7 EASY STEPS TO HIRE A WEB DEVELOPER

 How to hire a Web Developer 

Creating a website isn't difficult, but ensuring it stays up and running while providing the latest in terms of functionality requires consistent work. Before you begin looking for a developer to hire, you should determine if you need a developer on a part-time or full-time basis.

In this article, you will find a step by step guide on how to find a web developer for your project and get it done without spending over budget.

#1. Define your requirements

The first step to hiring a web developer for your business is to clearly define the tasks you need the developer to perform. Upgrading your server will require an entirely different workflow and personnel than adding custom functionality to your site. By establishing your requirements in advance, you'll make the process of finding the right developer easier. You'll have a picture of the end results in your mind and the steps needed to get there. This will allow you to quickly filter possible candidates according to the skillset and experience that are most relevant to your business. Developers come with diverse backgrounds but typically center their focus in one of the following areas, frontend, backend or full-stack.

#2. Finding necessary specialists

When you are looking for web programmers for hire, consider that you hire a technological partner who will become a part of your business for several years, providing your project with ongoing technical support and implementing further website improvements. Thus you need to hire web developers very carefully.

#3. Prepare your website

Once you've determine your web development requirements, you'll need to prepare your website for the project. Here are some steps to ensure that everything is ready for when the developer begins their work.

• Create temporary user accounts- By creating a temporary user account your developers will be able to access the system while you maintain control. You can assign user-based permissions according to what the project entails. This will determine exactly what the developer is able to see and do.
• Provide access to cPanel- Your web developer will need access to the dashboard used to manage your web hosting server. This will allow them to develop files, install third-party software and view server logs.
• Provide access to FTP- File transfer protocol is used to transfer files between computers. Your web developer may need FTP access to add files to your server or make changes to your website.
• Create a test website- With a test website, the developer can try out different things to get a better idea of how to effectively implement changes to your live site. No matter how skilled your web developer is, the development process may temporarily impair functionality. If this were to happen on your live site it would result in an unnecessary loss of revenue. But with a test site, the developer can work out the kinks while your business remains unaffected.

#4. Write a detailed job posting

A detailed job posting is important to both your business and the interested developers. By including all the important details, qualified candidates will come across your posting when searching for work, helping you find the best talent. If however, your job posting is missing important details, the developer may have expectations for the project that do not actually meet what you are looking to achieve.

#5. Select a working model

Depending on the complexity and scope of your web development project, you may choose among the following models of cooperation:

• The project- based- This model includes a predefined scope of work and established timeframes. Also, the web development team is responsible for all project management as well as the choice of technological solutions. In this business model, all responsibilities are on the web development team.
• A dedicated team business model- works best if you need to implement complex functions to your websites, such as cloud storage integration, or AI Chabot development but want to save time and costs on hiring in house specialists.
• Outstaff or extended team- is best for developing big projects while staying within the project's budget. Also for active cooperation, you'll need to have an in-house CTO and project manager since with Outstaff model you'll be responsible for tasks assignments, management and leading web developers from the technical management side. In this model all responsibility, validation and control are the customers.

#6. Choose payment model

If you decide to work with a single web developer or web development team, you will need to pay them salary every month like regular workers. The same is necessary for both outstaff and dedicated team working models. You can choose between:

• Fixed price model
• Time and material, known as pay as you go

#7. Ask for documentation and a logbook

When finalizing the deliverables for the project, you should make it clear to the developer that you want documentation for all the work performed during the job. With a detailed logbook, you can see exactly what has been fixed, added, removed or deprecated. The developer can also leave any notes related to security or other changes that they made. Without a detailed logbook, you would need to look through the source code directly to see the change history. This can make it difficult to apply modifications should any issues come up.

Whether you need to make small changes to your website, build a web app, or a social network with cloud storage and many third-party integrations, you can easily find a web developer for hire.

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Written by: Antony Moturi

DJ | Social Media Specialist | Online Marketer | Content Creator | Sound Engineer