Web development: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What web development is

A developer builds the working website, writing code for pages, forms, databases and features, and connecting it to hosting so it runs reliably for visitors. You need it when a design needs to become a site that works, takes bookings, collects forms or connects to other tools.

Signs you need it

  • You have a design but no one to build it into a working site
  • Your current site breaks, loads slowly or fails in some browsers
  • You need forms, bookings, accounts or search that the site cannot do now
  • The site must connect to a payment, a calendar or a customer tool
  • The site has grown and the code is hard to change or maintain

What the pro does

  • Reviews the design and the features the site must support
  • Sets up the development environment, the hosting and the version control
  • Builds the pages, the forms, the features and the connections to other tools
  • Tests the site across browsers, phones and slow connections
  • Launches the site, sets up monitoring and hands over the code and the documentation

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The number of pages and the complexity of each page
  • The number and type of features, such as forms, accounts, bookings or search
  • Whether the site connects to outside services and how many
  • Whether the design is finished before development begins
  • The amount of content to load and migrate
  • Whether ongoing support and hosting setup are included

What a written quote should spell out

  • The pages and features built, listed one by one
  • The services connected and whether accounts or keys are needed from you
  • Testing across browsers and phone sizes
  • Launch steps, monitoring and the hosting set up
  • The documentation and code access delivered at handover

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Who owns the code and the hosting account at the end?
  • How will you test the site before launch?
  • Which features are included, and which would be extra?
  • Will you give me the code and the documentation?
  • What support do you give after launch, and for how long?
  • Can you show me sites you have built with similar features?

Red flags

  • Says the site will be done without asking about features or content
  • Keeps the hosting or the code under the developer's name only
  • Will not show any past work or code samples
  • Uses code that the client cannot maintain and does not say so

What you can do yourself

Prepare your content, photos and feature list in writing, and set up the domain and the accounts you will own, such as your hosting and email. Do not give your admin passwords to anyone you have not checked. Hire a developer for the build, the forms, the connections and the launch.

Licenses and permits

A license is usually not required for web development. Check with your state or local licensing agency about any business registration that applies, and ask the developer for its contract terms and examples of past work.

Web development questions

Do I need a developer or a website builder?

A builder can be enough for a simple brochure site. A developer is worth it when you need custom features, integrations or a site that must scale.

Who owns the site when it is finished?

You should own the code, the content and the accounts. Get this in the contract before the work starts.

What happens after launch?

Ask the developer for the support period, the process for changes and who handles updates.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer web development remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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