When hiring a WordPress developer, it’s important to find someone who can meet your needs and help you succeed with your websites. But with so many WordPress developers available in the market, finding the right one for your project can be challenging.
The best way to do this is by asking the right questions and how they plan to contribute to the project. This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide on the questions to ask when hiring a WordPress developer. By knowing what questions are on your mind when interviewing prospective developers, you can make an informed decision about who will work best for your agency!
What is your experience with WordPress development?
The first question you should ask is about their experience with WordPress development. You want someone who has built websites using the platform and understands how it works. The best way to find this out is by asking questions like:
- How many WordPress websites have you built? What was your role in those projects?
- How long have you been developing WordPress websites?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a WordPress developer?
- Do you have any portfolio and references from previous clients?
- Do you have any WordPress development certifications? If so, which ones and for what level of certification (e.g., beginner through advanced)?
If possible, try to interview at least three developers with different backgrounds who are familiar with the same types of projects; this will give you an idea of whether any one developer is likely to be better suited than another based on their approach or skill set.
Did you use WordPress to build any website, and if so, how long ago?
If the developer has built websites before, asking them about their past projects is necessary. Did they use WordPress for the project or did they use something else? If the developer is still using WordPress today, ask them why and what made them choose this framework over others.
Do they have a portfolio of websites built with other platforms? If so, what makes the work stand out from other developers in terms of visual design or functionality (e.g., user experience)?
How familiar are you with HTML/CSS/JavaScript?
When you’re hiring a developer, it’s essential to know that the person has an understanding of HTML/CSS and JavaScript. The more experienced the developer is in these languages, the better their work will be. If this isn’t clear yet ask them:
- How long have you been programming?
- What languages do you know?
- Do they have any experience working on similar projects before? If so, what was their experience like (did they do well)?
What experience do you have with WordPress themes?
You should ask this question because it’s crucial to know if the developer has ever developed a WordPress theme. If you’re looking for someone who can create themes from scratch, they must have experience developing their own customizations and modifications. The more experienced developers will be able to tell you about their experiences in this area and how they’ve used them throughout the years.
What experience do you have with WordPress Plugins?
With WordPress plugin development experience, you can add significant functionality to your website, from simple contact forms to complex e-commerce platforms. You should ask the developer about their experience with developing their custom plugins and modifying existing ones. The more experienced developers will be able to tell you about their experiences in this area and how they’ve used them throughout the years.
Here are some questions to ask your potential developer to gauge their experience with WordPress plugins:
- How many plugins have you developed, and can you provide examples?
- What is your process for developing a custom plugin, from ideation to deployment?
- How do you ensure that the plugin is optimized for performance and doesn’t slow down the website?
- Can you customize existing plugins, and how do you approach modifying them?
- How do you ensure the plugin is compatible with the latest version of WordPress and other plugins?
- How do you ensure that the plugin is secure and doesn’t introduce vulnerabilities to the website?
- Can you explain the importance of testing and debugging plugins before deploying them to production?
Have you worked on SEO-friendly websites?
This is another vital question that you should ask. If the developer doesn’t have familiarity with SEO best practices then it’s unlikely that they will be able to develop one for you.
SEO stands for “search engine optimization” and means optimizing your website so potential clients or buyers can find it on search engines like Bing or Google. You need a developer with experience making websites search engine friendly because this will ensure that your website is optimized for search engines and won’t just look nice on just the surface. SEO is a long-term process, so know what you’re getting into before investing money in this field.
How familiar are you with WooCommerce development?
WooCommerce is a popular plugin for WordPress that enables users to create an online store and sell products or services. If you’re planning to sell an e-commerce website, hiring a WordPress developer familiar with WooCommerce development is essential.
When interviewing potential candidates, ask about their experience with WooCommerce development. A skilled developer should be able to customize WooCommerce to fit your specific needs, create custom payment gateways, and optimize your store for better user experience and sales conversion.
Be sure to ask for examples of WooCommerce projects they’ve worked on in the past and the results they achieved. A developer who has a track record of creating successful WooCommerce stores can provide valuable insights and recommendations to help your agency thrive.
Are you aware of best practices for website speed optimization?
It’s essential to ensure they know the best practices for website speed optimization. Slow loading speeds can significantly turn off visitors, leading to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings.
Here are some questions to ask your potential developer to gauge their understanding of website speed optimization:
- Can you explain the importance of website speed optimization in terms of user experience and search engine rankings?
- What methods do you use to optimize website speed, and how do they work?
- Can you give examples of websites you have worked on in the past and the speed improvements you achieved?
- What caching plugins do you recommend, and how do you configure them for optimal performance?
- What steps do you take to ensure mobile-friendliness and responsiveness of the website?
- How do you measure website speed and identify performance bottlenecks?
- What strategies do you use to reduce page load times, such as image optimization and minification of code?
A skilled WordPress developer should have a thorough understanding of website speed optimization and be able to implement best practices to ensure that your website loads quickly and provides an excellent user experience.
What are the best practices for website security?
Website security is a serious topic that should be discussed with your developer to protect your website from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other cybersecurity threats.
Here are some questions to ask your potential developer to assess their understanding of website security:
- Can you explain the importance of website security in terms of protecting sensitive data and ensuring user trust?
- What kind of security protocols do you use? Do they meet industry standards and guidelines?
- Do you know how to fix any issues that arise after using these protocols, such as hacking attacks or malware infections on your site?
- What preventive measures do you take to secure websites against cybersecurity threats?
- How do you ensure that the website is secure from vulnerabilities and potential security risks?
- What security plugins do you recommend, and how do you configure them for optimal performance?
- How do you secure the website’s database, server, and other critical components?
- How do you keep up with the latest security threats and best practices in website security?
- What is your process for handling security incidents, such as a data breach or hack?
Finding A Good WordPress Developer Begins With Asking The Right Questions.
In this post, we reviewed the critical questions to ask a WordPress developer when hiring them. These questions will help you determine if the developer is right for your agency and whether they can meet your needs.
Remember that most developers who have extensive experience in their field can give you some insight into what kind of work they can expect from you before agreeing on availability, price, and turnaround time.
