WordPress now runs a huge share of the internet, current estimates put it at somewhere around 40% of all websites, depending on exactly how you measure it. That popularity is great news in one way (lots of developers to choose from) and a little tricky in another (lots of very different quality levels of developers to choose from, all claiming to be experts).
So before you hire anyone, it’s worth going through a short checklist. None of this requires you to understand code, just to ask the right questions and know what a good answer sounds like.
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1. Look at real, working examples of their past sites
Ask for links to live websites they’ve actually built, not screenshots, not mockups, the real thing you can click around on. Open a few on your phone. Do they load quickly? Do they look intentional, or does something feel slightly broken or outdated?
Also it’s worth running one of their sites through a free tool like Google PageSpeed Insights just to get a general sense of how much attention was paid to performance.
2. Check reviews from people who actually hired them
Portfolios show you their best work. Reviews tell you what it’s actually like to work with them, do they meet deadlines, communicate clearly, handle revisions reasonably? Sites like Upwork/Fiverr (if they’re on those platforms) are worth a few minutes of reading, to have an initial idea about what to expect.
3. Ask what happens after the site launches
This is the question most people forget to ask, and it matters more than almost anything else. Websites need updates, backups, and occasional troubleshooting long after launch day. Ask directly:
- Do you offer ongoing maintenance, and what does it include?
- What happens if something breaks two months from now, is that covered, or a separate charge?
- Who owns the website and its accounts once it’s finished (this should always be you)?
4. Get the scope and pricing written clearly
Before any work starts, you should have a written description of exactly what’s included: how many pages, what features, how many rounds of revisions, and the total cost or hourly rate. It doesn’t need to be a formal legal contract for a small project, but it should be specific enough that both sides agree on it.
5. Ask a few basic technical questions
You don’t need to understand the answers deeply, you just need to notice how they explain them. A good developer can answer these in plain language without getting defensive or overly jargon-heavy:
- What hosting do you recommend, and why?
- How will backups be handled?
- Will the site be built with a page builder like Elementor, a specific theme, or custom code, and what does that mean for me if I want to make small edits myself later?
- How do you handle plugin and WordPress core updates?
If the answers feel evasive, rushed, or make you feel silly for asking, that’s worth paying attention to.
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6. Confirm you’ll own everything
This one is easy to overlook and expensive to get wrong. Make sure the domain name, hosting account, and website itself are registered in your name and your accounts, not the developer’s. It’s fine for them to manage it on your behalf during the project, but you should always have access and ownership.
7. Trust how the conversation actually feels
After all the practical checks, there’s a simpler signal worth paying attention to: do they listen to what you actually need, or do they seem to be pushing a one-size-fits-all package regardless of your answers? Do they explain things in a way that makes sense to you, or talk over your head on purpose? You’re likely going to be working with this person for weeks, and possibly maintaining a relationship with them for years afterward, it’s fine to factor in whether you simply get along.
The short version
See real live examples of their work, read actual reviews, get pricing and scope in writing, ask what happens after launching, and make sure you own your own domain and hosting. Everything else is a bonus.
If you’d rather skip the vetting process altogether and just talk to someone directly about your project, feel free to reach out through my WordPress and WooCommerce development hiring page, happy to answer the exact questions above myself.