Questions to Ask Before Hiring Your Next Web Developer

While web design and development has become considerably simpler in recent years with the mass adoption of Content Management Systems (CMSs) like WordPress, it is still vitally important that you select a web developer with the right skills for your particular project. 

CMS-driven sites are much easier to set up these days and advanced web programming like Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and HTML5 have certainly helped standardize web design and development but if your developer does not have the required knowledge or experience to produce your site, you will find yourself fighting a losing battle. 

Below are a few questions you should ask any prospective web developer before hiring them. Also, as a rule, it is a good idea to approach at least three different website production firms before choosing which offers the best value for money and which is right for your firm. 

Do you have experience of previous similar projects?

While it is unlikely your choice of developer will have taken on a project with the exact same specifications as your own, there is nonetheless considerable crossover between many projects and the company should be able to show you some jobs that share similar characteristics. For example, if you require an online booking form for your site, you should expect a skilled development company to show you previous examples of other forms they have made in the past. 

What precautions do you take regarding site security?

Cybercrime is a real and present danger facing any company operating online these days. Indeed, the cost of online crime is expected to reach $6 trillion in 2021, increasing to $10.5 trillion by 2025. Before hiring a dev firm, be sure to ask them what cyber security measures they take both during the development phase and once the site is live. In line with this, you might also want to ask them if they provide web hosting and, if so, what security systems they employ on their servers.

Will I be able to make changes to content on my own?

In days of old, it was quite common for web development companies to produce so-called ‘static’ websites that required back- and front-end changes to be made by them. This was not just inconvenient for the client, it also frequently ended up being expensive. 

Thankfully, with the mass take-up of CMS websites, those days are long behind us and most web dev companies only produce CMS-driven sites that allow the client full control over add, edit and delete functions. Nonetheless, do not just assume a prospective firm uses CMSs - ask first before hiring them. 

Do you only work with template sites or can you also build bespoke projects?

One of the best ways to ascertain whether a firm has the required experience and talent to take on your job is to ask them if they can produce bespoke projects as well as template builds.  Over the last few years, it has become increasingly easy for developers to buy an off-the-shelf, pre-packaged site, install it on a server, fill it with client content then call the work their own. 

In truth, there is very little skill involved in producing a template site. That does not mean they do not work or do not perform a function, but if your developer just uses these templates, you will likely run into problems later if you need more advanced components on your site. Developers of any experience should remember the old days when CMSs were built from scratch and larger changes were made by getting deep down into the code of a website. Ideally, the firm you choose should have experience of both templates and tailor-made site production. 

How long have you been in business?

Linked to the point above, there is no harm in asking how long the firm has been operating to get an idea of their relative experience. Sure, that might unfairly prejudice younger, start-up companies but you need to know you are partnering with a company that has the right experience for your project and will not be here one day, gone tomorrow. 

Do you make Responsive websites?
Over 50% of all web traffic is now made on mobile devices so you should verify whether your prospective firm builds sites to a Responsive format.  Responsive designs scale content so pages can be viewed on any device, regardless of screen size or resolution - e.g. cellphone, tablet, laptop or desktop. Non-responsive sites do not just look bad, they also annoy users and with Google’s recent mobile-first policy (which penalizes non-responsive pages), you will find your chances of listing high in the search engine will considerably diminish.