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WordPress is unarguably the first choice when it comes to website development for businesses, irrespective of the industry they operate in. It has achieved such popularity that even non-tech business owners now suggest website development companies use WordPress to develop their websites. The primary reason for WordPress's popularity is its easy content management capabilities and quick configuration. Today, almost 44% of all websites live on the internet use WordPress as a CMS. Started in 2003 as a simple blogging tool, it has now become the most revered platform for creating stunning and state-of-the-art websites by many WordPress development companies.

Source:

https://www.wpzoom.com/blog/wordpress-statistics/

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Before we look any further, let’s strengthen your decision by going through some WordPress statistics that will reassure you that you’ve chosen the right technology for your website development.

  • WordPress dominates the CMS enabled website development market** with a share of about 63%.

  • As of Aug 2024, there are about 1.1 Billion websites developed on WordPress.

  • In eCommerce, WooCommerce boasts about 36% of market share of all eCommerce websites.

  • WordPress has 70,000+ plugins on it’s store and about 30,000+ themes to choose from.

While WordPress enjoys the market dominance over the other CMSs and frameworks for website development, people still find it difficult to hire a WordPress developer who can guide them through the process of developing a website. Being a business owner, you might have several questions for WordPress. You might have even tried searching the internet and several blogs for the answers. Being a top WordPress development company, we know the pain of going through scattered information over the internet, and hence, we decided to consolidate all the information into a single guide, which will give you an idea about the intricacies of hiring a WordPress developer and the costs associated with it.

Cost of hiring a WordPress developer in different countries

Let’s first dive into the focal question before we explore the process and a guide to hiring a WordPress developer in detail. The cost of hiring a WordPress developer is different based on the country you are in. Should you choose to hire the developer form offshore, this graph will help your to understand the costs involved.

Source:

https://www.erieri.com/salary/job/wordpress-developer

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Contrary to the recent popular opinion that Vietnam is becoming the next outsourcing hub for Western countries, India remains the most affordable offshoring destination, at least for WordPress, as shown in the graph above.

Types of WordPress developers

WordPress is no longer just a blogging tool which it used to be in the early 2000s. It has evolved, and so has the entire ecosystem. The term 'WordPress developer' now broadly encapsulates various specializations under one umbrella. With the introduction of themes, plugins, WooCommerce, and other WordPress offerings, specialized developers available for all the aspects. Depending on the specific work you need, you can choose a specialized developer of WordPress. Let’s explore each in detail.

  • Theme Developers:** Their job is to focus on appearance and design of the WordPress website. Based on individual needs, they create custom themes from scratch or modify the existing themes. Their focus area is the user experience of the website and to ensure that the website does justice to all the devices by making it responsive. Theme developers use front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and are also familiar with WordPress’s templating system, which uses PHP.

  • Plugin Developers: Plugins are sets of predefined code that are added to websites to perform a specific function. A plugin is developed when the same function needs to be coded for multiple websites. So, instead of creating custom code for every new website, plugin developers create plugins that are integrated seamlessly into any website that requires a common functionality. Ex: Contact form plugin, Order tracking plugin, and so on.

  • WordPress Frontend Developers: These developers are responsible for handling the visitor facing side of the WordPress website. They focus on making sure the site looks appealing and works smoothly for visitors. They use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build interactive and engaging user interfaces.

  • WordPress Backend Developers: Back-end developers are concerned with the server-side and database management of a WordPress site. They work on custom post types, taxonomies, API integrations, and other server-related features. They handle complex logic, data storage, and retrieval, optimizing site performance and ensuring that the site can handle large amounts of traffic efficiently.

  • eCommerce Developers: These are the developers who specialise in converting a WordPress website into an eCommerce store using the much talked WooCommerce plugin or another of that sorts. These developers are responsible for creating product pages, shopping carts, integrating payment gateways, managing SKU database, and so on. They look after the safety and security aspect of the website as well.

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What skills should a WordPress Developer possess?

A WordPress developer should possess variety of skills and a deep knowledge about the basic structure and architecture of WordPress at core. While hiring a WordPress developer, it is essential to check whether or not the developer is skilled in all these aspects.

SKILL
WHY?


PHP
Essential for developing custom themes and plugins, as WordPress is built on PHP.


HTML/CSS
For designing and styling WordPress themes and ensuring responsive design.


JavaScript
Used for adding interactive elements and enhancing the user experience on WordPress sites.


MySQL
Knowledge of MySQL is crucial for managing and interacting with the WordPress database.


API Integration
Experience with integrating third-party APIs and services to extend WordPress functionality.



REST API
Understanding of WordPress REST API for creating custom endpoints and interacting with other applications.


Version Control
Proficiency in using version control systems like Git to manage code changes and collaboration.


Responsive Design
Ensuring that WordPress themes and websites are mobile-friendly and work across various devices and screen sizes.


Security Best Practices
Knowledge of security practices to protect WordPress sites from vulnerabilities and attacks.


SEO Best Practices
Understanding of SEO principles to optimize WordPress sites for search engines.

While the above mentioned skills might not be required for every website development assignment, most of these are a must-have in every WordPress developer. Ensuring that your hired WordPress developer or the WordPress development company possesses these skills, guarantees the development of a robust, appealing, and secure website.

Questions to ask before hiring a WordPress developer

Don’t just take the developer’s word or their past reviews as a barometer of their skill. When hiring a WordPress developer, be vigilant and be the judge yourself by asking questions mentioned below. Based on the industry experience, we have compiled a list of questions which will ensure that you select the best WordPress developer for your project. If you still face challenges, we are always ready to assist you as a top WordPress development company.

QUESTIONS
IDEAL ANSWER


What are WordPress hooks?
Hooks are functions that allow developers to insert custom code into WordPress core, themes, or plugins without altering the original files. There are two types of hooks: Action hooks and Filter hooks.


What is the purpose of the .htaccess file in WordPress?
The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. In WordPress, it is commonly used to manage permalink structures, enhance security, set up redirects, and control access to various parts of the site. It can also be used to enable Gzip compression and caching.


What is the WordPress loop?
The WordPress loop is a PHP code used to display posts. It retrieves posts from the database and formats them according to the specified template tags. The loop is essential for displaying content on WordPress sites, whether it’s a list of blog posts, a single page, or custom post types.


What is a child theme in WordPress?
A child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, called the parent theme. It allows you to modify or add to the functionality of the parent theme without changing its files, making it easier to update the parent theme without losing customizations.


What are custom post types in WordPress?
Custom post types are content types other than the default ones (posts and pages) in WordPress. They allow you to create different types of content, such as portfolios, testimonials, products, or events. Custom post types are defined using the register_post_type() function in the theme’s functions.php file or a custom plugin.



What is the purpose of the functions.php file in a WordPress theme?
The functions.php file acts like a plugin for the theme, allowing you to add custom PHP code to extend the functionality of your site. It can be used to add custom post types, taxonomies, shortcodes, and widget areas, as well as to enqueue scripts and styles, define theme support features, and modify default WordPress behaviors.


What is a multisite network in WordPress?
A multisite network is a feature in WordPress that allows you to run multiple websites from a single WordPress installation. Each site within the network can have its own themes and plugins, but they share a common user base and database. This is useful for managing multiple sites from a single dashboard, such as in educational institutions, businesses with multiple branches, or blogs with different topics.


What is a Gravatar, and how is it used in WordPress?
A Gravatar (Globally Recognized Avatar) is a service that allows users to upload an avatar image linked to their email address. WordPress integrates with Gravatar to display these avatars in comments, user profiles, and other areas of the site where user images are needed. When a user comments on a WordPress site, their Gravatar is automatically displayed if they have one associated with their email address.


How many tables are there by default in WordPress?
In WordPress databases, the shelves are called tables. By default, WordPress websites contain 12 tables.


What is required to run WordPress?
WordPress has the following minimal requirements. PHP version 7.2 or higher. A MySQL version of 5.6 or higher OR a MariaDB version of 10.0 or higher. Support for HTTP.

These questions are related to WordPress architecture and provides an idea about the thorough knowledge about the developer.

Who should you hire? - WordPress

There are number of providers when it comes to WordPress. There are freelancers, dedicated in-house team, offshore agencies to whom you can reach out for your website development requirements. However, it’s essential to differentiate on when to hire whom. While most of the WordPress development agencies like Nimblechapps provide the WordPress developer on hire similar to a freelance developer, let’s look into detail as to when you should choose whom.

  • Freelance WordPress Developer:** A freelance developer is someone who isn’t associated with any firms and provides his/her services as an independent consultant. You can hire this developer similar to how you hire the employees of your company. This developer can be local or offshore. While this developers might come at lower rates, the main disadvantage is of them being master of their own will and the punctuality can’t be guaranteed. Besides, they aren’t affiliated with any company, so they don’t have a legal bounding.

  • In-house WordPress Development Team: Second type is hiring someone in-house within your company who works under your payroll. This can be a single developer or a team. You can have a full control over them which is the advantage but, these resources sometimes becomes liability as they don’t contribute directly to the business operations. They require a recurrent costs and other legal and employment liabilities to the firm.

  • WordPress Development Company: This is the best type of approach you can take while you are venturing into development of a WordPress website for the first time. WordPress development company is similar to any other company whom you do the business with. They are the providers of the WordPress development service like any freelancer or in-house team but, the main advantage is the ethics and the process that they follow which is as per the industry. They are responsible and bound legally to provide you quality work once you sign a contract with them. You don’t have to worry about recurring costs, just agree on a fixed cost and avail the service.

Standard process of hiring a WordPress developer

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Where to hire a WordPress developer?

  • Online Job Portals:** Various job portals like UpWork, Freelancer.com, PeoplePerHour, and others allow you to post the job requirements where the agencies and freelancers can approach you with their proposals. Select the best and start the project. The payments happen through these portals ensuring your safety.

  • Peer Networks: Ask a peer, friend, or a business counterpart for the reference of a WordPress development company or a freelancer they might have worked in past with.

  • Online Directories: Online directories like Clutch and GoodFirms have been the rich source of developers. You can hire a WordPress developer by browsing through these directories and come across the profiles of WordPress developers which gives you an idea about their experience, reviews, ratings, and so on.

  • Hire Nimblechapps: Nimblechapps has been one of the leading WordPress development companies in India. We have been delivering quality websites in almost all the sectors of the business ranging from real estate, construction, healthcare, enterprise websites, travel and tourism, finance, law, business & commerce, and other. Contact us today for a free consultation call.

Final Thought

While WordPress is a straight choice of many for website development, hiring a WordPress developer isn’t that much of a straight-forward and an easy process. We saw the aspects involved in hiring a developer who should not only develop the website but, should possess the skills that are beyond just development. When there are plethora of agencies and freelancers offering similar services, asking the right questions as mentioned in the blog above, ensures that you don’t fall in the trap.

It is advisable to consider the location of the freelancer or a WordPress development company before hiring as to a developer from India would be the most cost-effective compared to the other countries. With the offshore hiring not being an issues, consider venturing to India to hire the WordPress developers.

Be sure to explain your requirements to the developers you select to ensure a smooth execution and an expected outcome. WordPress resources can be hired at a variety of streams or even consider hiring one of the top WordPress development companies.