How do I interview a web developer without technical knowledge?

Many owners feel unsure about how to interview a web developer because they cannot judge code. The good news is that you do not need to. You can judge the things that matter to you: results, communication, process and reliability.

Here is a simple interview plan that works for non-technical owners.

Prepare before the interview

• Write a one-page brief with your goals, pages and examples you like.
• Open the developer’s portfolio and test two sites on your phone.
• Run one site through PageSpeed Insights and note the mobile result.

Questions to ask when you interview a web developer

1. “Tell me about a project like mine.” Listen for a clear story: the problem, what they built and the result.
2. “What would you build for us, and why?” Good answers connect features to your goals.
3. “What could go wrong, and how would you handle it?” Honest developers mention risks.
4. “How will you keep me updated?” Look for a specific rhythm, such as weekly updates.
5. “What will you need from me?” Content, feedback and approvals.
6. “What happens after launch?” Support period, maintenance and training.

For a longer list, see our questions to ask a web developer.

Listen for how they explain

When you interview a web developer, their ability to explain clearly is a strong predictor of how smooth the project will be.

Use a simple practical test

Ask the developer to review your current site, or a competitor’s, in ten minutes and tell you the three biggest problems. This shows how they think and whether their advice makes sense. Compare their answers with a free tool like our speed checker.

Ask for a small paid task

A short paid job, such as a homepage mockup or a speed fix, is the best way to interview a web developer for real. You see their quality, speed and communication before committing to the full project.

Bring in a second opinion

If the project is large, ask a technical friend or an independent developer to join one call or review a code sample. A one-hour review costs little compared with a bad hire.

Score each candidate

After each interview, score candidates from one to five on relevant experience, clarity, process, ownership terms and price. Writing scores down stops you choosing based only on who was most charming.

Example: a ten-minute review that decided the hire

A non-technical founder used the practical test to interview a web developer shortlist of three. One candidate opened the founder’s current site, pointed out that the main image was very large and slowed the phone version, that the contact form had no confirmation message, and that service pages had no clear headings. Each point was easy to verify. The other two gave generic advice. The choice was obvious. When you interview a web developer this way, you are not judging code; you are judging whether their advice makes sense and helps your business. That skill is exactly what you need during a real project.