How to Choose a Web Developer: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Hiring a web developer is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your business. Get it right, and you have a revenue-generating asset. Get it wrong, and you've wasted months and thousands of dollars on something you'll need to rebuild.

Here are the 7 questions I'd ask if I were hiring a developer — and what the right answers sound like.

1. "Can I See Sites You've Built That Are Live Right Now?"

Not mockups. Not screenshots. Live, working websites. Open them on your phone. Click around. Check the speed.

A real portfolio tells you everything:

What to Check	Green Flag	Red Flag
Load time	Under 2 seconds	Spinner for 5+ seconds
Mobile experience	Smooth, readable	Pinch-to-zoom required
Design quality	Clean, professional	Outdated, cluttered
Working links	Everything works	Broken pages, 404s
Google PageSpeed	80+ score	Below 50

If their own portfolio sites are slow, imagine what yours will look like.

2. "What Technology Will You Use — and Why?"

You don't need to understand code, but you need to understand intent. A good developer will explain their tech choice in business terms, not jargon.

If they say "WordPress because it's easy" — that's fine for a blog. But for a business site that needs speed, security, and SEO, modern frameworks like React outperform WordPress in every measurable way.

The right answer sounds like: "I'm using X because it's fast, secure, and gives you the best chance of ranking on Google."

3. "What Happens After the Site Is Built?"

This is where most small business owners get burned. The site launches, looks great, and then... the developer disappears.

Ask specifically:

• Who handles hosting?
• What happens when something breaks at 2am?
• Are updates included or billed separately?
• Do I own the code and domain?

If you don't own your code and domain, walk away. I've seen businesses held hostage by developers who control their website. That should never happen.

4. "How Will My Site Perform on Google?"

Any developer can make a pretty website. Few can make one that actually gets found. Ask about:

• SEO fundamentals — meta tags, structured data, sitemaps
• Page speed optimization — Core Web Vitals compliance
• Mobile-first design — Google uses mobile-first indexing

If they look confused when you mention structured data, they're a designer, not a developer. You need both.

5. "What's the Total Cost — Including the Stuff You're Not Telling Me?"

Pricing transparency separates professionals from hustlers. Get the full picture:

• Design and development fee
• Hosting costs (monthly/annual)
• Domain registration
• SSL certificate
• Ongoing maintenance
• Content updates — are they included or per-hour?

For a full breakdown of what websites actually cost, read my complete pricing guide.

6. "How Will We Communicate During the Project?"

Bad communication kills more projects than bad code. Establish upfront:

• How often will you get updates?
• What tool will you use (email, Slack, project board)?
• What's the expected response time?
• How many revision rounds are included?

A developer who says "I'll show you when it's done" is a developer who'll build what they want, not what you need.

7. "Do You Have a Contract?"

If a developer wants to work on a handshake deal, run. A proper contract protects both of you and should include:

• Scope of work (exactly what you're getting)
• Timeline with milestones
• Payment schedule
• Ownership of code and assets
• What happens if either party wants to cancel

No contract means no accountability. Period.

The Shortcut

Here's the truth most people won't tell you: the hardest part of hiring a developer isn't finding one — it's evaluating whether they're actually good. Most business owners don't have the technical knowledge to tell the difference between solid code and a house of cards.

That's exactly why I offer free websites. No risk, no upfront cost, no contract lock-in. You see the finished product, and if it's not better than what you have, you've lost nothing.

Want to skip the hiring process entirely? Book a free 30-minute call and I'll build your site at no cost. If you love it, we keep working together. If not, no hard feelings.