are typically specialists. They work best in a particular area of digital marketing. If that is all you need, great! But you may need more. In that case, be careful. If someone promises you the moon, they will probably not be able to deliver. No single person is capable of doing everything. Even the best website gurus don’t understand every aspect of coding, copywriting, and design.
Now What?
It’s important to realize that there is no definitive answer when it comes to web development. Every company has different needs. It may be that a freelancer is exactly what your company needs right now, but what if it isn’t? Schedule a free 15 minute meeting with one of our growth consultants, to learn what options are out there and see which one is right for you.
