5 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Developer for Your Business Website
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Most business owners only find out they hired the wrong developer after the project is already finished, when the site looks fine on the surface but breaks the first time someone tries to change something, or when the person who built it has gone quiet, and nobody else can safely touch it.
This isn't usually about bad intentions. It's about a hiring process that focused on the wrong things: price, speed, or a portfolio link, without asking the questions that actually predict whether a project will hold up.
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Talk to Our TeamWhy This Keeps Happening
Website and software projects are unusual purchases. Most business owners can judge the quality of a shop fitting or a signage job by looking at it. A website is harder to judge the same way; a poorly structured, hard-to-maintain build can look just as polished at launch as a well-built one. The difference only becomes obvious later, when it's time to add a feature, fix a bug, or move to a new host.
That gap between "looks finished" and "actually built well" is where most hiring mistakes happen. A few common patterns:
- 1. Verbal agreements instead of written scope. What was actually promised becomes a matter of memory once a disagreement comes up.
- 2. No conversation about ownership. The domain, hosting account, or code repository ends up under the developer's name, not the business's.
- 3. Price chosen without understanding what it includes. Two quotes that look similar on paper can represent very different amounts of work.
- 4. No plan for after launch. The project is treated as "done" the moment it goes live, with no discussion of updates, security patches, or fixes.
- None of these show up in a portfolio. They only show up once the business is depending on the site.
5 Things to Check Before You Hire
1. Can they explain their decisions in plain language?
A developer who understands the business side of the project should be able to explain why they're building something a certain way, not just describe it in technical terms and expect trust. If every question gets answered with jargon instead of reasoning, that's often a sign the underlying thinking hasn't been done either.
2. Do they scope the project honestly, in writing?
A realistic quote should come with a written breakdown of what's included: number of pages, features, revision rounds, and timeline before any money changes hands. Be cautious of anyone who gives a price without asking enough questions to understand the actual scope of the work first.
3. Who owns the domain, hosting, and code once it's built?
This is one of the most overlooked questions, and one of the most consequential. Before the project starts, confirm that the domain, hosting account, and any code or admin access will belong to the business — not remain tied to the developer personally. This protects the business if the relationship ends, whether by choice or otherwise.
4. Is it being built to last, or just to launch?
A site or system can be built two ways: to look complete for a demo, or to genuinely hold up as the business grows and content changes. Ask what happens when new pages, products, or features need to be added later. A good answer describes a structure built for that; a vague one is a warning sign.
5. What does support look like after launch?
Websites need occasional attention, updates, security fixes, and small corrections the same way a shopfront needs occasional maintenance. Before hiring, ask directly what happens if something breaks a month after launch. If there's no answer beyond "contact me," it's worth treating that as part of the actual cost of the decision, not an afterthought.
- Honorable Mentions
A few additional things worth checking, especially for Nigerian and African SME websites specifically:
- 6. Mobile-first design. Most customers in Nigeria will find the site on a phone first, often over a mobile connection. A developer should be able to speak confidently about how the site performs on mobile, not just how it looks on a desktop screen during the pitch.
- 7. Understanding of the brand, not just the code. A site that ignores existing visual identity colors, tone, and logo usage can end up looking disconnected from everything else the business puts out, even if the code itself is solid.
- Keep your brand consistent across everything you build
- 8. Familiarity with how local customers actually behave. Payment habits, trust signals, and the way Nigerian customers use WhatsApp to reach a business are all things a developer with local experience will already be thinking about, without needing to be told.
- 9. A visible track record. Existing live sites, not just design mockups, are the clearest evidence of how a developer's work actually holds up once it's in use.
The Bigger Picture
None of this is about finding the cheapest or the fastest option — it's about finding someone who scopes honestly, builds with the future in mind, and stays reachable once the project is live. Those three things tend to matter more, over time, than the initial price on the quote.
If you're currently weighing options for a new business website or planning to replace an outdated one, we'd be happy to help you think through what the right scope and approach looks like for your specific situation.
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