Agency vs. In-House vs. Freelance: What to Choose for Website Maintenance

It’s hard to imagine a modern business that doesn’t use digital marketing. At the same time, it can be challenging for owners and managers to effectively allocate the budget across various advertising channels and combine different activities into a single communication strategy.

And most importantly, who will implement it all with minimal risk?

Should business owners learn the art of advertising themselves, create a marketing department, or outsource the tasks entirely? Or perhaps, they should use a hybrid model?

In this article, I will answer these questions and help you make your choice using the proven SWOT analysis method. I’ll break down the pros and cons of each model according to your tasks, goals, and current stage of business development.

What to choose? Digital marketing implementation models

Let’s talk about the most common scenarios.

1. Freelance.

A freelancer works on a temporary contract basis. Typically, this is project work or work on tasks that are limited in time and scope.

Freelancers organize their own workflow and may be involved in multiple projects for different clients at the same time.

2. In-house.

This is a marketing team that is formed as a separate department of the company and integrated into the operational and business culture of a particular company.

3. Agency.

A dedicated marketing company that is focused on processes and has expertise and proven solutions.

Agencies have a clear structure and a wide range of digital services. They offer clients a community of experts, case studies, and data on projects of various sizes and directions.

4. Hybrid model.

This allows for different variations of collaboration with freelancers, in-house teams, and agencies.

What for? Business objectives for digital marketing 

Of course, the list of goals can be quite long with all the different options. Let me highlight the five most important goals:

1. Increase online presence and brand awareness.

Search engine optimization, media campaigns, and content marketing are all aimed at increasing brand visibility in search engines and social media.

2. Attract the target audience and increase conversion rates.

Advertising campaigns are designed to drive traffic and encourage the audience to perform a specific, targeted action on the website.

3. Increase sales and revenue.

E-commerce strategies implemented through digital channels serve this goal.

4. Interact with customers and retain their loyalty.

Content and communication strategies can help build relationships with customers; use it to inform them about new products and services and encourage customer loyalty.

5. Perform data analytics and analyze marketing effectiveness.

By implementing tools to measure and analyze the success of marketing campaigns, it is possible to further improve the chosen methods of brand and product promotion.

How to choose contractors for website maintenance

Let me offer you a reliable and proven method of decision-making: a SWOT analysis.

Table for selecting contractors by SWOT analysis

An effective hybrid model

In my experience, a combination of in-house and agency work produces optimal results and implementation time. I will therefore focus on this model.

Conclusions

The most common models used to implement digital marketing are freelance, in-house, agency and hybrid models.

1. Freelance.
2. In-house.
3. Agency.
4. Hybrid model.

Goals are a crucial part of any marketing strategy. These are the goals most companies set for digital marketing:

1. Increase online presence and brand awareness.
2. Attract the target audience and increase conversion rates.
3. Increase sales and revenue.
4. Interact with customers and retain their loyalty.
5. Perform data analytics and analyze marketing effectiveness.

A SWOT analysis will help you choose the most suitable contractors for maintaining your website. Use the table provided in the article to easily conduct a SWOT analysis.

The cooperation between the in-house team and the agency is important to ensure productive and timely results. Here are some conditions that will make the cooperation as effective as possible:

1. An understanding of the overall goal.
2. A clear division of roles.
3. Setting expectations on both sides and reviewing the results at the end of the reporting period.
4. A point of contact on the client side.
5. Lack of internal competition.
6. Mutual respect and partnership.
7. Considering the strengths and capabilities of both teams.