You’ve made the wise decision to partner with professional WordPress developers, easing the workload for your agency.
But whether you opted for freelance WordPress developers or a full-time development partner, it’s important to note that not all experts are created equal.
Selecting the right developers is key to avoiding potential setbacks for your clients’ websites.
The truth is, you want a developer who’s the complete package, and comes with coding skills, a structured process, effective troubleshooting, and a commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest tech.
And to make sure this is the developer you hire, it’s crucial to request past work examples. These samples will help you gauge the developer’s level of experience, project history, and whether they’re capable of meeting your client’s clients’ needs.
In this guide, you’ll find a list of the 9 most crucial work samples to request before making any hiring decisions. Plus, we’ve included a list of insightful questions to ask candidates to further help you find the right fit for you.
9 Work Samples to Request Before Hiring a WordPress Developer
The WordPress developer job description has many facets, and requesting work samples from these areas can help you find a dedicated WordPress developer
1. Custom WordPress Theme Portfolio
Dive into a developer’s custom WordPress themes portfolio for a showcase of their artistic and technical prowess.
This exploration provides insights into their:
- Creativity
- Attention to detail
- Ability to bring a brand’s vision to life online
2. Security Implementations
When hiring WordPress developers, a look at their security solutions will shine a light on their commitment to safeguarding WordPress sites. This examination will dive into the specifics, including what security audits, firewall systems, or updated protocols they prefer.
A robust security strategy addresses immediate threats and establishes a strong defense against emerging risks, ensuring your clients’ websites stay secure.
3. Performance Optimizations
It’s also a good idea to ask a developer to show you some of the WordPress sites they’ve optimized for speed and efficiency.
It highlights how much they appreciate a smoother user experience, and how they’ll deliver that for your clients. A developer who knows how to speed up a WordPress website efficiently can contribute to improved user satisfaction and enhanced SEO.
4. Plugin Management
A developer’s approach to WordPress plugin management reveals their skill in efficiently enhancing site functionality.
Effective plugin management contributes to a clean and fast-running website. Evaluating their work in this area, you’ll know whether or not your developer can keep each site’s features in alignment with each other and with overarching project goals.
5. eCommerce Sites
When evaluating a developer’s work on eCommerce sites, go beyond the surface. Focus on reviewing their responsive design work, looking for flawless execution that meets modern standards.
In the eCommerce industry, providing a seamless experience across different devices is crucial. This evaluation ensures that the developer can craft user-friendly online stores.
6. WordPress Core Contributions
WordPress core contributions are a testament to a developer’s commitment that goes beyond merely using the platform.
The best WordPress developers will actively participate in enhancing the core platform, showing their dedication to improving the entire WordPress ecosystem. This developer who doesn’t just adapt to updates, but also actively contributes to shaping the platform’s future.
7. Custom WordPress Development
Reviewing a developer’s unique WordPress coding projects gives you a glimpse into their creative problem-solving skills, and their ability to deliver specialized solutions.
It shows how well they can tailor solutions to meet specific needs, highlighting their expertise in crafting customized and effective WordPress solutions.
8. eCommerce Integrations
Exploring a developer’s eCommerce integrations within WordPress (like WooCommerce) gives valuable insights into their skill in turning a website into a user-friendly online store.
Checking out this facet of their work will help ensure the developer can meet the specific needs of online businesses, so their customers can have a positive and efficient shopping experience.
9. API Integrations
Lastly, a developer’s ability to effortlessly connect each WordPress site to other apps and services highlights their versatility and tech-savviness.
Checking out their API integrations will show you how well the developer understands and can use the right tech language, ensuring seamless interactions between your WordPress sites and other digital platforms or services.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a WordPress Developer
Here are some key questions that can provide further insight into what a developer brings to your team, and whether they’re a good fit for your agency and clients.
1. Could you walk me through your process for creating a custom WordPress theme from scratch?
Understanding a WordPress developer’s workflow is key.
Asking them about this process can help you find a developer who excels in coding and approaches WordPress development projects with a structured plan.
This ultimately leads to an organized project execution from start to finish.
2. Can you share a time when you had to troubleshoot a particularly tough WordPress issue?
Understanding how developers tackle real-world problems gives you an insight into their problem-solving approach and expertise.
Top-quality WordPress developers have processes in place to identify, troubleshoot, and ultimately resolve challenges for a smooth development journey.
3. How do you approach plugin selection and management?
Plugins can be tricky. Ensure sure your developer can explain their process for choosing and handling plugins effectively, demonstrating a knack for balancing functionality and simplicity.
4. What’s your experience with WordPress page builders versus custom coding?
Be sure to assess the developer’s versatility. A developer skilled in both, page builders and custom coding, and able to combine these based on project needs, is a valuable asset.
5. How do you stay updated with the latest WordPress trends and updates?
Asking this important question allows you to find a developer who knows about the newest trends and updates and has a proactive game plan for incorporating them into their workflow.
6. What’s your approach to mobile responsiveness and cross-browser compatibility?
This question helps assess the developer’s adaptability and commitment to inclusivity.
As users access websites through various devices and browsers, it’s essential to know how the developer plans to provide a seamless experience for everyone.
7. How do you handle client feedback, especially if it involves significant changes to the project?
Finally, this last question helps gauge the developer’s professionalism and ability to maintain project integrity in dynamic situations.
The bottom Line
Hiring a professional WordPress developer is a strategic move to lighten your agency’s workload. However not all developers are created equal, and a misguided choice can harm your clients’ WordPress sites.
To make sure you onboard a developer who’s a great fit for your agency, requesting samples of the right facets of their work is crucial.
From custom themes to security, versatility to problem-solving creativity, these samples guide you in making informed decisions for a successful collaboration.
We also recommend asking potential developers the questions outlined in this blog for further insight into their personal skills and capabilities.
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