How to Hire a WordPress Developer

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems in the world: Nearly half of the websites in the world (43%) run on this technology. WordPress offers ease of configuration and use, which makes it an ideal platform for any business, which is probably why you decided to hire a WordPress developer and wound up here. In this post, we will review the steps to access skilled WordPress talent, which is a guarantee of a high-quality website your users will enjoy. Read on!

Reasons for hiring a WordPress developer

WordPress doesn't have a steep learning curve, which makes it an attractive technology for aspiring developers. However, to build a great website, you probably will go with hiring a WordPress developer with several years of commercial experience under their belt. A WordPress professional like this will find an approach to deliver an appealing website that functions properly and meets your business requirements.

Other reasons to hire a professional WordPress developer can be as follows:

Strengthening the security of your website;
Improving your Google ranking positions;
Setting up website analysis tools;
Handling your storage-related needs;
Uptime monitoring and downtime prevention;
Constant tech support of your website.

When do you need to hire a WordPress developer?

Given that WordPress is simple to comprehend to create small websites, companies typically hire WordPress coders when they deal with complex, multi-page projects that require a lot of time to build.

You may also want to hire a WordPress expert when you already have a prototype of a website and would like to add more features to your existing solution. If that's your case, WordPress specialists will be useful to add the needed plug-ins to tailor it to the needs of your users in the best way.

WordPress is a great way to create a one-of-a-kind product. By hiring a WordPress web developer, you can make your website stand out from the crowd – all thanks to custom plug-ins you can build and apply.

With a skilled WordPress coder at hand, you can be sure that your website is in good hands. If anything goes wrong, you can always rely on them for website support. If you hire a solid WordPress developer, they will help you set it up, install updates, iron out bugs, and more.

WordPress programmers: A classification

A good stepping stone to hiring a WordPress developer is understanding the types of available professionals.

A common mistake is confusing a WordPress website developer and a WordPress designer. For example, when you're looking for a WordPress developer for hire, chances are you mean a professional with tech skills to manage websites and deal with hosting and server integration. However, when you hire WordPress designers, you will get experts in developing custom WordPress themes.

Skilled WordPress website developers should be familiar with programming languages, including front-end and back-end technologies. Thus, when hiring a WordPress developer, it's essential to check their knowledge of PHP, as this is the key programming language of WordPress.

Overall, you can hire three types of website experts:

Frontend developers: experts in customer-facing aspects of your website, for example, the user interface.
Backend developers: experts that ensure your website functions properly, including setting up a database and optimizing the speed of the website.
Full-stack developers: professionals that combine both aspects of website development and are able to develop it from the ground up.

In another classification, we can single out WordPress freelancers, internal developers, and remote WordPress developers. When hiring WordPress developers in these categories, you will notice that the mode of work affects their rates and services.

WordPress freelancers vs. internal developers vs. remote experts

When hiring a WordPress developer, you will come across three options: WordPress freelancers, internal experts, and remote WordPress coders.

A WordPress freelancer is a good choice for temporary hires. External developers like this are the best option when you have a clear pool of tasks and a limited budget. For instance, if you need to develop a theme, you can hire WordPress designers on a freelance basis.

The biggest downside to WordPress freelancers is that they tend to juggle several projects. This may impede their work and lead to foiled deadlines, so keep this risk in mind.

If you have a solid budget, consider hiring a WordPress developer in-house. This is an expensive option but can turn out to be a great investment. The biggest beneficiaries of this mode are mid-sized and large companies that focus on their website as the main source of income. An in-house WordPress developer will be a dedicated team member you can rely on to handle your tasks when it comes to web design, development, and management.

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If you want to have a dedicated resource akin to an in-house WordPress professional but don't have the budget for employee bonuses and overhead, you can consider hiring a WordPress developer on a remote basis. We at Hiretop are experts in building remote teams of WordPress coders based in Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and the Baltics). A WordPress coder we hire for you will join your project full-time as if they were a part of your internal team.

Steps to hire a WordPress developer

Hiring a suitable WordPress developer can be time-consuming. Some clear steps can be crucial to streamline this process:

Determine the type of WordPress developer

Before you begin hiring a WordPress developer, consider your business needs. With a clear understanding of your project scope, you stand a better chance of selecting suitable candidates. For instance, you may want to implement purchasing functions, let your users schedule a call, or download a resource. Make sure you create a list of features and landing pages you want to include. Then, ask your candidates if they can implement them.

Describe your vacancy for a WordPress developer for hire

If you are going to hire a WordPress developer without an expert vendor of tech specialists like Hiretop, you should start by creating a vacancy. At this step, it's essential to define your requirements and expectations. That way, your potential WordPress developers for hire will gain an understanding of the type of specialist you need. Your job post needs to contain such information as a precise title of the vacancy (for instance, WordPress PHP developer) and a mode of work (remote, full-time, part-time, etc). Then, include a detailed description of your job, including their responsibilities and roles, for example:

Designing the website architecture;
Managing back-end, including database and server integration;
Troubleshooting website issues;
Monitoring the website performance.

A detailed job description will help you filter out unsuitable candidates, so take your time to do it right. If you choose to hire a WordPress developer remotely with Hiretop, we will use your vacancy description to match you with ideal candidates.

Create a list of questions for potential WordPress coders

After you start receiving the first CVs, you may want to interview candidates you find good for the job. It's essential to create a list of questions beforehand to ensure you cover all aspects. These may include:

How many years of commercial WordPress experience do you have?
Do you have experience creating customized themes?
Do you have SEO experience?
Do you have experience working on similar projects?

It's also important to review the portfolios of WordPress developers you want to hire.

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Evaluate their soft skills

While hard skills are important, it's also crucial to consider the communication and social skills of your potential WordPress developers for hire.

WordPress developers are a key part of your web team, so they should be able to provide a short feedback loop and address the questions in detail.

Additionally, your team needs someone who can keep you updated at all times, and do it in a precise and succinct manner. That way, you'll always know what's happening with your project.

It's also key to ensure they are good at meeting deadlines and catering to your vision of the project. Working with effective communicators ensures your website development will go smoothly. We at Hiretop always ensure that not only the candidates have solid WordPress skills but also are strong communicators.

Launch cooperation

Once you find a WordPress developer you want to hire, time to sign the paperwork. No matter how professional your chosen WordPress expert is, you should ensure the project will be done up to scratch.

To that end, create an iron-clad contract that reflects your project scope and payment conditions.

A payment method;
Intellectual Property protection;
Codebase ownership;
Security of data;
Project scope;
Milestones and deadlines;
Quality assurance guarantees;
Contract termination.

Your WordPress development project requires investment in the form of time and resources. Hiring a WordPress specialist to develop your website makes the process simpler. We at Hiretop can offer you an approach where you work with remote dedicated WordPress specialists while enjoying a reduced budget and high-quality outcome. Get in touch with us to learn more.