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1. Introduction
Your developer isn’t doing his job if he doesn’t ask for your expectations. He needs to know what you expect your website to deliver. This helps define the scope of work. Having no defined scope of work is the main reason why web projects fail. No one knows what to expect. When you ask for a website quote, you want to know how much it will cost. Your biggest concern will be if the price is in your budget. But asking for a website quote is like asking for a hotel quote. You need to know what is included (or not) in the price. Like a hotel, your website can be designed in a number of ways. Not all sites will take the same time to design and build. If you know what you need, you can compare quotes and select the best value for the needs you have. A good quote will be detailed and include all time and materials. If that isn’t stated, ask for it and insist on it.
Whether you are a business owner, a web designer, or a developer, making a WordPress website is an easy process. You don’t have to know complex code to make your web design ideas come true. And as a web designer or developer, you can incorporate your client’s feedback into the design without making changes to your own custom code.
2. Technical Expertise
All developers are not created equal. Typically, developers are front-end or back-end developers. Front-end developers work on an interface, which means websites are their expertise. They thrive on designing WordPress websites, working with the client on that proper look and feel, using CSS, HTML, and PHP to make it all come together. They focus on how the website looks and ensuring there’s a functional application for the client and their customers. On the other hand, back-end developers deal with actually building the architecture of the website. They work on making the website function. It’s the heart behind the system and everything the client’s users experience.
Your website should be a setup that functions perfectly to give users a great experience and give the brand an effective marketing tool. Know what a potential developer’s strengths are and how knowledgeable they are when it comes to blending the two. It’s less likely that a skilled developer can specialize in both with equal expertise. But there should be a clear understanding of the intersection of front and back-end work. When a site is born from close collaboration between these two skills, the website will – as they say – fire on all cylinders. You’ll end up with a great-looking site that is functional and interactive in all the ways you want. Just as passengers don’t know all the work it takes to run a smoothly functioning car, users will seldom appreciate the hard work put into a beautiful WordPress site that runs with perfection. A great developer will just keep it moving as they ensure that the site excites and resonates with your users.
3. Experience and Portfolio
The answer to this question can be as varied as you are. When you ask your question, check carefully and listen to the answers. Are they clear? Do you understand the process? Do they sound passionate? Do they sound knowledgeable? Among such characteristics are what you are trying to find. These are features that are very likely to be found in good WordPress website developers.
You may come to a point where you have some questions to ask the developer of a web site who has made his place in your last choice but you are concerned about something. Ask for a brief proposal. If possible, have the WordPress website developer break the deal down into its basic components. As an example, ask them how much to do with HTML or CSS for a full WordPress site. Do they separate the design from the programming? Ideally, the answer has to be yes, they do. Having provided the solution, they could present further explanation on why they have chosen the way they have and how their plan causes more reliable designs. The potential for a typical WordPress website developer to lack in-depth experience is, sadly, anything. Should you, therefore, ask your developer for the time to discuss in more detail why I say to avoid the Web developer who does not offer an initial explanation for the construction of the site? In doing so, you can conveniently see where the functionality of your applications are understood by them or just purchased.
4. Communication and Project Management
Strong communication and project management skills are crucial to ensure your WordPress developer can deliver your project on schedule and within the scope defined in the original proposal/scope of work. One red flag to watch out for is a developer who is slow to respond to your initial inquiries or if their estimate is constantly out of date. They’re not reliable or good at managing their valuable hours. Ask about tools and software the developer uses to facilitate project management as well as deadlines and the frequency of their project updates. Your developer should be able to communicate with you clearly and promptly. It’s a must-have skill! Ask the professional you are considering how they handle emails, what their policy is for meetings and phone calls, and how often they provide the status of the project. It is good to agree in advance on frequency and type of communication. Also ask to clarify if part of this time is billed to you.
As you’ve probably noticed, the project you plan will require clear and frequent communication in order to become a success. When communication is poor, a WordPress developer can’t manage a project well. As a result, dates slip and overages add to the original cost of your project. This usually happens because of weak management skills, real or anticipated problems with workload, or an over-reliance on (or an inappropriate choice of) tools and software. While much can be done to avoid many of the issues these questions aim to bring to light, the skills and qualities that are key to success should resonate throughout their conversation. Keep listening and ask additional questions to uncover what those may be. If a developer is justified by the questions you ask, that’s great! If they aren’t, they’re not for you. Next!
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