Are you looking for professional WordPress development services? Before making your choice, it is important to look for a company that possesses these qualities.
What to Look for in a WordPress Development Company
WordPress is a highly sought-after system, and the demand for developers is at a high. In fact, in 2021, 39.5 percent of all websites are powered by WordPress, up from just 35 percent the year prior. This represents about 64 million websites in total, with more than 400 million WordPress website visitors every month. Continuing this upward trend, it wouldn’t be surprising if WordPress were to take over half of the population of websites in the coming years.
Given the popularity and obvious appeal of WordPress, most business owners want to use it for their own websites. But, WordPress website development takes more than just a passing knowledge of the system. It requires the help of professional WordPress services. The real question is, though, “Which one?”
There are many companies and agencies offering WordPress development either a la carte or as part of a larger package. But, simply searching for a developer online and picking the first one you see is a foolish method. When making such an important decision, you must take more than just searchability into account.
These are the qualities you should look for in a WordPress development company:
1. Knows Their Stuff
Good WordPress development companies are experts in their field — masters of their craft.
They know all the scripts, programs, plugins, and themes but won’t intentionally confuse you with the language. Instead, they use their know-how to create your ideal website. Sure, they might use unfamiliar jargon every now and again, but not with the deliberate aim to make things more complicated for you. Simple explanations are best, and these experts know it.
When it comes to specific topics, look for a developer who knows PHP, which is the most important coding language used in WordPress. A good developer should also have a good grasp of CSS and WordPress APIs. Make it a point to ask your candidates about these three things to determine whether or not they are worth hiring.
2. Understands Your Needs and Requirements
Not all clients are made equal. Your needs may not exactly match, or even remotely match, those of other clients’. A good WordPress development company knows this and adjusts its services according to your individual requirements. When looking for an agency or company, ask about their process. How do they evaluate and understand your needs? What steps will they take to ensure they meet your requirements?
Beyond your needs, a good developer will also make an effort to understand your business’s customers. After all, they are designing a website for your customers, so they should keep the target audience in mind. This should be the plan from the get-go or else you will just be wasting time redoing the design over and over again in trial and error.
3. Efficient and Responsive
Far too many clients ask for a specific design or functionality from their WordPress developers only to be left waiting for months on end. Worse yet, when they eventually do come up with results, they are less than satisfactory. This type of delay or back-and-forth can only affect your business in a negative way. Thus, it is imperative to look for a company that is both responsive and efficient.
When interviewing candidates, ask how they respond to their client’s requests and feedback. What system do they have in place to ensure a short waiting time? How often do they miss or postpone deadlines? Your business hinges on the efficiency of your back-end components, so it is only reasonable to expect the best from your back-end developers.
4. Follows the Highest Industry Standards
You don’t want a developer that only gives the bare minimum and ignores the standards set by the industry. Instead, you want a developer that strictly adheres to these standards. What does this mean exactly?
WordPress requires that you use safe and secure coding strategies to protect your end-users. If a development company doesn’t use such strategies, then they are not worth your time. Look for a developer that prioritizes security and takes every necessary step to ensure the protection of both you and your customers.
5. Considers the Trends
The technological realm can be highly volatile. Practices and standards can evolve so you must make sure to catch up. The same goes for your WordPress website development company.
A good developer keeps up with the changing trends and knows how to incorporate them. Failing to keep up with trends can quickly make your website obsolete or appear dated.
6. Takes Pride in Delivering Quality Results
Look for a WordPress developer that takes pride in their work and is committed to providing you with consistently excellent results. It is important to learn how they approach quality control. What steps do they take to ensure the best possible results? Ask them to share their detailed methodology with you. When the time comes for you to replace certain aspects of your website (or even in its entirety), can they make that happen?
7. Won’t Leave You Hanging
WordPress releases several updates throughout the year, and some of them could render your website inoperative. Other updates, those of the security kind, can make your website unsafe for end-users. A good WordPress development agency, though, won’t just make your website and then leave it at that. They will examine the updates and make any necessary changes to your website to keep it optimized.
8. Good Communicator
Development companies deal with people all the time — whether in the form of clients or their own staff. As such, good communication skills are a critical quality. Your developer should keep you in the loop at all times and provide you with important updates.
They should reasonably respond to your requests and questions as well as offer you a timeline of projects. Beyond that, a good WordPress development company knows how to communicate with its employees and delegate tasks in an efficient manner.
9. Dedicated to Customer Satisfaction
As with any business, customer satisfaction is king. Thus, you naturally want a company that values what its clients think of its services. A quick search for online reviews will tell you everything you need to know about how a WordPress web design agency handles customer satisfaction.
The Value of Professional Assistance
WordPress development is an area that often requires a professional’s touch. While you can, in theory, set up a website with no prior knowledge on the subject matter, it will only get tougher and more complicated without expert help. When searching for a developer, though, make sure to keep these qualities in mind.
Thankfully, Tanner Grey possesses all these qualities and more. Call us today at 844.500.1339 or contact us online to get a free estimate.
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