How To Choose A Right Wordpress Development Agency

Looking for the best WordPress development agency but don’t know where to begin?

For a prospective employer looking to hire such an agency, such a question is very much valid. There are many who want their WordPress website developed but don’t know the characteristics that differentiate one agency from another.

Such a question is typically followed by questions like: Are the skill sets the only thing to look for, or are there other factors at play as well?

In this article, we’ll give you the entire run-down of how to choose the right WordPress development agency. Reading this short guide in its entirety will put you well on your way towards selecting the right agency.

But before we begin, let’s explain why the WordPress development services industry is in such high demand.

The WordPress Development Services Industry

WordPress is a powerful CMS; there is no doubt about that. What started out as a fork of an open-source blogging platform expanded to a platform that now powers over 33% of the entire web.

Bloggers and businesses, regardless of their size, are selecting WordPress as their go-to CMS. With a market share of 60.2% and thousands of users signing up each day, there is no comparison to WordPress’ influence in the digital world.

The freelance WordPress developer jobs market and agencies sprang up to complement the sheer size of WordPress installations. Since many high-end businesses and bloggers don’t have the time to develop a site by themselves, they hire the services of a WordPress development agency or a developer.

Not only that, there are agencies that focus on WordPress plugin development and either deliver customized plugin solutions or deliver it to the mass market.

“To each expert his own domain”, that’s the essence of these services. Given enough financial resources, a blogger or business owner can focus on their niche while the developer ensures that the site is aesthetically and functionally sound.

Do You Need a WordPress Development Agency?

Like everything that involves investing time and money, it depends.

If you have the time but not enough of a budget to invest heavily in getting your website developed, then don’t go for an agency. Instead, go for a WordPress developer. Agencies, because of their official nature, charge a lot more than the median WordPress developer salary.

Alternatively, you could invest some time and learn the ins and outs of WordPress and develop a site yourself.

If you have the budget and want a highly functional website, then you can hire the services of an agency to get your site developed.

Coming back to the question posed in the introduction: which agency should you select? Well, reading through the next section will help you decide.

What to Look for In a WordPress Development Agency

#1. Technical Competencies

Yes, a technical competency matters!

A WordPress website is based on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. Ideally, you would want to select an agency with competencies in all of these scripting and programming languages. For a simple website development project, that is enough.

If you want something a bit more functional, like a WordPress API integration, Gutenberg, or let’s say, WooCommerce back-office integration, you would want an agency with either that specific skill set or somewhere close to that.

In a nutshell, a good WordPress development agency has technical competencies in hosting, content optimization, design, development, and integrations.

#2. Strategic Vision

For any WordPress development agency to succeed, they need to have a strategic vision. Companies failing in strategic project planning cause delays in the eventual delivery.

Ideally, you should look for an agency that has a clear understanding and vision with regards to how they go about the project. They should take each project as one that’s unique and focus on solving all sorts of complicated problems associated with it.

Lastly, they should be quick and efficient in developing a clear roadmap of your project and should keep you in the loop at all times.

Pro-Tip: A WordPress Agency’s website typically has a Process page that outlines how they go about their development process. Go through it, and when you’re communicating with them, ask them questions regarding each phase.

#3. Cost-Effectiveness

In every sense of the word, WordPress is cost-effective. It takes practically nothing to install and activate it besides a mandatory purchase of a domain name and hosting service. Other than that, it’s smooth sailing.

The economics of WordPress has also had an influence on agencies themselves, who also try to keep their development costs as effectively as possible. But that doesn’t mean you should pick any agency that offers the least price.

Before you go about selecting an agency, you should audit their development services, their processes, the costs, and other expenses. Essentially, you need to perform an audit of the entire agency website.

Pro-Tip: If an agency meets your requirements, get a quote from them, but don’t commit. Look at other agencies and their quotations before you go with one.

#4. Agency Availability

You might have heard of the dreaded agency that doesn’t communicate in times of need.

Before you sign-up with any agency, try to ensure that they are available whenever you feel that your site is facing some issues. Competent agencies typically have a key account manager or a customer support representative ready to help you with your site issues whenever the need arises.

Don’t just rely on an agency’s email address. Go for a telephone number or any other form of communication to keep in touch with the person responsible for your project. If there is a problem, it needs to be seen. At the end of the day, it’s your money, and you don’t need to shy away from asking for help.

#5. Agency Reputation Matters

We’ve worked with clients who decided to search for an agency through Google and set their sights on the first agency that appears in the results. This is a counterintuitive move.

Having a higher ranking on search engines doesn’t mean that an agency is technically competent. It just means they’re good at optimizing their websites for search engines.

If you feel that an agency meets your requirements, look for external reviews for it on websites like Clutch and Trustpilot. These are independent reviews that help you analyze a website’s actual reputation in the market.

Such customer testimonials are very important and should be a prime consideration before you start with a company. Matter of fact, you should consult these reviews when you’re picking out prospective agencies.

From a humanistic perspective, a good agency will not only focus on the matter at hand. They will also be courteous, respectful, and transparent throughout the entire development process.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Selecting A Web Development Company Before You Begin Your Project

The purpose of your WordPress-based business website is to serve as a bridge between your brand and your prospective clients and target audience. Every reliable software development company knows the importance of trust and credibility, which are the foundations of a long-term working relationship.

It is usual for business owners to have a few essential questions that need satisfactory responses from the WordPress development company. If you are not at all sure about what to ask, here are five questions that will give you clearer know-how of the company and its workflow:

Can You Provide Case Studies?

If the development company you will work with has been in the business for some years, they should be able to present you case examples or case studies of the previous or ongoing projects, which will explain the projects.

These case studies will allow you to learn about the development process from the initial steps to the conclusion. This is crucial information since it will provide you insight into the company’s specialties and capabilities.

Can You Explain The Various Stages Of The Development Process?

Suppose the company you have chosen knows how to do things right. In that case, their process will typically include the following stages of development: research and analysis, design, data migration, development, quality checking and testing, launch, and offering support. As the site owner, the company should take your input during the development stages, quality assurance, and approval process, so it is essential to learn who you will correspond with.

What Is the Duration of Each Stage?

An efficient company will be upfront with the estimated time each stage of development should take. They should account for any possible delays during the launch stage, and they should be transparent.

Another question you can ask regarding time estimates is what will happen if deadlines are not met and details of their obligations. Inquire about the cost and time calculation.

How Will You Participate During The Development Process?

This is, after all, your project, and while you might not be the developer, you are a vital part of the team. A good WordPress development company will clarify the role you will be playing during the development stages and will make sure that you are involved throughout the process. They will provide you with progress reports, take your input where it is essential, and ensure that the results meet your expectations.

During your initial meeting with the development company, you should discuss the goal of your business and how the WordPress website fits in. Check and see if your visions align, and they are able to give you helpful advice and consultation, which includes both the non-technical and the technical sides of building a WordPress site.

Finally, if your business already has a website and you want to either upgrade and finesse it or create an entirely new site. Discuss with the company if they will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the current site and include them in the concept of the new or upgraded site.

Conclusion

In this article, we talked about selecting the best WordPress development agency. At the very basic level, it’s very easy to select a WordPress development agency. There are just so many service providers available on the market. However, choosing the right agency is a different matter altogether.

We hope that we provided you with the basic information on how to get started with recruiting an agency with this article. If there are any parting words we can muster up, it would be to stay informed and vigilant.

Happy Hunting!

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Bethany Wilson

Bethany is a passionate writer and WordPress expert. Recently she has completed her studies in software engineering. She is an avid gamer. Currently she is working as a WordPress writer at Reviewsed.com.

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How To Choose A Right WordPress Development Agency