Last month, a friend of mine, who’s a restaurant owner in paid ₹45,000 for a WordPress website.

The developer promised everything.

Mobile-friendly design.

Fast loading speed.

SEO optimization.

Three months later?

Website crashes on phones.

Takes 12 seconds to load.

Google can’t even find it.

And the developer?

Stopped answering calls the day he got the final payment.

This story repeats itself across Gorakhpur every month.

Not because every WordPress web developer is dishonest.

But because most business owners walk into these situations blind.

Here’s how to hire the right person without losing your money to someone who just knows how to take it.

Red Flags That Should Make You Run

Let’s start with the obvious warning signs.

The ones you need to spot immediately.

Red Flag #1: Guaranteed Google Rankings

“I’ll get you on first page Google, guaranteed.”

That’s a lie.

Plain and simple.

Nobody controls Google’s algorithm.

A good WordPress website developer builds sites that Google can crawl and index properly.

They set up proper SEO foundations.

But promise #1 ranking?

That’s either incompetence or dishonesty.

Probably both.

Red Flag #2: Suspiciously Cheap Pricing

₹5,000 for a complete WordPress website.

Sounds like a steal, right?

It is a steal.

They’re stealing your time and peace of mind.

Think about the math for a second.

A proper WordPress site needs minimum 20-25 hours of actual work.

Design layouts.

Write code.

Test on different devices.

Fix bugs.

Optimize images.

Set up forms.

At ₹5,000 for 25 hours, that’s ₹200 per hour.

Show me one skilled person who works for that.

What you’ll actually get is a template slapped together in 90 minutes.

Looks okay at first glance.

Then it breaks.

Or loads painfully slow.

Or gets hacked because they used nulled plugins.

Red Flag #3: Portfolio Doesn’t Exist

Ask to see their previous work.

Real websites they actually built.

Not Behance mockups.

Not screenshots.

Actual functioning websites you can visit and click around.

If they can’t show you at least 5-7 live projects, something’s wrong.

Either they’re brand new (risky), or their previous work is so bad they won’t show it (worse).

Red Flag #4: Zero Questions About Your Business

Pay attention to what they ask during the first conversation.

A competent WordPress web developer needs to understand your business.

What do you sell?

Who buys from you?

What problems are you solving?

What do you want the website to accomplish?

If their only questions are “what colors you want” and “send me some reference sites,” they’re not building you a business tool.

They’re making a digital brochure that won’t actually help you.

Red Flag #5: Everything’s Casual on WhatsApp

No written contract.

No scope document.

No clear deliverables list.

Just “don’t worry boss, trust me” on voice messages.

Then mysteriously unavailable after they get your money.

Professional WordPress website developers work with contracts.

Clear agreements on what gets delivered.

Payment milestones tied to completed work.

Revision policies spelled out.

Timeline commitments in writing.

Someone refusing to formalize anything isn’t being flexible.

They’re keeping the exit door wide open.

Questions to Ask Before Paying Anything

Here’s your protection checklist.

Ask every single one of these questions.

Watch how they respond.

“Show me 5 websites you built recently”

Not their portfolio site.

The actual client websites.

Open them on your phone.

Does everything work properly?

Do pages load quickly?

Try filling out the contact form.

Check if images display correctly.

Browse on 4G, not WiFi.

That’s the real test.

If half their previous sites are broken or ridiculously slow, yours will end up the same way.

“What happens when something breaks after launch?”

Things will break eventually.

WordPress updates.

Plugins update.

Conflicts happen.

Security patches get needed.

How does your WordPress web developer handle this?

Responsible ones include at least 30 days of post-launch bug fixes.

Some offer 90 days.

If they immediately say “that’s extra charges,” you’re looking at someone who’ll nickel-and-dime you forever.

Negotiate support into your initial agreement or find someone else.

“Will I be able to see and use this site easily on my phone?”

This question shouldn’t even be necessary in 2025.

But you’d be shocked how many WordPress website developers still build desktop-only.

Around 73% of people in Gorakhpur search and browse on mobile devices.

Not desktops.

Phones.

Your site absolutely must work flawlessly on small screens.

Ask them to open their previous projects on your phone right there.

Watch how they behave on a 6-inch screen.

That tells you everything.

“Who actually owns this website after you build it?”

Clarify this upfront or regret it later.

Some developers maintain control of everything.

Admin passwords.

Hosting access.

Domain registration.

You’re essentially renting from them forever.

Want to make a simple text change?

Pay them.

Want to switch developers?

They hold everything hostage.

Get complete ownership established in writing.

Full WordPress admin access.

Hosting account credentials.

Domain registrar access.

All source files and backups.

Your business, your website, your control.

“What exactly does your price include?”

Get every single detail written down.

How many pages are you getting?

How many rounds of revisions?

Does that price include domain registration?

What about hosting for the first year?

SSL certificate included?

Basic SEO setup?

Working contact forms?

Google Analytics integration?

Email setup?

Training on how to use the backend?

Vague answers here mean surprise bills later.

“Oh, contact forms are extra.”

“SEO wasn’t included in our discussion.”

“Training is separate pricing.”

Get the complete scope written down before any money changes hands.

“How long will this actually take?”

Timeline expectations matter.

A straightforward business WordPress site with 5-7 pages typically takes 2-3 weeks.

More complex sites with custom functionality might need 4-6 weeks.

Someone promising “I’ll finish in 3 days” is using a cookie-cutter template with zero customization.

Someone saying “probably 6 months” is either juggling too many projects or doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Both scenarios are problematic.

“How do you handle speed and search optimization?”

WordPress sites can be lightning fast or painfully slow.

Entirely depends on how your WordPress web developer builds them.

They should immediately mention things like:

Image compression and optimization.

Caching configuration.

Code minification.

Choosing lightweight themes.

Avoiding plugin bloat.

Proper heading structure for SEO.

Meta title and description setup.

Schema markup for local businesses.

If they look confused by these terms, keep searching.

These aren’t advanced concepts.

This is basic WordPress development.

Payment Structure That Actually Protects You

Never, ever pay everything upfront.

Not 100%.

Not 80%.

Not even 60% upfront.

Here’s the fair payment breakdown:

30% when starting – Proves you’re serious, lets them begin work

40% when you approve the design – You see mockups, approve the look before they code everything

30% after launch and testing – You’ve verified everything works as promised

This structure protects both parties fairly.

They get compensated for work completed at each stage.

You don’t risk losing everything if they vanish or deliver garbage.

Any WordPress website developer who demands full payment upfront is essentially asking you to trust blindly.

Don’t do it.

What You Should Actually Receive

Beyond just the website going live, expect these deliverables:

Hands-on training session – They walk you through updating text, adding blog posts, changing photos, basic maintenance.

Written documentation – Step-by-step guide for common tasks you’ll need to do yourself.

Automatic backup system – Daily or weekly backups so you never lose everything if something crashes.

Basic security setup – SSL certificate installed, secure login configurations, firewall plugin, spam protection.

Speed optimization – Site loads completely in under 3 seconds on decent internet.

Mobile responsiveness – Everything works perfectly on phones and tablets, not just laptops.

Working contact forms – Forms that actually send you email notifications when someone submits.

Analytics integration – Google Analytics installed so you can track visitors and behavior.

Search Console connection – Monitor how Google sees and indexes your site.

These aren’t premium add-ons.

This is baseline WordPress development.

If your WordPress web developer doesn’t include all of this, either negotiate it in or find someone who does.

Warning Signs During the Project Itself

Even after you’ve hired someone, stay alert for these problems:

Missing deadlines without communication.

Delays happen sometimes.

Professionals communicate about delays proactively.

Showing you designs identical to their other work.

You’re paying for custom work tailored to your business.

Not recycled templates with your logo swapped in.

Resisting reasonable change requests.

Some revisions are normal and expected.

Charging extra for tiny text changes isn’t.

Unable to explain technical decisions.

“Why did you structure the navigation this way?”

“Just trust me” isn’t an acceptable answer.

Good developers can explain their reasoning.

Takes forever to respond.

You shouldn’t wait three days for simple questions to get answered.

24-hour response time is reasonable.

Week-long silences aren’t.

Finding Good Developers in Gorakhpur

The honest reality?

Finding truly skilled WordPress website developers here is challenging.

Lots of people learned from YouTube tutorials and now call themselves developers.

Self-learning is fine.

But there’s a massive difference between following a tutorial to build a basic site and actually understanding how to create a proper business asset.

Good WordPress web developers in Gorakhpur exist.

You just need to know how to identify them.

They ask detailed questions about your business goals.

They show you diverse, functioning previous work.

They explain technical choices in plain language.

They work with clear contracts and realistic timelines.

They follow up after launch to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The risky ones are equally obvious once you know what to watch for.

They promise everything without understanding your needs.

Their portfolio is suspiciously vague or inaccessible.

They avoid written agreements and formal processes.

They disappear after receiving final payment.

You never hear from them again unless you chase them down.

The difference becomes obvious when you start asking the right questions.

What You Should Do Next

Don’t hire the first WordPress website developer whose ad you see.

Talk to at least three different ones.

Ask all the questions listed above.

Actually visit their previous work and test it thoroughly.

Get every promise documented in writing.

Compare not just prices, but what’s actually included.

The cheapest option almost always costs more in the long run.

Because you’ll end up rebuilding everything properly within six months.

The right WordPress web developer might cost more initially.

But you’ll get a website that actually functions as a business tool.

Not a headache generator.

Your website represents your business online.

That’s too important to trust to the wrong person.

Take the time to choose carefully.

Ask hard questions.

Demand clear answers.

Insist on proper contracts.

Then you’ll actually get what you’re paying for.

A website that brings you customers and revenue.

Not regrets.

Need a straightforward, reliable WordPress website developer in Gorakhpur? We’ve built stunning sites for local businesses with transparent pricing, written contracts, and genuine post-launch support (without vague promises or surprise charges).

Let’s talk about your project honestly.

ClickFox Digital – Accelerating Growth Digitally