Hiring a WordPress Developer: Do’s and Don’ts

We all are quite familiar with the prominence of WordPress in website development by now. Whether it’s a simple blog that you are creating or an e-commerce site or a complex corporate website, WordPress is regarded as one of the most versatile and user-friendly platforms. 

Powering over 40% of the websites globally, WordPress has become immensely popular resulting in a proliferating demand to hire WordPress developers. To hire professionals who align with your specific needs, it’s essential to thoughtfully navigate the hiring funnel. In this blog, let’s explore the do’s and don’ts that you must keep in mind when you hire these experts to avoid common pitfalls and attain the best results. 

Mastering the Art of Hiring WordPress Developers: Essential Do’s and Don’ts

WordPress is a robust platform but to leverage its full potential WordPress developers are the key drivers. From custom plugins to performance optimization and a fully customized theme, WordPress developers ensure the smooth functioning of your website to help you stand out from the competition. 

But, there are several mistakes that businesses make when hiring WordPress developers. So how do you avoid those and ensure that your project stays on track to deliver results and save you time and money? To find out, let’s dive into the essential guidelines for hiring the best WordPress talent. 

Do’s:

1- Clearly define your project requirements

Before you begin the hiring process you must have a clear understanding of what you need. WordPress development is a broad niche that can vary widely based on the complexity of your website, which is why you should first define the project scope and technical requirements.

• Identify the specific features – Whether you are integrating a payment gateway, building a custom plugin, or improving your website speed, be specific about your goal. For instance, if you are looking to develop an e-commerce site, mention the product categories, payment methods, and user experience that you aim to deliver.

• Know your timeline and budget – When you have an estimated project timeline and budget in mind it will help you filter out candidates who can realistically address your project demands. Define milestones in order to keep both the parties accountable throughout the process. 

When you are unclear about your project goals there is an increased likelihood of making the wrong hire resulting in wasted time and resources. Therefore, it’s a prerequisite to articulate your ideas clearly before you begin your search for the right talent.

2- Check their work portfolio and references

When you hire WordPress developers apart from what’s mentioned on their resume a vital factor to evaluate is their previous work experience. For this you need to analyze their work portfolio to assess their skills and see if their style aligns with your vision. 

• Look for relevant experience – If you are building an e-commerce store for example, you must analyze the developers experience in this forte. Their past projects must demonstrate proficiency in the functionalities that you are seeking for your project. 

• Contact references – Ask previous clients, employers, and teammates about their experience with the candidate. Did they meet deadlines? Were they able to communicate well and coordinate with the team for unified results? Did they deliver a high quality product? 

This will help you to thoroughly vet the talent profiles and ensure that they are capable of handling your project. 

3- Ensure they are proficient in key technologies

WordPress developers should also be experts in several programming languages and technologies that support the platform. Make sure that the developer you hire has a strong understanding of these key technologies:

• PHP – This is the backbone of WordPress and your developer should be skilled in it to create custom themes and plugins.

• HTML/CSS – These languages handle the styling and layout of your WordPress site helping you craft user-friendly and responsive designs. 

• JavaScript – This is essential to create interactive elements of your website.

• MySQL – Since WordPress uses MySQL, a developer should be proficient in optimizing databases for speed and performance. 

Ensuring the developer’s solid grasp in these core technologies will help you avoid performance issues or technical loopholes.

4- Prioritize SEO knowledge

A well-built website is of no use if it’s not easy to find by search engines. When you hire WordPress developers ensure they have a solid grasp of search engine optimization (SEO) principles.

• SEO-friendly themes and plugins – A developer who is thorough with SEO will ensure the optimization of your site structure for search engines. This includes aspects such as URL structures, meta tags, and proper heading usage.

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• Page speed optimization – Page speed is a vital factor for SEO as well as user experience. WordPress developers must be able to minimize code, compress images, and leverage browser caching to ensure fast load times. 

Hiring a WordPress expert who prioritizes SEO from the beginning will help you to improve your site visibility and ranking in search engine results. 

Don’ts:

1- Hire solely based on price

One biggest mistakes that hiring managers make is solely focusing on the low price and compromising on the quality of the talent. This can backfire as choosing the cheapest option might not always be the best. It can result in poor code quality, delays, and eventually higher costs to fix these issues.

• Experience matters – A more experienced developer will charge a higher rate but they can complete tasks faster with fewer errors and delivering high-quality code. On the other hand if you look for a less expensive talent and hire them it can result in more bugs, downtime, and the need for costly fixes.

• Weigh quality over cost – Prioritize candidates based on their portfolio, reviews, and track record of delivering successful projects similar to yours. Don’t go by their hourly rate or annual salary.

Solely focusing on cost might prove to be costly in the long run when you need to bring in a new developer to rectify the mistakes of the first one. This increases your employee turnover rate and recruitment costs.

2- Overlook communication skills

Yes technical proficiency and expertise are of utmost significance. But, even the most technically sound WordPress developers can fail to deliver the desired results if they lack good soft skills such as communication power. 

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Therefore, when you hire WordPress developers it’s essential to ensure that they understand your needs, provide regular updates, and explain technical jargons in layman’s terms. 

• Set clear expectations – Make sure that the developer understands your expectations regarding the timeline, feedback loops, and communication frequency. A developer that’s difficult to reach or doesn’t respond promptly can slow your project significantly.

• Test communication during the interview – Ask their typical approach to communicate with clients and manage project updates. Look for WordPress developers who can clearly explain the process and offer solutions to potential challenges. 

3- Neglect discussing about ongoing maintenance and support

Building a WordPress site is only half the battle won. The other half begins when your site actually goes live in the market and undergoes several iteration requirements. It will require regular updates, security patches, and maintenance to keep it running smoothly. 

• Plan for post-launch support – Ensure that the developer offers maintenance services or is willing to offer support for a reasonable period of time after launch. Verify their availability for future updates, bug fixes, and performance enhancements. 

• Understand their pricing for maintenance – Maintenance might include plugin updates, bug fixing, or optimizing the site speed. Be clear on how they charge for ongoing support and what services they offer as a part of the maintenance package. 

Closing Thoughts

Therefore, to hire the right WordPress developer is essential for the success of your website. By focusing on these do’s and don’ts you can ensure quality development while saving money and time in the long run. Be better equipped to hire WordPress experts who can create a fast, highly functional, and ready to grow website for your business.