The moment you have come up with a number of developers you have to think of a way to shortlist the one you plan to work with.
You have to check if they have the ability to perform the work and if they are cooperative as well. The best way to do this is to study their website. The website of a developer should look impressive and professional. If it does not look good at all, you can expect them to do a poor job with your website.
Their site should include a compilation of present and previous clients, as well as their feedback. It is a lot easier to trust a developer with proof that they are capable of doing the job and have many clients that recommend them.
This does not necessarily mean, though, that without these things a developer is not good. It is just easier to choose one who has dealt with your primary issues before even asking them to do so.
Preparing the Project Guidelines and Contract
When you have chosen the developer to work with, you should be clear about the project and milestones. It is best to put everything in writing before starting in order for you and the developer to know what to expect from each other.
There are a number of things you need to incorporate into your guidelines and contract:
- The total fee of the project with a breakdown that includes advance payments and milestones, among others;
- Requirements for testing and revisions before the theme goes live;
- This is a “work for hire” project and you will retain the copyright;
- Ways of communicating (phone/email/in person) and how often you will do this;
- Estimated time to complete the project.
You may have to include other things specific to you and your developer in the contract. You have to keep in mind that since this is a business agreement, you should be detailed and specific about everything written in it.
Conclusion
It does not have to be difficult to come across and work with an efficient developer. You will be able to find a lot of good developers around. Certainly, you would want to work with a talented developer but more importantly, you would like someone who is dependable and easy to work with.
Even if a developer is very talented, but he cannot deliver on time or is uncooperative, you will be sorry that you chose him.
However, if you have found a developer who performs a great job and works cooperatively, hire him for other projects. You can suggest him to family, friends and others in your network who they need developers. Once you build and establish a good relationship with them, chances are, they will help you in return and this will further improve their work.
Did you ever hire a developer to build a custom theme for your website? How were you able to find your developer? What advice and recommendations could you give for the whole process? You may want to share them in the comments bellow.
