A Complete Guide on How to Hire a Magento Developer

Magento is an open-source e-commerce platform that’s used worldwide. However, if your site is live and running on Magento, you know that managing an e-store is not an easy task. There is always a need to hire a Magento developer to make things simple.

Hiring the right Magento developer is a tedious task. There are many things that you need to know and take care of. For example, finding out the best places to hire Magento developers, and the right steps to recruit them etc.

So, we have come up with this detailed blog post that will cover all the topics for you and help you to find a Magento developer.

How to Hire a Magento Developer?

We have divided this post into 6 main sections:

1. Why Hire a Magento Developer
2. Analyze Your Requirements
3. Five Steps to Hire Perfect Developer
4. Skills to Seek in your Developer
5. Few Top Dedicated Magento Developers
6. Freelance Sources and Social Media

Let’s dig in.

1. Why Hire a Magento Developer?

Before knowing how to hire a Magento developer, you must know why do you need a web developer.

Magento is a complex tool that requires in-depth technical knowledge. So, if you wish to run a full-fledged online business, but ain’t well-versed with the ins and outs of Magento, you would require a certified professional to address all your hardships.

Here are the advantages of Hiring a Certified Magento Developer:

1.1 Time Saving

First thing first, hiring a professional web developer for Magento means saving up a lot of time. You don’t have to deal with complex coding and stuff.

As an experienced Magento expert is capable to tackle everything on his own, you can focus on other important tasks like branding, marketing, and sales etc.

1.2 Technical Assistance

A good Magento developer will enhance your technical knowledge about Magento and guide you for success.

Apart from building your website and dealing with the logical stuff, a sound web developer can also help you with PSD or HTML theme development, customization and make the best use of all future updates/upgrades in Magento.

1.3 Modification

Making your e-commerce store stand out is quite a task. It requires uniqueness and creativity on your website. When you hire a Magento developer, you ensure to have a fully customized site that’s looks and feels professional.

A Magento theme developer can provide that unique and fresh look to the store.

The best part? You can communicate with your developer whenever you wish to alter or modify your site.

1.4 Better Performance

Hiring a professional developer for your eCommerce store means ensuring better performance.

Especially if you don’t have much technical knowledge, a Magento developer can improve your website appearance, manage the backend issues, and offer both speed and security to your store.

Note: If you want your e-store to perform and rank better, refer to our detailed post on Magento performance optimization. It might come in handy to boost your e-commerce business.

2. Before Hiring: Analyze Your Requirements

You can find an experienced developer who boasts to be the Magento expert and specialist, still, you can end up with issues if you are not clear about your requirements.

So, before you hire a Magento developer, consider the need of your store, and ask yourself the following questions:

2.1 Do I Need a Front-end or Back-end Developer? 

First off, you need to know that designing a website is one thing, and maintaining or managing its backend is a completely different matter. You need to know the differences between the two to hire a Magento developer who can match up to your website needs.

Here’s a small chart showing the difference between a web designer and a web developer:

Now, before you hire a Magento developer, specify whether you are going to need a front-end developer or back-end developer? As their roles and responsibilities may vary, so do their skills and expertise.

Listed are their roles and responsibilities:

Front-end Developer

A front-end developer is responsible for the appearance of your site, its layout, colors, and navigation. A front-end Magento expert must be well acquainted with the following:

• PHP
• HTML
• JS
• CSS
• APIs
• Magento CMS

P.S. If you want to enhance your e-commerce site and make it look prettier or more professional, you should look out for a front-end developer and hire a Magento designer.

Back-end Developer

Want to develop the server-side logic, maintain a central database, or create an app for your store? You would require a backend developer.

A back-end developer has to be technically sound and detailed oriented to deliver desired results.

Note: Only you, being the owner of your website, can decide which developer do you need. Analyze whether you need a customized theme, extension, and website, or you want to design the whole website.

Full-Stack

A full-stack developer excels in both front-end and back-end Magento development tasks. Also, most of the businesses with little technical knowledge seek both-end developers, also referred to as full-stack developers.

This is probably because a both-end developer would tackle all their development problems and work on all parts of the site.

2.2 Looking for Dedicated, Freelance or Part-time Developer?

After deciding on Front-end/Back-end development, you must know whether you would need a full-time, part-time or freelance developer. Deciding this will help you set up a budget, design a workflow, and set up a deadline for your task.

Our suggestion: Hire a dedicated Magento developer. Why? Because you will get full support, undivided focus, and better results with a full-time developer.

It’s also critical to appraise your needs and determine if you want to hire Magento developer on a permanent or contractual basis.

Here, you should know that If you hire a web developer on a contractual basis, and you wish to continue with him after the contract ends, you will have to go through the hiring process once again.

2.3 Will your require one developer or an Agency?

Just one developer can handle store if it’s new and small. However, if you have a big, busy eCommerce store, a single Magento expert can’t cut it.

Most of the businesses with multiple websites and a large database, hire a team of certified professionals with in-depth knowledge and years of experience. they do this because:

• Hiring an agency is an advanced and smart choice.
• A good agency will provide you with the right resources instead of a single developer.

Here’re the benefits of hiring an agency or a Magento dedicated company for high-quality web development services. We will mention these companies name later in this post.

2.4 What matters more to you: Cost or Quality?

I know this sounds cliché, but you get what you pay for!

If you don’t want to spend some money on the development of your site, don’t expect excellent results.

Many companies hire cheap Magento developers only to find disappointment. Truth be told: Cheap talents will never deliver extraordinary services.

Therefore, decide if you want to save your penny and compromise on work quality, or you wish to invest in talented, experienced industry developers, and achieve desired results.

We recommend Quality, Always!

Every store owner wants to improve sales and build a database that’s light, fast and secure.

In such a case, you need to hire a Magento developer with industry expertise and ample knowledge.

It’s way better to shed some money on a professional Magento developer than to tweak crappy code that in the end, turn out, to be more expensive.

P.S. Please don’t fall for low price strategies! Go and spend some time finding and hire a Magento developer who is experienced, skilled, and professional.

To make sure that you are spending your money on the right person, refer to the next point.

3. Five Steps to Hire the Perfect Developer

Now that you know why you need a developer and what kind of developer you need, just follow the steps to hire a top-class Magento developer for your store.

3.1 Look Reviews & Ratings

Checking reviews and star ratings have become so trendy these days. And let me tell you, it’s worth doing so.

You might get a clear-cut idea about the candidate’s profile, professionalism, working excellence and more just by checking their reviews and ratings.

Also, visit their professional online accounts and website to know more. Scroll through the comments and remarks by their previous clients.

Ask for References:

References can also help you assess your Magento developer. So, ask for references and have a word with them. It might help you analyze their skills, working methods, and diligence in detail.

3.2 Check Work Portfolio & Credentials

Looking at the portfolio and certification of your Magento developer is an imperative task to ensure that s/he is the right fit for your project.

A work portfolio will showcase their skills, working method and the work they have produced so far. Thereby, it’ll be very easy for you to relate your project with their skillsets.

Your developer’s professional portfolio will be the best evidence for:

• No. of projects
• Experience
• Proficiency
• Design and development work
• Frameworks
• Lesson plans
• Certifications

3.3 Ask about Availability & Communication

After having a look at the work portfolio, check their availability and stress on proper communication. This should be the first thing to look for in your Magento developer.

If you are hiring them on a contract or project basis, ensure they’re available whenever you need them.

Obviously, they can’t be available 24*7 for you. But ask the best times in a day to talk to them and discuss changes in your project.

3.4 Specify Your Project

Now, this one is crucial. You have to share the proper guidelines and project details with your Magento developer. Otherwise, you will not get the desired results, and you will keep requesting your developer to make changes again and again.

When you are about to hire a Magento developer for your e-commerce site, make sure they are okay with all your requirements and due dates.

3.5 Try a Paid Test Project

If you are unsure about the developer’s expertise and want to check if s/he is the right person for you, just take a paid test project.

This is quintessential when you have a big project that’s going to be time-consuming.

Ask your developers whether they have the time to do a paid coding test, and ensure you’ll hire them if you’re satisfied with them.

• When you ask the prospect to perform Magento development test on paid testing tools, you save time and money altogether.
• It also prevents you from choosing the wrong candidate.
• Codility and Devskiller are such platforms where you can get all automated pre-employment test.
• Paid test tools help make technical recruitment efficient.

4. Skills to Seek in Your Developer

Well, the hard part is over!

After going through the resume, work portfolio, certificates, and reviews, it’s time to judge technical knowledge, passion for development, and dedication.

Make a list of skills your developer needs to have. Be specific about the knowledge, languages, technicality, and experience that you want him/her to have.

Here are the work competencies you should seek in a developer’s CV:

4.1 Development Expertise

This is very obvious. An ideal developer must have proper knowledge of the Magento platform to execute essential tasks on your online store.

They should be technically sound and also flexible enough to merge their skills and development expertise to your website needs. When you’re judging development expertise, seek their grip on:

• Magento website development
• Custom eCommerce solutions
• Magento module and theme development
• Custom extension development
• Shopping cart development

Ask everything that you want them to do on your CMS and see whether they can deliver you the same.

4.2 Industry Knowledge

Just like development expertise, Magento industry expertize is equally important.

Here’s how to judge industry expertise of a Magento developer:

• Have a look at their previous projects and ask about their challenges, frameworks, and knowledge of the industry.
• Ensure that s/he is acquainted with different Magento versions, i.e., Enterprise, Go, and Community.
• Ask about each Magento versions features, functions and frameworks, and enquire how they use them.
• Ask if they have dealt with any serious challenges and tasks at previous jobs.

Technical know-how should be your top priority. Howbeit, many other aspects matter when you want to make an important hiring.

Thus, you should also examine their skills in the following areas:

4.3 Professionalism

Professionalism defines your attitude towards work. No one wants to entertain an unprofessional candidate even if s/he has the skills and knowledge.

A good professional developer knows how to work; this impacts your business, customers and client base.

4.4 Imaginative Perspective

A Magento developer has to be imaginative, especially the front-end developer.

Hunt for an experienced developer who holds an innovative perspective to help you achieve success.

A creative e-commerce developer will create best web designs, homepages and versatile eCommerce store from scratch.

4.5 Diligence & Discipline

These two are the imperative qualities that can be the game changer for your business. A developer who is both dedicated and disciplined will surely take your brand to heights.

4.6 Pressure Handling & Team Player

This one is important. A good Magento developer is fast and clever. S/he must know how to handle pressure, work alone, and be a great team player when required.

Moreover, web developers should be good at communication so that they can talk to you freely about work requirements, challenges, and future plans.

You might put yourself in trouble if you’ve not already discussed your timings with your freelancer/ part-time developer. Why? Because most of the contractual or freelance developers work on multiple projects at a time.

The clashes might hamper your project and deadline. Try to hire a Magento developer who can be available 24×7 for your work.

4.7 Specialties

Every person is unique and has some specialty. Ask or analyze your developer’s specialty and the tasks they excel in more than others. After knowing them, think about how you can utilize their specialties in your project.

5. Few Top Dedicated Magento Development Companies

It’s tough to go out and find the perfect Magento developer who is professional, experienced and fit for your project, on your own. Furthermore, many online platforms have a hundred or thousands of talents who under-cut each other’s prices to make it more difficult for you.

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

Boring shopping portals will no more haunt you as we have hand-picked some of the best sources to find and hire best Magento developer for your business.

These trusted sites will make your perfect hiring -super easy!

Magneto IT Solutions

Founded in 2009, Magneto IT Solutions has gone far ahead than its competitors. Their developers are expert in bringing your ideas to life. Magneto IT Solutions provide solutions for ecommerce website design and development and payment gateway solutions making it one of the leading company in the Middle East. Their passionate and talented teams have expertise in creating new and effective ways to make your online solutions reach new heights.

Highlights:

• Ecommerce website design
• Ecommerce website development
• B2B Ecommerce Development
• Ecommerce Consultant
• Ecommerce Strategist
• Marketplace support and development
• Magento website development
• Migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2

Magneto IT Solutions have delivered 250+ eCommerce stores in different business domains and countries like UAE, USA, UK, Canada & Australia based on client’s store implementation. The firm has worked for web development across the world in 20+ countries. With more than 650 completed projects and 70% repeat business, the company has an exceptional success record.

LOCATION: United States
EMPLOYEES: 100 – 250
FOUNDED: 2009
HOURLY RATE: $100 – $149 / hr

Codilar

Codilar is based in Bangalore, India, with global footprints all across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. They are experts in the Magento platform and offer various services like design, development, and optimization for eCommerce companies.

With the team of certified Magento developers, they can bring all of your store ideas to life.

In only five years, Codilar succeeded in gaining the trust of many customers and became a known name in the Indian Magento community. It is the first company from India to work with Vue Storefront and ScandiPWA – two leading Magento PWA solutions worldwide.

Highlights:

• Custom Magento development
• Magento migration
• Magento PWA development
• Magento performance optimization
• Omnichannel Implementation
• Developers for hire on a contract basis

They are end-to-end Magento development company. They can build a seamless eCommerce store by implementing the latest technology such as omnichannel and headless commerce.

LOCATION: USA, Canada, Australia, etc. (11+ countries)
EMPLOYEES: 50-249
FOUNDED: 2015
HOURLY RATE: $25-$49 / hr

6. Freelance Sources & Social Media 

We have talked about the best dedicated Magento developers. Now, let’s also unveil some freelance platforms and social platforms from where you can find your perfect fit.

6.1 Freelance Magento Developers

When you are planning to hire a Magento developer on a freelance basis, the first place that comes in mind is free online platforms. You must have already heard of platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer.com. Let’s know them in detail.

a) Upwork

Upwork is a reliable global freelance platform with a database of millions of freelance talents from around the world. This popular platform is great for independent contractors to find their perfect hire, and for companies or individuals to find reviewed professional freelancers including Magento developers.

When we talk about freelance web developers, there is no looking further than Upwork.

Highlights:

• On Upwork.com you can explore contractor profiles for free
• You can find talents with all slots of pricing, so you can hire the freelancer that fits in your budget.
• Upwork supports major payment gateways such as PayPal

b) Fiverr

Fiverr is again an amazing online marketplace for freelance services. Having its roots in Tel Aviv, Fiverr has spread globally in the last 8 years. It’s a great platform to find freelance web developers who are professional and experienced.

Highlights:

• Find seasoned Magento developers in your budget.
• Find services based on your goals and deadlines.
• Secure payment methods

c) Freelancer.com

Hiring a professional web developer for your Magento e-store is super easy with Freelancer.com. Simply post the job and receive competitive bids from freelance developers in no time.

With secure payments and thousands of certified talents to choose from, Freelancer.com becomes the most trusted way to get work done online and to hire Magento eCommerce developer.

Highlights:

• Pay only when work is completed and you’re satisfied.
• 24/7 customer support to help you
• Live chat to get updates from freelancers
• Time tracker to monitor the progress of the task

The Bad News!

No doubt you will find hundreds of skilled Magento developers on these sites. But you have to beware as there exist hundreds of bad developers too. Therefore, you will have to be patient and spend a lot of time choosing from thousands of talents and do the bargaining to pick the right person.

6.2 Social Media Platforms

Social media is more popular than ever. People scroll through feeds and posts all day long and never get tired of it.

Several smart businesses make use of these social tools to find their target audiences and hire skilled professionals. Why don’t you give it a try?

Here are some platforms that can help you find and hire a Magento developer.

a) Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are good places to find good developers that are dedicated to Magento sites only. Just join the famous groups, do some research and post your requirements.

You can also visit different web developers’ profiles and text them to discuss your project.

b) LinkedIn

Just like on Facebook, you can find talented web developers on LinkedIn as well. Here, you can directly search for people that have listed “Magento” as a skill and look through their profile.

LinkedIn is considered the most trusted and professional platform to connect globally.

c) Twitter

Tweeting is something cool. Many Magento developers tweet about their skills, new projects, and share their knowledge on Twitter.

You can just tweet that you’re searching for a web developer by using hashtags such as #Magento, #Developer, and #MagentoJobs. You will be surprised how many will reply and ask for more details about the job.

Note: Social media is great for connecting and finding new people on the web. However, these platforms become very time-consuming and tricky at times. Therefore, we suggest you scroll up and still choose the best dedicated Magento developers from our top 6 list.

Final Words

Hiring a Magento developer isn’t just a wand-waving job.

Magento is a complex platform, and only a professional Magento developer can handle all the coding issues. So, we’re here to guide you to a perfect hire.

Contact our team if you are still confused, we would love to talk!

P.S. I would like to suggest to move to a better, managed Magento hosting before hiring an expensive Web developer. Good hosting can improve your site performance up to many times and provide security. Some hosts also address your front-end and back-end issues too.

Enquire now and join 1000+ businesses who have blitzscaled their websites by choosing ServerGuy as their hosting partner.