Internet Marketing and Outsourcing

Internet marketing and outsourcing work very well together. In fact most Internet marketers employ at lease some degree of outsourcing. The most common aspects of Internet marketing which are outsourced are copywriting and website design. Ideally these tasks will be delegated to individuals who are skilled in search engine optimization (SEO). Additionally, those who manage multiple niches may opt to outsource the responsibilities of managing some of their niche markets. This article will take a look at some of the commonly outsourced tasks and provide information regarding why outsourcing these tasks is ideal.

Managing Multiple Niches

Many involved in Internet niche marketing become involved in managing multiple niche marketing campaigns. When this happens it can become difficult for one individual to oversee all of the campaigns without compromising the quality of the niche markets. Therefore, he will often outsource the oversight responsibilities related to managing some of the niche markets. This gives him the freedom to focus more on developing new niches and marketing strategies as opposed to overseeing minute details.

Care should be taken when outsourcing this type of work to ensure the employee hired to undertake these tasks is an honest individual with a great deal of integrity. Those who are lacking in integrity may take advantage of this situation to learn about the marketing strategies for the express purpose of stealing sensitive information and creating competition in these niches.

Outsourcing Copywriting

Copywriting services are also commonly outsourced in niche marketing. Those involved in Internet niche marketing realize the importance of providing high quality content that is also optimized for search engines. This applies to copywriting which is included on niche websites, in e-newsletters, in press releases and in ebooks. The content provided is critical to the success of the niche marketing campaign because it is often the first impression members of the target audience get of the campaign. Their opinion of the copy can determine whether or not they are willing to visit the niche website in the future or further research products or services for sale.

When selecting a writer to provide the content for the niche marketing campaign, it is important to consider a writer with SEO experience. This is important because the content provided on websites can have an impact on the search engine rankings of the website. The use of keywords is the most important part of copywriting relevant to SEO. The keywords should be used in a manner that creates informative and interesting copy that appeals to both website visitors and search engines.

Outsourcing Website Design

Web design is another aspect of Internet niche marketing that is often outsourced. Most marketers recognize website design as an important part of their success. They need their websites to be well designed both aesthetically and technically to ensure visitors enjoy the website and all of the features of the website operate smoothly.

Additionally, it is very important for the website designer chosen to understand how to implement SEO strategies into the design of the website. There are many different strategies available for SEO and there are also always new techniques being developed, tested and evaluated. The SEO of a website is pretty much a full time job. This is why it is essential for marketers to outsource this work so they can ensure they have someone working on their website optimization constantly.

Outsourced Not Outsmarted

There are many who tout the advantages of outsourcing as essentially a little known secret to success. There are certainly a number of distinct advantages to the process of outsourcing. Some of the most notable advantages include cost reductions, increased possibility for profit and the existence of a larger workforce without maintaining a staff of salaried employees. All of these incredible advantages may make outsourcing seem as though it is an ideal resource in all situations but this is not true. There are certain precautions which should be taken when outsourcing a project. It is important to be mindful of these precautions when outsourcing a project to ensure the project runs smoothly.

Verify Candidate Qualifications

When outsourcing a task or project to an individual, care should be taken to screen all applicants carefully before deciding to outsource the work. This is important because you want to be sure to outsource the work to a qualified individual. Awarding a project to an unqualified individual can be a costly mistake if they turn in sub par work at the conclusion of the project. It can also be costly if it results in unnecessary delays or setbacks as a result of the lack of qualifications.

One way to avoid being outsmarted by fancy resumes hyping the accomplishments of an individual is to verify all of the information on the resume before awarding the project. This may entail contacting previous employers as well as references to determine the capabilities and work ethic of the individual. Taking the time to verify the information on the resume can help to ensure the individual you outsource the work to is truly qualified to complete the project.

Outline Project Requirements Carefully

When outsourcing a project it is important to be very clear in outlining the project requirements. This is important so both the client and the independent contractor understand all of the requirements of the outsourced project. Preparing contract documents stating the exact project details and compensation to be provided is a good idea as well. Taking this extra precaution will ensure the client does not have to pay fees until the contract specifications are met. A contract can also be helpful if disputes arise and mediation is required to resolve the conflicts.

Additionally, it is wise to include information regarding the required deliverables in the contract documents. This should include the exact end product which should be submitted. In this portion of the document the client can specify information regarding whether they require the project submitted as a hard copy of the completed project, a soft copy of the completed project or both.

Schedule Periodic Milestone Meetings

Regularly scheduled progress status meetings are very important when a project is outsourced. These meetings should be scheduled often enough to ensure the project does not fall too far behind schedule during any one phase of the project. These meetings can be helpful to both the client and the independent contractor. The client will benefit because they will remain in control of the project and can intervene if the independent contractor is heading in the wrong direction with the project. These meetings are also beneficial to the independent contractor because they can prevent him from being caught by surprise at the conclusion of the project if he misinterpreted the project requirements.

Precautions for Outsourcing Software Jobs

Outsourcing software jobs is certainly a viable business solution for all types of industries. Software plays an integral part in many different industries and because software is constantly evolving and developing it isn’t always feasible to employ an in-house software staff capable of meeting complex software needs. Companies may find the ability to outsource software projects while still maintaining a certain degree of profitability; however, there are a few caveats to doing this. Outsourcing software jobs is a sound business practice but care should be taking to avoid certain pitfalls often associated with outsourcing work. Taking a few precautions can prevent the company from making mistakes while outsourcing such as outsourcing the work to individuals ore companies who lack necessary qualifications, making fatal scheduling errors and spending too much money to outsource the project.

Properly Screening Outsourcing Candidates
One of the most common mistakes made in outsourcing software projects is delegating the project to an individual who lacks the necessary qualifications and capabilities to complete the project efficiently. Companies who regularly outsource work may establish working relationships with individuals they are confident will perform well but before these types of relationships are established it will be necessary to carefully screen each potential candidate before outsourcing a job.

There are precautions companies can take when they are considering outsourcing a software project to ensure the candidate they select is well qualified to complete the project. The following are a few of the basic precautions companies should take:

• Describe the project sufficiently in job advertisements
• Review applications and resumes carefully
• Schedule interviews with qualified candidates
• Ask interview candidates to provide a list of work references
• Verify each reference and check the validity of work history

Establishing Schedules When Outsourcing
Another mistake often made by companies who outsource is to fail to establish a firm schedule. This may not be especially harmful when the schedule of the project is flexible but it can be a serious mistake when the schedule of the project is not flexible.

Finding a candidate who is qualified to handle outsourcing work is important but it is also important to find a candidate who is available when you need someone to complete the work. This is a significant point because some candidates may be well qualified but if they are not available when you need them they are not an ideal candidate to complete the project.

It is best to discuss scheduling upfront when screening outsourcing candidates. This is important because it can be costly to spend time finding a candidate only to find out they are unavailable towards the end of the screening process.

Spending Too Much Money on Outsourcing
One final mistake companies often make when outsourcing is spending too much money on outsourcing. This includes money paid to the individual or firm to complete the work as well as money invested in finding the most qualified candidate.

One precaution to take when considering outsourcing is to investigate all of the costs associated with outsourcing and establish a budge for having a particular project completed as an outsourcing endeavor before beginning to search for potential candidates. Doing this will enable companies to evaluate whether or not outsourcing is a wise decision from a financial standpoint before they invest too much in the process.

When evaluating the costs associated with outsourcing a software project it is important to consider a number of factors. First evaluate the amount the client is paying for the completion of the project. Next assess the in-house effort which will be required for this project including management and recruiting candidates to complete the project. Determine the percentage of the budget which will be consumed by these efforts. Now it is time to look at the remaining budget and determine how much can be invested in outsourcing the project while still remaining profitable. The fees paid to the independent contractor or consulting firm should not be so high that they do not enable the company to profit from the project.

Understanding Outsourcing

Outsourcing is a term which has received a great deal of attention lately. Despite the increasing trend in companies relying on outsourcing there are still some who do not clearly understand what is meant by the term outsourcing. This article will examine some of the key elements of outsourcing to help the reader develop a better understanding of the concept of outsourcing.

Outsourcing Defined
What is outsourcing? This is the most basic question many have about the subject of outsourcing. They are not yet interested in more complex aspects of the issue because they have not yet grasped the most basic understanding of the process. In the simplest language outsourcing is when a company delegates the completion of certain tasks to an individual not employed by the company directly. This individual may be an independent contractor or an employee of another company who is subcontracted to complete these tasks. In exchange for the individual’s services, he or his company receives monetary compensation.

This description of outsourcing makes it far easier to understand the concept. Most people incorrectly assume outsourcing only applies to situations where large corporations have products manufactured overseas by a subsidiary and don’t realize examples of outsourcing can be seen just about everywhere in corporate America.

Domestic Outsourcing
Domestic outsourcing refers to outsourcing where both the primary company and the independent contractor or subsidiary are located in the same country. One of the main reasons for outsourcing is to reduce costs but it is not always necessary to outsource work overseas to reduce costs. Cost savings will be discussed in greater detail in the section on the benefits of outsourcing but essentially outsourcing results in a savings as a result of a reduction of labor costs.

Overseas Outsourcing
Overseas outsourcing is the type of outsourcing most people already understand. This is where large corporations such as Nike, and even some smaller companies, employ manufacturing plants overseas in third world countries to upsize their profits. This is significant because their costs including wages, materials and building lease would be considerably higher in the United States than they are in these other countries.

Benefits of Outsourcing
Now that you have a clearer understanding of the concept of outsourcing, you might wonder why companies would go to the trouble of outsourcing certain tasks. Outsourcing is popular because there are a great deal of benefits to the companies who outsource the work. Some of the benefits include:

• Reduced labor costs
• Increased workforce
• Greater flexibility

One of the main reasons companies resort to outsourcing is it can significantly reduce costs. In the case of overseas outsourcing of manufacturing tasks, costs can be cut dramatically because there are lower wages and costs associated with managing and maintaining the manufacturing plants. However, companies also enjoy a cost savings when they outsource tasks domestically. Reduction of labor costs is the primary source of savings in this case. Independent contractors hired on a contract basis for the purpose of completing specific tasks are often not given benefits such as social security, Medicare and workers’ compensation.

Another benefit to outsourcing is enjoying a larger workforce without actually hiring additional employees. Companies who maintain networking relationships with qualified individuals have more opportunities open to them because they are able to rely on these individuals to assist them if they acquire large or complicated projects.

Finally, outsourcing gives a company a great deal of flexibility. Companies who have a significant workload and backlog of work where the majority of the employees are highly utilized might be hesitant to compete for new work because they do not have a great deal of employee availability. However, with a network of individuals to rely on if the need to outsource arises, the company has more flexibility in pursuing new work.