5 Risks To Be Aware Of When Hiring Freelance Web Designers

How can we find the best freelance web designer?

Who is the professional freelance web designer, and where can we find that person? Unfortunately, We don't have the answer. However, I am in the web design business and have worked with many clients. I heard many stories from my network. So, I can share my opinion on finding the best freelance web designers, and you may find this article useful.

Who are the people searching for the best freelance web designers?

Each year, thousands of people want to turn their amazing ideas into their businesses. This is where freelancers get in. I observed freelancer charges cheaper than the web design agency. You can see Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, etc., platforms.

These freelancers don't always need to be from your country. Because of differences in the cost of living, services can even offer lower than what was expected.

So, every time they will get any project easily as compared to the web development company. You will face many problems when you hire a freelancer for your work. In this blog, I'll share what are the risks when you hire a freelance web designer.

1) Compromise in Quality & Website Design

Business owners often look for the route that offers the least amount of expenses. Therefore, their 1st priority is freelancers every time as they are cheaper than any web design agency.

It is shown that business owners often do not get quality work from freelancers. Moreover, they also do not provide you with weekly updates about your website. Freelancers often provide their previous work portfolio whenever business owners contact any freelancer for work.

The most considerable risk is business owners might get modified or completely fake portfolios. In other words, business owners might not have a trustable source to verify everything.

I even heard that some online freelancers provide unlimited revisions. In reality, it's a painful process. After some modifications, the client usually gives up on the project.

2) Lost in the domain and hosting ownership

Several business owners are not aware of the domain & hosting setup. They provide a certain amount of liberty to their freelancers to overcome this issue. Usually, for an additional cost, they will manage domain & hosting setup. The problem starts from here.

Those business owners forget to take ownership of the domain registration. They could not renew the domain in future if they don't get this domain transferred to their main registrar account.

A freelancer may not work for the long term. So, they will not inform the client about their hosting renewal. A dedicated web design agency provides a weekly update. They even notify you before your hosting plan expires and help you in the hosting renewal process.

3) Extra Charge for Additional service

Freelancers are indeed charging less as compared to web design agencies. These freelancers will not help with any additional services if business owners do not pay an extra amount. Sometimes they even charge for their expert advice or consultation.

For example, every website needs stock photos. Freelancers sometimes don't have stock photos at their end and will charge to find them. On the other hand, most web design companies have stock photos on hand. They will happily use them for your website's development.

4) Lack of after-sales support for website maintenance

A web design agency is far better than a freelancer in terms of after-sales service. As I mentioned above, freelancers may not work for the long term. After a project finishes, freelancers usually start to work on another website.

As a result, you will not receive any after-sales support, whereas dedicated web design agencies offer the best after-sales service.

Furthermore, suppose Google's search engine algorithms change 500 to 600 times a year. In that case, some website owners may find it challenging to keep up with the ever-changing tides, especially if they aren't in contact with the freelancer who designed their website in the first place.

5) Lack of knowledge

It's like winning the jackpot if you find a good freelancer specialising in every aspect of web development. When it comes to web copywriting, design website graphics, program HTML codes, specialise in search engine optimisation, security issues, etc., you need an expert person for every industry.

If you've signed up with a reputable web design agency, you won't have to worry about any of these services. They have a dedicated and knowledgeable workforce with different sections.

What questions should you ask before signing up for their freelance services?

First, find out how long a freelancer has been in this industry. It will give you an exact idea about the person. Additionally, also ask for their three most recent web designs. To verify the designs, request to provide recent photo editing files.

You should also inquire about the details of their services. Such as:

• Are stock photographs and additional website security features included in the price, or will they be charged separately?
• Is it possible to get future revisions for free?
• Because unlimited modifications aren't optimal for me, will refunds be granted if the product isn't what I expected?
• Are you aware of any malware and, if so, what are the precautions you take to avoid it?