Hey there! If you're running an agency and considering outsourcing web design or development, you're in the right place. Not just because we specialize in this for agencies, but because I’ve spent decades in the trenches doing exactly this—and even wrote a guide on the topic that you should definitely check out. 🙂
Outsourcing can be a game-changer for scaling your business, freeing up your time, and allowing you to focus on your core strengths. But let’s be real—getting it wrong can lead to headaches, missed deadlines, and strained relationships.
I’ve been in your shoes, and today, I’m here to help you navigate one of the key challenges—ensuring consistent quality—by sharing the steps you can take to make sure your outsourcing efforts are a success.
The Pitfall: Inconsistent Quality
When you outsource web design and development, one of the most common challenges is maintaining consistent quality. It’s easy for things to slip through the cracks when you’re relying on external partners who might not be as closely aligned with your standards.
Whether it’s a visual design that doesn’t quite match your brand or code that’s riddled with bugs, inconsistent quality can damage your reputation and lead to dissatisfied clients.
The Importance of Communication and Process
But here’s the thing: maintaining quality isn’t just about hiring the right people—it’s about ensuring that your requirements and preferences are clearly communicated and thoroughly documented. Critical items unique to your brand or project must be clearly outlined, and the team you’re working with needs to have a solid process for following these requirements closely.
Effective communication and a structured process are essential for making sure that everyone involved understands what’s important and how to achieve it.
Not everyone knows (especially in the beginning) what your flavor of standards are or what's important to you. It is quite literally different for everyone, and your outsource partner needs to learn those things. Over time, as they get more familiar with your expectations, they can better align their work with your standards, but it all starts with clear and ongoing communication.
A Tiered QA Process as a Team Effort
At Unified Web Design, quality assurance isn’t just a step in our process—it’s part of our DNA. We’ve developed a tiered QA approach that involves multiple layers of checks and balances, ensuring that by the time something reaches the client, it’s been thoroughly vetted. Here’s how you can apply a similar process in your agency.
Developer/Designer Self-QA:
- First Line of Defense: The process starts with the person doing the work—the developer or designer. They are the first to review their own work against the project’s requirements and standards. This self-QA isn’t just a quick glance; it’s a thorough check to ensure that what they’re delivering is polished and error-free.
- Tools & Techniques: Encourage your team to use tools like linters, code validators, or design checklists to catch common errors early. Instill a culture where self-QA is seen as an integral part of the development process, not just an optional step.
Second Layer of QA by a Dedicated QA Specialist or PM:
- Second Pair of Eyes: Once the initial QA is done by the developer or designer, the project moves on to a dedicated QA specialist or project manager. This person’s role is to dive deeper, looking for any issues the first line might have missed. They check everything from the user experience (UX) to the technical functionality.
- Objective Perspective: Since this person wasn’t involved in creating the work, they bring a fresh perspective. This detachment often helps them catch issues that the creator might have overlooked.
Internal Stakeholder or Agency Partner Review:
- Collaborative Input: Before the work goes to the client, it often helps to have another internal stakeholder—such as a team lead, an experienced team member, or even an agency partner—review the project. This collaborative review process adds an extra layer of assurance, particularly for complex or high-stakes projects.
- Aligning with Expectations: This stage ensures that the work aligns with the broader project goals and meets the specific needs of the agency or partner involved. Any potential concerns or discrepancies can be addressed before the work reaches the client, ensuring a smooth and consistent final delivery.
Final Approval in a Staging Environment (if possible):
- Thorough Testing Before Launch: Finally, after passing through the earlier layers of QA, the work is presented to the client in a staging environment. This controlled setting allows for thorough testing and review before the project goes live. Each step of the QA process leads up to this critical stage, ensuring that everything is functioning as expected and that any last-minute adjustments can be made without risk.
- Client Review and Feedback: By this stage, the project should be in its best possible form, minimizing the risk of client dissatisfaction. The client review in the staging environment is crucial, as it allows the client to experience the final product and provide feedback based on their unique perspective and needs. This ensures that the final checks are done in an environment closely resembling the live one, catching any potential issues before the public sees them.
- Feedback Loop: Encourage an open line of communication with the client, where they feel comfortable providing feedback. This feedback can then be looped back into your process to refine and improve future projects, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with client expectations.
Flexibility in the Process:
Now of course, every project is different, and some things are more critical than others. So, the above is an ideal framework, but it may be modified or used as a ‘best case' or ‘ideal' scenario depending on the circumstances.
Why a Tiered QA Process Works
Each layer of this QA process is designed to catch different types of errors and ensure that by the time your work reaches the client, it’s been scrutinized from multiple angles. This method not only reduces the likelihood of errors slipping through but also builds trust with your clients, as they know that you take quality seriously.
Implementing this kind of tiered QA process might seem like a lot of work, but it pays off in spades. It helps maintain a high standard of quality, reduces the back-and-forth with clients, and ultimately leads to stronger relationships and better results.
Conclusion: Making Quality a Team Effort
Quality isn’t just one person’s responsibility; it’s a team effort. By embedding a tiered QA process into your agency’s workflow, you can ensure that every piece of work that goes out the door is something you’re proud to put your name on. Moreover, a well-documented process not only ensures high standards but also streamlines future projects, making it easier to scale and adapt as your agency grows.
Whether you’re just starting to outsource or looking to refine your processes, remember that quality assurance is the key to maintaining your agency’s reputation and delivering consistently excellent work. With a solid QA process and a commitment to clear communication, you can build strong, trusting relationships with clients and partners alike, setting the stage for ongoing success.
