How To Hire a Web Developer for Ecommerce Sites

A study by Top Design Firms shows that 42% of people will leave a website because of poor functionality. If you want to retain more customers and convert them into buyers, you may have to improve your website functionality in 2022.

Who’s going to do that for you? You guessed right — an ecommerce website developer.

If you’ve never built a website before, it can be a scary experience the first time you do it. However, hiring a developer can be simple if you know the right actions to take.

Want to know more? Read on to discover:

• Benefits of Hiring a Website Developer for Your Ecommerce Website
• Guide for Hiring a Web Developer
• What To Look For in a Good Web Developer
• Final Thoughts: How To Hire Ecommerce Web Developers for Your Website

Benefits of Hiring a Website Developer for Your Ecommerce Website

Before we show you how to hire a web developer, let's look at some advantages you'll enjoy hiring a web developer to build custom features for your ecommerce website.

They are the following:

1. Saves you plenty of time — Instead of learning how to build a functionality yourself, you're better off outsourcing it to someone who already can. It also speeds up your project. If you're a startup or small business, it can save you tons of money, too.
2. Experience and industry best practices — An experienced developer is more likely to build a robust ecommerce website while following industry best practices like SEO and responsive design.
3. Support — Instead of hiring a full-time developer, you can hire a freelancer who also offers support and delivers updates after completing the project.
4. New technologies — Most website developers keep up with emerging technologies. Hiring one for your ecommerce website also ensures you use the latest tools and assets, keeping your website user experience refreshing.
5. Better design ideas — You may already know what you want your ecommerce website to look like, but an external developer will also show you other awe-inspiring features you can add.

Guide for Hiring a Web Developer

Hiring a developer can be a daunting process, especially if it's your first time building a functional website for your ecommerce business. But as we’ll show you here, it’s nothing to worry about if you use the right approach.

Here are some essential steps you need to take to pick an outstanding web designer:

1. Create a Project Plan for Your Website

Before you go out and hire a developer, first make clear what you’re trying to achieve.

An imperfect plan is better than no plan, especially if you’re adding custom features to your ecommerce website.

Planning helps you in several ways:

• It helps you determine the changes you need to make and write a better job description for the task.
• It helps you save time, set clear expectations for your developer, and determine the scope of your project.
• A project plan also helps you distribute tasks efficiently across all your team members.

2. Create a Budget for Your Project

Once you’ve figured out all the action steps you need to take for your website project, you can set a budget for it. Budgeting is a critical element in this process because it helps allocate resources appropriately across your project timeframe.

If you’re planning to overhaul your entire website, that may cost much more than tweaking a few features. Also, adding more back-end features, APIs, or app development will cost you a bit more than changing your website's template, color scheme, or user interface.

Moreover, big projects cost more than smaller projects. For example, a back-end plugin that auto-calculates tax will cost you more than a client intake form builder for your new landing page.

3. Determine the Type of Developer You Need

For your project to succeed, you’ll need to hire an appropriate developer for the job. Often, this developer will be someone with the ideal skill set and knowledge in programming languages that solve your unique website problem or build what you need.

Do you want to change your website theme? Go for a frontend developer or a website designer. Ideally, a frontend developer with web design skills and knowledge in HTML, CSS, and Javascript can also be an excellent choice.

73.1% of your visitors will leave if your website is not responsive, so don’t ignore front-end work.

Sometimes, you may have a few issues on your front and back end. If you can, get a full-stack developer with PHP, Java, or Python skills to fix your ecommerce website. Also, depending on the scope of your project, you may have to hire a development team.

4. Advertise Your Project To Hire Web Developers

A few years back, you’d have to go through your local classifieds sections and contact every suitable candidate for your website job. In 2022, it’s much more manageable. As a business owner, you can advertise your job on many job boards and quickly get programmers on board.

Here are some of them:

• Codeable for WordPress Developers.
• Upwork for freelance web developers.
• Toptal for high-quality developers (might be pricier).
• Craigslist, although old, still has some outstanding developers.
• LinkedIn.

5. Evaluate Suitable Developers for Your Project

After posting your job, you’ll receive numerous applications. If you have several prospective hires, how do you test them for suitability?

Here are some questions to guide you through the hiring process:

• Do they meet your technical skill requirements?
• How quickly can you reach them? How well do they respond?
• Do your applicants have excellent communication skills?
• What’s in their portfolios?
• What do their previous clients say about them?

Give them a paid test to see how they perform and respond. That’s another great indicator of future behavior.

6. Run Your Project from Start to Finish

Now that you’ve selected your ideal candidate from a pool of developers:

• Set up a meeting to discuss the details of the project and address any questions your new hire may have.
• Create Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to keep track of progress on your project management timeline.
• Agree on a payment schedule for your developer. It could be an hourly rate or a fee. Also, pay the first deposit to show commitment.
• Monitor and assess progress according to your OKRs.
• Conduct a final review and finish your payment when you’re satisfied with the result.

What To Look For in a Good Web Developer

Here are some qualities a good developer will have:

• A clear and straightforward approach to web development projects.
• Experience, often backed by a portfolio of previous work.
• Works within your budget estimates.
• Communicates and collaborates with other team members.
• Pays attention to details.

Final Thoughts: How To Hire Ecommerce Web Developers for Your Website

If you follow these steps, you’ll end up working with some of the best minds in the market and adding website features that increase your conversions significantly. Your project will also be seamless, timely, and successfully fit your business needs.

Or you can avoid that whole process altogether.

Instead, get started with the Managed WooCommerce today and cut your time to market by more than half. It takes the complexity out of building and maintaining a website, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned ecommerce business owner.

Check out Managed WooCommerce to get started today.