Web agency vs. freelancing – A developer’s point of view.
One of the many advantages of working as a web developer is that it requires very little permanent space or equipment. You simply need a laptop, a place to set it down and all the tools you need. This can leave many aspiring developers wondering whether to go it alone or to turn to one of the many web agencies to get a job, acquire new skills and eventually make programming a career. As the founder of Publi Web Média (PWM) and a former freelance designer, here is my guide to choosing the right career path.
Freelance developer
Clients
With so many people working as freelance web developers, working solo means that a big part of your work will be finding and winning new clients. Especially when you are trying to establish yourself, it can be difficult to win clients, because they often favor more experienced developers, or an agency.
Location
One of the obvious advantages of being a freelancer is the freedom to move around: web development can be done anywhere in the world, whether in a workspace, in front of the TV or even on the beach! However, being a freelancer has its drawbacks. While web development is so well documented online thanks to forums such as Stack Overflow, nothing beats the power of describing a problem you’ve run into while talking with your team, and considering different ways of approaching things.
Flexibility
As a freelancer, there is no 9-to-5, which means you have to plan your own workday. That could mean a more flexible daily start time, the freedom to finish a little earlier to meet friends or to take as much vacation as you like. But it works both ways. Freelancing can often mean it is hard to say no to a job, however short the deadline, or to take on many lower-paid jobs to hit monthly targets. It can mean sudden periods of long days or many late nights. In an agency, however, web builds are more structured, well managed and have clear, fair deadlines, which means less overtime and less stress!
Web development agency
Clients
One of the main advantages of working in an agency is the variety of projects you work on. At PWM, we work with various clients. Whether they are large or mid-sized companies, schools, municipalities or charities, e-commerce sites or showcase sites, switching projects every day lets you improve your knowledge and also helps you fight boredom.
As a freelance developer, it is easy to get stuck building websites in a single sector, since the majority of new clients often arrive through referrals. Becoming a specialist in a given field can be interesting, because you will have an excellent portfolio of websites to attract new clients in that field, but it can also become repetitive.
The role
Working as a developer in a web agency gives you the time to do what you really want: build websites. Spending less time looking for new clients, answering emails and attending meetings leaves you more time to perfect your coding, keep up with the latest industry trends and devote enough time to each project.
The vast majority of former freelance coders who join the PWM team notice a considerable improvement in their skills, because they have a team to consult and because they have more time to grow!
The team
Working in a multidisciplinary web agency such as PWM, where developers work alongside graphic designers, project managers, photographers and videographers, means that every day offers the chance to collaborate and better understand the web development industry. Weekly and monthly team meetings give the whole team time to put forward ideas and consider different points of view. There are always chances to acquire new skills beyond web development, such as using Sketch or the project manager DoneApp, all of which give you a better overview of the web development process. It is also great to have a team to chat with at the end of the day!
Although both are good options for starting any career as a web developer, I would strongly recommend prioritizing agency experience. Freelancing has its perks, but nothing really speeds up your learning as quickly as working alongside experienced developers and a creative team!
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