The title I've chosen for this post might not be as accurate as it seems, but there is no better way to grasp one's attention (laying my cards on the table). The real question posed in the article is; why utilize web design and development agency? I would do my utmost best to write this with no bias.

Now to start, given that I want to put up a website. I'd have to choose one of my three options, do it myself, hire a free-lancer or work with a web design agency (aka us). Given that I am a web designer I'd choose the first of the three choices because it's my passion and what I do best. I also believe that learning the web coding language is becoming increasingly crucial to understand. This won't put me out of a job, I'm not martyr material, the knowledge is rapidly growing(not one boast but I was a web design child prodigy). Nonetheless, a basic static website should be a core study in schools to equip everyone with the tools that can save a start up at least a thousand dollars. Told you, zero prejudice.

Now we're going to move on to the other two scenarios, a free-lancer or a web design and development agency? I'll start off by listing the pros and cons of a freelancer. Working with an individual web designer/developer you can rest assured your service is fully personalized. You'll have her or his personal cell phone number, you'll be able to contact them at any time of the day without a problem. Dealing with one person is always easier. Secondly, you be assured the costs is lower, given that this average Joe/Janice six pack's costs are close to zero. Now to list the cons, I'm sure many freelancers would disagree with me but I speak for the majority and not even they can dispute my arguments. Timeframes are increasingly inaccurate, quality of work can be unpredictable, sometimes you won't be getting what you initially hoped for, and this could be for various reasons. Whether his or her clientele has soared causing a decrease in quality or a personal set back affecting his or her diligence. I'm not going to push it any further by down talking freelancing. The things I say doesn't imply all freelancers and my prejudice can be overwhelming. You also have to note that some of the greatest coders are freelancers, their devotion to propel the web development industry is astonishing so even to assume their prices are lower is a farfetched, this being said it is a free for all. (note: this agency was started by freelancers)

I'm going to focus more why web design and development agencies are more suitable for your needs. Let's be frank, they have the funds available for more complex projects. Even in a given scenario where a client requests for a certain software that none of the developers have the slightest clue on how to build. The necessary funds are there to outsource the specifics(not that we've done that, but even if we did I'd never admit to it).

• Consistency, an agency, has a portfolio and an available list of clients(well at least we do) for our future customers to contact for some perspective.
• Professionalism, There is a team of individuals working on a single website. Each with a specific skill set to tackle problems and increase efficiency. Workflow is more natural and quick.
• Reliability, naturally speaking a firm is a more concrete long-term solution. A help line is always available, and it takes a bigger push for an agency to collapse rather than an individual

Now sure it may be a tad more expensive (being generous with "tad" we all know it's quite substantial), this is the price one pays for a peace of mind. Knowing what you are paying for getting a better understanding of your end product.

To conclude... do-it yourself is the best (knowledge is power)... free-lancer is like rolling the dice for a seven...  web design and development agency (located conveniently in Montreal downtown), well...it's your best bet. choose wisely