Hire a web developer without flying blind

Most web projects don't fail because of the code.

They fail because of vague agreements.

When you hire a web developer, you aren't buying something off the shelf. You're paying for time, judgment and a result that only takes shape as the work progresses. That's exactly why a bit of groundwork pays off. If you know your project scope, you get better quotes. If you understand who does what, you avoid misunderstandings. And if you actually read the contract, you won't end up arguing about who owns what later.

This page lays out what matters.

Web designer or web developer: who does what

The web designer shapes it, the web developer builds it. On small projects, the same person often does both.

The difference is quick to explain.

A web designer takes care of how the site looks and how visitors move through it. Layout, colors, typography, user journeys. The result is a design, usually in Figma. Nothing runs in a browser yet.

A web developer turns that design into working code. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, plus a CMS such as WordPress. They think about load times, forms, databases and integrations. They make sure the site still looks clean on a five-year-old budget phone.

The two roles depend on each other.

A beautiful design without solid code is just a picture. Solid code without a design looks like a government form.

Many freelancers cover both roles. That cuts down on handovers and friction. On larger projects the roles split again, with design, frontend and backend handled separately, often by a small team.

Ask specific questions on your first call. Who draws the screens? Who writes the code? Who looks after hosting and maintenance?

One person for everything means one point of contact. On a small budget, that's almost always the better choice. You'll find more on this under web development and hiring a freelance web designer.

How to spot a good web developer

References, tech stack and responsiveness are enough for a shortlist. The rest becomes clear on the first call.

Look at real projects. Live links, not screenshots. Open them on your phone. Check the load time, the menu and the contact form. It takes ten minutes and tells you more than any About page.

Ask about the tech stack. WordPress is widespread and easy for someone else to take over. Custom development is more flexible but makes you more dependent on documentation and a proper handover. Both are fine. What isn't fine is a stack nobody but the developer understands.

Ask about the handover. Will the code live in a repository on GitHub or GitLab? Will you get every login? Is there at least a short piece of documentation?

Pay attention to how quickly they reply before you sign. It rarely gets faster afterward.

Pushback is a good sign. A developer who loves every part of your idea right away isn't thinking it through with you. Someone who asks questions, suggests alternatives and occasionally advises against something will save you money.

Price is rarely the first criterion. The cheapest quote often comes with the least clarity, and change requests quickly eat up whatever you saved.

How the hiring process works

From first call to launch, a business website usually takes four to eight weeks. The process looks much the same on almost every project.

It starts with a short conversation, often 15 to 30 minutes. You cover the goal, the audience, the budget and the deadline. Afterward you should get an honest assessment, even if it's not what you hoped to hear.

Then comes the quote. A good quote lists the work item by item: number of pages, features, rounds of revisions and timeline. Three revision rounds are standard.

Once you accept, you pay a deposit. With freelancers, 30 to 50 percent upfront is normal. The rest is due after sign-off.

Then the build begins, usually in stages: structure, design, development, content, testing. You see work in progress along the way, so there's no big surprise at the end.

Before launch comes acceptance. You check features, copy, forms and how everything looks on mobile. Any defects get written down.

Finally, you take over the logins, the repository and the passwords.

The most common delay isn't on the code side. It's the text and images the client is supposed to supply. Gather your content beforehand and the project gets noticeably shorter.

Contract, liability and usage rights

A website build is usually a contract for a defined result: the developer owes you a working outcome, not just their time.

That distinction matters in practice. When a contract is about delivering a result, there's typically a formal acceptance step and you have a claim if the work has defects. When a contract is about providing a service, the developer owes their time and effort, not a specific outcome. Ongoing support usually falls into the second category. How exactly this works depends on your local law, so have a lawyer look over larger contracts.

Four points belong in every contract.

Scope of work

What exactly is being built? Number of pages, features, languages, integrations. What is explicitly excluded belongs in there too. Copywriting, photos and licenses are the classic gaps.

Usage rights

Without an agreement, copyright law in many countries gives you only the rights required for the purpose of the contract. Get usage rights to both the design and the code granted in writing.

Liability and data protection

As the site owner, you're responsible for the content you publish. The developer is responsible for coding defects within the scope of their warranty. If they get access to personal data, you'll likely need a data processing agreement, which is mandatory under Article 28 of the GDPR if you operate in the EU.

Payment and exit terms

Payment deadlines, deposit, notice periods. For ongoing maintenance, one month's notice to the end of a quarter is a common arrangement.

Costs by project type, and the maintenance question

Prices depend on scope, not page count. A landing page runs 1,500 to 4,500 Euro, a web application starts at 8,000 Euro.

A rough guide makes comparing quotes easier.

A single landing page usually costs 1,500 to 4,500 Euro. A small website with up to five pages comes in at 1,500 to 3,500 Euro. A business website with five to twelve pages runs 4,000 to 9,000 Euro. An online shop starts at around 4,000 Euro and can reach 25,000 Euro. A custom web application with user accounts and a database begins at about 8,000 Euro.

Freelancers usually charge between 60 and 120 Euro per hour. Agencies often bill 90 to 200 Euro. The gap is rarely about quality. It's about overhead: project management, offices, sales.

A fixed price works when the scope is clearly defined. You know the total upfront, and changes are handled as add-ons. You can see how that plays out in practice on the page about web design at a fixed price.

For open-ended projects, an hourly rate is the more honest option. That's especially true for a custom web application.

Maintenance is the part people forget. Updates, security patches, backups, small changes. Realistically, budget 50 to 200 Euro per month. Every website goes stale without maintenance, and WordPress sites more than most.

Factor maintenance in from day one. Otherwise, twelve months in, the project costs more than you planned.

Let's talk.