If you’ve weighed the pros and cons of building a team of web developers, then you must be wondering what you need to look for when hiring a web developer.
Hiring a web developer is no easy task. It can be difficult to find the right professionals to work on your project, especially because they’ll be in charge of executing your vision and bringing your brand to life in the digital space. This is why hiring the right web developer is crucial.
Apart from a web developer’s portfolio, the interview process plays an important part in gauging whether someone is the right person for the job and your team. If you’re unsure of what to ask your candidates, we’ve made a list of questions you can ask below:
Questions to Ask a Web Developer Before Hiring
1. How long have you worked as a web developer and tell me about your experiences?
This is probably the first question you’ll need to ask when hiring a professional website developer.
This question gives you insight on how long they’ve been in their industry and it can also give you an idea of their expertise as well. It also presents you with an opportunity to ask follow-up questions about their prior jobs.
2. Have you worked on other projects for companies in my industry?
Hiring a web developer with prior experience in your industry can be a plus because they know exactly what to look for during the research process for your brand, but it doesn’t have to be a requirement. You can still opt to work with web developers with no experience in your industry. Who knows, their fresh perspective may be just what your brand needs to set you apart from your competition.
3. What type of projects have you done?
Seeing and hearing about the projects that a web developer has done can help you understand the depth of their knowledge. During this question, you may also ask them about specific projects that they’ve taken on in their portfolio.
4. Can you walk me through your research process?
Getting a sense of your web developer’s research process can give you an idea of whether they can accurately execute what your company is trying to do.
5. What programming languages do you have experience with?
There are different languages used in front-end and back-end development. So, depending on the job you’re interviewing for and the team you’re assembling, you want to make sure that everyone’s learned in the same programming language for a smooth work transition.
6. Do you use templates or custom designs?
If you’re looking for a web developer to help you set up a professional website, you should ask them about how they intend to approach your project, and whether they’ll be using templated or customized designs. This question may be geared more toward front-end and full-stack developers, but it’s still an important question to ask if you want your company’s website to be unique.
7. Will my website be mobile-friendly?
Make sure to clarify with the web developer if they’ll be doing this during the website development process. Mobile friendliness is important because a good chunk of the population tends to use their phones for anything internet-related.
Additionally, mobile friendliness is also a factor Google considers when ranking websites.
8. Will my website be ADA-accessible?
Ask the web developer you’re interviewing if they have any experience making websites ADA accessible and if it’s possible to do it for your project as well. Making sure that your website complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it more inclusive and much easier to navigate for people with disabilities.
9. How many revisions will I be able to have for this project?
Just because you’re working closely with your web development team doesn’t mean that it’ll come out perfect every time. Before you get started, ask the web developer you’re interviewing how many revisions you’ll have for the project. This will allow you to manage your expectations and comments from the get-go.
10. When the website is launched, how can we keep it working up to standard?
Ask the web developer what kind of tools, technologies, and budget they’ll need to keep the website up to standard. Considering that hundreds of updates are rolled out every year, the team may need to touch up the project every now and then to keep it running smoothly.
11. What is your asking price for this project?
Don’t be shy about asking your web developer about their expected salary. Knowing the costs of putting up a professional website, you may already have a set amount for web development in your head. So, knowing how much they expect to be compensated for the project is key to knowing whether you can work with them or not.
Finding the Right Web Developer for the Job
We hope that you’ve taken notes about what to ask the web developers who you’re interviewing. Filling the web developer spot won’t be easy even when you ask all the right questions because their skills may not be what you expect when it’s time for execution. This is why you may want to look into a tried and tested team.
Webmastered has been building intuitive websites for our clients for years. We have a proven track record for providing clients with websites that fit their needs while still championing their branding. Work with our web developers today and see how we can help your brand establish itself in the digital space.