WordPress is the top Content Management system(CMS) in the world. With over 43% of the world’s websites built on WordPress, it is undoubtedly an excellent platform for small and mid-sized businesses to register their online presence, engage target users, and build their brand’s reputation. But developing a website can be tricky as it requires diverse technical knowledge. So, to save yourself from hectic work while reaping a website’s benefits, you can hire a WordPress web development company or a remote developer.
Now, the questions arise: Where will you find the developer, and how will you determine if they fit your needs?
A simple answer to ‘where’ is on Linkedin, Job portals, or through google searches. But finding a suitable developer requires asking the right questions, like their experience, the standard process they follow to build the website, the cost, code ownership, and so on.
Don’t worry! We are here to help you with the top 16 questions you should ask a WordPress web developer before hiring them.
How long have you been developing WordPress websites?
The first and most important question is – How many years of experience do they have? Several years of experience shape a good developer into an excellent one. So, sit with them calmly and hear about the projects they have worked on (ask for portfolios and samples), their experience with other clients, their capabilities to design a particular type of website you require, and more. The entire process will help you understand their skill set. Additionally, if you are hiring resources from a WordPress web development company, schedule an interview with their developer first.
What is the procedure you follow for developing a website?
The next step is to learn what procedures are used for web development. This process is more or less the same for most developers. However, it is your responsibility to understand whether or not it includes all the parts; analyzing your requirements, building a developing plan, discussing and choosing a theme, and starting the process. Make sure they offer the testing/changes phase before launching the website.
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What help do I need to provide before getting started with the procedure?
Good WordPress development requires the efforts of both; the developer and the owner. So, the developer requires your time, effort, and information during the process. If you are busy, state your availability and create a detailed brief for the developer. Apart from this, inquire about the documents and details required. Generally, the developer requires
- The overall concept and specifics of the website.
- Advance payment.
- Data such as graphics and text on a website.
- Details about domains and web hosting
- Contract signing (Terms and conditions)
- Deadlines
What is the cost of WordPress development?
Once you finish with the requirement stating and skill set testing, inquire about the total cost of development. Many website owners frequently fail to understand the services covered in their payment because of ambiguity in the paperwork. So, ask your WordPress developer or their agency to help clear up any misunderstandings regarding the bill. Also, an important question at this point is whether all the after-services (like post-deployment support and website design changes) are included in the same payment package.
How long is it going to take for development?
The time entirely depends on the type of development you choose. When a freelancer or a single developer designs your website, it takes more time because you only have one or two resources at work. But, if you hire a WordPress web developing company, you may receive your final product much sooner since a dedicated team will work with you. Remember to communicate a specific date or deadline to the developer according to your needs.
Do I get full ownership of my website?
The owner needs to know their full rights. The hired WordPress Developer should hand over full ownership of the website to the owner after development. The owner should have full access to FTP, WP Admin, Database, and Domain and DNS settings. Even though the owner does not use these details frequently, they should have 100% ownership as their legal right.
How will you build my site? Will it be built from scratch or an existing custom theme?
WordPress offers three different ways to build any site-using an existing theme, customizing existing themes, or building the theme from scratch. Existing customs are simple, time-saving, and economical but creating a new one from scratch takes time and undoubtedly contributes to building brand value. So talk it out and decide on the process.
Will my site have a responsive feature?
The next important question is-will your website have a responsive design? Today, 85% of users are browsing websites through their mobile phones and tablets. A website with responsive features has more click-through rate. So, ask your developer to design your site with responsive features that work efficiently on all screens.
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Will my site be SEO- friendly?
WordPress is well-known for its inbuilt SEO quality. But, the developer must adhere to some standard SEO coding best practices, such as having clean permalinks, no canonicalization problems, proper use of the title, and image alt attribute. SEO practices are essential for your website to rank higher in search engines. Make sure not to compromise while discussing it with your developer.
Do you follow the WordPress Coding Standard?
WordPress Coding Standards (WPCS) are a comprehensive set of rules and guidelines developers follow to avoid coding errors and make the code easier to comprehend. Ask your WordPress web developing company whether they know WPCS and follow all the coding standards for designing.
What about the loading speed of the site?
The minimum loading speed of any website should be a maximum of 3 seconds. The report shows that a visitor leaves the website and jumps to another if the website takes more than 3 seconds to load. To reduce the bounce rate, ask your developer about their techniques and tools to reduce the loading speed and create a faster loading website.
Can I convert my website to an eCommerce store in the future? Will it cost me more?
You can ask your developer about the extension possibilities of your site in advance. Gather all the information about how you can add additional functionality, what plugins they are using, and if they will charge extra for creating additional modules like a shopping cart. WordPress is a website that can be easily converted into an online store by adding WooCommerce plugins. If you want an e-commerce account sooner or later, communicate that to your developer.
What will you do to ensure the security of my site?
Currently, WordPress is the best, most user-friendly, and easy-to-access web development app. On one side, this is an advantage for the user, but on the other, it is an easy target for hackers. So, hire a WordPress developer that understands how to eliminate coding vulnerabilities when building a website, uses safe plugins and licensed themes, produces bug-free code, and assures timely automatic updates. Ensure that all these terms are present in the contract and followed at the time of need.
Will you include a backup and restore feature?
Data is the most valuable business asset that no one can afford to lose, even a minor piece of data. So, ask your WordPress web developing company to take measures for proper backups and restore options while designing your WordPress site.
How will you communicate with me?
Even though it is often understood how communication flows in a team, it is better to clear the mode of communication when working with remote resources. Ask if there will be frequent meetups or communication over calls/emails. Set up regular meetings to know more about the progress. Apart from this, discuss the communication mode after the project completion (At the time of after-service).
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Will you provide after-service and maintenance?
Every product requires regular after-service and maintenance. And so does your website. Even if you successfully handle any future mishappening, the hired WordPress web development company needs to provide you with regular code testing, fix mid-process bugs, rectify errors, refresh the content, update to new WordPress versions, and more.
Conclusion
If you want to expand your business online, WordPress is your mate. However, even if WordPress is a user-friendly web development site, you require professional help for quick, accurate results. I hope, using all these interview questions, you are now ready to hire the best WordPress developer.
Keep one thing in mind- you are paying for this. So, don’t settle with the bare minimum or any poor after-services.
Murli Pawar is the Vice President of, Web Development & Mobile App Development Division, SunTec India. He has over 20 years of experience in full-stack technology, operations, sales, and client management. He currently handles a team of 100+ tech professionals for offshore development projects, custom software development, eCommerce solution development, and enterprise software design and development. As a technology leader and Process Automation expert, he has helped global businesses effectively use technology solutions, embrace innovation, and create value.
Murli likes translating his interest in application design and software architecture planning into articles aiming to propagate a comprehensible outlook of IT concepts.