Choosing a web developer is difficult because almost every proposal promises a modern, responsive, search-friendly website. The useful differences usually appear in how the developer approaches the work, what happens after launch and how clearly they explain technical decisions.
Look at relevant work, not just visual style
A portfolio should show that the developer can solve problems similar to yours. A municipal organization has different needs from a restaurant or a small brochure site. Look for examples involving comparable content volume, integrations, accessibility, e-commerce, custom functionality or ongoing support.
Find out who actually does the work
Ask who will design the site, who will develop it and who you will deal with after launch. Some firms hand projects between sales, project management, design, development and support teams. That is not necessarily a problem, but you should understand the process. With a smaller developer, direct access can make communication faster and reduce the chance that context gets lost.
Ask how the site will be maintained
The launch date is only the beginning. Ask how WordPress, plugins, themes and server software will be updated; how backups are handled; what monitoring is provided; and what happens when something breaks. Also ask who owns the domain, hosting account, source code and content.
Be cautious with vague SEO promises
No developer can legitimately guarantee first-place Google rankings. A good build can provide solid technical foundations: fast pages, crawlable content, sensible headings, structured data where appropriate, metadata, accessibility and clean internal linking. Ongoing visibility still depends on the quality and relevance of the content and the competitiveness of the market.
Make sure the proposal is understandable
A proposal should explain what is included, what is not included, what the client is responsible for, how changes are handled and what the ongoing costs are. Technical detail is useful when it affects the project, but jargon should not be used to hide uncertainty.
The practical answer
Choose the developer whose process, relevant experience and ongoing support model fit the project. The best relationship is one where you understand what is being built, why it is being built that way and who will be there when the site needs attention later.