7 Questions To Ask Web Developers Before Hiring Them

When interviewing developers, the first step is to understand their background and experience, especially with projects like yours. This helps you gauge whether they’re familiar with the type of functionality, design, and features you want.

• Why it’s important: A developer with experience in your industry or with similar project scopes is more likely to understand your needs and deliver results efficiently.

• What to listen for: Ask for examples of previous projects and see if they align with your requirements.•

Every developer has a unique process, so it’s essential to understand their approach to the project lifecycle. This question gives you insight into how they handle planning, timelines, and communication.

• Why it’s important: Knowing the process helps you set expectations and ensures you’re comfortable with how they’ll handle your project.

• What to listen for: Look for a structured approach, such as planning, wireframing, design, development, and testing phases, ensuring each phase is managed systematically.

Since WordPress powers nearly half of the world’s websites, it’s crucial to ask about their experience with it—especially if you’re planning to use WordPress for your site.

• Why it’s important: Expertise in WordPress ensures your developer is familiar with popular plugins, themes, and security protocols, making future updates and management easier.

• What to listen for: If they mention familiarity with WordPress, ask if they work with other platforms as well, and why they might recommend one over another.

Today, a significant amount of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is crucial for both user experience and SEO.

• Why it’s important: A mobile-responsive design adjusts to various screen sizes, improving usability and search engine rankings.

• What to listen for: Developers should mention techniques like responsive design, flexible images, and using CSS media queries to ensure the site looks great on all devices.

Security should be a top priority, particularly if your website involves e-commerce, personal data collection, or customer accounts. Ask about their security protocols to understand how they protect your site from potential threats.

• Why it’s important: Data breaches can damage your brand’s reputation and lead to legal issues, so it’s vital to know your developer takes security seriously.

• What to listen for: Look for answers that include SSL certificates, firewalls, and regular software updates, especially if WordPress is used.

A beautifully designed website is only effective if people can find it. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for driving traffic, so it’s important to know if your developer understands SEO basics.

• Why it’s important: An SEO-friendly website improves your chances of ranking well in search engines, attracting organic traffic to your site.

• What to listen for: Developers should discuss aspects like fast loading times, mobile optimization, clean code, and proper use of metadata. Familiarity with popular SEO plugins for WordPress, like Yoast, is also a plus.

Finally, a great question to ask web developers is about the support they offer once your site goes live. Maintenance and troubleshooting can be just as important as the initial build, and ongoing support ensures your site remains functional and up-to-date.

• Why it’s important: Websites need regular updates, whether for WordPress core, themes, plugins, or security patches.

• What to listen for: Ask if they offer ongoing WordPress support or a maintenance plan. Some developers provide services for bug fixes, updates, and general troubleshooting after the project is complete.