How to find a website developer — this is a question almost every business owner faces sooner or later. Not only should your website be practical, modern, and significantly expand your business opportunities, but the person creating it must also be professional and reliable.

Without claiming to cover every detail, we’ll share the insights we’ve gained — and, more importantly, the experience of our clients.

Where to find web developers?

Here are the main ways to find someone to build your site:

Finding a website developer online

The easiest and most natural way is to search for “website development.” Anyone who appears in the top results has at least managed to make their own site visible to search engines — a clear sign of SEO and development expertise.

On the other hand, many developers either don’t have their own site or only update it in their spare time, since they get projects through other channels described below.

Also, just because a person or company has created a great site for themselves doesn’t mean they’ll deliver the same quality for you. Reputation may not be their top priority, and the reviews shown on the homepage are fully controlled by the site owner.

Maps

Surprisingly, you can find a website developer on Google or Yandex Maps. The benefit is that you can work with a local company and see real customer reviews that they cannot edit.

Keep in mind that happy customers don’t always leave positive reviews, so it’s worth reading the company’s responses as well.

The downside is that freelance developers rarely create business listings, and some companies simply don’t invest the time.

Freelance marketplaces

These are platforms where clients find service providers. In Russia, popular options include Youdo and Avito; internationally, Upwork and Fiverr are leading choices. There are many more, but these are the most well-known.

The advantage here is that reputation matters greatly. You can check real reviews and see the developer’s portfolio of past projects.

The downsides: the platform will take a commission from you as well, communication happens only within the site, and both you and the freelancer can be rated. The rating systems aren’t always fair, and there are many low-skill developers who offer cheap work that may be unusable. Building a strong profile also takes time and often money, and there’s no guarantee that the person you hire will be the one who actually works on your project.

Social media

This is the least reliable method. Web development and social media marketing are completely different fields. Whether a company or freelancer has a profile says nothing about their skills. We do not recommend relying solely on social networks to find a developer.

Friend’s recommendation

A personal referral is the most trustworthy way. If someone you know had a site made and was satisfied, they’ll be happy to recommend the developer. In fact, many web developers rely on word of mouth — for example, over time, each of our clients has brought us at least one more.

Reputation here matters more than in any other case. Of course, there’s no guarantee you’ll work together as smoothly as your friend did, but the chances are highest.

Conclusion

So, you need to find a website developer? Start by asking your network if they’ve had a site made. If not, search online or on maps for developers in your region or your target market’s region. If that fails, try freelance marketplaces. And if that still doesn’t work, look in social networks.

How we can help

If you’ve found a candidate but still have doubts, contact us. We’ll provide a free consultation to assess whether their questions, terms, and proposed results are reasonable — simply as a second, unbiased opinion.