5 Keys to Finding the Best Web Developer for Your Niche

The average business owner certainly isn’t prepared to develop a website from scratch, but it’s never been easier to get a website up and running thanks to the numerous templates available from user-friendly website builders like Wix. However, picking a template designed for your niche is just a starting point.

Once applied, it often becomes apparent the template doesn’t fully fit the needs of a business. As growth occurs, there’s a chance the website may need a complete overhaul, and that is going to require a professional for the best results. While WordPress comes with a steeper learning curve, its open source software makes it infinitely more customizable.

Finding the best web developer for your niche really isn’t much different from the process that should be undertaken when hiring any candidate for a particular job. If getting started without a web developer’s assistance and you want to avoid totally scrapping a site in the future as your needs change, chose WordPress since it’s likely you will eventually need to hire a web developer to further customize a site.

Determine Your Budget

Experience costs more for a reason, and it can be difficult to find an experienced and qualified web developer as they tend to be in high demand. If you decide to go with the most experienced candidate, consider how you could prioritize deliverables into more affordable chunks. Sponsoring a hackathon is a way to bring developers together for two or three days to collaboratively work on a project.

Assisting developers in networking events by providing a meeting venue or food is also a great way to pool talent as well to find someone within your budget. Or perhaps a more expensive developer can recommend a less expensive developer who is just starting out. Student competitions tend to draw the most ambitious new developers, and student interns are also a viable resource when looking to save money and still get professional results.

Search for Fitting Candidates

Word of mouth is always the best way to find potential candidates for a job. Ask people you know what web developers they’ve worked with on projects. But just because a developer has a collection of beautiful websites under their belt, doesn’t mean they are equipped to handle building a site that truly serves your niche.

If you’re a vet, you’ll want to search for the best veterinary marketing companies. The same idea goes for being in the restaurant business or in retail. Find a web developer who works in your niche, but also be wary of choosing a niche developer who has designed a site for your competition. Specialized job boards are a wise place to search for qualified web developers, as well as curated lists like The Niche Notebook.

Evaluate the Developer’s Portfolio

Any respectable web developer will have a portfolio of websites they’ve built that you can look over. Even if you’re going with a student, they should have sample sites they’ve designed for classes, or sites designed at a bargain for people they know to gain experience. Truly delve into the examples provided and ask if the design is truly meeting the company’s needs.

What do you like and dislike about their work? Do they differentiate enough between the niche sites they build, or do they all sort of seem the same? Are there any obvious oversights?

Interview the Web Developer

This is a person you want to be confident in developing a long-term working relationship with, so be sure to take the time to properly vet your top candidates. You’ll want to hire for skill as much as on personality. While it’s great to hire the best in the field, it may not necessarily be worth the effort if their personality doesn’t mesh with yours. Make a list of experience and personality traits that are a must to help guide the decision-making process.

Ask questions to a sense of the developer’s strengths and weaknesses. Veer away from trivia-related questions, and do make use of open-ended questions. Experience matters, but what is their capacity for learning via attending tech conferences and learning new program languages? Are they proactive or reactive in their career? How have they handled conflicts in the past? Why are they the best fit for assisting in the development of your niche website? It can also be enlightening to ask the developer to walk you through their process when working with a client.

Start with a Small Project

Consider starting with a small project, such as a landing page. That way, you reduce the risk of too much time and money invested should disappointment result with the developer’s work. It’s okay to hire slowly, but don’t hesitate to fire quickly. If the developer seems to be a good fit, it’s a natural progression to give the projects as they earn your trust and respect.

Even if you do have decent skills when it comes to customizing your website’s theme, it’s always advisable to have a working relationship with a developer you can depend upon for those times when their skillset is needed or for when you simply don’t have the time to invest in working on your niche website.

What advice would you offer when it comes to finding the best web developer for your niche?