Finding and Choosing the best WordPress developer or designer for your website project can be a challenge. With thousands upon thousands of possible options, this task can be overwhelming and seemingly impossible.
Doing a bit of homework before hiring a WordPress developer can save you a lot of money, stress, time and resources. So, if you care about the quality of your WordPress website and online presence, it is worth taking this topic pretty seriously.
The below checklist should help you choose the best WordPress developer or designer for your WordPress website project:
- Find a Real person. Locate and deal with a real person. Don’t submit your project into a black hole not knowing who will be working on it. Be sure you know your WordPress developer on a first name basis. It’s always best to work one on one with your WordPress developer to ensure the best possible conversion of ideas into reality.
- Valid phone number and email. Be sure you have a valid phone number and email address for the WordPress developer you are considering to hire. It is important you will be able to contact or reach out to your WordPress designer with questions or concerns.
- Reviews or referrals. A professional and experienced WordPress developer will be able to provide real referrals and reviews. Be sure these are not manufactured reviews or referrals but real companies with real experience with the WordPress developer you are considering to hire. Google and Facebook both offer good platforms for reviews.
- Portfolio and examples of work. A professional WordPress developer will be able to provide real life examples of work successfully achieved. This can give you a good insight into the skills and abilities of this potential WordPress developer. Keep in mind, many very experienced WordPress developer and web designers in general are good at a lot of online technology related things such as photography, programming, audio/video/media and other modern practices online.
- A variety of skills and experience. Because there are so many important things to understand about WordPress and online presence in general, it is important a WordPress developer has skills beyond WordPress and coding. He/she should be able to edit images, have a design sense (Photoshop, Fireworks), Google experience, website hosting, use products that are common to WordPress development. These are just a few things, but your WordPress designer should have a wide and experienced skill set.
- Transparent billing and invoicing. Your WordPress developer should have a simple system of keeping you informed of billable time and what was completed or achieved under that time. Work should be outlined and line item with associated rates, so you know how much and what exactly you are paying for.
- Communication response time. When hiring a WordPress developer, be sure they have a fair response time. Many WordPress developers juggle several project so their replies are not always instant, but a within 24 hour response, within operational business hours, is the very longest it should take for at least a reply.
- Regular project or task updates. There is nothing more frustrating than not knowing where your project or task stands in production. Is it complete? When will it be completed? Your WordPress developer or designer should be able to keep you in the loop on a daily or routine weekly basis based on the size and scope of the project.
- Security should be of concern. Your business information, payment information, website credentials and the general security detail of your WordPress project should be of importance to the WordPress developer you are planning to hire.
- WordPress Core, Plugin and Theme experience. When hiring a WordPress developer it is critical they have a fundamental understanding of all the core elements or WordPress. They should understand general WordPress security, WordPress Core, Plugin and Theme pitfalls. And should have real hands on experience coding, designing and modifying WordPress in totally custom ways.
Well, choosing the best WordPress developer should be a little bit easier with the above checklist. And if you’re in a shopping mood, we’re always available for hire on your WordPress website project.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any WordPress questions.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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