Skills for Web Developers: What WordPress Agencies Should Prioritize

When hiring, assessing the right skills for web developers and matching them with your agency’s specific needs is the key to successful projects. 

At White Label Agency, our team consists of more than 120 developers, with diverse skill sets and levels. With more than 10,000 successful projects per year and more than a decade working on the WordPress market, we know the exact qualifications WordPress developers should possess.

Now, let’s explore the specific junior, middle and senior-level competencies required to create a solid development team for your agency.

Core Competencies for WordPress Developers

While portfolio assessment and soft skills are important, agencies should prioritize specific technical skills to get the most out of WordPress developers. These skills will increase your service offerings and keep you competitive.

Key Skills for Junior Developers

Foundation in Web Development Languages: A basic grasp of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP is essential. This allows them to understand and modify existing code.

Understanding of WordPress Fundamentals: Knowing how WordPress themes and plugins work is crucial for building and customizing websites.

Proficiency in Core WordPress Functionalities: They should have skills like theme customization, plugin integration, and basic PHP usage. This equips them for common WordPress development tasks.

Basic Coding Practices: While clean, well-structured code might not be their forte yet, they should be following basic coding conventions for better code readability in the future.

Understanding Design Principles: Familiarity with typography, heading hierarchy, image management, and exporting assets helps bridge the gap between developers and designers.

When it comes to skills for web developers, prioritizing junior developers capabilities can effectively contribute to your team in:

• Website Maintenance: They can handle routine maintenance tasks like updating plugins and fixing minor issues.
• Creating New Pages: Adding new pages to existing websites is a great way for them to gain experience in a controlled environment.
• Building Landing Pages: Landing pages are often smaller projects, perfect for allowing juniors to practice building new functionalities from scratch.

Key Skills for Middle Developers

Mid-level developers are a vital part of your agency. They already have a proven track record of delivering efficient and accurate website builds. Here’s what agencies should prioritize in their skillset:

Experience and Efficiency: Mid-level developers should be quick and precise in their builds. They can tackle more complex tasks like setting up WooCommerce stores, integrating advanced plugins, and customizing Google Maps.

Advanced Back-End Skills: Familiarity with ACF Pro is key. They should be able to structure  user-friendly back-ends that  improve maintainability and client experience.

Mastery of Builder Plugins: Proficiency in popular builder plugins like Divi Builder, WP Bakery, Elementor, etc. allows them to use pre-built functionalities and create flexible layouts efficiently.

Mid-level developers can handle most WordPress development tasks with minimal supervision.  They’re well-suited for:

• Handling larger projects with intricate details that require careful attention.
• They have the skills to code functionalities that aren’t readily available with plugins.
• Mid-level developers can take on projects with tight deadlines, as long as the complexity is manageable.
• E-commerce projects

Key Skills for Senior Developers

The ideal senior developer isn’t just skilled; they thrive on challenges and enjoy solving complex problems. However, their expertise shouldn’t come at the cost of efficiency. The right candidate with the right skills for web developers will use their knowledge to find solutions without excessive research that could inflate project timelines.

When it comes to senior developers, their back-end expertise should perfectly align with your agency’s needs. This includes proficiency in tools like ACF and builder plugins, but also the crucial ability to connect third-party services and pull data from various sources.

Agencies should prioritize developers with the ability to create flexible back-ends to make the site easier to update and manage.

They should be able to interpret a web designer’s intent just by looking at the design files.

Senior developers should have the expertise to handle complex website builds, including connecting APIs and creating custom solutions.

An agency should carefully consider the senior developer’s ability to connect WooCommerce to external systems like inventory software APIs.

Senior WordPress developers are well-suited for:

• Complex WooCommerce projects 
• Complex project management with multi-store setups.
• If necessary any middle-level developer tasks.

Additional Valuable Skills for Web Developers

When assembling your agency’s team, prioritize having all the necessary skills for web developers. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of soft skills like communication – it’s a crucial factor for a successful team.

Also, understanding UX principles like usability, accessibility, and responsiveness is vital for building user-friendly and engaging websites. Additionally, familiarity with UI design principles can help developers collaborate effectively with designers to achieve a visual experience.

For WordPress developers, a basic understanding of SEO best practices is beneficial. This includes optimizing website structure, content, and technical aspects to improve search engine ranking.

Get a Dedicated WordPress Developer from White Label Agency

Even the most skilled in-house teams can hit capacity during busy periods. When project demands surge, your current resources might struggle to keep up. That’s where dedicated WordPress developers can be a solution.

Effective WordPress project management goes beyond technical know-how. It requires a unique blend of technical skills, clear communication, efficient time management, and the ability to adapt to changing needs.

Our team of expert WordPress developers boasts a proven track record of success, with over 600 collaborations completed. Use the expertise of our dedicated WordPress developers to maximize your agency’s capabilities and efficiency.