How to choose a WordPress expert?

For your digital project to be a success, you'll need one or more WordPress experts. But how do you recognize these rare gems? What skills and qualities are required to be defined as an "expert"? And above all, what type of expert do you need for your project? business project? Launching your WordPress site involves using a developer, a graphic designer, a writer, an SEO consultant and a maintenance technician. 

And while we're at it, we might as well only work with WordPress maintenance experts!

Several qualities are generally expected of a WordPress expert:

1. To possess a very advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of a subject; 
2. Demonstrating the ability to communicate with non-experts: an expert should be able to answer your questions in a simple and precise manner;
3. Continue to train continuously on the subject and closely follow new developments in the market;
4. To be responsive and provide an almost immediate solution when a problem arises; 
5. To be honest, independent, and technically impeccable.

Why hire a WordPress expert? 

Simply to have peace of mind by delegating the creation and maintenance of your website to an expert and thus be able to focus on the rest of your business. 

WordPress is a CMS (content management system) that is so simple and intuitive that you might be tempted to manage everything yourself. However, things can quickly go wrong… 

Firstly, the core of WordPress is constantly evolving thanks to improvements from the team WordPressCoreIt is therefore an ecosystem vivant that must be updated regularlyA simple oversight on your part could allow a hacker to exploit this vulnerability and hack your WordPress site. 

Furthermore, an “ecosystem” also implies a range of extensions created by multiple developers, and therefore an increased risk of incompatibility between them. A simple conflict can turn into a bug and impact the proper functioning of your site – or even render it inaccessible. 

A freelance WordPress specialist or a WordPress expert agency? 

By going through a WordPress expert web agencyYou're more likely to find WordPress experts who are used to working together. Generally, you'll have access to a graphic designer, a copywriter, an SEO specialist, a maintenance technician, and of course, a developer. All these expert roles are very different, but they are interconnected: imagine a freelance graphic designer creating your dream design. With your mockups in hand, you'll then need to find a webmaster to integrate the design. Next, you'll need to find a maintenance expert, who must understand what the developer has done, and so on. 

Ultimately, you'll need to recruit four experts with different contracts, not to mention that all these recruitment processes are extremely time-consuming. Perhaps an agency composed directly of experts would prove more efficient? 

In any case, WordPress is a fantastic tool for establishing an online presence and making your site stand out in the best possible way. However, it's essential that your website falls into the right hands. 

Here are our 16 tips for choosing the right WordPress expert for your business

1. Scrutinize the expert's website 

First of all, the excuse of the shoemaker's children going barefoot is unacceptable for a WordPress expert. An expert's website must be flawless: fast, attractive, secure, free of spelling mistakes, and with impeccable usability. An expert's site will always have an efficient site structure to avoid confusing potential clients. Ultimately, it's simply a matter of putting yourself in their shoes: would you want the same type of website for yourself? If the answer is a resounding no, then this isn't for you. 

2. Browse their portfolio and completed projects (including the mobile version)

A WordPress expert will be proud of their projects and won't hesitate to share their work with the public. It's therefore essential to review an expert's portfolio to get to know them better. Furthermore, within their portfolio, do you like the different designs? Do you see any advanced features? Or any sites with WooCommerce offering integrated payment? 

Let's say that if you want to launch an online real estate agency and the expert has already done 5, that's a pretty good sign! It means that he already knows the industry and that complex projects with a search system, a map or even custom post types don't scare him. 

Also, consider interacting with the expert's websites from your mobile device. Test the websites' performance as well. Google Insights PageSpeed and observe their scores. 

Performance optimization should be an integral part of a WordPress expert's knowledge base. For example, the WP Rocket caching plugin promises to make your WordPress site faster. Their excellent score on Google PageSpeed ​​Insights immediately reinforces their credibility.

3. Read the testimonials from its customers

You will be working with your expert over the long term, so it is important to know what others think of their working methods and the results obtained. 

Don't rely solely on the expert's website; continue your research on other platforms such as UpWork, Fiverr, Google, and Facebook:

Check the Google reviews and the rating out of 5.	Check the Facebook reviews and the rating out of 5.

4. Check how long he has been using WordPress (to gauge his experience)

Let's take my example. I've been a writer and WordPress specialist for eight years, so I know the CMS, plugins, themes, and community very well. I've even created small showcase websites for my family using amazing tools like Elementor and Divi. However, that doesn't make me an expert in development WordPress, because I'm far from mastering PHP or JavaScript. The problem is that you'll come across many WordPress professionals on the market who consider themselves "development experts." You have to be careful because simply knowing how to install a theme or plugin isn't enough to be considered an expert. Indeed, you also need to understand the database, PHP, and all the other advanced WordPress configurations, as we've outlined below: 

5. A significant bonus: being part of the WordPress community

How can you tell if an expert is an integral part of the WordPress community?

1. You will see his name as a speaker or sponsor at WordCamps;
2. His online reputation on popular blogs such as Divi Community ou WPMarmite This is also a good indicator. Has the expert published tutorials or blog articles aimed at enriching the resources around WordPress? 
3. He organizes “meetup” style events around WordPress in his city; a WordPress specialist will contribute even on a small scale. 
4. On his website, the expert often has a “partners” section with logos and promotional codes from the biggest WordPress references. 

Let's do a little test with WP Maintenance to measure involvement in the WordPress community.

The footer should immediately catch your attention.

We've been established for almost 5 years and are members of the WPFR and WP Paris associations. We also have the well-known "partners" section featuring the logos of the major players in the WordPress ecosystem. Our site is hosted by Kinsta, a premium WordPress hosting provider with an excellent reputation for performance and security. 

We are involved in the community and we do not compromise on quality. 

These are precisely the kinds of reliability indicators we'd want to see in a WordPress expert. What do you think? 

6. Ask him if he can possibly offer you a customized solution.

Sometimes you'll have a very specific project in mind that can't be covered by an extension. Creating a custom solution should be technically feasible for an expert. 

For example, if you're going to use WooCommerce, there are a whole series of actions and "hooks" you need to know to insert custom code in different places; a WordPress expert will definitely be familiar with all this jargon. Ask them to explain it to you. 

Finally, a WordPress expert will always try to limit the number of plugins on your WordPress site. If your "expert" tries to install 30 plugins for a simple website: red alert.  

7. Find out about their SEO skills

Creating a WordPress site is a good start, but if no one can find it, you'll be wasting your marketing budget. In your contract, make sure the expert includes a... SEO strategyYou should see terms like “definitions of the most relevant keywords”, “creating SEO content, tailored to keywords” or even “complete site audit and competitive analysis.” If they are not included, request an additional quote because you absolutely need support for your WordPress SEO.

8. Find out about their design skills 

Make a shortlist of several websites that inspire you and share your list with the expert. Dribbble is an excellent source of inspiration for choosing the visual identities that best suit you. 

If the expert doesn't feel comfortable reproducing a particular design, look for another one. 

Finally, an expert graphic designer will adopt a "mobile-first" approach to ensure the site is responsive and displays perfectly on smartphones and tablets. It's crucial to validate your site's design on multiple screens before development begins.   

9. Share your web marketing strategy 

Your WordPress site is the interface between you and your customers; it's an essential tool that allows you to communicate with them. Your marketing objectives will therefore determine the key features of your site. Here are a few examples showing how an objective can impact your site. 

Imagine your marketing goal is to capture email addresses by offering visitors the chance to download an ebook. How will the email address be captured? Will the WordPress expert be able to integrate your CRM? They should naturally ask you which CRM you're using in order to connect the API to your WordPress site. 

A good WordPress expert will also have an integrator role because they will need to be the gateway between the web solution and the existing tools in client companies.

The same applies if your marketing strategy includes international expansion within the next six months. If you plan to sell your products in England soon, you will almost certainly need a multilingual website. Discuss this with your expert and confirm the multilingual integration with them. 

Another similar example in web marketing is seasonal marketing. You'll likely prepare your campaigns with special offers for Valentine's Day, Black Friday, or the end-of-year holidays. You'll therefore need to add new content to your website to celebrate each occasion. For example, Shein.fr has a temporary banner to showcase its new autumn collection, as well as a top bar with a countdown indicating free shipping for another 9 hours, 05 minutes, and 13 seconds. 

If you opt for this seasonal marketing, who is responsible for changing the banners and removing the promotions? Is it your responsibility or that of the expert? 

10. Validate the process for adding or removing content: the daily life of your site 

You will inevitably need to add or remove content on your WordPress site. Who will manage this? Be sure to confirm with the expert which scenario applies to your contract. 

1. Either he trains you so that you can independently upload new content;
2. Either he does it for you, in which case the costs incurred by these changes must be defined in the quote. This could be an hourly rate, a per-project rate, or a monthly maintenance fee. 

The same applies to blog posts. If you need to post articles, specify who will post them and who will handle the formatting in WordPress. 

11. Define the initial fixed costs and recurring (monthly/annual) fees

Avoid monthly website creation offers that delete your website the day you stop paying. It's crucial to retain ownership of your WordPress site because you never know what the future holds. You might switch providers, or your expert might retire. In any case, you need to be able to make the transition without impacting your online business. 

However, for WordPress website maintenance, a monthly subscription is ideal because it provides long-term security and the freedom to cancel at any time. It's a bit like a 10-year builder's warranty when you're building a house.  

12. What maintenance does your expert offer and how often do they perform backups?

WordPress maintenance involves updating WordPress to the latest version available on wordpress.org, as well as your theme and plugins. 

Some experts will offer you a monthly, weekly, or even better: real-time update.  

Furthermore, maintenance includes backups of your site to prevent the loss of your entire WordPress site. It is important that this backup is performed correctly on two levels: 

• A copy of your database;
• Copying your files.

Website backup and restoration go hand in hand. Confirm with your maintenance expert that both services are included in the quote and that you have the option to back up and restore whenever you need. 

13. What support and technical assistance does your expert guarantee? 

An expert WordPress webmaster must have a thorough understanding of the programming languages ​​used in WordPress: PHP, HTML, CSS, and a good grasp of JavaScript. In fact, they must be able to quickly debug your site if any problems arise. 

A serious WordPress expert should also present you with... clear and precise conditions for intervention Contact hours and days, response times, hourly or monthly rates… Can you rely on them in the event of a serious hack? How and when can you contact them in an emergency? How much does the support intervention cost? All this information must be contractually agreed upon and clearly established beforehand because the day your site has a serious problem, you need to be able to act immediately. 

14. Confirm the legal aspects: Terms and Conditions, Terms of Use, cookies and GDPR

To be compliant with the law, you must adhere to GDPR regulations and draft sales and usage contracts for your website. It is crucial to determine whether your expert will handle the legal drafting or if this is your responsibility. There are reliable templates available for download on Legal Place if needed. 

Regarding the GDPR, the CNIL has published An interesting article about cookies and trackersThe expert must be aware of the rules relating to data protection because this type of form will need to be added for cookies: 

15. Request a detailed quote and clearly define the scope of the project.

Ask questions, draw up a set of specifications and make sure you fully understand each expense. A good WordPress expert will always be able to justify their rates. The perimeter (or the scope in EnglishThe planning phase of a project is the preparation phase during which you develop a list of the project's basic objectives, deliverables, associated expenses, and deadlines. You are, of course, entitled to request a project timeline from the web integrator. If your site needs to launch within a month, the expert must be able to deliver within that timeframe. 

Be wary of hidden options and costs that a website may contain; verify that all the services discussed in this article are clearly outlined in the quote. 

16. Contact him and analyze the contact process 

So, do you get a quick response? How do you feel when you receive your first reply? A WordPress expert should be responsive and ask the right questions about your business to understand who you are. reallyYou will be sharing sensitive information and laying bare your project: an expert should be a true support you can rely on with confidence in the long term. You decide who will accompany you on this journey, so take your time before signing. 

Bonus: Some places to find your WordPress expert

There are several options for selecting the expert who will support you throughout your project: 

1. Platforms that are exclusively filled with WordPress experts – such as codeable which is unfortunately only available in English;
2. More general portals for finding freelancers – such as Paint , Coder et UpworkUse the right filters and don't forget to look at customer reviews. These kinds of platforms take commissions on projects, and there are so many choices that it can sometimes be difficult to decide;
3. Digital recruitment agencies that will do the search for you;
4. meetups WordPress or the WordCamps near you to meet experts directly. 

Finding the right experts through these platforms can be time-consuming and expensive. Simply put, if you're looking for a WordPress expert agency – contact us for the creating your WordPress websiteOur experts will save you time. 

Let's summarize why you should hire a WordPress specialist.

For an expert, WordPress remains an invaluable framework for developing powerful, flexible, and virtually limitless projects. A true WordPress expert is a goldmine of information that will undoubtedly boost your business! Focus your marketing efforts directly on the right areas and get support from our agency of WordPress experts who can, among other things: 

• Provide sound advice on the choice of theme and extensions according to your project;

• Manage maintenance and updates with constant monitoring of security (SSL certificate) and performance; 
• Implementing an SEO strategy that is inseparable from development;
• Develop a high-performing and responsive website;
• Communicate easily and answer your questions in a simple and precise way; 
• We can train you if you wish and give you access to the CMS;
• Providing technical support by delivering concrete solutions quickly. 

We've reviewed the questions to ask yourself before entrusting a web project to a WordPress expert; how about... Ask them to our web agency? With our comprehensive approach, our WordPress experts handle your digital transformation from A to Z and the long-term management of your WordPress site.