So you have heard you need a website for your business right? Or perhaps you heard you need to make a WordPress website.
On the surface, it sounds pretty simple. But if you are serious about getting a website for your business, you need to consider looking into a WordPress developer. There are several reasons why you would not want to undertake the task of designing and configuring a WordPress site alone.
First of all, if you are trying to save money, you will likely end up spending more in the end. If your site is not done correctly, the result could be catastrophic for any business. A good example would be a big box store that did WordPress updates themselves and ended up breaking their website, which could cost them huge amounts of money, not to mention the headaches.
In addition, WordPress sites need to be constantly updated to keep them safe from hackers. Even WordPress apps have been hacked before so WordPress sites are not completely safe. WordPress is open-source, which means everyone can see the code and figure out how to hack it.
So, let’s explore the basics to help you answer the question: When do I need to hire a WordPress Developer?
What is WordPress and How My Business Can Use It?
WordPress is a blogging and content management system (CMS), which means WordPress can create your website, handle your content, and even your e-commerce components. WordPress comes with several widgets that allow you to add calendars, rotate images, galleries, and more. WordPress themes can be easily configured which makes WordPress such a popular platform for businesses.
With so many benefits from using a WordPress site, WordPress is a great platform for businesses of all types. WordPress can even be used to create social media content or marketing campaigns. WordPress users can add any plugins they want which extend WordPress’s capabilities even more.
WordPress developers are people who understand WordPress and how it works. WordPress site designers sometimes focus more on design, but many WordPress design agencies can make WordPress sites.
WordPress doesn’t have to be complicated, but WordPress designers are the ones who understand WordPress best.
For example, they can make WordPress easily configure WordPress plugins with WordPress widgets or even WordPress themes. If you want your site to do something specific, WordPress designers are the ones who will know how to make it happen for you.
WordPress developers can also provide you with WordPress support if WordPress problems arise. WordPress developer services often include WordPress support so WordPress site owners do not have to worry about WordPress problems. WordPress developers can also handle WordPress updates for your site, among other WordPress tasks.
What Do WordPress Developers Do?
In a nutshell, WordPress developers figure out how WordPress works and how to create the best solution for your particular needs. This might mean adding a plugin or customizing your theme. In addition, WordPress developers are up-to-date on WordPress security best practices so they can keep WordPress sites secure.
WordPress developers also know how to optimize WordPress for quick load times and SEO. This means their knowledge of technical SEO comes into play as well.
This means your site will have a better chance of being discovered by search engines and your WordPress site visitors won’t be stuck waiting long to load up your website.
Your other SEO marketing efforts will improve, too. WordPress developers know WordPress best, which means when you hire a WordPress developer, your WordPress site will be better optimized for search engines.
You Need a Custom Website for Your Business
So, maybe you need to add something to your existing website, such as the ability to sell products on your website.
You will need to be able to track inventory, securely collect customer information, process payments, and synchronize with your shipping process.
This is one example of where a WordPress developer would come in. The developer would specialize in WordPress e-commerce to create a customized WordPress website for your business.
Or maybe your website needs to have a customer portal for your clients to log in securely and access information? You would not want to go at this alone, as there are many things to consider when setting this up.
You would want a WordPress developer to create a WordPress customer portal as WordPress is very customizable.
You Need a Special Application Based on WordPress
Since WordPress is so robust, you can even use the platform to host custom applications as well.
Using the framework for the ‘user interface’ is the start, but you would need custom code configured properly – as well as server settings – to get your custom application to work for the end-users.
You might need WordPress developers to create WordPress applications for your specific business needs.
You may also want to develop a custom plugin for a function for your website – such as displaying live shipping rates. WordPress developers are the best WordPress experts to hire for this type of WordPress work.
Or you may want to connect your website front-end to live data feeds from third-party sites or API. This is not for amateurs for sure.
A WordPress developer would be able to get the code to communicate properly, and securely to your WordPress site.
These examples show how robust the platform can be, and also show the need for a professional to handle this part of your website.
When Do You Need a WordPress Developer?
Now that you understand WordPress and what WordPress developers do, it’s time to explore when you may need one. Rushing into a WordPress site can be disastrous because if you are not an expert, your site could have problems down the line.
WordPress can be a great platform, but WordPress is also open-source which means WordPress code is available to everyone.
WordPress developers know how to use WordPress so your WordPress site will work properly and not have security issues.
Sometimes a basic website may be needed. Hiring a developer for this may also be a good idea.
Some designs you like may need to be modified to function the way you want them. While a designer may make it look good, a developer will also set up the configuration properly.
WordPress Developer or Web Designer?
So by now, you may be wondering what the difference is between a WordPress developer and a web designer.
Well, a lot of times they can be the same professional. Web designers may also have experience with the coding and security side of WordPress, this may also be considered a WordPress developer.
But the terms are often used interchangeably. The main thing to remember is that WordPress developers know WordPress from both a design and development perspective.
When you have a WordPress website it’s important to keep WordPress updated to the latest versions, as well as have your hosting server configured correctly so WordPress can operate quickly and securely.
These WordPress settings are crucial to your WordPress site not being hacked. WordPress developers will know these WordPress security settings as well as the WordPress update process.
So if you need to update WordPress, or configure WordPress hosting servers correctly for fast performance, then WordPress developers are a great option to help you with this!
Having said that, WordPress developers can also configure WordPress hosting servers for optimal performance. WordPress website speed is a crucial element to overall WordPress success.
So, WordPress developers have both design and development experience on WordPress. They may be able to handle all of your WordPress needs – or work with designers and other WordPress specialists that you hire for more complicated jobs.
Hire the Right WordPress Developer
So, now you are ready to go. You now know you need to hire a developer to complete your project, well, what should you look for to be sure you get the right professional for your business?
First, you need someone that is a WordPress expert. You don’t just want someone to update WordPress or WordPress security settings correctly – you want them to be familiar with common practice and up-to-date standards.
Second, get a WordPress developer that will sit down with you and show you not only their previous work – but get their professional opinion on what your WordPress site should do for your business.
Lastly, WordPress developers may not be cheap – but the saying is true that you get what you pay for. WordPress developers are typically more expensive because they have proven successful experience working on WordPress sites.
You want to hire someone with this kind of WordPress background, or else you risk wasting your money!
WordPress is a wonderful CMS that allows for hundreds of different designs and functions. WordPress developers know how to create WordPress themes, they also know WordPress security issues and WordPress updates.
If you need any WordPress services – don’t hire just anyone! WordPress developers are experts when it comes to the WordPress platform, so they are worth hiring.
Ready to hire right now? Schedule a consultation with us to get your project started on the right foot today!
