How to Tell If Your Web Developer Knows What They're Doing

You can tell whether a web developer knows what they're doing by what they ask you, what they can show you, and how they answer plain questions. Hiring one feels like hiring a mechanic: you're trusting someone with something important and you might not fully understand what they're doing under the hood.

01What Are the Green Flags?

They ask you questions about your business goals, not just what colors you like. They can show you their work as live sites you can visit, not just screenshots. They talk about things like page speed, mobile responsiveness, and SEO without you having to bring it up. And they explain things in plain English instead of hiding behind jargon.

02What Are the Red Flags?

They can't show you a portfolio. They quote you a price before understanding what you need. They promise you'll be on page one of Google in a week. They use a drag-and-drop builder and call it "custom development." They disappear for days without updates. If any of these sound familiar, run.

03What Should You Ask About Owning Your Site?

Before you sign anything, ask: What platform or tech will you use to build my site? Will I own the code? What happens if I want to leave, and can I take my site with me? How do you handle hosting and security? What does ongoing maintenance look like? A good developer will have clear, confident answers. A bad one will dodge or get vague.

Your website is one of the bigger investments your business makes. Don't hand it to someone who can't back up their claims. Ask those five questions of anyone you are considering, us included, and look at the live sites before you look at the price.