Companies are focusing towards websites because it is their second most used marketing channel. So it is a no-brainer that web developers are hotcakes. But it’s not a cakewalk to hire a web developer with little effort.

In the USA alone, 2,50,000 web developers are already working. High on demand and high competition. Do you already feel pressured?

Don’t lose your calm. We got our hands dirty, went the extra mile, and crafted this web developer hiring guide to save you time, energy, and money.

What is web development, and what are the responsibilities of a web developer?

To put it simply, web development is the process of creating and maintaining websites; all the hard work goes into making a site appear good, load quickly, and operate effectively while providing a smooth user experience.

Web developers, sometimes known as “devs,” accomplish this goal using a wide range of programming languages. The tasks determine the languages they employ they’re doing and the systems they’re using.

Sometimes people don’t understand the difference between a web developer and a web designer. One who creates the visual style, interface, and functionality of a website is called a web designer. On the other hand, web developers are often referred to as programmers. They are responsible for turning the web design developed by the designers into a fully functional website.

Types of web developers:

Front-end developer: Developers who work on the “front end” of a website, or the section that users see and interact with, are known as “front-end developers.” You may engage such developers to make minor adjustments to your website’s design and layout.
Backend developer: In other words, backend developers are in charge of the inner workings of your website, which are not visible to the user. If you wish to increase your site’s speed, incorporate third-party services into the site’s infrastructure, or fix technical difficulties, you may need the assistance of a professional.
Full-stack developer: Full-stack developers have expertise in building websites’ front and back ends. These experts are in high demand. Hiring a full-stack developer is more cost-effective than hiring separate front-end and backend ones, despite the higher hourly fee.

Why do you need a web developer?

Professional web design

One of the most critical aspects of creating a website is the design. According to the stats, a whopping 75% of your internet trust comes from your website’s design. Your website will likely seem disorganized, unappealing, or even the same as every other site out there if you don’t have a background in design. A competent web developer will have extensive design knowledge and will be able to create a distinctive design for your business that will set you apart from the competition.

Faster loading

It takes time to construct a website properly. It’s not a quick or straightforward task since you need to put a lot of thought into the structure of your site, the look and feel you want to achieve, and the actual implementation of all the features you’ve envisioned. Hiring a professional developer will help you get things done faster since they have the know-how, structure, and focus on moving swiftly through a project without wasting time on unnecessary detours.

Same performance on different browsers & device

A user can visit your website from different browsers and devices. Without proper browser testing and device testing in other devices and browsers, visitors’ experience will not be uniform. A web developer helps to avoid such experiences.

Higher chances to rank on Google

According to Unbounce’s findings, page speed influences customers’ propensity to purchase from an online store. Therefore, as part of the web construction process, a developer should be able to integrate your site via search rankings. Implementing modern SEO strategies into your site will facilitate this, and your site will be Google’s top favorite.

Better website management

When you hire a web developer, he will set up the system to maximize your efficiency. That way, you won’t have to bother him with repeated requests for clarification on things like the precise nature of some photographs or the exact shade for a particular hue.

Web support

Hire a web developer to get the most out of your website, hosting, and domain administration tools. After your site is up, a web developer will do a speed test to ensure it loads quickly for visitors. In addition, hiring a developer for monthly support ensures that the site is always up-to-date and free of any bugs that may have been introduced over time.

Trustworthy and better first impression

No matter how little, any company can gain an advantage over competitors with a well-developed, functional website. Only a professional can improve the customer experience. So, credibility goes up, and users are retained with such a website.

What are the non-negotiable skills of a web developer?

These are the must-have skills of a web developer-

HTML/ CSS knowledge

Fluency in HTML and CSS is a must if you want to go into web development. With these languages under their belt, anyone can build and style a simple website. Web developers fluent in these languages fully grasp the industry’s fundamental building elements. As a result, they have the skills necessary to address common difficulties and problems with websites. In addition, learning these languages prepares you for work in more advanced fields.

Javascript knowledge

Javascript is a must-know for every serious web developer. Web developers often utilize this high-level programming language to add sophisticated website functionality. Some examples of such advanced capabilities include clickable images and maps, dynamic menus and sidebars, dynamic search fields, and embedded videos. For most, JavaScript is needed for websites with dynamic content that may be altered based on the user’s actions or preferences.

Understands testing and debugging importance

Every competent web developer understands the need to check a web app for bugs. The goal of testing is to ensure that your code is operating as intended. Both the testing phase (which determines if there is a problem) and the debugging phase (which determines the root cause) are necessary steps in developing a functional website.

Has analytic skills

Analytical abilities are crucial in the realm of web development and online applications. It’s a technique used by designers to gauge the interests of potential customers while creating a website. In addition, they require an analytical eye for emerging trends to capture the interest of website users.

Aware about SEO

In addition to social media content creation, search engine optimization also involves developing and organizing a website or online application. A skilled web developer knows the importance of search engine optimization in raising a website’s visibility and traffic. In addition, web developers proficient in search engine optimization (SEO) can speed up a company’s growth.

Has a learning attitude

Web developers may be divided into two categories: constantly striving to learn and grow and content that remains stagnant in their expertise. Again, how good team players they are is also something you must know. Therefore, it is essential to look at their soft skills. A candidate with strong communication skills and time management will definitely add value to your team.

How to hire a web developer?

Phrase 1: pre-application

When recruiting a web developer, your main challenge lies in your challenges. So first, understand your company’s challenges and what future you might face. Then, accordingly, set your goals for the hiring.

When you are clear about the goals, point out what types of web developers will address your challenges prominently.

Once you get it all, set the budget. How much does it cost to hire a web developer? It depends on your project goals, requirements, duration, project model, and the types of developers you are looking for. But in India, you can get a freelancer from INR 750/hr to 2500/hr.

Globally the charge varies

WordPress: $3,000 – $15,000
Joomla: $1,500 – $7,000
Website builder: $600 – $2,500
E-commerce: $3,000 – $20,000+

These are the fixed rates.

Once you decide on the budget, it’s time to put everything together and post the job notification.

Phrase 2: assessment of the applicants

In a sea of web developers, how can you pick out exceptional ones? Even with the best hiring strategy in place, it could be a hassle for a busy hiring manager or company owner to evaluate the abilities and authenticity of candidates identified by an applicant tracking system (ATS).

The use of a talent-evaluation website like Testlify becomes relevant here. We provide a reliable, automated, and impartial analysis to aid your search for top personnel. You may choose ‘web developer’ from the Testilify library with 180+ options spanning a broad range of abilities.

You can do the assessment of a web developer by including open-ended inquiries or requesting a recorded video response relevant to the position. Again, you can trust that this method improves the screening process for potential employees.

Phrase 3: shortlisting of the applications

Web developer’s responsibilities:

Creating, managing, or developing websites and software.
Using digital media, apps, management software, scripting or authoring languages, and content production tools.
Keeping up with new Web technologies and coding techniques via education, research, and involvement in conferences, seminars, and organizations.
Fixing issues discovered through consumer input and testing or reporting issues to the proper persons for rectification.
Evaluating technological requirements to determine user needs.

The web developer requirements –

Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in web development, a similar profession, or equivalent experience
Skilled in programming languages- HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and My SQL.
Committed team member.
Possibility of thriving in a hurried setting.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Only an experienced web developer can tick off the job roles and be responsible. So move forward with the best-fitted one.

Phrase 4: technical skill assessment

Asking applicants to take a coding assessment is a brilliant way to gauge their technical skills. You can rapidly see how they handle time and resources, follow directions, communicate, and the quality of their work here. In addition, candidates taking coding exams have a better knowledge of the position they are seeking and get a glimpse of the issues they might encounter daily.

Phrase 5: face-to-face interview

Interviewing at several levels takes a lot of time. Asking web developers role-specific questions, in addition to the usual suspects, can help you find and recruit the most acceptable candidates. Finally, verify each finalist’s claimed experience and skills by checking their references and working experience. You’ve discovered the perfect prospect there.

Phrase 6: onboarding process

Once you add a new team member, the interview is not the last stoppage. A smooth onboarding process will improve your relationship with your employee and enhance your company’s brand image.

Prepare a welcome note. Gather all the required documents for mandatory verifications. Then, do the admin task on the pre-onboarding process to have a friction-free first-day experience.

Freelance or full-time web developer, who do you need to hire?

When hiring a web developer, one of the first considerations is whether to contract with a freelancer or bring on an employee full-time. Of course, the answer to this question will differ depending on your project’s nature.

Freelancing is an excellent option if you need help with a single project. Timeline, cost, and delivery are all agreed upon, and from there, the website is built, and you take over maintenance. In addition, you can work with them again should revisions be necessary. This is the norm for low-maintenance or entirely static websites. However, if you want to handle the day-to-day operations of your website, this is also the best approach.

A full-time web developer is the best option if you require someone to regularly update and maintain your site. This makes sense, for instance, if you’re building a new website with many moving parts, frequent updates, and varied material. However, a permanent position may also be temporary for a certain amount of time or “project-based.”

Here are the top 3 places you can find freelance web developers

Upwork: Freelancing platform Upwork is now the most used platform worldwide. Incredibly user-friendly, with many features, including time monitoring and instantaneous payout for completed goals.
Freelancer.com: It is a website quite like Upwork, except that it has millions of freelancers ready to work remotely. It has many features, including instant messaging and a milestone payout system.
Guru: At Guru., you can choose among more than three million independent contractors, so don’t worry about finding help. Several payment alternatives (per work, milestone, or by the hour) and secure transaction processing are available.

If you want you can hire a part-timer if you are looking for quick fixes.

Quick tips for interviewing a web developer effectively

An interview often becomes an obstacle in hiring. But with the growth of technology, things are changing. Online or video interviews are becoming streamlined. Here are some solid tips for wrapping up your interview faster, ensuring better results-

Give them a clear Job description

Often, a job description is nothing but a clueless paragraph. Cut the crap. Make it crisp so that the applicants can scan and understand the requirements. It will help them to self-assess and set their expectations accordingly.

Let them understand your goals

Don’t beat around the bush. Share your goals with the candidates. So that they can understand if they have the qualities to be on the same page with you.

Shortlist resumes carefully and have an assessment process

Go through the resumes carefully before getting on the interview. But, again, do not skip the skill assessments step- both soft and technical skills.

Schedule the interview and have a rescheduled option

Don’t just ask them to get on a call from out of nowhere. Schedule the interview. But again, have a reschedule option if in case they will not be available on that particular time and date.

Customize the questions and record them for a faster process

Asking basic questions will hinder the process. So focus on questions that will help you to gauge their skills. Customize according to their earlier experience, educational background, and assessment. Again, to make the process quick, you can video-record those templates.

Take notes or record the video interview

Don’t sit idle in an interview and shoot the web developer candidate questions. Either record it or take notes. You will thank us later while you go through them.

What not to do while hiring a web developer?

Don’t ask unnecessary or generalized questions in an interview

Often Interviewers ask unnecessary questions that stop them from exploring the applicant’s interest further. For example, requesting a web developer about their 10th-grade mark will do no good—better focus on asking a question related to their precious experience or more technical questions.

Don’t let biases affect your decision

Biases are the biggest enemies of your hiring process. Let’s be honest. As human beings, we, at some point, give something or someone more presence. Conscious biases can be stopped relatively quickly. But be careful about the unconscious ones.

Don’t make the process difficult for candidates

The human mind tends to run away. The potential web developer candidate will run away if your hiring process is complex. Your competitor may snatch them with their effortless process. So keep things simple. Also, have options for communication.

Don’t let them cheat

After all, if your process is not cheat-proof, everything will go in vain. So have a system that will help you to make the assessment process free from cheating. Testlify offers practoring score and detects plagiarism and cheating.

Final thoughts

A web developer will bring new highs for your business. But the hiring process does not have to be back-breaking. Testlify aims to make the process friction-free. It automates the process, keeps the bias at bay, and helps you to bag the best-fitted web developer before your competition. Sign up for Testify today.

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How to hire a web developer – a complete guide