What To Consider When Hiring A Web Developer
You’ve decided you need to partner with a web development company. Maybe you need your entire website built from the ground up or a custom plugin developed for a specific task. Whatever your reason, working with a professional web development company can be the difference between a successful project or something that doesn’t get finished or blows way over budget and schedule.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult for many businesses to find the right group to work with. WordPress website development can get highly technical, and most businesses can’t tell if someone is overstating their capabilities.
While you might not know the ins and outs of web development, selecting the right web development company is similar to hiring any other vendor.
Their Previous Work
A web development company’s work experience is one of the most important factors when considering who to hire. If they don’t have examples of previous work and clients for you to check, that could be a significant red flag. Try to dig in and check how their sites work and function. Do they create sites with a smooth user flow, is the navigation intuitive to use, and do all the features work as intended? Don’t get too caught up in apples-to-apples comparisons at this stage. While some web developers specialize in specific niches, experienced web developers can handle diverse clientele. Just because you don’t see a project that’s exactly like yours listed on their site doesn’t mean they can’t handle your project.
References and Testimonials
Beyond their portfolio, you need to explore their social proofs. What are their clients saying about them? Are clients even saying anything about them? If you feel comfortable, go beyond what the website itself says and click through to the client. Are they still using the website featured on the testimonial page? If the web developers you’re researching give you a list of references, contact them to inquire about their past experiences.
Communication
All projects need effective communication, which is no different when working with a web development company. As you reach out to new developers, assess how responsive they are and how clearly they communicate. You’ll get an initial feeling as you talk to them. Don’t overrule your gut because you see something flashy in their portfolio. If they’re hard to reach or vague in the early stages, that will probably get worse as the project progresses. Also, take time to ask how they handle project management, track progress, and address any concerns or changes. You want to work with a company that values transparent communication and encourages client involvement throughout development.
Look at the Team
Dig into the qualifications and backgrounds of their various team members. They’ll hopefully have the principal people listed on their website, but you can always look into LinkedIn as well. Look for relevant certifications, educational backgrounds, and years of experience in the field. Assess whether they have a diverse team with various technical skills, such as front-end development, back-end development, UX/UI design, and quality assurance.
Technical Knowledge
Unfortunately, technical knowledge is one of the hardest things to assess when you lack insights yourself. However, there are a few things you can do to evaluate a web development company’s technical knowledge:
- Ask them to break down their solution in non-technical language – If they just throw buzzwords at you but can’t explain the solution without them, they might be using those words to hide their lack of knowledge.
- Seek outside expert help and opinions – If you have contacts in the industry or know anyone with technical expertise, ask for their help. They can help you review proposals, assess technical competency, and provide insights into the reputation and credibility of the web development companies you are considering.
We’re a Web Development Company
We hope you’ll consider Pixel Jar if you’re considering WordPress Developers. We have over two decades of experience developing custom solutions for WordPress. We’ve grown with the platform and understand it inside and out, having developed custom themes, plugins, and API integrations for the platform.
When you work with us, you get a group of seasoned professionals who are passionate about collaborating with their clients to create a solution that helps them succeed. We never simply take an order, but we work to find out why you have the request and if that solution is the best one for your needs.
We’ll also be the first to tell you if we’re not the right team for your needs. If you need something out of our wheelhouse, we’ll happily refer you to someone who’s a better fit.
Reach out to us, and let’s set up an informal talk where you tell us about your project. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you in your search for finding the right web development company for your project.
