What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one)
Most people hire a freelancer for one of three reasons. They:
have room in their budget but not enough time,
need someone with a particular set of skills,
just want to delegate a particular task.
For example, imagine that you’re an excellent developer, but design isn’t your forte. In that case, you’ll want to find someone to take care of design work for you.
Alternately, what if you run into a WordPress error or another issue with your site? You may have no idea how to identify the problem or simply lack the time required to fix it. Hiring a freelancer to tackle it instead can be quicker than figuring out how to do it yourself.
For these reasons and many more, you may find yourself looking to hire WordPress freelancers. Here are a few of the characteristics you’ll want to look for:
Excellent communication skills and fast reply times
The ability to meet reasonable deadlines
A healthy dose of experience in relevant areas (and with WordPress itself)
References and/or past work samples, especially for larger projects
Pay expectations that fit your budget
That last requirement can be tricky. You can often hire WordPress freelancers willing to do a lot of work for cheap, but that can be a gamble when it comes to quality.
If you have the budget for it, it’s always a smart idea to hire experienced professionals at reasonable rates.
Six top platforms to hire WordPress freelancers
There are a lot of platforms where you can hire WordPress freelancers online. However, these six websites excel when it comes to finding talented, professional workers. Let’s review what makes each a standout option.
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What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Codable
Codeable is one of our favorite platforms because it’s all about WordPress. Every freelancer who makes it onto the site is carefully vetted and there are workers available for every type of WordPress job. That includes web design, plugin and custom theme development, and much more.
What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Pros:
Only the best WordPress freelancers are accepted.
The focus is entirely on WordPress, so finding experienced freelancers is simple.
What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Cons:
The platform sets its base rate at $70 per hour, so you need deep pockets if you have a lengthy project in mind.
Overall, Codable is an excellent choice if you’re looking to hire top talent at professional rates. If you just need to make a few tweaks to your site, however, you can probably find what you need elsewhere at lower prices.
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What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Total
Total is a platform that prides itself on hiring only the very best. In fact, it proudly proclaims that it only accepts 3% of freelance applicants. Unlike Codable, this platform isn’t exclusive to WordPress. But it does offer tons of freelancers that can help you with just about anything you need.
What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Pros:
Like Codable, each freelancer is carefully vetted before being allowed into Total.
The platform displays a lot of information about each freelancer’s talents, so you know exactly who you’re hiring.
What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Cons:
Just like our previous pick, Total prices start at $60 per hour, which can be a stretch for many smaller sites’ budgets.
This is another platform where you’ll need to make a decent investment if you want to hire someone. However, if you need the very best talent you can find, you’ll almost certainly find that you’re looking for.
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What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) WPMU DEV
WPMU DEV isn’t merely a job platform site. But in addition to its collection of premium plugins and themes, useful WordPress tools, WPMU DEV also features its own jobs board.
What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Pros:
You get access to an extensive collection of WordPress enthusiasts.
It’s more laid back than other job platforms.
What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) Cons:
You need to arrange payments directly with your freelancers.
You need to be a member to post a job, though you can get a 30-day free trial.
WPMU DEV is a great place to find professionals for small to medium-sized projects. It’s particularly attractive if you don’t like dealing with intermediary platforms, such as our previous two options.
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What to look for in a WordPress freelancer (and why you might need one) 4. Upwork
Upwork is one of the largest freelance platforms available online. The quality of its talent varies, but its sheer size means you can find some fantastic WordPress freelancers if you don’t mind looking around.
Pros:
The platform provides access to a gigantic pool of freelancers.
It’s often cheaper than similar sites.
Cons:
There are a lot of subpar freelancers to wade through since the platform doesn’t vet every new applicant.
Upwork can be a useful platform if you have a modest budget and the patience to spend time searching for the right candidate. Overall, it’s a decent option for projects of all types, not just WordPress. Just be aware that you often get what you pay for, so don’t necessarily jump for the lowest bid.
Note; we actually used Upwork to get these awesome WordPress comics made.
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Writers
Unlike the previous platforms, Writers doesn’t enable you to look for specific freelancers. Instead, it’s an agency that specializes in providing custom WordPress services such as development, design, updates, or website speed optimization.
Pros:
You have the opportunity to work with a team of experts who know WordPress inside out.
You can easily establish a long-term professional relationship for future WordPress projects.
Cons:
This site is not multi-purpose like Upwork or Total (you can’t submit jobs or look for freelancers). You can just hire the agency if their services and skills match your WordPress needs.
If solid WordPress background and high reliability are the aspects that you think are the most important when working with freelancers, Writers will deliver. If the quality meets your standards, an agency is also a good place to return to.
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Whited
Similarly to Writers, Whited doesn’t come with a database where you can look for specific freelancers. Instead, it’s a jobs board where you can submit listings for full and part-time positions, regarding both in-person and remote work.
Pros:
It’s easier to find freelancers for long-term work arrangements.
Posting a job is free, although there are premium packages available that offer more exposure.
Cons:
You don’t get as many applicants as on other platforms, and most users are looking for full-time positions.
If you want an ongoing work relationship with your freelancer, Whited is the place for you. A lot of its job listings are for on-site work, so remote offers in particular get tons of attention.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect WordPress freelancers doesn’t have to be hard. You just need to know what to look for and where to search for the best candidates. For instance, if you want some help with usability, then Total will be a good place to start. Every freelance platform is different and knowing the pros and cons of each can help you conduct your search more efficiently.
Here are six of our favorite platforms where you can hire WordPress freelancers:
Codable: This is a premium platform offering top freelancers.
Total: On this site, you can be sure that each freelancer has been carefully vetted.
How to Combine GitHub and WordPress (In 4 Steps)
In order to combine your WordPress development environment with GitHub, you’ll need to go through a few important steps. This starts with creating a local WordPress environment. Then you’ll move on to installing GitHub and creating your first repository.
