How to Hire a Web Developer: What to Look for and What to Avoid
Hiring a web developer is straightforward when you know what to look for — and expensive when you don't. Most bad hires come down to the same handful of mistakes.
What this covers
Hiring a web developer is straightforward when you know what to look for — and expensive when you don't. Most bad hires come down to the same handful of mistakes. Here's how to avoid them and find someone who actually delivers.
Define What You Actually Need First
Before you look at a single portfolio, write down what you need the project to do. Not the features — the purpose. "I need users to be able to book appointments online and receive confirmation emails" is useful. "I need a website" is not.
The clearer your brief, the better the candidates you'll attract, the more accurate your quotes will be, and the less room there is for scope creep later.
What to Look for in Their Portfolio
Relevant work
Has this person built something similar to what you need? A developer who's shipped an e-commerce store is a better fit for your e-commerce project than one who's only built brochure sites.
Live projects
Can you visit the work they're showing? If everything is mockups and screenshots with no live URL, ask why. Real work holds up under real conditions.
Attention to detail
Load a few of their sites on mobile. Check how fast they load. Look at the small things — spacing, typography, button states. These signal whether they care about quality.
Variety or depth
Either is fine — a specialist who does one type of thing extremely well, or a generalist with proven range. Know which one your project needs.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Hire
Red Flags to Walk Away From
⚠ No questions back
A developer who doesn't ask about your goals, audience, or technical requirements before quoting is guessing. That guess will cost you.
⚠ Vague timelines
'A few weeks' with no milestone breakdown is a warning sign. Ask for a project plan with specific dates.
⚠ Can't explain their decisions
Ask why they chose a certain technology or approach. If they can't explain it simply, they may not fully understand it either.
⚠ No contract
A professional developer works with a clear written agreement. Scope, timeline, payment terms, and what happens if something changes.
⚠ Pressure to decide fast
Good developers are busy but not desperate. Anyone pushing hard for an immediate decision is working against your interests.
⚠ No post-launch plan
What happens when something breaks after launch? If there's no answer, you're on your own.
Where to Find Good Developers
Referrals are still the most reliable source — ask other business owners who built their site. Upwork and Toptal work well for verified track records. LinkedIn is useful for B2B and agency work. Google searches for local web studios can surface people with a real portfolio and an address.
Avoid anyone who cold-messages you with a templated pitch. Good developers have more work than they can take — they're not mass-emailing strangers.
Hiring checklist
Looking for a developer?
Tell us what you need to build. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit — and quote you straight if we are.
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