Your website’s been stuck in “I’ll get to it later” mode for months. Every time you open your website, you’re confronted by a clunky block of text and a to-do list longer than your arm. But between managing inventory, helping customers, and handling daily fires, there’s never time to sit down and tackle it.
A full-time web designer could help, but not every company has the bandwidth to hire a dedicated staff member. You may only need help as a one-off and be able to handle recurring updates on your own.
Outsourcing flips the equation. You hand over the task to talented web designers or experienced developers only when you need them. You get the exact skill sets the project demands, and avoid paying for time you don’t need. Done right, the result is cost savings without sacrificing quality. You have a successful website, delivered on time, that works for your target audience. Here’s all you need to know about outsourcing website design.
What does it mean to outsource website design?
At its core, outsourcing website design is hiring a person or a team outside your company to create or redesign your website. That could mean a freelance designer giving your homepage a facelift, or a full web design agency building your ecommerce store from the ground up.
Depending on your needs, someone with a proven track record may get the job done faster—and better—than starting from scratch on your own. These professionals come ready with their own tools, services, and knowledge. No need to buy licenses, upgrade hardware, or train your team on platforms they’ll never touch again. And since geography isn’t a barrier, you can hire the right talent for your project needs regardless of where they live—your hiring pool is global.
What kinds of web design services can you outsource?
Nearly any part of your site build can be sent out. Whether it’s a broken page, a feature your in-house team isn’t equipped to handle, or a full-scale redesign, outside help can step in. Here are a few common examples:
User experience (UX)
User experience is the overall feel of the site—how smooth or frustrating it is for users to get from point A to point B. If checkout takes five steps when it could take two, that’s a problem UX can solve.
User interface (UI)
User interface is the visual layer your visitors actually click and tap—the menus, buttons, icons, typography, colors. If your Buy Now button blends into the background or a menu hides key pages, that’s a UI issue.
Layout
If your site looks dated or crawls on a phone, a web developer can give it a modern layout, add more features, and cut down load times. Speed matters—according to Tooltester, pages that load within one second convert three times higher than those that take five seconds. A web developer can also make your site more responsive, so the layout adapts smoothly across devices—for example, a wide desktop navigation menu might collapse into a simple hamburger icon on mobile, making it easier for visitors to browse.
Graphic design
Someone with a deep understanding of branding and graphic design can ensure logos, colors, and fonts stay consistent across your site, emails, and ads. If you want more visual punch, you can bring in help for hover effects, image swaps, or guided steps—subtle details that keep you in line with the latest design trends.
Ecommerce functionality
On ecommerce platforms like Shopify, external web development help might handle theme edits, app integrations, or custom landing pages for smooth ecommerce functionality.
Just remember, design is only half the battle. A polished mock-up or layout doesn’t automatically become a working website. Someone still has to take those designs and translate them into code—languages like HTML (for structure), CSS (for styling), and JavaScript (for interactivity).
Some freelancers or agencies cover both design and development, but not all. If you’re outsourcing, be clear on whether your hire is handling just the visuals or also building the site itself.
Why outsource web design?
Letting outside experts handle your web work gives you precise support—only when and where you need it. Here are three advantages that stand out:
Cost savings
You avoid the full-time payroll and benefits burden. Smart companies can tap external talent to cut web development costs by as much as 70%.
Faster timelines
Skilled agencies tend to move quickly—many wrap up standard website launches in around 12 weeks. In contrast, internal builds often take longer—even simple professional setups can take eight to 12 weeks or stretch to five to six months when complexity or competing priorities enter the mix.
Advanced features
Outsourced teams bring more than just manpower—they bring specialized expertise you’d be hard-pressed to get from a single internal hire. Think advanced features like custom filters or multilingual layouts. Hiring one full-time developer rarely nets that range of experience, and training someone internally takes time. An outside team has already solved these problems for other clients so they can plug tested fixes and patterns straight into your project.
How to outsource website design
The goal of outsourcing is to get your project done right without adding long-term headcount you don’t need. But there are multiple ways to achieve this objective. The right choice depends on budget, project needs, and how much of the development process you’re ready to manage yourself. Here are three top options:
Freelancing platforms
Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal are open marketplaces for web talent. You can scroll through portfolios, read reviews, and check feedback for past clients. Pricing is usually listed upfront, though larger projects may require some negotiation. Filters make it easy to sort by skill sets, budget, or even time zone.
A junior web designer might suffice for a quick update or simple fix, but for complex projects, investing in an experienced pro pays off. Just remember—you’re managing the outsourced project. That means writing a clear brief, effective communication, and keeping timelines on track.
Web design agencies
Agencies are the “hand it over” option. You’re not just hiring one person—you’re getting a coordinated team. It usually includes web designers, developers, and sometimes specialists like SEO consultants or copywriters, all working under a project lead. That structure means you don’t have to chase down who’s doing what, and the handoff from design to development happens seamlessly inside the same shop.
Agencies are also better equipped to handle larger builds or complex features, like a multilingual storefront or custom checkout flow, because they’ve likely done them before.
A good place to find this kind of agency is the Shopify Partner Program, which can connect you with experienced design and development teams who know the platform inside and out.
Other outsourcing setups
Some companies mix and match. They’ll bring in freelancers for quick fixes—a broken form, a landing page, or a seasonal refresh, then turn to an agency when it’s time for a full rebuild or a complex new feature. Others keep a flat-rate retainer or design-services subscription in place so they have predictable access to a designer or developer every month without hiring in-house.
This blended approach gives you flexibility: you get the speed and affordability of freelancers, the depth of agencies when the stakes are higher, and the ongoing support of a retainer for more involved day-to-day needs.
Factors when planning to outsource website design
Know what you need—and what it’ll cost—before bringing in outside help:
Scope
Define what you’re outsourcing. Try starting small—hand off a standalone page or a feature to test the quality before entrusting someone with the full site. Many businesses handle minor updates in-house or with individual freelancers and turn to agencies for larger builds. That keeps you and your team from burning out without sacrificing quality.
Budget
Set this early. A small update (like adding a subscription checkout or a seasonal refresh) doesn’t have to be a big-budget item. To give you a ballpark: simple small-business websites can often range between $500 and $5,000 (including building the site), while redesigns or more complex builds can push anywhere from $3,000 up to $75,000 or more, depending on features or agency pricing.
Payment structure
Decide whether you’ll pay a flat project rate or go hourly, and tie payments to clear milestones—like approving a draft page—to keep things on track.
Prefer to do it all yourself? Shopify offers themes and an AI store builder, so you can design your own website without outside help. And if you choose to hire, the vetted Shopify Partners network connects you with web designers and developers who know the platform inside and out—so they can hit the ground running on your project.
Outsource website design FAQ
What is outsourcing website design?
Outsourcing web design involves bringing in someone outside your company to handle a task related to your website’s look and functionality. Sometimes that’s a freelancer finally fixing the homepage you’ve been ignoring. Other times, it’s an agency building your store from scratch. You’re tapping into their tools, time, and expertise—without the commitment of a full time hire.
How much does it cost to outsource a website?
Small one-off jobs often come in at less than $10,000, but that’s just part of the picture. Websitecosts overall can range from $1,000 to $145,000, depending on how custom a site you need. Redesign costs can vary widely: agencies often charge between $3,000 and $75,000, freelancers usually fall between $3,000 and $10,000, and DIY or in-house builds can start around $800 to $5,000. If you’re working with freelance talent, Fiverr data suggests hourly rates of $20 to $100, typically landing total projectcosts between $500 and $10,000.
Is outsourcing website design a good or bad idea?
Outsourcing website design can be a smart move if you don’t have the time or skills to do it yourself. The key is matching the job to the right person (or team). Lock down the scope before they start, and keep the feedback loop moving so the project remains on course.
What are examples of outsourcing websites?
If you want freelancers, platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal have profiles where you can browse portfolios and check reviews. For agencies, the Shopify Partners directory, or DesignRush are good starting points; you can filter by location and the kind of work you need done. And if your store runs on Shopify, theShopify Partners directory lists vetted designers and developers with proven experience building on the platform.
