Should you create your own F&B website? As an F&B owner operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be considering going digital to expand your online reach. You may have decided that instead of going for the easier, but more expensive route in the long term – delivery platforms with 30-35% commission fees, you should run your own website.
Running a website is hard work as there are many factors to take into account. From content creation, regular updates, website design, and even privacy and security, it may seem like a daunting task. The biggest decision you have to make is to choose between hiring an in-house web designer, outsourcing the work to a web design company, or engaging a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) developer.
What do industry terms mean?
Before we weigh the pros and cons of outsourcing the work or doing it in-house, we need to define what the terms mean:
- “In-house” refers to conducting an activity or operation within a company. A firm uses its own employees and time to run a business activity.
- “Outsourcing” refers to an organization hiring a third-party provider for the development of products and services.
- “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS) refers to engaging a developer to utilise their software for your web application.
Every business, regardless of size, needs a website in this increasingly digital world. It is becoming important to have a digital presence to be considered a modern business. There are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches, with outsourcing saving you time, and in-house development allowing you to retain control. As an F&B owner, you know your business needs best.
In-house
Let us review the pros and cons of in-house website development for your F&B establishment.
Pros
1. More control over the website quality
You retain control over your in-house team and can thus direct them in your ideal direction. You are the boss of your team, allowing for fast feedback, control, coordination, and guidance at every step of the way. This gives you more control over the quality of the website that’s finally produced.
As the team members are all in the same country, and likely in the same office, there is strong project engagement and face-to-face communication among team members. This allows quick changes to be made to a project.
Additionally, you can boost your team’s morale by giving them opportunities to bond over their shared work and establish a culture around your business and the project. Your team’s work will be completed efficiently as they focus on their shared goal.
2. Upgrade your team’s skills
Your team members will upgrade their skills, which will benefit your company in the long run. Most of your skilled workers will likely remain in your company for at least a few years, so it makes sense to invest time and money in training them. In the long run, your investment will pay off.
If you continue to work with your team on more projects, their skill foundation will continue building up and their work will improve in quality. In the long run, this will allow you to engage your team for more complex or unusual projects, letting you learn together with the team and building up your capabilities.
3. A flexible and invested team
As you are the boss of your team with complete control, your workers are more willing to fully internalise your feedback and improve on their work. Since the final website has a direct impact on your business, and thus their job, your team is more motivated to do a good job.
The investment and dedication that your team has make up for any skill gaps they have, as they are more willing to learn more on the job. Your team stays engaged while working on the project, and may even fix issues before they escalate into a problem.
Flexibility in working hours is also important. Whether your team works in an office or from home, they can conduct work at the same time due to shared working hours. When everyone is available at the same time, communication is easier, and problems get resolved quicker.
Cons
1. Higher ongoing costs
If your employee works 8 hours a day and only works on your project for 4 hours while settling other duties for the rest, you still have to pay them for the hours they spend at work. Costs may be higher if your employee is specially hired to work on your website, but has to conduct administrative duties too. You are also responsible for other expenses, such as stocking the pantry, transport claims, and bills for air conditioning and water.
On top of this, hiring a full-time employee for one or two projects is still a commitment. Once the project has been completed, the employee may expect to still hold their position in your company, leaving you with the hard choice to let them go or give them a new project.
2. Lack of necessary skills
If the project is too far out of your team’s expertise, it may be more time-effective and cheaper to outsource the work instead of training your team. Your employees can’t be good at everything, and sometimes it’s not practical to spend time teaching when it takes attention away from other projects.
With training, there is also the risk that your results will not be as good, as your employees are working with something unfamiliar.
In house conclusion:
With an in-house team, you enjoy full ownership of your project, and can thus control the direction it is headed towards. On top of this, you stand to become more knowledgeable and upgrade the skills of your employees during the development of the website.
However, it can be more expensive in the long run, especially for a smaller F&B business that is just starting to experience steady growth. You do not need to stress yourself by feeling like you need to know everything. Focus on your unique skills, such as F&B industry navigation, and leave the unfamiliar work to the professionals.
Outsource
We have weighed the pros and cons of in-house website development for your F&B business. Now, let’s look at what outsourcing this development has to offer for your business.
Pros
1. Lower costs
By not trying to pick up brand new skills and capitalising on the skills of a hired team, you reduce the costs of the project and still obtain a final product that is high in quality. It is more cost-effective and affordable to outsource.
You can save more money when you outsource to a reputable company located in another country with more favourable tax rates and laws regarding business operations. Their rates may be lower than your in-house team, as their profit margins are higher.
2. Faster project completion
You do not need to go through the lengthy process of recruiting, training, or interviewing any new candidates. Conduct research on the company you are going to outsource your website building to, and rest assured that they will handle it professionally. You do not have to focus on growing your in-house team, which can be time-consuming, though there are some benefits in the long run.
Outsourcing your website development helps you obtain the resources and talent you need faster. In fact, the outsourcing team will have access to many resources to choose from and thus make informed decisions. If you work with an established company with experts on website development for the F&B industry, the project may be completed sooner than expected.
3. Flexibility
Outsourced workers only do as much work as has been assigned to them. If you have an erratic schedule, or the project is not a long-term one, outsourcing is the right choice for you. Their work depends fully on your needs, and you can delegate responsibilities away to free up your time, whenever you need to. Additionally, for outcome-based projects, you pay for what you get through a performance evaluation, guaranteeing you get your money’s worth.
The workload of your in-house employees will be reduced. Outsourcing helps prevent employee burnout and dissatisfaction with their work, which can lead to higher employee turnover, causing a slew of new problems for you.
4. Access to expert talent
Outsourcing presents an exciting opportunity for your business to hire the cream of the crop for your project. Your website will be built by highly specialised workers that can complete any project you can think of. The detailed knowledge of experts often cannot be matched by your team.
You also gain access to a greater pool of talent and lower-cost labour, allowing you to pick the best workers for the wage you can afford to pay. On top of that, you do not need to worry about the skill of the workers when you work with an established website development firm, because you are guaranteed only the highest quality.
Cons
1. Difficulty to communicate
Communication issues may crop up when you outsource your website, as contractors and freelancers usually handle multiple clients. Thus, you have to be comfortable with periods without updates and trust the experts with what they are doing. One way of getting around this is to use time tracking software for proof of work, but this may be seen as invasive.
Reduced progress visibility may make you feel uncomfortable, especially if they do work at a timing different from you, especially if they are from a different time zone. On top of this, having to communicate between multiple versions and give feedback for each one can be more than you can stomach.
2. Less control
When you put your project in someone else’s hands, you reduce the control you have over it to a certain extent. You will still be able to control the direction of the project, but it is unlikely that you can comment on every little detail. It is simply too time-consuming to continuously make adjustments based on every piece of feedback.
If an issue occurs with your outsourced team, since they are not directly under your control in your office, you have to trust that they are capable of resolving it well and in a timely manner.
3. Less long-term commitment
As much as it is easier to break off ties after the project is completed, it is also harder to maintain the project afterward with the outsourced team’s specialised knowledge. The outcome of the project may also be uncertain, as the team may be less invested in it than you are.
If your project requires long-term support, find an outsourced team that can handle that. Websites often require maintenance. Make sure your contract includes support after the project is completed, or you will get burned.
4. You’re handling sensitive information
If you do not want anyone else outside of your company, or a select group of people, to know about some sensitive information, outsourcing may be risky. While there are non-disclosure agreements, you may still not want to share sensitive customer or team member data to limit the number of people that know. This will protect the data.
Outsource conclusion:
When outsourcing your F&B website development, always work with a reputable company that has shown good results with past clients. This minimises the risk you take by trusting and paying an external firm with your company’s online image.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
In-house development and outsourcing development for your website are the most common options. Now, let’s consider SaaS vendors and what they have to offer for your F&B business.
Pros
1. Even lower costs
SaaS applications are not sold as a software package, so you do not have to download or purchase them. Instead, you just need to pay a flat fee, for either a one-time-only or monthly payment. The software is the same for all clients, and this creates economies of scale, making it cheaper for you, and everyone else.
Additionally, SaaS pricing plans depend on how many users are being provided for. This means you do not pay for services you do not use. You also do not need to pay for server space, allowing you to grow your business affordably. On top of that, it can streamline some of your business processes and save you money in the long run, since you waste less time.
2.Quick set up time
SaaS allows you to get your F&B web application to be up and running in as little as 48 hours. SkipQoo is one of the fastest providers of high-quality F&B online ordering systems, and you can go from trying out a demo, to launching your own website with ordering features, in just under 2 days.
The software and code behind SaaS are standardised, which means that the SaaS developer can bring your product to market quickly, as they are expertly trained in using their flagship software. Should you need any minor changes to make your F&B ordering website more unique, SaaS can be customised to meet your needs.
3. No need to install applications
You do not need to slow down your devices by running energy-intensive software. Saas simplifies your IT needs as you can focus on more important IT priorities. Your order dashboard will refresh automatically, and will not lag when a large influx of orders comes in. As the software is not downloaded on your computer, you only need to rely on a steady internet connection, reducing the strain on your electricity bill in the long run.
Your company computers will have more space to store important documents and other applications, such as payroll managers. This leads to improved efficiency and easier access to the documents you need the most. Additionally, your in-house IT team will have less pressure on them to maintain the website or software and can focus on customising the SaaS web application or launching other IT initiatives. You may even be able to reduce your IT team headcount.
4. Easy or Instant Updates
With SaaS, updates are instant, or nearly automatic. More often than not, SaaS developers release updates during non-peak hours, when you are not using the system. This gives you peace of mind that an important order will not be delayed or blocked by a forced system update. Outsourced or in-house developed software on the other hand may require frequent, manual updates.
Updates are released by the SaaS developers, not your IT team or you. You and your employees can thus focus on your direct job scope and not take on more responsibilities. Another point to note is that updates are usually security-related, so using outdated software may expose you to malware or hacking. SaaS providers, such as SkipQoo, engage website security companies to protect their information, and thus your F&B web application.
Not having to manually code, update, and restart your systems every so often will save you time and effort. You will get access to the best functions and features without any delay, and SaaS developers will usually explain the changes in patch notes. Big changes will be communicated to you in such a way that you can best utilise them to improve your business. After all, their success depends on your satisfaction and growth.
5. Remote access
SaaS being decentralised means that you can make working-from-home a reality for yourself as an F&B owner. You no longer have to standby in the restaurant or head down every night to collect receipts. Now, everything can be done on your devices, anytime, anywhere, since the application runs on a web browser. Employees can also check orders anytime, without needing to depend on a central device.
Cons
1. Reduced control
While SaaS does make your life easier and gets your business up and running quicker, you will have reduced control over your ordering application. This means that the information you collect about your customers or your order history will be accessible by the SaaS developer. Only engage a SaaS provider if you are not handling sensitive data.
The information being out of your hands means that its security is maintained by the provider. This means that if the servers are compromised or experience downtime, your service may be unavailable, and there’s little you can do. However, most established SaaS providers, like SkipQoo, work with reputable web security companies to protect your data and ensure your websites do not go down.
2. Requires internet access
Software that is installed onto your device can usually function offline. However, SaaS applications rely on internet access to work. This brings about a similar problem as the above point, wherein you face a lack of control over certain factors. When an internet or power outage occurs, your business may be disrupted and you may have to find an alternative method of accepting orders.
Slow internet speeds can also be an issue, as you may not be able to update your customers efficiently on the status of their orders. While some SaaS programs have offline features, this allows only partial functionality. On top of this, it is usually limited to certain core features, and you may not be able to accept or update orders anyway.
3. Functions may vary
The functions available to you may differ from those provided by in-house developed or outsourced software. You may have more than what you bargained for or less than you really need. This requires you to conduct thorough research on which SaaS developer you choose to work with. Generally, a safe bet would be those who have had multiple past clients.
SaaS applications can also run slower than those running on your device. This is due to the application competing against other demands on the internet, such as caching information and syncing data.
SaaS conclusion:
As with outsourced solutions and in-house development, your F&B website choice depends on what values you hold dear. If you value ease of mind, consistent support, and great cost savings, perhaps a SaaS web application developer, such as SkipQoo, is the right choice for you.
Conclusion: You should engage a SaaS developer
Based on the advantages and disadvantages listed above, you probably have some idea of what makes sense for your project. Now, let’s look at the details.
- In-house development is costly for an F&B business and is more suitable for a firm dealing with highly sensitive data that is not available on the market.
- Outsourcing your development is cheaper than in-house development, but it remains costly and out of reach for smaller F&B businesses. Additionally, you fully hand over control of your software to an external party.
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is the most affordable option between the three and is the most versatile. Set up your online ordering system quickly, access your information anywhere, and enjoy support from the dedicated team running your system behind the scenes.
However, each business is unique. What may work for others may not work for you, due to your differing needs. For some F&B owners, SaaS presents an excellent opportunity to expand and grow, but for others, there are downsides that should be carefully considered.
Today’s economy is quickly digitalising, and as an F&B owner, you do not want to be left behind your competitors. With stiff competition, there is little room for taking more time than necessary on tasks that are outside of your expertise.
So, should you create your own F&B website? Yes, do what you are best at, managing your F&B business and navigating the F&B industry, and choose a reputable SaaS developer such as SkipQoo.