Collaborating with the right custom web design partner is incredibly important if you want your business to grow and prosper. If you’re trying to decide whether a freelance designer or an independent agency would be better suited to collaborate with your team, keep reading to learn more about the key differences between the two - and which route might be best for your next custom web design project! 

Project complexity

The first thing to consider is the breadth of your project and whether your brief calls for a specialist or generalist approach. Whilst freelancers will often have a range of experience in a handful of areas, a custom web design agency is more likely to have a team of people who can all offer specialist insight across a broad spectrum of design skills. To keep costs down, a freelancer will be able to deliver on simple design projects with no issues whatsoever. However, for a true collaboration of marketing, branding, SEO, copywriting, digital development, and web design, an agency approach will always come out on top. Able to deliver consistent results across multiple platforms, custom web design agency teams will quickly prove their value for money and deliver faster results.

Personalised approach

Both freelance custom web designers and established web design agencies will take a personal approach to working with your brand. The best design results come from conversations about branding, values, goals, and storytelling. You may find it easier to have these conversations with a freelancer as you’ll be talking to one person about your vision. That being said, a design agency will often promote a project lead for you to build a relationship with - it’s then the lead’s role to share your plans and promote your vision among the wider team. Choosing to work with an agency in this way requires a lot of trust that your designer will uphold your intentions for the project - though this trust will often reap greater rewards when it comes to the standard of the final product. 

Return on investment

Custom web design in any shape or form is an investment in your brand growth. Commitment to a design project for your business will offer a return on investment almost instantly - adding value to your online and offline profiles and boosting your success to the next level. Whether you opt for a freelancer or an agency for your custom web design partnership, investing in your business will always be a positive move.

Still undecided? Kartogram is a boutique custom web design agency based in Oxford, UK, offering the perfect mix between the freelance and agency approach to web design and development. Our small, friendly, and experienced team are here to help your business take the leap with your brand. To talk more about what Kartogram can do for you, get in touch with us today and let’s get started.