Andy Holland
WordPress is pretty hot stuff – the best CMS around – which is why we use it here at Elementary Digital. Because it’s so popular and touted as easy for anyone to understand, we often see people coming to us who have either had a go themselves or taken on a freelancer who doesn’t have the experience that was required to build a fully-fledged WordPress site for business.
We’ve compiled a list of questions for you to ask your WordPress developer to ensure that you are getting the most bang for your buck based on some real life experiences we’ve had here at the agency.
Template theme or bespoke?
If you are a small business owner, then chances are is the theme and usability you want from your website will already be covered with a template.
A template theme is kept up-to-date by the developers of the theme. If you have your developer make you one from scratch, then every time WordPress release a new update, there will be changes to make to keep abreast of the latest security issues, usability issues and with the latest interface. Every time that there is an update, you’ll have to pay the developer to ensure that it works with your bespoke theme. On the other hand, if you’ve chosen a good template, the developers will usual update with any changes when WordPress releases a new version.
Which plugins do you use?
Make sure that your developer is choosing reputable plugins made by trustworthy developers. Hackers are always looking for ways to access WordPress and a dodgy plugin can be just the easy back door that they need onto your site.
There are 33,000 plugins available through the WordPress directory and thousands and thousands more out there across the web. The ones selected by WordPress to go in the directory are carefully screened and monitored to ensure that they meet the high standard required.
What security measures do you take?
WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS. This means that people are always looking for ways to access it illicitly. That shouldn’t put you off – after all, it’s popular for a reason and you don’t throw away your Visa credit card because its popularity makes it a target for thieves, do you? Well, likewise, WordPress is popular because it is the best. Your developer should keep up with the latest info about WordPress security and update your site’s backend regularly to ensure that it is kept safe and secure.
In case of emergencies…
Ask the developer how often they backup the websites that they build. With automated backups, this shouldn’t cost you anything extra but it will make sure that if something goes wrong, you have all of your information kept safe.
WordPress Core changes.
In rare cases, people have brought us sites with changes made to the WordPress core. Under no circumstances should you be working with a developer who does this. It makes the whole website unstable and can cause expensive issues down the line.
Can you think of any more essential questions for WordPress devs? Comment below!
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