1. Agency vs freelancer — which is right for your project
This is the first decision, and most people get it wrong by choosing based on price alone. Here is an honest comparison.
| Factor | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lower (typically) | Higher — but includes design, PM, SEO |
| Accountability | Single point of failure | Team covers illness, holidays, handovers |
| Design capability | Developer only — separate design hire needed | In-house design + development |
| Best for | Small, defined projects under £4,000 | Projects needing design, strategy, or ongoing support |
| Communication | Direct — but capacity-limited | Structured — dedicated project manager |
| IP / code ownership | Negotiate explicitly in contract | Reputable agencies transfer full ownership on completion |
The sweet spot for a freelancer is a well-scoped project — a landing page rebuild, a theme customisation, or a WooCommerce integration where you can write a clear brief and the developer delivers against it. The moment you need design from scratch, SEO thinking, or ongoing relationship management, an agency gives you more resource under one contract.
2. 10 questions to ask before you hire
Ask these in the discovery call. The answers tell you more about a developer than any portfolio.
Do you build custom themes, or do you use page builders like Elementor or Divi?
Page builder sites are faster to assemble but create technical debt — bloated HTML, poor Core Web Vitals scores, and vendor lock-in. A custom theme is cleaner, faster, and more maintainable. If the developer leads with "we use Elementor Pro for everything," understand what that means for your long-term site health.
What is your development workflow — do you use staging, version control, and deployment pipelines?
A professional developer uses Git for version control, a staging environment for testing, and a controlled deployment process. If the answer is "I work directly on the live site," walk away. You need to know that mistakes are recoverable and that code history exists.
What security measures do you implement as standard on every WordPress build?
The answer should include: removing the default admin username, changing the login URL or adding two-factor authentication, hardening file permissions, installing a security plugin, keeping plugins and core updated, and regular backups to an off-site location. If the developer looks blank at this question, they are not building securely.
What hosting do you recommend, and will you set it up?
Managed WordPress hosting (WP Engine, Kinsta, Cloudways) performs significantly better than cheap shared hosting. A competent developer recommends appropriate hosting and can configure it. If they say "just use GoDaddy" or similar, that is a signal about the quality of build you will receive.
Can you show me Google PageSpeed scores for three of your recent builds?
Open the developer's portfolio and test the sites on PageSpeed Insights yourself — do not wait for them to share cherry-picked results. Any custom WordPress build should score 80+ on desktop and 70+ on mobile. Scores below 60 on mobile indicate performance has not been prioritised.
Who do I contact after launch — is there a maintenance or support plan?
WordPress requires ongoing maintenance: core updates, plugin updates, security patches, and backups. Clarify before signing whether the developer offers post-launch support, what it costs, and what response time to expect for urgent issues. Many clients discover this gap only when something breaks.
Will I own all the code, design files, and assets when the project is complete?
Full IP transfer on completion should be standard. Some developers retain licensing on custom work or never deliver Figma files and theme source code. Specify this in writing. You should be able to take the code to a different developer on day one after launch.
How do you handle scope changes mid-project?
Scope creep is the most common source of budget overruns. A professional developer has a clear change request process: changes outside the original spec are quoted separately and require written approval. If the answer is vague, expect the project to run over time and budget.
Can I speak to one or two clients you have worked with recently?
References are the single best signal for a developer's reliability. Most good developers are happy to provide them. A reluctance to give references — even one — is a significant red flag. When you speak to a reference, ask: did they deliver on time, how did they communicate, would you hire them again?
What is and is not included in the quoted price?
Copywriting, photography, logo design, SEO setup, third-party plugin licences, email configuration, and Google Analytics setup are commonly excluded from developer quotes. Clarify exactly what is in scope before agreeing. A reputable developer gives you a written proposal that itemises deliverables.
3. Red flags — what to walk away from
Red flag
Quote under £1,500 for a custom build
At this price point, you are getting a template with a logo swap — not a custom build. Real WordPress development has real labour behind it.
Red flag
Hourly billing with no ceiling
Hourly rates with no project maximum transfer all scope risk to you. Insist on a fixed price or a not-to-exceed figure.
Red flag
No written proposal
A professional developer sends a written proposal before you pay anything. No proposal means no agreed scope, which means disputes are coming.
Red flag
Portfolio shows only template builds
If every portfolio site looks like a purchased theme with replaced text, the developer assembles rather than builds. You will get what everyone else has.
Red flag
Builds directly on the live site
Working without staging means errors appear immediately in public. It also means there is no test environment for your team to review before launch.
Red flag
"We handle everything, no questions needed"
A good developer asks a lot of questions — about your audience, goals, competitors, content. Rushing to quote without these conversations produces a generic result.
4. How to evaluate a WordPress portfolio properly
Most people look at portfolios the wrong way — they judge visual design and ignore everything that actually matters for a long-term working site.
Step 1 — Run PageSpeed Insights on their portfolio sites
Go to pagespeed.web.dev and test three of their portfolio sites. Any professional WordPress developer should achieve 80+ on desktop, 70+ on mobile. Scores below 60 on mobile mean Core Web Vitals have been ignored — which affects both SEO rankings and user experience. This test takes 60 seconds and reveals more than any visual review.
Step 2 — Check the code quality
Open a portfolio site, right-click and view source. Elementor-built sites have extensive inline CSS, hundreds of render-blocking script tags, and HTML that is 5–10× the volume of a custom-coded equivalent. A custom theme with clean output is immediately obvious. You do not need to be a developer to spot the difference — a custom theme HTML source is clean and readable; a page builder source is a wall of auto-generated output.
Step 3 — Check if the sites are still maintained and functional
Run a portfolio site through a broken link checker. Check if SSL is valid. Check if the site loads over HTTPS with no mixed-content warnings. A developer who does not maintain their own portfolio sites will not push you to maintain yours. This matters especially if you are looking for a long-term relationship, not just a one-off build.
Step 4 — Look for projects in your sector
A developer who has built websites for law firms understands compliance language, case study formatting, and SRA-adjacent content considerations. A developer who has built ecommerce sites understands conversion rate optimisation and checkout flow. Relevant sector experience reduces your onboarding cost and produces a better first draft. Ask specifically: “Have you worked with businesses like ours before?”
5. UK pricing — what a WordPress developer should cost in 2026
Prices vary significantly by developer type, project complexity, and location within London. Here are honest 2026 market rates, based on WebAnts' direct experience quoting against competitors in the London market.
| Project type | Freelancer | Agency (London) |
|---|---|---|
| 5-page brochure site | £1,500 – £3,500 | £3,000 – £6,000 |
| 10–15 page professional site | £3,000 – £6,000 | £5,000 – £10,000 |
| WooCommerce store (15–50 products) | £4,000 – £8,000 | £7,000 – £15,000 |
| Custom WordPress web app | £8,000 – £20,000 | £15,000 – £40,000 |
| WordPress maintenance (monthly) | £100 – £250/mo | £200 – £500/mo |
What WebAnts charges
WebAnts builds custom WordPress websites from £3,000 for a professional services site. WooCommerce stores start from £5,000. All projects are quoted as flat fixed prices after a free 30-minute discovery call — no hourly billing, no prepayment required. See our WordPress development service for full pricing.
6. What to have in your contract before work starts
A verbal agreement is worthless. Before any work begins, your contract should include the following — in writing:
Scope of work
A clear list of deliverables — number of pages, functionality, specific integrations. Anything not listed is out of scope.
Fixed price or rate + not-to-exceed cap
If not fixed-price, specify the maximum the project can cost without your written approval for additional budget.
Payment milestones
Professional developers accept milestone payments tied to deliverables, not arbitrary payment schedules. Avoid 50% upfront — that is a red flag for smaller projects.
Timeline with defined review stages
Specify when you receive designs for approval, when staging is accessible, and what the launch date target is. Include what happens if the developer misses milestones.
IP and code ownership
All code, design files, and assets transfer to you in full on final payment. No ongoing licences on custom work.
Post-launch support terms
Define what support is included after launch (bug fixes, minor tweaks) and for how long. Define what costs extra.
7. How WebAnts works
WebAnts is a London web design and development agency. We build custom WordPress websites for law firms, accountants, estate agents, dental practices, startups, and SMEs. Every project starts with a free 30-minute discovery call — you leave with a written proposal and a flat fixed quote.
| Service | Starting from | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress business website | From £3,000 | 3–5 weeks |
| WooCommerce store | From £5,000 | 4–6 weeks |
| WordPress website redesign | From £3,500 | 3–5 weeks |
| WordPress maintenance plan | From £200/mo | Ongoing |
Milestone payments. No prepayment. 4.9★ on Google. 5.0★ on Clutch. Top Web Designers 2025 — DesignRush.