How not to Mistake while Hiring Web Developers: Tips, Options, and More

With businesses, across sizes and industries, going digital – now more than ever – the need for making a web presence is imperative. A web presence doesn’t just act as a badge of genuinity for businesses but also acts as a platform for people to know about the brand offering and a point of contact. 

While with over 1.18 billion websites in the world, we have crossed the point where we convince you to build a website, it is important to talk about the need for hiring custom web developers instead of picking it up as a DIY project, especially when your entire digital image is at stake. 

In this article, we are going to look into the entire process of hiring a web developer, extensively. But first thing’s first. It’s important to know why you should hire a web developer in the first place, amidst the growing popularity of DIY platforms like Wix and WordPress, etc. 

Why hire a web developer?

Web development is in high demand especially now that the world has taken a digital route in the pandemic era. And in response, the demand for web developers has also seen a sharp rise around the globe.

Save time and cost 

For a non-technical person handling web development, the process can be very complex and daunting even with the presence of popular DIY platforms. Modern-day websites call for immersive features additions and technological additions – both factors call for a monetary and time dependency. 

When you hire a web developer, you get a resource that is skilled enough to make a website in a cost and time-efficient manner. They won’t just make the website but even add it with all the latest technologies and best SEO practices ensuring it is ready for the world.

Get a distinctive web platform

The majority of drag and drop platforms come with set templates that businesses can choose from. This leads to an event where the probability of some websites looking the same increases. 

When you hire a web developer, you get a custom-made website that is aligned with the brand identity and guidelines. The web designers and developers work on a distinctive design and logo which doesn’t just help create a unique image but also attract investor attention.

Get SEO advantage

A skilled web developer works around built-in SEO algorithms which they know work to help the website get visibility in search engines and rank on SERPs. They come up with an SEO strategy that they incorporate in every aspect of the website, ensuring that you have a very strong foundation when it comes to building a brand presence. 

Get continuous maintenance and support 

When you hire a web developer, you get to partner with a person who will stick around to ensure that your website runs smoothly even after it has been made live. They constantly monitor your website and look for glitches and issues as a way to be proactive when it comes to ensuring the website’s success. 

Getting this 24*7 support becomes very difficult when you temporarily change a team member’s job role to build a website. Moreover, it can be very challenging for a non-tech person to understand what the issue is with a particular website and then resolve it in real-time.

Now that we have looked into the reasons why you should hire a web developer, it is time to get into the basics – the different types of web developers. 

What are the different types of web developers?

When it comes to hiring web developers, it is important to consider the type of developer who would best meet your present business goals. Let us look into that in this section. 

According to experience level

• Trainee – 0-1 year of experience with familiarity with one framework or language.
• Middle experts – 2-4 years of experience across the complete SDLC
• Senior developer – 5+ years of experience in specific or multiple web projects
• Lead developer – 8+ years of experience in varied web development domains

According to job type

• Frontend Developers – They are the experts who specialize in building the user interface that the website users interact with. Their main objective is to build an interface that the users would love to interact with and pay for.
  Typically, they should be well-versed with these technologies:
  
• Backend Developers – They are the experts who specialize in building website components on the server side. They make it possible for the users to get their queries addressed in real-time.
  

Typically, they should be well-versed with these technologies:

• Full-stack Developers – The full-stack web development engineers specialize in working on both frontend and backend frameworks. They carry the skill sets in creating both server-side and client-side architecture.
  

Pointers to be planned before hiring a web developer

Before you go on to hire a web developer, there are a range of questions that you need to know the answer to. 

The project scope

It will be difficult to know what kind of web developer you require until you know the scope of your web project. 

• Simple – These would mean building a simple website from scratch or upgrading around basic elements such as the addition of buttons, new page addition, etc.
• Medium  – These projects can include solutions around the online marketplace, static or dynamic applications, and multiple third-party integrations. 
• Complex – These web projects require complex feature sets, multiple-platform integration, technology additions, etc. 

Developers’ skills 

On the basis of the scope of the project, you should define the developers’ skills. Whether you want them to be full-stack developers or frontend or you need their help only with backend – all these decisions should be made before looking for a developer. 

Working model 

The next and most crucial step that you need to finalize before looking for a developer is to select the work model you want to go with. Usually, you get three options to choose from – 

• Freelance developers
  They are self-employed coders who work on ad-hoc grounds. They can be the best choice when you need small tasks to be covered in less time. What can be challenging, however, is hiring them for complex projects or ones where collaboration is needed with other developers since they work in a highly individualized manner.
  You can look for freelance web developers on these platforms – Toptal, Upwork, and Fiverr.
• In-house teams
  Your next option is to hire a team of developers in-house. This way, you have complete control on the project and the work the developers are doing in the long run. However, the problem with this approach is the costs involved. Even when there is no work to be done on the website, you will have to pay their salaries, accommodate their sick leave, and pay for their space in the office.

You can look for in-house web developers on these platforms – LinkedIn, StackOverFlow, Indeed, Dice

• Outsource
  The third and last option that a business generally has is in terms of outsourcing of the project. You can contact an offshore web development service provider and hire them to help you with the web project for as long as it lasts and then reconnect with them at the time of maintenance and upgrade. 

  Out of all these options, outsourcing of the web project emerges as the best choice available to the businesses. Let us look into the work model in some details. 

What do you need to know about outsourcing web development projects?

Outsourcing your web development project, while a great option when it comes to cost and time, needs careful consideration. Let us look into the different aspects of outsourcing the web project. 

The outsourcing benefits

The benefits of outsourcing web development ranges from timely delivery of the project to access to multiple skill sets. 

• Cost benefits: When you outsource the development project to an agency, you get to save on the cost you would be paying for salary, office space, health benefits, etc. 
• Dedicated support: The agency works dedicatedly on your project with all the resources focusing single-handedly on your needs. Unlike in-house teams, they don’t have the distractions of getting pulled into multiple directions. 
• Access to multiple skillsets: An agency gets you to access to not just developers but also designers, QA team, deployment experts, and SEO experts. This gets you end-to-end web development services under one roof. 

The partnership models

When it comes to outsourcing software projects, there are two options that businesses generally choose from.

• Dedicated team: In this model, the developer works as a part of the in-house team where they work out of the client’s office till the project is completed. The option is best suited for businesses that work in alignment with their legacy system.
• Fixed price: In this model, the scope of the project is discussed and the agency tells the price quote and timeline on the basis of the resource and time dependency. This model is best suited for projects where the scope is fixed and won’t need any update.

Factors to consider

Outsourcing your project to an outside agency requires thorough deliberations, especially when it comes to finalizing the best web development agency. 

• Work quality check
  It is crucial for an entrepreneur to look into the work the agency has done before in the space they want the project to be in. You should look into reviewing websites like Clutch, Appfutura, etc. to check what feedback and review the agency’s past clients have given about them. 
• Team’s skillset
  It goes without saying that the developers should be well-versed with both the latest technologies and the up-and-coming industry-specific trends. Only when the developers understand the software and industry space inside out, will they be able to build an intuitive product.
• Vibe check
  Your team will be working with the agency’s during the entire project duration. In this aspect, it is very important that they have the right soft skills to make their point heard without being dismissive of your pointers. Talk to the people who will be working on your project before you finalize the agency.
• Project cost
  The development cost is one of the crucial choose or leave decisions when it comes to finalizing an agency. Before agreeing to a cost, look into what you are paying for – the experience, timeliness of project delivery, and support. Once you are comfortable with these aspects look into your budget and then come to a decision. 

As you can gather from the above map, India is one of the most cost-effective options when it comes to outsourcing software projects. Now, in India, there is one web development company that works heavily on the dedicated team model – DianApps.

Why choose DianApps for your web development project?

DianApps is a team of expert web developers who have years of experience with different industries and use cases. We have been helping startups and businesses from across the world establish a strong web presence across a range of different industries, both traditional and upcoming. 

We use time-tested languages and frameworks to not just create an immersive website but also scale it into a massive digital presence. Our web development services generally lies with (but are not limited to):

• PWAs
• Websites
• Responsive Apps
• Software re-architecting. 

Our team of developers specializes in converting innovative ideas into a reality that ranks on top of the SERPs and acts as a revenue magnet. 

Parting notes

As you have seen throughout the article, the need for hiring web developers is evident. But what is more crucial is to take the right decision when it comes to hiring the developers, especially when you take the outsourcing route. We hope that the article gave you the insights you needed for hiring a web developer for your project. 

If you have any queries around how the dedicated team model works or are looking for a developer to work from on-site, reach out to us at hello@dianapps.com