Mohammad KaleemQuick answer: To hire a good freelance website developer in Delhi, check 8 technical skills: custom coding (not just templates), database and admin panel development, website security, speed optimization, payment and API integration, technical SEO, hosting and deployment, and clean code with full source code handed over to you. A developer who can show live examples of all eight is a safe choice.
A website designer makes your website look good. A website developer makes it work — the admin panel, the enquiry forms, the payment gateway, the speed and the security behind the scenes. If your business needs more than a simple brochure website, the developer's technical skills matter as much as the design.
If you are still comparing designers, read my guide on how to choose the best website designer in Delhi. This guide focuses only on the technical skills to check before you hire a website developer.
Website Designer vs Website Developer: What Is the Difference?
A website designer plans the look and feel — layout, colours, fonts and how visitors move through the pages. A website developer turns that design into a working website — writing the code, building the database and admin panel, connecting forms and payments, and making the site fast and secure. Many freelancers, including me, do both, which means one person is responsible for the whole website.
When Do You Need a Website Developer?
- You want an admin panel to update products, services, blogs or prices yourself
- You need online payments, bookings or registrations
- You want enquiries saved in a dashboard or sent to WhatsApp and a CRM
- You are building an e-commerce store, a portal or a web application
- Your current website is slow, hacked or difficult to update
8 Skills to Check Before You Hire a Freelance Website Developer in Delhi
1. Custom coding, not just templates
Some "developers" only install a ready-made theme and change the text. That works for very simple sites, but it becomes a problem when you need a custom feature. A good developer can work with themes and write custom code — for example in PHP with frameworks like CodeIgniter or Laravel, or build custom WordPress features.
How to check: Ask, "Can you show me a feature you built from scratch for a client?" and ask which technology they used and why.
2. Database and admin panel development
Most business websites today need content that changes — products, services, projects, blog posts, prices or leads. That content lives in a database and is managed through an admin panel. The admin panel should be simple enough for you or your staff to use without training.
How to check: Ask for a short demo of an admin panel they have built. Try adding a product or changing a photo yourself.
3. Website security
Hacked websites lose Google rankings, show spam to visitors and can leak customer data. A good developer secures the website from day one — SSL (https), secure admin login, protection against spam in forms, regular updates and backups.
How to check: Ask, "How do you protect the admin login and the enquiry forms from spam and hacking?" and "How are backups taken?" Clear answers are a good sign.
4. Speed optimization
Google uses page speed (Core Web Vitals) as a ranking signal, and visitors leave slow websites. Speed depends on development choices — optimized images (WebP), clean code, caching and not loading unnecessary scripts.
How to check: Test a few of their client websites in Google's free PageSpeed Insights. Look at the mobile score, not just desktop.
5. Payment gateway and API integration
Many businesses need the website to connect with other tools — a payment gateway like Razorpay, WhatsApp, email, Google Sheets or a CRM. These integrations need careful development so payments and leads are never lost.
How to check: Ask, "Have you integrated a payment gateway or a CRM before? Can I see it working on a live site?"
6. Technical SEO
Good SEO starts in the code. A developer should build clean URLs, proper heading structure, page titles and meta descriptions, schema markup, an XML sitemap and mobile-friendly pages, and should set up Google Search Console. Without these, even great content struggles to rank.
How to check: Ask whether technical SEO is included in the price, and whether every page title and description can be edited from the admin panel. See my SEO services for what a complete setup includes.
7. Hosting, deployment and domain setup
A developer should know how to put your website live properly — choosing suitable hosting, connecting the domain, setting up SSL and business email, and moving a website from one server to another without downtime. Your domain and hosting should always be in your name.
How to check: Ask who will own the domain and hosting accounts, and whether you will get all the logins. Read more on my web hosting page.
8. Clean code and full source code handover
Your website is your business asset. You should receive the complete source code and database, and the code should be organised well enough that another developer can work on it in future. Avoid developers who lock you into their own private platform.
How to check: Ask in writing, "Will I get the full source code and database when the project is complete?" The answer should be yes.
Developer Skills Checklist
| Skill | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Custom coding | Can you show a feature you built from scratch? |
| Admin panel | Can I see a demo of an admin panel you built? |
| Security | How do you protect logins and forms, and take backups? |
| Speed | What is the mobile PageSpeed score of your recent sites? |
| Integrations | Have you integrated payments, WhatsApp or a CRM? |
| Technical SEO | Are titles, meta, schema and sitemap included? |
| Hosting & domain | Will the domain and hosting be in my name? |
| Source code | Will I get the full source code and database? |
Red Flags When Hiring a Website Developer
- Cannot show any live website or admin panel they have built
- Uses nulled (pirated) themes or plugins to save cost
- Keeps the domain, hosting or source code in their own name
- No backups and no plan for security updates
- Gives a price without asking what features you need
- Promises a complex custom website in one or two days
How Much Does a Freelance Website Developer Cost in Delhi?
The cost depends on the features you need. As a guide, these are my starting prices:
| Website type | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Static / basic website | ₹8,000 |
| Business website with admin panel | ₹15,000 |
| E-commerce website | ₹25,000 |
| Domain + hosting + maintenance (yearly) | ₹7,500 |
Custom features like payment gateways, booking systems, portals or CRM integration are quoted separately based on the work involved. My guide on website design cost in Delhi explains pricing in more detail.
Why Hire Mohammad Kaleem as Your Website Developer
I am Mohammad Kaleem, a freelance website developer in Delhi with 9+ years of experience, based in New Ranjeet Nagar, New Delhi. I design and develop every website myself, so you deal with one person from planning to launch:
- Custom websites in PHP and CodeIgniter, as well as WordPress
- Easy admin panels to manage your content, products and enquiries
- Secure logins, spam protection and backups
- Fast, mobile-friendly websites with technical SEO built in
- Payment gateway, WhatsApp and form integrations
- Domain, hosting and full source code always in your name
See examples of my work on the portfolio page, or read more about my website development services.
Get a Free Quote for Your Website
Need a custom website, an admin panel, an e-commerce store or a website upgrade in Delhi NCR? Contact me for a free quote or call/WhatsApp +91 85275 54620, and tell me what you want your website to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a website designer and a website developer?
A website designer plans how the website looks and feels. A website developer builds the working website — the code, database, admin panel, forms, payments, speed and security. Many freelancers do both.
Should I hire a freelance website developer or an agency in Delhi?
For most small and medium businesses, an experienced freelance website developer gives direct communication, faster changes and a lower price. An agency may suit very large projects that need a big team.
Which technology is best for a business website?
It depends on your needs. WordPress works well for content and blogs, while a custom PHP website with a framework like CodeIgniter or Laravel is better for custom features, portals and admin panels. A good developer will recommend the right option after understanding your requirements.
How long does it take to develop a business website?
A simple business website usually takes one to two weeks once the content is ready. Websites with an admin panel, e-commerce or custom features take longer, depending on the features.
Will I get the source code of my website?
You should. Always confirm in writing that you will receive the complete source code, database and all logins once the project is complete.