Hire a WordPress Developer With Confidence: The Complete Checklist
If you’re planning to hire a WordPress developer, you’re probably trying to avoid two painful outcomes: paying for work that doesn’t hold up long-term, or hiring someone who can’t support the site after launch. WordPress is flexible—but that also means quality varies wildly depending on who builds (or edits) your website.
This checklist helps you evaluate skills, ask the right questions, understand pricing models, and define deliverables clearly—so you can hire with confidence and get a site that performs, ranks, and stays stable over time.
When You Should Hire a WordPress Developer
You don’t always need a developer for small edits—but you do need one when changes affect structure, performance, or reliability. Consider hiring a developer when:
- Your site needs a custom design or template rebuild (not just a theme tweak)
- You want improvements in speed, Core Web Vitals, or technical SEO
- Your site has recurring issues (plugin conflicts, broken layouts, slow admin, random errors)
- You’re launching a business-critical site (lead gen, booking, e-commerce)
- You need integrations (CRM, email automation, tracking, forms, payment gateways)
If your main goal is a faster, cleaner, more stable WordPress site, a dedicated optimization approach can be the most direct path—see our WordPress-focused build and upgrade services (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/website-design-wordpress-development/) and performance support (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/performance-growth/).
Must-Have Skills: WordPress, PHP, Theme Builds, Performance
A strong WordPress developer is more than “someone who installs plugins.” Here are the skills that separate a dependable build from a fragile one.
Core WordPress skills
Understanding of WordPress templates, hooks, and common architecture
Comfort working with Gutenberg blocks and/or reputable builders (when appropriate)
Ability to build and maintain clean site structure (pages, templates, navigation, content types)
PHP + theme builds (even if they use a builder)
Even if you’re not requesting a fully custom theme, a developer should be able to:
Make safe template edits
Create child themes when needed
Avoid breaking updates by hard-editing core theme files
Performance awareness
They should understand how to:
Reduce unnecessary scripts/styles
Configure caching properly for your site type
Optimize images, fonts, and page assets
Prevent plugin bloat and conflicts
If SEO is a major reason you’re hiring, make sure they also understand on-page structure and technical basics. Our SEO & content service team often collaborates with development to align templates and content structure (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/seo-content/).
Helpful references for performance and SEO best practices:
Google Search Central documentation (https://developers.google.com)
Core SEO concepts and audits from Moz (https://moz.com)
Questions to Ask Before Hiring and Red Flags to Avoid
A great hire usually comes down to the quality of communication and process—not just code.
Questions that reveal competence
“How do you prevent plugin conflicts and reduce bloat?”
“What’s your process for improving site speed and Core Web Vitals?”
“How do you handle staging vs. live changes?”
“What happens if an update breaks something?”
“What will you need from me to avoid delays?”
Red flags to watch for
Promises of “guaranteed rankings” (development can support SEO, but no one can guarantee results)
Vague answers like “I’ll just install a plugin for that” for every requirement
No mention of backups, staging, or rollback plans
No testing approach (mobile checks, browser checks, speed checks)
They can’t explain what they did after the work is done
If you want a team that builds and supports WordPress sites as a system (design + performance + marketing goals), Lugenix offers coordinated support across services (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/).
Pricing Models Explained: Hourly, Project, Retainer
WordPress development pricing typically falls into three models. The best fit depends on how clear your scope is.
Hourly
Best for:
Small fixes, quick updates, troubleshooting
Sites with unknown issues (where investigation is required)
Watch-outs:
Costs can expand if scope isn’t controlled
You need clear time tracking and priorities
Project-based (fixed scope)
Best for:
Website builds, redesigns, page template creation
Defined deliverables and timelines
Watch-outs:
You must define scope clearly to avoid “out of scope” surprises
Retainer (ongoing support)
Best for:
Growing sites that need consistent updates, landing pages, improvements
Businesses running campaigns and requiring fast turnaround
Watch-outs:
Make sure reporting and response times are clearly defined
For ongoing optimization and measurable improvements, our Performance & Growth service is designed for continuous refinement rather than one-off fixes (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/performance-growth/).
Scope and Deliverables: What to Include in Your Brief
A clear brief helps you get accurate quotes and prevents mismatched expectations. Here’s what to include when you hire.
Your goals (business + website)
What the site must achieve (leads, bookings, purchases, inquiries)
Top priority pages (home, services, product pages, landing pages)
Key deliverables
Pages/templates included (and how many)
What’s included in responsiveness (mobile/tablet/desktop)
Forms, integrations, tracking, and analytics
SEO essentials (metadata templates, schema basics, clean URL structure)
Performance expectations (e.g., “improve load time and stability,” not unrealistic guarantees)
Access and assets
Hosting access, WordPress admin, analytics tools (if available)
Brand assets: logo, colors, fonts, photos
Content readiness: will you provide copy, or should they help write/build it?
If you need your development brief tied to SEO content structure (so your pages are built to rank), our SEO & content team can help shape the requirements (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/seo-content/).
How to Vet Portfolio, Reviews, and Ongoing Support
A portfolio isn’t just about visuals—it’s about outcomes and stability.
What to look for in a portfolio
Sites that load quickly and feel stable
Clean mobile layout and readable typography
Navigation that makes sense in 1–2 clicks
Evidence of custom work (templates, structured layouts, complex features)
How to check reviews without guessing
Look for patterns: communication, meeting deadlines, support after launch
Ask for examples of how they handled a bug or conflict
Confirm whether they provide post-launch support—and what that includes
Confirm ongoing support expectations
Before you sign, clarify:
Response time expectations (especially for urgent issues)
Update and maintenance coverage
Backup/restore processes
Documentation or handover details
If you prefer a partner that can build, optimize, and support your WordPress site over time, our WordPress development service is built for long-term maintainability (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/digital-marketing-services/website-design-wordpress-development/). You can also reach out directly through our contact page and share your requirements (https://lugenixdigitalservices.com/contact-us/).