When Hiring Web Designers, Does Geography Matter Anymore?

Maybe your website needs a serious facelift. Maybe your user interface is about as welcoming as a slap in the face. Or maybe you’re tired of using those free build-your-own-website services that make your business look like small potatoes.

Whatever the reason, you know a recruitment strategy for hiring web designers is your one-way ticket to a powerful online presence. The only problem is you can’t find any impressive local talent.

So you decide to expand your search beyond your city, possibly even outside your state or country. But is that wise? Does location matter when hiring a web designer? Short answer: not really.

Hiring Contract Web Designers

So long as your business has cloud-based collaborative tools, hiring web designers for contract, remote roles from a land far, far away won’t hurt your operations. In fact, there are plenty of benefits to not limiting yourself to those in your immediate neighborhood:

Pick of the litter
Businesses looking for contract and freelance web designers have a bigger pool of candidates, especially if the position has a remote work option. They also have a wider selection of skills to choose from in their candidates as there’s no one way to become a web designer these days.

Overhead? More like underhead.
There is a better candidate base at your disposal. Hiring web designers can prove to be a more cost-effective option. Wit contract or freelance web designers, you can hire web designers who charge less than what you’d pay a full-time worker (including benefits and office supplies). Plus, contract and freelance designers should already have the software and training, saving you time.

Where Geography Might Matter

There are, however, a few things to consider that may impact your decision on how much distance you put between you and your web designer. Will you want your designer to…

• Occasionally stop in and brainstorm? Sometimes, strategizing in-person is easier for big, complex projects. Remember when hiring remote talent: Gas money is always cheaper than airfare.
• Incorporate a bit of you into your website? Even if your business is international, you may want your website to include design elements that evoke your culture or neighborhood. Are your prospects close enough to where they might have been through your neck of the woods before?
• Complete projects on your time, not theirs? Want something done by 5:00 p.m.? Better make sure the quitting time where you are isn’t the middle of the night for your web designer.
• Stick around for a while? Talent retention still matters, even with contract and freelance workers. What’s stopping your web designer from going in-house at a company near them and dropping you for greener pastures? Figure out what it is and never lose it.

Hiring Web Designers With Profiles

Near or far, Profiles recruitment experts can connect you with web and mobile designers with an eye for beauty, a brain for SEO and a sixth sense for user experience.