Finding a skilled and professional WordPress developer can be a really long, difficult, and arduous task. There are literally hundreds of sites with millions of members, all fighting for the project and lowering each other’s prices.

The problem is that many of these gladiators are not ready for the field. Many sites don’t actually take the time to test their providers, instead opting to push the weakest members through natural selection (ratings and reviews) time. This translates into a bad user experience for many customers who become frustrated and lose faith in the rapid development process. It can also be quite expensive, as more than one developer has to try before finding someone they are confident they can work with.

How to Hire a Top-Quality WordPress Developer (Step 5)

#1 Check Ratings, Reviews And Insist on Looking at Previous work

Previous job ratings and reviews on the platform are an obvious first item to check when evaluating candidates but don’t stop there; The work of your portfolio, how many projects they have completed, and their code should be searched online. For example, we hired  Alif Ahmed to create our website. He is a professional WordPress Developer working on both Upwork and Fiverr . He has many 5 starts raving feedback that was enough to take a decision to work with him. 

A strong portfolio shows that developers are actually able to create high-quality projects and have delivered in the past. Accessible code repositories (for example Github/ Personal Live Portfolio website ) show that their modern development practices have at least some promise and allow you to actually review their code.

You can take this one step further and have them complete a coding test. This is an easy way to filter out people who do not have the required skill level. TestDome has a great PHP and WordPress test that you must take candidates. This requires them to be able to solve coding problems in PHP scripting language as well as answer questions about the WordPress API and architecture.

#2 Don’t Fall For The Lowball Price

A good developer should actually make money rather than spend your money. Don’t be tempted by the promise of cheap outsourced development, because often you get what you pay for. That tempting lowball offer won’t look so appealing when you have to scrap an entire project and redo it from scratch down the line.

Low rates do not always indicate low quality. Get acquainted (gain, obtain) with present-day market rates and then use our other points here to evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

#3 Effective Communication

No one may be available 24/7 but a committed developer will try to answer your concerns in a timely manner and you know when and how to contact him at work. The method of communication is also important. Symptoms of early fluency or lack of clarity are the classic indicators of problems below the line.

Emphasize clear communication from the start and move away if it is not imminent. Being able to determine if you are able to communicate effectively with the developers is important for a long-term working relationship. A good developer will not only be able to code well but will also be able to communicate with a non-technical person.

#4 Perform a Given Test Project

Outside of a free code test, a small, paid testing project will usually tell you everything you need to know about a developer’s approach to work. Think of them as leaders of losses. If things go south you saved yourself by failing in a big project with the same developer. If all goes well, you have a nice hint that the wider project will be smooth sailing.

#5 Agree on Job Opportunities

And the last tip for hiring a WordPress developer is to make sure that all parties involved understand the job opportunities and/or the scope of the project. Many times clients rush to hire developers for a job that is not fully defined. And because of miscommunication, it’s usually an unfinished project, a waste of time and money, and sometimes a relationship ruin.