Your website is the face of your business. It tells the world who you are and what you stand for. Therefore, you can't put your website development in the hands of just anyone: you need to entrust it to the experts.

Web developers are programmers who work on the structure and backend of your site or web application. While their skill sets often overlap to an extent with those of web designers, the roles are distinct, with the designer focusing on the look and feel of your product. 

Many businesses choose to outsource their web development to outside individuals and companies. Offshore web developers, in particular, offer a number of advantages. Why should you consider overseas contractors? Here are six reasons.

1. You'll Find Professionals Who Are Accustomed to Working Remotely

If the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us anything, it's that some individuals are more adept at working remotely than others. Some professionals may simply be more suited to an office environment, where there is an inherent structure, a clear chain of command, and a sense of organization that is often lacking in a remote environment.

Outsourcing partners, however, are used to communicating and working with clients who aren't physically in the same room as them. Not only will they be able to keep you apprised of their efforts and communicate frequently through platforms like Zoom and Slack, but they're also able to work with colleagues - such as the web designer - remotely, ensuring that they're on the same page.

2. Reduce Costs

Since building your website or web application is probably just a one-time job, you probably don't need a full-time employee for the task. Plus, you'll save plenty if you outsource the project, including overhead costs, benefits, hiring fees, and more.

You can find well-qualified and experienced web developers at a fraction of the cost it would be to hire a full-time staff member or even an onshore freelancer. There is plenty of talent to be found in countries in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere, and the services typically come at a lower cost than they do in the United States and Western Europe. 

Do be wary of costs that sound too good to be true, though, because they probably are. You could be paying for low-quality work or incur hidden fees, such as additional charges for extended project timelines.

3. Find Quality and Experienced Developers

Because your website sets the tone for your entire business, you need it to be of high quality. It doesn't matter how long you've been performing your service or how many accolades you've received - if your site appears shoddily constructed or unprofessional, you're going to lose business opportunities. 

Outsourcing your web development to an outside agency means you're entrusting the work in the hands of dedicated experts. Often, these developers have plenty of experience, strong skills, and a high degree of professionalism to turn around a stellar product for you and your business.

4. Save Time

When you hire an outside company or developer to create your website or web application, it usually means that you can expedite its completion significantly. You'll be freeing up your staff to focus on other priorities - for example, perhaps your software developers are producing a mobile app - while the outsourcing team builds your online presence.

Because offshore companies make it their business to dedicate themselves to meeting the needs of clients like you, you can feel rest assured that they'll work efficiently to create a quality website that will beautifully showcase your services or products. 

Remember, too, that these professionals aren't involved in other aspects of your business, so they won't be distracted by initiatives and concerns that don't have to do with the product. Instead, they'll simply focus on the job with which they're tasked: executing your digital vision.

5. No Infrastructure Required

Hiring an external company to build your website means they will already have resources in place to create it. You won't need to provide any equipment, software, training, or management - not to mention the workers themselves. 

Because you're using an external provider with its own staff and resources, your project won't demand any oversight from you, either. Moreover, given their knowledge about web development and different perspectives as international contractors, these professionals can offer guidance on how to make your website even better. 

6. Communication Around the Clock

Worried about being able to access your partner? With tools like Slack, Zoom, WebEx, and, of course, email, you'll be able to get ahold of your web development team without a moment's notice. In fact, because these companies are so accustomed to meeting the needs of their clients remotely, you can rely on them to respond quickly and courteously - in many cases at all times of the day.

A nearshore partner, in particular, shares or is located in a similar time zone, which means overlapping business hours and more immediate responses. If you're in the United States, that usually means Latin America. If you're in Western Europe, that most likely means Eastern Europe.

Choosing an offshore web development team to build your website has many advantages, including experience, quality, and time and cost savings. But keep in mind that, just as when choosing an onshore partner or full-time employee, you'll need to carefully look into and consider each option. 

You'll want to interview the partner extensively, of course, as well as look at referrals and a portfolio. When examining past work, don't just take a cursory look at each website - actually click around to see its features and construction.

You should also examine their social media accounts and their own websites to see how they craft their digital presence - this could give you some insight into what kind of work you can expect. You might start with a relatively low-stakes project to begin. From there, you can see whether the provider meets your needs and handoff larger projects. If you need websites developed in the future, you could have a lasting partnership.