Do you need the best Statamic agency, or the right developer?

"Best Statamic agency" is one of the searches my site shows up for in Google. If you typed it, you probably have a new website to plan and a shortlist to make.

Before you compare agencies, ask whether you need one. I'm one person, not an agency, so I'm biased. I'll also tell you when an agency is the better choice.

What does the best Statamic agency give you?

An agency gives you a team. Designers, developers and a project manager can work on your site at the same time, often with an account manager in between. If someone is off sick or on holiday, someone else picks up their work.

That team has a cost. Every person adds to the overheads you pay for, and your questions often go through someone who isn't building the site. Each handover is a chance for detail to get lost.

What one experienced developer gives you

With me, you talk to the person building it. I'm with you from the first conversation to launch day, and every question is answered by the person doing the work.

I've been designing and building websites for more than 20 years. I'm in Manchester, but most of my clients aren't. For L.B. Foster, whose corporate team is in Pittsburgh, I brought more than 5,000 pages from several acquired companies into one global website, working with their teams in the UK and the US.

For an in-house marketing team, that means one person to brief and one person to ask. My Statamic website design and development service covers planning, design, the build and 30 days of support after launch.

Many Statamic projects don't need a team. They need the right person, talking to you directly.

When do you need a Statamic agency?

One developer isn't the right fit for every project. An agency is the better choice when:

• You need several specialists working at once, such as brand, copywriting, video and paid advertising alongside the build, all on one deadline.

• You need someone on call around the clock. I monitor sites 24/7, but I answer support requests in business hours.

• You have several builds running at the same time, or a new campaign site every month.

• Your procurement rules require a supplier with a minimum number of staff.

If none of those sound like your project, an agency's extra people are capacity you'll pay for and not use.

What happens if a solo developer is ill or disappears?

It's a fair question, and one to ask any supplier. Agencies lose staff too, and the person who knew your site best can leave.

With me, the answer is in the contract. Once the project is paid for, the licence in my build terms lets you use, copy and change the code, and have another developer work on it. Statamic is a content management system (CMS) built on Laravel, a widely used web framework, so any Statamic developer can pick the site up. Statamic lists them on its partners page.

After launch, a monthly maintenance plan keeps the site updated and secure. The server sits in a hosting account you own, so you hold the keys to your own site.

Questions to ask any Statamic developer or agency

• Who will I speak to each week, and are they the one building the site?

• Can I see a Statamic site you've built? Here are three of mine: L.B. Foster, Skratch and Vocal.

• Who owns the hosting account, and what can I do with the code once it is paid for?

• What happens after launch, and who keeps Statamic updated?

If your project needs a team of specialists working at once, hire an agency. If it needs a well-built Statamic site and someone who answers your questions directly, one experienced developer is often the better fit. If that sounds like your project, see how I design and build Statamic websites.