What’s the goal of outsourcing web design?

Oh sure, the easy answer is to create a stylish product, increase conversions for your customers, and drive more traffic to their site—but these are just end-products of outsourcing’s larger purpose.

Outsourcing is all about simplicity.

Outsourcing web design means getting your clients what they need as simply as possible. They have enough headaches to worry about; they’re trusting you to take the website burden off their shoulders.

To that end, there are a few easy steps that any outsourced web design firm can take to ease the process a little for their clients.

1. Create a Clear Plan

Possibly the most important step of simplifying the outsourcing process for your client is a clear plan. There’s a latent fear buzzing in our minds whenever we involve a third-party in our work: lack of transparency. A client’s website is her baby, and entrusting it to relative strangers can make the client uneasy about exactly what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.

This is why creating a pre-project plan is so important before the work begins. Project outlines with visible dates, milestones, and projected timelines give your client peace of mind. You’re doing yourself a favor, too — you wouldn’t think of tackling your client’s project without some structured preparation, right?

2. Update Your Clients

Of course, many clients won’t be satisfied with a mere rundown. Some clients want regular project goal updates whenever a milestone or pre-established checkpoint is reached. Doing so helps keep the development process collaborative, which can do wonders for a growing developer-client relationship. It also provides necessary insight for the client, who may need to adjust project variables, deadlines, or finances based on what you report.

3. Make Communication Easy

Lack of communication is a project killer.

What customers need today isn’t necessarily what they’ll need tomorrow. Unfortunately for design firms, this means that the stylistic choices and UI configurations that you worked so hard on may be rendered irrelevant by new market research or consumer feedback.

Avoid wasting your (and your clients’!) time by creating clear channels of communication, preferably across multiple mediums. Many firms have found success with dedicated project management tools and websites that let multiple users access projects, contribute feedback, and adjust parameters. These benefits are great for project visibility and record-keeping, and helps ensure that your clientele can reach you in the ways most convenient for them.

4. Don’t Leave Them Hanging

A telltale sign of a poor outsourced web design firm is a “set it and forget it” mindset.

No matter how great your development may be, issues are bound to arise when a site goes live. Unexpected glitches, server overload, and emerging security threats will all need to be addressed by those with proper expertise. Respectable design firms don’t abandon their clients after their product launches. The best outsourced web design boutiques will have specific plans in place to address these downtime issues if they come up. This is done to ensure that client needs are met, not just in the development phase, but in every aspect of your web development service.

Effortless Experience

Your client is paying you for a service, and outsourcing web design isn’t just about building a website. Clients pay you to take the effort out of their development experience. Always keep this in mind when working with new clientele. Establish a timetable, keep clients in the loop, and don’t leave them alone after their site has set sail. An effortless customer experience is your golden ticket to more work, referrals, and a stronger agency overall.