Magento Agencies or Freelance Developers: Who Is Right For Your Next eCommerce Project?

Are you confused about whether to hire a freelance Magento store developer or a Magento development agency? Then it would be best if you went through this article. In this article, we will address the common issues which most business owners face. We have covered all from the early stage of a Magento store development to Magento migration or advance customizations.

In the 21st century, the ecommerce industry has thrived a lot. The Magento ecommerce development platform has met every single requirement of the online merchants to provide a seamless shopping experience. Magento is a highly robust e-commerce development platform that has been developed, focusing on every type of online business requirement. However, it is a complex platform that raises the need for professional Magento developers to set up your site or maintain it in the long run. A Magento developer must have enough experience and expertise to deliver you fast, dedicated, and affordable services. They will be responsible for developing your Magento store from scratch to post-maintenance services. These developers will design, customize, and fix the issues that may occur during the development.

Before you reach the experts, this is our checklist. It will help you to make the best decisions for developing your Magento store and take your business online:

• Why must you hire a Magento developer? Where will you find an experienced Magento developer, and how will they help you create your online store?
• What is the difference between developing your Magento store with in-house developers and choosing to hire a freelance Magento developer or a reputed Magento development company? What are the pros and cons of each choice?
• Last but not the least, what is the cost of a Magento developer?

We will discuss each of these points in detail.

Why You Must You Hire A Magento Developer?

Are You Able To Install Magento Without Any Professional Help?

Well yes! There are plenty of solutions available on the web which guarantee you an automatic installation of Magento. They boast of saving your money and time. But they give you the Magento default installation, which business owners don’t find well suited for their business.

Also, you should know the basics of Magento programming, especially if you want to integrate a new theme or import products or categories data, or install specific customizations. Thus, to minimalize your efforts, time, and money in the long run, it is best to take help from a Magento Certified Developer. They already have experience with all these tasks and know how to migrate your ecommerce to Magento from other e-commerce platforms. They will build your Magento store from scratch and launch it effortlessly.

There are many advantages to utilize a team of experienced developers to manage your website. You will come to know the true potential as they will explore features that can be best for your business.

Why Do You Need A Magento Developer?

Magento is a very robust, scalable, and versatile ecommerce development platform. Also, it is a complex and powerful platform. It is suitable for a business of any industry niche and can meet every need your customers have. If you want to develop a fully-function, next-level ecommerce store for your business, then you have to leverage every customization option and functionality of the Magento platform. This is only possible when you hire an experienced Magento developer or a specialized Magento development agency like us.

Whether you want to go with the default theme and basic options or need custom installations, themes, or extensions, you need to seek professional assistance. In this sense, the choice of the Magento development team will define the level of success you will attain with your online business. Nevertheless, it will be better to hand off things to professionals and focus on your business strategy instead. This will help you to stay ahead of your competitors and generate more business.

What Are The Roles & Responsibilities Of A Magento Developer?

Every online store has its unique requirements. Thus, the responsibility of a Magento developer can vary from project to project. But there are some pre-defined basic tasks of a Magento developer that can help you set up your online store. From the ground level of the project to the deployment and maintenance, they can:

• Magento theme integration and make it responsive
• Creating modules and customizing them
• Product and Categories data import
• Magento settings configuration
• Creating new CMS pages
• Payment gateway integration
• Shipping method integration
• Magento Version Upgrade
• Installing Extensions
• SEO-friendly implementation
• API integration
• Deployment
• Post-launch support

How To Choose A Magento Developer?

How Can You Find The Right Provider For Your Business?

In the e-commerce industry, Magento has become a giant in ecommerce platforms. More than 200 thousand merchants are using Magento for their online business. If you Google “Magento developers,” you will find more than 30 million results. They will be primarily companies, step-by-step guidelines on Magento installation, or individual services.

So how can you choose the correct entity for your business needs?

Magento Partners

You can start your search by finding Magento partners. You will get a roster of agencies or companies which can help you with the specialized services you need. These partners are registered companies having experienced and certified Magento developers that provide end-to-end services. It includes Magento development, design, customization, configuration, hosting services, SEO, and PPC services. They also have access to support, extensions, and tools that your Magento store may require.

Magento offers two different status levels to its partners: Solution partners and Standalone technology partners. Solution partners help business owners grow their business on the Magento platform. In contrast, the standalone technology partners can solve various business needs, ensuring quality and compatibility with all Magento technologies.

The Solution partners are also divided into four categories. These are:

• Global Elite: These agencies will provide you with full-service development on Magento. They have excellent proficiency in the digital domain. It includes UI, UX/CX through complex programs, and full 24 x 7 services.
• Enterprise: These firms offer strategy, design, development, implementation, and managed services.
• Professional partners: Agencies with an established practice area adopting Magento as a critical technology.
• Business partners: Companies that are focused on implementing the Magento community edition.

Certified Magento Developers

How will you know whether an independent Magento developer would be a better choice for you?

If you are searching for a Magento developer, you need to ask this question about the size of your business. Suppose if you are a small business, freshly arrived into the ecommerce market. If you choose a Global Elite partner, this will be very costly for you and can exceed the budget you have for website development, customization, and deployment.

In such cases, the best choice is to hire an independent agency or a freelance developer. It depends on the size of the project and for how long you will need specialized services.

For installing the latest Magento version, look for agencies or freelance developers with extensive experience.

Necessary Checks Before Contracting Someone

Portfolio & Reference Of Magento Developer

Gather a list of the possible candidates for the job. Then ask them for references and examples of projects on which they have worked earlier.

Check their developed online stores and go through specific examples. You will be able to make a qualitative selection to find the Magento developer who can accommodate your style and business plan.

Browse the earlier developed websites by the developer by navigating through each page. See in their portfolio if their previous experience has any project resembling your business. Tick a few things before making a deal with an independent developer or a Magento agency. Make sure the project manager you hire understands your requirements. They should know how the website will and all features & functionalities you want to implement.

Also, the developer should understand the routine changes in customization.

Discuss all the business aspects before making a contract. The cost should be mentioned properly and how the payment will proceed. Any snag in these can back and postpone the launching of the website. It will save you time, money, and effort.

Budget Planning and Quotation Requests

Developing a Magento store from scratch needs a considerable amount. The budget of the project should be planned carefully. It is best to create a proper plan which must include all your requirements. It should also mention the deadline of the project and the budget you are ready to spend for each part of the entire process.
However, before asking for a quote, you should be clear with your requirements, i.e., what services you need and for how long. Do you only want the development services, SEO, PSD design, support & maintenance services?

Here are some essential points to consider:

• Architecture and structure of the site
• Outlook and design of the site
• Overall usability and functionality
• Essential versus optional features
• SEO, CRO, and PPC service
• Support & maintenance (if required)

Magento Development In-House, Agency, or Freelancers: Pros & Cons

The development budget will vary in which option you choose among In-house, Agency, or Freelancers. Moreover, the quality & experience also determine the cost. A highly experienced developer or agency will cost you more and vice versa. There will be three aspects to determine your selection:

• Implied Costs
• Experience of the developer
• Flexibility and level of dedication

Before concluding, you should also consider the pros and cons of in-house development versus outsourcing.

In House

You can hire a Magento developer in your team with sound experience in Magento development and other ecommerce development platforms. Here are the pros and cons of this option:

Pros

• Increases the engagement between employees
• level of dedication will be high, which will also reduce the development time
• Fast troubleshooting and requirement understand as you could communicate with the developer in person. Outsourced developers may not respond as quickly. This is because your project may not be the only project they are working on.

Cons

• It is not easy to find a skilled and dedicated developer. Most experts prefer to work in a development agency or big companies.
• Since you will not have the necessary technical knowledge, you wouldn’t evaluate their experience and skills.
• If the developer left the job, then you find another one. The new developer has to understand the whole project from scratch, which will further increase the time.

Outsourcing To Agencies

Whether you want to develop a Magento store from scratch or want to migrate from any other platform to Magento, the best option is to search for a Magento development agency like us. Here are the pros and cons of outsourcing to agencies:

Pros

• You will get a ready team of certified, experienced, and skilled Magento developers
• They have regular experience, already know how ecommerce works, and can troubleshoot any problem.
• More experience with custom developments
• Magento development companies generally have all the resources that a project may require. They also have the latest tools and technologies.
• You will get a dedicated project manager with whom you can communicate and ask for the progress of the project and any changes.
• Most of the Magento Development companies like us offer post-launch support.

Cons

• In some scenarios, the project manager may have a different approach or style, which may not be well suited for your business. At the same time, an in-house developer could understand your business philosophies.
• If you ask for something out of scope and an extreme requirement, the agency may ask you for additional money.
• Although many agencies offer 24 x 7 support, the response for any query is still delayed as they need to give you a proper answer.

Outsourcing: Freelancers

Many people prefer to find a freelancer for their projects, but it also has its pros and cons. Let’s know about them as well:

Pros
It is easy to find a freelancer through popular freelancing platforms such as Upwork and Freelancer. It will save your time, and you can launch your site quicker.

• Freelancers have their specific skills in which they got expertise. So if they are boasting about doing something, they will easily do it.
• It is the best option if you want to implement any new functionality in your existing website or have a small project.
• You can find talented developers worldwide and can also save money due to the currency difference.

Cons

• There is a risk of intellectual property being exposed
• Communication delays may arise during the project
• It is hard to trust a Magento developer. Also, the agencies always take care of their reputation, but the same thing may not be true with a freelancer developer
• Some freelancers promise more than what they can handle. Thus, don’t work with a freelancer if they don’t have good experience and ratings.

Wrapping Up

In this article, we have gone through every aspect of hiring a team, freelancer, and in-house team. Choosing a solution for Magento development is not an easy task as it will be a significant financial investment. You should carefully select the people you work with to benefit from the best results. At Emizentech, the best ecommerce development company in India, we can develop ecommerce stores from scratch. Let us know your requirements.