Benefits of Outsourcing
The Agents of Value system is designed to be the most efficient way of getting webmaster assistance in contrast to a traditional project-based staffing model which usually incurs a bottleneck of job orders with the project manager at the remote workplace. A project manager serves as the gatekeeper to the production workers. For requests to get through to a worker, the project manager needs to understand what the instructions require and what kind of outputs were expected, and then relay this information to the worker. This situation, therefore, creates two different conditions in which the quality of the project outcomes are reduced. These conditions result to:
- Information that is relayed incorrectly, and
- Time wasted by not communicating directly with the workers.
The Agents of Value system will get rid of these problems and help webmasters and remote staff communicate better for a more efficient and productive outcome. This setup is highly recommended for webmasters and site owners who are their own project managers, and who wanted to build a cost-effective long-term relationship with a webmaster staff no matter where they work at.
Contrast with Freelance Market
In what ways are we a better option than finding someone over freelance sites? In particular, there are a few major problems that come from working with freelancers which we have simply done away with in our system:
Running an online business tends to be an ongoing process just like tending a garden.
- Hiring workers on a project basis often leads to workers cutting corners to finish a job on time. Consider a task like link building, which on the surface seems to be very straight-forward. A freelance worker hired for the task of getting a specific number of backlinks, with no other instructions, would choose the path of least resistance. The links would most likely come from low quality sources. Many of these links would be absolutely worthless for the site being promoted, providing no real visitors, and no benefits in search rankings.
- With freelancers, by the time they finish your project, they are already thinking about where their next project is coming from. It’s human nature to seek for security. While a bit of pressure is great for moving a project along, freelancers are less likely to develop a strong loyalty towards your business. They might have less empathy for the outcome of their work and wouldn’t care less whether your site sinks or swims in the search rankings.
- Freelancers work unpredictable schedules and may not have the appropriate tools available or the most conducive work environment. In addition to that, a freelancer usually works at home which has its own distractions. Time management between work and familial obligations is a common problem, but not detrimental to the work being done.
- However, governance for the younger employees can be a dilemma. A successful freelancer needs to be highly disciplined and multi-skilled to handle different tasks and work at the appointed time. Aside from that requirements have to be met and deadlines need to be reached.
What Work Can I Assign to a Webmaster Agent?
You can assign any kind of work which can be done over the Internet. Generally, our clients already have a list of tasks that they would want to assign to their agent. If you’re not familiar with collaborating over the web, a chat with our brainstormer will give you ideas on how to do so. We’ll help you figure out an efficient plan in getting your online business on the road.
For those clients who have not had a full-time remote employee work for them, we’re providing a few suggestions on how to manage a long-distance work relationship with your agent:
1. Set Specific Goals. This advice will include setting both short-term and long-term goals. What specific objectives would you want to accomplish in the next two weeks? What primary goals do you want to achieve in the next 12 months? What kind of outputs do you expect to receive? Make sure that your goals and expectations are as specific and clearly explained as possible with your agent. Also make sure that they can be measured so both of you can track the progress of your work. Finally, the goals you have should be realistic and time-bound.
When you are working with an agent, review these goals on a regular basis to see how well you are doing. Sometimes you need to adjust your goals, while always keeping in mind that you have to be flexible for possible changes in business direction to accommodate changes in economic, social and political climates in both your countries.
2. Be Moderately Considerate. Though you will get to know your agent only over chat or email, the relationship you build with your agent will affect how the work is being done, how well your agent understands your instructions, and how strongly empathetic he or she will be towards the outcomes of your business endeavors.
Recognizing that there is a person on the other side of the conversation works both ways. Agents and client who have a hard time adjusting to cultural differences with regards to time and work behavior must learn to open their minds to the conditions or situations the other person might be placed in.
Sometimes we must also recognize that people will have great ideas and will complete tasks perfectly at one area at one time. Other times people tend to feel down or suffering from an illness, or maybe make an error unintentionally. One easy way to understand this concept is to keep in mind the Golden Rule (aka the Ethic of Reciprocity). Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
3. Be a trainer. If you are in the position to hire an agent, you might also be the best to train an agent also. Webmaster work is very sophisticated. Articles that are published on the Internet will often be out of date shortly after they are published. In addition, there are many different strategies that could be employed, to varying degrees of success.
If you are particular about the results of a project, then it really is up to you to make sure that an agent is trained properly, and instructed about your goals.
We screen our agents very intensely. Agents for tasks like content building, SEO, affiliate marketing, or general web marketing have been given IQ tests, in person interviews, and asked to create writing samples under time pressure. In addition, webmasters for technical projects involving graphics and programming are asked to create a sample project to demonstrate their abilities.
But, even after our screening, an agent is still a raw resource. In order to gain the maximum benefit from their work, they will require training specific to your work tasks.
