Offshore WordPress Development – How And Why

WordPress is the most commonly used CMS (Content Management System) in the world today. WordPress is a completely free to use and open source tool that is built in the PHP programming language for both a blogging platform and regular websites. As of January 2015 according to Wikipedia, it’s currently being used by more than 23% in the top 10 million websites in existence which clearly shows it popularity amongst businesses as well as individuals. WordPress has become immensely popular due to the ease of use that it provides its users, the functionality/features it has, the amount of plugins/extensions that it offers, the flexibility that it provides as well as the security it offers its users. When you combine the benefits of offshore web development and WordPress, you get offshore WordPress development which can be a beautiful thing if executed and performed correctly. So, what exactly is offshore web development and how does it work when it comes to developing a WordPress website or blog offshore, let’s discuss and walkthrough it below:

Why The Offshore Business Model

Let’s say you are located in the US, UK or Australia for example and you are looking for some web development expertise for your blog or website, it can be an expensive proposition to say the least. A typical WordPress developer locally in the US for example can cost anywhere from 40 USD an hour to 100 USD an hour depending upon the type of experience that he or she has as well as the WordPress development company you are engaging with. When you work with an offshore WordPress development company in India for example, it can cost anywhere from 10 USD an hour on the low-end to 35 USD an hour depending on the type of experience and expertise this offshore WordPress company has. The offshore web development business model basically means that you are getting web development work done offshore at developing nations such as India, the Philippines, Vietnam and so on. The main reason why the offshore business model has succeeded for decades is due to the cost benefits, HR savings, operational savings and time that can be saved. It’s no surprise why so many companies have chosen to go with the offshore business model such as Dell, HP, Lenovo and so on as it’s a beautiful economical thing if executed correctly. The cost of living and technical expertise can be hired for a fraction of the price you would pay when compared to the West. This advantage and gap has been exploited by many multi-national global organizations for decades. With the world become global and communication being easier than ever before, now almost anyone can engage with an offshore company/ The offshore business model exists for many things such as web development, mobile development, custom software development, BPO processes, KPO processes along with many more things. The same thing that can be done locally can be easily outsourced to developing nations at a substantially reduced rate making it a win-win situation for all parties involved.

How To Find An Offshore WordPress Development Company

A simple Google search will yield you literally millions of results and thousands of companies across the World Wide Web who in some cases all claim to brilliant at that they are doing. So, how do you exactly choose who the best company is for your WordPress development project needs is the magic question. Below we will detail some of things you should look at when selecting and choosing an offshore WordPress development partner to work with:

✓ Experience – When it comes to web development of any kind, nothing speaks volumes about how good you are other than your actual work that you have already delivered to clients. So, when evaluating an offshore WordPress partner company to work with, check to see what type of work they have delivered in the past to other clients to get a really good sense of the company’s capabilities. Ask to see if they have completed similar WordPress projects to yours as if they have performed this type of work in the past, it will allow you to really judge them on their capabilities as a development company. Also, if you are hiring a full-time or part-time WordPress developer, ask to interview them and see there CV to get a true sense of the capability that he or she has. It’s one thing to be speaking to the sales guy which is not a bad thing but ensure you are speaking to the technical staff such as the WordPress developers themselves that will be working on your web development project. Ask to see who will be managing your project as well to get a really good sense of who you will be dealing with on a daily basis as this is very important so you can see all the team members involved on your WordPress development project.

✓ References & Pricing – One of the key criteria when hiring and evaluating an offshore WordPress development company is to try to speak to client references that they have delivered work for in the past. This will give you a really good sense of the company, their operating style, their deliverables and overall communication style. It is imperative that you work with a company that has good references as if you have good client references, it tell you a lot about an organization. Any good company that is truly good or claims to be good at any type of work in any industry really will be able to provide client references who can shed some more light on the company you are evaluating. Lastly, the whole or most probably the main reason why you are going offshore is due to money that you can save so ensure that it makes financial sense when choosing an offshore WordPress development company. Try to pick an offshore web development company that is not the cheapest but offers you a good balance of money, quality and expertise as by choosing the cheapest option, can really be detrimental to your business. Find a company that has good client references and is also competitively priced to give you a brilliant balance.

✓ Communication & Deliverables – So, you have finalized a couple of good offshore WordPress development companies who you truly think will be able to deliver what you are looking for after a lot of hard work and digging, great! Now, the question or really the most important thing you need to have clearly laid out is the communication expectations that you have as well the deliverables. First, in terms of communication, clearly lay out what you expect and how you expect it whether it be Skype calls, Google Hangouts or even the multiple project management technologies that exist such as Trello, BaseCamp, FreedCamp and so on. You need to clearly have a plan in place which both a client and an offshore partner have no confusions about. Lastly and probably most importantly, you need to have everything clearly laid out in writing such as timelines, deliverables, pricing, expectations and so on to minimize any last minute surprises for all parties involved. The more clear and transparent your communication and contract is, the better it is for all parties involved. Any good relationship depends on communication and transparency, so start with that and the rest will fall into place.

Summary
Working with an offshore WordPress development company can be a very lucrative opportunity if you are able to find a good offshore partner that knows what they are doing. You can save time, money, HR headaches, operational expenditures and much more. Take your time and choose an offshore partner that you really believe will become an extension of your marketing/development team as it will have a profound impact on the results you get. Also, choosing to go with the WordPress CMS platform is a great choice as many well-known companies such as BBC, Sony Music, PlayStation Blog, Xerox, Bata, ESPN, Nokia and more depend on the flexibility, features and security that the WordPress CMS provide. The above list is by no means a complete list but a guideline to help you find a good offshore web development partner that can deliver what you are looking for. If you are looking for a reliable, trusted and experienced offshore WordPress development company to help you with WordPress development or any other type of development or digital marketing needs you have, please feel free to reach out to the team at Mind Digital for any of your needs you have. If you have any recommendations or advice on how to finalize or find a good offshore web partner, please feel free to comment below on your opinion/past experiences as they are always welcome!