A WordPress developer looks after your site for years, so choosing on price alone is the most expensive decision in the long run. A badly built site is paid for in slowness, outages and redesigns.
Here are the criteria I would look at if I had to hire someone, in the order they matter. My admin is in French, so the screenshots show French labels. The English names are given in the text.
What does a WordPress developer do?
They build and evolve WordPress sites: themes, plugins, custom features, shops, speed, security. Some focus on design, others on code, others on maintenance.
The page below shows what the offer of a freelancer covering several of these jobs looks like. Always check that the offer matches your need.
A WordPress web designer mostly handles design and the theme, while a developer also writes code and features. Depending on your project, you will need one, the other or both. Many freelancers do both, so ask which part they are strongest at.
Freelancer, agency or online builder?
| Option | Advantage | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | One contact, often a more direct rate | Availability tied to one person |
| Agency | Structured team and processes | Higher cost, several contacts |
| Online builder | Quick and cheap at first | Less freedom to grow |
A freelancer suits a showcase site, a medium-sized shop or precise needs. For a very wide project with design, content and development, a small team may be better.
How do you describe your need before contacting anyone?
Write one page stating the goal of the site, the pages or features expected, examples you like and your deadline. A clear need produces quotes you can compare.
Add what already exists: domain name, hosting, old content. A good developer asks questions, and this text saves them from asking twenty.
Also state your approximate budget. An honest professional will tell you whether your idea fits that envelope or what to simplify to get there.
Which references should you check?
- Real sites you can open, not screenshots without an address.
- The speed of those sites on a phone.
- Reviews or contacts of clients you can ask.
- A similar type of project, such as a shop if you sell online.
Test one or two of their projects with a speed measuring tool. My article on the cost of a WordPress website also helps you place budgets before comparing.
Which questions should you ask before signing?
- Who owns the site, the code and the accounts at the end of the project?
- Which plugins will be used, and which ones are paid every year?
- How are backups, updates and security handled?
- What happens if you want to change provider later?
- How many revisions are included in the price?
What should a good quote contain?
A good quote describes the precise scope, the deliverables, the schedule, the payment terms and what is excluded. It also says who provides the texts and the images.
Be wary of a very low price with no detail: it often hides a theme bought as is and no maintenance. Compare what the quotes contain, not only their total.
Ask how changes are handled once the project is signed. A fair contract says what counts as a revision and what counts as new work, with a price for each.
How do you judge code quality?
You do not have to read the code. Simply ask whether the developer follows the WordPress standards, uses a child theme and avoids editing the files of the original theme.
The WordPress security handbook reminds developers to validate the data they receive and to escape the data they display. A serious developer can explain how they apply these principles.
Why is maintenance part of the choice?
A delivered site is not a finished site. WordPress, the theme and the plugins receive regular updates, and a missed one opens the door to outages and hacks.
Ask from the start who handles it, at what price and with what response time in case of an outage. My article on the WordPress maintenance plan describes what a plan should include.
Which warning signs should you watch for?
- No real site to show or references that cannot be found.
- Promises of a guaranteed Google ranking.
- A refusal to give you access to your own site.
- A quote with no scope or no schedule.
If you hesitate between custom development and a pile of plugins, read my comparison of custom development or a plugin.
When should you contact me?
I have been a senior WordPress developer since 2011. If your project is clear and you want a detailed quote with a single contact, look at the custom WordPress development service.
What now?
What you can do today:
- Write in ten lines the goal of your site and the features you cannot do without.
- List three developers and open two of their projects on your phone.
- Prepare the five questions of this guide for your first conversation.
Dig deeper: Custom WordPress Development
