In today’s digital age, offering a great website has become necessary for agencies of all sizes. In this equation, WordPress developers play a crucial role in designing, developing, and maintaining WordPress websites. You need the right WordPress developer to achieve your agency’s business goals. But what skills should you look for in a WordPress developer?
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the essential skills you should consider when hiring a WordPress developer, so you can make an informed decision and hire the best developer for your project.
Technical & Programming Skills
You must ensure that your WordPress developer is a good programmer with an in-depth knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP. They should demonstrate their ability to create functional websites by building them from scratch.
A. HTML/CSS
HTML is the most basic and vital programming language used in WordPress development. It is used to define the structure of a website and enhance its usability, aesthetics, and functionality. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, a way of controlling how a website looks using a style sheet file.
B. PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language that allows you to run scripts on web servers that are specially designed to execute code written in PHP. It would be best to look for evidence that they have worked with PHP before, as this will make it easier for them to work with your existing code base. If they do not know how to use PHP, then it will be harder for them to adapt and make changes as needed when working on top of your existing site structure.
C. JavaScript
JavaScript is a client-side scripting language used to create interactive elements within your site. It is most commonly used for dropdown menus, light boxes, and modal windows. JavaScript can be used to enhance your site, but it is not necessary for every site. Ask the developer if they have experience with JavaScript and whether or not they believe it will benefit your project.
D. Responsive Design
With the increase in mobile device usage, it’s crucial that every website is optimized for different screen sizes. A skilled WordPress developer should possess a deep understanding of design principles to create a responsive website. By incorporating responsive design, your website will adjust to different screen sizes, providing a seamless experience to users on all devices. So, be sure to inquire about their experience and skills in responsive design to ensure your website is accessible to all users, regardless of their device.
Advanced WordPress Skills
A. Custom WordPress Development
Custom WordPress development is when a developer uses the existing WordPress framework and adds custom features. As discussed above, this advanced skill requires knowledge of PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, it can also be used for simple projects that require only basic functionality or even just minor tweaks to make your site look more attractive. It’s also a great skill to stand out from the crowd because not everyone has access to these skills right away; however, if you hire someone who has this ability, then they will add value straight away because you will be able to build a website that you can be proud of.
B. WordPress Theme Development
WordPress themes are the templates that you use to build your website. To create a custom theme, they should understand HTML, CSS, PHP, WordPress Template Hierarchy, and Cross-Browser Compatibility. A good WordPress theme developer will be able to create custom themes, add functions to the website design, and fix any problem that arises.
Another important thing when hiring a developer is finding someone with experience in WordPress theme development who can work efficiently with your budget and needs while delivering what they promise at all times – no matter how simple or complex those requests might be!
C. WordPress Website Optimization
A good developer will be able to optimize your website to make it load faster and use less memory. They can also help you set up caching plugins, minify your CSS and JavaScript files, and use a CDN (content delivery network).
By optimizing your site, you’ll be able to reduce load times, meaning visitors don’t have to wait as long for pages to load. You can also increase the number of visitors that come through your website by making sure it ranks well in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
D. WordPress Website Maintenance
WordPress maintenance is a crucial part of any WordPress project. It includes updating WordPress core, plugins, themes, and other tasks such as fixing broken links and removing spam comments. If you’re hiring a developer for your website, it’s essential to know how much time has been spent on-site maintenance in order to gauge their skill level.
Maintenance doesn’t have to be a full-time job. You may not have time to do it yourself, but hiring someone specializing in WordPress maintenance will prevent your site from despair while keeping it secure.
E. WordPress Website Security
The most common way website attackers break into a site is by exploiting vulnerabilities in its code, so the WordPress developer should be aware of all the latest updates and patches available for the plugins and themes.
You should also ensure that your developer knows how to fix security issues before they become a problem for you or your customers. This means keeping them updated on the latest best practices around web security and checking for any gaps in their knowledge base (and correcting those as soon as possible).
F. Woocommerce Development
WooCommerce is an e-commerce plugin that allows you to sell products and services online. It’s compatible with most major shopping carts, such as Magento and the WordPress platform. WooCommerce extensions are available for adding features such as payment gateways (for accepting credit card payments), shipping options (such as calculating shipping costs based on the weight or dimensions of items), and more.
The developer you hire should be highly skilled in developing Woocommerce plugins and extensions for the platform. They can also help you set up your store and ensure it’s secure against hacking attempts or malicious attacks.
Conclusion
Hiring a skilled WordPress developer is not as simple as it may seem. You need to be extra careful while selecting the right candidate and make sure they are capable of delivering quality work on time. You can use these skills as a checklist while hiring your next web development project so that you don’t end up hiring someone who doesn’t live up to your expectations.
