How to Correctly Outsource Your WordPress Related Tasks

Keeping up with any website can be a pretty daunting task. When you’re working on a platform like WordPress, it can also seem fairly intimidating to keep up with its ever-expanding features.  After all, WordPress is an incredibly popular platform and the community within it is very active. One thing you can do to help handle the workload is to outsource your WordPress website to a professional.

What Is an Outsourcing Service?

The definition of an outsourcing service is pretty simple – they provide their services to another business at a cost. Many of them have a specialization in a common problem that businesses have. Common outsourcing projects include IT specialties. An IT outsourcing company can handle jobs like website design and website maintenance.

Outsourcing is becoming more and more common. Udemy did a study in 2014 and found that 43% of the IT sector included outsourced projects. Since then, the number has only multiplied. Since pretty much every business needs an online presence to survive, it isn’t a challenge to see why this field has grown so much. This also means that there are many professionals that have high specializations. In other words, you’ll be able to find a WordPress expert to help you develop and run your website.

Why Is It Important to Be Careful Who You Outsource To?

The answer to this is that it’s the same reason that you would be careful with which employees you hire. While one outsourcing company might be just what you’re looking for, others might not do the job correctly. It’s a good idea to research the company you’re considering working with before you commit. This will help you avoid an expensive trial and error process.

There are a few ways to ensure that the company you’re outsourcing to is a trustworthy source. One of the best ways to get a genuine idea of how the company is to work with is to look at reviews. Previous and current clients of an outsourcing company are one of the best sources of information on the company’s success rate and how helpful their customer service is.

Decide What You Need Outsourced

Saying that you want to outsource your WordPress website is a rather broad need. You’ll want to break that idea down to what aspects of your website you need outsourced. For instance, do you need help with general management and maintenance? Do you need someone to help you build your WordPress website from the ground up?

If you need more than one of these services, don’t worry. Many companies offer plans in which multiple aspects of running a WordPress website are addressed.

Take WPDandy as an example. Some plans offer you the basics such as WordPress and plugin updates. Others offer these services and help with website development, design, and content management. It’s all about finding the right fit for you.

Another reason to carefully consider which services you need is price. If you only need the basics, you aren’t going to want to spend extra on features you won’t use. On the other hand, though, you don’t want to skimp on features you do need for success just to save a couple of bucks.

If you aren’t entirely sure what your website needs, you can always contact the company’s customer service line. They’re here to help you find exactly what you need to make your website stand out and find success.

Then there are specific tasks to consider. For instance, converting PSD to WordPress or WordPress site security. You can even reach out for services not related to building the website itself but for running part of it such as a customer service line.

Look for Someone Who’s Always Available

When you’re running a website and a problem occurs, it isn’t always wise to wait around. Of course, a single person isn’t going to be able to work around the clock. However, they should be readily available. You shouldn’t work with a company that can’t answer your needs quickly and accurately.

Even if you can reach the developer you’re working with specifically, you should always have access to customer service. This will help you something goes wrong between you and the developer you’re working with or if there is an emergency with your website. The best companies will have 24-hour customer service all year long. This not only makes it easy to contact them on your own schedule but it’s a clear sign that a company cares deeply for customer satisfaction.

Remember That This Is Your Project

While you may be outsourcing your website to another company, it’s still your website to run. That means that if you see anything that doesn’t meet your personal preferences, you can contact the outsourcing agent you’re working with to discuss things.

The ideas you have may not work with optimizing your website but there are ways to find a middle ground that makes your website the best it can be while still reflecting your personal flair.

It will also be up to you to gather information and give it to the outsourcing company. They aren’t going to be able to keep up a website if they don’t know how to build and maintain it. If you have an existing website that just needs maintaining, this is pretty easy. If you’re trying to build a website from the ground up, they’ll probably need a bit more information.

Don’t be too stressed about trying to decide what information an outsourcing company needs. Just like you can ask them questions, they’ll ask you if they need additional information. Communication is a big part of outsourcing and it’s often the difference between success and failure.

Remember, one of the biggest pieces of information to share is your goal. What do you want to do with your WordPress website? How do you want it to grow in the future? This will help you and the outsourcing agent you’re working with to mold and maintain your website better.

Ask Questions

If you’re outsourcing a project, there’s a chance that you might not know the ins and outs of the job. Even if you do, you probably won’t be without questions.

This is the second part of communicating is to ask questions about the project. If you are simply telling the agency you’re working with you what you want, you might not get the most out of the service. If you’re unsure of something or don’t understand the process, it’s better to ask rather than go along with something that you aren’t sure of what it means.

It’s also best to remember that you don’t have to ask your questions only at the start of the process. You’ll be able to ask questions throughout the process of working with the agency or agent you’re outsourcing your project too. This can be done by reaching out to the person who’s helping you directly or you can reach out to a customer service line if one is available. Most established agencies have a customer service line. As we discussed earlier, many of these can be accessed at all times.

Discuss Services Up Front

Before you put any money down on a project, it’s important to discuss what their services include compared to what you need to be done. The last thing you want to run into is to hire an agency to manage your WordPress website only to find that they don’t offer the aspect of this service that you need the most.

The best choice is probably a company that offers all-encompassing services. This way, you know they can help you with any issue that might come up. It also allows you to expand the responsibilities you want the outsourcing agent to take over later.

Agencies Vs. Freelancers

A big question when looking for someone to outsource your WordPress website to an agency or an independent freelancer. The answer depends but an agency usually has more security. This is because individuals hired by an agency go through the same hiring process as an employee of any other company. Freelancers have a little more freedom because they’re self-starters. This doesn’t mean that a freelancer is unqualified, it just means that you might have more information about an agency and their standards of quality.

Freelancers are talented individuals but there are sometimes limits as to what they can take on. After all, they often work independently for a number of clients. If you’re looking for someone to take over all the main functions of your website, it might take a little longer to find a freelancer that can cover the whole job. It’s much easier to find freelancers for smaller tasks such as designing the website or carry out specific maintenance tasks. However, if you’re willing to search a bit, there are freelancers who dedicate themselves to larger projects.

An agency, in general, is easier to find and allows you to work with a team that can tackle large, ongoing projects and often hire specialized talent. An agency also usually has a higher level of collective experience than a freelancer. This might not seem like much since its all added together but, remember, this expertise is shared with each employee. In short, agencies tend to have a more regimented training process than a freelancer who’s worked independently.

Both options hold a lot of merits but hiring an agency can make the process smoother. It’s easy to find reviews on an agency and you know there’s security in being able to call a customer service line. Paying a flat monthly fee can also be easier than trying to arrange payments with the work a freelancer does.

Dealing with a Learning Curve

Outsourcing agencies are very talented but they aren’t magic. If you have very specific goals for your website, it can take a bit to get on the same page. Luckily, quality outsourcing companies are trained to adapt to clients and styles. So, if you have a goal in mind, they can propose different ways to reach that goal. To get these results, though, you’ll want to look for an efficient and experienced agency.

When different ideas are proposed, don’t be afraid to speak your mind. If one idea isn’t what you want to go with, discuss that. Your website should be a reflection of you and your business, so your input is necessary.

Once you and the outsourcing agent you’re working with are on the same page, it should be smooth sailing.

Look for Affordable Pricing

There is a cost to outsourcing your WordPress website. But, that doesn’t mean it has to be outrageous. The outsourcing agency you work with should help you improve your website, increase traffic, and help your customers. If you’re spending all your money on outsourcing and can’t operate the rest of your business or blog effectively, that might not be the best service for you.

An affordable and effective option that many people go with is to choose a service that works in monthly packages with a flat rate.

Concepts such as WordPress website maintenance packages can go a long way in making outsourcing your WordPress website affordable. It also makes it much easier to budget the cost of outsourcing your website for your business since you can depend on a consistent cost.

Packages can also help you define what you’re getting out of your outsourcing. You’ll know exactly what that outsourcing agency offers for the package you’ve chosen. This way, you know that you aren’t missing out on the features you need or paying for features that you don’t need.

Concluding Thoughts

Outsourcing your WordPress website can be a good idea for a lot of reasons. It can help streamline general maintenance tasks to save you time or it can even help you build your WordPress website when you aren’t sure how to do so effectively. With the tips we’ve looked at here, you’ll know how to find and make the most out of your time with an outsourcing company.