Hiring the wrong developer is expensive: missed deadlines, a site you can’t edit, logins you don’t own and no help when something breaks. These 12 questions help you find someone reliable — whether you are a business owner or an agency outsourcing work.
About their experience
1. Can I see websites you’ve built that are similar to mine? Look at live sites on your phone, not just screenshots. Check how fast they load.
2. Which tools do you use — and why? A good developer can explain their choice of theme, builder (Elementor, block editor) and plugins in plain language.
3. Have you built this kind of functionality before? Bookings, WooCommerce, memberships, multilingual — ask for an example.
About the process
4. What does your process look like from start to launch? Expect discovery, structure/wireframe, design, build on a staging site, testing and launch.
5. Will I see the site before it goes live? You should be able to review everything on a staging link.
6. How many revision rounds are included? Clear limits protect both sides.
About quality
7. How do you handle speed and mobile performance? Ask how they optimise images, caching and Core Web Vitals. (See: Core Web Vitals explained.)
8. What do you do for security? Updates, backups, secure logins and avoiding pirated plugins should be standard. (See: WordPress security checklist.)
9. Will I be able to edit the content myself? Ask for a short walkthrough or video at handover.
About ownership and support
10. Who owns the domain, hosting and website? You should. Everything should be registered in your name or your company’s.
11. What happens after launch? Is there a support period? Is a maintenance plan available?
12. How and when do you communicate? Agree on channels (email, WhatsApp, video calls) and response times — especially across time zones.
Red flags
- A price far below every other quote with no clear scope.
- No portfolio of live sites.
- Pressure to pay everything upfront.
- Vague answers about ownership, backups or security.
Looking for a reliable WordPress developer?
I have 3+ years of experience building WordPress, Elementor and WooCommerce websites for businesses and agencies worldwide. Ask me any of the questions above — message me on WhatsApp or send your project details.
