How to Hire a Web Developer: 12 Red Flags to Avoid

1. They recommend a solution before understanding your business

A developer should ask about your customers, goals, current problems, content, required features, budget, and timeline. If the first conversation immediately becomes a pitch for a favourite platform or package, the solution may be convenient for them rather than suitable for you.

2. The proposal is vague about what you receive

A price beside “professional website” is not a useful scope. The proposal should identify pages or templates, features, content responsibilities, revision rounds, integrations, testing, training, launch work, and post-launch support.

It should also state what is not included. Clear exclusions protect both sides and reduce surprise invoices later.

3. They promise a guaranteed number-one Google ranking

No developer or SEO provider controls Google’s results. Rankings depend on competition, relevance, authority, location, content quality, and many other factors. Responsible providers explain what they can improve—such as site structure, speed, metadata, crawlability, and content—and avoid guaranteed positions.

4. Their portfolio looks good but proves nothing

Open portfolio websites rather than relying only on screenshots. Test them on your phone. Check whether pages load quickly, menus work, text is easy to read, forms are usable, and the business is clearly explained.

Ask what the developer personally contributed. A project may have involved another agency, a purchased theme, or a team with skills that will not be available to your project.

5. They cannot explain their process in plain language

You should understand the major stages, what happens next, what they need from you, and when you will review the work. Technical vocabulary can be necessary, but it should never be used to prevent reasonable questions.

A clear process normally covers discovery, structure, content, design, development, testing, approval, launch, and support.

6. The quote is dramatically cheaper without a clear reason

A lower price can be valid when the scope is smaller or the approach is more efficient. It becomes risky when two proposals appear to promise the same result but one skips research, custom design, content work, testing, accessibility, SEO setup, or support.

Compare deliverables and assumptions, not totals alone. The cheapest launch can become expensive when the site must be rebuilt, cannot be edited, or loses customers because it performs poorly.

7. Ownership is unclear

Confirm who owns the domain, design, written content, website files, analytics accounts, and any paid assets after final payment. Your domain should normally be registered in an account your business controls, even if the developer helps manage it.

Also ask whether you can move the site to another provider and what would be required. Some hosted website services cannot be exported in a usable form, which should be understood before you commit.

8. There is no plan for mobile visitors, accessibility, or testing

A developer should not treat the mobile version as an afterthought. Ask how they test common screen sizes, browsers, forms, links, keyboard navigation, image text alternatives, and page speed.

Not every project needs an enormous testing document, but “we will check it” is not enough when the website represents your business and handles customer information.

9. They dismiss content as something to add later

A website is not a collection of empty boxes waiting for words. Navigation, page length, calls to action, proof, and search visibility all depend on content. If nobody owns the writing process, the project may stall or launch with generic filler.

10. Security, backups, and updates are never discussed

Ask who will update the software, monitor failures, renew certificates or licences, and restore the website if something goes wrong. The answers vary by platform, but there should be answers.

If the site collects personal information, payments, or account data, discuss privacy and security requirements early rather than adding them during the final week.

11. Communication is already unreliable

Slow replies can sometimes have an innocent explanation. Repeated missed meetings, unclear answers, lost information, or changing promises before the project starts are stronger signals. Delivery rarely becomes more organised after a deposit is paid.

Agree on a main contact, normal response time, meeting rhythm, feedback method, and how changes to the scope will be approved.

12. There is no contract or launch handover

A contract should cover scope, price, payment schedule, responsibilities, timing, revisions, ownership, cancellation, confidentiality where needed, and what happens when the scope changes.

The handover should include the accounts and access you need, basic training, documentation where appropriate, analytics verification, and a clear support period for fixing launch defects.