I'm going to tell you what to look for when hiring a freelance web developer. From the developer's side, which might seem like a conflict of interest but is actually the opposite. I know what separates good developers from bad ones because I've been doing this for over a decade. I'd rather you hire the right person, even if it's not me, than end up stuck with a bad build and a worse experience.
Look at Their Portfolio, but Look at It Right
Everyone says "check the portfolio." But most people don't know what to look for beyond "does it look nice?"
Here's what actually matters:
Variety. Five nearly identical sites means one template, reskinned. Look for different industries, layouts, and functionality.
Live sites. Click through to the actual websites. A screenshot is meaningless. The real site might be slow, broken, or offline.
Performance. Run those live sites through Google PageSpeed Insights. If they don't care about performance on the work they show off, they won't care about yours.
Mobile experience. Pull up the portfolio sites on your phone. Mobile is where most of your visitors are.
Recency. A portfolio full of work from 2020 doesn't tell you much about today's tools and standards.
Communication Style Matters More Than You Think
You're going to work with this person for weeks or months. How they communicate during the sales process is a preview of the whole project.
Response time. Four days to respond to your initial inquiry? That's how the whole project will go.
Clarity. Do they explain things in plain language, or hide behind jargon?
Questions. A good developer asks lots of questions before quoting. About your business, goals, audience, timeline, budget. If someone quotes after a five-minute conversation, they're guessing.
Directness. The best developers push back on bad ideas. If you say "I want six rotating sliders and auto-playing music," a good developer tells you why that's a bad idea. A bad one just bills you for it.
Do They Explain or Just Do?
Some developers treat clients like they're just signing checks. Build whatever, hand it over, disappear.
A good developer walks you through decisions. Why this platform. Why the navigation is structured this way. Why that feature isn't worth the trade-off. You should understand what you're paying for.
Ask a potential developer to explain something technical. Anything. If they make you feel stupid, move on. If they make you feel informed, good sign.
Who Owns the Code?
When the project's done, you need to own everything. The code, the domain, the hosting account, the content.
Ask directly: "Do I own the code and all the assets when the project is complete?" The answer should be an immediate yes.
Some developers build on their own hosting or proprietary tools that lock you in. Not always malicious. Sometimes just lazy. Same result: you're trapped.
You should own and control: domain name, hosting account, code repository, CMS admin access, all content and assets, and analytics access. If a developer won't agree to this, they're protecting their leverage, not their work.
What Happens After Launch?
A website needs updates. Security patches. Content changes. Bug fixes.
Ask: "What happens after the site launches?" Good answers include maintenance plans, CMS training, hourly availability for one-off requests. Bad answers include silence, "we can talk about that later," or "it's your responsibility." Know who's providing post-launch support and what it costs before you sign anything.
Red Flags
No contract. A professional has a contract covering scope, timeline, payment, ownership, revisions, and what happens if things go sideways.
No timeline. "A few weeks" isn't a timeline. You should get milestones with dates.
They won't show previous work. NDAs are real. But if they can't show you anything, that's a problem.
They quote without understanding scope. Firm price after a 10-minute conversation means either heavy padding or future change orders.
They bad-mouth other developers. Run. They're telling you about their personality, not the work.
No questions about your business. A website is a business tool. If they don't understand the business, the tool won't work.
They promise everything. "Absolutely, we can do that" to every request is a yellow flag. Good developers set expectations.
The Contract Checklist
Make sure it covers:
- Scope of work (what's included, what's not)
- Timeline with milestones
- Payment schedule (never 100% upfront)
- Revision policy
- Ownership clause
- Cancellation terms
- Post-launch support
If any are missing, ask. If the developer resists putting them in writing, find a different developer.
Trust Your Gut
After all the checklists, pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel heard? Or are you just invoice #47?
If you're still deciding between a freelancer and an agency in the first place, I wrote a whole comparison on that.
If something feels off, it probably is. No amount of good credentials fixes a bad working relationship.
