{"id":983,"date":"2023-09-06T13:25:49","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T18:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testerdigital.ca\/?p=983"},"modified":"2023-09-07T09:26:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T14:26:46","slug":"dont-get-scammed-8-questions-you-need-to-ask-when-hiring-a-web-developer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testerdigital.ca\/dont-get-scammed-8-questions-you-need-to-ask-when-hiring-a-web-developer\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t get scammed! 8 questions you need to ask when hiring a web developer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hiring a web developer but not sure where to start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, we\u2019ve seen lots of people get taken advantage of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s lots of companies out there doing sub-par work and charging premium prices. These companies aren\u2019t so much web design companies so much as they are sales companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this isn\u2019t your industry, it\u2019s hard to know the right questions to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to get good value for money, ask these 8 questions next time you hire a web developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1) What CMS would you design the site on?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Content Management Systems (CMS) are ways to manage your website content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is how you edit and post content on your website. You should be able to easily add text, images, and other content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress is the most popular free CMS, and it’s what we use for most of our projects. Others like Wix and Squarespace are growing in popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid CMS platforms tend to have industry niches. Nationbuilder, for example, is great for political campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no right or wrong answer to this question. But you need to know what CMS you’re using and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro Tip: <\/strong>Platforms like Wix and Squarespace are often no coding required. If you hiring someone using these tools, they might not know anything more than you do about coding! These platforms are fine, but don’t expect custom work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2) Are your sites designed from scratch, or are you editing a stock theme?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a small business with a limited budget, one of the best options out there is to buy a stock WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can often find a high quality theme for $50-100. If you spend a few hours customizing and editing it, you can have a better website than many of your competitors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, there are many agencies that will re-sell these themes for thousands of dollars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get taken advantage of, and ask that question up front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3) How does your team make sure my website is accessible for people with disabilities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most countries have accessibility laws for websites. Failure to comply can result in large fines or other legal challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people are unaware of these laws \u2014 including many agencies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple design choices, like a background colour, could potentially make your site inaccessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your designer should have a plan for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You built your website so people can use it – so make sure everyone can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve written several blogs about website accessibility, you should check them out.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4) Do you design using Elementor or any other drag-and-drop builders?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elementor is easily the most popular drag and drop builder out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools like Elementor are great for beginners and people who can’t code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that speed and convenience comes at a cost. Visual website builders often generate a lot of extra code. This can lead to slow loading times and problems with search engine optimization (SEO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If website speed and SEO are important to you, these aren\u2019t always the tools for the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re hiring professionals to build your site, they shouldn\u2019t need these tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5) Is your team coding it internally, or are you working with subcontractors?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the person you\u2019re talking to can’t answer your questions, they might not be a good fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be dealing with a company that sells websites, instead of one that builds them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I already told you about one way companies do this: The people that buy and resell $50 themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way that companies do this is to hire a white-label company to do the work for them. A lot of companies that sell websites don’t actually do the work. Instead, they hire developers overseas to build their sites, and then give them to you at a massive markup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These companies often have nobody on their team who actually knows how to code a site. When you need support, there\u2019s a game of telephone going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you know who’s doing the work, and make sure that when you need help, there’s someone on staff who’s able to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6) What training or documentation will my team get?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you get your new website, it\u2019s important that you know how to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve heard stories about people getting new websites and no instructions about how to use them. Often this comes with a sales pitch: for some extra money, they\u2019ll provide you with training on how to use the site!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At testerdigital, we always provide a training document. To us, this is the least a developer can do for their clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not all companies work that way, and it\u2019s best to know from the beginning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7) What recurring costs will the website have?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most websites have two recurring costs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n