At some point during your WordPress site management journey, you’re likely to run into a situation that you’re not equipped to solve. Whether you encounter a bug you can’t fix, need a new feature you’re not sure how to implement, or just want to make an update without jeopardizing your site’s security, it’s worth knowing where to find WordPress support when you need it.
There are plenty of WordPress experts in the world, but finding and hiring that support is easier said than done. If you’re not quite sure where to begin your search, here are six places you might find effective WordPress talent.
6 Ways to Get Support For Your WordPress Website
1. Within Your Existing Talent Pool
Before you start the outsourcing conversation, it may be worth exploring whether anyone in your organization is already familiar with WordPress. Since WordPress is the most widely used content management system (CMS), it’s not unlikely that someone on your team—likely in the marketing or IT departments—will know their way around the platform.
If you need advanced support, you may still want to explore outside help. But for simpler updates and common questions, it’s possible you’ll find exactly what you need within your existing talent pool.
2. Job Boards
Assuming you need to bring in outside expertise, many businesses begin their search by posting on job boards.
Before you go this route, make sure you have a clear job description that outlines what you need help with, what kind of experience you want your ideal candidate to have, and the terms of your work together. For example, you’ll want to differentiate between a search for a full-time entry-level employee versus an expert contractor who will lend a hand for a limited time.
Broad job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor will help get your job description in front of as many eyes as possible, but it’s also worth looking for smaller job boards that focus on developers or website specialists. When in doubt, cover all your bases to see where the best candidates come from.
3. Freelancers
Speaking of contractors, freelancers are a helpful option if you need irregular or short-term WordPress support.
There are benefits and challenges to working with freelancers for WordPress projects. The main drawbacks are a lack of long-term ongoing support, inconsistent quality control, and freelancers with experience that’s either broad and shallow, or niche and deep. It can be difficult to find a reliable freelancer with the experience you’re looking for, which leads some businesses to ignore the freelance route altogether.
On the flip side, freelancers can be especially helpful if you need urgent support, relatively basic guidance, or short-term help from someone with ultra-specialized expertise. You may not want someone with niche experience for a full-time position, but for project-specific engagements, freelancers can work well. Sites like Upwork and Fiverr let you browse freelancers with specific expertise, so they can be helpful as you start your search.
4. Agencies
The agency model combines many of the benefits of full-time candidates and freelancers. Like full-time candidates, agency teams are likely to have reliable expertise and a proven track record of WordPress success. Like freelancers, their engagement can be flexible and part-time according to your needs.
Before you commit to an agency, make sure you understand how they structure their work with clients. Here at Polyglot Labs, most of our WordPress maintenance work is ad hoc. We offer ongoing support for all of our clients without requiring a predetermined scope of work, which some agencies require. When we do offer retainers, we’re still flexible about exactly what will be required to keep the site running smoothly.
Lots of agencies always require retainers, so it’s important to read your partnership terms closely before you sign on with a new agency partner. Understand whether you’re agreeing to a short-term or long-term arrangement, what you should expect from payment rates and invoice frequency, what’s included in the agency’s scope of work, and any upcharges you might face for work outside the contracted scope.
5. Offshore Talent
If your goal is to solve your WordPress challenges at the cheapest possible rate, hiring international talent is one option. We don’t typically recommend offshore developers for a few reasons: they tend to have high turnover, there may be a language barrier, and time zone differences can make it difficult to communicate and collaborate. But, if the cost is your primary factor, offshore developers are often the cheapest on the market.
Be especially cautious when vetting and interviewing offshore talent. Ask for past work samples, references, and other signals of industry expertise that guarantee the developer’s work. Just remember that even with a thorough quality check, you might still have a less-than-stellar experience with the offshore model. Discounted work isn’t always worth the risk!
6. WordPress Support and Forums
Finally, attempting the work yourself is always an option. One of the most common reasons businesses use WordPress is its status as an industry leader. As the most popular CMS for businesses, WordPress benefits from extensive documentation on forums and its own support pages. You may even find someone explaining the same challenge or use case you’re hoping to solve.
Before you enter DIY mode, make sure you have a recent site backup just in case you need to undo your work. In fact, it’s a helpful best practice to double-check your site backups before anyone makes changes to your site.
Engage Polyglot Labs for Your WordPress Site
Next time you encounter a WordPress challenge, give our team a call! We’re available for all your WordPress support needs, large and small. If you need more than a little maintenance, we can also work with you to overhaul your site more substantially.
Learn more about the WordPress agency model in this recent blog article, and contact us today to explore partnership options.
