Hire Web Developers Online (The Ultimate Guide)

Web development plays a critical role in almost any business today. Web developers contribute to optimizing a business’s online engagement by incorporating useful features into all development projects and improving user experience.

To hire web developers online, you will need to implement a recruitment strategy that is specific to your brand, targeting candidates with the best skill set to achieve your web development needs. This can be a challenging task if you lack expert experience in web development, as the technical jargon and qualifications may seem overwhelming.

To help you overcome this, we’ve put together our top tips for navigating the recruitment process, enabling you to hire web developers online who are the absolute best fit for your business.

1). Plan the project scope

To hire web developers online who are capable of meeting your project’s needs requires successful project management. You won’t be able to give prospective web developers an accurate creative brief, or determine the skills your developer needs to complete the project, if you fail to specify the type of web design you’re looking for. 

When you clearly define your project, you can understand the demands of the concept, enabling you to hire web developers online more quickly.

The first thing to consider is whether you want a web development overhaul or just some slight changes to your existing website design. The former is the best option if you’re seeking a completely new website, while the latter can be good if you’re simply wanting smaller tasks performed, such as a new logo design or feature.

The next step is to outline exactly what you will need your web developers to do. Prepare a creative brief that demonstrates the general web design you like and highlights the key features you want. If, for example, you are running an eCommerce business, you might want to include a shopping cart in your site design.

You can achieve clarity for even the most complex projects by creating a concise project scope that outlines your vision. With this plan, you can determine the amount of money and time required for the project, allowing you to formulate more precise deadlines and budgets.

2). Determine essential and desirable candidate skills

Using your project plan, list the essential skills your ideal web developers must possess, as well as any skills that are of a more desirable nature. 

While the desirable skills may be specific to your particular project, there are some common skills that web developers need in order to implement a website and perform their duties successfully. These fundamental qualities include coding, project management, and communication skills.

For example, JavaScript and HTML are coding languages that demonstrate a level of expertise in developing web applications, so these are key skills to look for on a candidate’s resume.

Write your job postings after determining the skills your web developers should possess. You can either embed these technical skills within the duties of the role, or list them separately in the job description. By providing a job description that reinforces the essential skills of applicants, you can reduce the number of under-qualified candidates who apply.

3). Identify the type of web developer you want

There are three main types of web developers – front end developers, back end developers and full stack developers. While they may all be experienced developers, it is important to note the differences between them.

A front end developer is an individual who specializes in the visual aspects of web design, using programming languages to determine what a user will see on your website, as well as the functions they can use.

A back end developer, on the other hand, deals with the technical aspects of a website, focusing on website speed and developing the components required to support the front end. 

Full stack developers don’t necessarily specialize in either back end web development or front end web development, but instead have a consistent grasp of both web development services.

By looking at your budget and design brief, you can identify the type of web development your project requires.

4). Consider hiring freelance web developers

If you have just a one-off project, you may find it worthwhile to hire a freelance web developer as this may be your most cost-effective choice. This approach only requires that you and potential candidates agree on a deadline, price, and the platform or technology on which the freelancer will build. You can then re-hire them if any additional projects arise in the future.

To access a global network of freelance professionals, consider partnering with a reputable total talent solution, such as High5. Using our global talent pool of highly skilled candidates, vetted by experts in their field, you can be sure that you are only screening high-quality web developers.

Additionally, you can receive expert opinions on the top candidates within your industry, as determined by skills tests and interviews. With the help of our web development experts, you can then select candidates who are best suited for your project scope.

5). Be wary of red flags

Use every interaction you have with prospective candidates as an insight into their professionalism during the recruitment process. With remote candidates, this method is useful for determining if the candidate has a good understanding of communication.

Among the red flags to look out for are candidates who take too long to respond to emails and do not ask questions about the project.

The length of time a remote candidate takes to reply to every message could be a sign of how they’ll update you on the project if you hire them. You may need immediate updates or wish to schedule meetings with your freelance web developer during the website development process. If a candidate fails to respond quickly before they even have the position, this may be cause for concern.

Furthermore, candidates need to understand the design concept fully before they can start implementing it, so asking too few questions can be a sign of inexperience. The more questions they ask, the better the final outcome could be. Facilitating great communication through question-asking can prevent misunderstandings, helping to create a website that reflects your vision. 

Our High5 Talent Community holds thousands of motivated individuals seeking immediate work. With an average reply time of 17 minutes, you can find and hire web developers online who fit the pace of your work.

What’s more, High5 Trusted Talent allows you to certify, test, and interview talent at every step of the hiring process. It means talent is interviewed by an objective subject matter expert (SME) about a given tech skill. This includes tech assessments, scoring, ranking, video recorded two-way interview, and a write-up that a hiring manager receives to make a more informed, unbiased decision.

Get started with High5 to hire web developers online, and experience our total talent solution now!