Hiring the wrong web developer is expensive — not just in money, but in months of delay, a site that
doesn't rank, and the stress of chasing someone who's gone quiet. Kerala has no shortage of agencies,
freelancers and "website guys", so how do you tell them apart? Here's the practical checklist we'd use
ourselves before handing over a single rupee.

1. Ask to see real, working projects. Not screenshots, not a slideshow — live sites and software you can
open and actually use. Anyone can show a pretty mockup; far fewer can point to systems running in daily
use for real businesses. If they can't show you working work, that's your answer.

2. Check who owns what you pay for. Some developers build on platforms that lock you in — stop paying
and your site vanishes. Make sure you own your domain, your code and your content, and that you can host
it wherever you like. You paid for it; it should be yours.

3. Insist on honest, itemised pricing. "Packages" with vague inclusions hide surprises. A good developer
quotes on what you actually need, explains what each part costs, and tells you honestly when something
isn't worth doing. If a quote feels padded, it usually is.

4. Make sure you can reach a real person. Ask who you'll actually deal with day to day — with bigger
agencies the senior you meet in the sales call often isn't the one building your project. You want direct
access to the people doing the work: faster answers, fewer things lost in translation. That's exactly how
we work at Manoos. Get a free quote →