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.
Here is an article by Artem Borodatiuk, founder of Netpeak Group, on whether to hire an agency or create an in-house team.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Increase sales and revenue.
E-commerce strategies implemented through digital channels serve this goal.
- 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.
- 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
SWOT Analysis Factors |
Parameters |
Freelance |
In-House |
Agency |
Strengths |
• Expertise and experience A team of specialists with diverse specializations and project experience |
partially |
yes |
yes |
• Resources Availability of a wide range of tools, technologies, and resources to improve the results of marketing campaigns |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
• A wide range of services and an integrated approach |
no |
partially |
yes |
|
• ControlTeam and results management |
partially |
yes |
partially |
|
• TransparencyInvolving clients in processes and decision-making |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
• Understanding the brand and business |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
• Flexibility Selection of specialists on a project basis, quick rotation |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
• Cost savings Reduced marketing costs |
yes |
no |
no |
|
SWOT Analysis Factors |
Parameters |
Freelance |
In-House |
Agency |
Weaknesses |
• High costs Total budget |
no |
partially |
yes |
• Communication risks Misunderstandings due to mismatched expectations, also due to remoteness and/or a large number of intermediaries |
yes |
no |
partially |
|
• Limited resources |
yes |
partially |
no |
|
• Lack of ideas, perspective, or experience |
yes |
partially |
no |
|
• Delay in implementation |
yes |
no |
no |
|
• Quality risk Failure to meet expectations or unreliability |
yes |
no |
no |
|
SWOT Analysis Factors |
Parameters |
Freelance |
In-House |
Agency |
Opportunities |
• Wide access to expertiseKnowledge and experience from specialists in various fields |
no |
partially |
yes |
• Global access to a choice of specialists |
no |
partially |
yes |
|
• Integration of marketing efforts with other functional departments of the company |
no |
yes |
partially |
|
• Quick adaptation to business and market needs |
partially |
yes |
yes |
|
SWOT Analysis Factors |
Parameters |
Freelance |
In-House |
Agency |
Threats |
• Dependence on an external vendor |
yes |
no |
yes |
• Loss of key executives |
yes |
partially |
no |
|
• Risk of unmet expectations |
yes |
no |
no |
|
• Instability due to changes in work schedules |
yes |
no |
no |
|
• Confidentiality issues |
yes |
no |
no |
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.
There are certain conditions that need to be met for the collaboration to be as effective as possible:
- A clear understanding of the overall goal. It should be clear, measurable, and specific.
- A clear division of roles. Who is responsible for what processes, and which party performs what types of tasks.
- Setting expectations on both sides and reviewing the results at the end of the reporting period.
- A point of contact on the client side. There should be one person that both parties agree on and with whom all important issues are resolved and goals are agreed upon.
- Lack of internal competition. Both the company and the agency want to produce beneficial results for the business. It’s not a talent competition; it’s a team effort.
- Mutual respect and partnership. There should be regular brainstorming sessions, the sharing of thoughts and ideas, and a joint search for the best decision.
- Considering the strengths and capabilities of both teams. The agency should have extensive experience working with various projects, topics, and marketing tools. They should be flexible and have a vision of the market and general market trends. The in-house team should have detailed and deep expertise in its niche.
Conclusions
The most common models used to implement digital marketing are freelance, in-house, agency and hybrid models.
- Freelance.
- In-house.
- Agency.
- Hybrid model.
Goals are a crucial part of any marketing strategy. These are the goals most companies set for digital marketing:
- Increase online presence and brand awareness.
- Attract the target audience and increase conversion rates.
- Increase sales and revenue.
- Interact with customers and retain their loyalty.
- 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:
- An understanding of the overall goal.
- A clear division of roles.
- Setting expectations on both sides and reviewing the results at the end of the reporting period.
- A point of contact on the client side.
- Lack of internal competition.
- Mutual respect and partnership.
- Considering the strengths and capabilities of both teams.
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