Magento, for instance, is one of the finest eCommerce development platform, which if you deploy for your application, is guaranteed to deliver excellent results. But that isn’t enough. You also got to have an equally competent developer to unleash the true potential of the technology and by extension, your business. Since the quality of the developer you hire has the potential to make or break your future prospects, here are the 7 key benchmarks upon which you can measure their feasibility:
1. Communication
The first thing you need to consider about the developer is the ease and fluency with which they can communicate about the project. This communication needs to happen at two levels- first, the initial project requirement and analysis; second, consistent updates as the project progresses. If the communication lags at any of these levels, it is certain that the final product will suffer.
2. Experience
The second in line is the experience that the developer brings to your project. This not only includes the experience they have in developing Magento eCommerce platforms but also in any other technologies. The more technologies the developers have worked in before, the better insights they can bring to the project and can offer more out-of-the-box solutions for complicated problems.
3. Certifications
If you are hiring a Magento developer, you should expect them to be a wizard of the technology. The best way to test their competence is to ask about Magento certifications. Since there are various types of certifications available, it will also reflect which aspect of web development they are most comfortable in. Having a Magento certified developer on your team ensures that they can handle problems of all complexities and scales.
4. Design Approach
Magento has a wide catalog of free and paid themes, which are more than enough to meet most of the business requirements. But it is always a plus to have your developer design and implement a customized theme acutely tailored to your needs. But since there is no way to quantify designing skills, the most you can do is ask your developer if they would be open to designing custom themes and produce any sample of work they have delivered before.
5. Development Timeframe
If a developer offers you an unrealistic timeframe for delivery, there is most likely a catch in there. Businesses are often lured by deliveries in a short time because not only does it mean short time-to-market, but also less billable hours. So, whatever timeframe a developer offers you for a project, you must ask about the details of each milestone and how they intend to cover for unexpected complexities and manage tight schedules.
6. Billing
More than the developer, this is one aspect that depends on the type of project you propose. For lengthy projects, it is recommended to have a wholesome cost while hourly billing is better suited for small projects. Ask the developer what billing model they are most comfortable in and see if that aligns well with your requirements. Also, clarify if there are any additional charges applicable for any particular service.
Also read: How Much Does a Magento Website Development Cost?
7. Support and Maintenance
Though Magento has a very neat admin panel that anyone can easily handle without frequently consulting a Magento development company, it is much better to have their support if anything goes wrong. Apart from development, also ask your Magento developer about the future support they will provide and the cost that is attached to it.