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You need a website, and you need it to work. That is what a website developer is for: they build the site, wire up the code behind it, and keep it usable for the people you want to reach. The wrong hire costs you time and money and leaves you with something you did not ask for. The right one is worth the effort it takes to find them.
Most of that effort is preparation. If you know what you want built and can describe it clearly, you are far more likely to hire well. This guide covers the types of developer, the skills that matter, where to find candidates, and how to vet, interview, and negotiate.
Before you post a "hire website developer" ad, get clear on what you actually need. Do you need a front-end, back-end, or full-stack developer? If you cannot answer that yet, you are not ready to start looking.
Pin down the scope first: the tasks you want handled, plus the scale, budget, and timeline. Are you making small fixes to an existing site, building a new one from scratch, or handing the whole project to one person from start to finish? Your answer decides which kind of developer to hire.
Front-end developers do what is sometimes referred to as "client-facing work." This is turning the code into an easy-to-use interface, the visual aspect you recognize from websites. It's the part that you or your clients use on a day-to-day basis and pertains to the website's ease of use, appearance, and style.
In contrast to your front-end developers, your back-end developers construct the website architecture and is what the front-end uses. It's basically the engine in a car. The bodywork and features are what make it appealing, but the engine is what makes everything work. Both parts need each other.
Your full-stack developers can do both the front and back-end work and see a project through from beginning to end. They can fill in the gaps between both aspects, run complete testing to iron out any issues and follow through with their own work as they're doing it instead of relying on two separate teams or freelancers.
You do not need to know your JPEG from your HTML to hire well, but it helps to know what good looks like. Here are the skills worth checking for in each type of developer.
Technical skill is not enough on its own. Soft skills are what let a developer understand your requests, work independently, and actually finish the job. Look for:
A freelance developer works independently rather than for an agency. They pick their own clients, schedule, and rates, which for many projects makes them easier to work with than a firm. The trade-offs cut both ways.
You have plenty of places to look, and a dedicated platform saves you the time of trawling listings yourself. Here are some of the best.
Match.dev is essentially your dating site, but for finding top-talented website developers, not love. Although the right match could be the start of a beautiful professional relationship! Schedule a call with the pros at Match.dev, and they will scour their database, pinpointing the perfect freelancer for you and taking all the hard work out of your search.
Clutch is your Yellow Pages of website developers. Here, you can find both in-house and freelance website developers who can help you create a unique website that meets all of your needs.
Simply answer a three-question survey, and they will match you with the five most relevant companies for the work required.
As it sounds, Freelancer is the home of freelance website designers with unique skills who are looking for work right now. Simply enter your query, answer the questions, and boom—a list of suitable candidates will be presented to you.
TopTal vets all of its freelancers to ensure that they can put their money where their mouth is. With a vast array of vetted and experienced software developers, web developers, website designers, and more, you can be sure the people you hire can do exactly what they say they can.
A bit different from the other entries, 99designs is a competitive bidding platform where freelancers submit proposals, and you pick the one that best fits your needs.
A portfolio shows you how someone works, not just what they made. The surface can look impressive, so it pays to dig deeper. Here is what to look at.
You need to look for the relevance of the project you will be requiring them to complete. You want to look for similarities in themes and deliverables that align with your needs. Have they completed work in your niche or industry before? How does the work they have completed translate to what you need? Also, look for how they translate the brief to capture and convey the brand identity to see if this aligns with your brand identity and website requirements.
For more relevance between your project and completed work, you can look for any unique challenges or out-of-the-box ideas that you want to include and see if they have done anything similar or created unique aspects that can be adapted to suit you. The more diverse and creative their work has been, the more likely they will be to meet specific demands you might have for your website.
The quality of the work they produce is paramount in your quest. You want a freelance web designer to deliver exceptional results; their portfolio should indicate this. You want to look for clarity, precision, attention to detail, and deadlines in their portfolio. Do they demonstrate evidence of in-depth research into the niche or subject matter to tailor their work and produce high-quality results?
You also want to look for instances of creativity and problem-solving. Are they bringing something new to the project and blending their expertise with the client's requirements to deliver something exciting and fresh and perfectly created for the task at hand, or are they throwing out run-of-the-mill ideas and delivering basics only?
Next, you need to focus on their technical proficiency. This essentially ensures they have the skills and knowledge to meet the demands your website will place on them. If they lack the relevant expertise, then you're likely not going to get the results you want. So, it's important to make sure their skills align with your needs.
Lastly, when evaluating a freelancer's portfolio, go with your gut. Your gut instincts are there for a reason, and if you're not getting those positive vibes or you don't feel someone is a good fit, keep moving. It's not as technical and in-depth as the above, but your gut can steer you clear of making a bad decision, so go with it.
Once you have a shortlist, interview them. These questions help you judge whether a developer is the right fit:
This is a starting point, not a script. Add whatever else matters for your project.
A freelancer sets their own rates, and how flexible they are is up to them. You may not get a lower price, but you can still negotiate a better deal. A few tips:
Now that you know how to find the right developer, you can let us do the legwork. Answer a few questions and Match.dev will pair you with a vetted web developer for your project. Want to know more? Start your query or get in touch.
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