Hiring a developer
How to hire a web developer in Lahore
If you search for the best web developer in Lahore, you'll find directories, agency pages, marketplace profiles and job boards, all describing themselves in similar words. There is no objective "best". There is only the developer who is right for your project. This checklist helps you find that person, whether you hire me or someone else.
Start with what the website must do
Before you contact anyone, write a short brief. Say who the website is for, what a visitor should be able to do (call you, book, buy, read), which pages you expect, and whether you already have a design, text and photos.
A clear brief gets you clearer answers. It also shows you quickly which developers read carefully and which send the same reply to everyone.
Freelancer, agency or in-house
- A freelance developer suits focused projects. You talk to the person who builds your site, and decisions are quick. The trade-off is that one person has limited capacity, so ask about their availability and how they handle problems when they are busy.
- An agency suits bigger projects that need design, backend work, content and project management together. You usually deal with a manager first, so ask who will actually write the code.
- An in-house developer suits a business with continuous work on its website. It is a different commitment from hiring for a single project.
How to judge a portfolio
- Open the live sites, not only screenshots. Check them on your phone. Do they load quickly and work properly on a small screen?
- Ask what the developer personally built. Many portfolios show team projects, and that is fine, but you should know the person's part in them.
- Look for work similar to yours: a shop, a company site, a booking page, a web app.
- Ask for a client reference or a recommendation you can verify, such as one on LinkedIn.
- Treat star ratings and ranked lists with care. Many directory rankings are sponsored or self-reported.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Which parts of my project would you build, and which would you suggest I handle myself, such as text and photos?
- What do you need from me, and by when?
- How will we communicate, and how quickly do you usually reply? If you work from a different country, ask about working hours and time zones.
- What happens after launch? Who fixes a bug found two weeks later, and who updates the site?
- Will I own the website, the hosting account and the domain? You should.
- How will we test it on phones and different browsers before it goes live?
Red flags
- A promise of a number one Google ranking. Nobody controls Google's results, and an honest developer will tell you so.
- No live work to show, or work that the developer can't explain.
- No written scope, so nobody agrees what is included.
- Pressure to decide today.
- A developer who never asks you a question about your business.
- The domain or hosting account registered in the developer's name instead of yours.
What to send for a quote
Send your brief, a link to your current website if you have one, any designs or examples you like, the features you need, and your deadline. Add who will update the content after launch.
Quotes are easier to compare when every developer receives the same information. Compare what each quote includes as well as the final figure, and ask about anything that is missing.
If you'd like to start with me
I'm a freelance web developer in Lahore, and I build websites with React, WordPress and WooCommerce. I work online with clients in Pakistan and abroad over WhatsApp, email and video calls. You can see live sites I've built in my case studies, and the recommendations on my home page link to LinkedIn so you can check them.
If you send me your brief, I'll reply with questions, a suggested approach and a quote. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so.