What to look for in a WordPress development agency?

A WordPress development agency can help bring a website to life from scratch, help redesign a website needing an update, provide ongoing maintenance, improve security, and much more.

But what should you look for when exploring WordPress development agencies? What requirements should they meet before you consider hiring them?

This article will explore what WordPress development agencies are and the seven things you should consider when determining whether to hire one for your web development project.

What is a WordPress development agency?

WordPress development agencies are companies that develop customized WordPress websites for their clients. They generally have more than 10 team members and offer the following services:

• WordPress website development.
• Monthly maintenance duties.
• Coaching. Teaching their clients how to manage certain WordPress configurations.

Many WordPress offer other specialized services, such as outsourced WordPress development, development of eCommerce sites using WooCommerce or similar platforms, and other niches of WordPress development.

What should you look for in a WordPress development agency?

Development projects are complex and need a combination of skills from development agencies to achieve the goals. These are the seven most important things to consider when determining whether a WordPress development agency can achieve your website creation, redesign, or maintenance goals.

Technical knowledge and experience

WordPress websites run on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. Having knowledgeable and experienced developers in these languages is the minimum requirement any WordPress agency should fulfill. 

Other essential skills include the following:

• Responsive design.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
• Hosting.
• API Integrations.
• Google Analytics and Search Console.
• Website performance optimizations.
• Security best practices.
• Software version control.
• WordPress command line interface (WP-CLI).

For specific platforms like WooComnmerce, you should look for WordPress agencies specialized in those.

Range of services

This point is tied to technical skills (after all, an agency can’t provide a service they do not know of) but requires its own section. Most reputable WordPress development agencies offer the following services:

• Web development. Building a WordPress website from scratch.
• Web design. Includes user interfaces, user experience design, landing pages, and more.
• Custom plugin development. Tailor-made plugins to extend site functionality.
• Custom themes. WordPress development agencies can create custom themes to fit clients’ needs and give their websites a unique look.
• API integrations. API integrations connect WordPress sites with external tools to improve workflow.
• Website redesigns.
• Search engine and performance optimization.
• WordPress support and maintenance.

Some WordPress development agencies offer additional services, such as:

• White Label WordPress development. Outsourced development of WordPress websites.
• Digital marketing.
• Mobile app development.
• E-commerce development. Using platforms like WooCommerce, development agencies can create custom-made B2C and B2B marketplaces for their clients.

When exploring multiple WordPress development agencies, it’s essential to consider their service offerings and determine whether they fit your needs.

Whether they are development-focused or use site builders

Some of the services and skills we’ve described assume that development agencies will code every part of your website from the ground up. That’s not always the case, however.

Some WordPress agencies use plugins known as site builders, such as Beaver or Elementor. These plugins allow non-technical developers to create websites with customizable drag-and-drop interfaces. There are a few advantages to building a site with site builder plugins, including being budget-friendly and faster to build.

But they have pitfalls such as having no control over the website’s code, a lower performance due to the extra JS code and suffering from scalability issues. WordPress development agencies that code every part of your website from the ground up can avoid all these issues by designing high-performing custom-made websites, but that comes at the cost of higher rates and more development time.

Custom-code solutions may be overkill depending on your website’s and business needs. Still, if you need a complex website with tailored solutions, you need developers that can code.

Client reviews and portfolio

A WordPress development agency’s reputation tells you a lot about the impression they leave on its clients. Platforms like Clutch, Trustpilot, and DesignRush provide reviews from past clients. Extensively read reviews for every agency you’re currently considering and look for specific details about how they communicate and treat clients throughout development.

Another critical factor to consider is their portfolio. All reputable WordPress development agencies will provide an online portfolio or a list of case studies from past clients. These resources will help you understand how they operate and determine whether they have the experience you need.

Avoid hiring the first WordPress agency that comes up in search results. The fact that they are at the top of the results doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a good fit for your needs. It means they know how to optimize search result performance.

Their size and availability

Depending on the agency’s size, the structure for communicating with clients and potential clients differs. On smaller agencies, you’ll likely communicate directly with the founders for preliminary meetings and project updates. On larger agencies, especially those that employ ten or more developers, you’re more likely to communicate with project managers or a similar representative. 

Larger agencies will provide more project availability, but their communications representative will likely be farther from the higher-ups. In contrast, in smaller agencies, the founders will likely be more involved in every project. Still, given their size, they may only be available for new projects if they expand.

Regardless of the size, you should explore the team members who will work on your project. Many WordPress agencies have a page dedicated to their team members, experience, and skills. Explore these pages and click on every team member to understand the agency’s overall skill set and determine whether they’ll be able to fulfill your needs.

Their process and strategic vision

Reputable WordPress development agencies have a mature and efficient operational process and a clear strategic vision that helps structure their projects.

To understand how they work, look at their case studies. They’ll have a detailed description of the client’s challenges and the agency’s methods to overcome them. Case studies are a window into an agency’s inner processes.

Once you establish contact with an agency, these are some of the subjects you can bring up to understand their processes and strategic vision:

• Ask them specific questions about the case studies relevant to your needs.
• Ask about how you’ll participate in the process. What part do clients play during development?
• Ask them about the various stages of the process, what they each involve, and the duration of each.

Cost-effectiveness and value

Ask for a quote when you’ve found a WordPress development agency that meets your needs. Based on the response, you need to determine how their costs compare to the other agencies you’ve received quotes from.

If you have multiple quotes at various price ranges, choosing the one that costs the least may be tempting. But you also need to consider the value each of their propositions brings. A more expensive project from a very experienced agency may provide more value for your website or a more scalable foundation for future growth.

You need to balance cost-effectiveness with the value they provide for your website. Ultimately, you know your budget better than anyone else and are in the best position to determine whether an investment will be worth it.

Conclusion

WordPress development agencies provide website development services for businesses that need to have a professional online presence. Experienced development agencies can create anything from blogs to e-commerce websites where brands can sell their products.

But it’s important to know what the development agency you’re considering is capable of providing. The right agency for you is the one that has the skills to fulfill your goals and the availability to dedicate the necessary time and resources to them.

Our agency checks all these requirements. Our developers can help you create a business website from scratch and maintain it according to your needs. Whether it is a bank, an encyclopedia, or a WooCommerce-powered commerce site, we’ve got the skills you need to enjoy the peace of knowing the final product you envisioned will become a reality.

If you’re looking for a WordPress agency for your business, contact us, and let’s get the ball rolling.

If you found this article useful, read our blog for more WordPress insight, tips, and guides.