How to find the right WordPress developer

by | Dec 1, 2020

Finding the right person to design, develop or work on your WordPress website can be daunting.  There are a vast number of people out there offering WordPress related services, all over the world.  The competition is fierce but demand is also high.  With ever changing technology and resources, the goal posts for what makes a good website are always moving so staying on top and making sure you choose the best developer for your website is no easy task.  Hopefully this article will make it easier for you!

1. Set your expectations

Try to think about what it is you want to achieve, and how much you think you should pay for it. The rates charged by WordPress developers varies greatly across the world and according to the experience of the developer. It is easy to be tempted to pay as little as $10 an hour for an overseas developer, but the service you receive and end result is unlikely to be as good as a UK WordPress developer, or web developer based locally. There is no right or wrong price for development work, but there is a fair price that will match your expectations to the expertise of your chosen web developer which will result in the best possible outcome for your project.

2. Communication

Another benefit to working with a local WordPress developer is that you are more likely to be able to have consistent, good communication. Face to face, or video meetings help to achieve a shared vision of a project and make it easy for both the client and the developer. Being in the same (or similar) time zone also helps ensure timely responses to emails too. Some freelancers don’t work full time, or work irregular hours, so establishing what the availability of your developer is early on will also save you from a headache down the line.

3. Experience

Most freelancers like to show off their work, but they don’t always have time to keep their portfolios up to date. Asking for recent examples of work will give you a better idea of what they are capable. They may also be able to tell you about projects they have worked on that are similar to yours too. Choosing a WordPress developer with adequate experience will often make or literally break your project! Almost anyone can setup WordPress and install a theme and a bunch of plugins, but it takes a lot more than that to create a reliable, well functioning and beautifully designed website. Experience is worth every penny.

4. Agency vs freelancer

While there can be some benefits to using an agency, these tend to be more suited to larger jobs where the scope of the work extends beyond the website itself. Not only are agencies considerably more expensive, but they tend to build websites that are inflexible, with content areas hard coded. This can make it very difficult for you to manage content and further develop your website. You will also find that you are dealing with an account manager or middle man rather than having a direct conversation with a designer or developer, which can be inefficient and frustrating. An experienced and qualified freelancer could, in most cases, fulfil the project requirements for a fraction of the cost and a lot less hassle.

5. Where to look for a freelancer

There are plenty of freelancer job sites out there that allow you to post your brief and receive a bunch of quotes for the work. While that can be appealing, the freelancers you are likely to find on most job sites are less experienced and produce lower quality work. The competitive nature of freelancer job websites often means that a freelancer will say “yes” to everything and tell you they can fulfil all your project requirements to secure the contract, when they may not actually be capable of the work. If you can get someone you trust to refer you to or recommend a freelancer then you should be half way to finding someone who can do a good job. If not, the finding a freelancer direct on Google is the next best thing. As a freelancer, 100% of my clients either find me on the first page of google or are referred to me by one of my existing clients.

6. Aftercare

A website is never “done”. There is always ongoing maintenance, as well as edits and improvements to be made down the line. It is worthwhile checking if your developer will be able to offer you continual support so that you have someone you can hire whenever you need them rather than having to start your search again at a later date.

Am I the right WordPress developer for you?

I work with clients both big and small on a wide range of different projects. I know what is important to my clients and how to provide the best service possible in order to achieve great outcomes to the projects I work on. If you need a WordPress developer for a project then I’d love to hear about it and see if I’m the right fit for the job. Take a look at some of my recent work.