Constructive criticism preferred

As part of doing 31 Days to Build a Better Blog I was searching for other blogs in my niche to analyse and learn from. This search led me to an article website and a post from an LA based web design company.

The article basically bad-mouthed freelance web designers and stated ‘hire us instead’.

Hiring an individual freelancer is a gamble for the simple fact that you are working with one individual. What if your designer becomes sick, has a family emergency or lands an unexpected chance of a lifetime job while working on your website? You could end up paying for a barely begun, half-finished or worse yet a rush job site. When you work with a design firm featuring multiple personnel, you can have confidence about the progress and completion of your web design.

A valid point, but I am rarely too sick to work (mainly thanks to taking care of my work/life balance), yet if I was I do have contacts who take over an important job for me. Plus, if the worst did happen I cannot see an ethical freelancer asking for any money if they haven’t completed the work.

A firm that specializes in website business design in Los Angeles will only hire professionals who are formally trained and highly skilled. By contrast, a freelancer can have any sort of training – or virtually none. If someone can work with HTML, they can build a website. It isn’t uncommon to find individuals working as freelance web designers who have no design training or skills.

Yikes! Us freelancers are the worst dregs of humanity aren’t we? OK, there probably are unskilled and unscrupulous web designers out there – which is why I always advise to get referrals from previous clients.

When you work with a freelancer, you have no guarantees about their experience working as a professional, either. They may be severely lacking in communication skills. Missing deadlines may not be a problem for an individual freelancer even though it’s incredibly frustrating and costly for your business.

It gets worse doesn’t it? If I had to ever miss a deadline I would be utterly mortified. Also, I have two undergrad degrees, an MA and a teaching certificate so I am certainly not lacking in communication skills and think it is a rather horrible generalisation to state that some freelancers could. Plus, I feel that clients would be able to tell from their initial contacts with a freelancer whether they were unprofessional or ‘severely lacking in communication skills’.

Unlike professionals who work for a design firm full time, freelance web designers usually build websites in their spare time. A freelancer who has an a full time job and is working on your site evenings and weekends can’t possibly give your project the same focus, attention and time as a design firm.

I know many freelance web designers who would really take offence at this paragraph. I actually don’t know where to begin to refute their claims without descending into an abyss of bad language and snide comments. (Well I do but I liked the phrase ‘descending into the abyss’)

Here is my response…

I am glad I do not work as a freelancer web designer in your neck of the woods after that diatribe against people who are often working just as hard if not harder than you are.

I may work alone but I have contacts in place should there be a family emergency or I fall ill. By the way, I ensure I have a healthy work/life balance which means I am not often so ill that I cannot work.

I am not doing this in my spare time, I run my business as a serious concern and do my utmost to ensure my clients receive a top-notch, personal service that works for them and their business. I spent years learning my craft and continue to keep myself up to date with the latest technologies to provide a better service for my clients.

Relying on one individual isn’t as bad as you make out either. I know everything that is going on and do not argue with myself over which is the best option for the website or have a problem of miscommunication between my creative and business sides.

And if I did land that dream job (which I don’t think will happen as I have it already) I have an ethical responsibility gene that does not allow me to leave a client in the lurch.

It is fine to point out the cons of the competition but you really should balance it with some pros in order to appear impartial & reasoned.

So, do your experiences with freelancers concur with the quotes given in this article? Or have you had a bad experience with a big design firm and been happier with a freelancer? Let me know in the comments.