How to hire a WordPress developer you can trust

Four kinds of WordPress developer

WordPress is open source software with a huge plugin market, so skills vary a lot. A person who assembles sites with a page builder is doing a different job from one who writes theme code or builds a plugin. Name the job first.

Freelancer, agency or in-house

A freelancer is often the cheapest way to get one site built, and the best ones are excellent. The weak point is cover. If they are ill or busy when your site is down, you wait. An agency costs more per hour but gives you cover, a second pair of eyes and a proper handover. An in-house developer only makes sense if you run many sites or change one daily.

Offshore teams are a good middle route when the brief is clear. You trade some live conversation for lower cost, and you manage that with a written scope and weekly check-ins. Our guide on offshore vs nearshore development explains the trade-off in more detail.

The WordPress-specific checks

• Plugin discipline. Ask how many plugins the finished site will use and why. Each one is code that must be updated and trusted.
• Custom code location. Custom features belong in a plugin or a child theme, not in edited core files, or they vanish at the next update.
• Hosting and backups. Ask who chooses the host, how often backups run, and where they are stored. You want a restore test, not a promise.
• Admin accounts. You should have an administrator login of your own. Never share one login between you and the developer.
• Licenses in your name. Premium themes and plugins should be bought on your account so updates keep working after the project ends.
• Staging site. Updates and changes should be tried on a copy first.

WordPress sites are common targets for automated attacks, mostly through outdated plugins and weak passwords. Our WordPress security checklist lists what a careful developer does at handover.

Questions to ask in the interview

1. Do you use the block editor, a page builder or a custom theme, and why for this site?
2. How will I update pages and menus without breaking the layout?
3. What is your update routine, and who does it after launch?
4. How do you keep the site fast with images, fonts and forms?
5. What do you do when a plugin conflict takes the site down?
6. Which search settings do you set up before launch: titles, redirects, sitemap, schema?
7. Can I see a site that has run for two years without a rebuild?

Ask for the last answer in writing, with a link. A developer with long-running sites can show them.

Engagement models

If you only need ongoing upkeep, compare the options in our website maintenance cost guide before you hire for a full build.

How hiring Liftup works

Liftup Technologies builds WordPress and WooCommerce sites, as well as work on Shopify, Webflow and Next.js. We are headquartered in Pune, with offices in Coventry and New York, and we work remotely in your hours.

You describe the site on a short call. Within one working day you receive a fixed quote. One lead runs the project, and you see a working version every week. The site sits on hosting under your account, with licenses in your name and a handover document at the end.

Our rate is $30 an hour and projects start at $1,500. Read more on the WordPress development service and the WordPress website cost guide, or contact us for a quote. Other roles are listed on our hire page.