WordPress has been around for more than a decade and it has been the go-to choice of several online businesses ranging from small to enterprise in scale. Only in recent time has WP become a preferred development platform for most websites, however, it quickly became a must-have on nearly all upgraded and new web-assemble nowadays.
As such, site owners want only the latest features, not to mention, only the most competent developers.
The problem is, deciding who to hire can be problematic, simply because of the fact that entrepreneurs overlook some of the features that are essential when choosing a company.
To help you save time and money, we’ve gathered a few must-qualities that you should keep an eye on when browsing different online profiles for your upcoming WordPress development project.
Things to Know Upfront
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If you’ve spent any time in the digital realm as a site owner, you probably know that basically, WP is one of the simplest ways to hook yourself up with a blog page or a website.
As you may know, a pretty substantial of sites available today run on WordPress. You may also know that it’s an open-source option, meaning that anyone with the proper knowledge can create their slightly modified version of the core platform for free, along with added functionality and plugins.
WP started out as a go-to tool for blogging and now, it comes with literally tons of different plugins and themes, which makes development with the platform fast and streamlined.
With such features, WordPress literally became a household name in web development circles overnight, to the point, that you have specific agencies that specialize in the subtle art of WordPress development exclusively, such as the full-service digital agency PopArt Studio.
Site owners will often get a bit confused when it comes to everything a WordPress website can potentially offer. There’s an abundance of options and often too little available documentation.
So, instead of trying to figure out these processes for themselves, they opt for the help of professionals. However, the question begs to be answered: what makes a pro a pro?
Finding the Best of the Best
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It’s not a secret that there are web developers out there who simply oppose even the idea of WordPress. Unfortunately, some of them think that the platform is only for amateurs who only need to know how to install plugins and upload themes without any code-writing knowledge. And, while WP did bring everyone closer to the world of web development by offering a lower entry point, so to speak, the above statement is far from the truth.
Professional WP agencies are composed of experts who don’t only install plugins and change themes. They also create custom modules and plugins for the platform. With their extensive knowledge of all the functionality and themes available in the WP ecosystem (not to mention, coding knowledge in PHP) these experts can cater to your website’s every need and can help you present your brand in the best light possible online.
They Have a Rock Solid Web Strategy
An agency that has no project plan isn’t necessarily predestined to fail, but will surely make a lot of mistakes and delays in any project.
First of all, an expert WP web development agency will lay out the cards as soon as possible, offering you a straightforward and clear strategy that will ensure that your business gets adequate online presence and will get the brand representation it needs to stay afloat on the market while building trust with your customers at the same time.
A good agency knows how to create a website that will help you with your conversions and they will be able to explain every step of their strategy with ease. As such, you should do your own homework as well, by verifying the techniques they’ve mentioned in their strategy abstract, as well as take a look at how they stack up against the objectives you wish to achieve.
Also, their methodology should outline such details as project deadline, budget estimates, and other crucial elements. As such, you are also encouraged to prepare yourself for reviewing these strategies. More precisely, you should also be aware of your required budget, possible resource limitations, and other details of your project. Having realistic expectations based on your own objectives, preferences, and allocatable funds can significantly reduce the time required to find the best WordPress Development agency for the job.
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They are Okay about you Checking out the Company Portfolio and going Beyond
One of the first things you should do is checking out the companies’ credentials and previous work. Be thorough and study every highlighted project. Also, you can ask whether they have anything else because mostly, portfolios are comprised of their best projects.
If the WP web agency is truly among the best in the industry, they will, without hesitation give you the list of their past projects, and might even give you a glimpse into their current projects.
The next thing you should keep an eye out for is honesty. A self-confident team of developers will admit if their projects were a result of different collaborations (like doing only the site development or the design).
Also, they won’t be hesitant to give you the contact info of their previous and current clients to ask around about them. A confident team usually stands behind everything they do, and if you’ve found such a company, you can be sure that your project will be in the right hands.
They are Available and Helpful
The digital business world sometimes seems like a rat race where agencies can’t seem to take a break, or even worse, never seem to be available for their clients.
We’ve all heard stories about the “inaccessible” development agency, that’s almost impossible to get a hold of but will come knocking first thing when your payments are due.
If you want a good WP development agency, make sure to find a team that will be upfront about how they take care of your project.
Those agencies who also give you a telephone number along with an email address are a great start. Ask about turnaround times for messages, and ask about the way they deal with emergency changes.
On the other hand, you also need to be realistic. You don’t want to be “that client” who bangs on the door every other day with new changes and wants to know the nature of every small change and detail. Respect isn’t a one-way street, so having faith in your dev team can go a long way in ensuring your project’s success. Sometimes, the best development teams won’t tolerate clingy and too “evasive” clients and turn their projects down even mid-way.
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The Agency has the Capacity for Your Project
A solid WP development company will have the man-power to complete your project on time and will always have somebody around to take care of site maintenance if needed.
We’re not saying that you should only partner with large companies, even a smaller agency can be efficient enough to take up and handle several projects at a time, only try to figure out whether they will be able to give your website the attention it needs.
They won’t be Necessarily Cheap
You know the old saying: You get what you pay for. You might also know that things aren’t so black and white when it comes to web development, however, you should be familiar with the fact that cutting expenses to save a few bucks, in the end, can do more potential harm in the long run than stretching your development budget a little further out.
We get it, expenses can be a steep ride when it comes to good development companies. However, good solutions and designs never come for free.
That being said, a great WP development team will probably charge you a considerable amount of money.
And because it’s only natural for you to want to know what you’re spending your heard-earned cash on, a good development company will more often than not, justify their price by sending over case studies with previous clients, showing examples of successful projects, with traceable ROI (return on investment) and other important metrics.
Even in these cases, you may think that you’re paying too much. But, think about it this way:
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They Understand the Importance of the Human Factor
A good agency in the digital realm, no matter whether specializing in web design, web dev, marketing, or anything else, will always understand that at the end of the day, behind every project there’s a person with their own objectives and motives.
A professional agency will be flexible when it comes to last-minute changes, or if you need to put the project on hold because of a financial (or any other) emergency. Great teams know the true meaning of a rock-solid partnership and a good reputation.
They are Competent
No matter whether you are working with a WP development agency, a team of PPC specialists, social media marketers, or automation marketing experts, open communication and transparency are two major backbones of a lasting partnership. As such, you know you managed to hire a great team when you are notified about every step that’s being made during the development process.
They are also experts. They have the technical knowledge mastering technologies like CSS, JavaScript, PHP, HTML, ASP, or Perl.
For starters, HTML is the core and most rudimentary aspect of any website and as such, every developer should be fluent in it. CSS is the first element responsible for the visual representation of the website and a crucial element for every front-end WP developer.
JavaScript is also crucial as it adds interactive components to the website. As such, your developers should be proficient in all these technologies and it definitely won’t hurt if team members also know how to use Github, Bootstrap, SQL, and other day-to-day techs, like Elementor, WordPress API, and Gutenberg Editor.
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They Know That A Strong Digital Presence in an Ongoing Battle
As in, they are pretty much aware of the fact that finishing up a website is only a part of a winning digital strategy.
For starters, they know that SEO or search engine optimization is another crucial aspect. Page visibility is without any doubt, a huge precursor to success with numerous factors determining ranking.
A good WP development team knows that considering content, site security, and even other factors like keyword density is imperative during the development cycle.
Lastly, a good WP development agency will also help you with hosting and will understand the importance of your website as the center of your entire digital ecosystem. A truly good development agency might even not be limited to WordPress and might even offer other digital services, taking care of your social channels and other digital processes, ensuring that your presence becomes/remains strong.
Putting it All Together
Without a doubt, finding the perfect agency can be a time-consuming task even when you know where to look, especially if you don’t really know what your needs are. As said above, your work becomes a lot easier once you are fully aware of the objectives and parameters of your project. Chances are, a smaller project can even be hammered out by a smaller agency with a less-established reputation. However, if you are planning a huge overhaul or want to start from scratch, you should team up with the best people you can find.
That being said, look for a team that will be available, that has the knowledge and the competency to hammer out your project, and knows the importance of open communication and transparency.
