Best Team Structure for Web Development Outsourcing —A Guide

Quick Summary: If you are thinking about outsourcing web development, you must be aware of organizing a great team. If you are not, then worry not! As this article has made it easy for you. You need to explore this article thoroughly and get the best out of it.

Are you a budding entrepreneur with bright ideas? Awesome, but clever ideas alone will not help you achieve your business objectives —you need a team, right?

That’s precisely the case with web development outsourcing.

Even if you know where to hire a web development team, understanding a web development team structure is significant.

What is Web Development Team Structure?

A web development team structure is when a group of people with specific expertise pooled together to achieve organizational goals. A proper and well-defined web development team ensures systematic task allocations, collaboration, and supervision. When you hire a web development team to outsource your project, it may include experts and specialists, such as web designers, developers, and testers, supported by BA and headed by team leaders, project managers, and CTOs. This typical team structure can vary, depending on the size and complication of the project.

What should be the right team structure for web development outsourcing?

We will discuss the team structure and how their complementary skill sets will help you create market-ready software products. But, before we begin to understand the team structure, let us help you with a single prerequisite.

If you are new to the arena, you should have an expert to help create web development for outsourcing projects.

The Web Development Team Structure

Do you want to know what makes a great web development team? Do you want to know what roles and responsibilities each member of the website development team is accountable for?

Let’s learn this as we have explained every detail you should know about the team and web development outsourcing.

The web development team structure should be as follows;

• Project Manager
• Project Architect
• Tech Lead
• Business Analyst
• UX and UI designers
• Front-end Web Developers
• Back-end Web Developers
• Testing and QA specialists
• DevOps engineers

They are the perfect team you can expect when outsourcing your web development projects. Now, let’s understand these team structures, their skills, roles, and responsibilities in detail;

#1: Project Manager

When outsourcing your web development project, the project manager plays a crucial role in ensuring the project is rightly built, completed on time, within budget, and as per the project scope. They are the person who is responsible for overseeing the entire web development process from start to finish. They will usually be your central Single Point of Contact (SPOC).

Skills of a Good Project Manager

When you create a team, a competent project manager can improve things. Here are the skills your project manager should have;

Communication Skills

• Excellent communication skills
• Communicates well one-on-one, in small groups, and public speaking skill
• Keeps team and clients informed
• Writes clear documents with perfect grammar and word usage

Perfect Analytical Skills

• Identifies problems, finds solutions and opportunities
• Analyze problems in depth
• Determines root cause issue
• Offers appropriate solutions

Perfect Team Player

• Reaches out to peers
• Always approachable
• Keeps team motivated

Decision-Making Skill

Showcases consistent logic, rationality, and objectivity in decision making

Responsibility of the Project Manager

Here are some key responsibilities that a project manager has in a web development team;

Planning and Scope Management of Project

The project manager works closely with the web development project team and clients, and hence it creates a detailed plan for projects. It includes timelines, deliverables, milestones, and budgets. The web development project manager also defines the project scope if clients don’t have one.

Web Development Team Management

When you hire a web development team, the project manager is liable to manage every team member, including developers, designers, QA testers, and other specialists.

Communication between stakeholders

The project manager is the main point of contact between you and the web development team members. They are liable to regularly discuss the project’s progress, including risks and issues, to ensure that all team members communicate effectively.

Quality Assurance of Web project

They ensure that the web development project meets the quality standard by helping the web development project team follow the best practices.

#2: Project Architect

The project architect plays a significant role in designing and overseeing the development of complex web applications. In addition, the architect ensures the web application is developed adhering to the parameters, such as scalability, security, and maintainability. Usually, a project manager is a senior-level developer with excellent command over web development technologies and architecture patterns.

Skills of Project Architect

• Expertise in frontend and backend frameworks, databases, APIs, and cloud infrastructure
• Good understanding of MVC, MVVM, and microservices architecture patterns
• Proficiency in software development principles, such as SOLID, DRY, and KISS.
• Equipped with problem-solving and analytical skills to identify and resolve technical challenges
• Able to clearly explain technical concepts and design decisions precisely
• Ability to mentor and coach web development team

Responsibilities of a Project Architect

A web project architect is responsible for the following;

• Leading the technical direction and architecting the projects
• Collaborating with the project managers, defining project goals, timelines, and budgets
• Maintaining design, document web architecture, data models, APIs, and others
• Identifying and mitigating risks related to tech capabilities, such as performance, security, and scalability
• Work closely with the testing and quality assurance team to ensure the website meets the requirements of clients

#3: Tech Lead

When you outsource web development project, the tech lead plays a significant role in managing your web development team. They ensure the project is executed efficiently and effectively and meets the requirement of the project scope and clients. With leading the team, the technical lead is also responsible for managing and mentoring the junior developers, analysts, QA, testers, and others.

Skills of a Web Development Project Tech Lead

A tech lead in web development team holds the following skills;

• In-depth technical knowledge of web development technologies, tools, frameworks, and programming languages
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Ability to identify technical challenges and solutions
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Good command over design, design patterns, and web development best practices
• Project management skills with implementing agile methodologies and tools
• Last but not the least, a tech lead holds good leadership quality

Responsibilities of a Tech Lead

A tech lead is responsible for the following;

• Leading the web project development team
• Collaborating with the team, project manager, CTO, and even with clients
• Implement web development processes and methodologies
• Reviewing codes, creating testing strategies, and deployment process
• Ensuring the web development project is executed in a timely and cost-effective manner
• Handling technical challenges
• Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies, technology trends, tools, and more

#4: Business Analyst

They are the persons who know clients’ needs and requirements and turn them into executable technical requirements. For example, a business analyst (BA) analyzes data and identifies problems and opportunities while working closely with all stakeholders. Here are some skills and responsibilities a BA should have.

Skills of a Business Analyst

• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Good knowledge of agile and scrum methodologies
• Good command over web development technologies
• Requirements for elicitation and documentation skills

Responsibilities of a Business Analyst

• Develop solutions after identifying business needs
• Create technical specifications
• Working closely with the team to ensure everything aligns with business needs
• Monitoring project progress, identifying risks and issues
• Keeping up-to-date with emerging technologies and making recommendations for improvements

#5: Web UX and UI Designers

The UI/UX Designers are the most crucial part of the outsourcing web development service-providing team. They handle the most vital part of web application development, such as understanding the needs and goals of users and designing interfaces that meet those needs. Considering the requirements and business trends, UI/UX (User Experience/User Interface) designers ensure a cohesive and engaging user experience.

Skills of UI/UX Designers

• Proficiency in design tools and principles
• Good understanding of UX design tools and methodologies
• Fair knowledge of web design tools, technologies and programming languages
• Knows user research and testing methodologies

Responsibilities UI/UX Designers

• Identify user requirements and web design solutions
• Creating user flows, wireframes, and prototypes while maintaining user personas
• Design the visual elements of the interface
• Conducting user research to validate design decision

#6: Front-end Web Developers

They are pillars of the web development team that build excellent client sites of web applications. The front-end engineers in the web development team work closely with design, back-end developers, and other team members to ensure the web application is implemented correctly. Here are what skills and responsibilities make an excellent front-end developer.

Skills of Front-end Web Developers

Sound frontend engineers should have the following;

• Excellent command of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Good understanding of front-end frameworks and libraries (e.g., React, Vue.js)
• A clear understanding of web design principles and user experience
• Knows cross-browser compatibility and accessibility standards
• GIT and version control systems skills
• Problem-solving and debugging skills

Responsibilities of Front-end Web Developers

A front end developer will bear the following responsibilities;

• Develop and maintain the client side of web applications, optimizing it for speed and scalability
• Ensure effective collaboration between the web design and backend development teams to translate design and requirements into code
• The website is responsive and performs well across devices
• Ensuring clean coding while following platform best practices
• Participate in code reviews

#7: Back-end Web Developers

Backend developers take care of the server-side programming of web applications. They are crucial in the outsourcing team of web development to ensure that the client side of the application communicates effectively with the server side. But that only comes easy if the back-end engineers are skilled and have many years of development experience. Here are skills and responsibilities that are significant when choosing a web development company for outsourcing your web development requirements;

Skills of Back-end Web Developers

A backend developer should have the following;

• Good knowledge of back-end web development programming languages, at least one of these three Python, Ruby, Java
• Good command over backend frameworks and libraries, such as Django, Flask, and Ruby on Rails
• Good hands-on experience with web development principles and protocols, like HTTP, REST
• Know database technologies, such as SQL, NoSQL

Responsibilities of Back-end Web Developers

Backend developers undertake the following responsibilities;

• Developing and maintaining server side of web applications
• Maintaining and designing databases and APIs
• Ensuring security and scalability of the server side of web applications
• Collaborating with front-end developers to ensure the back-end is effectively communicating with the front-end part
• Practice cleaning and providing a flawless web application with effective code reviews

#8: Testing and QA Specialists

Testing and QA specialists are equally significant than any web development team member. They ensure that web application functions well without any interruption. They test all features and functionalities to ensure they work and behave as per the project scope. They need to find the issue and report it back to the development team and even get them fixed. Let’s take a look at the skills, and responsibilities they have;

Skills of Testing and QA Specialists

• Good knowledge of tools and testing methodologies
• Fair understanding of web development principles and practices
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

Responsibilities of Testing and QA Specialists

• Create effective testing plans
• Execute testing plans
• Identify bugs, and get them fixed
• Ensuring the requirements are testable by collaborating with the development team
• Making sure that the web application meets the quality standards
• Monitor and process safe testing

#9: DevOps Engineers

All web development companies do not offer DevOps engineers, or you may not require DevOps for every project. Still, they are crucial when managing the infrastructure and deployment process of web applications. They work closely with developers, designers, and testers to ensure the project is deployed and maintained effectively.

Skills of DevOps Engineers

They need to have skills in many things, including;

• Proficiency in at least one scripting language, such as Python, Bash, PowerShell
• Good experience working with AWS, Azure, GCP
• Hands-on experience with containerization and orchestration technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Understand agile and scrum development methodologies
• Excellent understanding of continuous integrations and delivery, like Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD

Responsibilities of DevOps Engineers

• Deploy, configure, and maintain web servers and databases
• Effective infrastructure management for web applications
• Closely monitor websites and optimize performance and security
• Streamline the deployment process while working closely with the development team

These are the typical teams of web development outsourcing, though you can explore more options by taking a consult with an expert or your in-house team. The team members can also be decided based on what you wish to outsource, its size, and skills requirements.

Steps to Build a Web Development Team

Building an effective web development team is like assembling the pieces of a complex puzzle. Each role, skill, and workflow must align to ensure project success. Here’s a step-by-step guide to assembling your dream team:

Define Your Project Goals and Scope

Before diving into hiring dedicated web development team members, you need to have a clear understanding of your project’s requirements. Ask questions like:

• What type of website are you building? (e.g., e-commerce, portfolio, SaaS platform)
• What features and functionalities are essential?
• What’s your project timeline and budget?

This clarity helps determine the size and composition of your team.

Identify Essential Roles and Skills

Based on your project’s needs, outline the roles required. A typical web development team may include:

• Frontend Developers: To design user-facing elements.
• Backend Developers: To manage server-side logic and databases.
• UI/UX Designers: To craft intuitive and visually appealing interfaces.
• Project Managers: To coordinate tasks and ensure deadlines are met.
• Quality Assurance (QA) Specialists: To test and debug the website.

For more specialized projects, consider additional roles like:

• Content Writers
• Motion Designers
• Data Analysts
• Marketing Specialists

Choose Between In-House Hiring and Outsourcing

Evaluate whether you’ll build an in-house team or outsource tasks to freelancers or web development agencies. Consider:

• In-House Teams: Ideal for long-term projects requiring close collaboration and continuity.
• Outsourcing: Cost-effective for short-term or highly specialized tasks.

Recruit Talent

Look for candidates who not only possess technical skills but also align with your business vision. During interviews:

Assess their technical expertise with practical tests or portfolio reviews.
Evaluate soft skills like communication, adaptability, and teamwork.
Use platforms like LinkedIn, TopDevelopers.co, or Google to find top talent.

Assign Roles and Responsibilities

Once your team for web development project is assembled, clearly define each member’s responsibilities. Use a RACI matrix to outline:

• Who is Responsible for specific tasks?
• Who is Accountable for outcomes?
• Who should be consulted during the process?
• Who should be informed about progress?

Establish Workflows and Communication Protocols

Set up tools and processes to streamline collaboration:

• Project Management Tools: Use platforms like Jira, Trello, or Asana to track tasks and progress.
• Communication Channels: Leverage tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom for team discussions.
• Version Control Systems: Use GitHub or Bitbucket to manage code collaboratively.

Equip Your Team with the Right Tools

Provide your team with the software, hardware, and resources they need to excel:

• Development tools like VS Code, Sublime Text, or IntelliJ IDEA.
• Design tools like Figma or Adobe XD.
• Testing tools like Selenium or Postman.

Set Performance Metrics

Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the team’s success, such as:

• Project milestones were achieved on time.
• Quality of code and design.
• User feedback and website performance metrics.

Regularly review these KPIs to ensure the team is on track and make adjustments as needed.

How to Effectively Manage a Web Development Team?

Managing a web development team effectively is key to ensuring project success, meeting deadlines, and fostering collaboration. Here are practical strategies to help you lead your team toward success:

Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities

• Define Job Descriptions: Ensure every team member knows their role and how it contributes to the project’s overall success.
• Use a Responsibility Matrix: Tools like a RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) can clarify roles for tasks and deliverables.

By removing ambiguity, you can avoid conflicts and ensure accountability.

Foster Open and Transparent Communication

• Daily Standups: Conduct short meetings to discuss progress, address challenges, and align on priorities.
• Feedback Loops: Create a culture where constructive feedback flows both ways—team members should feel heard.
• Collaborative Tools: Use platforms like Slack for instant messaging or Zoom for virtual meetings to keep everyone connected.

Transparent communication minimizes misunderstandings and keeps the team focused.

Implement Agile Methodologies

Agile frameworks like Scrum or Kanban can improve your website development team’s efficiency:

• Scrum: Use sprints to break the project into manageable chunks, with daily standups and regular retrospectives.
• Kanban: Visualize workflows on a Kanban board to track task progress.

These development methodologies encourage iterative progress and adaptability.

Use the Right Project Management Tools

Equip your team with project management tools that streamline task management and tracking:

• Trello or Asana: Simple and effective for task tracking and collaboration.
• Jira: Ideal for larger, more complex projects with detailed workflows.
• GitHub or Bitbucket: Use version control tools to manage code and track changes.

Centralizing project updates ensures that everyone stays aligned.

Encourage Collaboration and Teamwork

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Promote cooperation between web developers, web designers, and other roles for better outcomes.
• Team-Building Activities: Foster a sense of camaraderie through virtual or in-person team-building exercises.
• Conflict Resolution: Address disagreements quickly and fairly to maintain a positive team dynamic.

A collaborative web development team is more innovative and productive.

Track Progress and Adapt

• Set Milestones: Break the project into phases with clear deadlines.
• Monitor KPIs: Track metrics like sprint completion rates, bug resolution time, and code quality.
• Adapt to Feedback: Be open to revisiting goals and workflows based on team or client feedback.

This proactive approach helps you stay on track and deliver high-quality results.

Support Your Team’s Growth

• Offer Training Opportunities: Provide access to workshops, online courses, or certifications to enhance skills.
• Mentorship Programs: Pair junior developers with senior team members for guidance.
• Recognize Achievements: Celebrate milestones and individual contributions to boost morale.

Investing in your team’s growth leads to better retention and higher performance.

Manage Remote or Distributed Teams Effectively

With remote work becoming the norm, it’s essential to adapt your management style:

• Define Communication Norms: Set expectations for availability, response times, and meeting schedules.
• Use Collaboration Tools: Platforms like Notion, Miro, or Google Workspace can bridge the gap for remote teams.
• Build Trust: Focus on results rather than micromanaging hours worked.

A well-managed remote team can perform just as effectively as an in-house team.

Final Thoughts

When outsourcing a web development project, there are plenty of things, from web development outsourcing cost, models, and destination, firms matter the most, but everything is well paid off when you have the best team working on your project.

Unfortunately, in a report published on Forbes, 70% of projects fail because companies do not have the right talents. So, hiring the right team is one of the best benefits of web development outsourcing. This article brings everything to help you find the best team for your project.

This article is just part of the web development outsourcing; for more updated information, you can explore TopDevelopers.co or contact us if you need any specific information about web development companies or outsourcing projects.

What is a web development team?

A web development team is a group of professionals responsible for creating, maintaining, and optimizing websites. The team typically includes frontend and backend developers, website designers, project managers, and quality assurance specialists. Together, they ensure that websites are functional, visually appealing, and aligned with business goals.

What is the structure of a dedicated web development team?

Usually, when you outsource web development, hire a dedicated team that is consists of web designers, developers, and project managers who work together to build, deploy and maintain a web development project. The team structure may vary, depending on the size and scope of the project.

What does a web development team member do?

Each team member of website development project has a specialized role:

• Frontend Developers: Focus on the design and functionality of the user interface.
• Backend Developers: Handle server-side logic and database management.
• UI/UX Designers: Create intuitive and user-friendly designs.
• Project Managers: Coordinate tasks, manage timelines, and facilitate communication.
• QA Specialists: Test the website to ensure it is bug-free and performs optimally.

How to organize a web development team?

To organize a web development team:

• Define project goals and requirements.
• Identify the roles needed for the project.
• Assign responsibilities clearly using tools like a RACI chart.
• Establish workflows, communication protocols, and performance metrics.
• Use project management tools to streamline collaboration.

How does a successful web development team function?

A successful team functions through:

• Clear communication and defined roles.
• Agile methodologies for flexibility and efficiency.
• Collaboration between cross-functional members.
• Regular feedback loops to adapt to changes.
• Tools like GitHub for version control and Trello for task tracking are also used.

What are the types of developers in a web development company?

Web development companies typically employ:

• Full-Stack Developers: Skilled in both frontend and backend development.
• Mobile App Developers: Specialize in creating mobile-friendly or standalone apps.
• Web 3.0 Developers: Focus on decentralized technologies like blockchain.

Who is a Web 3.0 developer?

A Web 3.0 developer builds decentralized applications (dApps) using blockchain technologies. They specialize in frameworks like Ethereum, Solidity, and IPFS, enabling secure and transparent systems for data storage and transactions.

What qualities should you look for in web development team members?

Key qualities that your web development team members should have, include:

• Technical Skills: Proficiency in programming languages and tools relevant to the project.
• Problem-Solving Ability: Creativity in addressing challenges.
• Teamwork: Strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Adaptability: Willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies.
• Attention to Detail: Precision in coding and testing.

What is the typical web development team structure?

A typical team structure for web development includes:

• Project Manager: Oversees the project lifecycle.
• Frontend Developers: Handle user-facing elements.
• Backend Developers: Manage server-side logic.
• UI/UX Designers: Create user-friendly interfaces.
• QA Specialists: Ensure quality and functionality.

For larger projects, additional roles like DevOps engineers, content writers, and data analysts may be included.

What is the difference between a remote team and a distributed team?

• Remote Team: All members work from various locations but are part of a centralized organization.
• Distributed Team: Members work across different locations and may belong to different organizations or operate independently.

Both models require strong communication protocols and collaboration tools to function effectively.

What is a cross-functional web development team?

A cross-functional team comprises professionals with diverse skills who collaborate on all aspects of a web development project.

For example, Developers, designers, marketers, and analysts work together to deliver a product.

This approach fosters innovation, improves problem-solving, and ensures the end product meets both technical and user needs.

Who are the members of the web development team?

As we have already said, web development outsourcing team members will vary depending on the project’s size and scope. However, the common members in the group include a project manager, web developers, designers, and testers. It can be even CTO, project manager, analyst, architect, etc.

What is the average size of a web development team?

If it is a small web development team, it will consist of 2-5 members, including a front-end developer, a back-end developer, a designer, and a project manager. For the medium-sized project, the team members may go up to 6-10 with added members, such as a UX designer, a QA engineer, a database administrator, and a DevOps engineer. Similarly, if you outsource a large project, the team will consist of 10-20 members or more.

How do I choose a web development team?

First, prepare a list of questions for web development companies. while outsourcing your requirements. That should include the size of the team, the experience of the web development company, cost, deadline, and deliverables. Then if you find the team suitable for your projects, you can hire them.

FAQs About Web Development Outsourcing