WordPress development: what to know

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

What wordpress development is

A developer builds or customizes a website on a popular content management platform, setting up themes, plugins and forms so you can edit pages yourself. You need it when you want a site you can update without a developer, or when an existing WordPress site needs a fix or a new feature.

Signs you need it

  • You want to change text and photos on your site without calling a developer
  • Your current WordPress site is slow, broken or hard to edit
  • You need a booking form, a shop or a members area built on the platform
  • Your theme or plugins are out of date and cause problems
  • You want a site that is easy to hand over to a staff member

What the pro does

  • Reviews the site's goals, the pages and the features you need
  • Sets up or cleans up the theme, the plugins and the settings
  • Builds the custom pages, forms and features you approved
  • Tests the site on phones, browsers and the forms
  • Trains you to edit pages and hands over the logins and a short guide

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Every job is different, so we do not publish prices.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.

  • Whether the site is new or an existing site needs a clean up
  • The number of plugins and the custom features needed
  • Whether the theme is bought, custom or free
  • Whether the site needs migration or a new hosting setup
  • The number of pages and the content to move
  • Whether training and a handover guide are included

What a written quote should spell out

  • The theme, plugins and custom features listed one by one
  • Whether any theme or plugin license must be bought
  • Training sessions and a written guide
  • Testing done on forms and mobile
  • Support period and what it covers

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Which theme and plugins will you use, and are they supported?
  • Can I edit the pages myself after you finish?
  • Who owns the logins, the hosting and the licenses?
  • How do you keep the site secure and updated?
  • What happens if a plugin breaks after an update?
  • Will you train me, and is there a written guide?

Red flags

  • Installs many plugins that the site does not need
  • Uses a theme with no updates or support
  • Keeps the logins to the site and does not hand them over
  • Will not explain how updates are handled

What you can do yourself

Learn to edit pages and posts in the platform's editor, and keep a backup of the site before any change. Update the plugins one at a time and check the site after each update. Hire a developer for custom features, a clean up of a broken site or any change to the theme code.

Licenses and permits

A license is usually not required for WordPress 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.

WordPress development questions

Can I update the site myself?

Yes, if the developer sets it up that way and trains you. Ask for training and a short guide before the handover.

Are plugins safe to use?

Use only plugins that are current and well supported. Ask the developer which plugins they use and why.

Who should own the hosting account?

You should. Set the hosting and the domain in your name so you can change developers later.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer wordpress 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.

Edit history

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How it works

  1. 1. Describe the job

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  2. 2. Pick the pros you want

    See screened pros who serve your ZIP and choose who you want to hear from.

  3. 3. They reach out

    They contact you the way you chose: phone, email or in-app messages.

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