Generally speaking, it’s equally acceptable to hire a local web design firm or one that provides a service for you remotely. There are certainly advantages to being able to sit down face-to-face with a contractor and to know that you and they are keeping roughly the same hours. But a telecommuter might prove to be more affordable while providing an equally competent service.

The real advantages of a local web design firm become apparent in situations where you are marketing your site mainly to a local audience. I’ve discussed this before in terms of social media marketing and SEO, noting that keywords and outreach strategies can be place-specific. If you’re adopting an integrated strategy by hiring a local web design firm that doubles as a marketing agency, then there may be clear long-term benefits to staying in your area.

But even if you plan to go elsewhere for those additional services or to keep them in-house, it’s quite possible that a local web design firm will have meaningful insight into how your site can be made visually appealing to a local audience. This is especially true if you identify the relevant company as having done extensive work for other local-area businesses.

Ultimately, it’s entirely up to your preference whether you stay local or rely on telecommuters for your web design and web development needs. But you’re much more likely to find that unknown advantages reveal themselves if you choose to deal with someone whose expertise is specifically built around local clientele.