To hire a professional web developer, write a clear brief first, then shortlist developers whose portfolios include live sites like yours. Check their skills against your platform, ask for references, compare written quotes, and sign a contract that covers scope, milestones, code ownership, hosting access and post-launch support before any work starts.
Key Takeaways
- A written brief (goals, pages, features, budget, deadline) is the single best protection against a failed web project.
- Judge developers by live websites they built and by references, not by claims on their own site.
- Under US copyright law, an independent contractor owns the copyright in work they create unless a signed written agreement says otherwise, so put ownership in the contract.
- Keep the domain, hosting and admin accounts in your own name.
- Agree measurable quality targets, such as WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility and Google’s Core Web Vitals thresholds.
If you have decided that you need professional web designers, there are several decisions to make before you sign anything. With so many different web developers available, from solo freelancers to large agencies, comparing them on the right criteria matters more than price alone. Whether you are hiring Sydney web developers or a team anywhere else, the following checks make the choice easier.
How to Hire Professional Web Developers
Capabilities
Based on the web development that you currently need, it is important to look at the credentials of the considered developers. A developer or firm should be able to show that it has already delivered the specific features your project needs, such as online payments, bookings, a content management system or integrations with other software. Make sure that you always analyze all the websites that were created in the past by the considered web developers. Reviewing live sites, not just screenshots, shows whether the company can meet your requirements.
Specializations
It is really important that you think about the different specializations that the web developers may have. This matters because web projects are built on many different languages and platforms, and a specialist in one is not automatically strong in another. There are web designers that will be specialists in delivering some sort of service. Others are better at something else. Make sure that you talk with the programmers so that you are confident that the expertise is suitable for what you need.
Past Experience
You are always told to look at the portfolio of the considered web developer but many clients skip this step. You have to check credentials and always look at the past websites’ quality. When you see those websites, you manage to realize what experience is brought to the table. If you see that the websites are not of the high quality standard that you surely have for the work that is to be done, you need to consider working with someone else.
A newcomer can still do high-quality work, but any developer you hire should be able to prove their ability, for example with sample projects, a paid trial task or references from earlier clients.
Always Clearly State What You Require
A clear brief prevents most disputes. There are many clients that blame the designer for the work that was done when the truth is that it was their fault. You need to be sure that everything that is needed is clearly highlighted and presented to the designer. When information is detailed, the web developer can see what the client needs and can say whether or not that is possible. If the details regarding the web development project are not properly presented, the web developer cannot be blamed when the work is not done properly.
Website Building Tips for Web Designers
Complete Transparency
Easy communication and transparency are highly necessary when you want to hire a professional web developer. Remember the fact that creating any site is a process that does take a while. During that time, the client needs to constantly know the progress of the work that is done. Regular feedback also helps the developer confirm that the work is on track. Without transparency and communication, a web project is likely to drift; agree on a fixed update rhythm, such as a weekly call or a shared task board, before work starts. 😀
What Does a Professional Web Developer Do?
A web developer builds and maintains the technical side of a website: the code, the content management system, databases and integrations. Web and digital interface designers focus on layout, visual design and usability. Many small-business projects are handled by one person or agency that does both, but larger projects usually separate the roles.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Outlook Handbook), there were about 220,100 web developer and digital designer jobs in the United States in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
Freelancer, Agency or In-House: Which Should You Hire?
The right hiring model depends on the size of the project and how much ongoing work the website needs.
| Option | Best for | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance developer | Small sites, fixed-scope projects | Usually lower cost, direct contact with the person doing the work | Single point of failure if the freelancer becomes unavailable |
| Web development agency | Larger or multi-skill projects | Design, development, testing and project management under one contract | Higher cost; check who actually does the work |
| In-house developer | Businesses whose website or web app needs constant work | Full-time focus and deep knowledge of your business | Salary, benefits and recruitment cost |
For a deeper look at outsourcing, see the benefits of outsourcing web development activities, and for custom-built projects read the guide to bespoke web development.
How Much Do Web Developers Earn?
Salary data gives a useful reference point when you compare an in-house hire with outside quotes. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2025 the median annual pay was:
| US occupation | Median annual pay (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| Web developers | $92,650 |
| Web and digital interface designers | $104,000 |
| Web developers and digital designers combined | $99,520 |
These are US employee salaries, not freelance or agency prices. Project quotes vary widely by country, scope and platform, so collect at least three written quotes based on the same brief and compare them line by line.
How to Hire a Web Developer Step by Step
- Write the brief. List the website’s goal, target audience, pages, must-have features, examples of sites you like, budget range and deadline.
- Build a shortlist. Look for developers whose portfolios include live sites similar to yours in size and platform.
- Check the work. Open their past sites on a phone and a computer, test the forms and check the loading speed.
- Ask for references. Speak to one or two earlier clients about deadlines, communication and support after launch.
- Compare written proposals. Each proposal should list deliverables, milestones, payment schedule, what is excluded and the cost of changes.
- Sign a contract. Settle ownership, access, quality targets and support in writing before any payment.
- Pay against milestones. Link payments to delivered and approved stages instead of paying the full amount upfront.
What Should a Web Development Contract Include?
A web development contract should cover the scope of work, milestones and payments, change requests, ownership, access, quality targets and support. The points below are the ones most often missed.
- Copyright and code ownership. According to the US Copyright Office (Circular 30, Works Made for Hire), an independent contractor owns the copyright in a commissioned work by default; it becomes a work made for hire only with a signed written agreement and only if the work falls into specific statutory categories. Ownership or licensing terms therefore need to be spelled out in the contract. Laws differ by country, so take local legal advice for significant projects.
- Domain, hosting and admin access. Register the domain and hosting account in your own name and receive full administrator logins at handover.
- Accessibility. WCAG 2.2, the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, is a W3C Recommendation with three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA. Many organizations write Level AA into their contracts as the target.
- Performance. Google’s Core Web Vitals define a good experience as Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile of page loads.
- Support and maintenance. State how long bugs are fixed free of charge after launch and what ongoing updates and backups will cost.
Red Flags When Hiring a Web Developer
- No live portfolio sites, or examples that cannot be verified.
- A quote far below the others with no explanation of what is excluded.
- A request for full payment upfront.
- Refusal to put the domain or hosting in your name.
- Vague answers about who will do the work, how changes are charged or what happens after launch.
Once the site is live, use a checklist for effective website analysis to review it, and compare it against what makes a business website effective. If good freelancers keep declining your projects, these reasons freelancers avoid some clients may help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for when hiring a web developer?
Look for a portfolio of live sites similar to your project, proven skill with your chosen platform, good references from earlier clients, clear written proposals and reliable communication. Price matters, but only when quotes are compared against the same brief.
Should I hire a freelancer or a web development agency?
A freelancer usually suits a small, fixed-scope website and often costs less. An agency suits larger projects that need design, development, testing and project management together. Businesses that need constant website work may be better served by an in-house developer.
Who owns the website code after a developer builds it?
Under US law, an independent contractor owns the copyright in work they create by default, according to the US Copyright Office, unless a signed written agreement changes that. Put ownership terms in the contract; rules differ in other countries.
How much does a web developer earn?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay for web developers was $92,650 as of May 2025. Freelance and agency project prices are set differently and vary widely, so compare several written quotes.
How do I know if a web developer is good?
Test the live websites they have built on mobile and desktop, check that forms work and pages load quickly, and speak with past clients. A good developer explains technical choices in plain language and puts deliverables and timelines in writing.
1 Comment
Before hiring a professional developer we must check his/her background.Hire a professional developer can create many things for your website. They Can easy to understand your requirement. Also a professional developer can consult better than others.