What Does a Website Developer Do and How Do You Hire One?

A website developer builds and maintains the code that makes a site function—layout, interactivity, forms, databases, and performance—while a designer decides how it looks. You need a developer rather than a template when your site requires custom behavior, integrations, or repairs to existing code. HandmadeWebsites.com describes its service as coding "from scratch" and also repairing current sites, which is the classic developer scope: build new, fix old. This guide explains the role, when custom code is worth it, and how to vet an affordable developer before you pay.

Developer vs. designer: who does what

These roles overlap on small projects, but the distinction matters when you're hiring and setting expectations.

A single freelancer may cover both. When you interview someone, ask which parts they personally handle and which they outsource. HandmadeWebsites.com's own description ("Web Designs," "Web Programmer," "code from scratch") suggests one provider covering both sides—useful for a small project, but confirm it in writing.

When you need custom code instead of a template

Custom development costs more in time and money, so it should earn its place. Choose custom code when at least one of these is true:

• Your site must connect to something else—a booking system, payment processor, CRM, or internal database.
• You need behavior a template can't produce—custom calculators, member areas, unusual navigation, or interactive features.
• You're repairing or extending an existing site whose code is already custom.
• Performance or accessibility requirements are strict and off-the-shelf themes can't meet them.

Choose a template or CMS (WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and similar) when your site is mostly informational, your budget is tight, and you don't need custom logic. A developer can still help you set one up and customize it—that's often the cheapest path to a good result.

How to evaluate an affordable developer

"Affordable" and "cheap" are not the same thing. Use these checks before hiring.

Ask for a written scope

The scope should list every page, feature, and integration, plus what happens after launch. Vague scopes are where budgets break. If a provider advertises "half price," ask half of what—get the full price and the deliverable list in writing.

Separate build cost from ongoing cost

• One-time build: design, coding, content setup, launch.
• Recurring: hosting, domain, maintenance, updates, security.
• Change requests: hourly rate or retainer for edits after launch.

A low build price with high maintenance fees can cost more over two years than a higher upfront quote. Ask for both numbers.

Confirm ownership and access

You should own your domain, hosting account, and code (or have full admin access to your CMS). Ask directly: "Will I have admin access to everything, and can I move the site to another host?" If the answer is no, treat it as a serious warning.

Test their repair capability

If you have an existing site, ask them to review it and describe—in plain language—what's wrong and how they'd fix it. A developer who can diagnose before quoting is more reliable than one who quotes blind. HandmadeWebsites.com explicitly offers repairs alongside new builds, so this is a fair question for any similar provider.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. Can I see two or three live sites you built or repaired, and can I contact those clients?
2. What's included in the price, and what costs extra?
3. Who owns the code and the accounts when the project ends?
4. What's your process if something breaks after launch?
5. How do you handle changes I request mid-project?
6. What do you need from me (text, images, logos), and by when?
7. What happens if the project runs late?

Red flags in pricing and scope

• No written scope or contract. Verbal agreements leave you with no recourse.
• Full payment upfront. Milestone payments (deposit, midpoint, launch) protect both sides.
• No examples of past work. Any developer should be able to show live sites.
• Refusal to give account access. You should control your own domain and hosting.
• Prices far below market with no explanation. Either the scope is thinner than it appears, or corners are being cut on testing and support.
• No mention of what happens after launch. Maintenance is part of owning a site; a provider who ignores it is planning to disappear.

A practical hiring sequence

1. Define your needs. List pages, features, and any integrations.
2. Get two or three quotes using the same written scope so you're comparing like with like.
3. Check live examples and, if possible, ask past clients about communication and follow-through.
4. Agree on milestones and payment schedule before any code is written.
5. Confirm ownership and access in the contract.
6. Plan the handover: training, documentation, and a support window after launch.

A website developer turns your requirements into working code and keeps it working. Hire one when your project needs custom behavior, integrations, or repairs; use a template when it doesn't. The cheapest quote is only a good deal if the scope, ownership, and post-launch terms are clear before you start.